crunchy on 20/8/2008 at 06:27

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No, this isn't a movie thread that belongs in CC.

I have recently started to replay TMA and I am trying to achieve playing through with several criteria:

Play on expert
100% loot
100% pickpockets
100% secrets
0% damage received
0% damage dealt (except for the objective in Running Interference)

This isn't exactly ghosting as I don't care about alerting guards. In fact I am very happy to use a noise arrow or flashbomb in certain circumstances to get past an annoyingly placed guard. Which brings me to the subject of this thread: The First City Bank & Trust.

This was an absoulute nightmare and I must confess, apprarently this is the first time I played this level on expert. Every other time I must have chickened out and played on easier levels. Getting to the security office was my first shock. Easily done I tought, simply climb the stairs to the top level, around the corner and through the door into the little antichamber by the Hall of Statues. Bang! straight into a guard. "Where the fuck did you come from?" I realised I would have to work my way around and through the Hall of Statues instead. Of course this posed it's own problem with that small passage which is patrolled and has 2 security cameras.

Phew! Finally made it there and back but I still have to contend with all the extra guards, bots and tiles throughout the rest of the level. Finally I completed all my objectives except one. I still had to get one pickpocket and the most difficult one of all: the bow guard standing in the middle of the tiled guard room. I eventually devised a cunning plan.

Earlier in the level while on the upper walkway, I fired a rope arrow into the wall. Then after cleaning out the vault, I fired plenty of moss arrows onto the floor. Then toss a flashbomb at the guard standing near the door. While he is stunned, dash in and grab the pickpocket. Of course by this time I have been seen by the security camera and all hell breaks loose. So run to the rope arrow and climb upto safety before any of the guards or bots can plug me full of holes.

This level took me well over 4 hours to complete. By far the longest any level in any of the 3 games as taken me. Oh well onto Blackmail and see what little surprises and difficult situations it has in store for me.

Peanuckle on 23/8/2008 at 02:32

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If you don't care about looting guards why didn't you just tank the place?

I gather up all the guards in one location, get on high ground, and begin the slaughter.

Captain Spandex on 25/8/2008 at 20:05

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Really? I remember this level being a bear, but surely Angelwatch was longer. The sheer logistics of a map that huge that is basically two levels in one usually makes it something of a marathon for me. And I vaguely recall the Wizard's Tower being a bastard to get past...