Welcome to the new episode of FM Author Spotlight, a series of interviews that provides an exclusive peek into the world of fan mission creators. In this episode, we are talking to Balboa, a veteran author who has been releasing high-quality fan missions since 2004.
Aemanyl: Please introduce yourself and tell us how you discovered the Thief games.
Balboa: My name is Doug. I live in New York, about an hour from Niagara Falls, and I'm 72. Not quite the oldest taffer, but definitely up there. I came across Thief Gold back in '99 (I think - that was a while ago). Followed that with Thief 2 (the 'Sold Out' version I'm afraid, but it worked). And then, TTLG, fan missions, and Dromed.
Aemanyl: Do you have a favourite genre, style, or theme of fan missions?
Balboa: I tend to prefer puzzle and exploratory missions. Hammers over Mechanists. Ancient ruins and sinister secrets below the manor. But if there is a solid story behind the mission, I'm happy.
Aemanyl: What are your most irritating pet peeves in fan missions? Are there any elements of design or gameplay solutions that reduce your enjoyment of playing Thief?
Balboa: I hate getting deep into a mission and having no idea how to proceed. And I don't mean missing an obvious clue. Rather, it can be quite frustrating when an objective has no in-game info as to how to proceed. When it stops being fun, I just walk away - maybe try it again another day.
Aemanyl: As a veteran taffer who has been making fan missions for over 20 years, what was it like to release Viktor Gaspar back in 2004 compared to now, in the 2020s, with releases like Matriarch or Haunt? Also, what makes you keep coming back to Thief?
Balboa: Well, a while after I had discovered fan missions, I saw that Komag Contest 5 was coming up, so I started with the Komag Tutorial, then jumped right in with Viktor Gaspar. The size and time constraints were perfect for forcing me to focus on the elements of mission design. Then I played Ominous Bequest, which blew my mind, and led to Tales from the Cleft. (I had to make a mini mission to do the intro movie for Vandal, but it got out of hand, and ended up being Ladytaker)
Now, with New Dark, it's almost too easy. No need to save Every Day, just in case Dromed crashes, and takes out your mission, and the rest of your family.
As for coming back to Thief, I enjoy mission building more than mission release. Dromed is a perfect tool for creating new stories, and if other taffers enjoy the results, so much the better.
Aemanyl: What would be your proudest technical achievement in DromEd?
Balboa: I am happy with how all of my missions turned out (bugs and all), but I think my proudest technical achievement was in Ten Little Taffers. After a nine year vacation from Thief, I saw the announcement of the TMA 20th Anniversary Contest, and I said 'I should do this'. Foolish me. I had to (re)install Thief, Dromed, and New Dark. Then relearn Dromed (ouch), and come up with an idea worthy of the 20th Anniversary. So, I picked Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians. Which meant doing three missions, from three different viewpoints, and three different murderers. Plus linking everything to ten different rhymes - it was far too ambitious a project, but in the end it worked out. This is a control diagram of the Conversations in just the Ballroom. (I must have been crazy)
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Aemanyl: I found the ghostly mirror world in your recent mission, Haunt, quite intriguing. How did you come up with the concept, and what was the process like to bring it to life?
Balboa: Again, I have to give credit to the Thief: Deadly Shadows 20th Anniversary Contest. I grabbed the TDSContestResourcePack when the contest was announced, but had no plan to enter. But I looked at the TDS textures and thought that they were especially creepy. And I recalled an old movie where the only way to kill a daemon at infinity was to position two mirrors opposite each other, then smash them. (Also, the mirror scene in Conan the Destroyer). So, smashing the mirrors was the seed of the mission. Figuring out how to sometimes walk through the mirrors, and still be able to break them took a bit of time. And the plan was to have the tension build slowly - no real threat until Act 2, then absolute terror in Act 3. (I was quite pleased that no one noticed/mentioned that all of the paintings in the mirror world were reversed.)
Aemanyl: What are some of your other interests, pastimes, or hobbies that you enjoy in your free time?
Balboa: I am an avid brewer, with my own brewery in the garage. I spent ten years chasing a national brewing medal. But, it's like a horse race - first, second, third, and everyone else goes home. Still, getting to the top ten in the country, four years in a row, is no small feat. And one gathers lots of friends, too.
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Aemanyl: Are you currently working on any new levels?
Balboa: I am indeed. Old Gods has been in development for a year (with a four month hiatus to throw together Haunt). Maybe another year to go on that. Basic city/rooftop mission, with a twist. Have I ever done a mission without a twist? After that, maybe a return to Tales from the Cleft. Lots of crimes to pursue, there.
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Aemanyl: Is there anything else you would like to add or share at the end?
Balboa: Just that I am fortunate that this community is still going strong after all these years. Without TTLG and Discord, I would never have made a mission, let alone eight (nine?).
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Thank you for reading! We hope that you've enjoyed this insightful interview with Balboa. In these series, we talk to fan mission authors, featuring both the rising stars and the seasoned veterans of our beloved community.
Stay tuned and see you in the next issue of FM Author Spotlight series!
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