Thief has FLAG "event" and "always". Possible bug?
 

I was just looking at the main game's files, and noted that the Thief quest has the FLAGs "event" and "always".

So then I opened the pre-patch version that I archived before installing the patch. Lo and behold, the thief quest there only had "event", not "always".

I suspect this is a previously undocumented bug, probably a remnant from some temporary modification made to the files when the patch was in beta test.

If that quest has both "always" and "event", it will trigger every single game. (Which matches my anecdotal evidence).

In addition, it will reduce the number of other quests that happen when you play, because it still counts against the quest total. I'm extrapolating this from the way that the Damocles quest (which has both "ally" and "mainquest" flags) reduces the total number of (non-damocles) allies on the map by 1.

Lastly, because the thief quest has KEYS intruder, it keeps the saboteur quest from ever triggering. The last time I remember having something sabotaged was years ago, and probably before I installed the patch.

For that matter, this particular bug might be only specific to the mac version of the patch, since it was prepared after the pc version. Does anyone on a mac remember being sabotaged anytime recently? I've played dozens (possibly hundreds) of games since downloading Weird Worlds again a few months ago, and I'm certain I haven't been sabotaged in all that time. Now I know why.

Luckily, this particular bug has an easy solution. You just delete the word "always" from the thief quest. I think I'm gonna go do that right now.

Re: Thief has FLAG "event" and "always". Possible bug?
 

Coincidentally, it happens that I came across this a few months ago, when I was changing things for my mod.

Because I've always used the Mac version, and don't recall 1.1 very well, I didn't remember the sabotage quest being in there -- I figured it was something from SAIS that they decided not to implement, at the last minute, and also that, for some reason, the WW team decided it would be a good idea to have an item get stolen every game.

Anyway, I changed the thief file so that a) it won't always show up, and so that b) the saboteur one might.

In a way, it's hard to say which is worse. On one hand, you'll lose an average of one item a game the old way, just because Essy is in every map, but on the other hand, while you won't surely lose an item the 'new' way, you can take much more damage when it does happen; lose a particle vortex cannon, or a hyperdrive, or another irreplaceable item of value.

Either way, though, thief.ini without the always flag is probably what is intended for normal play.