Lord Bafford's Manor really gets Thief off to a good start. In it, we get our first glimpse of the grimy back alleys of the City and the cavernous waterworks beneath it and an impressive view of the fortress-like manors typical of this city's nobility.

The mission still holds up gameplay-wise after all these years. Sneaking is fun and just tricky enough to be challenging without being tedious, and exploring the little hidden nooks and crannies is rewarded. It's the obvious first example of the stealth gameplay formula that made the Thief series what it is.

But where the mission shines brightest is world-building. The very first conversation you overhear is some guards bantering about how the Bear Pits were better in days gone by, and right away you're given an impression of a City in decline. This is a theme that later conversations in Cragscleft and Assassins return to. Readables in Bafford's Manor paint a picture of a corrupt nobility in cahoots with, and even answerable to, organized crime bosses- giving just enough detail to set the mood while leaving an air of mystery.

While in some ways it shows its age- many rooms, particularly the servants' areas, are just empty boxes- it is an excellent mission in its own right but more importantly in what it represents for the whole thief series.

The 3d map is what makes this one (plus the ideas...the well..the lighting...and conversations). Still cool to this day. AND the fare-thee-well kaboom-gong!