klatremus on 30/3/2018 at 23:41
Amazing work here marbleman! :D
I love how you prioritize Supreme in your missions. Since all the regular Ghost rules are already included in the Supreme Ghost rule set, you essentially play both modes simultaneously. For the loot that you end up taking for regular Ghost, do you go back and get it after completing the mission for Supreme, or do you bring it along as you play and "pretend" you skipped it for Supreme?
I can't comment on any specific scenarios, as I haven't played the mission myself, and I don't want to spoil too much in case I do. But again, great work on the playthrough and the report! Ghosters are few and far between these days, so we need write-ups like these to boost our motivation. :thumb:
marbleman on 30/3/2018 at 23:45
Thanks! A Job Well Done deserves more love! :D
To answer your question: I make two runs. First, I play regular Ghost/Perfect Thief in prepearation for the Supreme run. I don't make a report of it though. So in my Supreme run, I really do skip the loot and don't come back for it.
klatremus on 31/3/2018 at 00:09
Your recommendation makes me want to try it one day. It'll be on my list of to-dos for sure. Sometimes I play like you do, one run for each mode. Usually I try to finish the mission Supreme clean, then return for regular Ghost loot. If that isn't possible, I have resorted to "pretending" i skipped some loot for Supreme. As long as you include the information in the report, I see that as ok.
Also, be prepared for a massive update to the thread in the upcoming weeks. Hopefully something that will encourage more players to try out ghosting.
marbleman on 1/4/2018 at 21:46
Really looking forward to that! Meanwhile...
Game:
Thief GoldFM:
Shadow PoliticsGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
SuccessSupreme Ghost -
FailedPerfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 46:05
Loot - 3900/3900 (Supreme: 3700)
Pockets Picked - 5/7
Locks Picked - 6
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Healing taken - 0, Other Kills - 0, Bodies Discovered - 0
Consumables - None
Shadow Politics was Skacky's first ever Thief Gold mission. Garrett is tasked with stealing a diamond staff from Duke Whitehall who is staying at the Hightowne embassy. The mission takes place between Thieves' Guild and The Sword, and it does actually feel like it could have easily been a part of Thief Gold since it doesn't use a single custom asset. On Expert, apart from stealing the staff, I also had to steal a pagan tome from one of the mansions in the district and to get 3000 loot.
The readme states that Ghosting is possible but Supreme is unachievable. Unfortunately, that's true, but we only have to take a single bust. Most of the mission can be Supreme Ghosted, even though it's tough. The guard patrols, especially in the embassy are dense, but with good timing, all of them can be bypassed without any alerts. I should also mention that the mission has plenty of well-hidden loot, which I won't be pointing out. I will discuss the tricky-to-get loot pieces though.
Cleared out the starting area without much trouble, crossed the canal, and entered the butcher's shop. Picked up some more loot and roped to the ventilation shaft that led me to a room with a nobleman. Getting the green vase on the end table required following him to the spot and taking it while his back is still turned. Then, had to wait a bit until the patrollers on the street level went away before jumping out of the window to the jeweler's courtyard across. Inside, picked up some more loot and since the courtyard door couldn't be opened, roped my way back onto the street level.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/ae/22/7f/e0cb64804381743.jpg Willard Estate past the Hammer Priory was my next goal since that's where one of our objectives is located. Had to time the patrols of the hammer and the guard before roping up the well-lit ledge. From there, enter the estate through the window. The inside is patrolled by two guards, but with careful timing, they are not a problem to pass without any alerts. Grabbed the book and some loot, and went back outside.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/fa/43/c6/f80bde804381763.jpg Took the street leading North next. The plaza here has a passage to the embassy, which is too bright to take, and a pickable door to the sewers, which is also brightly lit and unnecessary to pick anyway. There is also a keeper's apartment, where you could rope up. Luckily, there is enough shade to avoid any alerts, but getting down without taking damage is tricky. My preferred way of doing this was to mantle the bakery sign on my way down and descend from there.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/4a/63/80/ec02ea804381793.jpg Since I couldn't get any further here, went all the way back to the butcher's to take another street leading North. Surprisingly, the archer here was not an issue at all. Just had to wait for him to turn the right way. Roped up to Lady de Ravencourt's mansion next and picked up loot from there, as well as from the window opposite. To get down without taking damage, had to land on the sloped part of the ground.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/90/b1/25/c35cd8804381853.jpg The embassy can't be entered through the front door (not that I would have chosen to), so took the street leading West next. The guard at the end of the street was far enough away to allow me to sneak through without alerts. Roped up to another apartment, picked up some loot, and jumped to a balcony across.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/1d/d2/c8/bc65b8804381903.jpg Before entering the embassy, took a small detour. Across the street is a thief's apartment that leads to the warehouse area. Had to be really careful since the archer below saw me easily. There is another pickable sewer door, which is also unnecessary to use. Roped down to the hammerites' warehouse. Here, we can only pick up loot up on the rafters. There is 200 more loot behind the locked door that responds to the Forsaken Key. That we have to skip for Supreme for two reasons. Firstly, grabbing that loot is impossible without getting an alert from the zombie. Secondly, the key would have to be returned, which is also impossible (you'll see why in a bit). Went back outside, through the thief's apartment and entered the embassy through the wooden shutter.
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marbleman on 1/4/2018 at 21:49
Now, here is where the real fun begins. We enter on the second floor, and our main objective is locked in the basement vault. The key to that is in the Duke's room on the second floor. The key to Duke's room is carried by a guard who patrols the first floor. Thus, I had to go to the first floor to pickpocket him, go back to the second floor to grab the vault key, go to the basement to get the staff, and then return both keys. This means that I had to pass the main foyer four times, which is, of course, the most difficult room in the mission. The archer here covers it pretty well, but it is possible to pass him without alerts by sticking to the walls and moving as slowly as possible. The catch is that there are three more people passing through the room from time to time. Also, going up the ledge while using the slow walk is impossible because it's too steep. Fortunately, speeding up a bit doesn't cause any alerts.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/d1/88/69/dded3d804382093.jpg Another tricky room was the library downstairs. Getting the gold candlestick and picking the nobleman's purse required precise timing as he was doing his small patrol loop. Fortunately, the carpet allowed me to make a running jump into the room without alerting him, and with Thief Gold's long jumps, that was a huge benefit.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/20/80/49/b50e3f804382153.jpg After getting into the Duke's room, left his door open and lock-blocked it so that I could drop the key on the guard's path downstairs right away. None of the guards seemed to mind the door being wide open, which is great. And here is our bust. The vault key only opens the room where the staff is kept, but the portcullis lock has to be picked, and that always alerts the guard stationed here. There is also the third and last pickable door leading to the sewers, and that's the one I'm going to take.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/a7/8f/e8/754808804382203.jpg The sewer guard was easy to dodge. Waited for him to leave and jumped into the water pipe. There are two ways to go. First, there are crayman caves with some loot. The most difficult piece is the silver nugget in the bone pile, which required me to wait until the crayman turned the right way and his buddy wasn't patrolling nearby. This crayman also has the Forsaken Key on his belt, and this is the second reason why it is pointless to take it. For Supreme, we'd have to drop t back onto the stone floor, which would cause at least a first alert. Second, there is another part of the sewers patrolled by a spider. Dodging him in the narrow corridor is impossible, so had to wait at one end and then follow him. Had to also wait for him to leave before opening or closing the metal hatch. Here is some thieves' hideout with loot in the safe. The guard is a heavy sleeper, so he is not an issue.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/e5/f7/20/c5346d804382253.jpg Returned to the embassy's basement, dropped the vault key back in the Duke's room closed the lock-blocked door behind me, left the embassy through the same wooden shutter I took to enter. Then, it was just the matter of getting back to the starting area, which wasn't too tough.
Notes:- Took a first alert from the vault guard by picking the portcullis lock. Unavoidable Supreme bust.
- Skipped 200 loot in the "forsaken" room. Couldn't get the loot without taking a first alert from the zombie; couldn't return the key without alerts either.
klatremus on 2/4/2018 at 03:46
Magnificent work again, marbleman! Picking locks and returning keys are common hickups for Supreme, as you probably know. Skacky's missions are always classic, although I haven't played this one yet.
klatremus on 2/4/2018 at 04:53
Game:
Thief GoldFM:
The Chalice of Souls, Mission 1: With the Snow As Sole WitnessGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
FailedSupreme Ghost -
Success :D
Perfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 2:51:29
Loot - 3900/4000 (Supreme: 3825)
Pockets Picked - 3/3
Locks Picked - 14
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/ChaliceOfSouls1.htm) here!
Loot list (
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_L.htm) here!
YouTube Let's Play here:(
https://youtu.be/saFwILbRQVk) Part 1 & (
https://youtu.be/C87ZYOQmDp4) Part 2!
Comments:The first mission released for the Summer 2015 FM Challenge contest. And when I heard it was a sequel (albeit a loose one) to the classic Endless Rain, there was no turning back. It was a two-mission pack at that, where FireMage and Squadafroin join skacky as coauthors. The first mission, ‘With the Snow As Sole Witness’, takes place in a strange, but mesmerizingly wintered city called Fidgewick’s Hollow, and the tunnels below. I knew Ghosting this would be fun, but difficult. The latter only fueled my motivation.
My main goal was to find the brothel called The Dark Hollow. Along the way I had to pick up 2,500 in loot, a precious stone from the diamond dealer, and a magical cup from Messer Yharnam. As always, I hoped for a successful Supreme run. If unsuccessful, I’d still limit busts to an absolute minimum. Time to get started.
PART 1 Balancing ActsThe winter atmosphere struck me immediately. I could tell this was gonna be good. Climbed the first set of pipes I could find. It led me to Theedsblot’s balcony in the southeast (image below). I love the fact that quite a few recent missions make effective use of NewDark’s mantle mechanics. It leads to more vertical missions, which this one was certain proof of.
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http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image001.jpg Theedsblot manor gave me no trouble. The Sir himself was the only patroller, alternating between the two floors. Snagged his key to enter the bedroom, and flipped two hidden switches to open the safe ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image002.jpg) image). It gave me the required tunnels key, which I knew would have to be returned later. I relocked the bedroom door and left the key on the carpet for Supreme on my way out.
Found a well-hidden coin stack on a windowsill just south of Theedsblot’s ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image003.jpg) image). This roof was a dead end, however, so I started to circumvent the city counterclockwise, along the northeastern rim heading west.
Had to cross the streets below at Goldenbaum Castle. Entered the uppermost window into an empty storage area ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image004.jpg) image). The gallery here had a mesmerizingly eerie feel to it. The lack of explanation to go along with the paintings also added to the horror. Sometimes less is more, I guess. The door at the end of the gallery was locked, but pickable. I don’t like picking locks if I don’t have to, so I wanted to find a different way down to the lower floors. There was another open window below the one I entered earlier. I could rope arrow down to it, but not without leaving the arrow behind. Instead I dropped onto the window itself and entered the floor that way ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image005.jpg) image). A tough move, but repeatable. It circumvented picking the aforementioned lock.
The main floor held a few intricate rooms protecting an inner vault with a valuable stone. It involved picking a few locks and disabling two security systems (image below). The latter is not allowed for Supreme due to rule #8, so I skipped the item worth 75 for that mode. The rule is a little vague in specifying what constitutes a “security system”, but I imagine the aforementioned mechanisms apply.
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http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image006.jpgEntered Pr. Walstrand’s Grandhouse through an open window. Why are so many windows left open on a cold winter night? One of the trickiest places in the mission coming up. I had to enter Messer Yharnam’s inner study by dodging a patrolling guard and a roaming female servant ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image007.jpg) image). One of the main objectives was in there. Evading the patrollers wasn’t that bad, but picking the lock on the study door without triggering a first alert was. The woman alternated between an upper walkway and the laboratory below. She even entered the small hallway going straight past the door in question. I also couldn’t avoid the swordsman’s gaze while picking the lock, plus they both came close enough to hear the lockpicks and give a comment. The best idea was to wait until their patrols synchronized enough to give a longer window of opportunity. Still, the servant gave comments even when stationed on the walkway above. This proved to be one of those situations where if you play regular Ghost, you can get through in 2 minutes; playing Supreme, well, let’s just say it’s a tad more difficult. I got there in the end and could check off my first objective when stealing the magical cup. Going back out was a breeze in comparison, as I didn’t have to pick the lock this time.
Made my way south along the city’s western wall. Passed through what I believe to be the Grinning Boar, an inn of some sort, without any problems. Made a difficult jump from the inn’s attic to a patrolled walkway above the canal ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image008.jpg) image). There were plenty of guards in the streets below also, and their potential alerts were tough to notice. A split in my path forced me to reenter Goldenbaum Castle. Descended a rope arrow from a conveniently placed beam on the south side (image below). Tough to get inside without alerting a guard there also, plus you had at least one patrolling hammer across the canal to the southeast who occasionally commented. Hid on a box to the left immediately upon entry ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image010.jpg) image). This floor was somewhat tricky, due to tiled floors and little shade. Left through a ceiling panel and looted an empty attic space across a pair of pipes. Returned to the aforementioned canal overpass afterwards.
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http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image009.jpg Two buildings with loot in the far southwest. Both were easy to loot. One had a single patroller, while the other had a pickable balcony door, but no enemies inside. Nothing to report except smooth sailing.
The last place to visit up here was the hammer priest’s tower in the southeast. I could maneuver along the ledges in this area, but not without monitoring the patrolling archer from before. I imagine he could give first alerts from quite a distance. There was a ruthlessly difficult piece of loot in a windowsill just outside the tower image below). I remember missing that one first time through this mission. I ended up placing a rope arrow from above, leaning out from the icy ledge. I had to place it so I could reach the loot from the rope, without bumping into the outcropping statue. However, I could only reach the rope from the tower window.
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http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image011.jpg The tower itself had a wandering hammer priest, with a rather obnoxious head piece (image below). A funny book in the bedroom too. Some loot, including some hidden wine on the rafters. Found a hidden attic space, but no loot in there, only an arrow. Left the tower and descended to the streets by use of some pipes and a slanting roof. Had to dodge another patrolling hammer in the snow down there.
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http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image012.jpgMiddle GroundNext I hit the old clockworks manufactory. A single roamer on the lower floors. A tough-to-find necklace in one of the control rooms ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image013.jpg) image). Although it was just lying there, I had a tough time spotting it. There was a gas arrow on the metal beams above this room also. On the top floor there were a few gamblers and more loot ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image014.jpg) image). A pulsating light made me able to get the purse from the footlocker quite easily. There was a hidden area behind one of the bookshelves too. Had to mantle up when the light was off to avoid detection. The top of the shelving units were permanently dark; that helped a lot. Got the method down pretty quickly and could leave without any comments from the two. Supreme still intact. Nice!
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http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image015.jpgPassed through the southeastern part of the cardinal’s townhouse, picking up some more loot along the way. Used a rope arrow to enter a gallery with a single coin further east. Some nice new artwork from the mission designers here. (Look to the screen capture above for my favorite piece). This area was a dead end, however, so I made my way down to the streets instead. Had to use a few sills and pipes to lighten the drops, plus time a walking hammerite below. One more hammerite was stationed outside the chapel south of here. He had a purse that proved more difficult to obtain that I expected. Remember, I play Supreme Ghost, which requires the elimination of all first alerts in order to be successful. He had to face south for me to accomplish this, as seen in the picture below. Then you had the aforesaid patroller who provided me with little time to work with. I basically had to reload until he turned south within the first 10 seconds.
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http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image016.jpg Slick Street Swipin’
There were a total of six patrollers and a few stationary guards on the street level. Luckily, the city provided enough shade to move around quite freely. I looted the apothecary and the dungeons below next. No enemies except for the trap in the tomb ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image017.jpg) image). It was easily avoided once I knew how. Just loved the sounds and the atmosphere down there. It gave me chills without anything even happening. Just how it should be.
Back up in the streets I dodged a few guards and made my way northeast. A purse on a patrolling guard and some coins behind a lockpicker ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image018.jpg) image) were all of interest. Don’t think I’ve ever seen head turning quite like that lol. Great little scenario that. Moved west and dropped into the canal. Difficult to do without taking damage, but I managed to half-mantle up the wooden walkway on the opposite side. Followed the canal to the northeast and readied myself to leave the city.
PART 2 Into the DepthsThe junction station gave access to the tunnels using, well, the tunnels access key. This had to be returned for Supreme. I did that after lock-blocking the tunnels door, knowing there was no need to return to the city later. Remember, relocking all doors while also returning all items is required for the Supreme Ghost mode. Lock-blocking is sometimes the only way to accomplish this, thus the reasons for my aforementioned actions. This is not considered an engine exploit, and therefore does not break rule #11.
The underground tunnels provided a very different atmosphere than the city streets. So much so that it almost looked like a different mission, and perhaps it should have been. Regardless, finding my way around this maze-like compound was the first challenge. I somewhat remembered the layout from my first playthrough, although planning my route for a Ghost run is a vastly different animal. I took a left after the power station (dodging a few guards along the way) and opened the first door to the sewers. A pivoting archer overlooked the main bridge ahead. I could monitor his positioning from a shadow behind the left door frame ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image019.jpg) image).
Mantling into the window on the right I could circumnavigate the bridge room and approach the archer from the south ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image020.jpg) image). This was a tricky hallway as he had to stay facing west long enough for me to sneak down the steps and into the shadows past him and to the right. He turned quite frequently and more often than not pivoted towards the stairs. It took 10-15 tries or so before I could reach safety undetected.
The next rooms were even rougher. First there was a guarded control room of some sort. One camera and two stationary guards (an archer and a swordsman) watched the middle of the room. There was a floodlight, but it wasn’t strong enough to illuminate a path down the middle and in the back corner (image below). Beyond the next door, however, it was very bright. Enough for one of the guards from before to give a comment the instant I passed the doorway. I was out of his view not more than a foot inside the next room though, and this gave me an idea. The less amount of time you spend in an enemy’s field of view, the lower the chance of detection. Reduce the time visible to but a fraction of a second, and you can even avoid first alerts. Scuttling in, hugging the open door, I managed to avoid the comment.
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http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image021.jpgA similar approach had to be taken with the people in the following room (image below). The partially blocked entrance to the tombs was in the southeast corner . Two workers were facing a bloody generator; one slightly more with his back turned than the other. The guy in brown commented when I tried to round the corner of the room. It almost seemed as if the author had done this on purpose, as it was literally a matter of inches. Again, I could rush into the room and come to an immediate halt and prevent the alert. However, this was more difficult than with the previous guard. Probably not more than a 10% success rate.
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http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image022.jpg The tombs were easy enough. The shadow monsters could be evaded by heading up the stairs before they entered the room. Coming back to the generator room yielded the same problem as before. Again I avoided any and all alerts by rushing past the doorway corner. Nice to get all the loot here without any Supreme busts. I left through the sewer hatch in here. Stole a tiny coin in one of the drainage rooms next ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image023.jpg) image). I remember this was the last piece of loot I found during my first playthrough. From here I climbed some ladders in a drainage room and emerged through a back door to the engine area.
DownwindersDodged a few guards on my way to the thieves’ hideout, but nothing worth reporting. Found two coin stacks on a walkway with a stationary thief ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image024.jpg) image). The easiest way to get them was by use of a rope arrow from below. Previously I had climbed the back of the walkway from a furnace room, but this usually alerted the guard. Next I entered the thieves’ main hideout. It was a large machine room with no less than three stationary rogues (image below). One of them was on an upper walkway, pivoting quite frequently. I needed to reach two pickable chests in the back corner for some more loot. The best way was to mantle and cross the large metal structure on the left. It was noisy, but traversing slowly kept me silent. Getting back up was the more difficult move. Using the chair and slightly strafe-running got me up there unnoticed. I expected to get a first alert when leaving through the door on the north wall, but nobody said a peep.
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http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image025.jpg Found a dead guard with a key in some sort of interrogation room not long after this. His key unlocked a door at the end of this section that took me closer to the brothel and the end of the mission. Problem was, you needed to pass a room with two guards and a flooded sewer to proceed (image below). Getting into the water always alerted at least one of the guards. It was only a comment, so plain Ghost was in the clear. But for Supreme, I needed to figure something else out. I knew there was a back door to the brothel area, but it required some backtracking. I didn’t know whether that area was Supreme ghostable, but I’d give it a try. Also, I don’t like picking unnecessary locks, and this would prevent me from having to open the door to the interrogation room with the dead guard. So I reloaded and never even entered that area.
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http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image026.jpg The last piece of loot was hidden in the so-called “hallucinations” room. Its “mysterious” key was found on a metal walkway just past the thief machinery room ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image027.jpg) image). I was able to unlock the door without alerts from the nearby worker. He commented occasionally, but not always. I couldn’t find a consistent pattern though. Anyways, taking the golden skull in the inner chamber triggered a fire trap. This is against Supreme rules and prevented me from taking the loot for that mode. Also, the noise from the fireballs alerted three miniature keeper apparitions to hunt mode. I’m not sure whether this would count as a Ghost bust or not, as they didn’t attack me or detect me before taking the loot. They did, however, alert normally to the use of a regular fire arrow. I simply treated them as blind enemies and skipped the loot for plain Ghost as well. Too bad, as this meant Perfect Thief busted on the final piece of loot. I guess you could argue these creatures merely to be Garrett’s visions and therefore shouldn’t count. I think that would be stretching the Ghost rules a bit too far.
Headed back to the upper levels to approach the brothel from behind. The door by the main bridge had disappeared since last time. This meant I couldn’t close it. Annoying, but obviously not a bust. Overheard the conversation between the guards in the barracks and snuck through the bedroom ((
http://www.klatremus.org/ChaliceOfSouls1_files/image028.jpg) image). Caught the two readables in here as well before finishing the mission Supreme clean. Nice one!
Notes- Skipped the valuable stone (75) in the vault at Goldenbaum Castle for Supreme. Disabling the security system to enter the vault isn’t allowed.
- Skipped the golden skull (100) in the hallucinations room in the sewers. Taking the skull triggers a trap, which isn’t allowed for Supreme, and the trap’s noise alerts the three mini-apparitions to hunt mode, forcing a Ghost bust.
- Couldn’t close the bridge gate when returning the final time. It had disappeared due to a glitch, so no bust.
klatremus on 2/4/2018 at 05:03
The first two posts have now been updated to reflect every existing ghost report from the Eidos, Square-Enix and TTLG forums from 2001 until present day, as well as all the missions that are currently unreported on. Hopefully reading some of these reports can rekindle some players’ love for the ghost mode. I have had to shuffle around a few of this thread's reports to make room for these lists. Please private message me if you discover any typos, broken links, incorrect reports, etc. This thread primarily focuses on new reports or comments thereof.
marbleman on 17/4/2018 at 20:05
Game:
Thief GoldFM:
Between These Dark WallsGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
SuccessSupreme Ghost -
FailedPerfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 45:48
Loot - 4000/4000
Pockets Picked - 7/7
Locks Picked - 5
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Healing taken - 0, Other Kills - 0, Bodies Discovered - 0
Consumables - None
Between These Dark Walls is a mission by Skacky that came before the well-acclaimed Endless Rain. Since I've recently ghosted Shadow Politics and since there is a report on Endless Rain already, I have decided to complete the circle. This one is a city mission with a huge emphasis on verticality. Our objectives are very straightforward: break into Messer Beric's castle, steal his necklace, steal some other valuables (2850 on Expert), and leave the district. Funnily enough, we have to once again take only one bust, and once again, it is from picking a lock.
Took the thieves' highway right away. The guard on the parapet wasn't too much of a problem to pass without any alerts. He was a bigger issue to deal with when traversing the fairly well-lit ledge of Castle Spaulding across the street. Tried timing his patrols at first, but that didn't work as he always gave a first alert. However, moving sideways and crouched did the trick. After looting the area, made my way to Public Works building by going through Tyrell Estate.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/87/87/9d/5ac420825550533.jpg Before taking the ventilation shaft to the roof of Public Works building, I had to pick up a key from a hammerite priest's chambers nearby, which posed an unexpected problem. Normally, he's supposed to be patrolling the room and the garden outside, which he did on all my previous runs. However, this time he decided to get stuck inside the hammer statue while facing the armoire, where the key is lying. I decided to work with the situation instead of restarting the mission and soon enough, found a way to grab the key without alerts. The biggest issue here was a flickering light that had a random yet very high chance to give me away and alert the priest.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/57/ac/61/4993e7825550623.jpg Looting Grimshaw Estate was not difficult. The biggest issue was jumping onto the rope from the slanted roof. Next, jumped back and looted the alchemist's by entering through his attic. Followed the guard patrolling the parapet outside and entered Beric's Castle. And here's the bust. Picking the door to Lady Beric's chambers alerts her, and there is no way around it since there is the basement study key inside, which we need. Amusingly, I could later drop the key back onto the marble floor without her giving a first alert.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/d3/58/f9/ae6fb7825551173.jpg Across the Lady's chambers is another room that leads to a balcony. This one I had to pick to get the goblet from the windowsill. At first, I wanted to get to the goblet from the parapet across the street, but the guards below always caught me. Obviously, I couldn't get to that parapet from here either, so I had to take another way.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/47/40/b0/be1484825551053.jpg Made my way down to the basement study and picked up the wine cellar key. Before entering the wine cellar, decided to clear out the sewers. Most importantly, there is a hammerite stash, whose door responds to the key from the priest's chambers. The problem here is that there is no shade to hide inside the room, so I had to get it, grab the loot, and get out back into the shadows while the hammerite was doing his small patrol loop. I could never take all the loot in one go though, so had to make two.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/39/01/4d/15a366825550873.jpg Entered the wine cellar and took the secret passage into the keeper sanctuary. The patrols in this area are well spaced-out, but ghosting is difficult because the sound doesn't propagate perfectly well in several places. Thus, I had to be extra careful and avoid the line of sight with the keepers in problematic areas to make absolutely sure that I didn't get any alerts. The only tough move was entering the first keeper's room to get the shrine key. The balcony guard turns randomly, but the entrance to the room is well-lit, which creates a blind corner. Had to be lucky to move in while he was facing the opposite direction. Given that I needed to return the key, I had to move in and out of this room twice.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/f9/cc/65/be98de825550953.jpg Took a secret exit through a vent in the library to return to the city and grab a purse from the machine room, which I could not get into earlier. This is the same room that leads to the parapet across Beric's balcony. Then, returned to the keeper sanctuary and exited it through the wine cellar.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/5e/76/e2/4ee9d7825551103.jpg Returned the wine cellar key into the basement study, returned the basement study key to Lady Beric's chambers. Left the castle the way I came. Next, I had to return the hammerite priest's key. Went back through the Public Works building to close all the gates that I left opened there. To my surprise, the priest was patrolling again. Apparently, he freed himself somehow. Well, this made my job of returning the key much easier! Afterwards, jumped down to the street level. To avoid taking damage, caught the fence below and mantled it. Now, I only needed to make my way back to the start and pick a few purses along the way. No issues there.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/b1/49/70/a0ea54825553123.jpg Notes:- Took a first alert from Lady Beric by picking the door to her chambers. Unavoidable Supreme bust.
marbleman on 19/4/2018 at 20:24
Game:
Thief 2FM:
Conspiracies in the DarkGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
SuccessSupreme Ghost -
FailedPerfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 1:04:06
Loot - 2225/2225
Pockets Picked - 9/11
Locks Picked - 8
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 1
Damage dealt - 1, Damage taken - 0
Healing taken - 0, Other Kills - 0, Bodies Discovered - 0
Consumables - None
Conspiracies in the Dark is the only mission from what was supposed to become a campaign titled Transitions in Chaos. It is one of the best mansion missions ever, and my second favorite one after Ominous Bequest. There is a Ghost report on it already, but no-one has attempted a Supreme run yet. Unfortunately, achieving Supreme is impossible. We have to take a few unavoidable first alerts from opening doors and picking locks. However, it is still interesting to try and minimize those.
Before we begin, I need to note something: this mission is huge, and it has a lot to do. We need to get into Lord Marton's bedroom to find out who killed him, steal his scepter, find some information about Raputo, loot all six guestrooms, discover at least nine secrets, and steal 1600 loot. Besides, several new objectives will spawn as we progress through the mission. If I start describing my path in detail, the report will be massive and confusing. Therefore, I'll try to structure it logically by mainly describing the points of interest.
Getting InsideThere are two ways into the mansion. Firstly, we can pick up the Enterprise Key from a sleeping guy and use it to get inside Harper & Sons building. From there, we can get into the sewer that leads to the mansion basement. However, we would need to pick a lockbox to open a gate. The gate itself can be closed by flipping a lever on the other side, but the lockbox can be re-locked as well. It responds to the Sewer Key, the only copy of which is on the belt of a stationary guard nearby, and returning this key to his feet alerts him to hunt mode. Therefore, picking the lockbox leads to a Supreme bust. The second way inside is to climb the wall. There are three guards here: a patroller on the wall, a patroller down below, and a stationary guard near the front door. To avoid first alerts, I jumped to the roof over the front entrance and descended from there.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/fd/aa/d2/f7ba01828021423.jpg To pick the stationary guard's purse, had to wait for him to face the opposite direction and for the patrollers to be away. Then, had to mantle the fence, grab the purse, and get back down quickly enough. Entered the mansion through a door leading to servant's quarters.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/a4/c1/5b/80e1c4828021513.jpg First FloorFirstly, if we climb a ladder to the lutist's room, we can find out that his instrument was confiscated by the head butler. This is a small side-quest, where we can find his lute and bring it back. Picking it up spawns the lutist, who reacts to Garrett. However, this is a scripted conversation and not an alert, hence no bust. Arguably, it is not in the spirit of Supreme to help out the servants of a mansion that you rob, but the reward is loot and a hidden bonus objective, which is more of a priority to me.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/98/1c/1d/7a95d4828021753.jpg Secondly, the lord's scepter is located in the fountain room. This is a tricky area since it requires to quickly creep-crouch from alcove to alcove. You are supposed to turn the lights off to hide there, but it is unnecessary.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/63/f9/c6/3fd1eb828021843.jpg Finally, there are a few loot pieces, getting which is easier than it seems. Grabbing the vase in the foyer is not an issue since the balcony guard's vision doesn't reach the bottom floor. Grabbing the two swords and the crown around the bar only requires to time the guard who patrols between the two floors. These swords are also an optional objective that spawns by reading a journal in the notary's room. In my case, it will already be completed.
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