Ghost January 12, 2001. Perfect Thief January 13, 2001.
Time: 00:38:00
Loot: 1,606 of 2,656 (required 1,500)
Pockets: 5 of 10
Locks: 8
Loadout: none
Consumables: none
This would be my first Ghost only attempt. Get the sword, get the key, get the evidence, pick up loot of opportunity while doing the other objectives. I had to scrounge up three hundred more after the evidence. I suppose setting a target (loot objective) and leaving when you get that is a realistic method. Keeps the time down. Keeps the risk down.
As well I managed to do this without setting off any traps. There are three bits of loot that cannot be gotten without setting the traps off.
It turns out the base of the structure holding the sword is darkness on five of its six sides. I elected to use the rope arrow method to get the sword so had to spend some time CCCing around this base shooting rope arrows. I also retrieved them so a little extra time for that since it required four trips up the ropes.
There are four stationary and two patrolling guards nearby. The four stationary ones can be left alone and they'll stay put. If you approach either of these two pairs they'll have a short chat and begin a patrol that just makes it more difficult. The two patrolling require your attention. One passes right through the sword room. The other one above can spot you getting the sword. There is a lot of darkness up and down the ropes but I was always fully lit when at the sword. I could manage to keep track of these two by sound and still focus on my rope arrow business.
I further selected the clockwise opening above as my route. The two stationary guards above cannot see into this opening and this allowed me to work in full darkness from the side of the base opposite the side the patrol passes on.
A rope arrow in the ceiling halfway between this opening and the sword is close enough to grab the sword. It won't reach all the way down to the floor though. Another arrow is required at least up to the overhang. Jump back and forth between the two ropes where they overlap to get all the way up.
I further shot a few into the wall beside the opening to retrieve the ceiling arrow. Turns out you can retrieve the last arrow while still on the rope. Falling from this height is okay as long as the patrol is not handy. It won't spook the stationary guards. Not often anyway. This arrow needs to be placed very near the lowest point just below the opening. There is a tiny band here that a rope arrow will attach to.
I used the main stairway in the centre of the building, between the dining room and the bar, to get upstairs. This gave me access to the sword and the nugget on top of the trap in a side room without opening the door to this room and setting the trap off. I also went up to the second floor via the sliding door above the dining table. This turns out to be unnecessary if the main stairway is used so I suppose some time could be cut off.
Perfect Thief
Time: 00:57:55
Pockets: 10 of 10
Score: 2,656 + 8,825 = 11,481
Score is just a number I put together from loot plus loadout value of items picked up to promote getting everything and everywhere in a mission.
I went ahead with my Ghost save to Perfect it and came up 100 loot short and couldn't for the life of me find it. Then I remembered skipping the outside patrolling guard's purse as a focus on Ghosting. Well, I got to play it all over again because there's no way to get this purse before the mission ends. Haha. Duh!
Changed my tactics with the sword. Decided to use the middle opening above since that was close enough to the patrolling archer up there with the tenth pocket to pick. Had to get right into that opening and wait for him to jog by. This required placing the rope arrows differently and more efficiently too as it turned out. The rope arrow close enough to get the sword can be retrieved while standing over the rings. Drop down to the rings and jump down to a lower rope arrow to descend, retrieve this last rope dropping down to the floor. I noticed a little alcove in the sword room with a box in it. I didn't try but I wonder if that is enough extra height to reach a rope arrow stuck into the ceiling. This would simplify things even more
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