If you’re new to DromEd, you should stick to doing simple things and save advanced topics like custom textures, scripting or weapon replacements for when/if you get good. Tithian’s first-time effort does just that. It focuses on getting simple things right, hence the rather basic setup that has Garrett looting a small mansion. There isn’t much to the mission save for avoiding a lone guard and robbing the residents of their possessions, so if you’re expecting anything earthshaking, Mann Mansion probably isn’t for you. The readme file even mentions the lack of security as Garrett’s motivation for breaking in in the first place. On the other hand, it is well worth checking out if you’re looking for a positive example on how to tackle your first Thief fan mission.

Besides keeping things simple, Tithian took his time to polish the environment. The version of the mission that is available from most download sites is v. 1.1 for which the architecture was refurbished and refined. The mansion might not be particularly exciting, however, the effort is certainly passable. There are more than a few first-time authors out there whose ambitions to create mindblowing experiences were shattered by a lack of skill and a lack of time to learn the necessary skills to transform their ideas into a playable mission. A generic mansion surely is preferable to a sloppily constructed city district extravaganza.

The downside of Mann Mansion’s small-sized area of play is: there isn’t enough room for sneaking or hiding in shadows, nor is that lone guard much of a challenge. Since the three civilians in the mansion all have their back turned to you, they can easily be avoided. This lack of proper gameplay could have been avoided with better planning. What’s more is that a playthrough of Mann Mansion takes five minutes to complete if you don’t know layout. Ghosting on the second playthrough can take as little as two minutes.