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[thefil]

Finished run 5 in less than 3 hours. Would have shaved off much more if I had not made it a more or less ghost run, or decided not to get the Dunwall Tower key. Pretty sure you can do Boyle manor in five minutes.

Starting to see the truth of the short game complaints.

I'm going to try to do Boyle manor in 5 minutes.

*edit* Yup! 4 minutes 54 seconds.

 

[Rufus]

Eh, that's strikes me as weird. You would need to know the levels to do it that quickly your first time around. And it sounds like you're speedrunning now, which makes the conclusion even stranger to me.

I found Dunwall Tower to be quite overwhelming at first. The sheer number of guards and maids made it a pain in the ass to navigate. It wasn't until my second playthrough when I realised you could save a lot of time (and effort) by

Spoiler

moving across the chandeliers, thus avoiding most of the guards in the hallways.

Still probably my least favourite mission in the game, though.

You can do the entire thing in ten minutes knowing just that, yeah. Even the non-lethal route doesn't add much time, since you can reach everything you need from the main hall.

 

[thefil]

You can do the entire thing in ten minutes knowing just that, yeah. Even the non-lethal route doesn't add much time, since you can reach everything you need from the main hall.

Any tips on the optimal path into the tower? I tend to go

Spoiler

up the water elevator (I have not found a way around this), wait for the tall boy, up the gazebo, through engineer's room, fish possess my way to the opposite side of the moat then up on the ventilation and in through the hatch. I feel like I could maybe possess the first tall boy to skip waiting, but then you need more runes early on (tier two abilities are expensive!). I also should probably just go in the front door.

Also, you can

Spoiler

place a springrazor just inside the regent's room so you don't have to wait for him to come in. You can sit on the chandeliers, wait for him to kill himself, then get out snappily.

It's getting to Dunwall Tower inside and back to Samuel that I find most time consuming in that map. SO much easier in the lighthouse.

 

[Rufus]

Any tips on the optimal path into the tower? I tend to go

Spoiler

up the water elevator (I have not found a way around this), wait for the tall boy, up the gazebo, through engineer's room, fish possess my way to the opposite side of the moat then up on the ventilation and in through the hatch. I feel like I could maybe possess the first tall boy to skip waiting, but then you need more runes early on (tier two abilities are expensive!). I also should probably just go in the front door.

My route:
Up the elevator (no other way as far as I'm aware), to it's back door, onto the small tower, from there onto the metal bar jutting out from the wall and then onto the roof, across it and back down at the front.

Instead of going to the gazebo, look to the right and go across the metal roof that leads to the edge of the wall. You can't reach it directly, so blink to the posts of the fence/wall. Careful though, there are two guards below, usually near the stairs. They can see you from certain spots. The Tallboy patrolling below can spot you from certain angles, too. Now over the wall.

You're in view of the watch tower and one guard patrolling up and down the stairs of the smaller building right ahead (he can be hard to spot because of the bushes, but you'll hear him whistling), otherwise the area is empty. Keep right and go along the path to the its end, eventually the wall on the left will reveal a way up. You're already on the right side of the building at this point. Watch out for guards on the way up the scaffold, but don't go all the way to the top (someone's patrolling there and there's no need). You can blink to the overhang of the building from the level below it, then follow the overhang and you'll end up at the same hatch, I believe. Once you're done inside just head back the same way.

 

[Zeliard]

I killed EVERYONE.

I highly recommend the "murder everyone in varied fashion" playthrough.

 

[Dance Inferno]

Just rented the game from Redbox and spent a few hours playing the first two levels. Did the first part completely stealth without killing anyone, and it was pretty fun! Then I spent a bunch of time in the safe house just exploring and reading books. I'm impressed at the world building going on in this game - they have a very strong sense of place and do a very good job of engrossing you in its details and history. The controls seem very fluid and everything about the game feels tight, which is impressive coming from a developer I've never heard of until now.

I got to the first "real" mission after the beginning intro levels and put the game down. Will probably play some more tomorrow.

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

We should be telling all new comers to save a non kill ghost playthrough until the 2nd run through. It is so liberating to not be loading constantly for every tiny failure and actually using some of those weapons and powers that would otherwise be useless.

Killing people isnt quite assassins creed level of badassery to me, but it still feels dam good.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

Finished run 5 in less than 3 hours. Would have shaved off much more if I had not made it a more or less ghost run, or decided not to get the Dunwall Tower key. Pretty sure you can do Boyle manor in five minutes.

Starting to see the truth of the short game complaints.

I'm going to try to do Boyle manor in 5 minutes.

*edit* Yup! 4 minutes 54 seconds.

Your specifically trying to do a speed run based on playthroughs that have allowed you to understand the quickest routes through the game and you....Understand the short game complaints?

....You crazy gringo.

 

[alr1ght]

Either RE6 completely wrecked my controller, or this game's deadzones are way too narrow. Left and right stick are drifting like crazy (360), making it almost unplayable.

 

[masud]

Can you replay levels to reduce your chaos?

 

[DocSeuss]

We should be telling all new comers to save a non kill ghost playthrough until the 2nd run through. It is so liberating to not be loading constantly for every tiny failure and actually using some of those weapons and powers that would otherwise be useless.

Killing people isnt quite assassins creed level of badassery to me, but it still feels dam good.

This. Please. Everyone new to the game should just let whatever happens happen.

 

[masud]

This. Please. Everyone new to the game should just let whatever happens happen.

Whenever I let what happens happen I end up killing everyone in the level. I'm a monster...

 

[clutch.as.it.gets.]

Finished run 5 in less than 3 hours. Would have shaved off much more if I had not made it a more or less ghost run, or decided not to get the Dunwall Tower key. Pretty sure you can do Boyle manor in five minutes.

Starting to see the truth of the short game complaints.

I'm going to try to do Boyle manor in 5 minutes.

*edit* Yup! 4 minutes 54 seconds.

If you play the game for the first time and go mostly stealthy and exploring the levels, the game can be quite long.

But after the credits you have somewhat the feeling that this game needed one or two more missions and that the content that is there isn`t that much in the end.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

If you play the game for the first time and go mostly stealthy and exploring the levels, the game can be quite long.

But after the credits you have somewhat the feeling that this game needed one or two more missions and that the content that is there isn`t that much in the end.

That is completely subjective. When the credits rolled for me I was at 24 hours and after this second play through it will be over 30. The amount of missions was perfect. Anymore and it would have been a Bioshock situation.

 

[sephi22]

Fucking shit. I got 'Didn't kill anyone' and 'Ghost' on every mission but still didn't get the clean hands achievement.

Is it because I killed rats? Or the assassins that attacked the empress?

 

[Minamu]

Fucking shit. I got 'Didn't kill anyone' and 'Ghost' on every mission but still didn't get the clean hands achievement.

Is it because I killed rats? Or the assassins that attacked the empress?

Oh god, I hope not. You probably killed someone by accident, most likely.

 

[Zeliard]

Rats are people too, you know.

 

[sephi22]

Oh god, I hope not. You probably killed someone by accident, most likely.

No sir, I did not.
I'm 100% positive that I didn't kill anyone right from the prison break till the ending. I reloaded my save everytime I felt any sort of ambiguity.

 

[Minamu]

Rats are people too, you know.

You gotta be kidding, right? :S Or I'm screwed too.

No sir, I did not.
I'm 100% positive that I didn't kill anyone right from the prison break till the ending. I reloaded my save everytime I felt any sort of ambiguity.

Hmm. might be a glitch, I think there are a few of those according to the achievement hunter sites.

 

[1cmanny1]

Don't the Assassins at the start count? You don't have to kill them.

 

[Minamu]

Don't the Assassins at the start count? You don't have to kill them.

I don't think it starts counting until the prison. And there's no end screen for that part of the game either.

 

[masud]

Drop killing tallboys, so good.

 

[thefil]

My route:
Up the elevator (no other way as far as I'm aware), to it's back door, onto the small tower, from there onto the metal bar jutting out from the wall and then onto the roof, across it and back down at the front.

Instead of going to the gazebo, look to the right and go across the metal roof that leads to the edge of the wall. You can't reach it directly, so blink to the posts of the fence/wall. Careful though, there are two guards below, usually near the stairs. They can see you from certain spots. The Tallboy patrolling below can spot you from certain angles, too. Now over the wall.

You're in view of the watch tower and one guard patrolling up and down the stairs of the smaller building right ahead (he can be hard to spot because of the bushes, but you'll hear him whistling), otherwise the area is empty. Keep right and go along the path to the its end, eventually the wall on the left will reveal a way up. You're already on the right side of the building at this point. Watch out for guards on the way up the scaffold, but don't go all the way to the top (someone's patrolling there and there's no need). You can blink to the overhang of the building from the level below it, then follow the overhang and you'll end up at the same hatch, I believe. Once you're done inside just head back the same way.

Yes, I've taken this route before. I've always found it more risky than the route I mentioned, especially getting up through the scaffolding of the building on the right side.

*edit* Also guys I was joking about short game. I'm 42 hours into this tall boy!

 

[Derrick01]

I'm going to try to do Boyle manor in 5 minutes.

*edit* Yup! 4 minutes 54 seconds.

That's not a whole lot shorter than it took me when I wasn't even trying to go fast. That level is pretty poorly designed.

 

[Betta Lines]

I'm struggling to decide on a comfortable control scheme for this game. I asked earlier in this thread whether I should play it with gamepad or k&m, and somebody said 'definitely k&m'. But having tried both now, it seems really suited for gamepad, with the dual-wielding of gun and sword corresponding to the two triggers. But as it's rare to see a game with so many options for PC users, coming from a PC gaming background I feel like I should be using k&m.

The problem is that the gun/crossbow is held on the left, and it's in the same category as the powers like blink. If the sword is considered the primary weapon, meaning that left click is slice, and right click should be block, but then I have to fire the gun with a keyboard button, or maybe one of the mouse thumb buttons. But that's just awkward. And alternative is to have gun fire on left click, sword slice on right click, but then where should I put block? And stuff like blink becomes the primary left click, which feels wrong too.

Why should I be so keen to use k&m in the first place? Well there is usually a huge advantage to using a mouse for aiming, but setting it to hard and immediately noticing the enormous auto-aim as default, it seems like this is a gamepad game through and through.

What say you, PC GAF?

 

[Hawkian]

Gamepad, I don't have anything else to say. The scheme is great and the point accuracy of using a mouse is let's go with not that necessary.

 

[Dance Inferno]

Either RE6 completely wrecked my controller, or this game's deadzones are way too narrow. Left and right stick are drifting like crazy (360), making it almost unplayable.

So it's not just me. I thought my controller was busted.

 

[DinnerRevealer]

I was really pleased with myself in the last mission when

Spoiler

I got onto the island by running up a support cable and then got to the elevator by running up another one.

Also, Corvo is

Spoiler

Emily's father, right? The picture she draws of you with "DADDY" above it is a little on the nose, but both by the way the Empress writes to you and the way the books talk about the Royal Protector make it pretty clear. Also the dressing-down the Outsider gives you for not killing Doud actually made me feel bad for not killing him.

 

[HueyFreeman]

That's not a whole lot shorter than it took me when I wasn't even trying to go fast. That level is pretty poorly designed.

??

That's a standout level in the game.

 

[Hindle]

Doing a no kills no alerts really shows the true brilliance of this game.

 

[IronRinn]

Fucking shit. I got 'Didn't kill anyone' and 'Ghost' on every mission but still didn't get the clean hands achievement.

Is it because I killed rats? Or the assassins that attacked the empress?

If I recall from earlier in this thread, this is where you messed up.

 

[Bricky]

No sir, I did not.
I'm 100% positive that I didn't kill anyone right from the prison break till the ending. I reloaded my save everytime I felt any sort of ambiguity.

Did you maybe sleep-dart

Spoiler

Granny Rags in the battle you can have with her near the end

? That's where I messed up, game counts that as a kill.

 

[DukeBobby]

If I recall from earlier in this thread, this is where you messed up.

Don't they just vanish when you attack them? It really shouldn't count as a kill.

 

[Derrick01]

??

That's a standout level in the game.

From an aesthetic view perhaps. As an actual level it's really poorly designed. You can get the correct identity from listening to people downstairs and then get her to go to a quiet location by herself and do the job. The lead-up to the mansion takes a little while since there's tallboys and other guards to dodge, but once you're inside you can do the mission in about 10 minutes.

 

[Rufus]

From an aesthetic view perhaps. As an actual level it's really poorly designed. You can get the correct identity from listening to people downstairs and then get her to go to a quiet location by herself and do the job. The lead-up to the mansion takes a little while since there's tallboys and other guards to dodge, but once you're inside you can do the mission in about 10 minutes.

I found that aspect disappointing as well. When I heard that there was a party game to figure out their names I thought I would have to do some light puzzle solving, or that breaking into their bedrooms would be the shortcut to the solution, but it turns out people just tell you immediately.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

Uh oh Derricks chip is on the fritz.

 

[Minamu]

If I recall from earlier in this thread, this is where you messed up.

Haha oh god, that's so mean I had no idea you didn't have to kill them... And I'm just outside the Boyles going for no kills. Great.

 

[Derrick01]

I found that aspect disappointing as well. When I heard that there was a party game to figure out their names I thought I would have to do some light puzzle solving, or that breaking into their bedrooms would be the shortcut to the solution, but it turns out people just tell you immediately.

Yeah sneaking upstairs and investigating is actually the long and unnecessary path. The people downstairs will tell you in under 5 minutes of casual conversation and strolling around the party areas.

For me the high part of the game was the very first real mission, the overseer one. It's the first time you get to explore the town area outside of the objective area and the actual mission area is massive and has the most ways to get lost and explore. It's still really early in the game too so exploration still has a point since you're not full of everything yet. It's also the mission with the most secrets and cool ways to complete the main objective from what I can tell.

Uh oh Derricks chip is on the fritz.

What's this mean

 

[Tallshortman]

Still can't even play this game due to game breaking bug on the golden cat mission where it crashes when trying to leave galvani's office and skipping a side quest to accommodate poor testing and customer service is something I'm not willing to do. I sort of refuse to buy bethesda developed games after the technical mess that was Skyrim on PC but was willing to give Arkane a chance because this game is very good and unique when playable, however I guess bethesda's penchant for incompetence has moved over to games they publish.

 

[beastmode]

It's a poorly designed level because seemingly half the players who go to the upper floor undetected are declared hostile on sight by the Boyles and downstairs guards.

I appreciate what Arkane was going for but having to reload after scouring every nook and cranny sours me on it.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

What's this mean

Ahh sorry man your post was duplicated 3 times

 

[tedtropy]

Either RE6 completely wrecked my controller, or this game's deadzones are way too narrow. Left and right stick are drifting like crazy (360), making it almost unplayable.

Yeah I was running across the same thing on a basically new controller.

 

[Truant]

The game absolutely shines if you do it "iron man" and don't bother about pure stealth/ghost/no kills. That style is great too, but it's just straight up FUN to improvise, use the (insanely powerful) pistol, the rat stuff, all the tools.

Enjoying my second playthrough a lot more for a pure gameplay perspective.

 

[Hawkian]

The game absolutely shines if you do it "iron man" and don't bother about pure stealth/ghost/no kills. That style is great too, but it's just straight up FUN to improvise, use the (insanely powerful) pistol, the rat stuff, all the tools.

Enjoying my second playthrough a lot more for a pure gameplay perspective.

The pistol is like the "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHO YOU ARE FUCKING WITH" button.

I think I've fired it 4 times in 6 hours, and every one was awesome.

 

[Deified Data]

The game absolutely shines if you do it "iron man" and don't bother about pure stealth/ghost/no kills. That style is great too, but it's just straight up FUN to improvise, use the (insanely powerful) pistol, the rat stuff, all the tools.

Enjoying my second playthrough a lot more for a pure gameplay perspective.

It's funny how opinions have shifted on this matter since release. Pre-release, everyone wanted to go in super-stealthy and not kill anyone. Then they realize how fun killing people is and wonder why they didn't play that way before.

I'm glad I decided to do my high-chaos playthrough first, and my low-chaos playthrough second.

 

[Incendiary]

If I recall from earlier in this thread, this is where you messed up.

How do you get rid of the assassins without killing them?

 

[Wiggum2007]

Late game spoilers

Spoiler

that confrontation with Granny Rags in the sewers was so spooky. Who else threw her in the stew?

I love all these lore tidbits and hints about the world littered throughout the game.

 

[Deified Data]

Late game spoilers

Spoiler

that confrontation with Granny Rags in the sewers was so spooky. Who else threw her in the stew?

I love all these lore tidbits and hints about the world littered throughout the game.

Spoiler

I helped her. Slackjaw never did me any favors.

...and Samuel! What the fuck! What did I ever do to you, guy? I only ever killed people who deserved it. Where do you get off being so high and mighty with me? Threaten to alert the guards after dropping me off at the lighthouse? Shot between the eyes with an incendiary bolt and fed to the hagfish. Stupid, old man.

Bunch of ingrates.

 

[Messofanego]

The mirror men of Arkane - Polygon

Great article about the history and connections with Looking Glass. Hearing Harvey Smith's past is saddening but also inspiring that he pulled himself up.

He detailed 100 things wrong with Ultima VIII and it somehow got sent to Lord British (Richard Garriott). Oh man!

It's a Russ Pitts article, so it's really long

Oh, and dinosaurs with rocket launchers.

 

[saveweyard]

The recent episode of Idle Thumbs turned me on to this game. Can't wait to get my hands on it, probably this weekend.