The Hidden Blade Assassin's Creed in Depth

Now that I have AC1 back in my grasp, I'll attempt this when I can. I wish it had an in-game timer, though.

Races are a good idea (especially for speed running through the game). It would also be cool to have races for assassinations (the race starts as soon as you can move after the scene in the bureau and ends when the ancestor's memory records for the scene before the assassination).

Sounds great, but before we expand into other areas of the game regarding races that is I think we need to conentrate on intergrating a few strategic and iconic locations into the races. All ideas for this are welcome.

The race will start at the main entrance to Acre, because that is the most logical since that is the only way in. If I could please propose race 2: From the main entrance to Acre get to and climb to the top of the HUGE ruined cathederal, just for visual reference there is a templar nearby on the roof.

Race 3: (last one for the moment) From the main entrance of Acre race to Sibrand's boat so that you are standing in on it. Additional objective>don't become exposed near the docks.

I am trying to keep this nice and organised and will keep these 3 challenges out there for now and add more if people enjoy doing them. As for timings I reccommend a stopwatch and strap it in the middle of your chosen game controller, fasten it at the bottom so the face is upwards.

I should get to doing this, even though I still have to finish that Art of the Escape video. Narration's a bitch.

@Aurel: And so it yet becomes clear again that great minds think alike. I've thought about this as well! In fact, I'd like to expand it to the whole assassination (bureau in, bureau out). I'll check out some of the races later tonight.

Good stuff gents, I am so glad one of my spare of the moments ideas has been received so well. Please post your times here. Also just to recap:

Race 1=Main entrance of Acre to Williams Castle
Race 2=Main entrance of Acre to the top of the massive Ruined Cathedral (possibly in the rich district, but it's hard to miss anyway XD)
Race 3=Main entrance of Acre to Sibrands boat, you must be standing on it.

*UPDATE*
You cannot do a running start and cross the main entrance at full whack, nor can you gallop down to the main entrance and do a high profile dismount over the guards heads. It would be best to blend into Acre using Scholars, then exit the blend and positon yourself just infront of the guards, but not to close.

Furthermore, it does not matter (although it's better and more efficiant if you don't) if you become exposed because if you keep running and jumping hard and high enough other guards won't be able to catch up. Also utilize the tackle ability where applicable, but that is all down to the individual style of the player. Aswell as this if you die at the finish line the time does not count.

have fun people, and most of all Live by the creed

I've finished my run now, uploading it as we speak. The time is 1 minute, 42 seconds and 7 tenths on race 1. It could use a fair amount of optimization, though.
In my run I tried to keep the throwing people out of the way to a minimum and take shortcuts where possible. Maybe we could also arrange a no damage restriction? I didn't do that here, even though I tried.

I've used a special method of starting and stopping. The timer starts running at the first frame of the jump animation and ends when the final frame of the 'getting on a pole'-animation has passed. The ending was kind of difficult to take well, so maybe someone could suggest something better?

So here's the vid (Can't be arsed to put it in widescreen right now ):

Here's some points that can be improved:
1. 0:10. Just skip jumping on that little thing altogether or jump better so that you move smoothly.
2. 0:38. Definitely should jump down earlier to avoid running into that crowd.
3. 0:53. I was going to climb up to the roof, but I messed up, so I took an alternative route which may or may not be faster.
4. 1:22. I take damage, which is sloppy.
5. 1:35. Bumping into that guy, taking the weird route through the plaza. Meh.

Let's see what you guys can do!

OOOHHH!!! THIS IS WOUNDERFUL

Just how I wanted it to be!!!

Please feel free to post more attempts, all players welcome.

I would but my PS3 is dead.

Anyway when making my AC2 contract videos I would replay them over and over and eventually become so familiar with the route I would have a near perfect route to the targets that I would repeat every time, and I would almost always find a new, faster route or a way to cut down on slow animations etc

I was also thinking of doing this with AC2 races, because the timer it gives you is an easy way to measure who is the fastest. But your idea of simply going A to B in such a huge city could give us many different routes to take and many different videos

"But your idea of simply going A to B in such a huge city could give us many different routes and many different videos"
I totally agree with you, by making this logical yet exciting players can find there own paths and own times As Acre is my favrouite city in the game, we will concentrate on finding more iconic locations to race to. As I mentioned before, I think 3 races is plenty to start with since Acre is a diverse and vast city and I just enjoy it's medievil environment.

Also on a side note, if there was some sort of improved versian of the original AC then I have thought of a feature that would greatly expand this idea of free movement from A>B. The simple idea that on your map you could be able to set more that one custom marker, rather than having a limit of just 1. Say up to 20? that would make it much more competitive because we could have checkpoints between the two locations; the entrance and the finish point. That way we could time in a much more accurate manner.

Since a patch like this has not been developed, we'll have to make do Keep posting those times!

kind regards,

Lbtc

The map is unnecessary in AC1, IMO. I won't be using it.

Also, what about city entrance-bureau and bureau-assassination location races?

I'd love to take part in this but unfortunately I don't have anything to record with. I did try the first Acre race though and I thought it presented some pretty interesting routes.

If you've got any camera with movie recording capabilities whatsoever, you can record. I use my photocamera, on top of a bed and a few books, to record.

Regarding TLS:

"Also, what about city entrance-bureau and bureau-assassination location races?"

A very good idea indeed, but it sounds like it's been already mentioned and I must have missed the original suggestion. This is another excellent aspect to add to the free running races, and as such I will add 3 more races for people to try.

Race 4=from the main entrance of Acre to the bureau.
Race 5=assassinate Garnier de Naplouse and after his cut scene get back to the bureau.
Race 6=assassinate William de Monferratt and after his cut scene get back to the bureau.

Race 5 and 6 officially begin after the cutscene has ended and your are taken back into the relative environments of the two dead templars. Be good and don't break any tenants of the creed and obviously if you are killed, you'll have to start over.

Just a little point I think is worth making, consider the controller you are using because I recently swapped my original ps3 controller for a more precise and efficiant Cyborg V.1 which makes a HUGE difference.

Have fun guys, and please feel free to ask me any further questions or to give feedback.

Good luck,

Lbtc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB244oXSIFQ - race 1 acre

I wasn't sure where exactly to start (at the archways beginning or end?) but I stood around for a few seconds at the end and for a second at the beginning so I guess it all evens out. It's pretty much the same route as ThreeLetterSyndrom took so it'll be interesting to see if anyone could find a faster route.

About the later races, where you assassinate them and get back to the bureau, cant players just lure them to the bureau and kill them there?

That is actually a great idea for a vid!

Hang on, this is not permitted! I did not anticipate this but now you mention it it's not allowed. To make it fair you must race from the point of assassination to the bureau, otherwise it would not be much of a race. Happy free-running to all

In otherwords, try and assassinate them where they stand

Yep, precisely

Keep posting those times people, so far we only have 2 official video attempts. When I have finished the game and aquired all of Altiar's free running type upgrades I will attempt these races myself, I would feel very silly not going for a serious time in these races without for example "grab ledge". I really welcome everyone's attempts at this and I am thinking of new races in my head now as I type this. But I need a little more contribution from more players please.

I have taken out the first 3 templars, and am currently riding for Damascus to face Abul. I did Tamir with much stealth but managed to spook Garnier, and accidently air assassinated one of his guards instead of him. Talal was messy on my part, I think it's advisable to take an early initative and get down to ground level asap and assassinate him as he jumps down. Just awaiting the grab ledge ability, which will no dought increase flow between structures and buildings.

Assassins Creed rocks

regards,

Lbtc.

So is this your first time playing the game or are you saying you're replaying it? And I agree, Assassin's Creed rocks!

This is my 6th playthrough I just feel like it's a never ending learning curve, always areas for me to improve on. I mostly want to improve my combat and handling the informant missions with a little more stealth.

Update: Abul is not around in Damascus anymore XD

Just finished another playthrough myself. The assassinations, the free running, and the story... all still so good. And even after all these playthroughs (lost count but a lot more than six) I'm still improving as well, mostly combat wise - I rarely get hit much anymore (love those hidden blade counters).

Excellent. You should return to Al Mualim with the news.

Thanks for your reply, and William of Monferrat has now fallen. I just love that particular assassination mission, it just feels (amongst a few others) so polished and with such a rich and evocative feel to it. There are a dozen ways one can assassinate Monferrat, but I prefer taking a left climbing the scaffolding and then leaping onto the piece of overhanging concrete. From there I free-stepped along the fortress wall and did a left, silently taking out archers along the way. However just before I went for an air>assassinate on the man who is "In no mood to be trifled with today" I spooked him and became exposed. I don't have the sync bar in the HUD anymore nor the control icon, just the map and my currently equipped weapon.

Please feel fee to post lots of times for any of the races. And I can't wait to get that Syrian Sword along with the gold scabbard! That will look tremendous

First race uploading as I type this. It's pedestrian in comparison to other attempts, with the enevitability of advice I'll see if I can't shave of at least 20secs maybe alot more.

This comment has been deleted.

Fixed. There's a FAQ for that.

Update: Your time was closer to 1:49. Measure from the time you say "go" to "stop".

Hot diggaty!!! I have embed my video Yeah, JoeyFogey said (via youtube) "i counted about 1:51 for your time"
I can't remember how I embed the video though...I will keep trying to beat the record set byt TLS.

I am trying for a better time without commentary now, it seems ground level is the quickest route. Also I have been playing around with vaulting which involves holding whilst moving between two objects of equal height.

Just got a 1:48 for race 1, but I need to wait for my camera to charge before I can record properly

Still no 1:42.

Even whilst recording I only managed a 1:46, so I am not quick enough it seems. Your route TLS is excellent

Got my PS3 back, il be trying this out once I beat AC1 again so i can unlock all districts.

I really appreciate all your responses. It seems like free running races in AC1 is a good idea as such I invite more people to take up these challenges. When I have got and finished AC1 I'll post my times aswell. Thanks to all.

This just gives me a good idea for the next ACIII game.

Players are allowed to create their own path for their timed race. One can add restrictions such as not getting detected, not killing any guards/civilians, and not getting injured.

Players will also be able to upload their racing path to the world, where other people can rate other's Race Path, as well as play on it.

Just some fruitful thought.

Good thinking, I suggest getting this idea looked over by stabguy or ian...they are the real experts and can tell you if it's realistic. I think it sound promising. I think there is an AC3 forum somewhere or "ideas for the next AC" if you have more good ideas like this one I would consider posting them there. Thanks for your idea.