Playing Styles: Ghosting vs. KOs. - by Kurgan
Kurgan on 25/4/2006 at 01:20
I'm curious as to how people view the various playing styles in comparison to each other. For purposes of this conversation, I'm intentionally excluding swordplay, which, apart from hacking monsters, only applies to "lesser" or "crippled" difficulty levels. This is all about Expert play! :)
One thing that's always puzzled me is the apparent idea that ghosting is the more "elite" style. Or have I misinterpreted that? The penultimate thief, to me, is the one that can ghost when needed, and blackjacks when needed. Slipping past someone is usually pretty easy, with some noteable exceptions, of course. Heh, being able to knock out *everyone* though, now that takes some skill! <chuckle> I've found that my own playing style subtly changes over time. As time went on, I began trying new approaches, and now often KO someone while airborne, or from the front (surprisingly easy if you remember to lean forward). Even some monsters that would take LOTS of damge to kill can be taken down with a well-placed bash on the noodle.
So, what is your preferred style, and what do you believe to be more fun or more challenging? Do you mix it up, stick to one style, or something else? Curious to see how others approach the game.
(And in case you're wondering, yes, I'm replaying T2, and just got to the forced ghosting mission, which is what made me think of this.)
Soul Shaker on 25/4/2006 at 01:32
Ghosting is essentially more challenging, since a well placed guard that you would just blackjack, you can't according to ghosting rules...
So, I personally prefer to blackjack everyone.
Airborne blackjacks though...*drool*
I've only ever managed to get one by pure accident on shipping and recieving. Big garbage skip, curious guard, and well-placed thief.
All I did was jump down (was planning to sneak up) but I whacked him too soon and there ya go...
TTK12G3 on 25/4/2006 at 01:43
Quote Posted by Soul Shaker
Airborne blackjacks though...*drool*...
Ah... I remember getting my first one at Baffy's. No wait... Maybe it was at Constantine's? Damn. Fond memories fuse, I guess.
Kurgan on 25/4/2006 at 01:57
Quote Posted by Soul Shaker
Ghosting is essentially more challenging, since a well placed guard that you would just blackjack, you can't according to ghosting rules...
Yeah, but how often do you see that situation? I find it more common to see guards in places that are difficult to sneak up on. Sneaking past them is easy, figuring out how to get close enough to put them into comas isn't! :) A good thief can ghost in the few places where it's needed, but 100% KOs are a lot harder. Actually, truth be told, both scenarios can be made easy. You've got a guard or two standing in front of a door you want through. It's in total light, on a tile floor. Ghosting it or KO'ing them is out of the question as-is. A well-placed noise arrow, or a quick tap on the jump key from the shadows, and you've got your answer. The noise arrow moves them away so you can slip through the door, or the sound of your feet make them come looking for you, and you can blackjack them easily as they approach.
Heh, imagine ghosting that one, getting through the door, then finding out you've gotta go back out that same door, and now they're back in position. <Chuckle>
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So, I personally prefer to blackjack everyone.
LOL Yeah, me too. I now make it a point to ensure I've KO'd eery single living thing in the mission.
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Airborne blackjacks though...*drool*
Like you, I discovered that by accident, in almost the same circumstances. I remember seeing the "While Airborne" notation in the stats afterwards and getting a big grin on my face. God, that was about 10 years ago, now. Sheesh. Hard to believe we've been at this for so long. Anywho, like anything, it's pretty easy once you get the moves down. I don't know if it counts on the stats, but one thing I like to do is leap at them from a distance, --say when they're on a tile floor--, and KO them before my feet touch again. Keeps 'em unaware of your presence until it's too late.
Soul Shaker on 25/4/2006 at 02:55
See, that's why I avoid playing on expert in most cases. I like to kill annoying guards...
But in a situation where there's no way across, a gas arrow is your best friend, or if you're out of noisemakers, those normally useless broadheads that you get so many of for no apparent reason, make great distractions. I had 109 broadheads by the end of life of the party...
ZeroFlight on 25/4/2006 at 03:02
Quote Posted by Kurgan
You've got a guard or two standing in front of a door you want through. It's in total light, on a tile floor. Ghosting it or KO'ing them is out of the question as-is. A well-placed noise arrow, or a quick tap on the jump key from the shadows, and you've got your answer. The noise arrow moves them away so you can slip through the door, or the sound of your feet make them come looking for you, and you can blackjack them easily as they approach.
Heh, imagine ghosting that one, getting through the door, then finding out you've gotta go back out that same door, and now they're back in position.
I've seen a couple of the rule sets on ghosting allowing people to use things like a broadhead or a piece of food to make the sound to distract since there are some places that would be virtually impossible to sneak past otherwise. Other rule sets I've seen don't allow for that which makes ghosting that much more difficult than KO'ing.
Personally I like to KO all of 'em. My desire to cause damage is satisfied without having to resort to killing. I just try to keep all of the bodies seperated so that when they wake up, they don't immediately thing something's wrong. That came in handy in TDS with the respawning in the city. I do throw a couple together in suggestive poses from time to time.
Kurgan on 25/4/2006 at 09:20
Quote Posted by ZeroFlight
I've seen a couple of the rule sets on ghosting allowing people to use things like a broadhead or a piece of food to make the sound to distract since there are some places that would be virtually impossible to sneak past otherwise. Other rule sets I've seen don't allow for that which makes ghosting that much more difficult than KO'ing.
But that's just self-imposing "rules" to make something harder, and saying it makes that
style more difficult overall. If we follow that mentality, we could create the KOers Guild, and members are forbidden from utilizing any forward momentum on their part when causing unconsciousness. Guards must be decieved into smacking their
own foreheads into the dangling blackjack, perhaps disguised as a carrot.
Heh, I can create just as many "l33t" rules for KO'ing as ghosters can for, er... ghosting.
Ok, what the hell, I'll say it. Yo, ghosters,
My KO-ung Fu is greater than yours! Hah! I am to Thief what the Gingerbread Man is to run-on parables! I got a telegram the other day from Garrett, and he said he wished he was me! Karras is uncharasmatic by comparison, and my will and ego shall rule the land and bring peace to the omniverse. And there will be pastries with little delicate designs on them, and the skies will rain ale. Yeah and verily, so it is written, so it shall be fun!*Twitch* *Twitch*
(One eye doin' the Marty Feldman thing...)
DarkElf_Mairead on 25/4/2006 at 12:19
Quote Posted by Kurgan
Ok, what the hell, I'll say it. Yo, ghosters,
My KO-ung Fu is greater than yours! Hah! I am to Thief what the Gingerbread Man is to run-on parables! I got a telegram the other day from Garrett, and he said he wished he was me! Karras is uncharasmatic by comparison, and my will and ego shall rule the land and bring peace to the omniverse. And there will be pastries with little delicate designs on them, and the skies will rain ale. Yeah and verily, so it is written, so it shall be fun!I like you, you're silly :joke:
TenTailedCat on 25/4/2006 at 12:19
I just take each situation as it comes, I try to ghost around most of the time, but if the patrol route of a certain guard makes me paranoid I'll him (or her) out and stuff the body in a dark corner.
Shipping and recieving usually ends up with half a dozen unconscious people stuffed in a particular corner behind some crates because the sheer number of people and the wide open spaces make me nervous.
Neil_McCauley on 25/4/2006 at 13:31
I usually blackjack whenever possible; I'm not very good at ghosting, but got better at it when I started playing on Expert. The "no black-jacking" levels are tough for me, but ghosting and pickpocketing is a lot of fun. Sometimes you don't have to blackjack, but, well, it's just so tempting...
And sword fighting? Forget it. This game sucks balls for that. I just RUN AWAY!!
