Many people already told me that adding walking mecha to Thief setting would be ambiguous move. They said: don’t dilute unique mix of Lookin Glass with banal sci-fi elements... But... but let me explain my idea:
Just imagine is this is not “transformer-style” mecha, but a very handy industrial instrument: for mining, for transporting ore from the face to elevator, and so on. An instrument, no more. Like one from Aliens movie. Clumsy, highly limiting any movements and just roughly performing intentions of its operator. It can’t be used as a war machine, it just looks menacingly in the bottom on the picture... but that’s just readiness for work – to hew a tonnel, roughly made by giant drill. After that, hammerites will straighten walls more precisely by hand instruments.
Walking mechas has already been in Thief 2, frightening pagans and thieves with loud sound of heavy footstep. That’s Builder’s Children made by father Karras, of course. But they hardly can be compared. If Builder’s Children are unmanned helicopters, then hammerite heavy suits are balloons. They made of minimum number of details and lack complex mechanisms comparing to Children. Anyway, very this machiles were put into basis of Children design. It was Karras who designed most complex mechanisms and materials to finally turn primitive walking suits into refined robots.
Metal surfaces of these suits are old, rusty, scratched and speckled. Curved slot and several mirrors provide some limited observation around. It can protect from some heavier-than-air gases, but operator still has to wear a breather for more reliable protection.
Sound for the mood: Heid – Arktogaa VII.
Date: May 2006.