downwinder on 2/5/2018 at 02:08
i need to see you ghosters do dront missions like "plot" /etc then i would be impressed i found his missions very hard even for a skilled player
marbleman on 2/5/2018 at 06:21
Wasn't expecting that :eek:
I look forward to watching it this evening :)
marbleman on 4/8/2018 at 15:26
Game:
Thief GoldFM:
The Valley of the BurnedGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
SuccessSupreme Ghost -
FailedPerfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 43:38
Loot - 2765/2765 (Supreme: 2535)
Pockets Picked - 0/0
Locks Picked - 0
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Healing taken - 0, Other Kills - 0, Bodies Discovered - 0
Consumables - 1 water arrow
Hey, it's been a while! :)
It's time to Supreme another mission - two missions in fact - The Valley of the Burned and The Widow's Ire. Released in 2013 as a two-mission campaign for Thief Gold, they were later re-released as a part of a four-mission campaign titled Gems of Provenance. The author, StinkyKitty, is apparently working on three more missions that will complete the story, and I'm eagerly awaiting those.
It's important to note that I'm playing Gems of Provenance and not the original Widow's Ire since the re-released missions contain a few noticeable structural changes. I might also play the other two missions in the campaign later. ;)
The first mission is pretty straightforward. We have to make our way through the Valley of the Burned, an old hammerite crypt and crematorium complex, into an underground mansion where our main objective is located. However, this journey from point A to point B goes through a pump station, a surreal garden, a haunted mine complex, a Bonehoard-style crypt, and a few more strange and wonderful places. Along the way, we also need to pick up the mask of High Priest Callone.
The Elevator ShenanigansCleared a couple of side passages on my way to the pump station. Picked up two nuggets and a gold hammer. The only way to get the latter without an alert is through a small window; if I enter the room, the sleeping zombie gives a growl.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/b1/8a/92/ffb75c937039304.jpg The pump station entrance was my first challenge. There are two guards here. One is patrolling, and the other one is operating the elevator. When I enter the area, a scripted sequence begins: the first guard starts moving towards the elevator and upon reaching it, signals his buddy to move him up. Then, he is supposed to patrol further into the pump station, but in my practice, he does that only if I run past him, use the elevator myself, and send it back before he reaches it. If I follow him and stand on the elevator when the second guard operates it, the patroller simply stations himself there and does not move further. While interrupting the scripted sequence this way might be considered an exploit - though I'd argue that it is not the case - the alternative definitely busts Supreme. While in their scripted sequence, these guards do not give first alerts. However, they give settling remarks later, and it is quite obvious that running past the first guard through a well-lit area and shooting a water arrow into the elevator button next to the second guard would normally yield first alerts from both of them.
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marbleman on 4/8/2018 at 15:27
The Pump StationThe lobby is occupied by a pivoting guard in the portcullis alcove and a patroller who walks between here and the machinery room. Inside the machinery room, there are two more guards, one of whom is watching the lobby through the window. There's barracks to the left and a hatch leading to the machinery room on the right. First, I waited for the portcullis guard to turn away and ducked into the barracks. Dodging the patroller with no real issues, I picked up two goblets and a wine bottle from the kitchen. The captain's room holds the hatch key, but even though the captain is sleeping, he still gives a first alert when I enter. Were I to take this key, I could drop down into the water and emerge at the bottom of the machinery room, There, I could pick up a gear worth 50, which I have to skip for Supreme, and flip the lever to distact the guard facing down the staircase. Having skipped the captain's room and the hatch key, exited the barracks.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/dc/24/2d/f636cd937039704.jpg Waited for the patroller to leave and opened the portcullis by reaching the lever behind it. To avoid alerts from the window guard, had to creep-crouch-strafe along the back wall - still dodging the pivoting guard and the patroller - all the way to the door into the next room. Surprisingly, and fortunately, I managed to do it with no alerts despite the area being plenty well-lit. However, I had to skip another loot piece, a purse worth 100, in a footlocker behind the window guard. There is no way to enter that room or to reach the footlocker from outside within Supreme rules. For regular Ghost, it's not a problem however.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/85/06/63/442d48937039924.jpg In the next room, picked up a purse and exited into a small outside area where two guards were having a conversation. Waited for the archer to leave and slowly approached the ladder to climb up without being seen. From here, I can either drop into water, which alerts the guard below or jump over to the walkway that leads further. The choice is obvious. On the walkway, I also picked up one rope arrow since I've started with none of those, and I certainly need at least one. Then, entered a grassy tunnel leading to the crown of a large tree. To avoid being spotted by a burrick, hugged the wall to the right and crept towards an opening down into the garden.
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marbleman on 4/8/2018 at 15:29
The GardenHad to wait until the archer on the walkway below went away before dropping down myself. Managed to avoid taking damage by landing on the edge of the stone fence. Next, roped up the grassy tunnel opposite the walkway.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/d8/fe/48/77a557937040384.jpg First, took the tunnel all the way to the end and picked up a vase and a coinstack. Then, went back to the hammerite warehouse. Above the entrance, picked up three more coinstacks, but could not enter the warehouse through the windows, as the spider saw me instantly. Therefore, dropped down and entered the warehouse from below. Picked a ring from a footlocker and roped up the crate stack on the right. By creep-crouch-strafing along the wall, managed to avoid any alerts from the spider and pick up a gold candlestick through a window. Getting down without an alert was trickier but doable if I approached the edge as slow as possible. Finally, picked up a goblet near the staircase and went all the way back to the walkway with the archer. Passing him with no issues, opened a panel at the end of the walkway and entered the next area.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/58/74/05/6c46ee937040534.jpg Roped up the opening on the left and picked up a pair of glasses. Next, shot a rope above and to the left of the stationary guard below. This is a tricky shot because the rope needs to hang high enough for me to catch it out of his view but low enough to be able to reach it from the ground. Plus, I can't pull the string all the way back since otherwise, the guard alerts. Waited for the patroller to move away and jumped down. Unfortunately, this is as far as I can get without busting Supreme for certain. I need to move up the stairs, and there is no way to do that without at least a first alert from this guard. In the keep entrance area, timed the three guards to enter the rampart, pick up the compound key, and read the book, which spawns an objective to find the keep key. Afterwards, entered the compound.
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marbleman on 4/8/2018 at 15:30
Into the DepthsFirst, picked up three coinstacks from the third room on the left. Then, waited for the patrolling zombie to move away, descended to the lower level, and picked up three nuggets. There is a bunch of zombies below, but it's easy to pass them without any alerts. Next, I can either enter a large furnace or a cistern. I chose the latter. Even though I can hear the zombies moaning pretty loudly here, they don't hear me dropping into the water, which is good. After a short swim, I emerged in a small mine tunnel patrolled by a zombie. Dodging him without problems, I first entered a hidden temple to pick up two statues and two gold hammers, and then, entered one of the most surreal caves I've seen in my life.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/70/2e/9b/7d3043937040844.jpg After dropping down into a pool of water, took a tunnel to a strange water structure and picked up a gem inside. Then, entered a flooded cave with a dead burrick. This burrick makes some sounds, but I'm pretty sure that it's just an ambient loop and that he is not an actual AI. Roped up to a grassy cave and picked up two goblets and a vase; then, took a water tunnel to the haunted mine.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/a1/ce/cb/13d409937040934.jpg The MinesThe first area of the mines is somewhat of a maze that has loud gravel floors and patrolling zombies. Fortunately, there is another way to pass this place: through a long tunnel above. Picked up a fire poker from a mine cart nearby, traversed the tunnel, and emerged in a huge vault with a turntable. This area has several mine carts that start moving when I enter a certain trigger area and crush me if I am in their way. In my mind, setting these off amounts to activating traps, which is not allowed for Supreme. Therefore, I choose a path that minimizes this. Picked up a ring in one of the lower tunnels, but had to skip a nugget worth 50 at the end of the tunnel branching off the turntable: there is no way to enter it without activating one of those mine carts.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/98/d5/4c/e1ad2d937041004.jpg The only way up is by a rope hanging in an alcove near a sleeping zombie. Avoiding an alert from him is easy by simply jumping over his trigger radius. Unfortunately, upon jumping from the rope onto a walkway above, a mine car trap activates, and I've found no way to avoid this one. Afterwards, climbed one level higher to the second turntable. To the left is a room full of sleeping zombies, and to the right is a long tunnel with another trap. Neither way interests me. Instead, I roped further up and picked up a gem. Afterwards, took the walkway to the crematorium.
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marbleman on 4/8/2018 at 15:33
The CrematoriumWhen we enter the next room, which looks like an arena, three burricks start fighting two fireshadows, and the latter are almost guaranteed to win. This was not a problem to me since I could just watch them from a safe place, but I did need the fireshadows - once they stop searching for more enemies - to stop in a position that would allow me to sneak by. I replayed the fight two times, and on the second one, got a pretty lucky outcome. One fireshadow remained facing away, and the other one died, leaving a fire arrow behind. Climbed the walkway above and picked up the keep key from the skeleton. Objective complete! Next, entered a corridor with somewhat of an obvious puzzle: once we come in, the door at the opposite end starts closing, and there are two speed potions lying around. It's pretty clear what the player is supposed to do, but I don't want to drink a potion if I don't have to. Thanks to Thief Gold's insane bunnyhopping, I could rush to the door and get in before it closed. There is nobody around to hear me either.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/80/2b/c3/d8acbb937041214.jpg Emerged in a room with a lot of treasure vases, which are just unfrobbable decoration: most likely, jars with ashes. In the room beyond is a fire elemental, who is a bit of a problem to avoid, especially when getting the tiara. However, having managed that, I entered the living quarters through an opening on the right. The living quarters are patrolled by a few zombies. After a bit of observation, I realized that they often alert to the fire elemental, which is unpredictable and unavoidable. The best I could do is make sure that I do not exploit the situation: wait for the zombies to settle down before acting myself. For example, all doors in this area are pretty loud, so to get a coinstack from one of the rooms, I had to open the door while the zombies were unalerted. Next, picked up a ring and two gold coinstacks from the second level of the room with a hammerite zombie and moved into the apparition-patrolled staircase. Managed to avoid the apparition by using columns as hard cover. Might I add that this staircase looks amazing?
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/32/01/f7/9db619937041344.jpg The CryptDropped into the skull pit, picked up a gold skull, and frobbed a gold bone to teleport into the main vault. Before climbing up, took a well-hidden purse from a side room. Avoiding grunts from a sleeping zombie was not a problem. Before moving into the next vault, roped up to the very top to pick up two goblets. There is also another gold bone here, which can be used for healing. I don't need it however.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/b8/d1/99/8ec44f937041484.jpg The next vault has a circular room with a bunch of statues. These act the same way as mine carts. Upon me entering some kind of trigger area, they rush towards me. To avoid setting them off for Supreme, shot a rope into the ceiling and reached it by mantling a torch. On top of the vault is a small chapel guarded by a zombie. Opening the doors spawns a first alert, so for Supreme, I couldn't enter it from above either. Therefore, had to skip 30 loot inside.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/da/2a/bb/fcd4e6937041674.jpg Entered the Vault of Callone next. Had to be careful not to step on pressure plates around his casket. Picked up a goblet, which is the last piece of loot in the mission, and Callone's mask. Objective complete! Picked up the crypt key, unlocked and lock-blocked the door nearby, and dropped the key back. Locking the crypt door behind me, emerged back near the entrance to the keep. Now, I had to lock-block the keep door and return the keep key to the crematorium...
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marbleman on 4/8/2018 at 15:34
Into the Depth... AgainFortunately, I did not need to make the entire loop. I just needed to drop the key back in the arena room and return. This also meant that I wouldn't have to go through the crematorium living quarters, where zombies were probably in a constant first alert state by now. Reaching the arena room and dropping the key went well. It's worth noting that dropping they key does not untick the objective to find it. Going back, ran into an unexpected problem. Firstly, one of the suspended pools was too high for me to jump in. There are a few boulders meant for stacking in the area, but I would need to return them for Supreme, so that was a no-go. However, after a bit of experimenting, I found that standing on even a single speed potion, which was part of my starting inventory, is enough to reach the pool. Still, the potion would need to be retrieved. Therefore, I had to pick it up as I was jumping up, which is tricky but doable!
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/9c/b2/1a/055386937041824.jpg The next suspended pool was too high up even with twenty speed potions. However, the area with a strange water structure loops back to the cistern near the beginning. Had to use a water arrow to press an elevator button. Then, flipped the lever opening the door to the cistern and flipped it back, rushing out before the door closed. Finally, locked the compound door and returned the compound key to the ramparts where I found it.
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/3d/f8/a0/d50c66937041944.jpg The KeepEntered the keep and closed the door behind me, leaving it locked. The inside of the keep is patrolled by a haunt. Unfortunately, on the top floor, we have to activate six traps, five arrows and a firebolt, to proceed. Fortunately, I was able to do that when the haunt is all the way down at the bottom. As a result, he gave no alerts whatsoever, so regular Ghost remained intact. At last, found the hatch leading down to the underground mansion, which we rob in the next mission!
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http://thumbs2.imagebam.com/cd/39/ab/6555f7937042054.jpg Notes- Somehow interrupted the scripted sequence of the guard riding the elevator up and walking further into the pump station. In my mind, this is not a bust since I am not interfering with either of the guards involved: it's just rigged that way.
- Zombies in the crematorium area sometimes alert to the fire elemental. Nothing to do with me, so no bust.
- Had to use a water arrow to press an elevator button going back from the crematorium. Not a bust.
- Took a first alert from the guard near the staircase leading to the keep entrance area. A Supreme bust.
- Set off a mine cart trap in the mine area. A Supreme bust.
- Set off six traps inside the keep. All unavoidable Supreme busts.
- Skipped a gear worth 50 in the pump station machinery room for Supreme. Have to take a first alert to get the hatch key needed to enter the machinery room from below.
- Skipped a purse worth 100 in the footlocker behind a guard in the pump station for Supreme. No way to enter that room without at least a first alert.
- Skipped a nugget worth 50 in the mines for Supreme. Getting close to it sets off a mine cart trap.
- Skipped three coins worth 30 in a chapel near Callone's Crypt for Supreme. Entering it from below requires to trigger a few traps while entering from above spawns a first alert from a zombie.
klatremus on 4/8/2018 at 16:49
Thank you marbleman! An amazing report as always, and I love your ample use of screenshots. I assume Widow's Ire is coming soon then. Haven't played any of the missions in this campaign. Haven't had much time for Thief at all lately, I'm afraid. I have updated the lists in the first post to reflect your report, under Gems of Provenance 1.
Keep it up! :D
marbleman on 4/8/2018 at 17:37
Thanks! Yep, Widow's Ire is coming next week. Missing your vids! Hope that your schedule will free up soon :D
Oh, and by the way, if Thief Gold is your favorite game, you just have to play Gems of Provenance. This campaign just oozes that Thief Gold atmosphere and almost feels like an original expansion.