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Patriot, Mission 4: Partner This
mission is enjoyable, but overall doesn’t reach the quality of the previous three.
However, the gameplay mechanics in this one are very interesting and alone
makes it worth it. The Patriot campaign continues to impress in its ingenuity
and story, and not at any point have I considered giving up on it. I hope as
many players as possible take the chance to experience Zontik’s
brilliance. This
mission was split into two distinct areas, playing as two different
characters; Garrett and Victoria. Garrett had to stop the train by
barricading the tracks using equipment found in some nearby coal mines.
Victoria had to get on the train, neutralize the crew, and remove the brake
system before jumping off. I could skip back and forth between either
character at will. A very clever game mechanic that I have not seen utilized
to this extent before. Garrett I
could get into the caves by slowly sneaking down the slope and up the
staircase by the barracks. I couldn’t get the loot inside the barracks for
Supreme, as the guard outside heard the door. I dropped to ground level and
crept inside unseen. The cave to the south on level 1 wasn’t accessible just
yet. The guard saw or heard me go by. The tunnels from behind was only
reachable if breaking boards, which is property damage. I’d have to ascend
using the lift later. There
was a diamond in an office safe connected to an alarm system. However, there
was a button under the desk that turned off the alarm once active, and I
could reach it before any guard heard the commotion (left image below). I
could frob it from the front of the desk even. Only
one guard alerted to this to my knowledge, so I could easily check whether he
alerted after opening the safe. This had to be skipped for Supreme though, as
security systems can’t be disabled for that mode, following rule #8.
On
level 2 there was a tricky piece of loot in a mining cart. A guard stared
straight at it, so I definitely had to come from behind. I snuck over to the
cave wall on his right side unseen. I couldn’t pass along this wall without a
first alert, but I managed to reach the north end without triggering hunt
mode. From here, I could lean in and get the nugget from outside the cart
(right image above); I luckily didn’t have to mantle into it. Most items in
this mission had very short frob range, but this
nugget was different. I ended up grabbing a lantern on this level also. I
could finish the mission without it, but it was a real pain, and I knew the
mission couldn’t be Supreme ghosted anyway. The
bottom two levels weren’t that difficult. A roaming lanternguard
patrolled two of the levels. Two more patrolling guards spawned once I opened
the gate on level 4, but they weren’t a problem avoiding. Grabbed the
explosives, two fire arrows from the secret cave and headed out. Returned the
lantern and the key for Supreme. I could take the alternate exit from level 1
back up to the starting mountain. The manhole closed on its own. After
placing the charges, I switched to Victoria.
Victoria The
easiest way by far into the train station was via the cargo lift in the
southeast. I could drop without any alerts, sending the lift back across the
alley. Creep-crouched all the way into the train. The alternate way in might
be possible for Ghost, but not for Supreme. It involved turning off lights,
as well as picking up a key that couldn’t be returned without alerts. I also
had to turn off a vent to lure the outside guard away from the entry door.
This might be allowed as it is a scripted response, but since it is
avoidable, it definitely should be skipped. On
the train the biggest problem was gassing the two crew members. Galaer came up with an excellent method of using the
bedroll to cushion the gas mine (left image above), so big thanks to him for
that method. I left the brake pads on the train after removing them. The
bedroll had to be brought along in order to survive the hop off the train,
and at that point it couldn’t be thrown back. Garrett Again The
only way to set off the explosive charges was by way of fire arrows. This
alerted 3-4 guards below (right image above). There was no way around it, but
definitely a Ghost bust. This was fairly easy to accept, as it was a bust
forced by design. I hoped lit flares would set off the charges, but no to avail.
Galaer reported that more guards heard the train
crash, and although I didn’t see it, I’m sure that is correct. Statistics: Time: 49:14 Loot: 1500 out of 1500 (Supreme: 1250) Pickpockets: 1 out of 2 Secrets: 1 out of 3 Locks Picked: 5 Damage Dealt: 0 Damage Taken: 0 Innocents Killed: 0, and others Killed: 2 Consumables: 2 Fire Arrows & 2 Explosive
Charges Ghost: Failed! Perfect Thief: Failed! Supreme Thief: Failed! Perfect Supreme Thief: Failed! Notes: -
Skipped a stack of gold coins from the barracks for
Supreme. The outside guard heard the opening the door. -
Skipped a diamond worth 125 in the directorate’s office
for Supreme. The alarm had to be turned off, which is a bust for that mode. -
I picked up a lantern in order to navigate the mines
easier. I could have used flares or no light source at all, but I took the
easy route since I knew the mission couldn’t be Supremed. -
Skipped a gold nugget on level 2 of the mines for
Supreme. Getting it spawned a first alert from the nearby guard. -
At least 4 guards alerted to hunt mode when shooting
the explosive charges. Ghost busts. -
The train crash might possibly also have put some
mechanist guards into search mode, but this is arguably not a bust, since
they don’t alert from detecting me. -
The 2 kills might possibly be the crew members dying in
the crash. This would be an unavoidable consequence of completing a mandatory
objective, and thus no bust. |
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