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Mission 8: The Art of Deception

 

LOOT LIST

VIDEO REPORT (Narrated Run)

VIDEO REPORT (Segmented Run)

 

[This report has been updated for TFix/NewDark 1.27. Situations affected by these patches and differences between them and OldDark have been inserted in green. All screenshots have been updated, and new ones have been added.]

 

I like this mission. Although not as suspenseful as the previous one, it offers a nice change of pace. It has pockets of hostile guards, a nice city layout, and an intense finale in the priest compound. Some interesting readables and amusing conversations offer a welcome comedic relief. A successful Perfect Supreme Ghost usually means the mission is too easy, but that is not the case here. This campaign continues to impress.

 

 

First I had to make my way to the smugglers’ candy store and leave the Orb of St. Basmus among their merchandise. I couldn’t let them see me or attack them in any way. I was then to find my way to the hammerite priest compound via a secret passageway in the sewers. There I was to leave a note for brother Cavador, telling him about the smugglers and the Orb. 650 worth of loot was also required, plus making my way back home afterwards.

 

  

 

The Goodie Bag

The district around the inn, the market and the cathedral streets posed no Ghost challenges whatsoever. Only a few hammers in this entire area even reacted to my presence. The only problem was scouring closely to find all the loot. The secret above the inn I liked (left image above), it rewarded a consistently determined climber J. The gas arrows by the canal in the west seemed hard to obtain at first without the use of an ice arrow, but there are a couple of ways. I did an angled running jump from the ledge to the north (where the canal  disappears), mantled into the middle alcove across the waterway (right image above). From there I made another hop towards the arrows and caught them in mid-air (I could even get both in one leap). Imagine the grin on my face after those moves. You can also drop down from the rooftops, but I figured that as the least intended route. Big Willy’s abandoned apartment held another secret, a safe behind a shelf unit (left image below).

 

 

 

I arrived at the smugglers’ store from the bedroom balcony just west. Leaped onto the wooden roof from here and slid down on the south side walkway. I picked the lock on the door to the shop and grabbed the loot from the box under the counter. I could keep in the dark while doing all of this, dodging both guards’ patrols. Entered the hallway next and headed downstairs. Placed my Orb and picked the loot. A very well-hidden rug behind the paintings here has probably slipped many a keen eye (right image above). The streets in the back got far more crowded after this, as the members of the conversation now had started patrolling. The archer patrolled faster, so he kinda screwed up my runs a time or two. I tried with several ropes to reach the roof again, as one can’t even enter the yard in front of the shop without getting alerted. Finally settled on the wooden supporting block of the western building (left image below). In NewDark, the roof of the candy store can easily be mantled from the walkway railing to the south. The big problem from here was to reach the train station area without alerting ANY of the 4 smugglers protecting its entrance. I quickly realized my only solution was the roofs. Luckily the designers have placed a tiny wooden rafter underneath the eave to the east of the shop, probably to help reach the open window here. However, one can also use it to mantle onto the roof of the east building (right image below). I was more worried about how to get back without being alerted though, so I started planning my return before even dropping down to street level. There is one window frame very close to the smuggler shop that can serve the purpose. As far as I know, it’s the only place where you can get back onto the roofs from the station side. But to keep Supreme intact I had to be able to retrieve my arrow. Thus fastening the rope from higher grounds and making the arrow tilt upwards was imperative (left image further down). Every ledge has an invisible outer shelf; a very thin area seemingly existing in mid-air. It can be very useful for quiet sneaking, and in this case for reaching hard-to-get arrows. Perfect Supreme still intact! If wanting to get the gas arrow outside the train station, you need to bring along the first rope arrow.

 

 

 

The Lighthouse Cathedral

Found Big Willy’s purse in a closed-off section of the sewers. Was one more tricky piece of loot down here, in a power room protected by hammers. The stationary guard wasn’t troublesome, but the patrolling archer needed to be dealt with. Plus there was a stationary iron beast close to the entry door. The beast can be fooled by creep-crouching. I lurked forward as soon as the archer left, all the way in and grabbed the coins, then back out. I had plenty of time before she returned. The image to the right below is taken at the closest point without spawning comments. The door to the power room had a tendency to disappear also, so it was a juggling act making sure I got through the doorway without it being removed from existence.

 

 

 

Inside the cathedral, the main thing worth mentioning was getting upstairs. Without a single first alert it was quite difficult, however, doable. The trick was to reach the point in the lowest flight of stairs where Zaya is in total darkness (left image below). From there I waited for the perfect moment and ran to the lounge in the northwest. The moment of running is different every time, and it depends on all five guards not looking. The bright light made it difficult. Once upstairs, spots by the walls on the pillared walkway made it easier to maneuver discretely.

 

The only loot upstairs difficult to obtain was the spice bag from Brother Davis’ quarters. He had a weird patrol route where he stopped at random points for anywhere from 5-15 seconds. He had at least 4 different locations where he stopped, but the only one that kept him from hearing the lockpicks on his money box was when he stopped by the cabinet on the north wall (right image below). When I ghosted this mission back in 2005, I didn’t find a way without him first alerting. This time I waited for over 5 minutes to double check for a settling remark, and I assure you he remained unalerted.

 

  

 

I could drop down on the west side of the balcony without alerts or damage. I noticed the secret entrance had been closed, probably an in-game script to boost the challenge. At one time I actually thought this would bust Supreme, as there was no way of closing the portcullis outside and still leave unnoticed. I scratched my head for long, and then almost got embarrassed when I realized the simple truth. Merely leave through the manhole in the courtyard and enter the cathedral once again through the bookcase door. Lower the gate and leave via the living room. Simple!

 

If planning ahead, you can even bring an item along with you to block the secret entrance from closing (left image below). The concealment potion from the power station just south of the cathedral works nicely, as it can easily be returned for Supreme and doesn’t require picking any locks.

 

 

 

STATISTICS:

 

Time: 1:11:10

Loot: 1000 out of 1000

Pickpockets: 2 out of 2

Secrets Found:  2 out of 2

Locks Picked: 14

Damage Dealt: 0  Damage Taken: 0

Consumables: None

Ghost: Success!

Perfect Thief: Success!

Supreme Thief: Success!

Perfect Supreme Thief: Success!

Norwegian Thief: Success!