FMs - Ghost/Perfect Thief Results (Part 9) [SPOILERS]

Galaer on 10/12/2023 at 16:04

Thank you, I'm feeling good. I see you are working on game inspired by Thief. It looks interesting. Good luck with it.

klatremus on 16/12/2023 at 21:49

Game: Thief 1
FM: The Black Parade, Mission 1: Return to the City

Ghost - Success
Perfect Thief - Success
Supreme Ghost - Success
Perfect Supreme - Success
Time - 1:22:18
Loot - 1687/1687
Pockets Picked - 8/8
Locks Picked - None
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Consumables - None

See the entire report with screenshots (https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade1.htm) here!
Loot list (https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade1_L.htm) here.
YouTube let's play (https://youtu.be/rJ3NlYrx9zs) here!

Comments:
Well, here it is. The most anticipated fan release in the community’s history. And that’s not an exaggeration either. The first mission definitely lives up to the hype by delivering on all accounts. A highly vertical city mission, reminiscent of creations from the likes of Melan, Skacky and DrK. It’s a bit easier than your average mission from such authors, but that fits nicely as an introduction to a campaign this hefty. It was time to begin.

All I had to do was make my way through the city and meet up with my associate Dahlquist in the Newmarket district, while grabbing 850 loot along the way. Guards on the Southquarter side of Whitebell Gate wouldn’t bother me unless they caught me doing something illegal. Good to know.

No issues on the Southquarter side. I skipped taking the public works key off the drunk. Lock-blocking the door and returning the key to his feet seemed less Supreme-like than simply accessing this station from the Newmarket side later. So I took the old factory route into that part of town. The guard towers and the connecting gatehouse was the most difficult area to sneak through. Instead of heading back down, I leaped across from the top floor to the tenements balcony (image below). It was a quite predictable jump.

Inline Image:

https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade1_files/image001.jpg

Pulter’s Lane was very difficult. Both the City Watch and several hammerites frequented the streets here. Took my time and moved slow. An difficult piece of loot was on a windowsill by a vertical generator (image below). Luckily, it was so high up that none of the street patrollers saw me.

Inline Image:

https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade1_files/image002.jpg

Unfortunately, my progress got halted just northeast of the inn. A stationary guard in a window just beyond a narrow passage gave a first alert when emerging from the west (first image below). A torch further north caused the issue and there was no way around this section from this part of town. I had to circle back around the town somehow. Luckily, I could drop from the balcony of the wizard’s tower into the garden below, then furthermore to ground level west on Puggard Street (secondt image below). The rest of the mission was easy.

Inline Image:

https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade1_files/image003.jpg

Inline Image:

https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade1_files/image004.jpg

ultravioletu on 27/12/2023 at 15:27

Game: Thief 1
FM: The Black Parade, Mission 2: Where Old Faces Fade

Ghost - Success
Perfect Thief - Success
Supreme Ghost - Success
Perfect Supreme - Failed
Time - 0:47:17
Loot - 2463/2463 (for Supreme: 2461/2463)
Pockets Picked - 5/5
Locks Picked - None
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Consumables - None

I usually don't post, but since I somehow stumbled into finishing this mission in my own strange playstyle (blind ghosting without first alerts) and at the very first go, I thought I made an exception. It's not so often that I actually finish missions this way. Initially I was about 900 short of max loot, then I spent one more day looking for everything (while still ghosting), and for the last 5-6 pieces I had to draw the blackjack in frustration. And, alas!, the last piece of loot was where I feared it would be, in the only area which I could not enter w/o first alerts, so out of bounds for supreme - at least: out of bounds for my supreme skills :(. The time posted above is for the prepped run I recorded for my own use (and: no, I won't publish it).

I like this mission very much. Beautifully crafted, a wealth of ideas to decorate the garten area to convey Halleford's crazyness. Creepy sounds in several areas, scary atmosphere in other ones. Not exactly difficult, I can see why experienced people would say it's too easy, but this way it's right up my alley.

Since there are so many entry points and the design is so open ended, there are many viable approaches. So let me tell about my path, I tried to devise an optimised one with minimal backtracking. Not sure I reached that.

Inline Image:

https://i.imgur.com/5yWz9xx.png
I chose to enter via captain's headquarters, then swept ground floor E->W without many problems (I used the secret passage from dining room into broom closet). Found the well hidden bottles of wine in my original run, believe it or not. Then I took the stairs to bedroom and went to sitting room. From there, I crossed northwards to mugseller's (I know you can go there from sewer, but it involves a tricky mantle, which is 1/10 for me). I my original run, I climbed from sitting room to 2nd floor, but I chose differently now: I followed the patroller and finished the first floor by the fireplace (S. wall), from where I took the vent to Caraclock's, across the street, to grab his coin stacks. Standing there, it was an easy jump to the outcropping that gave me access to 2nd floor. Cleaned up the Southern side (easier w/o the patrolling archer, who's triggered by a conversation in the SE room of the 2nd floor, but even with him around I found him easy to dodge) including that deviously placed tiara, then grabbed the clock (OBJECTIVE) and jumped to the northern side. The diamond was much easier to take than at Montsegur's :). I stayed clear of the third floor, I knew the time was not ripe. In my blind run, I stumbled upon the vault and the secret passages imemdiately, but now I chose to access the Library via "official" entrance. Did not trigger yet the conversation in the SE room.

Inline Image:

https://i.imgur.com/ysne1ty.png

Inline Image:

https://i.imgur.com/ohkmDfq.png
From the upper library, I used the bookcases to climb directly into the crazy section with the bed, which gave good access to the vase area. Spending almost a day looking for missing loot helped building a mental map of the gardens. The red goblet in the "pillars" room was the last piece I found.

Inline Image:

https://i.imgur.com/tKNfYhe.png

Inline Image:

https://i.imgur.com/QfdSgct.png
I jumped from this part directly into the room with the big tree. By accident I noticed the opening in the foliage, which led me to the tiara. Taking the vase (OBJECTIVE) wasn't difficult from the ledges above. The way to northern part of the "garden" was easier when using another jump alongs its western wall, even though it was longer. But in the final run I could find an opening in the patrols to use the bridge. First time, I screamed in frustration when I discovered that the reward for the matrioska chests was 1gp...

Inline Image:

https://i.imgur.com/1DDVMyw.png
After dodging the archer from the lowest garden area, I found my way into the deep, noticing the hidden balcony on the way down. As any noob, I died a few times in my blind run, by triggering the traps, and falling down like in Offspring's song. Found the key, then stumbled again upon a secret passage, this one the ones that leads up to the lower library level. Now I understood the readable mentioning the statue head ;). This passage was a life saver for returning the key. The path I took down my first time still has to be taken once, to grab loot, but no more than that, luckily. I took the other secret passage (between library and vault), then grabbed the creepy thing (OBJECTIVE). Returning the keys was eventless, thank to the secret "shortcuts". I used again the "official" entrance to leave the library, I triggered the conversation between guards in SE room to grab the blue vase, then lowered myself into the secret area with the mumified (?) corpse, then visited the kitchen (another conversation that I "saved for last"), not forgetting the gold stack upstairs, and, finally, headed to the basement. Made the difficult jump to grab the last copper coins in the shed above the sewers. For supreme, I had to skip the lucky coins. I could not avoid singing alerts, neither when coming from servants' quarters, nor when using the stairs from main lobby. If there is another way in, I did not find it yet. And I don't have the patience to try tricky maneuvers. I am sure klatremus or galaer will slap me with the solution, if there is any.

Did not take the "advertised" sewer way because (a) of the spider, I hate them, even if this one wasn't difficult to dodge, and (2) I wanted to prevent triggering the patrollers in basement. I guess that, for added difficultly, one SHOULD trigger them (the same for the kitchen boy and for the card players). Entering via the main entrance is fun, but since I had to take the coins in the street (made sure that I got no audio cue from the beggar) and visit the captain's quarters anyway, I did not bother with it, it made for a longer route with too much backtracking. The same for the other 2-3 options to break in from the southern side...

klatremus on 27/12/2023 at 18:57

Hey nice report, uv! Fantastic to do a successful blind Supreme run. I managed a perfect Supreme without any big issues, but of course it wasn't blind. I didnt have any problem avoiding an alert from the basement singer though. I remember he was twitchy, but didn't say anything if I went slow.

Galaer on 31/12/2023 at 10:49

SNOBS 1

Mission failed by Hexameron, because:

-Cannot sneak by frogbeasts in sewer near mission end.

This is easy - you just need to use invisibility potion to enter water and go behind frogs. Hexameron used this potion to sneak inside jeweller shop, but that's not necessary. Purple guards patrolling this mission are hyper sensitive. After opening door go very slowly into doorway, close door and enter. Guard can also see you through window. To escape you must open door and move quickly into shadow in doorway, then very slowly move on grass. Much harder for me was to sneak in and out of other shop, because patrollers have tendency to do small random loops there and there is small part of well visible ground that makes you visible for purple guard. These loops aren't fixed by loading game.

As for tavern - it's possible to rope up to balcony and use new mantle. It's also possible to use new mantle to go through window. And also it's possible to enter through front door without any mantling. You can go left to barkeeper and also you can sneak to stairs. After looting 2nd floor archer will wake up. Luckily it's possible to douse lamp near archer without any 2nd alert and sneak to door.

In Crazy Mage you can go to chair in dining room without any alerts and lean for loot. To douse torches of mansion patrolling purple guards must be away and you must be hidden in shadow near trees. Inside there is good enough shadow near wardrobe. To douse gas torch and picklock purple box with key you need to wait for 2nd floor purple guard to enter balcony. I'm skipping bottle in room beyond balcony, because of purple guard. Also I'm skipping Jail key as it's impossible to ghost your way inside. You need to douse all torches, but enemies 2nd alert to that. So I'm skipping 4 more pieces of loot.

STATS:

Time: 0:35:07; Loot: 26235/26755
Pockets Picked: 5/14; Locks Picked: 10
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: 1/1

GHOST: CHEMICAL SUCCESS
PERFECT GHOST: IMPOSSIBLE. While bottle from 2nd floor of mansion may be possible, loot from weapon storage in jail isn't.

Galaer on 31/12/2023 at 10:52

MORE TIME TO FOIL KARRAS

Mission reported by goldsla as a failure, but he didn't say too much in his report and included stats from his knockout run. In shop you can buy Armory key, which doesn't only open armory, but also couple other doors. This is useful, because to get Armory key inside mission you are forced to nudge stationary cop forward through door. Thanks to bought key I'm skipping it and also glasses on 2nd floor. Then I go to Hagen's estate. In park cops purses can be grabbed through hedge. In security room you can disable lights and watchers. This means that this estate is easy to ghost. Next is racetrack and Vladmir's mansion. Don't make loud noise there as guards can hear you through walls. At the entrance you can only sneak to both rooms slowly. That's it for watchers in this mission. They are easy to dodge.

You enter pub through window. douse torch and descend. There will be fight between purple guards and knights. Take 2 bottles and Gizmos key, then try to mantle on 2nd floor and go to window. Cops from marketplace will visit this place. What you don't want to happen is 2nd floor knight to descend. Also it would be great if purple guards would win, because they return totheir room and you can lock them. Plus they are cops enemies, so they can kill them, so there will be no cops in marketplace. Loot from gambling den must be skipped, because one of guards inside hear picklocking door and 2nd alert to it. Servant can't be dropped and he slows you down, so take it at the very end. Guard in front of door is too close to wall, so you need to nudge him forward by leaning from behind corner first, then you can nudge him normally. Mission ends somewhere behind Pagan close to center of the room.

On 2nd floor of Art Gallery you can get all loot except corner urn behind glass. To frob it you must break glass and that's damage rpoperty plus knights launch alarm. This urn must be skipped. Mask (objective) is also behind glass and it's frob range is shorter. You can't frob it through glass, you can't lean through it. You can mantle on top of it with 2 fruits stack, but glass is much bigger than it shows visually, so you can't drop to mask.

In my test run I managed to notice that throwing scouting orb to mask and exiting from it's view allowed me to highlight mask for split second. This way I managed to grab it without breaking glass. Unfortunately during my ghost run I was unable to reproduce this trick. So I was forced to break glass, take mask and quickly drop on stairs before launch of alarm, which makes whole room visible for last knight. You must quickly escape to wall, so running knights will not spot you and have luck with searching guards to escape gallery. Of course breaking glass and launching alarm is ghost bust #1.

STATS:

Time: 1:08:22; Loot: 2619/3313
Pockets Picked: 19/26; Locks Picked: 10
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
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 1
Secrets: 2/2

GHOST: FAILED, but POSSIBLE

Galaer on 31/12/2023 at 10:53

ROMAN DOMUS

Newest mission is pretty easy to ghost, but due to bug of resetting difficulty to Normal it's impossible to Perfect Supreme it.

STATS:

Time: 0:03:41; Loot: 550/550
Pockets Picked: 2/2; Locks Picked: 1
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: 0/0

GHOST: SUCCESS
PERFECT GHOST: SUCCESS

Galaer on 31/12/2023 at 10:54

TURTLE ON IT'S BACK

Vanguard failed this mission, because:

-- Guard at bottom sees behind his back, full alerts, and damages you.

After using gear you must swim to the end of room, go right and turn around. Last guard is always on search mode and if he's located at the middle or on the right side of room he will spot you. He needs to stand on the left. He searches in place and turn around sometimes. Since there is no air anywhere you need to have luck and have him look away. Swim under ceiling along right wall into last room for drill. Then drink breath potion and swim back. Turn left and swim to surface. If Mechanist's speech got more aggresive and he shoots you, then he saw you. He's annoying, but it's possible to ghost him.

STATS:

Time: 0:08:07; Loot: 1035/1195
Pockets Picked: 1/1; Locks Picked: 1
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: 0/0

GHOST: CHEMICAL SUCCESS
PERFECT GHOST: CHEMICALLY POSSIBLE

Galaer on 31/12/2023 at 10:55

RETALIATION

Hexameron failed this mission, because:

1. Castor must be alerted in order to spawn an important AI to complete the objectives.

First of all, let's talk about harder to get loot. Hexameron said that purse on priest near front entrance (which isn't connected to mansion, it's completely different building) isn't possible. It is possible to get it. From small tunnel lean right to look at watcher. Save game when it's on left side, because all watchers in this mission turn left upon loading game. Wait couple seconds for it to turn right, uncrouch and run to lamppost for purse, then return to tunnel. Only watcher is the problem here and you can't go right behind small parts of walls to wait there, because Mechanists near double door or watcher can always spot you. And since we are in this place let's talk about nearby escape door. When opening it don't be too close to door or watcher will see you, don't be on left side, because Mechanist near double door will see you and don't be on right side, because watcher will see you. Be in front of door, but not too close to it and blindly time watcher to get to tunnel.

About blue chest in basement - I don't know why Hexameron decided to go from under watcher on more lighten left side, but there is good shadow near generator on opposite side very close to chest. Wait for watcher to turn away and dash to chest and then back into shadow. Easy.

Mansion has lots of patrollers and watchers in strategic positions. My route through it is to library through north corridor. This place ihas really many patrollers. You are safe on the side of door from patrollers entering this room and you also need to blindly time watcher on the right side. In library is 1st watcher control to disable. From library I go outside to barracks on 2nd floor for Castor's key and then return to library. Through swimming pool I go to stairs doing small detour for loot in church. You can get diamond on altar by standing in front of priest. He will only 1st alert. On 2nd floor loot guard post and go to camera control that disable watchers on 2nd floor. Go through other door to SE corridor on 1st floor to disable lobby's watchers. Now you can return to lobby and use left stairs to rope up to balcony and enter Castor's room.

Castor has 2 versions. Killing this one will not complete objective to kill Castor. Instead Castor must go to teleporter. Intended way is to do overhead swing, so he will run to teleporter. But that's a ghost bust. So what about nudging? Nudging him right is easy, but nudging him left is huge problem. First of all you need to be behind his right leg. Because of that angle of nudging is very light, so you need to start from nudging him left through desk instead of nudging him right and then left around desk. Another problem is he's extra sensitive, so if you do low step he will immediately spot you. So I change my controls to walk slowly forward and also I tap this button instead of always holding it. Also after some nudging it's necessary to correct your position and strafe left to not get too much on his right side, so he will spot you. Also I doused gas torch behind me, which probably doesn't make any difference and mossed side of desk, so moss will also cover metal tiles.

Nudging path is troublesome. When Castor is partially in desk it's better to nudge him while standing or even leaning towards him. When he's on desk you need to make 2 potions stack and try to lean towards him to nudge him forward. This results often in being pushed backwards on metal tiles, so that's why moss is necessary. After pushing him forward try to jump on desk and continue nudging him in standing position until you will be able to crouch. When he will stand on steps past desk simply stand up and push him past them. He will appear close to left wall around painting. Just push him forward to teleporter. He doesn't need to stand inside teleporter, but just be close to vanish. This indicated beginning of next phase.

Castor is in Glorious Gem location and my path to him is exactly the same as Hexameron's: moss floor to turret and strafe run to it, jump on back side of turret, climb slowly on it to get ability to crouch and drop on the other side, use last moss to cover marble floor in front of window and strafe run on the other side. Lastly sneak behind him. And here Hexaeron failed to notice that Castor has lower amount of HP. Blackjack doesn't work, broadhead arrow doesn't kill him in one hit, but overhead swing of sword do that. There is no one to hear his agony, so kill objective has been succesfully ghosted. Weirdly enough he counts as this thief counts as innocent in stats. The only thing remained is to loot some 2nd floor rooms and 3rd floor and escape through barracks and greenhouse outside, but it's easy.

STATS:

Time: 1:18:15; Loot: 1776/1776
Pockets Picked: 5/5; Locks Picked: 17
Back Stabs: 1; Knock Outs: 0
Damage Dealt: 30; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 1; Others killed: 0
Iron Beasts Destroyed: 0; Disabled: 0
Secrets: 0/0

GHOST: SUCCESS
PERFECT GHOST: SUCCESS

ultravioletu on 31/12/2023 at 21:13

Game: Thief 1
FM: The Black Parade, Mission 3: Trial of Iron

Ghost - Success
Perfect Thief - Failed
Supreme Ghost - Failed
Perfect Supreme - Failed
Time - 1:44:10 (blind run: over 2 hours in-game, or about 30 hours RL, and like a thousand re-loads)
Loot - 2651/2652 (for Supreme: 2627/2652)
Pockets Picked - 8/9
Locks Picked - 4 (blind run: 8)
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Consumables - None

Motto: I promise to smash the face of any taffer...

Probably the last attempt in this series with my playing style. This one was very difficult to blind supreme ghost. I destroyed quite a few times the quick-saves and had to go back to hard-saves, and, while doing so, forgot to pick loot that I previously found. So a lot a back-and-forth (silver linig: I learned how to deal with everyone). I also had to switch between computers, it went better while getting my timeshare on my son's alienware :), while on a laptop it was... not so smooth.

Here's the, in my opinion, the optimal path, which I re-compiled after the monster initial run, which of course was TOTALLY different (in it, I had triggered all all patrol pretty early, which made it a quite difficult, had commuted a few times between basement and cathedral: took the man objective early, THEN realized that I need to do something else for treasury, etc. etc.).

---
I picked the lock to sewers, then dropped in water. Turned right (N) to get the purse, taken by the flow. Then came back and followed the tunnel W to the big cave. Taking the rope up was no option for supreme, as a stationary guard alerted when emerging.

Found the way to prison area, looted it, then took stairs up to basement. I ignored it for now, from my blind run I learned that I must come back anyway. Followed the guards patrolling clockwise and entered the cellar. Grabbed the wine before taking the stairs to the kitchen area. In my blind run, I did the barracks first (with a readable important to the plot) but that triggered a conversation and released two additional patrols. It was easy to dodge them supreme-way, but I decided to leave those guys in peace for now. Grabbed the stack in pantry and the candlestick on my way to cathedral proper.

The nave is patrolled by two hammers, trigonometric way. One stops occasionally, shifting his "phase". The two cross-shaped candlesticks on the altar can be taken only when they walk close together. In my blind run I had to come later, when both were "in sync", but this time I got lucky early. Crossed the reliquary (in my blind run I took the objective w/o deactivating the alarm, despite reading about it, so now I knew better to stay patient) and approached the altar E->W. Then finished off the W ground floor, followed the patroller upstairs and took the purses. Richal's bedroom offered a way to second upper floor, but that triggered again a conversation (and a patrol) below, so I stayed away from the window.

Crossed the W balcony northwards to council chambers (the guard stations himself looking W just enough to make it supreme-wise). Came back and moved to the E wing. Dropped briefly to ground floor to take the three pieces of loot, then went northwards to the E balcony. Used a rope to reach second upper floor via vents, paid a visit to His Eminence and flipped the lever (which I found after HOURS of searching in my blind run). Dropped back to first upper floor, stole the vase from the Tomb room, then took the vent to the roof above priests' quarters (avoiding, thus, a lock-pick to enter this section).

Inline Image:

https://i.imgur.com/gtPXoLj.png

Visited all relevant places, including dining room downstairs. Brother Fabricius's bedroom too can be reached w/o lock-pick, via balcony (image above), but it's EXTREMELY tight. He has random turning points, and I spend about half an hour for a 3 minutes in-game progress. Next time I'll simply pick the door... I an not klatremus, after all :D

Eastern grounds can be reached from Fabricius balcony, but I chose to go back to cathedral and drop from the balcony below the bell tower (I had to loot the place anyway). Landed in mantle on the gatehouse roof, which has a door to Scriptorium. Almost forgot to take the coins from outside fountain (cost me some minutes of runtime...), triggered the funny conversation and waaaaited for an opening to move westwards. The coin stacks up the ladder were finicky, but doable supreme-clean. Far from iron-man, though...

Went briefly outside using the ground floor entrance, gauged the patrollers and waited for an opportunity to rob the guardhouse by the S gate. In my blind run, I could do it even after triggering the additional patroller. I thought initially that the place is out-of-bound for supreme, since the guard alerted. But not to door opening, as I believed, but to my movements! Creep-crouch-strafe hugging the door frame kept him blissful. Praised be the Builder!

Approached the Astronomy building from the Scriptorium to delay the archer as much as possible. But, in retrospect, the hassle of dodging again Fen and the face-smashing novice was definitely NOT worthy. Astronomy was refreshingly easy, then I stepped outside heading towards warehouse, (mis)using the conversation to my advantage. In my blind run, I managed to do that even with the crossbow patroller around. To avoid reactions from the stationary hammer, I had to creep-crawl-strafe hugging the S wall, and the tree... and of course waiting from the right opening. So it is possible...

Inline Image:

https://i.imgur.com/BHTgoRm.png

The spider in warehouse was easy to avoid. I still hate them...

Inline Image:

https://i.imgur.com/YG4iSXQ.png

Factory was hell, the blacksmith was a PITA (huge kudos, however, for the animations!!! Forged in Fire, baby!!). He could see me through a crate, while I couldn't, so coming from the warehouse directly was hopeless (I managed once, just, but I later „ruined” my quick save, and, starting from an older hard-save, I could no longer reproduce the luck). So I went outside from warehouse and waited for an opening in patrols. Creep-crouch-strafe rescued me again from the stationed hammerite's remarks and I entered the factory upstairs via crates. The diamonds are of course out-of-reach for supreme, as light is removed when taking them. This triggers a funny reaction from the worker - which I initially mistook for 2nd level alert, thinking that the gems are not ghostable either; but it was my improper positioning that helped him detect me while executing the scripted reaction (correct positioning below).

Inline Image:

https://i.imgur.com/09S0aGV.png

Visited the hideout, then took the stairs down (the irritated worker was now patrolling, but possible to dodge without alerts). Coming from upstairs, it was easier to gauge the blacksmith (reaching him "from behind", mostly) and the guy with the welding mask.

Inline Image:

https://i.imgur.com/KqHVpyP.png

I followed the W wall, mantled to ledge, dropped into the coal wagon and took the nuggets. From the coal heap, I mantled and found a safe spot to monitor the situation, waiting for the opening.

Inline Image:

https://i.imgur.com/S8J6jp5.png

Slipped into the entrance room, took the ladder up and visited master forger's office via vent (had to gauge its opening and closing carefully, as two guys can react to it; save-scumming at its best). Another lockpick saved (which would've been very difficult anyway, given the short patrol of the crossbow guy).

Dropped outside. The dark area is a good place to take the last of the two purses. Next stop: the barracks (eventless, perhaps worth mentioning that an important readable is inside a locked footlocker; since now it was moot, as I already flipped the lever, I did not bother picking it). Entered Bother Pererdin's bedroom (where I obtained the key to treasury) via W common sleeping room. One of the nice side-effects of supreme ghosting is that, while waiting for the next move, one has the time to enjoy the carefully crafted movements of some AIs. :)

Now I had everything needed to go back to basement, which, compared to the rest, was a breeze. Looted the treasury, the crypt, and went down to sewer level for the coins. Went once more upstairs to grab the main objective (finally!), to return the keys and flip back the lever. The last part was tedious and took more than a half an hour... Then made my way back, via basement, prison, sewer.

I am 1 gp short of max loot, based on a spoiler from klatremus it should be on the roof. But I could not find a way to reach it (except the short ledge accessible from bell tower).

Supreme busts:

* deactivated the alarm from control room („security system”)
* did not re-enable the „security system” (as it triggers the alarm, probably I should try placing some weight on the pedestal, but this itself is another supreme bust

Loot impossible for supreme: 50 gp (the two diamonds in factory upstairs). Correction: klatremus is of course right, only 25 (the second diamond) must be skipped. So the total possible for this mode is 2627. Total possible for supreme while avoiding all lockpicks: 2490.