Galaer on 19/8/2022 at 20:17
ELEVATOR MISSION (T1)
Mission has 2 versions. Both versions are a bit different. 2nd version is mentioned as easier, but that's not a true. Some parts are easier and some parts are harder. I'm going to play them both starting from more accessible version 2. Then I'm going to version 1, which was also reported by Vanguard, though he abandoned it very quickly. Also in both versions I noted some problems that only happens to me - AI or their bodies teleport to some elevators or even in 1st version catapult to them. AI can disappear or appear right in front of my eyes. This confused me a lot, especially since during my test run of version 2 one of bodies with essential key teleported to one of elevators. I don't know why it happens, but I'm going to mention how it will affect my ghost run.
VERSION 2
In this version I start with 3 moss arrows, blackjack, 15 broadhead arrows, 1 flashbomb and 1 healing potion. No water arrows, no sword (it's objective), no lockpicks, no rope arrows. This will be tough. Because of high difficulty I'm going to gather all equipment I can.
KITCHEN KEY
You start on roof and must go through chimney, avoid fire, use big lever and open elevator door. Ride to the bottom and here is your 1st obstacle - green spider. You need to nudge him into right tunnel. Then use elevator, ignore locked guard post and ride elevator to 2nd floor of machine room. Here is 2nd guard post. Inside is turning guard. He may be tricky as he may turn quickly. Hide under stairs and when turning guard looks away climb to upstairs guard and use lever. Return to 1st guard post. Here are 2 turning guards, so it's even harder. Go to further shadow under pillar and from there you must quickly use control panel when enemies look away. Go to throne room. Sneak to shadow and strafe jump to the end of carpet. This is trial and error, but it's possible to avoid 2nd alert from 2 guards. Take Kitchen key placed near left candlestick and do strafe jump back into shadow. Again it is luck base if you get 2nd alert or not. Go to kitchen, use key, use switch to lower ladder and go to singer.
LOCKPICKS
Use door that doesn't lead outside. Open next door and hide behind it. When patroller enters quickly run to room with Hammerite. Don't use door when patroller is nearby or Hammerite will go into search mode. There is good shadow near entrance. When patroller is away go to right room. It leads to well with 2 zombies fighting against 2 spiders. This room isn't ghostable if zombies will win. In my run green spider died, 1 zombie was lying and other was fighting with small spider. Wait for spider to kill zombie and then jump on it's further side, then drop down and go along wall for Triangle Lockpick, to lock and run to door when spider will jump to other side of zombie.
Here is stationary woman looking through window, turning guard in hall who can spot you if you are moving too fast in this room and hall is visited by patroller. You must nudge woman left into chest, so she will not spot you when you enter hall. Hide in doorway and when guard looks away go through opposite door. Go through double door, use lever on the other side of small window and go to basement. Here is patrolling female mage. Go behind her and dodge her from right. Go on the left side of Hammerite and picklock chest with Square Lockpick. Time to return to safe doorway tof woman's room.
SWORD KEY
Go on the other side of locked door (woman can spot you if you are in front of door or on it's closer side) while turning guard looks away, picklock it and enter. Go downstaris, dodge turning Hammerite and in 3rd room is woman with purse (that's the 1st piece of loot in this mission. There is also mine in 4th room. Because this mission has a lot of forced encounters I'm taking it. Return to marble corridor. Guard at it's other side isn't turning and you need to go there. I shot broadhead arrow at him. This doesn't kill him, but it brings him here, so hiding in shadow and behind corner I KO-ed him (ghost bust #1).
Bring his body with you and leave it in corridor near door to pedestal room. On both sides of pedestal are stationary Hammerite and archer. You can run to pedestal safely and you can bring body with you, but don't do it just yet. Body and also 1 healing potion are needed to trigger pedestal. Unlike T2 version there is no switch on the other side of gate. These 2 things after reloading will raise pedestal and then lowers it again. When pedestal is lowered it opens gate (impossible to block it even with Garrett's body) and turn on lamps, when pedestal raises, lamps turn off and gate closes. Also you can't put body on pedestal, because enemies are too close and they will go into search mode.
So the plan it to nudge them a bit forward, so I will manage to put body and potion on pedestal, load game, so it will turn off light, go to gate and quickly go through gate when it opens. Unfortunately both guards will see you the moment lights turn on and you can't get too close to gate or you will get glued to it and pushed together with it.
So new plan, let's leave body under statue and nudge both guards forward all the way. Until you will get to shadow you will need to slowly nudge one guard to next tile and switch to the other. Also since I'm nudging on marble I switched from running forward to walking forward, so while crouch nudging I will not make noise. After getting both AIs to shadow I'm moving Hammerite to the right corner under right pillar and then archer through door to left corridor. This way I will not need to worry for him when I close door. All this nudging took me 30 min.
Next I lowered pedestal and easily went through gate. Dodge fly swarm and take sword key from fountain while avoiding turning bugbeast. time to return. I left body under statue and took my potion. I returned to hall and returned to safe doorway. From here I hid in shadows behind pillars and went upstairs to Hammerite room and then to singer room, who I nudge right to stand between windows.
CLOUD CITY
This city has 2 cloud platforms at the top, circle elevator to the other side to upper entrance to tavern, elevator leading from mid level to top. There are 3 levels: top, mid and bottom. Tavern has 2 floors connecting to top and mid of city. There is woman patrolling 2nd floor floor of tavern and thief patrolling 1st floor and outside. There is also woman patrolling mid. I nudged singer, so he can't spot me through window, but there are nobles from left building (top) who can spot me if I will ride cloud platforms. Also circle elevator in this part can summon other AIs to it, which is a bug I mentioned. That's why I'm not going to use it, so maybe bug will not get triggered. I also going to avoid using any elevator in this area.
First we need to wait for woman to go through door and drop on edge and then on wooden railing of mid level without using circle elevator. Go behind woman, go to dark room and hide under unfrobbable door. Go to bottom level and picklock both doors. 2nd door leads to Constantine Sword and floating above it fire elemental. Sword when equipped illuminate area around you, so I prefer to disable auto equip here to grab it. First objective completed.
Go to other door. Here is randomly turning haunt near elevator. Elevator is a bit higher, so I use my moss arrow to shoot it in metal pillar in corner to moss it. Then I need to jump on elevator (because it's slightly too high to normally run on it) and ride up while haunt is looking away. Here is left house with 2 nobles. Nudge both of them left, so they will not look through windows. Take Chapel key from purple box and use switch twice to open unfrobbable door.
Now you need to jump on cloud while mid woman is away and top tavern woman also goes back. By the way patrolling thief somehow got stuck in corner of some ledge and he stopped being a threat for me. Normally you would need to worry for him too. From cloud drop on circle elevator and run into tavern. Quickly run on right side of stationary servant. Here is shadow that will make you barely less visible, but for woman it's enough. Wait for her to go through door to dark room and dodge her there. 1st floor has no patrolling thief, so it's easy. There is guard and Hammerite, but the biggest problem is barkeeper behind counter. It's still easy - just go from right side of guard and take bottle when barkeeper is behind wall. Use metal door to go to chapel. Also this time bug with teleporting also didn't occur, so I guess it has something to do with using circle elevator.
CHAPEL
Hide behind pillar. On it's other side is turning guard and inside side room is turning servant with purse. Servant can also spot you through window if you try to go on marble stairs and you will need to go right in front of his window, because guard don't turn right. Next is patroller walking around chapel mostly on 2nd floor. He's patrolling right part of 2nd floor and go to marble stairs to turn around. But first let's visit 1st floor. Use lockpick on left door and stop. You will hear that woman and thief are going into 1st alert. If you would continue, then woman will go into search mode. After hearing alert wait 1 second and picklock it again. Open door and hide in doorway. From here shoot moos arrow into switch near woman. Go around chapel to guard post and grab flashbomb from chest.
Return to marble stairs, wait for patroller and walk behind him upstairs. At the end of right part is randomly turning thief. He has some chance to spot you when you enter 1st room, but it's not a big chance. In 1st room go through fireplace and use switch. Time to go to 2nd room, but main problem is thief. Maybe he can be nudged, but with patroller only walking on this side of 2nd floor and also thief turning in every direction it would be incredible hard. I could KO him too, but that would be a ghost bust. So I decided to wait for patroller to walk to marble stairs, run to door while praying for thief to not look long enough, pikclock it a bit and return to 1st room to wait for patroller to walk again to marble stairs.
In the end I went to picklock door for a bit, then went behind thief and then tried to time him to picklock door again. When patroller was returning I went to turning guard with speed potion. You are safe on his side. I returned to thief and used 2nd lockpick and this time went to 1st room. For last lockpick I pressed forward and quickly entered. Thief can very quickly turn, so I needed to be lucky, so he would look away for a bit longer. Also while in doorway of 1st room you are only safe from thief if you crouch near door. If you crouch away of door, you are too close and he will spot you. That was very annoying. Your reward is purple box and opened passage to undergrounds.
UNDERGROUNDS
Dodge patroller, time stationary Hammerite and go left. You must go behind servant. Unfortunately bugbeast in cell isn't ghostable (ghost bust #2). Hide in dark corner. Time another turning Hammerite and take 3 water arrows from chest and lever (but only when bugbeast calmed down). This lever not only opens last tomb, but also open bugbeast's cell. Go to last tomb and douse 2 torches. Sometimes Hammerite in this room can 2nd alert, but just go behind him and you will manage safely douse torches. Go along right wall between statue and tombstone, then go for Training Place key from blue guard and vase on sarcophagus near him. Leave, use lever to close tomb and cell and hide in inner corner (opposite to previous dark corner. Wait for servant and run to exit. Bugbeast will see you again and unfortunately later it will 2nd alert returning servant (ghost bust #3).
Time to return to tavern. I went behind thief to guard who had speed potion and dropped to lower floor.Go upstairs, go behind woman and dodge her from left. Then quickly drop on sign and strafe jump and mantle to left wall. This leads training area. Also from what I noticed teleporting bug still didn't happen. That's good, though bug could help me to avoid some ghost busts later on.
Dodge turning guard and go outside. In sewers take Haunt's key from Hammerite. Go to shadow near gate. now you need to open double door. It's impossible to not get spotted by novice and Hammerite (ghost bust #4). They are both mages, so this gives me time to enter and lock door behind me. Their alert will also alert woman from house. By the way, I left door to her house open for later escape. In front of next unfrobbable door is pressure tile. stand on it and enter. Door will close behind you and you will need to find a way to open it. Also we are officially half way through this mission and it was easier half.
HAUNTED AREA
All AIs here (even people) act as haunts. Left corridor leads to small room with woman and locked painting. Corridor is patrolled by servant and on it's end is house with garden, 4 nobles and nothing else. So it's useless to visit it. That's good. Middle corridor is well observed by woman and haunt and also is locked. Right corridor has room with turning haunt and switch near him opening painting from left room. Also there is chest with speed potion (crouch to get it without being seen by woman). Corridor leads to lower floor where I need to go.
At lower level 2nd room has turning ghost (you are safe near door behind him) and switch that opens painting in 1st room with switch that opens exit. Time patrollers and go left through 1st double door. Near Ramirez is switch opening passage in floor. There you will find Hand of Glory (2nd objective completed). Go to last door and steal Seal key (I think it supposed to be Cell key) from turning zombie. Go to prison. In 1st cell is chest with 3 water arrows (you can get it through gate), in 2nd you need to mantle on toilet and picklock lock in small window and then go to hatch in 3rd cell. In underground passage you need to nudge Hammerite into right tunnel.
UNDERGROUND CHURCH
From now on or rather from previous Hammerite all people are people and not haunts. Use barely visible switch on right side of table. In chest behind mage are 2 noisemaker arrows. Go to church and run to double door. From here douse left torch and return to other side. Now you must strafe run around column to it's other side, but not further. This way you can avoid 2nd alert from 3 mages. Use switch to go to 2nd floor.
Left corridor leads to turning thief and locked door (it's impossible to open it). Right corridor has turning guard near 2 rooms. First has chest with flashbomb and 2nd has pedestal. (door opened by Haunt's key). You must drop 2 pieces of rubble on pedestal, but don't drop piece of rubble on other piece, so it will slide on pedestal. This alerts turning thief in left corridor. After lowering pedestal go to the end of corridor. It's patrolled by fire elemental and from whatever side you will go it's impossible to dodge it. So I decided to kill it (ghost bust #5). To not waste water arrow I killed it with single broadhead arrow. At the end is Demon key for lock behind painting in left room with woman in 1st area of haunted place. But first you must escape church and this time I couldn't do it without 2nd alerting 3 mages (ghost bust #6).
GRAND ESCAPE
After opening door at the end of middle corridor you must crouch run along left wall right under woman's window. To do it you must time turning haunt from right room and patrolling haunt who visits this corridor. There is no shadow here too. In room you must lean forward for switch. It's the alarm switch that will alert every enemy in haunted area. This switch is needed to open big gate in training area, so sadly it must be hit (ghost bust #7). It also turn on lights in alarm switch room, so no place to hide. Because of that you need to do grand escape and quickly run to exit to pressure tile, press it and stand out of it, so door will close. The problem is that you need to avoid pursuing haunts to go through it. So you must bait them to hit you and avoid these hits while waiting for door to close.
Outside novice is more forward than before, so it's possible to strafe run right to shadow. Also very quickly checked cloud city if teleporting bug occurred. It didn't. Sneak past turning guard to big gate. Portal room is protected by 2 haunts. Go along left wall to behind portal. Here you must mantle on metal fence and go to tile activating portal. In new area you just need to have luck and have 2 haunts to look away. In my test run I had bad luck, but in ghost run they were looking away. Switch teleports you back, so don't press it. Go quickly behind structure and hide in shadow behind. Sneak to wall and go along it to corridor.
Corridor leads to zombie pit with 2 standing zombies. Rope is a bit too short, so I mossed floor below and climbed down. Take Lost Article key near dead burrick, open door and strafe run inside. Unfortunately zombies will see you (ghost bust #8). If patroller is too close he will 2nd alert to zombies. So he must be a bit further. Also close door behind you and run bewhind Hammerite to dodge him from left. Now you must nudge novice forward (I decided to move him to right corner. From Hammerite just hide on the side of entrance. You have around 30 seconds for nudging before Hammerite will return.
After couple of rounds I noticed that Hammerite didn't return. He somehow went into fight with zombies, but door to pit were closed and zombies and Hammerite were calmed, so I have no idea why fight started. Hammrite managed to destroy 1 zombie (part of it flied to elevator, which is pretty far away). Other zombie killed Hammerite, so I didn't need to worry for him anymore. After nudging ride elevator up and open door.
MESS IN THE CITY
Dodge turning guard and take JIS key from fountain. Go to 2nd left door and open it. Here is guard post with turning guard and big lever you need to use, then go to bedroom. Here is noble impossible to ghost and KO (ghost bust #9). Quickly take torc and use switch. Go under bed and use 2 switches. Go to balcony before noble will alert mage. Mage will see us anyway couple of times, so I just quickly KO him (ghost bust #10) to reduce amount of busts. Ramirez will see us and quickly run to priest and novice in front of big gate (path through big gate isn't possible exactly because these 2 guys). That's ghost bust #11. Take body and jump to opposite stairs, then hide body under stairs. Use lower door and take Gilmoscepter in front of turning ratman (3rd objective completed).
Wait for Ramirez to return and calm down, then mantle on stairs and jump and mantle on top of stairs behind him. I nudged him a bit forward, but it's unnecessary. All you need to do is open door behind him (inside is chest with 2 rope arrows), mantle on roof, then strafe jump and mantle on roof above priest and novice and jump on roof of tower with Hammeiite in front. Drop behind Hammerite, but not on him, then use lower door. Inside close door and drop into well. Hammerite shouldn't hear anything.
UNDERWATER TUNNELS
Swim to turning crayman and use JIS key to open blue chest. Swim high to shadow and take 5 breath potions from footlocker. Now you have 3 paths: left, forward low and forward up. Save first. Then swim into forward low tunnel and drink breath potion. Here you need to have luck with turning crayman and swim to switch on ceiling beam. Swim back and this time choose forward up. Drink 2nd breath potion and finally go to surface. Here is ratman and 2 torches. While being near walls douse them, then sneak slowly around ratman and take End of key from body. Return to water and swim to 1st crayman. Again you need to have luck with him to look away and use left tunnel. You will also need to drink 3rd breath potion. Underwater frog can't be ghosted (ghost bust #12).Slowly swim to surface and mantle into corner between 2 frogs. Open door and lean left to use teleportation switch. Here use End of key on lock and use switch to open gate.
SAGE KEY
Time turning guard and return to zombie pit. Door is opened, move Hammerite body inside. Closer zombie exploded, so it's possible to return to dead burrick, but you need to use final water arrow on torch above rope to climb up. Use 2 rope arrows on middle wooden beams and use them to jump to vine and to other side. Here AIs are friendly. In left room is chest with 3 healing potions, in right chest with 4 fire arrows and there is tiny ring on table (final piece of loot).
Put 6 potions on pressure tile, so gate will stay open. To open final double doors you need to kill 3 haunts. It's impossible to do it in one hit and quietly (ghost bust #13), so I just alert them and then run to area with friendly guards and mantle on metal door. Guard are immortal, so they will kill 3 haunts. This will also alert zombie from pit. Final door is opened, so you can retrieve potions and use final elevator. At the top is dead Keeper with note and Sage key, which completes final objective.
STATS:
Time: 2:48:05; Loot: 1200/1390
Pockets Picked: 7/9; Locks Picked: 22
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 2
Damage Dealt: 22; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 1
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 1
GHOST: IMPOSSIBLE
Galaer on 19/8/2022 at 20:22
ELEVATOR MISSION (T1)
VERSION 1
Based on date this version has been reported by Vanguard. He gave up very quickly. There is eternal darkness, which makes hard to see some stuff, but it's not a big deal. Water texture looks weird (light blue). Starting equipment is also smaller: there is compass (it's not bound to compass key, so you must scroll inventory to see it), 1 flashbomb, 1 healing potion, blackjack and 5 broadhead arrows. No moss arrows this time. Difference I like is there is more loot, so beating mission is more rewarding than in Version 2. Also disclaimer: if I say that something is new, it means that it's different than in future Version 2.
KITCHEN KEY
You drop loudly on riding up elevator, but nobody will hear it. Use switch hidden in darkness to open door to roof (start point from Version 2). This time there is turning guard near chimney. Dodge him and go to kitchen. Use big lever hidden in darkness and then take money from stone shelf. Ride elevator to middle floor. This time there is sleeping woman, chest with rope arrow in darkness and switch, but I have no idea what it does. That's interesting, in Version 2 we get rope arrows at the very end of mission and here we get it at the very beginning.
Ride to the bottom. Here are 2 spiders this time. Green spider we know, but near elevator is small spider. This means it's impossible to use elevator this time and my target is tunnel leading to 1st guard post. No need to nudge green spider. In tunnel is wooden beam high above archer from guard post. Ignore it for now. You need to drop on archer when he's turn left, so that you will drop bounce into shadow. You also need to have luck with blue guard. Use control panel and lever near portcullis. Time both guards and go outside. No need to visit 2nd guard post anymore, so just go to throne room and take Kitchen key in the same way as in Version 2. Return to 1st guard post.
Go to further shadow and when archer and blue guard look away shoot rope arrow into wooden beam. There is no need to nudge archer. Wait for archer to turn towards control panel and grab rope. When he will turn again you will manage to climb to top. Return to kitchen and very important don't use lever to close elevator door. This route will be needed later. Open right door. No switch operating ladder, because there is no ladder anymore. Drop on edge and drop on wooden floor, which is new, because in Version 2 there was carpet.
LOCKPICKS
In room together with Hammerite is also priest looking at him. This complicates this room a bit, because opening sliding metal door 1st alert one AI and when other AI hears that, he goes into search mode. So this time we need to enter this room while walking behind patroller. Hide in shadow near entrance and wait for patroller to leave, then crouch run along left wall to the end of table and strafe run to the other side of room. Open wooden door, which doesn't alert anyone and strafe run inside.
Well with zombies and spiders is also a bit harder. Instead of grass there is stone floor and there is more trash. Also zombie are lying on ground and both spiders are alive. So it's harder to time their jumps. I noticed that when spiders jump it's possible for them to change their trajectory. And I don't want them to jump close to my position.
In woman's room is now purse on fireplace. Nudge her left and go into opposite door. This time though turning guard can spot you through window and there is no good shadow in doorway. Servant area is smaller, but like previously there is nothing. Basement don't have female mage patrolling it, but Hammerite is a bit too close to chest, so he needs to be nudged a bit forward.
SWORD KEY
Time to picklock door and go to marble corridor. Right corridor isn't locked anymore and leads in the same place as left corridor. On lower level is bracelet on table near priest. Then I need to KO guard in front of last door like previously (ghost bust #1) and take his body to pedestal room. Only 1 guard this time, so I can put body near statue immediately and nudge guard forward to right pillar. When I'm close to shadow, I put body and potion on pedestal to see where to nudge him. This nudge took me only 13 min. The rest is the same.
Unfortunately I can't return to Hammerite+priest's room. Sliding metal door 2nd alert them. So I need to go right, pass double door and go to guard post. Use switch to open door and go under window to avoid getting spotted by guard. This way you will return to throne room. Use 1st guard post to return to kitchen (I hope you didn't close door) and to the singer. Nudge him right between 2 windows like before.
CLOUD CITY
The same teleporting bug happens here, so I'm going to avoid using circle elevator, tavern elevator and elevator leading to training area (which by the way flies diagonally this time and is surrounded by metal railing from every side). Patrollers are the same. In room leading to sword is bottle and goblet on table. In other room I used mossed elevator in Version 2, but here I don't have any moss arrow. So you need to make elevator to ride up and then jump on it. In nobles room woman is lying on bed, so you only need to nudge her husband left. On the other side of unfrobbable door was metal floor, now is brick floor.
Despite nudging noble he could still see through window. Also servant from tavern also could see me through window. And thief wasn't stuck this time. So to get to upper floor of tavern I strafe jumped to wall near training door, went left and did jump+mantle on circle elevator. There is safe dark corner in corridor. Servant has purse this time. Wait for woman and quickly go through dark room to 1st floor. There is new guest near game machine and in front of Hammerite is new table with 5 coin stacks, but you can't grab them, because barkeeper will spot you. Go to chapel.
CHAPEL
There is no guard near marble stairs. Left room isn't ghostable. Without moss arrow you can only activate switch by frobbing, but if you get too close lying woman will spot you. She can't run after you, but thief near her can. So I just KO-ed thief, activated switch, woman started to scream and I hid body in corridor leading to chapel. So this room is ghost bust #2. There is also new bottle near thief.
2nd floor changed a bit. Some railing are gone. There is new unfrobbable double door at the south. Near it if you drop on edge you will get safe shadow. Circular part of floor have no railings and there is turning thief, so I wonder if I shouldn't change my tactic and nudge him to lower floor, so getting to 2nd room will be easy. Also 1st room has sleeping guard and new bottle. In the end I nudged thief to fall to 1st floor. Since it was such a short distance it was easier that way plus there is some shadow near guard with speed potion exclusive to this version. In 2nd room is new candlestick.
UNDERGROUNDS
There is ghost bust #3 from bugbeast. This time servant has lantern, so it's harder to dodge him. You are still safe in corner. In chest there is only 1 water arrow instead of 3. Last tomb has 2 fire elementals on both sides and blue guard with Training Place key. There is vase on sarcophagus too, but I'm not gonna bother as this room can't be ghosted. Elementals will spot you from no matter what side you enter. Since elementals will go after me and make more enemies alert, I decided to kill them with 1 broadhead arrow into non alerted elemental and 2nd has been killed with water arrow (ghost bust #4-5). Of course this alerted guard, so I took his key while he was searching for me. I didn't bother with getting vase, because guard became sensitive and I didn't want to get it right after killing elementals.
Exit is tricky, because you aren't safe in opposite corner anymore. Servant will illuminate path and expose you, so to dodge him you must to have luck with turning guard to look away, because you need to crouch under wall near corner. This let's you exposed for guard, but not for servant. When he will pass you quickly go behind him and escape. And you also score ghost bust #6 from bugbeast. At least it doesn't alert servant this time. This time I go to marble stairs without dropping to lower floor.
Corridor to training area has no shadow and you need to dodge guard from right when he's looking left. Training area is completely new. There is turning guard in NE corner, novice in front of door to haunted area, turning Hammerite at the middle and turning guard on higher ledge. Hammerite has Haunt's key. Above your head is structure of ledges and elevators, but there is nothing of interest. Also 1st elevator can cause teleporting bug. Ladder leads to ground, but in front of it is haunt looking at noble's corpse. Luckily you can safely drop on back of haunt and go along left wall to steal Haunt's key. Continue going along wall to sneak past novice into haunted area.
HAUNTED AREA
At the end of left corridor there is garden with 4 nobles, but there is no house. Garden has 4 pieces of loot, but it's too well lighten to enter. So this loot must be skipped. Right room has locked chest, but it's empty this time. Lower level has purse in 1st room and nugget in toilet in 3rd room. In underground passage is crayman looking at left wall, so there is no need for nudge. In my test there was Hammerite in the same position like in Version 2, so I guess this is result of fight between 2 AIs. In right tunnel there is no crayman on the other side of hole anymore.
UNDERGROUND CHURCH
Chest near mage now contains loot. This time I managed to get to 2nd floor without dousing torch. On 2nd floor at the end of left corridor is still turning thief, but door can be picklocked. Inside is novice with Keeper key, but this key is absolutely useless. Once again I killed fire elemental (ghost bust #7) and I couldn't exit church without getting spotted (ghost bust #8).
GRAND ESCAPE
I escaped from haunted area after using alarm switch (ghost bust #9) and went through big gate. I had problem with haunts after teleportation. Haunt on south side looks in my direction. I reloaded portal room and hid behind pillar behind one of haunts. From here I observed haunts and when they look other way, I crouched walk with as small mobility as possible on pressure tile. Thanks to this momentum didn't throw me forward after teleportation and I could crouch run behind pole (north side) with return switch. But I needed also to have luck with north haunt to not turn towards me too quickly. I went towards him slowly, because too fast moving let south haunt somehow spot me. I dropped on floor and hide in shadow under platform. Here I sneaked to north wall and along it to corridor. There is new coin stack on right cupboard.
I had 3 water arrows and I knew I only need 2 for ratman, so i used 1 water arrow on 1st torch above zombie pit. But the biggest problem is dropping from rope. Previously I used moss arrow, but I don't have any moss arrow this time. But I have rope arrow. Around metal door near zombies is wooden beam. Shoot rope arrow to half of height of door, drop on edge of floor and try to drop on top of rope arrow. If you are lucky you will bounce out of rope on key and thanks to that avoid making noise. Take Lost Article key and slowly sneak to other corner to retrieve rope arrow.
I can't enter metal door without getting spotted by zombies (ghost bust #10). After hiding in elevator room Hammerite killed 2 zombies, returned to patrol and alerted novice. I want to avoid that, so I tried again and this time zombies calmed down faster. Hammerite didn't fight zombies later at any moment, so I needed to nudge novice while worrying for him. Also there is new tiny ring on table near novice.
MESS IN THE CITY
There is no turning guard anymore. JIS key is also located elsewhere. It's on left stone shelf from fountain. You must mantle on fountain, jump left and try to grab it. Bedroom has no carpet and there is no noble. In front of left building there is no Ramirez, so I don't need to KO balcony servant. Instead I went behind him and roped down to street. Then I ran to shadow under stairs to get Gilmoscepter. Afterwards I returned to balcony and took rope arrow. Nudge balcony servant left. Now you need to jump on right part of balcony railing and jump again to land on edge of roof above priest and novice. There is no Hammerite in front of right building, so you can drop on stairs and go to well. And at this moment we are one bust ahead Version 2 run. I didn't see that coming.
UNDERWATER TUNNELS
Footlocker with breath potions is hidden in eternal darkness, so it's hard to find it. Underwater frog again will see you (ghost bust #11). Also near final door there is only one frog. I would swear that I seen in my test run one more frog.
SAGE KEY
Now you need to dodge Hammerite from left and return to zombie pit. And this time I have 2 zombies here. First zombie is in front of metal door, but he's looking towards dead burrick. 2nd zombie is behind door looking in the same direction. So you must open door, mantle on it on angle, so you will appear on it's top instead on edge. From here you must quietly and quickly jump on wooden beam where is shadow. It's very easy to alert zombies. Plus if door will be opened for too long Hammerite will spot zombies. So once you land safely on beam you must crouch and close door. Then rope up to wooden beam. You can't mantle on it, but you can jump towards wall to bounce on it. Mantle to friendly guards.
In right room there is chest with 2 fire arrows instead of 4 and it's not locked by JIS key. You can picklock it. I know behind portcullis is only 1 haunt to kill, so I decided to not leave potions and close gate behind me. Haunt is looking towards unfrobbable door, so my idea was to place mine on stack of potions behind haunt and shoot fire arrow into it. I noticed though that haunt is dead, door is opened and 1 archer is only alive, friendly archer. I guess here happens battle and result is random. This time I was lucky.
In my stats I noticed only 2 kills. I killed 2 fire elementals with 1 broadhead arrow each and 1 elemental with water arrow. So does that mean that killing elementals with water arrow doesn't count as kill?
STATS:
Time: 2:21:58; Loot: 1840/2920
Pockets Picked: 8/10; Locks Picked: 21
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 2
Damage Dealt: 48; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 2 (3)
GHOST: IMPOSSIBLE
klatremus on 20/8/2022 at 00:24
Quote Posted by Galaer
Using your analogy to bolt cutters and padlock. It's like cutting padlock and then placing it back. It looks like nobody can enter, but in reality padlock is broken and anyone can easily remove it. Just because you make it look like it's fine, it doesn't change that in fact it's broken.
But you can't place the padlock back or relock it. That's what makes it different to me. You can bend the metal rod back without breaking it off the door, and you can use the lever to "reset" it so that you can't just walk through any longer, so it is now permanently locked. Ok you can say the guards might still be able to open it, but the game doesn't allow that and they would never do that. If you jump around and make noise inside the cell they will never open the gate, they will just bump into it. As long as Garrett functionally can't open it, the situation is the same as when you started the mission. The little gap at the top isn't to me enough to say you have broken the door.
Quote Posted by Galaer
As for flashbomb you are incorrect. There is certain AI that doesn't make any response towards flashbomb. I don't remember if it's stationary watcher or stationary bot, but if one of them will not hear flashbomb, it will be blind without making any reaction. Just like this Dried Burrick Pee. Besides do you really believe that this eel wouldn't know that he was blinded?
I didn't know the AI made no response. I thought you had just said the guard never verbally alerted, but as soon as he ended his "being blinded" mauneuver he went right back to his patrol as if nothing had happened. If a guard literally does or says nothing different, but only can't see you, then I'd actually say using the flash bomb is ok. It would just be like an invisibility potion, but it's not a potion so it's better for ghost.
And how do you know the burrick pee is supposed to "blind" the eel? It says nothing in the game of how the pee influences the eel. It could be that is just releases a different smell in the water so the eel can't feel your smell. Then it almost is like an invisibility potion, just smell instead of vision. The point is that the rules only disallow visible or audible alerts of enemies; either they say they have seen something, or they show it in their body language. If they do neither, then you are not spotted and it's no bust.
Galaer on 20/8/2022 at 07:09
Quote Posted by klatremus
But you can't place the padlock back or relock it.
Imagine if you could and then it would make this padlock unfrobbable. This way gate would be locked or should I say it would look like it's locked. Would you really excuse that - you broke padlock and then camouflaged it to look like it works correctly. The same you did with portcullis. It's broken. When guards discover your disappearance they will also discover metal bar has been cut. They will know that it was you who broke it and they will ask to fix this portcullis, because it doesn't function correctly.
Quote Posted by klatremus
And how do you know the burrick pee is supposed to "blind" the eel? It says nothing in the game of how the pee influences the eel. It could be that is just releases a different smell in the water so the eel can't feel your smell. Then it almost is like an invisibility potion, just smell instead of vision. The point is that the rules only disallow visible or audible alerts of enemies; either they say they have seen something, or they show it in their body language. If they do neither, then you are not spotted and it's no bust.
Wrong, invisibility potion works on yourself, while burrick pee and flashbomb is working on environment. And about smell, let me change my question: Do you really believe this eel wouldn't smell anything strange that wouldn't allow it to not notice any presence? And by the way, this answer in a slightly different form is your (
https://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148487&p=2432332&viewfull=1#post2432332) answer to flashbombs. No matter the circumstances flashbomb feels like a ghost bust for you even if AI doesn't alert to it. I don't know why did you change your stance over the years.
klatremus on 20/8/2022 at 07:43
If you could replace the padlock onto the chest and it now couldn't be opened, then I would consider excusing it yes. Then breaking the padlock has just instead been forcing it open, and then you can force it back in place. I said a similar thing in Mines of Margroth when I blew open the gate to one of the tombs, the one that is on a timer. It got forced open using explosives, a clear property damage violation, but there was a lever on the inside that could close the door and it was left in same state as before. I agree there is a slight difference in this gate due to the visible cut in the top, but not very much in terms of end result. And theorizing what guards would discover afterwards is neat, but it has no bearing on the rules.
In the link you posted to my previous response I say: "Flash bombs illicit a change in enemy behavior." That opinion has not changed. You told me a few posts above that there were enemies that didn't illicit a change at all. You said: "There is certain AI that doesn't make any response towards flashbomb. [...] one of them will not hear flashbomb, it will be blind without making any reaction." That is not the same situation. If what you said is the case, then flash bombs are fine. If they don't illicit a change, then they haven't even noticed the flash bomb, or heard it. If they had, they would've walked around holding their face showing they are blinded. That's exactly why I ended up not using the burrick pee in my run, because the eel illicited a change in behavior. It swam away and then alerted afterwards. If it had just stood there without noticing me and not given any alert, then it would've been fine. Whether you compare it to a flash bomb or an invisibility potion, it's the enemy behavior that dictates if it is a bust, not the weapon or item you are using.
Galaer on 20/8/2022 at 08:44
Quote Posted by klatremus
If you could replace the padlock onto the chest and it now couldn't be opened, then I would consider excusing it yes. Then breaking the padlock has just instead been forcing it open, and then you can force it back in place. I said a similar thing in Mines of Margroth when I blew open the gate to one of the tombs, the one that is on a timer. It got forced open using explosives, a clear property damage violation, but there was a lever on the inside that could close the door and it was left in same state as before. I agree there is a slight difference in this gate due to the visible cut in the top, but not very much in terms of end result. And theorizing what guards would discover afterwards is neat, but it has no bearing on the rules.
I see you focus more on functionality than on look. Yes, you said that in Mines of Margroth and I didn't like your solution. But there was difference: there it was impossible to see any damage, here you can clearly see a cut in metal bar. So let's look at another example: in Off to Milhorn Manor Remastered Edition you need to go through banner. And you can go through banner. But you can also cut it and again go through it. In game functionality doesn't change, just banner looks broken. And also there is no AI nearby to alert to cut banner. Using your definition cutting banner would be excused, because it's functionality didn't change. Or bashed door - it doesn't look broken and if you close door and make it unfrobbable via some bug, then the trick will work, right? And it will not count as damage property, right? I don't think camouflaging damage property should excuse bust. Because that's what you do. I don't think using game mechanics to hide damage is fine.
You should also check ghost discussion thread. I asked question about possibility of fixing damaged property. So far there is only one answer and it says that damage property is a bust and nothing done later to it will erase it. And let me say, fixing property is much better than just hiding damage.
Quote Posted by klatremus
In the link you posted to my previous response I say: "Flash bombs illicit a change in enemy behavior." That opinion has not changed. You told me a few posts above that there were enemies that
didn't illicit a change at all. You said: "There is certain AI that doesn't make any response towards flashbomb. [...] one of them will not hear flashbomb, it will be blind without making any reaction." That is not the same situation. If what you said is the case, then flash bombs are fine. If they don't illicit a change, then they haven't even noticed the flash bomb, or heard it. If they had, they would've walked around holding their face showing they are blinded. That's exactly why I ended up not using the burrick pee in my run, because the eel illicited a change in behavior. It swam away and then alerted afterwards. If it had just stood there without noticing me and not given any alert, then it would've been fine. Whether you compare it to a flash bomb or an invisibility potion, it's the
enemy behavior that dictates if it is a bust, not the weapon or item you are using.
I don't think it's good thing to make exceptions on using flashbombs or similar in use items just because it doesn't let some AIs to make reaction, because they don't have any programmed reaction to that. I don't think any item that affects enemies perception should be allowed. And by the way, invisibility potion doesn't change enemy perception. It just makes your body transparent. It's possible for enemy to still see other AI and react to it, while if AI is blinded it doesn't see other AIs. That's the difference and allowing exceptions of this kind just doesn't feel right.
As for why burrick pee didn't work for you in video, I think you just used it too late. So you threw pee in the moment when eel spot you.
As for freaky woman that scared you the most - I think she scared me the most when I hit her with sword and she fell down and after few seconds she stood up like nothing happened. But I don't know if I remember correctly, but her body parts switched places. I kept attacking her and she just became more and more weird. I quickly ran away. That was really scary.
klatremus on 10/9/2022 at 16:25
Update to Heartcliff Islands: 'The SJS' on YouTube just told me that there is a button in the fireplace room that opens the window in the attic without needing to break it open. I tried it and it works! I was also able to get the pirate key part in the underwater cave with the eel without alerts. This means the pirate lair can be accessed for Supreme, which adds 1,327 to the possible loot count for both Supreme and regular Ghost. Great news! I have updated the respective parts in the report.
klatremus on 11/9/2022 at 06:25
Game:
The Dark ModFM:
Thief's Den 4: The AlchemistGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
FailedSupreme Ghost -
SuccessPerfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 1:35:22
Times saved - 219
Times loaded - 100
Damage Dealt: 7 Damage Received: 7
Health Restored - 7
Pockets Picked - 4
Loot Acquired - 6310/6870 (Supreme: 6020)
Killed by the Player - 0
KOed by the Player - 0
Bodies found by AI - 0
Alerts - 0 Suspicious, 0 Searches, 0 Sightings
Stealth Score - 0
Consumables - None
See the entire report with screenshots (
https://www.klatremus.org/TDM_ThiefsDen4.htm) here!
Loot list (
https://www.klatremus.org/TDM_ThiefsDen4_L.htm) here!
YouTube let's play (
https://youtu.be/M4bX5kbhZUc) here!
Comments:A step down from The Heart of Lone Salvation, but still a very enjoyable mission. Events in the streets can be quite unpredictable due to already alerted enemies, but that should take away from the fun. The street layout is perhaps a bit rough around the edges, but the atmosphere is great. The manor and crypts below is stellar stuff and absolutely worth the admission.
I basically had to get a holy healing potion from an alchemist named Vaydeth. I had to use it in order not to end up like Martha. In addition, I was to nab 4,500 worth of valuables. The briefing informed me the city watch would already be on high alert, which was bad. I had to return to the starting point when done. Let’s go.
StreetsA hard piece of loot right away. It was a trophy outside the inn entrance, guarded by a stationary swordsman. He wasn’t on high alert from the start and never moved from this spot. He pivoted between facing southwest and southeast. I could approach from the northwest corner when he faced southeast (image below). I had to grab the trophy and get back around the house corner before he saw the loot was missing. Spotting missing loot has been deemed acceptable in the ghost rules for The Dark Mod, as it doesn’t affect the stealth score and happens quite often. Most often than not he would turn and spot me before I got back, but I managed to do it unseen a couple of times. Once he spotted the loot, his voice lines was very different. Instead of saying “Is someone there?”, his remark was along the lines of “We’ve been robbed!” or “Who has stolen it?”. I watched my stealth score carefully throughout the move, as occasionally it would flicker to a 1 and then bounce back to 0 when he spotted the loot being gone. I’m not sure why that is, but I counted such a situation as a bust. I’m still trying to figure out the alert levels in TDM, especially when they are alerted from the start, but it definitely requires the use of a stealth tool. I did skip this piece of loot for Supreme, however, although it could be taken with a perfect stealth stat intact. Since the guard alerted more or less instantly, it felt like I got caught although I technically wasn’t. We have left it up to each player’s conscience in the rules, but this felt too much like a Supreme violation to me. I am ok with taking loot that is on an enemy’s patrol path, where it won’t be noticed until much later, and you have the chance to leave the premises in the meantime. This was no such situation. I knew the mission couldn’t be Perfect Supreme ghosted anyway, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Inline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/TDM_ThiefsDen4_files/image001.jpgRobbed the inn and left via the secret sewer exit. This avoided the need to pick up the old sewer key. None of the keys in this mission could be put back, so I wanted to pick up as few as I could. Robbed the little house (it was actually called that) in the southeast next without issues.
I could not get to the city watch station from the south. There was a patrolling guard carrying a scroll on high alert. There were random thieves released at certain intervals during the mission, and one of these had been killed right outside the southern entrance. I thus entered from the north plaza, where the inventor and the jeweler was found. The city watch could be cleaned without any Supreme busts. Surprisingly, I could drop to the basement level from the railing above without getting a comment from the sitting guard. Occasionally he gave a level 1 alert, but more often than not he didn’t. The guard downstairs alternated between napping and visiting the cells. I have never seen such a patrol route before. The captain’s quarters was easy since part of his route was visiting the balcony. I just his room in two rounds. One piece of loot was embedded in the wall inside the hidden panel by his bed. I could still take it though. Didn’t need any of the captain’s keys.
The jeweler’s posed several issues. First, none of the loot inside the glass displays on the counter could be taken. They required breaking of the glass to be obtained, which is property damage. I barely managed to get into the back room for Supreme. I had to lean into the shadows of the doorframe in order to not get spotted. The owner stood by his bed and never moved. He carried a key that was needed to open a glass cabinet in the storefront. However, I couldn’t get that for Supreme. At least one of the light sources in this room had to be removed to even get near him. The coins in the cash box plus the items in the cabinet thus had to be skipped for that mode, a total of 861 now for that mode. I did manage to get the loot on the mantelpiece for Supreme though, but not without issues. I had to lean right while mantling up the table to avoid an alert. Next, I had to lean forward around the front corner of the fireplace, then turn back up towards the wall in order to reach the goblet. The bottle was worse still. I had to lie in wait until the jeweler turned his head south (image below). I immediately stood up, leaned forward to snatched the bottle, and then quickly crouched back down again. If fast enough, no level 1 alert triggered. All stationary enemies do these kinds of head movements, and it can sometimes be used to avoid detection.
Inline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/TDM_ThiefsDen4_files/image002.jpgIn order to get the rest of the loot for regular Ghost, I doused the mantelpiece candle with a water arrow. I couldn’t reach it to douse it manually. If I slid down to the floor, the jeweler gave a level 1 alert. If I ran onto the edge of the nightstand, he didn’t mind. I could do everything I needed to from here. Went back the same way and snuck out unseen.
To my massive surprise, the next time I played the mission during my YouTube recording, the jeweler was suddenly asleep in his room (image below)! The bedroom door was partly blocked from the inside, but I could easily move the chair out of the way. He must have heard the commotion from one of the triggered thieves running around in the streets the last two times, but this time he was sound asleep. This meant all the loot bar the three rings and the necklace could be taken for Supreme also. Excellent!
Inline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/TDM_ThiefsDen4_files/image003.jpgManorThe courtyard had only one challenge, a purse in a guard station east of the main entrance. I had to travel on top of the hedge and drop to the grass at the east end (image below). I then snuck along the southern wall and reached the door. Coming from the southeastern streets always triggered alerts from one of the front gate guards. From here it was easy to get the loot. Mantled back up the hedge and entered the manor via the servants’ toilet. I had to use a rope arrow and lower myself into the water, otherwise the sleeping bloke inside gave a level 1 alert. Those alerts are technically allowed following the rules, since sleeping AI don’t give any verbal remarks, so it requires a stealth tool in order to detect.
Inline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/TDM_ThiefsDen4_files/image004.jpgThe rest of the manor was quite easy. There were plenty of shadows to go around. Had to skip some more loot inside glass displays in the top floor foyer. Used the secret library passage to Vaydeth’s bedroom, and entered the basement from there.
Inline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/TDM_ThiefsDen4_files/image005.jpgThe ritual room seemed a lot more difficult than it actually was. I could move around the central area quite freely, as long as I creep-crouched. I couldn’t reach the holy healing potion without first lowering the bridge. It had to be activated with a lever underneath a bowl in the east pillar. The problem was getting back down undetected. Although I was creeping as slowly as possible, landing on the stone always yielded at least two level 1 alerts, probably from the closest zombie and skeleton. I had to cushion my fall with something soft, and the best item to use was Vaydeth’s notebook from the lab. It was close by and big enough to have some margin for error. I could quite consistently drop with zero alerts once I found the correct placement (image above). With the bridge down, I could reach the potion unseen (image below). The book could also be used to get the tourmaline gem in the west pillar, fulfilling the optional objective.
Inline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/TDM_ThiefsDen4_files/image006.jpgReturned the book and used the sewers to reach the southwestern part of town. Strangely enough, I had to be damaged in order to drink the holy healing potion, and this was required in order to check off the objective. Supreme rule #3 does say “No damage given or taken”, but I interpreted the objective to prevail here. It literally says “drink it!”, which implies you have to first take damage. I’d compare it to the “kidnap Cavador”-objective, which allows you to knock him out to carry him.
Notes:- Skipped the trophy worth 250 outside the inn entrance for Supreme. The nearby guard noticed the loot being gone almost instantly, so it felt too much like a Supreme violation.
- Had to skip 230 worth of valuables at the jeweler’s for all Ghost modes. The only way to obtain it was by breaking the glass display cases.
- Skipped 330 more loot in the upstairs foyer of the manor. These items were also sealed in glass display cases and had to be broken to be obtained.
- The last piece of loot skipped for Supreme was a gold candlestick in the guard’s bedroom above Vaydeth’s lab. It had to be doused to be taken.
- The damage received was necessary in order to use the holy healing potion, which was a mandatory objective. No bust.
- I have no idea what the 7 damage dealt is from. I certainly didn’t attack anyone.
Galaer on 18/9/2022 at 19:02
SISTERHOOD OF AZURA 1: ESTHERIDGE
Mission has been reported by Vanguard and dafydd. Vanguard claimed failure as he was forced to KO couple of AIs. Dafydd claimed success, because rules back in the past didn't mention gas equipment. So he used gas arrows and gas mines to complete this mission. There was small discussion, which explained that using gas equipment is a ghost bust, but report was never changed to claim failure.
Dafydd also mentioned weird glitch with AIs alerting to doused torches. He excused them for this run. I seen this anomaly before in some missions. It's connected to the AI's sensitivity. Pretty much if patroller will see doused torch, he will 1st alert and if nearby AI will hear this alert, it will go into search mode. I decided to not excuse it and avoid dousing torches in places where patrollers walk.
Mission has pretty tight loot objective and 2 invisibility potions. I need both of them. Seeing that despite these potions Vanguard and dafydd still needed to knockout guards is scary. There are also some forced fights between AIs and I noticed that for some reason infighting can be heard through building's walls. Also visiting tavern spawns new cops in the city, so I'm going to visit this place at the very end. Also I'm using dml fix that allows me to get previously not available 200 loot from weaponsmith. Also there is no moss arrows in this mission.
MARKET SQUARE
Take all equipment and go outside. There will be conversation and 2 cops will go to market square. Let them pass. In their guard post is speed potion. Go and trigger 2nd conversation, then hide in shadow. 2 cops will return to guard post and stay there. Also noble woman will go patrol street together with 2 Hammerites. Here is path to tavern, but I'm going to use it at the end of mission. Use ramp on the right to go to market square.
Here are 3 watchers. 1st watcher can be disabled by using lever through wall under window of guard post. After event in tavern here will appear 2 cops: one near this guard post and other near pool cafe, which makes getting to it and to police station very difficult. Right now you can sneak along right wall to pool cafe while avoiding watcher on tavern's wall by hiding behind market stands. Watcher above entrance to cathedral can only see you when you try to get to police station. In pool cafe doorway is also good shadow and you can picklock door. You must avoid dining room and bottle (50 loot) from there. When you try to enter kitchen servant will always see you. I tried to strafe jump on left table, but it didn't work. Invisibility potion is needed and there are better places to use it. In locker room I nudged cop to last locker. Dafydd mentioned it's not needed, but to picklock last locker I needed to get closer. This gives me Police Station key and 2 coin stacks.
Now you need to time both watchers to get to police station. Prison has only cop and prisoners alerting to you. Office has Weaponsmith key. Both Vanguard and dafydd couldn't get to security room and KO-ed Mechanist. It's necessary to get there to disable market square watchers and open entrance to cathedral. I also couldn't enter security room, but you don't need to enter there to open cathedral door. You just need to partially open door, so you will be covered by it from Mechanist, open metal door with Police Station key and shoot water arrow at right switch. Then leave.
CATHEDRAL
Now it's time to go to cathedral. Quickly go forward to avoid gas arrow and disarm left mine. Gate control and Mech workshop has no loot or key items, so you can skip them. Go left into cathedral and go to chapel. Here is priest and haunt looking at each other. 2 candlesticks on pulpit must be skipped, because priest will always see you getting close. Actually if you go very slowly you can barely sneak into left room to tomb. Here is statuette and the Eye. Getting closer to smoke will teleport you to secret with invisibility potion. It will also start fight between Mechanists and Pagans. You will teleport back and there are 2 new haunts spawned at the corners of chapel. They are hostile to priest and other haunt, so I decided to use this fight to quickly run outside. Much later it occurred to me that I could try to manipulate result of fight by saving and loading to maybe acquire 2 candlesticks on pulpit.
From my test run I learned that it's possible to complete escape objective by simply completing all other objectives, but I have no idea if it's always happening or you must first visit entrance to Azura Mansion or use floating switch under left wall near mansion. It's essential to complete final objective that way. So I mantled on statue and on wall and dropped on bridge. I went inside mansion and here is neutral priest. To return on wall you must mantle on double door, drop on it's edge and jump to wall. I didn't press switch yet as I was worried that it may spawn cops to the city. Return to market square and this time go through metal gate. You can easily avoid stationary Mechanist by crouching.
WEAPONSMITH
Here are 2 Hammerites and noble woman patrolling street. go to gate to park and rope up to roof. Wrecked house on the left has 2 sensitive archers who can spot you, so go along right side to window. Here is 2nd invisibility potion. Now you need to time 3 patrollers to go to sahdow under tavern's wall. Here you are safe. Then run under weaponsmith's door. You need to picklock door. But picking the lock will 1st alert enemies and if other patroller hear this alert, it will go in to search mode. Plus this pot is so close to patrol route that they will not spoy you only if they are completely unalerted. So you can't even 1st alert them. And when you open door you need to blindly time yourself with inside watcher.
Time watcher and run behind counter to turn it off. Take loot from purple box and golden hammer through glass (available thanks to dml). Go to basement. Here is cop guarding door with 2 safes. You need to take loot from there to complete loot objective. You can't sneak past cop, this room is too small. So this is invisibility potion #1 use. Nudge him to left side of door, so you will manage to exit while door is patrially opened blocking cop's view. Use switch under right side of table to open walls and picklock safes through banner. Go to 1st floor to training room. Use broadhead arrow to hit farther target and vine up for secret purse. Go to office and open exit door. Here is statuette on desk and 2 pieces of loot in cupboard (this loot is only available thanks to dml). To get them you must dodge patrolling room noble from left.
RETURN TO CATHEDRAL
Here I decided to return to cathedral and check situation with candlesticks. Only right corner haunt survived, so going along left wall it was possible to sneak under pulpit and grab 2 candlesticks. I think it would be impossible to grab them without invisibility potion if 2 corner haunts would survive or priest in front of pulpit. I also went on left wall and crouch ran on floating switch to press it just for the sake. Nobody new spawned, but maybe it completes escape objective prematurely. It would be really helpful. I returned to market square and went through double door on the right. It are patrolled by 2 guards. Walk behind them and hide. You are safe at the bottom of left ramp or in right shadow. Take bottle from window and go right to patrolling bot. Stationary guard will spot you if you run to opposite wall, but if you run past him while being closed, he will not spot you. Go along right wall to Lord Wilson's house.
LORD WILSON + LIBRARY
Lord Wilson's house has a lot of loot and secrets, but it's also pretty easy to ghost. In one of rooms is book, which opens window to Jaffa Street where Sara lives. We will need to visit her later. In the same room is Library key on window. Thief in the kitchen is twitchy and can really easily go into search mode if you try to pick fruits while on floor. Vanguard was unable to ghost him, while dafydd nudged him. I also tried to nudge him, but he always could spot me. So instead I mantled on shelf with fruits and from oven I leaned from loot on shelf. Then I dropped on floor and leaned for 2 bottles in cupboard. I exited the same way. Before going to Sara's house I went to library.
Go to 1st room. Here is Pool Cafe key on floor, which you don't need. Use secret switch near plant and vine down. Here you need to douse torch above book. Take all loot. Going closer to book or reading it will open wall with torch switch and spawn 2 stationary haunts. Since they are stationary they don't alert to doused torch. Torch will teleport you to 2nd room in library. You fall on table and sometimes you can get fall damage. Quickly hide in corner behind chair to avoid being spotted by Keeper Joshua. When he will turn around mantle on table and go to shadow. KO Joshua and vine up to 2nd floor to kill him. I'm doing that, because I'm worrying that his death may be heard by underground haunts. Return down and take 2 candlesticks. Vanguard reported that he used vine arrow to get to door, but female cop only 1st alert when you use stairs, so it's easy. Go to Lord Wilson's window and go to Jaffa Street.
SARA'S HOUSE
2 Mechanists are easy to dodge. Same with ghost. Enter Sara's house. Entering 2nd room will spawn 2 Mechanists in 3rd room where Sara sleeps. She's a mage, but she has no chance. She has Sisterhood Backdoor key, which I'm not sure is necessary to complete escape objective prematurely. But definitely you need to enter this bedroom to complete objective. There is no way to avoid fight and bedroom is so small that Mechanists will immediately spot you. Maybe if Mechanists would calm down I could sneak in, but Vanguard and dafydd KO-ed these Mechanists, so I doubt that. Also noise of infighting is heard through building walls and it can summon ghost. Unfortunately he's on Mechanists side, so there is no way to clear this room.
So I drank my 2nd invisibility potion and ran inside for key. Then quickly go outside and hide behind left wall. If ghost will enter house it will make your escape to Wilson's house easier. That's what happened on my ghost run. Go through market square to behind stationary cop near entrance to tavern.
TAVERN
You must nudge stationary cop a bit forward towards lamppost. Since dousing torches may 2nd alert 3 patrollers I can't do that. You are safe from being seen when crouching under wall behind stationary cop. Step away and patrollers will spot you. After short nudge crouch run to table to hide behind it and quickly enter tavern.
After couple of steps 2 metal helmet cops will spawn in front of tavern. No idea if it's possible to vine up to ceiling and jump over invisible trigger. That would be helpful if you would want to try to get more loot. Dafydd mentioned that he managed to sneak out of tavern after dousing torches. I tried that and I was unable to leave without getting seen. I heard that Newdark made guards more sensitive. Maybe that's the reason. But that's not important, because all I need to do is to take bottle from right shelf and all lot from left table to complete loot objective, which will also end mission prematurely.
SKIPPED LOOT
I skipped some loot in this run. The first one that Vanguard mentioned that is possible is purse from archer in wrecked house. From Lord Wilson's house you can vine up to roof to get on the other side of street with 4 patrollers and drop on the other side. Go under wrecked house. Vanguard mentioned shooting vine arrow on left side of left window, though I think it's safer to shoot it between windows to grab archer's purse. There is also purse on sofa behind archers, but they are very sensitive and you need invisibility potion to enter. Maybe if Sara's objective would be possible without invisibility potion you could try to do it. Grab the purse and to return nudge archers on street, but they are very sensitive, so I have no idea if it's possible. Unless there is enough time to return on street while you are invisible.
I mentioned bottle in kitchen of pool cafe. I tried to strafe jump on table, but maybe not enough times. If it's possible to do it without invisibility potion, then you could sneak to left side of noble and grab bottle. To return you would need to strafe run from table to doorway. But this female servant alerts almost instantly, so I doubt it's possible.
There are 2 silver nuggets in bot hangar on small market square with patrolling bot. Going from Lord Wilson's house go along wall to market stands, then go to opposite wall. First double door leads to bot, so you need to go to 2nd double door. Door opens to the outside, so you can use it as a cover from enemies. But there is very close patrolling bot and also door is close to stationary Mechanists, there is also no shadow, so I doubt this route is possible.
Alternate route is to stack 2 crates from Lord Wilson's house on 2nd left market stand to jump on left roof and sneak behind 2 stationary Mechanists. Then you would need to nudge them. No idea if nudge is possible or Mechanists will spot you. If it's possible, then you will be forced to do long nudge forward and try to nudge them to bot hangar or if that's not possible, then try to nudge them to opposite walls or somewhere that will allow you to get to hangar. Like I said it's long nudge while you are exposed to patrolling bot. After taking loot it may still be a problem if you at least one of Mechanists is still on market square, because the only way is forward towards Lord Wilson's house, so most likely you will be forced to nudge him even more. But to be honest I doubt this nudging is possible to do.
And of course I skipped loot behind counter in tavern. Bottle can be reached by leaning from floor. Dafydd also mentioned it was possible for him to reach all goblets except 2 rear goblets without triggering fight between cops and guests. I was unable to do it. Vanguard and dafydd skipped this loot to avoid fight, which requires invisibility potion. After triggering fight cop will run towards you no matter if you are on counter or on floor or you hide in shadow under counter. Female cop will run to you, shout towards you and attack guests if you are under counter.
But I found it's possible to avoid this alert without drinking invisibility potion. You just need to quietly shoot vine arrow into right ceiling corner behind counter (quietly, because guests freaks out if you do it loudly or douse gas torches). Then from counter you jump on vine and climb to ceiling. Since cop has no chance to get to you, instead of going after you, she will immediately engage into battle. Then you just hide under counter and grab all loot. Then you can use saving and loading for guests to win. Outside patrollers can get alerted by infighting noises and if metal helmet guard enters and dies, that's awesome, because you can leave tavern without using invisibility potion. There is also window leading outside in bedroom, but it's locked and there is no key or switch for it. The only option is to bash it, so the only path outside is through front door.
STATS:
Time: 1:03:49; Loot: 2104/2594
Pockets Picked: 5/24; Locks Picked: 10
Back Stabs: 1; Knock Outs: 1
Damage Dealt: 31; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 1
Iron Beasts Destroyed: 0; Disabled: 0
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 1
Secrets: 7/8
GHOST: CHEMICAL SUCCESS
PERFECT GHOST: IMPOSSIBLE
Galaer on 18/9/2022 at 19:05
ALTERNA CRYSTALLIS
BLIND IRONMAN GHOST RUN
My objectives are to get some crystals above bar, get Truart's journal,get Bafford's Gold Muse, get 6000 loot, not kill and return home. I also noticed that there is no difference in objectives on other difficulties. Weird. In shop I bought 2 slow fall potions and 2 water arrows. Looks like it's another city mission and there is quite a lot of patrollers. Wooden beam under window ate my 2 vine arrows, because it wasn't really wood, it only looked like it. Home gave me sword and other equipment, I have problems with mantling - I can't mantle on metal fence or from barrel to mantle on awning. I thought there would be some secret, but looks like author of FM doesn't allow me to visit these places.
There are 2 women visiting starting point, turning cop in front of double door and cop patrolling further street. I tried to dodge stationary cop, but I went right in front of other cop, so both cops spot me (ghost bust #1). During my escape I got hit and lost 6 HP. Luckily mantling on pipe allowed me to escape from cops, then I just jumped on balcony. I used food to heal. Dodging guard was easy and I used window to return to street. I went behind stationary cop to grab nugget near sleeping homeless person. Then I went to warehouse and got 1st secret.
After finishing warehouse I climbed on crates and went on metal roof with blue smoke floating from chimney. Roof is steep metal slope. I had problems climbing and I thought it's slippery, so I didn't climb slowly. I made couple loud steps and it alerted cop (ghost bust #2). After he calmed down I climbed to pipe. I didn't notice small drop to other pipe (I thought it's just one long pipe) and I made huge noise, which alerted 2 cops (ghost bust #3). In building I found Lost Coins. What they are for?
I used other window to get out. On my left is drunkard. I have no idea if he alerts to me, so I didn't go to him. Instead I jumped to warehouse's roof. There are 2 patrollers going around tower. In tower is locked trapdoor. On the other side of tower I sot ladder going down,. I went there, but passage was covered by locked trapdoor I didn't notice. I got stuck a bit on the ladder and unfortunately cop spot me (ghost bust #4). I tried to escape by mantling on opposite building's roof, but I failed and fell down. Luckily I just bounced and landed on ledge without any fall damage. And now I'm in area where I got nugget. I used window to get to guard post and open gate to starting point and trapdoor to roof. Then I returned to ledge and jumped to attic's window. This took me to small park with cop patrolling between locked door and window. There is also entrance to sewers, but there are 2 small spiders blocking way in. Because I was impatient I alerted cop (ghost bust #5), but I hid in building.
I returned to street and went left, which led me to park. I have no idea where to go and knowing that this is idiotic idea I went to sewers.I bumped into spiders and to my surprise they didn't alerted, so I tried to run between them. But black spider spot me (ghost bust #6). I escaped to ledge, but another spider fell from ceiling and attacked me (ghost bust #7). I ran on another ledge and both spiders died drowning in shallow water. I really regretted coming here.
There was crossroad in sewers and I went east. I noticed that I can't mantle out of sewers. My mantle works for 1 second and then got cancelled. So I need to climb ladder to top. These mantling issues are annoying. I got key. I didn't try to mantle on metal fence as it's probably not possible. I returned to sewers and decided to go west. This requires shooting vine arrow into ceiling vent and doing perfect jump on it and climbing up and trying to do a jump and mantle into passage. And I failed and this killed me.
STATS:
Time: 0:38:24; Loot: 700/10696
Pockets Picked: 2/33; Locks Picked: 8
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 0
Damage Dealt: 0; Damage Taken: 15; Healing Taken: 4
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Iron Beasts Destroyed: 0; Disabled: 0
Secrets: 1/23
STATUS: DEAD, NO OBJECTIVES COMPLETED
REGULAR GHOST RUN
Couple of revelations in regards of my ironman run. Drunkard is neutral, he doesn't alert to us. Pipe leading to him has no drop - it's one pipe and during my test run and ghost run I never dropped on it to lower part. So I guess that loud drop on pipe is glitch, which unfortunately happened exactly when I wanted to avoid it the most. Wooden beam under window at starting point is actually real. I guess my aiming during blind run was bad.
Mission has lots of patrollers and stationary guards who can stay without turning for very long time. There is also a lot of windows, so you must be careful to not get spotted through any of them. You can get to small garden with metal gate without opening gate - from roof and then return on roof by mantling on right lamp on ledge and on right side of roof. I loot this part of city with exception of warehouse and abandoned house near police station. I also complete bonus objective of getting Lady X's torc. In the end climb on warehouse's roof to drop to west part of city. Also before that take Lost Coins from nearby house.
Here is woman behind door of small balcony above canal. To avoid alerting her you must crouch (even on street). In pub going on the other side of counter makes everyone notice you, so you can use any of normal entrances to pub. To enter pub you can vine up to awning near balcony and to return to street just drop on lower roof and strafe drop on barrel.
After reading note you can open door to red crystal. There is Tower key, but entering room damages you, so I'm skipping it. There is another entrance into lab from warehouse via vent. You must stack potions under vent, so you will crouch and go to vent. Then right into it, so you will see what's in lab and use left lever to open vent. Reading scroll will give you objective to get valve.
I am unable to steal lantern from guard without KO-ing him, so I can't complete lantern's bonus objective. West gate has secret with pile of bones - if you step on it's further side and quickly escape you complete objective of becoming pile of bones without dying. Turning off generator in old hydro station will make enemies start making comments "This isn't right", but they don't stop their patrol, so they are like 1st alerts. Also they become more sensitive. Lastly I enter Bafford's Office through balcony.
Here are windows at corridors and also you need to worry for windows at entrance on 1st floor, because cop in front of police station loves to peek through them. Here I loot the whole place and get Gold Muse. I'm leaving through front entrance and get to sewers, which I also loot. I'm forced to leave vine arrow at ceiling vent as it's too high to retrieve it without dying from fall damage. Then I go to police station. Take key from archer, open gate and turn off light. Archer can turn it back on, so go quickly to basement.
Police station has watchers. Luckily you can disable them all. Also don't forget to return to basement after taking Storage key from Moseley's office. 2nd floor has a lot of patrollers and 2 watchers. Your priority should be shooting water arrow into left light switch, then vine up to disable 2 watchers. Maintenance lever can be turned on by patrollers, so it's not reliable. Here you need to use code to read Truart's Journal. Between 2 dining rooms is stuck on double door cop. You must use south door to return to city.
Go through abandoned building to guard to warehouse. Loot it and go to lab. If vent and trapdoor is closed nobody should hear explosion. Then grab crystals and return to pub for 2 more crystals. Then you just need to return home.
STATS:
Time: 2:10:24; Loot: 10086/10696
Pockets Picked: 28/33; Locks Picked: 26
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 0
Damage Dealt: 0; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Iron Beasts Destroyed: 0; Disabled: 0
Secrets: 23/23
GHOST: CHEMICAL SUCCESS
PERFECT GHOST: POSSIBLE