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CALENDRA’S CISTERN [NewDark Re-Release] In 2015, Calendra’s Cistern was re-released for NewDark by Antimatter_16, after consent by Purah. Included were many important fixes, as well as
some potential improvements on my previous run. This report will only include
descriptions of the differences to my last playthrough
from 2013. The first difference was
in the observatory above the party. The spiders now patrol the way they are
supposed to (left image below). I don’t think I ever saw them both in the
right location before. One was always stationed outside the cage entrance,
alerting to my lockpicks. This time, I could get
the Summoner’s Stone without a bust! I could get
caught a bit easier underneath the cage, but this was only a minor issue.
Interestingly, included in the mission’s changelog was a note about the
spiders no longer alerting when the chest is lockpicked.
I’m not sure if this was done deliberately, or if it was just noted as a
consequence of them now being farther away.
Another significant fix
was Adrius’ howl when taking his head from the
chest at the party. I successfully timed the hatch behind the chest so that
the sound didn’t travel up to the other guests. This was described in my last
report, but the script was somehow broken in NewDark.
Well, I’m happy to report it now works, but that it can still be ghosted, Supremed even. Furthermore, Antimatter also pointed out
you can bring Adrius’ head back to Farkus’ shop and feed him the dried frog there (right
image above), instead of buying it first. This was great news, as it meant I
didn’t have to waste the 125 gold! It was a bit cumbersome dragging his head
back through town though, as it didn’t register as an inventory item until
after being fed. After opening the shrine
door with the key from Calendra’s house, the fight
between her and Brimstone now runs the way it apparently was originally
intended. Firstly, Calendra teleports to the
shrine, instead of walking from the party area. Secondly, both the spawned
zombie and fire elemental die as a result of their masters dying. This means
there is no-one left to sneak past once the fight is over. I always had to
lure Adrius down there and initiate the never
ending fight between him and the zombie. That messy ordeal can now completely
be avoided.
Heading back up from the
caves after taking the cylix, I was always forced (or so I thought) to
trigger the boulder trap in the winding staircase. I always saw this as the
inevitable Supreme bust, despite maybe one day those pesky spiders would be
fixed. Well, I’m happy to report that there is a way to avoid it! If you drop off the first layer of the
ledge on the south side, about halfway up the ramp where you see the hole in
the ceiling above you, you can safely travel along the outer rim of the
staircase without triggering the trap (right image above). It’s not enough
just to be physically dropped, you have to be almost falling completely off
the stairs. I assume the engine detects where Garrett’s midpoint is, and thus
thinks he is off the stairs. When inching up, you have to angle almost back
towards the stairs 45 degrees, in order to climb in a straight line. It took
a bit to find the right method, but it is easily repeatable. The last difference is at
the art collector’s. I could never return his key
to the little alcove behind the banner. Now, the physics of either the key or
the alcove (or both) has been altered to make this return possible (left
image below). The silver coins in this room and the diamond from downstairs
can therefore be taken. That adds 112 more loot to the total.
Statistics: Time: 1:20:23 Loot: 4577 out of 4897 Pickpockets: 7 out of 9 Locks Picked: 6 Damage Dealt: 1 Damage Taken: 0 Back Stabs: 0 Knock Outs: 1 Bodies Discovered by Enemies: 2 Consumables: None Ghost: Success! Perfect Thief: Failed! Supreme Thief: Success! Perfect Supreme Thief: Failed! Notes: -
Couldn’t enter Lord Wimple’s to steal his gold. Breaking
the window is the only way in. 25 gold skipped. -
Had to skip all but one piece of loot in Calendra’s basement for Supreme. Anything more sets off
the jumping skull. Taking a third piece spawns an alerted zombie. For normal
Ghost the vase worth 100 can also be taken. -
Alerted the frog outside the old witch’s house when
picking the door. Skipped the jar worth 50 in there for Supreme. -
The 2 bodies discovered are from the fights between Adrius’ haunt and the party guests. Not a bust. -
The knockout and damage dealt is from blackjacking Ragnor. This is explicitly directed in the objectives and
therefore not a bust. |
