AC2 funny moments

[PZ]

Starting a funny moments thread here - there are wandering minstrels that basically dart in front of you playing their instruments, which greatly impedes your travel down the road.  Of course, you could run the rooftops, but that risks the archers wrath.  Here's a better way - as the minstrels run to impede your walk, steal their cash - they drop their instrument and run off uttering things like "My playing wasn't that bad was it?" or "Guards, we have a thief!"

My current method is to do this every time I see them running toward me - very funny, and I often have to keep from laughing aloud.  ;D

[spaceboy]

good one PZ!  I never tried to pickpocket them.  You have the option in your weapon wheel to choose a money back and Ezio will throw about 10 florins on the ground.  The minstrel (and everyone else around) will go crazy for the free money.  This gets rid of the minstrel but also creates a nice distraction.

Lately I've gotten into the habit of just punching them, it's less mean than a blade to the heart, but costs less than throwing money.  Your idea is even better though - take their money!

[PZ]

You're going to lol, literally when they dart toward you and you see their reaction when you pick their pockets.  The way they run off is priceless, and has turned an annoyance into something that I actually looks forward to these days.  Their stupid behavior is much like the FC2 mercs.

On an aside, my wife was watching me play for a few minutes and made the following remark: "Your new game alot like like that other one you play... FarCry, is it?"

[PZ]

... You have the option in your weapon wheel to choose a money back and Ezio will throw about 10 florins on the ground.  The minstrel (and everyone else around) will go crazy for the free money.  This gets rid of the minstrel but also creates a nice distraction.

Great tip space - I've not used that one before but will be sure to do so when I enter the game next time (soon, I hope).  Speaking of money, my coffer is not up to about 20,000 florins with only a few missions between having to draw the money out - seems like I have plenty of cash on hand all the time so I might as well use it to distract the crowd!

[spaceboy]

Hey PZ I remember your wife found the idea of FUEL mildly interesting, and heck she remembers "Far Cry".  That's pretty good.  Show her your art gallery in your villa and she may just be hooked - and allow you all the gaming time you need...  The nice thing is you can find out facts about each painting by going up to them - (I think you hit triangle).

[Art Blade]

How did I miss out on this topic?!

Nice read, the two of you :)

The minstrels and the stab to the heart etc reminds me of AC1, there were beggars that really got on my nerves. Only I couldn't pickpocket them... The devs of AC2 did their job well, it seems. So far, all the annoying stuff has been removed, as far as I can tell by reading all of your posts :)

[spaceboy]

How did I miss out on this topic?!

Nice read, the two of you :)

The minstrels and the stab to the heart etc reminds me of AC1, there were beggars that really got on my nerves. Only I couldn't pickpocket them... The devs of AC2 did their job well, it seems. So far, all the annoying stuff has been removed, as far as I can tell by reading all of your posts :)

Thanks Art.  Yes the days of the annoying beggars and lepers are gone!  You can also just jog away from the minstrels and they don't follow for too long (they're lugging around their instruments afterall)

Oh and another great thing they fixed is when you are running through a crowded street you can actually plow through them (a different button) - you run a bit slower than sprinting but you don't lose your balance like Altair did.  Ezio lowers his shoulder and "breaks the tackle" - you can almost see him carrying a football headed for the endzone...

[Art Blade]

I've watched a video of an interview with one of the devs (not really worth it for you, you've got the game, and for the rest of us, reading your stories and all those posts plus the couple of gameplay videos here are worth more than all that interview stuff). Basically he was so in love with his creation, hehe, he said that they took care of the flaws and annoying stuff, and made the game as open as possible, giving the player more choices. I'd translate his speech to "make it so! make everything possible!" :)

[PZ]

That sounds perfectly reasonable - the game is quite amazing in it's open world nature.  For instance, if it looks like you will be able to climb it, jump over, walk through, it will be so - no invisible walls nor other barriers in any of the main traveled areas that I've been to.

This game is rapidly becoming even more of a favorite than FO3 - if it doesn't let me down in the future, I may get it for the PC as well, just to be able to take the screen captures - this game is perfectly designed to do the embedded graphic article Art just did for the OCC growers  :-X

[spaceboy]

Here's a funny moment (and minor spoiler) - courtesans can't swim.  I hired a troupe of Venetian ladies to distract a couple guards so I could get a codex page.  I stopped short of the water thinking they wouldn't follow...and one fell in - never to be seen again.  She didn't even flounder...sank like a rock.  So I jumped in and two more followed - gone.  The two smart ones held back.  I told them to stop instead of follow, jumped across and instead wound up hiring some rooftop thieves.  Now these are the guys you can count on - and they always complement my climbing abilities!  It was great, I hung over the top of the building I needed to access, instructed the thieves to distract and as they jumped down and did their job I just dropped in front of the entrance and sauntered in to get my codex.

As for your earlier question Leonardo has his shop set up in Venice just like Florence and you can find it with an L on your map.

I agree the depth of the game is great and I'm so interested in the story I'm finding it hard to do side missions as I just want to find out what happens.  However, I've decided to basically skip most assassinations, races, and beat up side missions.  I also don't exert much effort for treasure unless it's ready for the taking.  The main story, glyphs, tombs, and codex pages are keeping me busy enough!

I'm really glad to hear your enjoying it so much as well PZ!  :-X

[PZ]

I'm glad that you're enjoying it so much too space - makes for lively communications, almost FC2 style  :-X

[Art Blade]

just on a sidenote, a friend of mine got AC2 for his PS3 on friday (3 days ago) and he's already deep into it... he is happy with it, too :) All he's missing is an intro how the main character (you) got used to killing, he thinks the game skipped that. He would have liked to see the reaction of how it felt to do the first assassination for the main character, because one day he was a kid, then he was 17 when he witnessed the hanging of his father, and then -- already an assassin. In my oppinion it doesn't matter much because it already is a sequel, and even if not, it might have expanded the game too much. Yet, so far, he likes it very much :)

[spaceboy]

****minor spoilers******

that's interesting because I've actually heard other people grumble a bit that it takes too long to set up the story and get to be an assassin.  I found it just about right.  I can understand your friends point of view for someone who wants more story, but I think it works.  The game shows how he is already good at climbing and fist fights...I don't know, I figure if I'm a strapping young Italian and I witness the betrayal and hanging of my father and two brothers, I can get to killin' pretty easy... especially after finding my father's assassin robes and blade  ;)

[Art Blade]

With my nickname, that game and I seem to match just perfectly  ;D

[spaceboy]

haha yeah we'll call you Art "of the kill" Blade

[Art Blade]

hehe, the Art of Blade  ;)

[Art Blade]

Oh, please don't think I'd call my offspring "throwing knifes"  ;D or the wife "hidden Blade" lol

[PZ]

How about "Butcher Blade"?  ;D

I just had to say that one because I just purchased that weapon for almost 6000(+) florins.  It has a damage rating of 4 units - more than any other weapon I have in my arsenal.  The animations that Ezio performs are different than with the other weapons too - more blood spatter.

I agree with spaceboy - I think the intro is just about correct - not too much, and not too little.  The people that think it is too much may be AC1 players that are already familiar with the story line, but for me, not knowing AC1 at all, it is good.

[Fiach]

Just for the record, I'm staying away from these threads, because I dont want to read any spoilers, but it seems like you are having a blast with AC2, which is great. :)

[spaceboy]

I'll try to be sure to mention "spoiler" but to a reader sometimes that's like trying not to look at an accident when driving by...

I understand Fiach - I hope you give this one a chance, there is a little bit of RPG element to it since you can choose your weapons etc.  It's definitely story driven and although I've unlocked half of the glyphs the meaning of them AT ALL eludes me still....either it'll be really good or really off the wall (probably a little of both depending on your perspective)

[Fiach]

Yes, a friend said that it really picks up after awhile, the start is just a pretty prolonged tutorial, I only played up to where you kiss some girl.

I have the game, I just have to get a round tuit before I can play it apparently  :P

[PZ]

Yes, the action really picks up after a while, and when you climb to the top of high towers, your map will update with all kinds of new "mission" icons.  The game can be as fast paced or as slow as you want it to be due to it's open world nature.  In that sense, it is much like FC2.

I actually enjoyed the tutorial part of it because I'd not played anything like it before.  If the developers had not programmed in the tutorial aspect, I'd probably have given up in frustration and put the game on the shelf because of my lack of skills.  In fact, I just today learned a new skill and I'm well into the game - I think that it has a nice balance of letting you play to develop your existing skills and then when you're ready, giving you a new skill to learn.

[PZ]

It was funny - I'm preparing dinner and am watching a movie titled Poltergeist Legacy in which there is an old Victorian style building - my first inclination was to assess how I was going to scale the sides to get to the roof top.  ;D

Reminds me of propane tanks, driving around town, and FC2  ;)

[PZ]

I had another funny moment - I've always been irritated with the roving pickpockets - the ones that sneak up behind you , knock you down, and steal your money.  Well, I discovered that if you turn to look at them, they'll run away, typically toward the rooftops.

This morning, I had one sneak up behind me and I turned just a bit later than I normally do and accidentally hit the wrong button as I was turning, and I picked his pocket!  He was stunned, and just stood there for a moment too long because I pulled my hidden blades (my favorites) and perforated his thorax.  ;D

[Art Blade]

LOL you're mean, PZ  ;D