/vr/ - Retro Games

There was a short-lived thread a little earlier on /v/ about how an open-world stealth game would work. It died before I could get my thoughts out, but I figure the setting of The City lends itself perfectly to that.

I think a completely open world setup wouldn't work great, is all. I'd still want some general structure.

Something like the Thieves Highway area in Life of The Party, but even more open-ended, with areas accessible from rooftop to city street and everything in between. Maybe split the game up into the different districts or quarters, where the general loop of gameplay is pulling off minor heists and robberies to earn enough gold for equipment to pull a major heist in the area, as an end goal for each district. You know, rob a few apartments, businesses, pickpocketing passersby on your way, then pawn it off at the fence and use the cash to gear up and sneak into a major Hammerite compound, bank, mansion, etc. to get your ultimate prize.

There could be an overall sense of becoming a higher profile thief, buying better equipment along the way, going from slummier areas to rich nobles homes all the way to the excessive heights of society in the City. And whenever you felt like it, you could revisit areas and hunt for secrets or valuables from places you skipped over, since your improved toolset would make that easier.

Anyway, how do you think an open-world Thief would work? Or could it work at all?