MayheM on 29/3/2024 at 17:43
TG FM: A Thief's Training
Stats:
Time: 1 Hour 18 Minutes 39 Seconds
Loots: 2282 out of 3174
Pockets Picked: 2 out of 2
Locks Picked : 6
Back Stabs : 0 Knock outs: 0
Damage Dealt : 0 Taken : 0 Healing : 0
Innocents killed : None, and others killed : 0
Secrets found: 3 out of 9
====
Ghost : Success
Supreme Ghost : Maybe, Not sure
Tried supreme ghosting this mission. Missed many loots and secret even though this was my second playthough. I am not sure if this run can be counted as successful because i have a feeling some keepers might have seen me (First Alert) at two areas: one of the second-floor guards at restrictive library and at the courtyard in a balcony while trying to collect loot from the statue, i saw a keeper standing at the balcony but didn't hear any of them go into first alert.
I returned all the keys back to their places except for Chapter House key which was too hard to put it back on the table without alerting so i did so on the ground in front of the table.
klatremus on 1/4/2024 at 02:03
Game:
Thief 1FM:
The Black Parade, Mission 6: Kept Away From ViewGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
SuccessSupreme Ghost -
SuccessPerfect Supreme -
SuccessTime - 1:41:05
Loot - 3145/3145
Pockets Picked - 7/7
Locks Picked - 7
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Consumables - None
See the entire report with screenshots (
https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade6.htm) here!
Loot list (
https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade6_L.htm) here.
YouTube let's play (
https://youtu.be/06YHSLoDXfg) here!
Comments:Although this is a good mission, in my opinion it doesn't reach the heights of the previous three; not even close. Lower Sootchime is very well made and exudes a brilliant industrial vibe, but leaves more to be desired since you can't enter many of the buildings. The keeper sanctuary is equally gorgeous, but its gameplay feels a bit basic. The visual aspects and the enemies in the restricted library make up for some of those limitations, but not enough to save this from being in the bottom tier for this campaign.
At first, I had to follow the keeper to their hideout and find 1,600 worth of loot. Once in the sanctuary, I were to steal the harp mentioned in The Brand, as well as a book called Azaran the Cruel.
This mission was very easy to ghost. Every semi-difficult room always had convenient shadows and/or patrolling enemies. Those you can always wait out until they leave. Stationary ones are much harder to deal with. Aboveground, the only area worth mentioning was in the underground foundry (image below). There was a purse on some boxes close to the molten rock. Not much shade and two patrolling workers made it somewhat tough, but nothing that requires detailed description.
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade6_files/image001.jpgThe keeper hideout I thought would be a lot tougher, but it wasn't. In fact, although there were tight patrols and tiled floors, there was even more shade. Pretty much every room had dark corners, easy to observe from. The keepers also didn't live up to their reputation and weren't particularly vigilant. The only tricky spot came outside the reliquary. A secret glyph in the ceiling could only be reached with a rope arrow, and dropping to the tile made a lot of noise and usually spawned a first alert. I simply hopped to the statue and reshot the rope into a lower area of the wall, where I could reach it from ground level (image below).
Inline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade6_files/image002.jpg
klatremus on 15/4/2024 at 02:26
Game:
Thief 1FM:
The Black Parade, Mission 7: The Long Shadow FallsGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
SuccessSupreme Ghost -
FailedPerfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 1:32:35
Loot - 3624/3624
Pockets Picked - 8/9
Locks Picked - 5
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Consumables - None
See the entire report with screenshots (
https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade7.htm) here!
Loot list (
https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade7_L.htm) here.
YouTube let's play (
https://youtu.be/iSGfdNxGRLg) here!
Comments:This is an absolutely astonishing mission. We rob a gorgeous, Victorian-style manor, guided by a plethora of objectives and a captivating story. I never thought I’d even see the fall of DeWall’s empire, let alone take part in its completion. One word of caution though: This mission is hard! Tiled floors, plenty of cameras, numerous patrollers, copious electric lights, you name it. Yet, it still offers a plethora of ways to complete your tasks. Well done, Feuillade Industries!
It was time to take out the big guns and bring down DeWall himself. I had to frame him by leaving the body of a hammerite priest in his turture chamber. I also had to steal his ledger and 2,400 worth of valuables. Furthermore, I need to take back St. Graimal’s chalice and Aldrius’ Demise, by swapping the latter with a replica. The remaining objectives were already required by the ghosting rules.
Getting InsideI did not take the sewers leading to DeWall’s basement. Doing so forced two unnecessary lockpicks, both of which could be relocked, but that meant picking the key off one of the basement guards and leaving it on his patrol route. Way too messy for Supreme, especially when avoidable. I could also have used the other sewer exit and entered via the front yard, but I felt that left me a bit too exposed. Plus, I wanted to bring in brother Berthold right away, so I needed an entrance that was close to the basement. Thus, I used the ledge on the north side of the tower close to the starting streets. I could quite easily jump across to the northeast balcony from here (image below).
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade7_files/image001.jpgBefore heading inside, I climbed the scaffolding and cleaned the attic. This prevented another lockpick on the second floor closet door. I then brought the corpse with me and left it in the basement torture chamber. This level was not difficult. I emerged from the basement above the family crypt to the west. There was a camera here, so I took the secret passage and headed to the second floor (image below).
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade7_files/image002.jpgFoyer & Aldrius’ DemiseLooted the guest rooms in the southwest without problems. I used the lightning strike to get the two vases atop the foyer stairs. This was a one-time event that took out the power for a few precious seconds. About halfway down the bottom flight of stairs I could stay fairly hidden, and this was the best place from which to approach the two next vases on the downstairs foyer tables (image below). The only patroller that headed up the stairs was a nobleman, but he had a fairly lengthy route. Dropping to either side of the stairs kept me completely hidden, and this was out of view of either camera. When the coast was clear, I could crouch-run over and grab each vase with a lean, then quickly head back to the shade.
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade7_files/image003.jpgIn order to get Aldrius’ demise, I had to turn off the alarm. The periscopes I could leave on, in order to avoid an additional bust. The alarm was linked to the glass case, which had to be opened to both get the gemstone and replace it with the replica. I took the security key off the guard captain and approached the security office. The outside guard luckily had the runs and kept frequenting the restroom. While he was away, I could sneak around the corner with the camera and hide in the office doorway (image below). The next time he ran in there, I followed and hid in the shadows behind the door. After he left, I grabbed the loot and snuck out when he entered for a third time.
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade7_files/image004.jpgHad to time this guard again, as well as the guard captain when turning off the alarm. It was off for 5 minutes, but luckily turned back on automatically; thus, I didn’t have to revisit the security office. The best way to avoid the cameras was to descend from a rope arrow into the second floor ceiling, southwest corner. The rope wasn’t long enough to reach the floor, so I dropped a healing potion before reaching the bottom to cushion the landing (first image below). I had one in my starting inventory. If timing the patrolling guard, I could replace the gemstone within a couple of seconds (second image below), then scoot into the south gallery. Got the loot here plus the guard’s purse, before climbing the rope back up. Really fun to do all this completely unseen, despite the initial Supreme bust. I had previously made sure not to trigger the conversation in the family museum, as this would’ve sent an extra patroller into the room above the gallery.
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade7_files/image005.jpgInline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade7_files/image006.jpgThe North Hall DiamondCleaned the family museum and sitting room by the pool easily. The camera outside the security office couldn’t spot me at the far north end of this corridor, so I could head down the stairs to the first floor hall. Here came the most difficult piece of loot in the mission; a diamond in a chandelier above the fountain (image below). For regular Ghost, it was easy, as I could just turn off the camera. For Supreme, not so much. I was adamant I was going to obtain all the loot for that mode, despite the already busted run. This one, however, was a real challenge.
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade7_files/image007.jpgThe camera pivoted southwest to southeast, and it was positioned a little bit above halfway up the height of the room, not very close to the ceiling. This meant it didn’t have any real blind spots above or below its trajectory. There was also a patrolling guard on this floor, who thankfully left the room both west and east during each loop. This gave me 5-10 precious seconds to work with each time. Realizing that the entire ceiling was rope attachable, including the white marble-looking topmost portion, helped focus my attention on using ropes. It was possible to climb a rope and seek hardcover above the wooden lip just south of the camera, but this was out of reach of the diamond, and didn’t leave any good way of getting back. Since the camera pivoted southeast, aiming to take the diamond perpendicular to that angle (in other words southwest) gave me the best chance. In order to save time when climbing the rope, which is a notoriously slow process, I was hoping that jumping from one rope to the next might boost the process. Experimenting with rope placements, I found the spot farthest away from the camera where the diamond would highlight if I was on the rope at the same height as the lowest part of the chandelier. See the farthest rope in the screenshot below? It’s attached in the middle of the white portion between the flower decoration and the gold lines to the left of it. The other rope I attached into the lower wood, pretty much in a direct line behind the first, so that I could jump from one to the next without having to change angle. After a lot of trial and error, I learned at what time in the camera’s pivot cycle to go for the first jump, then just wait a fraction of a second and jump again. Sometimes when reaching the second rope, I would shoot up a few feet closer to the ceiling. This was not good and required a reload. About 25% of the time this would happen. I also learned what angle to have so that when I reached the second rope, the diamond would pretty much be in direct view and highlight immediately. I managed to get the loot plenty of times, but when turning around to jump back to the rug, I always got caught. Hume’s body turned whenever I spun on the rope and this took my body further into the room, directly in view of the camera. I probably tried this move 60-70 times and always with the same result. Then it dawned on me: What if instead of turning around on the rope, I just hit crouch and come off the rope immediately after taking the diamond, and then turn around to jump once on the ground? My instincts told me this would be too slow and I would get caught, but it seemed not spinning around on the rope left me with enough extra time before the camera’s view now reached me, that I could scoot over the fountain’s edge and back to safety! YES!!!!! Sweet, delightful gemstone!! I then repeated the jumps to retrieve my arrows, though I had to wait another patrol cycle to do so. I must admit, it has been a long time since it felt this good to get a single piece of loot. But oh how fun it was!
Cleaning Up
Following this, I cleaned most of the northern part of the first floor. The ballroom and game room were tense, but didn’t pose any real issues. Headed up the staircase and went for DeWall’s. After getting his key, I focused on raiding his study. Its door was pickable, but since DeWall’s key relocked it, I had to do so for Supreme. Returned it right away, as this was the only use I had for it, besides opening his safe of course. All the other doors it unlocked could be circumvented. Exited this floor via the greenhouse.
The most difficult part of the first floor came in the southwest. A purple vase in a room next to the main entrance, plus two candlesticks in the chapel had to be reached. I could’ve taken these coming from the basement earlier by dodging the camera, but that would’ve required picking the lock on the foyer gate and then returning to relock it later with DeWall’s key, which was a lot of extra backtracking for Supreme. Instead I managed to cross the main entrance staircase by timing the guards. It probably would’ve been easier (but not easy) to cross the main foyer directly. Regardless, there was a convenient dark wall in the chapel where I could hide and wait for the patroller to pass. Out the door I had to make it across the tile and drop into the dark flower beds below (image below). Then I circled the yard counterclockwise along the edge and left via the hole in the fence. What a masterpiece of a mission!
Inline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade7_files/image008.jpgNotes:- Had to turn off the alarm in order to obtain Aldrius’ Demise. Supreme bust.
klatremus on 22/4/2024 at 01:58
Game:
Thief 2FM:
Patriot, Mission 9: EnemyGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
FailedSupreme Ghost -
Success :cheeky:
Perfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 3:18:09
Loot - 4055 out of 4500 (Supreme: 3740)
Pockets Picked - 5/10
Secrets - 15/16
Locks Picked - 1
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Innocents Killed: 0, and others Killed: 1
Consumables - None
See the entire report with screenshots (
https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.htm) here!
Loot list (
https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_L.htm) here.
YouTube let's play (
https://youtu.be/vFjT3DdZG7w) here!
Comments:Enemy is an astonishing mission; it's Zontik's masterpiece in this gem of a campaign. Break into a heavily guarded, yet stunning Victorian mansion, protected by cameras, robots and alarms. Watch the story unfold through in-game cutscenes and clever plot twists. It will have you scratch your head in frustration, yet amaze you with ingenious surprises. Still, below the surface is an evil and sinister tale of jealousy, strife and murder.
To begin with, the only objective was finding information on the whereabouts of the tunnel leading to the Citadel, along with the key for said tunnel. I also couldn't hurt the count and other noblemen, but that was already a part of the ghost rules. I had no rope arrows in my starting inventory, and although they were available for purchase, this isn't allowed for Supreme. To my knowledge, only one was available in the mission.
BasementI was unable to move past the main entrance courtyard without a first alert. Sneaking along the southern wall, the patroller always caught me (image below).
[Thanks to WheretIB2, I have since managed to sneak past this guard without first alerts. You have to stay close behind him and go left right as he turns, making sure not to hit the lights from the lamppost.] That meant the only viable entrance into the basement was via the coal chute west of the main entrance doors. I could dodge the patroller and camera above and wait out the guy shoveling coal below. Fortunately, he didn't have any voice lines and thus didn't first alert. There were lots of patrollers in here, but the room was quite dark. I left through the wine cellar.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image001.jpgOne object I had to get in the basement was a fuel can past an engine room. A stationary robot gave a first alert when I opened it, so I had to use the patrol of a mechanist worker who used the door to my advantage. I could block the door and then sneak right into the dark corner without any Supreme busts (image below). The engines kept me hidden along this wall. Next I mantled over onto the desk and furthermore into the corner by the next door. I used the same method going back. To get back out, I listened for the same patroller to come along, then frobbed the door as he was walking through. He would budge it open before it fully shut and I could scoot out before he closed it behind him. No alerts at all.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image002.jpgThe only accessible area from the basement was the kitchen. There were two cooks in there, but one of them was stationary and never said anything. The other one was patrolling, but had predictable stations. I timed the lift going up and when he stationed himself by the south cabinet, I ran for the dark spot behind the oven. A nobleman did come through here also, but it was far between each time. Picked up three pieces of loot here, but then my progress was halted. The great hall doors were locked for now and a stationary guard covered the northwest hallway, so I was forced back down and had to find a different way into the manor. Both staircases from the basement led to foyers well covered by guards; no chance of using those.
[WheretIB2 told me he was able to ascend the foyer stairs by the main entrance without first alerts, and this is indeed possible. Jump from the staircase into a mantle as far north as possible. Since the mantle doesn't register as movement, the foyer guards should stay quiet and you can sneak into the hall from there. I must be honest, I never even tried this in my Ghost run, which I am somewhat embarrassed about.]Getting InsideThe only place left to explore was in the coal chute courtyard. A climbable vine close by took me up to the second floor balcony (first image below). There was only a locked door and a goblet here, but there were also tiny ledges possible to utilize along the manor's outside. I had to stand and run towards the wall in order to get on it. Rounding corners were also tricky. Heading east didn't get me anywhere, only to a slippery roof above the main entrance. West, however, took me all the way to an unlocked window in the family wing (second image below). It was tricky to get in, as I had to mantle the left shutter in order to open the right one. No matter, as I had now circumvented a major obstacle for Supreme.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image004.jpgFirst FloorI couldn't get downstairs via the west foyer, I got caught by one of the first floor guards with a first alert every time. Instead, I picked open one of the doors in the southwest and gained access to the elevator. This door could later be relocked with the valet's keys. From the garden, a guard in the east hallway prevented progress, but luckily there was a hidden door that took me to the upper servants' quarters (image below). From here, I could descend via the laundry room further north, out of view of said guard.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image005.jpgGetting the valet's keys was crucial in order to open up previously inaccessible areas in the manor. An extremely convenient secret passage was found in the hallway outside the west foyer, a switch on the back of a pillar (image below). This gained access to the valet's quarters and his keys. From here I could also turn off the camera outside the count's quarters, but that wasn't necessary. This same set of passages also led to a gallery in the northwest with some valuable loot items. There were two cameras and a patroller here, but they could all be evaded. I could use the main hallway to the north for hardcover, as nobody patrolled through here, and the stationary guard further east was too far away to see me.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image006.jpgFrom the main hall I had two options: the art wing or the library. I chose the latter, as I knew I could access the art wing through it. The library wasn't as tough as I anticipated. I could jump from the pedestals to the upper walkway quite easily, where I could hide from the patroller. I dropped down in the east to get a piece of loot, out of the way of the stationary guard. In order to get back up without an alert I had to do a series of mantles in the southeast corner (image below). Taking the walkway back spawned a first alert, so I had to hop from the railing to maintain hardcover. Thanks to inside information from Glypher, I knew that two out of three possible items had to be obtained in order to trigger the baron and count's arrival in the hall. The scribe's petition and the Secret Passages and Dungeons book from the library were two of those three items. The third was obtaining the citadel key from the sealed house west of the family wing. However, the scribe's petition wasn't necessary for any objective, plus it couldn't be returned and thus was in Supreme's best interest to avoid. Having this information was crucial to planning my route.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image007.jpgOne of the most important secrets in this mission was the hidden elevator in the library. It accessed key areas around the map and circumvented having to deal with guards. It was the main reason I visited the library at this time. First, I used its route to the first floor art wing. Picked up the pump room key from the stage; it was necessary to get loot. I also had to take Angie's note to make the key highlight. The note stuck to my inventory, which was somewhat annoying.
Upstairs in the barracks I was halted by two guards outside the palace guard's quarters (image below). There was no way to get past them even for regular Ghost. I tried nudging them, but that didn't work even for an inch. This would be a big problem later, unless I found a different way to end the mission. This meant I had to skip loot from the palace guard's safe, plus two more pieces from the nearby bedrooms.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image008.jpgUnfortunately, I couldn't enter the art gallery for Supreme. Both doors that led here were guarded by stationary swordsmen who first alerted to the doors (image below). There was a rug in the art gallery closet that thus had to be skipped for that mode. The valuable painting in there also had to be skipped for regular Ghost. In order to get it, I had to turn off the alarm. The only way to do that was to kill the power by twisting a chandelier in the nearby room until the wires ripped ((
https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image010.jpg) see image). This was property damage and not allowed for any ghost mode. It was not just a matter of removing a light source; sparks were literally flying and there was no way to turn on the lights again after, so the light fixture was clearly broken. This meant that the phoenix ashes, required to find the secret mission Reanimator, also had to be skipped.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image009.jpgUpper FloorsBack in the passageway I used another hidden door to access the royal apartments. Looted this area without issues. In the attic I next found the mission's only rope arrow. This was required to take for Supreme for an event occurring later. Taking it now also made me able to descend the south attic elevator, and so I did. This lift accessed two other levels, one of which reached a room southwest in the guest wing on the second floor. It wasn't possible to ascend any of the normal staircases without getting spotted, so this was a welcomed access point. Unfortunately, I couldn't get too far for Supreme, as a stationary guard alerted to the opening of the hallway door (image below). I stand by my assessment that non-pivoting stationary guards are the toughest obstacles in Thief for ghosters. This meant all the loot in the guest rooms, the bar and the east foyer was inaccessible for Supreme, at least for now.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image011.jpgI was, however, able to get into lady Fauls' bedroom in the southeast for Supreme. She had been brutally killed by a sadistic bed trap below her room. This contraption was located at the bottom level of the elevator. Her body wasn't there, only her ring. This could be used along with her scroll to trigger a bonus objective in the temple (if you have read her story in mission 3), but this wasn't possible to do for Supreme. But along with the scroll in her room was the attic key, which could access loot in the family wing. I experimented a lot trying to ascend to the trap chute to her room. I found a predictable way to mantle the floodlight and jump over to the ledge on the south side (image below). It was tough to get onto the floodlight properly; I had to drop to the outer edge of the railing to get onto it fully. The hop to the opposite was tough, but the floodlight's clipping border extended farther than anticipated, so delaying the jump a bit made it possible.
Inline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image012.jpg
klatremus on 22/4/2024 at 01:58
From this ledge, I tried multiple ways of attaching a rope, but although the bed was wooden and the rope gave a sound of fastening to something, the arrow just disappeared and no rope extended. I ended up visiting her room from above to experiment more. Then I suddenly realized the bedroom floor was wooden and rope attachable. I headed back down and tried shooting a rope into the air and then it land on the floor on the way down, leaving the rope hanging for me to climb. After practicing angle and velocity, soon enough I struck the perfect shot (image below). Although it would only yield an extra 100 gold, this move was very fun and definitely worth it!
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image013.jpgNext I looted the temple. I used a potion to cushion the jump to get the statue above the doorway. Fauls' items could not be put in the safe without making a clang. That is, you could put the ring on top of the scroll, but the bonus objective didn't trigger until it fully landed on the metal. Silly, I know. Skipped it for Supreme, and used a moss arrow for regular Ghost. Then headed back to the family wing to get the remaining loot and visit the attic. Also remembered to relock the door that I had picked open earlier with the valet's keys.
[WheretIB2 did discover a way into this attic without using the key. In the second floor game room, you can open the chimney grate by first removing a piece of plaster in the upper right hand corner. This can be done from either side. I don't consider removing the plaster property damage, since you are not using force or weapons. This actually eliminates the need to visit Fauls' room at all for Supreme.]Sealed WingSince I wanted to avoid reading the scribe's petition, it was now time to find my way to the sealed house west of the family wing. The two entries were boarded up and breaking the planks busted my Ghost run. There was an unlocked attic window, but it was difficult to reach. Galaer reported being able to jump to it with a crate on the fence, but I was not able to repeat that. Instead, I brought the healing potion and Fauls' letter from her room and made a small stack atop the window I had previously entered the manor via (image below). I was able to mantle up the attic roof like this. I couldn't get much momentum up there and quickly would fall back down, but with a strafe-run slide I could make it to the sealed house roof. Next, I could drop and mantle up the ledge by the attic window and go inside. Using the fuel can in the basement turned on all the lights. This was not a bust; only removing light sources are. Got the citadel key, watched the very impressive cutscene and left.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image014.jpgSlid down from the attic roof onto the fence, then dropped on the south side and returned to the front courtyard. I now climbed the vine and entered via the balcony door. I had the valet's keys after all. Left the items on the window for now, as it turned out I'd have to make the trip one more time.
Count vs. BaronI now headed to the library and got the book in the scribe's quarters in order to trigger the baron's arrival. The only way I found for Supreme to get to the second floor to overhear the baron and count's conversation in the great hall was to ascend into the window above the hall foyer using a rope arrow (image below). All the other entrances were covered by guards. For regular Ghost I could use the door on the southeast balcony; the guard only first alerted to that. But for Supreme, the rope was required. The patrolling guard upstairs saw the rope occasionally, so I listened for his step and timed the shot accordingly. After the conversation and looting this part of the manor, I had to go back down the same windows, as the great hall upstairs doors weren't unlocked yet. To get back down, I had to lean out and shoot the rope into the south end of the windowframe, so that it would hang close enough to the side of the window for the patroller not to see it. Then I inched off the edge and grabbed hold of the rope before I fell down. The archer atop the stairs could easily comment, but I learned the technique of getting down unseen. I naturally couldn't grab the rope from down below, so I entered the great hall from the first floor and then used the lift to get up and retrieve the arrow, as the doors now magically were unlocked.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image015.jpgCount's QuartersAt this time, normally the gate leading to the count's quarters in the northwest would be open (first image below). However, this is triggered by reading the scribe's petition, which I had deliberately skipped. Opening the door behind the gate would have first alerted the guard anyway, so for Supreme I was forced to think of a different way in. This would prove to be a conundrum. First I tried using the tiny ledge heading south off the second floor balcony east of the main entrance. This took me counterclockwise around the entire manor. However, the camera outside the north library entrance caught me along the final stretch. My thoughts instead went to the sealed section roof where I had been before. The count's window entrance was just north of this (second image below). However, I couldn't drop down onto the tiny ledge, as the slope was so steep it dropped me right off. After a lot of experimenting, I realized that although I couldn't jump, I could run and if fast enough, the momentum would carry me on top of the eastern roof. By maximizing my speed and finding the right angle, I managed to get far enough north where, when I dropped off the edge, I could catch the ledge on the north wall and mantle myself up. Luckily, this ledge was much thicker than the others, otherwise the mantle wouldn't have been possible. I seriously thought my Supreme run was done for until I discovered this move.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image016.jpgInline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image017.jpgI could clean both the top and the bottom floor of the count's quarters easily enough. Before I continued, however, I needed to return the items to Fauls' bedroom. But how to do that when I needed them to enter the count's wing? Well, fortunately the count's elevator accessed the basement, from where I could get upstairs either via the kitchen (the double doors in there were now open) or via the vine outside the coal chute. I could also now get the loot accessible via the pump key in the basement; just a coin pair, but everything counts. What counted even more was a torc at the bottom of the elevator shaft. However, in order to get it, I had to raise the lift to the top floor and crawl underneath it. The only way to get the lift back down afterwards was to shoot a water arrow into the bottom button on the level above. Luckily I had two of those in my starting inventory.
An additional piece of tricky loot was in the service shaft next to the elevator. There was a drill bit in a toolbox with no way of getting down besides dropping. I couldn't do it without taking damage, so I had to try something else. Conveniently, the mission's only two crates were in a room close to the basement elevator. I brought those to the ledge above the shaft. The only way to drop both crates without at least one of them breaking was by leaning out from the northwest corner. They still gave a cracking sound, but both stayed intact. Next, I had to run so that I bounced off the east edge of the crate, both without taking damage or breaking either crate (image below). After a few attempts, it worked! As if that wasn't enough, I could stack the crates on top of the grate and mantle back up, which meant it prevented me needing to use the water arrow from before. Awesome!
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image018.jpgThen I finally returned the pump room key, Fauls' healing potion, scroll and attic key, and lastly the valet's keys. For the latter, I had planned ahead and lock-blocked the second floor balcony door, so that I could reenter the basement and head back to the count's room. There were so many things to remember at this point: returning keys, resetting elevators to their original locations, closing up all secrets, reflipping all levers. I think I got them all in the end.
I knew that once I found the count's fake body and triggered that cut-scene, all the exterior windows and doors would lock up, with no chance of escaping. This was part of the intended progress of the mission. However, the only way to exit at that point was by blowing open the wall in the north hallway by using the palace guard's keypad. Getting into the palace guard's quarters I had already established forced a Ghost bust, so I desperately wanted to avoid this. To circumvent this, I placed the potion from the sealed house in front of the window of the south room on the count's second floor (image below). Repeat, this was not the window in the room where the fake-body-in-the-wheelchair event occurred. That window was pointless to block, because leaving through it would fail the mission. But this other window was not set up like that.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image019.jpgHowever, when I was about to trigger the whole scenario, something odd happened. Since I had entered the count's tower by a way other than what was normal (as in via the sealed house's roof and not the first floor door), one of the guards had spawned in a slightly different location. This caused the servant in green (the guy who starts shouting that the count has been killed) to not be able to finish his route (image below). Once I realized this, I expected him to eventually push his way past said guard and break free. However, this required the guard to do his idle fidgety movements and that he wouldn't do unless I was actually looking at him. The dark engine has a tendency to shut off enemy visuals if the player isn't seeing it. Problem was, the only place to see him was from the second floor windows. An additional problem was that while this servant was running, if I saved and reloaded, he stopped on a dime. This prevented the script from completing and the objective never triggered. I thus had to climb the chute to start the script, loot the third floor, drop back down the next chute to the second floor, sneak out the window and into the count's bedroom, all without needing to reload. This was extremely frustrating, since it was very easy to make a huge clang in the elevator shaft. Luckily, I found a predictable way to shut the elevator door as soon as I dropped down the first level.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image020.jpgAfter all the exits had been shut, I got an additional idea. I knew several new guards had spawned throughout the compound. I wanted to see if any of them utilized doors that I had previously been unable to open for Supreme. And I found precisely such a thing! Remember the door west of the guest rooms on the second floor? I hadn't been able to loot any of those rooms because of a stationary guard. A newly spawned guard was now patrolling a lengthy route from the foyer all the way south to this room (image below). He moved as if he was second alerted, but he first alerted like normal. I could wait in this room and block the door as he went through. This gave me access to 210 more loot in the noblewoman's quarters. Awesome!!! Unfortunately, I had to wait another whole loop to reclose the door. By the way, in order to get to this room from the count's quarters, I had to use the kitchen exit from the basement. A running guard had a tendency to get stuck in the door, forcing a first alert when opening it. To circumvent this problem, I opened the double doors from the great hall to the kitchen before heading to the count's quarters the first time.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image021.jpgLeavingTo leave, I had to mantle up to the count's third floor ledge from atop the window I had previously blocked open. However, I had to do this and at the same time close the window, which was easier said than done. It required a forward jump, a very quick frob of the window, and then looking up to complete the mantle. I wasn't out of the woods yet though. I still needed to get back to the sealed house's roof. This move was slightly different from before. I had to do an angled running jump and mantle up to the flat surface (image below). The jump didn't elevate me, but still gave me a boost in order to get across fully. Overall, this was more difficult than going the opposite direction. I then returned the healing potion and dropped to the fence from the attic window like before. Ended by climbing down the manhole. Wow!!
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9_files/image022.jpgEnemy is officially in my top 3 manor missions of all time. It is staggeringly good.
Notes:- Had to skip a coin stack (25), a coin pair (20) and a purse (100) from the upstairs barracks. The swordsmen outside the palace guard's entrance couldn't be approached without getting spotted.
- Couldn't enter the first floor art gallery for Supreme, as opening either door spawned a first alert from stationary guards. This meant skipping 290 loot for that mode. 200 of this also had to be skipped for regular Ghost, as turning off the alarm required busting a light fixture, which constituted property damage.
- Had to skip the loot from the bar and second floor east foyer for Supreme, a total of 225 gold. Three guards covered all entrances and forced first alerts.
- Had to skip the relic worth 100 from the north gallery for all modes. It only became frobable after setting off the activator, which blew open the manor hallway.
- I have no idea what the kill is from. I certainly didn't deal any damage or cause any event leading to a death.
klatremus on 29/4/2024 at 02:28
Game:
Thief 1FM:
The Black Parade, Mission 8: Jaws of DarknessGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
SuccessSupreme Ghost -
SuccessPerfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 1:35:23
Loot - 3259/3259 (Supreme: 2909)
Pockets Picked - N/A
Locks Picked - 0
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Consumables - None
See the entire report with screenshots (
https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade8.htm) here!
Loot list (
https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade8_L.htm) here.
YouTube let's play (
https://youtu.be/Psy39SEkbIg) here!
Comments:Jaws of Darkness is an excellent, yet very different mission from the rest of the campaign. It’s a highly needed changeup from the more traditional levels so far. Delve into the underground crypts below Haghill Forest and uncover the secrets of archmage Teidir’s tomb. Clever puzzles and sinister enemy encounters will impress you in this brilliant creation by Feuillade Industries.
I was tasked with restringing the amethyst harp with silk, plus obtaining Teidir’s signet ring and Abubtiyar’s tablets. Furthermore, I had to find 1,500 worth of valuables and return to my campsite in Haghill Forest. It was time to get going.
Pillars of SilenceIn the Pillars of Silence I was met with several “shadow thieves”. They didn’t have voice lines, but otherwise reacted like normal enemies, albeit at an incredible speed. Their drawback was they didn’t react if I could see them. Thus, if spotted, I could just back up to a dark spot and wait there until turning around no longer triggered them. This was a legal move since they never indicated they were alerted. As it turned out, none of them needed to see me. The one in Tsathoggoth's crypt was the most difficult (image below). I snuck along the left wall as slowly as possible, then backed up with the same speed. When leaving, he didn’t follow, so I figured I was good. What was strange was when I first arrived at the tombs and could see this crypt from the east, I clearly made out two thieves, yet when I arrived from the front, only one was there…
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade8_files/image001.jpgHad to skip the scepter in Madnazar’s tomb for Supreme (image below). A floor trap sprung when I opened the casket, which isn’t allowed for that mode. Nothing shot out or dealt damage, but it was triggered from my actions and irreversible at that.
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade8_files/image002.jpgThe key in the ancient library wasn’t necessary, so I skipped it. I didn’t treat the blue water bugs as enemies. They got stuck half the time anyway and never seemed to react to my presence. They made some noises occasionally, but those seemed more like the ones rats would make. I could avoid touching any of the webs that lowered the brown spiders, so there was only the huge one at the end and she was easy to dodge. In the crypts below the silk, one room had a stationary spider with some loot (image below). Although it seemed like it was facing north, it was in fact looking south; all stationary spiders are like this.
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade8_files/image003.jpgElemental TowersIn the fire tower, I could skip taking the searing key. The door couldn’t be closed up either, so this was highly desirable for Supreme. To circumvent it, I mantled up the roof of the balcony, and then leapt across to the bridge by the coal tower (image below).
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade8_files/image004.jpgIn the earth tower I could also skip the dirt-encrusted key, but this was a bit more complicated. Taking the key triggered a falling boulder trap, which busted Supreme and was thus out of the question. One of these boulders were meant to be put on a pressure plate in the flooded cave to open a gate that lead to the end of this section. To avoid needing this boulder, I experimented with other items. I found I needed two potions to open the gate. Since I only had one healing potion in my starting inventory, I used one of the skulls from the dirt-encrusted key room instead of a second potion (first image below). Luckily, the patrolling crayman didn’t hear it drop on the stone. In the next room I could open the double doors that revealed the exit and then go back around to pick up the items and return the skull. These doors weren’t closable, as they were operated by those infernal pull chains. There was also an additional such chain behind a secret panel that accessed a hidden chamber with loot in a small tower. To avoid leaving this door open, I found I could reach this tower with an angled running jump from the plateaus close to the fire tower (second image below), thus skipping the pull chain altogether. It took a few tries to get it right, but it was definitely a repeatable maneuver.
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade8_files/image005.jpgInline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade8_files/image006.jpgBefore the entrance to the water tower, I had to skip two red gems behind a gate (first image below). They triggered fireball traps when taken, which was against Supreme. In the water tower, I couldn’t circumvent taking the wet key. I didn’t find a way to climb up the tall cave with the dripping water. There might be a way to get there from the air tower, but I’ll leave that for someone else to experiment with. I did, however, manage to avoid leaving the door open when returning from the nymph cave. With my entrusted healing potion, I could mantle back up above the bubbling spring in the sloped rock (second image below). This was a tough jump, because I had to get enough elevation to reach the ledge, while also grabbing my potion in the process. Plus, since the surface was sloped, the potion slid a bit when I hopped onto it. I was very happy to successfully complete this move, as it also meant the two extra water nymphs never spawned.
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade8_files/image007.jpgInline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade8_files/image008.jpgThe air tower posed no further issues. I was again forced to take the elemental key. There was only one enemy, and air mage, and he was no problem avoiding. I flipped the lever and closed the grate behind me on my way back to Teidir’s tomb.
Teidir’sNot much to report from the last building. Getting the tablets was the biggest problem. Difficult to detect first alerts from the new monsters. None of them had decipherable voice lines, just muttering really. Mostly, there was an elevated pitch or volume when an alert happened, even grunt-like utterings. If in doubt, I reloaded. Found the easiest way to traverse and travel along the sloped wall (first image below). A few bonfires lit me up, but it was dim enough to stay concealed if moving slowly. The bonehead on the top level had a predictable route. After getting the tablets, I could drop down to the entrance level from the ledge without taking damage (second image below). The gravel usually made a sound when landing on it, so I had to listen carefully for alerts.
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https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade8_files/image009.jpgInline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/TheBlackParade8_files/image010.jpgThe caves had changed when going back up, so I actually arrived close to the top level. I was forced to pull another chain and open two gates simultaneously that couldn’t be lowered. Argh! The spider statue wasn’t difficult to dodge. Could avoid all traps by hopping across; most of the time the spider didn’t hear me. Likewise with the floor panels, I could jump across without triggering it and with no alerts if it was at a distant part of its route.
Back at the top, I had to open yet another permanent door to reenter the Pillars of Silence. I lost count how many that was in total. A new shadow monster had spawned in the halls. It wasn’t difficult to dodge, just scared the living daylights out of me as I wasn’t expecting it. Good job, Feuillade Industries!
Notes:- Skipped a scepter worth 150 in Madnazar’s tomb for Supreme. Triggering the floor trap isn’t allowed.
- Skipped two red gems worth 100 each outside the entrance to the water tower for Supreme. Taking them triggered fireball traps.
klatremus on 5/5/2024 at 20:01
Game:
Thief 2FM:
Patriot, Mission 9 3/4: ReanimatorGhost -
SuccessPerfect Thief -
SuccessSupreme Ghost -
Success?Perfect Supreme -
FailedTime - 1:05:13
Loot - 2000/2000 (Supreme: 1975)
Pockets Picked - 14/14
Secrets - 3/3
Locks Picked - 0
Backstabs - 0, Knockouts - 0
Damage dealt - 0, Damage taken - 0
Innocents Killed: 0, and others Killed: 3
Consumables - 1 Water Arrows & 2 Flares (Supreme: 2 Flares)
See the entire report with screenshots (
https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5.htm) here!
Loot list (
https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5_L.htm) here.
YouTube let's play (
https://youtu.be/8Vz2nXkYD9o) here!
Comments:Another very solid mission from Zontik, although it probably doesn’t reach the quality of the previous three. Visit Shalebridge and ascend the two towers linked together by Birds’ Bridge. You have to dodge plenty of already alerted guards, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea. The concept of a secret mission is new to me, so this was very interesting to explore.
This mission will only show up if taking both the Alchemist’s Book from mission 8 and the Phoenix Ashes from mission 9. My directions were to throw the ashes into the torch of the statue on Birds’ Bridge. That was it.
East TowerCouldn’t enter the tower by the intended route on the bottom floor; a stationary mechanist was positioned right inside the doorway. Instead I leapt from the bridge and mantled into a window on the south side (first image below). This side accessed the whole east tower. Moved my way up via the floors. Level 3 had a lot of guards, but none of them first alerted. They were probably permanently alerted from the fights on the top bridge. This was great for Supreme, otherwise I would never have been able to loot this floor. I used the barrels to wait out the patroller and the pivoting guards. Both guards on the floor above first alerted like normal, however. Not sure why they behaved differently from the ones below. I was not able to get a piece of loot on this level for Supreme, a gold goblet between some boxes right by a stationary guard (second image below). For regular Ghost, I even had to douse the torch behind him in order to reach it. Quite a nasty loot placement by Zontik there.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5_files/image001.jpgInline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5_files/image002.jpgUnfortunately, my travels up the east tower was halted by a stationary archer on level 5 (first image below). He never moved and there was only one entrance to this floor. I had to get to the roof on this tower in order to proceed with the objectives, so I had to backtrack and think of something else. I went all the way down and ascended the service staircase. This gave me the warden’s note, which triggered access to the service shaft key in the warden’s house south of the opening plaza. Back in the main plaza, the big robot had gone kaput and the guards were on high alert. Luckily, they roamed the entire plaza, so I could easily wait them out. I could get into the warden’s house without alerts. I used the porch pillar to block the stationary guard’s view (second image below). That way, I could run up fast when the patroller was facing away, then mantle the railing and sneak inside. Used the same method going back.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5_files/image003.jpgInline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5_files/image004.jpgI lock-blocked both grates leading to the west tower, then returned the service shaft key right away. I thought perhaps I could cross the bridge from the top level of the west tower, but with the lights on, this was absolutely impossible. I could creep along the railing, but the fighting guards always saw me. The lights could only be turned off from the east tower anyway, so no hope there. I was thus forced to douse the torch by the aforementioned guard in the east tower and accept the Supreme bust. However, when ghosting the mission a second time for my YouTube recording, this guard had gotten alerted by a running mechanist on the roof. He was searching around with his mace raised and after a few reloads, he went down the hallway to the west. At this time, I quickly ran south, grabbed the purse from the stationary female and flew up to the roof. Excellent! Unfortunately, I had already taken a water arrow when this situation occurred. Is this a bust? I thought I needed the arrow at the time, but then didn’t, and since arrows can’t be returned, I was stuck with it. I think this would be comparable to using weapons that you later realize could’ve been avoided, like my use of a holy water vial in Death’s Dominion. The only difference is I realized this water arrow wasn’t needed during the playthrough, as opposed to after. Furthermore, rule #13 says “return what is not usable”, indicating that picking up unnecessary items does happen. Rule #7 says about items that you are required to pick up: “Some items stay permanently in inventory or disappear from inventory so they cannot be put back. These are excused.” Another similar situation would be taking a stack of items from a footlocker instead of only a single item from a shelf. Is it a bust to take 5 when you only need 1? I’m not sure.
The four enemies on the roof were highly unpredictable. One guard stayed up here permanently, randomly entering hunt mode. He often alerted a female arbalist in the northeast corner. She would usually return to her spot, but might be positioned differently and with increased vigilance. The two guards involved in the conversation by the bridge usually ended up running downstairs. If one of them didn’t, I replayed the scenario until they did. That’s when I adjusted the catapult. I could do that without turning the lights off if said guards were downstairs. With a bit of luck, I could also sneak over to the stairs up to the top office. Getting the loot up there was no big deal, as the guard here wasn’t alerted at all.
Now came time for the elevator and getting the fan. This was no small task. However, there is no point in explaining all my experimentation, because once I realized the bafflingly simple solution, I was dumbfounded. I namely found I could run up the slope outside the balcony from the lower level bridge (first image below). Strafe-running at a certain angle got me up there every time. I could even grab the fan without mantling the railing (second image below). Slid back down without issues. I climbed up the opposite side the same way to get the searching patroller’s purse. This way, I never even had to take the mace to turn on the elevator. Perfect!
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5_files/image005.jpgInline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5_files/image006.jpgWest TowerThe top level had a difficult coin pair on a shelf (first image below). One guard seemed to be in constant hunt mode, while the stationary one entered this mode only intermittently. I snuck over when the patroller had his back turned and grabbed it. The level below was problematic. Another guard was in constant hunt mode, but he was a lot more vigilant than the others. Instead of being scripted, it seems like he repeatedly got alerted to the fights above. I needed to pass him to get to the ventilation room. I also preferably needed two flares from the other room on this floor. There was a pack of 5 flares in a footlocker in the east tower, but I’d rather just pick up two singles. First I waited until said guard started searching down towards the storage room with the other guard in it. At that point, I could head down to the ventilation room and place the fan there. It made a clang, but I don’t think this triggered anyone. While there, the guard suddenly started patrolling normally. This was the first time I had ever seen him in this state. I waited a few rounds for him to settle further, and then snuck into the storage room and grabbed the flares (second image below). Great!
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5_files/image007.jpgInline Image:
https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5_files/image008.jpgOn the next level down I could take a coin stack, but couldn’t move past the next doorway. A stationary guard looked my direction. Fortunately, there was a way up to this level from the streets. Instead I headed down to the bottom floor and attempted to sneak outside. Another stationary guard watched the front gate (image below). I could sneak along the north wall safely, but once the light from the lamp further east struck me, he gave a first alert. I realized, however, that the torch in this room flickered. This meant that its luminosity was variable and I might be able to use this to my advantage. I kept reloading to test it out, and suddenly I managed to reach the corner without an alert. Experimenting some more, I’d say once every ten moves or so he didn’t alert. I had to be lucky and catch the torch on the weakest part of its cycle as I passed the middle portion of the north wall. I could also get caught right at the corner of the gate, but this was only about 50% of the time.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5_files/image009.jpgTook the loot in the streets without issues. Climbed the archway of the tower entrance, then furthermore the sloped wall up to the balcony (image below). I could now get the last purse for Supreme and also reach the fuel can. I didn’t find a way to turn on the elevator on the roof for Ghost, so this was the only way to get it for Supreme. The lid I could drop on the ground without anyone hearing it. I had previously left the gate to the main entrance open, so I carried the fuel can all the way to the roof. Fortunately, the fighters had all congregated in the middle of the bridge, so I could sneak by the barrels unnoticed. Both guards up here were stationary, but the drain for the fuel was luckily a few feet behind one of them. Although the tank made a clang, this must have been scripted, as the guard didn’t say anything.
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5_files/image010.jpgIn order to get back down, I dropped from the gutter spout directly onto the lamp above the balcony (image below). Landing in a mantle was silent and harmless. Remembered to close up the gate before lighting the torch and burning the ashes. Great mission!
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https://www.klatremus.org/Patriot9.5_files/image011.jpgNotes:- Had to skip a gold goblet on level 4 of the east tower for Supreme. A stationary guard went into hunt mode unless I doused the torch behind him.
- I ended up taking a water arrow that I planned on using, but due to my circumstances, didn’t need to. A bust? I’m not sure. It seems silly to be penalized the player for being able to avoid a bust.