A Thief Nonetheless (Contest 4 entry, 02/03/2003)

[Sneaky1Kenobi]

Ummm......uhh....Kinda embarrassed to say, but is there a way to start this mission without getting into a huge brawl?? Maybe I am just a bad thief, but I just can't figure out what to do here to keep from either being seen or heard! I tried dousing the torch behind me and crouching to see if I could avoid detection (nope), and I tried breaking the window and mantling in to escape (no way). Anyone figure this out?

Download links (added by Nightwalker):
http://thiefmissions.com/m/AThiefNonetheless
http://thief-thecircle.com/missions/
http://keepofmetalandgold.com/fmarchive.htm
http://www.ttlg.de/de/download/navig...M-Download.xml

[Nightwalker]

The solution to getting started in this one without getting noticed is a trick that perhaps you haven't come across before. If you time things just right, you can lean forward and BJ an AI that is coming towards you without being seen, as long as it is dark. It works very well for the archer(s) that walks down the side of the house at the start. Then you can take your time getting past the other guards.

[Dinksmallwood]

Yes, exactly Nightwalker

and if you

spoiler:

have knocked out the guards patrouilling around the house with this 'leaning-forward-technique' you have several opportunities to attract the other guards so you can blackjack them the same way. For example you could break one of the windows and then just wait in the shadow. The guards will start to look for you. So you just need to lean forward again, use your blackjack and - voila - you will soon have a nice pile of 'sleeping' guards . I found another way to get the attention of all those guards: After blackjacking the patrouilling guards I start to run around the house. A lot of the guards will start to chase you. But after one or two rounds they will lost you in the shadows of the house. And again you only need to lean forward - pull blackjack - make guard-pile.

[uncadonego]

That Dinky always likes to cause a ruckus whenever she can. I can just she her with 14 guards running behind her! Sort of makes you wish you could see it from a distance in game! I prefer the more stealthy approach, but Dinky doesn't give a pap!
Alt+W is what I have set for leaning forward.

[Sneaky1Kenobi]

Oh yeah, I have done that before but it doesn't seem to work for me all the time. I use the lean forward blackjack quite a lot, but not too often for someone facing me - I find that it sometimes just makes them mad and doesn't knock them out. Well, if that is the only way to do this one and not start a war, I will give it a try. Thanks all for the advice!!

[epithumia]

For fun, blackjack the first guy but only after pickpocketing his arrow. Then wait for the other guy to come around and do the same to him.

[uncadonego]

Wow, epithumia! You are definitely a first class thief if you can pickpocket the guy coming at you before you knock him out! I'm very impressed!

[Thorin Oakenshield]

After all my car troubles I've finally got around to playing the c4 fm's

I've just finished playing ATNTL. What a great mission
Very nice architecture, tricky to get the guards outside but I killed one with an arrow and waited to BJ the other Someone likes hiding switches like me

Final word: I like it

Now to play Thief Noir...

[Norman Druart]

I can't figure out one thing is this mission: there's a secret compartment in the wall of the storage room upstairs. The compartment door is frobable but locked.Anyone have the solution?

Thanks!

[uncadonego]

Do you mean

spoiler:

the safe

that is

spoiler:

behind the wall

? Otherwise, I've completely missed something in this game.

[Nightwalker]

Yes, I'm confused as well. There are 3 rooms upstairs, one that looks like a small office, one with a guard snoozing in a chair and a bedroom. Can you be more specific? This is a great little mission, by the way. Loads of fun to play with well hidden secrets and loot.

[Sneaky1Kenobi]

The room with the guard snoozing has a secret:

spoiler:

teensy switch between wardrobe and wall opens a passage.

Also, the bedroom has a secret:

spoiler:

teensy switch (again) behind right side of chest of drawers.

I can't get the statue though! Anyone accomplish this? I have the

spoiler:

note that says something about tapping on the wall, and I tried banging on various things but couldn't get anything to happen. Can we get into the control room?

Norman, what do you mean by storage room? All the rooms I saw on the second floor were same as NW (besides the secret passage).

[epithumia]

You're missing something upstairs:

spoiler:

There are three secrets up there.

[Norman Druart]

Originally posted by Norman Druart
I can't figure out one thing is this mission: there's a secret compartment in the wall of the storage room upstairs. The compartment door is frobable but locked.Anyone have the solution?

Thanks!

Ah, whoops; too many FM's in too short a time. Can't read my own notes.

The above question refers to Too Good to be True. I do, however, have one for this mission: playing on Mother, I have 2410 loot, the vase, the statue, and 3 out of 4 secrets found. The ones I've located are 1. The switch to move the armoire that leads to the safes, 2. The similar switch that opens the way to the display control room, and 3. The switch that flips open the painting in the curator's bedroom. I've also rope arrowed up to the secret attic treasure area that's accessible from the ground floor. I'm 90 loot short of the minimum to finish and about 200 short of the maximum available.

[Sneaky1Kenobi]

Okay Epithumia, I found the 3rd secret and got the statue and the

spoiler:

rope arrow. I STILL can't finish! I have pickpocheted everyone (including the first 2 archer dudes), but am still a little of 150 short on loot. There are supposed to be 4 secrets total - where is the 4th???

Very nicely done mission! I quite enjoyed the challenge.

Edit: Norman and I posted at the same time. Norman looks like we are in the same boat!

[kfort]

spoiler:

Check the bathroom. There is another secret in there. Also, there should be a little loot hidden in the coat room. Basically every single room has one tiny switch or hidden item in it! If you can't find the switch or loot, just walk around randomly clicking around the edges of the furniture - you're bound to find it eventually.

I found this mission quite fun I enjoyed collecting a stream of blackjacks at the beginning of the mission by luring people into the dark alleys. Frontal blackjacks in pitch darkness are quite easy. The hardest part was getting past my mounting pile of bodies! I'm not much for key/switch-hunting, but overall this was a well-done level with nice gameplay and a good mini-plot. (I really liked finding that sleeping guard. I almost left him unblackjacked, so that he could awake to find the entire household cleaned out and everyone else blackjacked - all while he slept at his post! )

[Norman Druart]

Thank kfort, that was the one. I can't actually see the switch even though I know it's there and can frob it. I was also able to grab the third statuette in the display room although I practically had to climb on the pedestal before it lit up. (Bit of a design flaw there) Now I'm just 10 loot short of the maximum so I think I'll move on to the next challenge.

[Nightwalker]

Just 10 short? Did you find the coin lying on the floor beside the chair in the cloakroom?

[Norman Druart]

Originally posted by Nightwalker
Just 10 short? Did you find the coin lying on the floor beside the chair in the cloakroom?

OK, now I'm 5 short.

[kfort]

spoiler:

On the top floor in the master bedroom, look on the top of the wardrobe (middle of the room, across from the door) There is a copper coin stack on top behind the decorative wood front thingy) If you look at it from the side you should just barely see the coinstack - it is worth five gold!

Hope that's it!
Kfort

[Fidcal]

Sneaking back to the query that began this thread, It's possible to start this FM and slip unseen into the mansion without harming anyone (see spoiler) but I'm not sure how far this can be sustained. Anyone managed to ghost this? Hope I haven't wasted anything I'll regret later. I had to wake Figalily to get his gold but with the light out he seemed to quieten down and remained standing on his bed.

spoiler:

check inventory

[Lachdanan]

Here can I find the rope arrow?

[Doomed_Fool]

Originally posted by Lachdanan
Here can I find the rope arrow?

spoiler:

Assuming you found the control room, it's in there.

[Lachdanan]

Yes I know the control room.

[lonzboy]

This one had some great architecture, inside and out! Odd reason for liking this one. You know what the reason is? Space. Mostly all of the others had a lot crammed into the space they had (nothing wrong with this though, don't get me wrong). This one seemed to take a relaxed approach to the use of space, and still kept things in a normal sized proportional perspective. No cramping, no claustrophobia. One building, generous outdoors (which looked beautiful BTW), and yet, there was just as much to see and do as most of the others. Four secrets! Excellent! Rope work! Mech eye, hidden walkways, loot. I like the bathroom too. Nice, nice interior decorating. And challenging to take care of all those guards too! Small space, but took me 27 minutes and something seconds to complete! Now THAT's a mission!