Practice killing...

[PZ]

Just completed the 3rd trip through to the end of the game, but am still at 79% completed because I left the assassin's tombs, and almost all of the side missions for last.  One reason is that I now have the two most important capes that allow for much mischief:

• Medici cape - allows me to remain incognito regardless of what I do in Florence and Tuscany.
• Venetian cape - remain incognito in the other two cities, Venice and Forli

Now I'm roaming freely without raising alarm due to my nefarious activities  ;D

I turn off all of the economic markers except the fast travel stands, so I am able to wander through the cities heading toward some side mission, but doing so at leisure, causing trouble along the way.  I still find it difficult to stifle a laugh as I pic-pocket my way through crowds watching the astonished expressions on people's faces.  Occasionally someone will pick a fight with me which allows me to hone my bare knuckles fighting technique.

I'm also hiring groups of thugs and sending them to a group of guards for a fight - kind of fun to watch the weapons play from a distance - I can then sneak in and stab someone in the back to help my guys.

I must say that in comparison, the fighting in AC1 seems quite primitive - still lots of fun, but not nearly as entertaining as AC2.  I don't know if there is a difference between PC and PS3 graphics in AC1, but it looks to me like the graphics in AC1 are in some ways a bit better.

[mmosu]

So I take it that once you've finished the main game, you can continue to roam around and mop up any missions you passed up previously?  That's always a plus if that's the case  :-X  Means no pressure to choose one mission type over a mission that will advance the story for fear of missing an opportunity to do the side mission.  That's always my fear in a sandbox game, and it causes me to often use the approach where I will clear all available side missions from the map before I will advance the story.  Sometimes this is ok, but often it becomes more like w@&k, especially when the side missions aren't all that entertaining (like in ACI) and I would rather just continue the story. 

[Art Blade]

I sure hope so, and I know games (FC2, STALKER, FO3 to name a few) that allow you to do whatever you like until you reach a point of no return. Sometimes there are mods that allow you to continue after the main mission is complete, but vanilla games usually don't.

By the way, nice new avatar, mmosu  ;D

[spaceboy]

yeah mmosu, you can roam all over completing side missions and getting collectibles (feathers and glyphs) once the main story is completed.  This is very nice and the guards respawn at a good rate, not too fast or too slow.  Some are patrolling guards and some are stationed in front of something (they'll still guard an open door even after you've retrieved the treasure or codex page from within).

I actually completed all the trophy requirements last night and got 100%.  The first time ever I've gotten the "Platinum" trophy. I needed the help of a guide to find all the feathers and solve some of the glyphs though (I didn't like to do that but it was getting quite tough on my own).  The "battle" trophies were fun to achieve.

[Art Blade]

congrats on your platinum, spaceboy  :-X :)

Don't worry about guides. If, with the help of a guide, you see all the stuff a game has to offer which you wouldn't have seen without, where's the problem? :)

[PZ]

Yes, congratz on the trophy space!

I agree with Art - without guides, I'd not have the patience to complete the game so I'd never see all it has to offer.  Having a guide or cheat allows me to enjoy the game to the fullest of my limited ability and patience.

After I'd completed the game the first time and the credits started rolling, I thought that it was over and I'd missed out on all the side mission potential, but was pleasantly surprised when the game continued.  I now have filled the game slots with 3 completed games, and have erased one of them to start again the 4th time (the game allows only 3 saved plays at a time).  So with the two completed games and the last a partial play through I have the option to do just about anything I want - go back and cause mayhem in town equipped to the hilt with my Altair outfit, of act humbly in town with the partial play.  The game has high replay value in my opinion.  :-X

[Art Blade]

I can only imagine what it will be like for you and spaceboy when JRD and I (maybe some more members) finally are able to start playing AC2 on the PC. Couple of weeks... then hopefully we're on it, too :)

[Art Blade]

(ahem, hello spaceboy, did I interrupt you replying?  ;D)

[spaceboy]

thanks guys.  I was determined to find all the feathers on my own but 100 across 5 cities (2 big ones) was daunting.  It was great actually I spent some time the last two nights with my laptop out and a map up - very precise search and destroy lol.  I'd mark the location on my HUD and go there - you'd still have to look around a bit but this website I found even had a picture which helped.  Here are some helpful links:

feathers:  http://www.thehiddenblade.com/feathers

glyphs: http://www.gamesradar.com/f/assassins-creed-ii-glyphs-and-statuettes-guide/a-20091120161944695091/p-5

The thing was I'd picked up about 1/2 of them during gameplay so when you didn't see a feather, sometimes you weren't entirely sure if you had already gotten it or you were just off an alley or two.

One of the last things to do is after you find all feathers you get the Auditore family cape.  This one gives you FULL notoriety immediately in every city except the villa.  The "Show your colors" trophy has you visit each city with it on.  This helped actually with the No Hitter because I WANTED the guards to chase me so I could slaughter 10 of 'em in one sitting.  Using the smoke bomb trick worked great.  Kind of a cheap way to get it but without it it would be tough either staying in conflict or not getting hit.  Well, now my conscience is cleared and I can go into the DLC with a fresh mind  :P

Just saw that post Art.  YES!  I can't wait to hear of your experiences and stories from the game.  I love the world they created even more than the Holy Land.  I only hope they do a historical timeframe again for the 3rd and don't do Desmond in modern day.

haha Art!  yes, in fact your second comment stopped my post AGAIN  >:(   just kidding  :)

[Art Blade]

lol, sorry, space  ;D ;D ;D

thanks for those links, spaceboy  :-X I'm really looking forward to playing that game. :)

[fragger]

I'm looking forward to getting into this one too. One thing's for sure - when we PC guys finally get into this, there'll already be a wealth of experience to draw upon here at OWG.

I hope PZ and spaceboy won't mind being the gurus for us caped cadets ;D

Just call me "Grasshopper"...

[spaceboy]

of course fragger, I enjoy talking about the games I love.  Plus with the two DLC episodes, I'll still be playing new stuff in the game myself - well the openworld nature allows lots of ongoing fun anyways, but story-wise I'm looking forward to what the DLC offers.

What's neat about the learning in the game is that the beginning tutorial missions are integrated well into the buildup of the story and eases you into all the game mechanics.  I thought it was done well and though you don't start off as a badass assassin you grow into one along with Ezio.

[JRD]

... What's neat about the learning in the game is that the beginning tutorial missions are integrated well into the buildup of the story and eases you into all the game mechanics.  I thought it was done well and though you don't start off as a badass assassin you grow into one along with Ezio.

Thats good... in AC1 you start with all your weapons and skills but "loose everything"in the end of the first chapter (which was never clear to me anyways  :( ). It makes you play the rest of the game re-gaining your weapons on each level, as if you had to prove you deserve to have them back... a lame excuse imo!!

[Art Blade]

Now that you mention it, JRD, I too struggled with that deprivation of my status (and therefore weapons) and neither did I understand why, once you did have them back, you were only one or two missions short of the end of the game.

=-->  :D

Well, at least it let us know what to expect, weapons-wise.

[PZ]

After playing AC1 for a while, I really appreciate all the nuances found in AC2.  The fighting engine is so much more robust - really keeps one interested in developing the fighting techniques.

I know space feels the same when I say that we can't wait for the PC guys to get into the game and start reporting their adventures.  No play through is exactly the same.  For instance, I just finished killing Francesca de Pazzi for the 4th time, and each version has been slightly different.  Sure, it is linear in that he starts in one spot and takes off through the city, but the way that you can accomplish the task by being quick is interesting.  The first time, I had to chase him across the rooftops, on another play, he hesitated a moment too long on a roof, and got his well-deserved blade.  This last time, I managed to knock him off his perch and he feel to the street where I quickly assassinated him.

[mmosu]

Man, I'm drooling listening to you guys talk about it!  I thought AC1 was great despite it's flaws, and a new version with those flaws corrected is going to be amazing!

  I love the world they created even more than the Holy Land.  I only hope they do a historical timeframe again for the 3rd and don't do Desmond in modern day.

I hope that too Space.  I had wondered (based heavily on the Japanese writing on the cell wall at the end of the first game) if we would possibly be headed to feudal Japan at some point in later editions.  Who knows, maybe that's still to come  ;D

[spaceboy]

I'm hoping that at least, if the 3rd is Desmond based, that he has flashbacks/hallucinations or even time in the Animus bringing historical times back into play.  Also, how great would an Assassin's Creed Chronicles series be telling all the best stories of past Assassin's through different times (such as feudal Japan).  If they do that I could even tolerate a full-on modern day Desmond game in the mix!

[Art Blade]

Feudal Japan... around 1400... Golden Age for swordsmiths... I'd just need one katana from that era and I'd be happy to slice my opponents throughout the game  ;D

[spaceboy]

you'll like the choice of weapons in AC2 Art...lots of long and short weapons - all with different animations. but the best is almost always going against a guard hands free, disarming him and using his weapon against him  ;D

[JRD]

I read about feudal Japan somewhere when I was searching for an explanation of the ending in AC1. I also read Desmond would "remember" a few more things other than the Eagle Vision he gets in the end of AC1 (don't know if he get something else in AC2) which might lead to a final level with Desmond in the near future even if the entire game is in the past.

[PZ]

Other than a variety of fighting skills and a jumping climbing skill, I can't think of any special powers Ezio acquires in AC2.

[spaceboy]

yeah without giving too much away, Desmond does experience the "Bleeding Effect" of the Animus, especially as he follows Ezio learning to be an assassin, instead of Altair who already was one.  The bleeding effect is when the user of the animus starts to take on abilities of his ancestors.  In short, Desmond does a little free running  ::)

btw a huge improvement on Eagle Vision is that you don't have to be standing still.  So you can turn on the EV and walk around, not that I did it that much except for during some feather searching, but at least if you're walking around you can take a quick peek through Eagle Vision and don't have to come to a complete stop.  Much more fluid and a small but appreciated improvement.

[JRD]

Other than a variety of fighting skills and a jumping climbing skill, I can't think of any special powers Ezio acquires in AC2.

As spaceboy said, it's a "bleeding effect" of the animus that makes Desmond experience some abillities of his ancestors. Not Ezio himself developing more than he did.
In AC1, in the end, Desmond gets the Eagle Vision he inherited from Altair (and thats all, Desmond can't even run inside the lab  :D ), allowing him to see the writing on the walls and unravel part of the plot. So I was guessing Desmond would get something from Ezio this time around and, maybe, by the end of AC3 he'll have full skills to free run, climb, fight etc and will face some of the today's Templars in a final level outside the animus...


... just guessing though!  ???

[mmosu]

Man, I don't know...might be the only way to bring the series to a satisfying conclusion, but I still have reservations about a modern setting.  Here's a question about that modern setting:  Do we know what year it is supposed to be in Desmond's world?  There is potential for some sweet tech in a modern setting - like traditional assassin gear with a modern twist - but they would have to really wow me with that aspect in order to sell it!  As it is right now, I'm still content living in the past  ;D

[Art Blade]

Can't be right now because we don't have an Animus and can't take a sight-seeing trip using our own genes' "memory" -- so even if it was now, there is technology available that is futuristic. Alternate reality :)