Despised the clockwork mansion mission

[Francis_Mallman]

I just finished the clockwork mansion mission, which I'd heard great things about - and it's clearly a very clever level, with all sorts of levers and shifting platforms...

But the word that comes to mind is tedious.

So far, I've loved every second of this game. But that entire level was so annoying... and just so tedious... that it might actually dissuade me from a second playthrough.

[Zekiran]

Gooood luck in Stilton Manor.

[Coldhands]

What did you think was tedious about it?
The only downside I can think of in that mission is that it really demonstrates the inadequacies of Dishonored's map system. You need a much more detailed map to not get totally lost in that level.

[Zekiran]

It was very difficult, yes. But doable, and also, gorgeous as hell. Stilton's too, hell I love all the architecture though it would be horrible to live in some of those places with basically a rat maze layout ;)

But yeah I have to wonder, how could it be something that would be tedious? Without knowing what style you're playing, or which character, it's kind of hard to do anything other than shrug.

[Myrmidon]

I'm on my second playthrough and just starting the Clockwork mansion. I'm going to complete the mission and grab the obvious stuff but aside from that skip over the rest as it's just so much headache. On my first playthrough I spent about 8 hours in there and got about 90% of the stuff but my ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ god was it tedious and soul destroying. Definitely a work of genius though.

[Just Chill]

Hm, it was pretty funny for me:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=868282169

[Capt.M]

I think I can relate. On my first playthrough, I wanted to go non-lethal, undetected, and I was intent on never looking for help online. Also, I wasn't sure (and didn't try to find out) whether the clockwork soldiers counted towards kills or detections, so I made sure not to meddle with them at all. So, I basically made it very difficult for myself, and it required a lot of saving and reloading. And once I got lost, I just wished I could have restored the mansion to its original setup before I'd pulled a single lever... It took me over six hours and 80% of my sanity. But it wasn't so bad after the first time anymore.

Also, I loved Stilton's Manor. It didn't feel tedious at all compared with the Clockwork mansion.

[Francis_Mallman]

I think this level was over-hyped.

The feeling I get is that a lot of people, early on, knew this level was unique (and maybe even a little ground breaking) and wanted to let everyone know about it.

But what they failed to ask themselves was if the level was actually a lot of fun. For me, this level reminds me of the novelist who tries a little too hard.

I absolutely loved the second mission of this game (around the Karnaca docks) because I felt like I was experiencing a real world. The clockwork mansion level made me feel like I was experiencing a level.

Big difference there.

[Figloalds]

I managed to find the fastest way to the douche pretty fast, but it sucks if you go through the annoying full pf enemies path

[Zekiran]

Yeah there are a zillion ways through this mission. Plus if you clear it / knock everyone out you can just wander the place and look at the *incredible* detail in there.

One of my d2 screenshots in my steam gallery shows a railing overlooking the maze where Sokolov was, one out of the sections is just bent all to hell... Was something getting out? Breaking down? Exploded? The little details like that really made this level and the whole game work for me.

[Figloalds]

The way I found is: Flip the lever, go upstairs, flip the second lever and go beneath the floor to disable the power wall, flip the lever to get back up, leave the room with no furnishment in it before you go through the powerwall you disabled, pick a letter in the left, go in the room with the bathtub, flip the lever and go to the side where the bathtub goes next, you'll be a hall from the lab, sneak through the borders and go upstairs, crossbow headshot 2 mech soldiers sneak kill/knockout the sc!mbag.
Get the elevator to the proving room, get past some halls, take down an elite guard, sneak on and around then jump to below the stairs to the maze where sokolov is, get him and pick elevator to lab and walk into that first upstairs room. there, stealth crossbowheadshot more mechas and you're out

[Novahot]

The best way through the Clockwork Mansion is to sneak.

The first lever you encounter is in a room with a piano in it, don't touch the lever. Hop on the piano, shoot the glass window above it and blink/far reach there. In the left corner of the room, away from the entrance, is a hole where you can get in to the service tunnels.

Just follow the tunnels untill you reach a room with guards and a clockwork. Get throught the room how ever you like, turn left and you get to a workshop/art room what ever it is.. There is an balcony which you can Blink/Far Rearch to the outside of the laboratory. Take care of your business there how ever you choose.

From the lab you can easily get to Sokolov and use the lab bridge to get back to the lobby :)

[anaphylactic god]

whole game is a tedious torture if you playing no-kill run
otherwise its bearable

[Figloalds]

This game is easy to perfect sneak non-lethal, it just takes a bit of practice and knowing stuff in anticipation.
My first play through this game was custom-hard and to me powers were pretty much useless, aside from the high jump and breaking doors, I only used far reach in the dust district to ease carrying Paolo from his appartment to the abbandoned building, and even though I think it might be possible to leap over without it (but all the 3 times I tried was fail), I'm doing a no-powers custom-ultra-hard perfect stealth non-lethal run this time, and its probably going to be smooth.

[Marenkai]

That part is a level-design beauty...

It was tedious on my first playthrough and I was totally not stoked about doing it again in my second one.

But man... That's exactly when it struck me: there's a million of different ways to proceed through this level... it's just ridiculous...
Once you know where you're going, all the mechanisms become your tools and greatest allies in the level.

That's the true genius of Dishonored: you play 5 times through the same game, but you always end up being surprised about those levels you thought you'd mastered already

[Novahot]

Originally posted by Marenkai:

That part is a level-design beauty...

It was tedious on my first playthrough and I was totally not stoked about doing it again in my second one.

But man... That's exactly when it struck me: there's a million of different ways to proceed through this level... it's just ridiculous...
Once you know where you're going, all the mechanisms become your tools and greatest allies in the level.

That's the true genius of Dishonored: you play 5 times through the same game, but you always end up being surprised about those levels you thought you'd mastered already

Agreed. I'm doing my seventh run on the game and I just found the shrine in the Royal Conservatory. I never realized I hadn't visited there.

There is always new routes to take, new secrets to find. That is the beauty of Dishonored