No Vertical Camera Challenge for Thief Gold

[Galaer]

NO VERTICAL CAMERA CHALLENGE FOR THIEF GOLD

Played on Expert, Newdark

Rule: you can't use buttons for looking up or down. Because of that mouse is banned.

Thief Gold is a lot more about platforming than Thief 2, so I expect a lot more challenge. There will be also underwater sections and they will be very hard too. I know about couple of ways to lower myself and about climbing. Also if I mention low lean technique I mean combing low step while crouch walking with leaning forward. Ladders can be climbed only from front, so they will always be tricky to climb.

A KEEPER'S TRAINING

2 torches at starting point aren't solid. I finished sparring before guard entered sparring zone. And for key I need to lean. That's it.

STATS:

Time: 0:04:21
Busts: 0

MISSION 1 - LORD BAFFORD'S MANOR

This mission isn't too hard either. You can only frob sewers hatch near well by leaning, but you can't descend to sewers without getting hurt and there is locked portcullis blocking way and there is no way to return on street. Also tunnel leading to spider cave is too low underwater, so it must be skipped. And also goblet on bench on 1st floor is too low. Still loot objective is easy to complete.

STATS:

Time: 0:22:46; Loot: 1114/1429
Pockets Picked: 4/4
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 21
Damage Dealt: 21; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 1
Busts: 0

MISSION 2 - BREAK FROM CRAGSCLEFT PRISON

Loot objective is harder to complete, because there is a lot of loot lying on ground. Because of that I need to skip 478 loot in total. In mine nugget on ledge is possible to grab if you jump and mantle on ledge with it. In sewers it's possible to lean from bottom of stairs and grab key and arrows. Unfortunately letter is a bit too far and it's necessary to take it (bust #1). There are 2 pipe watchers: guarding #3-4 blocks I eliminate with upward arrow shot and one guarding #1-2 blocks I destroy with overhead swing of sword. These damages count as 2 extra kills in stats. For cell with Hand of Glory you need to crouch under levers and stand to get stopped by correct lever and highlight it.. Unfortunately both Hand of Glory and Basso's body are too low (bust #2-3). When returning to mine I noticed that alerted novice ran all the way there.

STATS:

Time: 0:47:47; Loot: 1275/1678
Pockets Picked: 11/11
Back Stabs: 4; Knock Outs: 26
Damage Dealt: 173; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 6
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 1
Busts: 3 (letter, Hand of Glory, Basso's body)

[Galaer]

MISSION 3 - DOWN IN THE BONEHOARD

At starting point while noticing that goblet is too low for me I saw that sarcophagus near it slightly levitates above ground. In crypts instead of using rope I strafe jumped to mantle on opposite ledge. For next rope I jumped on it, dropped to grab lower part of rope and dropped again on ground. Then jump into water to go through underwater tunnel. Next ladder requires me jumping on torch and drop on lower part of ladder. Here are 3 rocks and in this mission I need 6 rocks for Horn of Quintus. So I'm forced to take one rock with me.

In catacombs there is tower with 4 ladders. On higher sarcophagus is goblet. To get it from sarcophagus I jump on ladder and mantle on higher sarcophagus, then again on ladder and on ledge with highest sarcophagus to grab goblet and then drop on lower part of ladder to return on ground. I lured lying near ladder zombie to fire trap. Then go to entrance to burrick cave leading to horn and from there strafe jump and mantle on ledge leading to Mystic Heart area. Tower with magic missiles is tough, because I am forced to do quick blind drops on narrow bridges. Near exit is top of water tower. From there jump on lower ladder to get goblet on sarcophagus and then jump and mantle to Hammerites tomb.

Next are 2 diamonds in demon face eyes in pit. For that I need to shoot rope arrow into wooden ceiling, but it's high. I need to make 3 rocks stack and do crouch jump for upward shots of 2 rope arrows into ceiling. Here I learned another important detail about upward shots - light shots going higher than full shots. This includes non gravity arrows like fire arrow as well. It's weird that I didn't notice it earlier during my Thief 2 run. This way you can drop on lower part of rope, take diamonds and jump from one rope to another to climb back up.

Mystic Soul is complicated. I need 3 rocks for it, then I do 3 crouch jumps for upward water arrow shots to douse 3 torches. I can't use ladder above them, because it's in narrow shaft and ladder is slightly too long to climb it even if you do 4 rocks stack (which is max in this place). Instead throw rocks into room with locked water, make 3 rocks stack, do upward rope shot into wooden pillar and shoot 5 torches with fire arrows to unlock water passage. Then you need to jump on rope to mantle on stone ring under ceiling, go south to crouch jump into water and strafe left into underwater tunnel. Swim in circles to emerge from water faster.

Mystic Soul obtained and I noticed that traps may clip skull through stone stairs. I also noticed that there are whole steps that act as pressure tile. Return path is also tricky, because ladder is too long and underwater tunnel requires to drop from high place and I don't have any rocks. So instead I take 3 skulls from stairs and stack them near water. On top of them I put 3 healing potions and mantle on this stack. Jump on ladder, turn around and drop into water. This will lower me enough to use tunnel. But I emerge in room with alerted fire shadow and zombies, so I run to Hammerite tomb, run around trap and occasionally jump on ladder for safe spot. Thanks to trap fire shadow will die. I also lure zombies here to KO them, because I need to quickly retrieve rocks from fire shadow's room.

Horn of Quintus requires 6 rocks. First ladder is easy to beat - you jump on it and mantle on ledge. Next you need to make 3 rocks stack in front of 2nd ladder, climb on it, jump on ladder and mantle on ledge. 3rd ladder is the same, but instead of jumping on ladder, you mantle on ledge. Then you jump on side ledges and strafe jump+mantle on top of tower. Return path is the same. I noticed that it's impossible for burricks to escape cave and enter catacombs.

STATS:

Time: 1:57:59; Loot: 2235/2450
Back Stabs: 4; Knock Outs: 5
Damage Dealt: 342; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 20
Busts: 0

[Galaer]

MISSION 4 - ASSASSINS

This mission is super easy. There is 200 loot too low on carpet and also one guard in city got stuck walking at wooden pillar. And that's all.

STATS:

Time: 0:40:16; Loot: 2205/2705
Pockets Picked: 7/9; Locks Picked: 12
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 32
Damage Dealt: 32; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 1
Busts: 0

MISSION 5 - THIEVES' GUILD

To get to casino I did light moss arrow shot into shaft and pushed small barrel closer to shaft. From it I did crouch jump to do light upward shot of rope arrow into ceiling, drop on it's lower side and on moss. There is 450 loot too low for me. In wooden passage to Reuben I mantled on bunk and sneaked behind woman with purse. She searched for me while standing in place and after 5 seconds I was able to grab her purse. In Thom's room safe with bracelet is too low (bust #1). On 2nd floor thieves wake up if you sneak closer to them from east side no matter how quiet you are.

To get to Donal I need to use panel #47. For that you need to jump into water and strafe swim to the end. Return is harder. In one spot you need to lower yourself by angled wall and drink speed potion to strafe swim to the end. In Donal's house on 1st floor I had weird problem - KO-ing patrolling thief increased loading time. Luckily loading time returned to normal after I visited 2nd floor.

STATS:

Time: 1:09:27; Loot: 2221/2716
Pockets Picked: 14/18; Locks Picked: 12
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 61
Damage Dealt: 61; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 1
Busts: 1 (bracelet)

[downwinder]

have fun on thieves guild :P

[Kubrick]

What an insane, overly-complicated idea that only someone too involved with 20+ year old games could come up with.

I love it.

[Galaer]

MISSION 6 - THE SWORD

There is a lot of loot lying on floor, but it's still not that hard to complete loot objective. On 1st floor in SE room I can do low step to get 2 goblets. In SW room safe in pillar is a bit too low to picklock and even if it was possible, safe door would be in the way of highlighting plate, which is also placed too low on ground. For ceiling water I need to do stack out of potted plant and 2 crates. Weirdly enough there are only 2 crates on 1st floor, so I need to bring plant from 2nd floor. For falling from chest diamond I bring crate to put it under it. In mini dining room I need crate to put on table to frob trapdoor on ceiling and then 2 crates stack to mantle up and from barrel lean for 2 chests, For chest with magic missiles shot I put rock on pressure tile to disable traps. This way I can get close enough to picklock chest. For sword I am mantling from below.

The biggest problem is with getting info about Constantine. In garden is room with info scroll, but it lies on floor, which is too low. And I can't get to little big world, because it requires me to swim couple times down. Back entrance to this area is opened by switch inside. It's impossible to lean through secret passage to shoot it. Passage makes wooden noise when hit, but it can't be bashed open. So I returned to scroll in garden and tried to move it with fire arrows. It works (though if you pick scroll and drop it fire arrow don't move it). With this it's possible to make scroll land vertically on ground, so it partially clip into grass. Sadly it's still too low to frob it. I tried to move scroll with fire arrows all the way to stairs to maybe push it on higher steps, but scroll stays on ground. Ultimately I needed to admit defeat and looked down to pick up scroll (bust #1).

STATS:

Time: 0:59:53; Loot: 1810/2656
Pockets Picked: 8/10; Locks Picked: 7
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 16
Damage Dealt: 16; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Busts: 1 (info scroll)

MISSION 7 - THE HAUNTED CATHEDRAL

In house with hole you need to crouch and do light rope arrow shot into wooden edge of hole, so you can return from caves below. Hammer near bones must be taken by mantling from water. In the same house are 2 pieces of loot on wooden beams. Near door is pole lamp. From it you can mantle on slope leading to roof and drop on wooden beams. From edge of middle beam you can lean for goblet on window. Diamond must be taken while dropping from beam. You get plate on stone beams in the same way. For vase on opposite house's window you must lean. There is also house with vase on 2nd floor and you need to do 3 rocks stack to mantle up there.

Blue chest with torc requires to use low step to picklock. It's long and annoying. I use "toggle creep" button (Caps Lock) to have longer lower step. After triggering fight between burricks and zombies one burrick keeps attacking 2 lying zombies. After load zombies stand up, but they refuse to wake up. Burrick barely notice us, so it's easy to ignore it. Watchman's grave has bowl that is too low and dropping coins doesn't complete objective, so I'm forced to look down (bust #1). There is vase on wall and it's possible to get it. You need to drop on edge and go closer to ceiling slope and lean towards vase. Small house above bridge can be mantled by using rock, but necklace is too far inside and too low.

At this point I completed all objectives except getting 2000 loot. There is only 2635 loot in this mission, so it makes 635 loot of leeway. But I skipped 1015 loot so far, so I will definitely need to get loot that is placed too low on floor. I tried to push it with fire arrows, but it failed. I only discovered that fire arrow shot into water vanish. I have 1415 loot, so I need 585 loot to complete loot objective. I never found all loot in this mission, so I decided to use lootlist to find rest of loot, but sadly it didn't help me minimize number of busts. So I was forced to look down to grab tiara, necklace, 2 diamonds and vase (bust #2-6). I knew that this mission will have hard to complete loot objective, but I had no idea it will be so brutal.

STATS:

Time: 1:51:45; Loot: 2040/2635
Locks Picked: 17
Back Stabs: 10; Knock Outs: 7; While Airborne: 1
Damage Dealt: 399; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 16
Busts: 6 (bowl + 5 pieces of loot)

[Galaer]

MISSION 8 - THE MAGE TOWERS

In Water Tower I can only swim up to surface if I hug east wall. For return I can swim down only when hugging west wall, but not deep enough. I also tried to lean through doors leading to other elemental towers to frob lever on other side, but I failed. So I'm forced to look down to exit Water Tower (bust #1). In Earth Tower at the top I need crate to mantle up on higher ledge and I need one more crate on the other side to repeat this climb. Other than that mission is easy. I didn't notice any loot impossible to frob, though I missed 100 loot.

STATS:

Time: 1:19:48; Loot: 2712/2812
Pockets Picked: 22/22; Locks Picked: 4
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 69; While Airborne: 1
Damage Dealt: 58; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Busts: 1 (exit from Water Tower)

MISSION 9 - THE LOST CITY

I remember to buy scroll this time. Entrance to Lost City objective completes by getting on purple roof of brick building near well. Also I need to skip 2 pieces of loot and crates behind wall. I tried to mantle over it, but it was too slippery for me. To use stone key you must jump into canal from east side. In underwater section I can get to 1st airhole. To descend I need to hug west wall and then NW wall, but I can't swim down low enough, so for the rest of swim I need to look down (bust #1). Afterwards I need to run away from spiders, because they are too low for me to kill them.

In library I can lean for 2 goblets on window. At lower floor I can lean for necklace on bed. North from theater I noticed city bricks near ceiling. It's weird that I see that now when I can't look up. Both medallions are too low on ground and they can't be moved by fire arrow (bust #2-3). In Water Temple you can barely strafe jump and mantle on both sides of lava pit. It's very precise, though return you can position near brazier and strafe jump twice to reach other side easier. All loot is easy to pick up, though small urn requires you to lean left from bottom of small slope.. I learned that if you go inside 2nd sarcophagus you trigger invisible mine, which hurts you. Exit from lower floor is tricky. You need to stack scroll from shop, 2 potions (also from shop) and lever. From stack you must jump on other side of ladder and from there you can mantle up.

In colosseum it's possible pick up big urns with low lean. On path to Fire Tower is diamond on roof. To get it you need to jump on roof from statue and then drop on it's edge on west side and lean for it. In Fire Tower to get to top floor I can mantle on stone railing, crouch and climb higher on it's right edge, uncrouch and try to jump on window and from there to top floor.

Just like in Haunted Cathedral here too is problem with loot objective. At least I completed gem requirement. I need to get 2000 loot out of 3205, but I can only get 1515 loot without looking down. I used lootlist, but it didn't help me too much. Since loot pieces are closer to each other I'm going to call bust by looting the whole rooms instead for every single loot piece. So to complete loot objective I loot 2 rooms in colosseum and one room in Fire Tower (bust #4-6).

STATS:

Time: 1:56:13; Loot: 2050/3205
Locks Picked: 0
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 10
Damage Dealt: 210; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 13
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 2
Busts: 6 (underwater swim, 2 medallions, 3 loot rooms)

[Galaer]

MISSION 10 - SONG OF THE CAVERNS

In water is 1st problem - water tunnel is underwater. It's possible to get stuck on it's edge and getting unstuck lowers me and makes me swim into tunnel. 2nd underwater tunnel requires me to lower myself with wall slope and quickly strafe swim to next tunnel. Into last tunnel you must drop instead of jumping. It's not possible to get map and key even if you put rock in front of homeless, he will put items on ground anyway. To get up you need to jump on rope and mantle on roof, turn around and jump on rope and immediately to cave. Because of objective completed chime mantle will be noiseless.

In wine cellar you need to do low step to frob one of bottles. Ticket money requires you to lean for them. I can't use secret passage, because of no key, so I need to use front door. Here I learn that there are 2 extra guards inside. Sometimes they spawn, no idea what's the trigger. Purple box with key on bookcase requires low step.

STATS:

Time: 1:12:41; Loot: 2520/2920
Pockets Picked: 13/13; Locks Picked: 8
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 59; While Airborne: 1
Damage Dealt: 59; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 2
Busts: 0

MISSION 11 - UNDERCOVER

In high priest's room is hammer on table and you can lean for it. Sadly there is 1046 loot too low for me and I need to get 2400 loot out of 2758. No need for lootlist anymore, I found everything. So I'm forced to look down to loot 2 cemetery areas (2 vases in easch) and old kitchen (bust #1-3). Also 2 switches in garden and cemetery are too high for a change (bust #4-5). Talisman can be taken with low step.

STATS:

Time: 0:28:19; Loot: 2483/2758
Locks Picked: 2
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 20
Damage Dealt: 20; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 2
Busts: 5 (2 switches, 3 loot rooms)

MISSION 12 - RETURN TO THE CATHEDRAL

From this mission I don't need to worry for money, because there is no loot objective. Also I'm not going to do Murus' requests, because they can't be completed without looking down. For example I can't make hammer and I can't pick up holy symbol. Also I can't grab bodies to complete Murus' 2nd request.

In cathedral I can get goblet on 2nd floor ledge by dropping. In the same way I can get candle and purse near it and also prayer book. I need to lean to frob down button in elevator. In winter tunnels I can stand on top of stairs near secret switch, lean behind corner towards switch and jump to frob it. After taking Eye haunts don't calm down for long time, so I need to run away from them to garden, mantle on tree and on roof. Here I placed earlier crate, so I can mantle on higher roof and go to walls around cathedral to finish this mission.

STATS:

Time: 0:42:22; Loot: 1161/2126
Locks Picked: 8
Back Stabs: 10; Knock Outs: 0
Damage Dealt: 525; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 26
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 3
Busts: 0

[Galaer]

MISSION 13 - ESCAPE!

Blackjack is too low! Oh no. Then without alerts I jumped and mantle into stash with rope arrow. Unfortunately it's too low to grab, but standing on ledge I can grab gas arrow and return by strafe jumping and mantling. I go left and kill spider with backstab. I need to crouch for that. Spider near treehouse with Constantine's plans alerted to me and jumped on upper ledge where he got stuck. I gassed 2 bugbeasts, but can't really do anything with 2 frogs. Treehouse is too high for me to climb. I will need crates for that.

Then I went to fire elementals, jumped twice in place to alert them and escaped to cave with stuck spider. I was hoping for elemental to kill beasts, but that didn't happen. When elemental went back I quickly run on top of ledge and jumped for gas arrow. Then went right to kill ratman near tree and heard beasts finding body. I alerted elementals again and escaped to cave with stuck spider. Elemental found body and started carnage. This allowed me to get to 3rd treehouse. Still I was forced to kill some ratmen, but they are easy to kill. When alerted I only need to use backstab and 2 slashes. When unalerted single slash can kill it. I was surprised how easy it was. Then I killed 2 elementals and found crates in basement.

To get to treehouse with plans I needed to move 4 crates on broken obelisk: one crate on fallen part and 3 crates stack on standing part of obelisk. From it I do strafe jump and barely mantle on ledge of treehouse. Sadly book with plans is too low and fire arrow doesn't affect it (bust #1). I returned to basement to kill ratmen and gas spider as it's more annoying opponent (because of crouching).

On 1st floor I killed ratman and I was surprised that nobody heard that. I went to bar and hid on counter from alerted frog, then doused torches and killed bugbeast and more ratmen. Also took gas arrow. I couldn't get my purse with loot from previous mission, because it's too low on floor. I alerted frog in right corridor and tried to lure it into dining room to choose another entrance and skip it, but it tricked me and used other entrance, which killed me. After reload I successfully went past it and hid on top of lockers. Then I gassed patrolling ratman and stationary bugbeast, ran on top of fountain and jumped over 2 frogs to escape from mansion.

STATS:

Time: 0:55:06; Loot: 200/3141
Locks Picked: 0
Back Stabs: 10; Knock Outs: 0
Damage Dealt: 399; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 21
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 6
Busts: 1 (info book)

[Galaer]

MISSION 14 - STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

Can't grab broadhead arrows, because they are too low. I sneak to underground by falling on ladder and then on ground. KO-ed 4 ratmen without alerts (usually some of them will go into search mode). For chisel I lured green spider in different spot and killed him with sword. For red spider I can strafe run behind pew and sneak in front of spider to kill him. Chisel is too low and isn't affected by fire arrow (bust #1). The rest of mission is easy.

STATS:

Time: 0:18:25; Loot: 0/100
Locks Picked: 0
Back Stabs: 2; Knock Outs: 9; While Airborne: 1
Damage Dealt: 81; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 3
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 2
Busts: 1 (chisel)

MISSION 15 - INTO THE MAW OF CHAOS

Only 2 gas arrows are too low. In ice area all water arrows are too low. I jumped over frogs and blindly used slide to descend. All fire arrows are too low, so instead of fighting fire elementals I just strafe jumped over 2 lava pools and descended on 2nd slide, which was less blind.

Water tunnel is mostly easy except drop into hole. You must strafe swim into ceiling slope on the left very low above water and just before falling strafe swim north to drop into hole. This drop took me many tries.

Killing green spiders in giant tree required from me doing jump broadhead arrow shot. Then I went under red spider and did jump gas shot into ledge with him to kill him. Lastly I did jump rope shot to mantle to top of tree. Then I ran to the portal.

Earth and water orbs are low, so it's easy to use gas and fire arrows. I also gassed both beasts guarding portal by doing jump shot. The problem are fire and air orb that require moss and water arrows. Orbs are too high and too far. So I need to get closer to portal. I went to tunnel leading to ritual and along right wall did 4 consecutive strafe jumps over lava to barely mantle to portal area. This took many tries and I lost 4 HP. I'm still too low, but I can mantle on red portal and from there shoot both orbs with light shots. To return I need to do 2 consecutive jumps to land on slope and slide on ledge near lava. Then go left to find spot to climb. To get to ritual area I need to jump from vine to vine to top and then drop on right vine and on ground. Eye is easy to swap.

STATS:

Time: 0:29:39; Loot: 0/0
Locks Picked: 0
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 7; While Airborne: 1
Damage Dealt: 68; Damage Taken: 4; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 3
Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 2
Busts: 0

TOTAL STATS:

Time: 15:16:54; Loot: 24076
Damage Dealt: 2492; Damage Taken: 4
Busts: 25

FINAL NOTES

To be honest I'm a bit disappointed by this challenge in this game. I thought that because of focus on platforming and verticality, I thought Thief Gold will present many interesting problems, but no. Most of stuff was just too low and I couldn't do anything about it. Loot objective was a lot more troublesome than in Thief 2. Very rarely problem was because things were too high. Thief 2 run was more interesting. Still in this game highlights were Bonehoard and Maw.