marbleman on 20/8/2017 at 00:26
Luckily, the Old Bell is not far. I have to once again descend to the streets by mantling the lamppost below. Then, I go down the street to the tavern. This time, all of the patrollers, namely two archers and a swordsman, were here. I had to wait for all of them to leave and then wait a little bit more for the bartender and the bouncer inside the tavern to look away. I slip in without any alerts, lock-block the door leading back to the Lady's elevator and leave the key where I found it. I cannot hang it on the wall, so I just drop it as if it has fallen. Then, I close the lock-blocked door and slip out of the tavern again. The main objective is now finally done!
All that is left to do is to loot the rest of the district. Still, it is quite a handful. I head East to the canal and cross it using the metal bridge. Now, we are getting close to Widow's Way where the gallows and Issin's body are located. I decide to clear the area counter-clockwise. First, I pick a lock on the door to a shop near the poorhouse. Inside, I have to pick a lock on the moneybox. I get the coin stack from the moneybox, a purse from the shelf, and a tarnished key. This key is very important.
Next, I climb the ladder to the poorhouse. Inside, there are two floors with the first one being patrolled by a thief. Dodging him is difficult but possible. All I want to do here is pick a door at the end of the first floor. There is another pickable door at the second floor, but we do not need to pick it. I pick up gold dice and 3 coin stacks and leave the poorhouse the way I came.
Then, I take an underpass leading to the gallows, cross the plaza and come to St. Tennor's Priory. This is where we could have emerged from Brosius estate. Along the way, I pick a purse of a hammerite archer. There are also 2 coin stacks in the window above. There is a pickable door nearby leading to that window, but we do not need to pick it. Instead, I shoot a rope into the window frame, climb it, pick the coin stacks, and jump down. While jumping down, I have to turn around, grab the rope, turn back around, and mantle the fence. I also have to make sure that the two hammerites are not around. A tricky move, but definitely doable!
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http://thumbs.imagebam.com/a4/c2/77/1c870d581607183.jpg Just for the hell of it, I make a real save here and drag Issin's body to the tavern. It is definitely possible to do Supreme-clean.The last thing to do in the area is to pick up 3 coin stacks from a window above the gallows, which is just a matter of timing the guards. Then, I head all the way back to the Old Bell.
I enter the Old Steel Mill through the door near the Old Bell. Inside, I first rope down to the warehouses and enter the room where... something happened. The only item of interest here is a gold hammer. Then, I rope back up and go through the vent into the condemned building. I jump into the water and pick up a crystal chunk. Then, I go through the vent to the elevator shaft. I ride the elevator down and pick up a key found far underground. Then, I ride the elevator up, open and lock-block the door at the top, and ride it back down again to return the key. Finally, I can ride the elevator up and close the door behind me.
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http://thumbs.imagebam.com/68/63/f8/f637a0581607213.jpg Here comes another loot that we have to skip. When we enter a small room, there is skull with 2 rubies (worth whopping 300 in total) in his eyes. However, he warns us to stay away from him. If we try to get closer, he shoots a volley of fire bolts. It is possible to avoid those and take the rubies for regular Ghost, but for Supreme, we cannot set off any traps. Thus, we will leave the skull alone and flip a lever to open the passage further. We have to flip it again though to close the wall and make it to the other side as it moves back.
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http://thumbs.imagebam.com/8c/fb/84/640a2e581607223.jpg On the other side, there is another lever. It controls 2 portcullises, one behind each statue. We have to flip it, wait for the portcullises to open, and flip it back. While they are closing, we need to jump over the street and enter the tunnel before the portcullis on the other side closes. Then, we turn left and come to a waterfall. I rope down to the ledge below and leave the rope hanging: I will retrieve it soon. Behind the waterfall, there is an opening with a locked door. It responds to the tarnished key.
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http://thumbs.imagebam.com/c7/a3/7a/f14779581607273.jpg In the sewer, I make my way to a room where somebody lives, apparently. I pick up a purse and flip a switch to move the bed. Below it is a lockbox that responds to the tarnished key. I unlock it, and the secret passage opens. Behind it is a keeper sanctuary of sorts. The invisible keeper below does not alert to anything. I pick up a valuable book and 2 gold candlesticks and leave. I re-lock the lockbox, flip the switch to move the bed back, and leave the sewers the way I came, locking the door behind me. I rope back up and go to the other side of the tunnels. I could jump to the water, but the bottom of the canal is not dark, and I cannot risk any undetected alerts. Thus, I jump down and mantle the ledge of the metal bridge. From here, I make my way back to the shop where I took the tarnished key and drop it since I have no use for it anymore. Then, I go all the way back to the Old Bell.
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http://thumbs.imagebam.com/f9/41/fe/64b5eb581607283.jpg I rope up the roof near the entrance to the palace. The walkway above is patrolled by an archer, who is a real pain to dodge. I make my way across the pipe over to the other side of the street to pick up a goblet and a bottle on the balcony. I have to be really careful and make sure that nobody looks my way down on the streets. The sound propagation does reach up here, but the alerts are very faint. Thus, I need to make extra sure that I am not caught. I make my way back across the pipe and continue along the walkway until I reach a room with an open-able window. From here, I rope up to another ledge. On top, I pick up a bottle, a goblet, and 5 coin stacks. Then I drop down to the street by mantling a brick fence below.
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http://thumbs.imagebam.com/f2/5f/b8/b316ef581607323.jpg Time to finish this. I make my way back to the jetty I where I have been twice already, rope up, and reach the yellow building. It is time to finally loot the watch station, and we can only approach it from this side for Supreme. Inside, I pick a purse from the rafters and another one from a patrolling guard. Then, I exit and rope up to the ledge above the yellow building just like before. One last stop before leaving the mission: I pick a pagan-styled door and enter a small courtyard. First, I loot the crazy crate-maker's place: there are 2 coin stacks and a ring. Then, I rope up to the building opposite of his and pick up a bottle and a goblet. Excluding the skipped pieces, this is our max loot: 2815. Then, I take the tunnel leading to the mission start and finish it.
Notes:- Skipped a torc (250) inside the Beaurigard estate vault. Taking it sets off a trap.
- Skipped 2 coin stacks and a purse (135) from a thief's hideout near Brosius estate. The thief's reaction to the door being picked-open is a Supreme bust in my mind.
- Skipped 2 rubies (300) inside the eyes of a skull in the condemned building. Coming close to the skull sets off a trap.
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Edit: Though I originally claimed a Supreme success in the mission, I have later realized that I forgot to resend the Steel Mill elevator back to the third floor.
Grandmauden on 20/8/2017 at 04:37
Nicely done, marbleman! :thumb:
Usually, when people say "engine exploit," they mean taking advantage of a bug or a quirk in the Dark Engine, like nudging AI out of your way without alerting them. Taking advantage of a flaw in the AI's scripted behavior (like leaving the door open so the thief doesn't give his scripted response) probably doesn't count as an engine exploit, but that's certainly open to individual interpretation.
Regardless, the important thing is that you finished with Supreme intact. Again, great job!
marbleman on 20/8/2017 at 09:36
Thanks!
I thought about that situation for a while, but I wanted to be absolutely sure that I Supremed the mission. I suppose it is possible to take that loot, but Perfect Supreme is still unachieveable.
It was definitely an experience :D
Grandmauden on 12/9/2017 at 05:36
FM:
Prequel – Finals at the AcademyGame:
TMAPlay Mode: Supreme Ghost (
Success!!), Perfect Supreme (
Failed...)
Time – 1:46:12
Loot – 5457/6513 (6513 for regular Ghost)
Pockets Picked – 1/4, Locks Picked – 20
Back Stabs – 0, Knockouts – 0
Damage Dealt – 0, Damage Taken – 7, Healing Taken – 7
Innocents/Others Killed – 0
Secrets – 7/7
Consumables – 2 broadhead arrows, 1 water arrow, 1 holy water vial, 1 coil of rope
Comments:
This mission includes six optional objectives, plus three bonus objectives, and although only one of them is guaranteed to show up, I decided to make the effort and attempt to complete all of them. However, I knew of several pieces of loot that set off traps, so Perfect Supreme was not an option. Regardless, I intended to nab as much loot as possible, as per usual.
Beginning the mission, I listened to Headmaster Coleman's instructions, then grabbed my bow and hid around the corner until I heard the Keeper enforcer walk away. Following him, I took the first side hall and pickpocketed Magister Talia's wand, then entered the auditorium. Down on the stage was a scroll I needed to grab, but it was resting on a stool under a bright light and two Keepers were staring straight at it. Luckily, I just needed a well-aimed broadhead arrow to knock it off (see image below).
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https://i.imgur.com/bWxGfTa.pngBut that was the easy part. To actually reach the scroll, I'd have to cross the auditorium's seating area, which had a marble floor, plenty of lighting, and two patrolling Keepers. My best bet was to carefully crawl along the west wall and silently drop off each ledge. Some portions weren't in shadow, though, so I had to wait until the patrollers were either backstage or facing away from me. There was slightly more time after one of them passed me until the other showed up than vice versa, making that my best opportunity to move.
However, along the way, I heard the seated Keepers give settling remarks, despite not noticing their first alerts. After a few reloads, I realized that their first alerts used their idle quotes, instead of something like, "What was that, I wonder?" In order to detect their first alerts, I waited to move until they were making idle chatter; if they changed quotes mid-sentence, that was a first alert and I needed to reload. The third level of seating was particularly tricky, because the Keeper sitting by the stage would give an alert as I passed through the light, even when I was creep-crawling. The only way to pass without an alert was to partially walk into the wall so I moved extra slowly.
Finally, I made it down to the stage and read the scroll, which gave me the goal of finding the Grimoria Necromantica. Now I had to backtrack through the auditorium, and as always, going up is harder than going down. Each ledge had a lip at the edge, so if I didn't mantle up at a certain angle, my feet would come down on the marble floor and alert everybody. After a struggle, I made it out of the auditorium with zero busts. The doors leading south from the foyer were now open, letting me access the upstairs floors.
Because of the large number of Keepers on the upper floors, I initially planned to go straight up to the attic and trigger the Grimoria Necromantica, thus replacing the Keepers with a few undead that were far easier to sneak past. Unfortunately, I discovered afterwards that the special collections room couldn't be accessed for Supreme once the zombies were loose. A sleeping zombie appeared in front of the secret door in the stairwell, and I couldn't enter via the crawlspace without a first alert from the red spider. Therefore, I needed to enter the special collections room before heading up to the attic.
First, though, I needed Coleman's unlocking ring to get in, so I stopped at the floor with the teachers' chambers. An enforcer patrolled up and down the corridor, while Coleman, Leopold, and Iolana occasionally came in and out of their rooms. Most of the doors had a shadow in front for me to hide in, though I had to be careful not to get caught if I hid by Leopold's or Iolana's doors. Once I made it to Coleman's door, I picked it open and entered his study. I grabbed the coil of rope and used it to turn one of my broadheads into a rope arrow, then pushed a brick above the fireplace to open the compartment behind the painting (Secret #1; left image below). After I grabbed the unlocking ring (which permanently stays in my inventory), I heard Coleman come into his room, so I waited in his study until he left. On my way back, I picked open Talia's room, then crossed into Osteria's room and took a gold ribbon from her basket (this way, I didn't need to pick up Osteria's key in order to relock her door).
In the stairwell, I opened the door to the special collections room (Secret #2). The sound didn't propagate correctly, so I had to peek around the corner to assess where the enforcer on the other side was. When he walked east, I could hide in the open doorway, where I was safe from alerts. I picked up a broken arrow and crept across the tile floor, where I found a safe spot just above the stairs against the south wall (right image below). As soon as the enforcer passed going east, I crawled over to the grate in the north wall and hid inside. To reach the loot in the second and third display cases, I had to dart out from the crawlspace, pick the lock for a second or two, then hurry back before the enforcer turned and first alerted. It took me several attempts each to get the cases open, though fortunately, they were stuck open. The third display case was a bit trickier, because I had to move a crate out of the way when the nearby red spider was at the far end of its patrol route. Any closer, and its sensitive hearing would detect me dropping the crate. Once I had the loot, I retraced my steps to the secret door, then tapped a button on its right side to reopen it.
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https://i.imgur.com/HnvUFDo.pngIn the attic, I went to the southwest corner and placed Osteria's gold ribbon to convince the packrat to drop the gem ring it was carrying. I then went to the north generator room, which contained two red spiders. Most of the time, I've seen one of them get stuck on the rafters, but today, they were both on patrol by the turbine. I simply creep-crawled counterclockwise around the room to avoid them. Beyond the generator room, I wormed my way through several stacks of crates and located a fine wine bottle behind a beam. In the attic's northeast corner, I took a webbed rat from the huge spider's den. I initially assumed the box in the back of the den to be unreachable, but I managed to find a narrow path between the spider's visual range and the glowing mushroom nearby (see image below). Next to the box was a padlock, while inside was an easily-missed pile of coins hiding under a book. Finally, I found a potion bottle in the attic's southeast corner.
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https://i.imgur.com/lYUbyPn.pngThe south generator room had a secret door leading to the Grimoria Necromantica, but to open it, I had to first solve a glyph puzzle. A glyph appeared on the north wall for a second, then changed into another glyph, and so on until the tenth glyph cycled back to the first one. To solve the puzzle, I frobbed the glyphs in this order: glyph #8 (which resembles a capital I), glyph #5 (which resembles a bow and arrow), glyph #7 (which resembles a number sign / hashtag), glyph #6 (which resembles a sailboat), and glyph #4 (which resembles a scythe). Through the newly-opened door, I now had to pick a lock on the Grimoria Necromantica, but it was a complex lock where using the wrong lockpick would move the pin backwards. Fortunately, it only took four picks: triangle, square, triangle, triangle.
Unfortunately, with Ohlm's spirit now free from the tome, I lost a lot of health, every other Keeper in the building died, and the halls were now patrolled by undead. For a while, I was worried that my Supreme was busted, because Supreme rules forbid me from taking damage and from killing AIs (the Keepers are killed by a script that triggers when I open the grimoire, so I'm technically responsible for their deaths). Normally, exceptions are permitted if an objective tells me to break a rule, or if a rule is broken as a consequence of meeting an objective (such as the alarm in the OM Undercover). In this case, my injury and the dead Keepers resulted from me following the objective "Find and read the Grimoria Necromantica." However, even though I did so, the objective is cancelled out instead of checked off to indicate completion, so I wasn't sure whether I could still count these as exceptions. I asked klatremus about the matter, and he felt that as long as the potential busts were the result of following the objective's requirements, it shouldn't matter whether the objective was checked off or cancelled afterwards. I trust his judgment, so I'm considering these not to be Supreme busts.
Regardless, I now had to complete the Delphanic Initiation Ritual and find 4800 loot along the way. Meanwhile, a scrap of paper had fallen out of the grimoire, and reading it gave me the optional objective to complete one of seven spells in the mission. I also knew of a bonus objective to complete all seven, so I made it my goal to achieve this. Luckily, all the spell ingredients are relatively easy to find, but because the broken arrow only appears in the special collections room, it was the only ingredient I was required to find beforehand. I dropped the scrap of paper and backtracked through the attic.
Back on the floor with the teachers' chambers, there was only a patrolling zombie – much easier to deal with than an enforcer and several teachers. In Magister Leopold's room, I opened the left wardrobe door to receive a gold nugget, but there was also a gold coin stack inside that I had to pick up directly. Over in his study were two books about Old Man Boone, with a third book in the bathroom across from Talia's room. Speaking of Talia's room, I returned there to grab a skull and Magister Pauel's room key from her desk, as well as a thimble from the dresser in Osteria's room. The key was added to my keyring and couldn't be dropped back. In Pauel's room, I took the dice on his dresser, then read a note on his desk from the janitor, who misplaced his spanner in the auditorium. There's a bonus objective to find and return the spanner, but it won't trigger unless I read this note, as well.
I descended the stairs to the principal floor. On the next set of stairs, I found a purse on the body of Acolyte Diarmuid. The principal floor was patrolled by two fire shadows, but unlike normal fire shadows, the ones in this mission were virtually deaf and didn't make any noise besides their footsteps. Because I couldn't detect their first alerts, I had to be extra careful that they didn't see me. In the library, I quickly picked open the librarian's office so I had a good shadow to hide in; as a bonus, there was a tiny signet ring on the floor (see image below). The book on the library's southwest desk gave me the objective to find a Keeper medallion. In the front office, I was able to loot the file cabinet and the safe before returning to the shadowy office. At the first opportunity, I went through the reception area to the main hallway, then ducked into a bathroom and swiped a sheet of tissue paper. Once the hall was devoid of fire shadows, I crossed the hall to the map room. I took one of the maps from the bottom shelf and examined a discolored scroll to find a partial map of the Maze of Anharra. On my way back east, I passed through the dining room and nabbed a fork from the end table.
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https://i.imgur.com/m6wjuMt.pngBoth staircases leading down had a sleeping zombie, so the only way to proceed was to ride down the dumbwaiter from the pantry to the kitchen. I gathered an egg, a strawberry, and a cabbage head from the tables, as well as a smoked fish from the smokehouse and a wheel of cheese from the cold storage. Up on the storage shelf, I hopped over the bags to a grate; the small room behind this grate contained a skeleton with two rings and the Keeper medallion I needed. This medallion gradually restored my health, and because Supreme rules say nothing about recovering health, I saw no issue with taking it.
A zombie patrolled counterclockwise through the corridor with the classrooms and dormitories, so that's the direction I went, too. Passing the laboratory for now, I entered the classroom after it and found one of Boone's Tales. At the stairwell, I picked open the janitor's room and took his handsaw. As I approached the dormitory hall from the west, I entered the bathroom and found another of Boone's Tales under a pile of tissue papers. Using the key I've had since the start of the mission, I unlocked my own room and read two books: a tale about Boone and a book about Rupert's curse, thus giving me the objective to end said curse. Diarmuid's room had a purse in his chest, while Milena's room had a deck of cards in her chest. I entered Joram's room to read the last two tales of Old Man Boone (thus earning me a bonus objective for reading all eight) and I entered Poldi's room to collect a writing quill and read about the Maze of Anharra. This gave me the objective to find a map of the maze, which, of course, I'd already done.
Now that I had all the spell ingredients, I entered the laboratory. For each spell, I had to drop its ingredients into the cauldron, then frob the cauldron with the wand I stole from Talia. I had to be careful when dropping the loud objects, though, as they clanked loudly upon landing, which would alert the zombie if she was nearby. The cheese, tissue paper, broken arrow, and webbed rat combined into an air crystal. The potion bottle, smoked fish, cabbage, and padlock combined into an invisibility-speed potion. The writing quill and map formed a fireproof spell. The fork and strawberry formed a minor toxic curse. The thimble and handsaw formed a petrify curse. The dice and cards formed a lesser unlocking spell. Finally, the skull and egg formed an aegis spell. My handiwork resulted in a nice pile of scrolls and such, but for Supreme, I left them all there.
Back on the auditorium level, I waited for a fire shadow to appear, then followed it to the foyer, where I hid around the corner again until I saw it go south. I returned the wand to Talia's balcony and the scroll to the stool – a thousand times easier than taking it, I might add. I shot a rope arrow at the exposed rafters by the stage lights, and when none of the fire shadows were around to see, I shimmied up to the lights and found the missing spanner (see image below). I was able to climb partway down and retrieve the rope without taking damage from the fall. After backtracking to the janitor's closet and dropping the spanner on his workbench to trigger the bonus objective, I made my way east from the auditorium to the Maze of Anharra. At last! I made it through the academy building with Supreme intact!
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https://i.imgur.com/Iu7agAR.pngAlthough the maze had nothing but marble floors, the skeletons in here didn't pose any threat – their hearing and vision were poor enough that I only had to slow down once I got rather close. Plus, most of the maze was in darkness, so if a skeleton was walking my way, I could simply crouch down by the wall and watch it walk past, totally oblivious to my presence. It's also worth mentioning that throughout the maze are two urns and a chalice, each sitting on top of a casket. Stealing any of them causes a bunch of spectral skulls to shoot out of the wall. Also, in the northwest corner of the maze is a gold candlestick, but to take it, I would first have to put out the flame on it. Needless to say, none of these loot items can be acquired for Supreme.
In the maze's southwest corner, I activated a glyph that opened a cache under the obelisk, then claimed the water crystal and holy water vial inside. I proceeded east down the long hallway and turned north at the halfway point. After a few corners, I found some empty wall panels on my left. Pushing the button under the panels caused them to rise up and reveal a secret passage (Secret #3), with another button on the other side to close them. I climbed the particle pole to a tunnel leading to the third floor of the royal tomb in the middle of the maze. All around the walls were a total of 22 gold shields, which granted me a whopping 1650 in loot!
Peering down, I could see Rupert's skull floating through the air (left image below). Normally, dealing with Rupert would break the rules against using potions (which includes holy water vials) and against killing AI (because Rupert's skull is basically a reskinned Mechanist watcher). Luckily, because I have the objective "Free Rupert from Ohlm's curse" (which can only be done with a holy water arrow, according to the book in my dorm room), these busts are excused. However, when I blasted Rupert with the holy water arrow, his crown plummeted to the floor, and if either the apparition or the fire shadow were nearby, they would enter search mode. Therefore, I had to wait until both the apparition and the fire shadow were on the other side of the tomb from Rupert before I could end his curse and let the crown fall to the floor, alert free.
I shot a rope arrow at the wooden ledge and descended to the second floor. Because the apparition was mostly deaf and the entire floor was shrouded in darkness, I didn't need to worry about it much. Along the north wall, on the second set of panels from the left, I found a barely-noticeable pile of coins (right image below). I used the rope arrow again to get down to the first floor, where I nabbed Rupert's crown as well as the golden helm in the chariot. When I got a chance, I ran to the northwest corner and opened the large coffin. From here, I could safely nab the mask inside the coffin, but to reach the bracelet in the coffin or the knife between the nearby jars, I had to venture into the light once both of the undead were turned away. Similarly, I went over to the northeast corner, then darted over to the throne and tried to pick the lock on the chest. I could only afford about two seconds before the fire shadow turned around, though, so it took me about eight attempts to finally get it open and take the ancient key.
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https://i.imgur.com/nOcum0q.pngExiting the royal tomb to the south, I crept past a pivoting skeleton as I went up the hallway going back north. In this dead-end was a casket, which slid aside when I tapped a nearby button (Secret #4). Beyond here was a fancy tomb with a gold animal statuette among the jars – but that's not all. Pushing the button on this side to toggle the sliding casket also caused the black coffin here in the tomb to move over, revealing a new passage which led to the treasure room (Secret #5; left image below). The chamber was chock-full of gold statuettes and other artifacts, and while I couldn't take the statuette on the pedestal without setting off a trap, everything else was free for the taking. In all, the secret tomb and its treasure room provided me with 2000 loot, giving me enough to satisfy my loot objective!
After making a U-turn past the pivoting skeleton, I was soon in the long hallway along the north edge of the maze. All along the wall were niches containing caskets, and behind the casket in the second-to-last niche was a ladder leading down into the infant burial chamber (Secret #6; right image below). I climbed up the east ladder and carefully inched my way along the pile to a gap in the wall containing a baby's health rattle. Back under the low ceiling, I flipped the switch on one of the caskets to open a hidden passage (Secret #7). Down below, I used the ancient key to unlock a pair of doors into the sacrificial chamber, where I nabbed a gold dagger and gold sheath. I relocked both doors as I backtracked to the maze.
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https://i.imgur.com/trapf0L.pngI no longer needed the ancient key, so I returned to the royal tomb and dropped it on the chest where I found it. Back outside the entrance to the infant burial chamber, the hallway continued east and south to the maze's exit, but there was one last dead-end path. In the dead-end's very last wall niche, I discovered a pile of coins behind the casket. With that, the Maze of Anharra was clear!
Beyond the maze was a serpentine corridor patrolled by two apparitions, but unlike the other apparitions in this mission, these two could hear me just fine. With tile floors and automatic Precursor lights, though, I wouldn't be able to sneak past them. There was no sense in using any of the side doors because I'd already returned the key, but the apparitions could freely enter these doors, so that gave me a good chance to get past. I waited near the start of the corridor until I heard an apparition exit the first door around the corner. Slowly, I followed it until it entered the second door, at which point I sprinted all the way to the end of the corridor with time to spare before the other apparition came out of the third door.
I could see Aescha's endless stairs behind an iron gate, but I wasn't ready to finish the mission just yet. I flipped the switch in the corner to reveal an elevator under the statue, which led down to a passage patrolled by a spider. I had to time my descent so that I didn't come down right in front of the spider's face. Once I made my descent safely, I sent the elevator back up and took the gold coin that was underneath it.
I hid along the shadowy wall until the spider came past, and then I crept northwest and around the corner to another elevator. At the top, I opened the west banner into the room where a baby's ghost was crying. This triggered an objective to quiet the ghost, which I did easily by using the health rattle. However, based on the objective's description, I would have to bring the rattle back to where I found it. Meanwhile, in the room behind the east banner, I looked by the bed and found some coins peeking out from under the skin rug (see image below). They blended in with the rug so well, I couldn't even see them until they highlighted on the screen!
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/GGsn9wR.pngWith both banners closed and the elevator back at the top, I followed the secret passage all the way southeast to a third elevator. Once again, I had to time my elevator ride, because the top is illuminated and the banner didn't seem to block AI vision, so if an apparition happened to be on the other side of the banner, I'd get busted. This time, I was able to open the banner and enter the dark room before the apparition appeared. Once it left, I picked open the chest on the west wall for a gold coin, the last available piece of loot. I reset both elevators on my way back to the iron gate, then made a few more trips through the serpentine corridor as I went to return the health rattle to the infant burial chamber.
Now I had to deal with the iron gate, which could only be operated by the nearby lever. Without a way to close it from the other side, I would have to reset the lever and race through the doors before they shut on me. This was slightly tricky, as there was a bit of distance between the lever and the gate, and if I bumped into either door in mid-swing, it would stop and not shut all the way. Plus, I had to watch out for the skeleton and the fire shadow in the chamber beyond. I stood halfway between the gate and the lever, then waited until the fire shadow was behind the tower and the skeleton had just passed me going east. At that point, I quickly turned west, leaned over to pull the lever, then did a strafe-run through the closing gate. After a bit of practice, I was able to get through without bumping into either door. Immediately, I hurried east and ducked behind the skeleton so it wouldn't alert to me when it turned around.
At long last, it was time to climb Aescha's endless stairs – or, rather, skip the stairs and climb the outside of the tower. There were vines dangling down the tower's south side, and by sticking my rope arrow into the vines (see image below), I had a straight shot up to the summit. Before me was the Potion of True Dreams, and when I picked it up, I automatically drank it to complete the mission. Does drinking this potion bust my Supreme Ghost at the very last second? I say no, because doing this checks off the final objective, "Complete the Delphanic Initiation Ritual," and the plaque next to the potion blatantly states that I must drink the potion to complete the ritual. Besides, I interpret the rule against potions to be referring to potions that somehow enhance Garrett's abilities or weaponry, and the Potion of True Dreams does nothing of the sort.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/Ouur07K.pngSo after all that, I think it's safe to say I have successfully Supreme Ghosted this mission! But this is only the first mission of a planned trilogy, so you know what that means: to be continued…
Notes:
- The mission stats screen erroneously says there are a total of four pickpockets on Expert difficulty, when there are actually five. The four missing pickpockets are the wands held by Iolana, Coleman, and Pauel (all of which are unnecessary), and the purse on Diarmuid (which didn't count because he died before I found him).
- Unlocking the Grimoria Necromantica results in me taking damage and all of the Keepers being killed. These are consequences of following an objective, so they're excused.
- Skipped a chalice and a pair of urns throughout the Maze of Anharra for Supreme. Taking any of these will trigger a trap.
- Skipped a gold candlestick in the northwest corner of the maze. Taking it requires removing a light source, which isn't allowed for Supreme.
- Skipped a large gold statuette in the secret tomb's treasure chamber for Supreme. Removing it from the weighted pedestal sets off a trap.
neux on 5/10/2017 at 12:18
A question regarding supreme ghost rules
11. No exploitation of the Dark engine: No nudging, banner transmigration, hooking of AI with boxes, barrel polka dancing or anything that takes advantage of quirks in the Dark engine for game play advantage.
Is elevatoring considered an exploit?
Is item stacking considered an exploit?
klatremus on 5/10/2017 at 14:32
Conventional item stacking is not considered an engine exploit. Elevatoring is.
ultravioletu on 22/12/2017 at 11:56
FM:
Father's PrideGame: TMA
Play Mode: Supreme Ghost (
Failed), Perfect Ghost (
Success)
While searching something suitable for my son, I stumbled upon this FM - very cool idea with the customized picture, my kids were both happy. Digging in the web archivies, I found that the mission was already reported as "ghost success" by (
http://web.archive.org/web/20160826195545/http://forums.eidosgames.com/old-ubb/FMs_Ghost_Perfect_Thief_Results_Part2_1.htm) tacky and (
http://web.archive.org/web/20160826195545/http://forums.eidosgames.com/old-ubb/FMs_Ghost_Perfect_Thief_Results_Part2_2.htm) vanguard. Then I thought to validate it against supreme rules, it shouldn't take that long, I thought to myself.
Time - 0:37:52 (for Supreme), 0:17:16 (for regular Ghost)
Loot - 1190 out of 1190 (required: 1150!)
Pockets Picked - 2/6, Locks Picked - 3
Back Stabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage Dealt - 0, Damage Taken - 0, Healing Taken - 0
Innocents/Others Killed - 0
Robots Destroyed/Disabled: 0
Secrets - 0/0
Used rope arows, 2 for Supreme, 3 for Ghost (two left behind)
Well, the list of busts is probably longer than the mission itself :) On highest difficulty level, the guards are very sensitive, the loot objective requires to take (virtually) everything, including two hard-to-access pieces of loot needing rope arrows that weren't straightforward to retrieve back for supreme. I had to smuggle two crates to place underneath, to avoid damage and noise. Pretty lit areas, but nothing that crouch-creep-strafe and hugging the corners could not handle.
* Picking the door to the basement (needed to turn on power for elevator) alerted the archer on the battlements two (!!) levels above
* Picking the locker (needed for fulfilling the loot requirement) alerted the archer on the battlements above
* Picking the safe (needed for fulfilling an objective) alerted the archer on the battlements above
* Leaning forward to pick the safe spawned a comment from the robot
* The sewer hatch, required to be used for leaving, was covered with crates. Those crates could not be brought back to their original position after closing the hatch behind. Anyway, due to the increased AI sensistivity, any attempt to drop something in that area made the archer above to go into 2nd (!!) level alert mode. The crates had to be smuggled away and hidden under the stairs.
* I could not find a way to lock/block the hatch, so either the key could not be returned to guard house, or the hatch could not be locked again (I was lazy and skipped the key return, probably I would have alerted another archer when dropping it).
The difference in runtime is mostly due to supreme's #9 (retrieve ropes, reset the power, drop a picked key in a place that does not cause alerts), plus of course the slower movements needed to avoid any reaction from guards. On the speed-oriented "regular" run I was careless when moving around, receiving a couple of first alerts in the process.
Compared to original, 15 yrs old ghost runs:
* I made it without disabling the beast, taking a "first alert" supreme bust instead. I think that disabling is a bust even for regular ghost, since the patrolling guard notices it sooner or later and goes directly into hunt mode.
* Even without retrieval, three rope arrows are enough.
klatremus on 23/12/2017 at 06:00
Game:
Thief 2FM:
Death’s Cold Embrace - Act 1, Scene 1: Murder Most FoulGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
SuccessSupreme Ghost -
FailedPerfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 1:44:55
Loot - 9425/9425 (Supreme: 9235)
Pockets Picked - 2/2
Secrets - 5/5
Locks Picked - 11
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Healing taken - 0, Other Kills - 0, Bodies Discovered - 0
Consumables - 1 Water Arrow
See the entire report with screenshots (
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1.htm) here!
Loot list (
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_L.htm) here!
YouTube Let's Play here:(
https://youtu.be/PpxL6NSC0Mk) DCE1
Comments:After 14+ years in the making, the long awaited campaign by Yandros & Co. was finally here. Needless to say, it interrupted everything else Thief related, including my reghosting of Thief Gold. I was at least going to play a few missions, to get into the story. Though I suspected I wasn’t going to be able to limit it to only a few. The first mission is absolutely top notch. Classic thieving, but with a solid, yet unique story as a foundation. What more could one ask?
The story was cleverly set between the events of The Dark Project and The Metal Age, during the steep rise of Karras. I had accepted a job from Lord Richard Fairbanks to break into a basement workshop to retrieve information on a formula for the production of synthetic emeralds. Apparently, Fairbanks was in a feud with the competing family head Alan Highwater, whose like interest in said formula complicated matters. I was to meet Fairbanks at the Trickster’s Tail Inn when returning from the workshop. 7,000 in loot was also needed, besides ending by the South Gate.
It was rare to start with nothing but a sword, blackjack, compass and compass. Plenty of equipment was available at the purchase screen, but that would bust Supreme up front; not a desirable outcome. I would need at least one rope arrow. Possibly a water arrow as well. I took my chances and got going.
EstablishmentsClimbed the roofs early and entered Linda’s Luxury Apparel. I knew the main entrance was locked and unpickable, so I used the attic shutters instead. Got my obligatory rope arrow there ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image001.jpg) see image). Descended into the bedroom and started looting. Well over one thousand worth was found in this establishment alone. Linda herself had at least four patrol end points. Only one of those was upstairs, so she mostly kept to the floor below. Never took her key, as it only worked on the front door. I don’t like picking up unneeded stuff, plus the Supreme Ghost mode discourages it. Found another secret by flipping a switch in one of the staircase bookshelves ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image002.jpg) see image). I exited back onto the adjacent roof.
Jumped across to Harlequin Inn and looted one of the bedrooms there. Descending to the restaurant spawned a comment from the bartender (see image below). This is a bust to Supreme and unavoidable. The front door was open, but the candles were too bright to avoid the comment there also. I couldn’t even avoid a regular Ghost bust without removing at least one light source. The purse was thus skipped for Supreme. Sad, but true.
Inline Image:
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image003.jpgCleaned the electric station to the east next. Only one patroller, an archer upstairs. He alternated between the bedroom and the outside balcony. You need at least two full cycles if you want to get all the goodies in there. The lock on one of the footlockers was rather lengthy. Some interesting readables around the city so far. They give much information on rather trivial, but realistic matters. The sound stopped once I reached the secret attic space. I had to monitor the archer from above in order to descend safely ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image004.jpg) see image). Found three pieces of loot in windowsills in the near vicinity. One of them had to be taken from a neighboring lamppost. Dropped back to street level afterwards.
Cleaned the bakery with no issues. I actually felt bad stealing anything after reading his diary. Hopefully he makes it to his mum in the spring. Redleaf Square had some bright portions, but patrollers were few and far between. Picking the door to the artist studio wasn’t too troublesome. There was nobody in there, so I could loot in peace. Found a small ring next to the couch by the elevator ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image005.jpg) see image). Had to skip the candlestick in the bedroom upstairs for Supreme. It’s one of those that has to be snuffed to be taken. Though in recent years I’ve started to go back on my opinion of counting these as busts at all. It seems more silly than realistic. The rule was obviously created in order to avoid removing light sources for easier sneaking past guards or through exposed territory. Naturally, that wasn’t the case here. I definitely encourage a discussion on the topic.
Got the key to the basement next. Fun to see both antagonists from the original games in the same room, canvas notwithstanding ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image006.jpg) see image). Got the loot down there, including the small coin under the stairs. Remembered to return the metal key to the mantelpiece also.
Jewelry!Found another piece of windowsill loot outside; a ring above the jewelry store ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image007.jpg) see image). Went for this establishment next. Had to listen for the guard inside when picking the main entry door. He commented if coming too close. Lots of valuables once inside, but not much was accessible at this point. Found the secret under the counter and the key behind the statue. The guard came down at this point. I followed him upstairs and analyzed his patrol. He stopped in two spots, by the fireplace and the bookshelf. Both times with his back turned, which gave me the chance to act. However, without turning off lights I was still quite limited. I couldn’t find a single spot of shade in the entire room. I could safely wait to the guard’s right when he was stationed by the bookshelf (see image below). He turned and headed down the stairs without further comments. I grabbed the loot and found the hidden attic entrance by frobbing one of the books.
Inline Image:
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image008.jpgThe now open ceiling hatch concealed what I assume to be the jeweler himself. His bedroom was simple in design, but with absolutely no shade. He had a locked safe on one side of the bed and a nightstand with a key on the other. A big, fat alarm button was located directly above said nightstand. The jeweler had an odd patrol route, if that’s what you’d call it. I’ll try to explain. He walks from the foot of the bed over to the cabinet in the northwest corner, just to the left of the access hatch. He eventually does a scripted search maneuver, walks back and stations himself by the foot of the bed again, facing south. After a little while, he turns around, facing north. Then he might resume the patrol to the cabinet directly from this position, or he could turn around south again. If he turns, then he will always head to the cabinet next, and that completes the loop. While stationed by the bed, he will always turn towards the east. This was very good as it meant I could position myself on his west side and stay undetected. I could however not stay there when he started walking back to the cabinet; then he’d catch me every time. He ran for the alarm button immediately, then drew a dagger and started whacking me. Very unpleasant, to say the least. This meant I had to do what I could, then leave down the hatch before he resumed his mini-patrol. Easier said than done. The key from the bottom floor unlocked the safe in here, so optimally I’d want to clear the contents of the safe and take the key on the nightstand before leaving. The best time to arrive from below was when he was heading back from the cabinet towards the bed. If this happened right as the guard walked down the stairs, the timing was perfect. I could unlock the safe as the jeweler faced south, steal the valuables and the key when he faced north, then hope he turned back south so I could leave down the hatch. If I was quick enough, the swordsman was now on his way up the stairs. If so, I could mantle the partition above the desk and silently drop down behind the guard before he emerged around the corner. No need to worry about closing the ceiling hatch, as I’d have to return the heavy key anyway.
Inline Image:
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image009.jpgTook all the loot below, valued at well over 1,000. Then came the job of returning the key. Amazingly, the jeweler didn’t hear the sound of the key dropping. Occasionally he alerted, but more often than not he didn’t even give a comment. I could use the same method as before, timing the guard below. The screen capture above shows the key returned, the jeweler calm and the loot from downstairs taken. Afterwards I had to refrob the book to close the hatch on my way down.
Ornate KeysListened to a conversation by the gate to Farpoint Alley, then proceeded east past The Trickster’s Tail. No need to go there yet. Dayport Lighting and one of the apartments in the eastern section were connected by a banner beam on Maple Road. If I could find a way to get up there from the streets, then I wouldn’t have to pick the lock to either establishment. As you maybe know, I don’t like picking doors that can’t be relocked. Not that it’s a bust, but I feel it goes against the spirit of the Supreme rules, if it can be avoided. The sloped corner roof directly to the east served as the perfect attachment point ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image010.jpg) see image). Snowy roofs always work well for rope arrows. I had to pick up the rope (since I only carried one) and reuse it on the topmost part. This was tough as I had to shoot it while sliding backwards. It worked eventually, but took some practice. From here I could enter either of the aforementioned buildings via windows. I chose the residential apartment for now.
Clara, the fencing master, protected her house well. She patrolled through every room bar the bathroom. Nowhere else was dark either, besides her study, though she turned on the light when entering. I waited in the bathroom doorway until she left to head downstairs, snagging her key along the way ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image011.jpg) see image). I knew I would need it for an upcoming objective. I cleaned her office, then followed her down below. She was stationed long enough by the window for me to grab the three remaining pieces of loot ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image012.jpg) see image), but there was nowhere to hide and avoid a first alert down there. I had to be swift and quickly withdrew to the stairs.
Dropped back to the street, again by use of a rope into the small corner roof. Otherwise I’d take damage in the fall. Moved slightly south to the east side of Fairbanks Manor. That estate wasn’t accessible, at least not in this mission. However, there was an open window to apartment #2 directly to the east, through a backyard gate. It led to Boris Davidov’s retreat, with his body scattered on the floor. The door to the office was open, and one of the thieves mentioned in a readable at Clara’s was stationed outside. He pivoted north, west and south, with random intervals. I could mantle the window without alerts, and even get onto the floor with no busts, but only if I inched ever so slightly (see image below). I was bright red, so even the smallest of speed enhancements triggered a comment. To get out of this room, the thief had to be facing north long enough for me to creep-crouch down the hall and around the corner by the fireplace. From here I could gather the remaining pieces of loot while the thief kept his back turned.
Inline Image:
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image013.jpgThe patrolling thief also covered the dining hall as part of his route, but seemed to spend most of his time upstairs. The stairs and both hallways were pitch black, a relieving changeup from the buildings so far. The thief made scripted search movements throughout his route, as if looking for something. I had a hunch of what for. Found his sought after key behind a flower pot in the locked office ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image014.jpg) see image). Looted the rest of the place without trouble. Leaving through the office window was easier than getting in. Mantling isn’t registered as a speed enhancement and doesn’t affect the light gem. As long as the thief faced north, I was good.
Headed For Miller’sMoved south along Maple Road, turning east by the high priest’s residence. The hammerite chapel wasn’t accessible, but there was a piece of loot up there I wanted ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image015.jpg) see image). The outside guard didn’t alert unless I attacked, but he did give settling remarks as if he had alerted. This is a common bug when it comes to neutral guards. Such remarks are not considered Supreme busts, but I always try to avoid them if I can. I climbed the fence to the guard’s left and mantled the statue behind him. Going back down I had to drop onto the statue’s side to avoid any noise, then furthermore onto the snowy steps by the front door.
The guard station further north was no issue. Only the safe with the key and loot to worry about. One swordsman patrolled all the way to north gate, while the female archer stationed herself on the upper balcony for a bit. Plenty of time for me to do my deed. Cleaned Greenwood Apartments also without real trouble. Dodging the lantern guy wasn’t much of an issue as the entire flat was dark. Using the ornate keys on the chest revealed the keystone and triggered a hidden objective. Hid in the southwest corner for the bum to pass on my way out ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image016.jpg) see image).
Closing in on Miller’s apartment now. The stationary swordsman outside pivoted west and east. I could move in on his right side when he had his back turned (see image below). Luckily, he always swung south for me to inch by either direction. Unlocking the door didn’t cause any alerts, but closing it back up did. Instead I blocked it and left it ajar for now. At least then the bust could be postponed for a bit. Bittersweet, I guess. The apartment itself was a watering mouthful of spine-chilling atmosphere and creepy ambiance ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image018.jpg) see image). None of the evidence had been cleaned up yet, and I could hear Delilah’s metallic squeals in the distance. Not to mention her clunking footsteps. Rarely have I felt a better buildup of tension towards a reveal. First overhearing the guards, then reading the diaries, now seeing the scene and hearing the perpetrator, knowing I had to face whatever was down there. Absolutely terrifying, in the best possible way.
Inline Image:
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image017.jpgCleaned the loot on both floors and activated the elevator. Down to the basement I went. Delilah spent most of her time in the dining hall, “tending” to Miller ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image019.jpg) see image). She walked around the table, switching off the light on her way out. She then crossed the basement floor to the safe room and headed back to Miller again. All in, all she was easy to dodge once I knew her route. Got his key and the loot when she was out. There was a furnace room also, but I didn’t find anything worthwhile in there. The real problem came with the golden child in the safe room. It seemed to be rendered inactive due to some electrical inhibitor in the floor. As soon as I unlocked the safe though, the green charge disappeared and it went active, spotting me immediately. I was never able to leave the room without it chasing me even. I could short circuit it before opening the safe with a water arrow to the wiring between the barrels. This didn’t show up as damage or a kill in the stats, but still goes against Ghost rule #2. After the safe was open, it couldn’t be killed like this any longer. Apparently the safe staying locked maintained the electrical charge that kept the robot at bay. The lamp above the safe was really the problem. It flickered intensely, going dark only for a fraction of a second. To keep Supreme intact I’d have to unlock the safe, get the notes, close the safe and get out of the room without any alerts. That scenario just wasn’t feasible. Fortunately, the lamp could be doused for about 10 seconds with a water arrow, leaving at least regular Ghost unbroken (see image below). A Supreme bust, but what can you do? Miller’s key disappeared upon use.
Inline Image:
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image020.jpgReturned the elevator to the first floor and reset the switch. Got an inevitable first alert from the outside guard when leaving. The mission’s second Supreme bust. Returned the key to the guard station safe next. No issues. The key could be returned silently on top of the letter. The only place left to visit before meeting Fairbanks was Dayport Lighting. Entered by climbing the beam like I had done earlier. No individuals in there, so I cleared it without difficulties. There was a hidden key for the safe in the upstairs bookcase ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE1_files/image021.jpg) see image). Used the vent shaft to travel to the Trickster’s Tail and delivered Miller’s notes. Got more information on my next assignment. Took the last three pieces of loot in this building before ending by the South Gate. I can’t tell you how excited I am for the upcoming nine missions!!
Notes- Skipped a purse (140) at the Harlequin Inn for Supreme. The back door spawned a comment from the bartender, and the front door area was too bright.
- Skipped a candlestick worth 50 upstairs at the artist’s for Supreme. Removing light sources is not allowed for that mode.
- Used one water arrow to temporarily put out the lamp above the safe in Miller’s basement. Supreme violation.
- Got a first alert when leaving Miller’s apartment. The outside guard heard the door closing. Another Supreme bust.
klatremus on 20/1/2018 at 03:42
Game:
Thief 2FM:
Death’s Cold Embrace - Act 1, Scene 2: A Formula For SuccessGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
SuccessSupreme Ghost -
Success :)
Perfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 1:36:19
Loot - 9134/9134 (Supreme: 9034)
Pockets Picked - 16/17
Secrets - 5/5
Locks Picked - 13
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Healing taken - 0, Other Kills - 0, Bodies Discovered - 0
Consumables - None
See the entire report with screenshots (
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2.htm) here!
Loot list (
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_L.htm) here!
YouTube Let's Play here:(
https://youtu.be/2_n0y37Dits) DCE2
Comments:It’s always tough to follow up on a solid first mission. Although ‘A Formula For Success’ doesn’t reach the same level as its forerunner, it’s still a very good attempt. Here we are confined to one property, which increases the tension, but reduces the scope. Overall, I had more fun ghosting this one than playing with no restrictions. Take away the element of patrolling guards, and the pressure completely disappears. I’m also happy to report Supreme Ghost being achievable, but not for a lack of challenging locations, especially when you can’t switch off electric lights for that mode.
A good day or so after our escapades in Miller’s basement, we were headed for the Highwater Estate. This time our goal was to steal the formula itself, supposedly kept in a safe in the second floor office. We were also tasked with retrieving Fairbank’s stolen sword, providing us with a nice monetary bonus. An additional loot goal of 6,000 existed, as well as procuring some incriminating material on the Sir. We needed to end the night at the northeast gate also.
Getting InsideRight off the bat I had to walk up the road a bit and hide in the shadows to the left. One patrolling guard covered the outside grounds and this was the only way to avoid a first alert. The only mode of entry into the mansion proper was through a pickable window into the north guard station. It was a difficult pick, and I was in view of a nearby stationary guard while working it (see image below). He needed to face north or northeast for me to enter Supreme clean. It took a few tries, but well doable.
Inline Image:
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image001.jpgNext was getting into the mansion itself. I always try to avoid picking locks that can’t be relocked, which meant the double doors to the storage bay were undesirable, for now. The front doors were furthermore locked shut. The two gates that connected the three gardens were open though, so I could access the kitchen entry dodging the patrollers.
I tried to plan my route from here on carefully. I didn’t want to enter the dining hall yet, to avoid triggering the patrols of the servants in there. In fact, I figured that would be one of the last rooms I’d cover. I found a dark spot in the northwest corner where I could observe the chef. He alternated between facing the fireplace and the middle island. After a while he headed downstairs to the pantry. At this time, Captain Ellinsworth coincidentally entered from the hallway. He had a rather lengthy patrol, with random destinations on all floors of the manor. For now he exited to the front yard, but before long returned to resume his trip to the hallway ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image002.jpg) see image). He could instead have headed into the dining hall with the servants, in which case he would’ve caught me standing in the corner. Since he didn’t, I grabbed his key and purse, along with the kitchen loot.
Now I could safely clean the barracks and the captain’s safe within. Found Highwater’s combination in the locked safe behind the painting. I made note of the code and dropped the scroll back immediately. I figured on top of the safe was the nearest logical place. Also dropped the captain’s key back in the snow along his patrol route.
ClimbingFollowed the captain into the hallway from the kitchen. Across the way was the exit to the inner courtyard. My target was a goblet in the snow dropped by a drunk guard on the balcony. Despite his intoxicated state, he could still alert to my presence. He either gave a “Heayyyy!” or “Whoshh there?!” I found the best predictable path as shown in the image below. At least two patrollers had the courtyard as part of their route, plus many of the surrounding windows left me exposed to other guards inside. Difficult, but manageable. The crypt door was locked and inaccessible for now. There was another, easier way in there anyway.
Inline Image:
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image003.jpgBack in the hall I headed south, following the patrollers’ direction (always the safest bet). Many of the guards had purses, so I snagged those when I had the chance. Due to the many lights and candles around, and since those can’t be eliminated for Supreme, I didn’t pass the ballroom going east. I found a spot in the shade, safe from everyone passing ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image004.jpg) see image). From here I grabbed the ballroom guard’s purse, then headed for the southwest staircase. Had a tough time dodging the swordsman upstairs, until I realized the doorway was pitch black ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image005.jpg) see image). I took the coin purse off the desk while he was downstairs.
Despite the many patrollers, the third floor wasn’t that difficult. The bedrooms served as good hiding spots to let the guards pass. One swordsman had a key hidden underneath his purse, very clever. I missed it the first time through. Cleaned the entire floor clockwise. Captain Ellinsworth was the only one who walked the opposite direction. One of the guards entered Philip’s bedroom and turned on the light. He often gave an alert when leaving, without me being anywhere near. Not sure what that was about, as it didn’t always happen. It was almost as if he alerted to the light being on. Other than that, all the bedrooms were unoccupied. Brought the stool from Philip’s room for the library secret. Had to leave it on the rugs in order to avoid spawning comments. The cache behind the burrick head was nicely concealed ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image006.jpg) see image). It was the last loot I found in my practice run.
Into the DepthsThe second floor was much more difficult. Both side halls were in view of the balcony drunk, plus it was tough to hear his alerts. Since I was carrying the stool, I did the east hallway first, cleaning the library (see image below). The captain actually had the library as a tiny part of his route. Seemed like he went all over the place. Don’t think I ever saw him in the basement though. Next came the most difficult piece of loot in the mission; a purse on a patrolling guard above the foyer. He strolled back and forth along the northernmost walkway, doing a scripted search maneuver at each end of his route. Both floors of the foyer were brightly lit, and removing light sources is not allowed for the Supreme Ghost mode. I found I could hide in the northeast corner of the hall, leaning in through the drapes to observe said guard ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image008.jpg) see image). Here I was also safe from passing patrollers, with the exception of the captain, who occasionally arrived from the floor below. Good thing was most of the patrol routes were random, so upon a reload most enemies would take a different path.
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http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image007.jpgAs soon as the guard started to head west, I went for it. I could crouch-run and catch up with him just past the halfway point (see image below). I turned on a dime and headed back. Though irrelevant, the foyer guards had started their little chat by now. When turning the corner to head back south, the swordsman had stationed himself the same direction. If I moved too fast now, he could give a comment from across the room. Also, depending on coincidence, other patrollers might come up the stairs or down the hall and catch me. I creep-crouch-strafed into the aforementioned corner, just in time for no less than three patrollers, a swordsman, a servant and a nobleman, pass by from the south. Safe! It was nice to get this purse without any Supreme busts.
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http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image009.jpgLastly on this floor, I needed to reach Highwater’s office, accessible from the western hall. It held my main objective and quite a bit of loot, over 500 worth, in fact. A lone guard did a short loop from the receptionist room outside the office door and the decorated hallway beyond. The double-doors leading to this hall concealed me from all patrollers, except if they bumped into me. Almost a perfect shadow. I could observe the aforementioned guard from safety along the left wall, leaning out from behind the unlit night light ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image010.jpg) see image). This spot did not hide me from any patrollers though. The rest of the hall was too bright for comfort, except for a tiny spot in the middle of the runner. That being said, the problem wasn’t the guard or any of the patrollers; instead it was the drunk on the courtyard balcony. I tried to hear for alerts sneaking down the hall, even by leaning into the window, but I couldn’t tell. I had a feeling he did though. Just to make sure, I went ahead and left the double-doors to the hallway open, and I also opened the sliding balcony doors. This spawned an expected comment from the drunk. Next I waited for a few minutes to make sure he settled, although I don’t think he actually indicated this by a remark of any kind. Nevertheless, this made me able to hear him as I snuck for the office. And sure enough, creeping between the statues triggered a comment. This first alert wasn’t allowed for Supreme, so I’d have to figure something out. I noticed, however, that his view didn’t extend much further back than the edge of the closest statue. The southern side of the window frame blocked his view somewhere in that vicinity. That’s when I got the idea to try traversing along the statue pedestal. Those extra few inches might just hide me enough to avoid the comment. Fortunately, this worked! Inching along the marbled base I never got an alert. I probably did the move a good 10 times, and the result remained the same. The picture below is taken from atop the pedestal at the northernmost point. Notice how half of the guard’s body is out of view. I’m not sure what point determines his field of sight, but it must be further back than what is shown. Although I had to reload and leave the doors closed when I did this move for real, I knew with 100% certainty that it wouldn’t bust Supreme. Getting into the office and stealing the stuff there was a cakewalk, relatively speaking.
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http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image011.jpgDescended via the southeast staircase, arriving again by the ballroom. Had to skip the burning candlestick for Supreme. There was a discussion on the forums recently regarding whether or not taking loot items emitting light should be allowed for that mode. The suggestion to allow it was vetoed by the majority of the active ghosting community. No need to think about it then, was there? Cleaned the game room and the parlour to the east effortlessly.
The purse on the foyer guard wasn’t difficult, but I had to get close enough not to highlight his front door key ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image012.jpg) see image). It was the only one of its kind, I believe. From here I moved through the storage room towards the basement.
Both the crypt and the basement was easy. No point in reporting anything from either area. The locations were beautiful, with an especially nice use of color. No tension, but it served as a welcomed contrast to the upper parts of the manor. Lots of loot scattered about, including a tough-to-find coin in the small sewer section (see image below). Accessed the servants’ quarters through a ventilation shaft ((
http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image014.jpg) see image). Had to skip another burning candlestick here for Supreme.
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http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image013.jpgWrap-UpRetraced my steps all the way to the third floor, remembering to bring the stool left outside the library. Returned it and the three stolen keys to their original locations. The bedrooms key I dropped outside Lord Highwater’s quarters. This time I noticed that several of the bedrooms were visited by guards, not just Philip’s. I must have just been lucky on my first visit to this floor. Headed back down to the kitchen the same way as before. Now I could finally trigger the conversation in the dining room, in order to get the last pieces of loot in there. I hid next to the fireplace and waited for the ladies to leave. It was trickier to leave through the back exit now that the extra servant was in the kitchen, but she stayed in the dining room from time to time, enough for me to sneak out undetected.
Since I didn’t want to pick up the gate key, I left through the barracks window the way I got in. Again I had to time the guard to the east and his pivoting. If facing northeast, I could drop out and rush in behind his back (see image below). Once facing northwest, I snuck over to the gate and ended the mission Supreme clean.
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http://www.klatremus.org/DCE2_files/image015.jpgNotes- Skipped a lit candlestick in the ballroom on the first floor for Supreme. Can’t put out lights for that mode.
- Skipped another such candlestick outside the servants’ quarters in the basement, for the same reason as above.
klatremus on 20/1/2018 at 21:29
Game:
Thief 2FM:
What Lies BelowGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
SuccessSupreme Ghost -
FailedPerfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 1:01:11
Loot - 1085/1085
Pockets Picked - 0/0
Locks Picked - 5
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Healing taken - 0, Other Kills - 0, Bodies Discovered - 0
Consumables - 1 Broadhead Arrow
See the entire report with screenshots (
http://www.klatremus.org/WhatLiesBelow.htm) here!
Loot list (
http://www.klatremus.org/WhatLiesBelow_L.htm) here!
YouTube Let's Play (
https://youtu.be/pGYsPbbZBU0) here!
Comments:To get a changeup from all the classic fan mission lately, I decided to give this re-release from the 2006 Water Contest a go. Awaiting Yandros’ release of the epic Death’s Cold Embrace (hopefully in 2015), I knew the quality of his work. So when this NewDark version hit the table, I just couldn’t resist. And I’m glad I didn’t. What Lies Below shows you exactly what lies below; an eerie, atmospheric, ambience-rich sewage system, superbly engrossing, making you forget about life for the duration. Clever secrets, some ingeniously crafted gameplay elements, and scares out of the top draw solidifies this as one of my favorite missions of the year.
I had been contacted by the resurged hammerite order to help them retake the Old Quarter cathedral, long since overrun by hordes of undead. Due to my ability to spot keeper glyphs, I’d been asked to make my way from sewage sector 12, through a reservoir system, to sector 15. There I was to remove a seal that would grant the hammerites access to the cathedral crypts. Thereafter, I had to find my way out through sector 9. No loot requirement and nothing else to steal or destroy, as of yet.
Sector 12The looped audio of the hammerite-undead clash in the streets was cool, but quickly got repetitive and a bit frustrating; I had trouble hearing the haunt’s alerts over the noise. I got used to it after a while, but it made me have to reload more times than I expected. The haunt on the west bank was my greatest worry. The fog made me unable to see him past 20 feet or so, even though he could see me like normal. He also heard me lockpicking the storage room door from across the canal. I had to time his patrol for me to get in there unheard. Tricky to detect alerts through the windows in any of the rooms also. Leaving the doors open was the best bet, in order to listen for potential first alerts. I loved the background tune for the readables. Calming and creepy at the same time. Those small touches that makes missions stand out.
Some well-hidden coins on a sill outside the power room. The toughest piece of loot by far was the mask in the ceiling nearby ((
http://www.klatremus.org/WhatLiesBelow_files/image001.jpg) see image). I had to resort to a hint or two in the forums to find it my first time around. Once you know about it however, it’s a piece of cake. It was entangled in a spider web, so I had to use a broadhead to get it down. Supreme doesn’t disallow arrow use for those things.
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http://www.klatremus.org/WhatLiesBelow_files/image002.jpg Passing the haunt to the north got a little tricky. There was a spot in the northwest corner though where I was safe from both patrollers (see image above). From there I simply followed the haunt and quickly pressed the glyph leading into the offices.
I flipped the gate lever but skipped taking the gate room key under the desk. Instead I made my way back the way I came and traversed to the gate by again dodging the haunts. It just seemed less messy, as you have to return the key for Supreme and it couldn’t be replaced back under the desk. Taking it wouldn’t have been a bust, but if I could avoid moving it, then that was desirable.
Sector 13Utilized the secret keeper cache to dodge the initial haunt here. He had a difficult patrol path, especially due to making random 360 flips now and then. I guess the narrow walkway sometimes forced him outside his assigned route. I hid in the southeast corner and let the haunt pass. For some reason he didn’t first alert when patrolling west, but coming back he always gasped. I could just pick the lock to the office when he was off towards the west however. Slipped inside before he saw me. Loved the scare that came after also. Raised the sluice in the gate control room and return the crossover station key. The sluice control box couldn’t be operated again, so no need to close it.
The northern part of sector 13 wasn’t that difficult. Two enemies, of what seemed to be the mage/priest apparition type, though I can’t be sure. One patrolling in the west, the other stationary in the east. My goal was to get back to the south through the east sluice, which involved opening both maintenance access gates. These were operated by levers in the west and east maintenance control rooms. Getting into the west control room and plunging down the maintenance hatch was the largest problem. The apparition had that room as part of his patrol and every other time he stayed there for a considerable period of time (see image below). During that time I took the loot pieces in the water and waited for him on the bank to the north of the door. Diving into the water through the hatches didn’t make any noise, so I didn’t have to worry about alerts there.
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http://www.klatremus.org/WhatLiesBelow_files/image003.jpg A total of four single coins were scattered along the bottom between the two maintenance gates. They were devilishly difficult to find, even when I knew their locations ((
http://www.klatremus.org/WhatLiesBelow_files/image004.jpg) see image). Their frob distance were set so low I had to be directly on top for the coins to light up. I also couldn’t pick the lock on the east maintenance door, as the stationary apparition outside gave a first alert. Instead I emerged past the underwater gate and headed through the recently opened sluice.
Now I could open the gate that joined the entire crossover station, being careful not to alert the haunt from earlier. I also found a glyph outside the drainage control room that opened a ceiling grate inside. I then backtracked through the maintenance pipes in order to close both hatches; remember, that is required for Supreme Ghost. Finally I utilized the glyph of concealment in the first keeper cache (see image below) to enter the drainage control room.
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http://www.klatremus.org/WhatLiesBelow_files/image005.jpg Sector 14Two problems in this area. First, I had to time the drop from sector 13 so that the patrolling haunt below was stationed by the balcony in the east. He had a route that took him back and forth between said balcony and the west reservoir. There were two impassable gates along his route that he magically walked straight through. Timing the drop was just a matter of waiting a few extra seconds in between each reload until I got it. No big fuss in the end. However, there was no way to reclose the drain grate which strictly speaking is required for Supreme. The control box still worked, so functionally speaking it was closable, but there was no way to get back up there while still ending the mission. I counted this as a bust to the Supreme rules, although it did seem a bit silly.
The second, but bigger problem was brother Reginald. He was roaming behind the office door in the southeast. There was a glyph outside that opened the door after a few seconds. This calmed him down from a frantic beating at the door to a regular stationary apparition (see image below). Problem was, now I couldn’t enter without getting caught. Instead I utilized another hidden keeper hallway accessible from the office control room below to enter Reginald’s office from the back ((
http://www.klatremus.org/WhatLiesBelow_files/image006.jpg) see image). From here I could reclose the door and grab the valve key without getting spotted. There was a glyph on the wall that would kill him but that would’ve been a clear bust to me. I simply descended the ladder again and drained the sector 14 reservoir using the newly acquired key. Luckily, it disappeared upon use. All the while I had to watch the patrolling haunt for alerts. He detected any door opening or closing while he was close to the reservoir fence.
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http://www.klatremus.org/WhatLiesBelow_files/image007.jpgClosed the double gates by re-flipping the levers in either gate control room. Flipping one automatically flipped the other. Ran out as the gates were closing. This of course made it impossible to return, even when the undead were gone later.
Sector 15This was the most heavily patrolling section in the mission. Three priests covered the sewer banks. Two patrolled a longer, circular route, while the third had a small back and forth patrol by the entrance to sector 14. All I needed to do to evade them was getting into the machine room (see image below). The door had a fairly difficult lock and was in view of all three priests. I waited as in the picture below and followed as an apparition came by. The timing had to be so that the priest with the short patrol was stationed out of sight as I got to the door. I usually got a few seconds worth of lockpicking in before having to return to the above spot. It took about 2 or 3 rounds of this before the door was open and I was safe.
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http://www.klatremus.org/WhatLiesBelow_files/image008.jpgI could now access the skyway ((
http://www.klatremus.org/WhatLiesBelow_files/image009.jpg) see image) and stay out of view of all enemies. Since I couldn’t turn off the ceiling lights for Supreme there were areas where I could be seen from below, but watching the patrollers carefully I avoided their gazes without too much trouble. One patroller got stuck in the water and it actually turned out to my benefit. Normally I’d reload but the last hardsave was too far back to bother.
CathedralThe hammers always wont he fight and there were always 8 of them in the cathedral crypt afterwards. A few players have noted various outcomes of the fight, but I never experienced this. I ran the fight 5 or 6 times and then called it a good day. My biggest concern was the hammer haunt closest to the ladder leading down (see image below). He always gave a howl as I dropped onto the rungs. By accident, however, I managed to get down without any alerts. Repeated the maneuver twice, so it’s definitely a legal move. I was crouch-walking off the edge onto the right part of the ladder each time I got it. I know Supreme was already busted, but I like to eliminate all the busts I can.
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http://www.klatremus.org/WhatLiesBelow_files/image010.jpgSnuck through the room easily enough. Had to drop the Necronymus straight into the water not to get caught. If it hit the side of the tub, the haunts all heard. Used the potion on the corpses afterwards for the bonus objective. Returned all the keys and shut off the skyway before ending the mission. Nice to get away without a single first alert. Too bad about the grate in sector 13 that couldn’t be closed.
Notes- Couldn’t close the sector 13 drainage grate. I had to open it to leave and there was no way to end the mission if I went back to close it. Strictly speaking a Supreme bust.