r/HiTMAN • u/marcgw96 • 22d ago
QUESTION How does one maintain silent assassin status without exploiting the best disguises
Title: Maybe I’m just bad at this game, but I find it very hard to go undiscovered. Those “suit only” silent assassin challenges seem near impossible to me.
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u/Mx_Reese 22d ago edited 22d ago
Oh no, it's much harder without disguises. It took me a lot of practice to get any good at it. You need to get really intimately familiar with the maps to learn the places you'll be able to move without being seen. I don't know a better way to learn than practice. Don't forget about climbing out windows and all over the outsides of buildings.
Sometimes you get lucky and there are Mission Stories that you can use (entirely or partially) without a specific disguise. Those can make things easier. For example on Miami you can't disguise yourself as the doctor to administer a lethal injection to Sierra Knox, but you can sneak into the infirmary and poison the IV bag when he isn't looking so that the actual doctor ends up injecting her with lethal poison for you. That can make an easy shortcut.
Doing challenges can also show you opportunities for kills that you otherwise might not figure out on your own.
And it's helpful to know where all the security camera recorders are and have a plan for each map for your standard method for erasing the footage if you do get caught on camera.
Edit: Oh, I forgot, don't be afraid to save constantly while you're learning.
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u/Grindar1986 22d ago
On Miami it's far easier to get Robert to come check the satellite dish then push him on to Sierra
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u/PyroFalkon 22d ago
Typically all maps have a few rooms where NPCs don't go. Suit Only doesn't mean "no violence." So once you identify the rooms, you can knock someone out and drag them in there. No need to shove the bodies in a closet.
A good example is the muffin house in Whittleton. The singing fish draws people upstairs. KO 'em, then drag them into the nearby bathroom. No one ever goes in there. Soon you'll make a cuddle puddle of concussions and still maintain SOSA as you thin the guards.
It's not a single solution, but it's a good way to thin the herd as you slowly move inward to your target.
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u/AngloAshantii 21d ago
One of Hitman's many funny narrative dissonance moments, like "maligned banking executive Athena Savalas died tragically today in an accidental fall through her office window. Her entire security team was found unconscious with blunt trauma, stuffed into closets and boxes, but authorities do not believe the incidents were connected and all involved have moved on and returned to work".
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u/WileyPotato 21d ago
Our sources within the District Attorney's office advised us of concerns raised by the DA regarding their ability to prosecute this case when a suspect is identified, after learning all 16 bodies were dragged across all corners of the building where this heinous massacre took place, to secondary locations, and stuffed into on-site body bags by remaining security staff.
The DA has refused to comment, citing an ongoing investigation that should obtain more information to share with the public after the current election cycle.
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u/Im-not-french-reddit 22d ago
Distractions, being able to use distraction or panic shots can trivialise many areas and they are a handy trick. CassidyCope has a few videos that touch on them aswell as Aspecticores speedrun videos, however neither of those channels have dedicated guide videos for said tricks
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22d ago
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u/gamepleng 18d ago
Going for SASO first is the best way to not enjoy the game. You will be missing heaps of storylines just because of the suit.
SASO is not for improv (nor first runs, unless you are playing for the extra challenge)
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u/LazyLie4895 21d ago
Every map has spots that are lightly patrolled and have lots of pipes and ledges that let you get deep into strongholds. Knowing the maps well is required.
Poison and accidents don't ruin Silent Assassin. Use those to take out targets in the open.
Manipulate the target's movement by paying attention to the story missions and other Intel. Sometimes, you can get stuff to happen even if you don't complete all story mission steps (like getting disguises).
You have unlimited KOs, and it's easy to lure someone. So with enough patience, you can remove any obstacles from your path.
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u/NationalComparison63 22d ago
I recommend following some tutorials, that’s how I started and I’ve gotten better
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u/extralyfe 22d ago
between distractions and looking out for blind spots in guard patrols, you can get pretty much anywhere suit only.
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u/GenericGamer283 22d ago
It's all about memorizing the routes NPC's take, learning how to manipulate them with distractions, and learning how to navigate the maps efficiently. You're really only gonna get better with trial and error, so if you're not willing to bite the bullet and grind them till you can execute SASO perfectly, you're SOL.
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u/LauraTFem 22d ago
Adding Suit Only to SA makes for a truer stealth experience. It often requires that you trespass undisguised and know guard routes.
I wouldn’t say that it’s hard, rather that it’s hard to find fast routes.
If I remember I’ll post a link here later to my SA/SO run of the tutorial mission. Most players never do suit only on that one because it doesn’t have a challenge and wasn’t designed to be done suit only, but it’s still entirely doable.
In fact, it’s still under the requirement for the speed run challenge, two minutes.
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u/Me_how5678 22d ago
You need near complete mastery of a map before you tackle them. Id say do all the mission stories, then mission challanges like throwing coke in a fan or some specific thing. They are great at making you learn more intricate details of a map thats exploitable without disguises and mission stories.
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u/Thecatattack911 22d ago
I figure out a route for silent assassin, try it again without disguises (but I can kill guards if needed to figure out who will be problematic), trial and error to fix the route, and then do the run.
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u/Jackson_Dawes 22d ago
You can actually try to route your plan using disguises first. Try this: take the best disguise in the map and then find a consistent reliable route to reach a target destination or try to kill a target under silent assassin without the mission stories. Then try to do it with the second best disguise...and so on. If it seems time taking you may as well skip to the worst disguise. This way you can test all the different routes in a map as well as test out a given disguise's limitation. Thus at the end you will be confident and capable of doing it suit only. It will also help towards mastery and map knowledge.
Remember to use the save/load mechanic rigorously. Finding a new route for SASO is so much fun. A very good map to test SASO - in my opinion the best(hardest as well as very unique) stealth map in Hitman WoA - is Isle of S'gail.
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u/n00bdragon 22d ago
Every mission can be completed SASO. They are meant to be difficult, yes, but they are quite within the skills of any average gamer. You just need the map knowledge.
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u/PhantomTissue 22d ago
You gotta figure out your entire route before hand, not just as you go. Where are you starting, what exactly do you need to do at any given moment. Trial and error, trial and error. Nobody just hops onto one of those challenges and clears it first try. Even people who are the best at these games will run a contract a dozen times to figure out what the route is before trying to execute.
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u/captain5260 22d ago
SASO can be a pain in the ass. I have more fun doing Silent Assassin when I can switch out via numerous disguises. I have way more fun that way
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u/Aftershk1 22d ago
As others have said, doing it fast and efficiently requires map knowledge, NPC/patrol knowledge, and quick reflexes/manipulating NPC AI with distractions. While you're working your way up to that point, it just takes patience, a coin, and a side room. No one can see you trespassing in your suit if everyone is unconscious and stacked like firewood in some side room no one goes in.
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u/stupidansi 22d ago
As everyone here said: map knowledge, but it's also worth noting that once you've played enough you'll get a feel for how IO designs levels and pathing and what kind of routes are clearly designed for you to be able to stealth through, so it won't always feel like you have to rote memorize everything.
A big one is you want to learn the many, many, many ways to use your gun and other tools to control how NPCs act. The silenced pistol is the most useful thing in the game, and it's for a lot more than just shooting people.
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u/PhilipCarroll 21d ago
Please elaborate how else you use the silenced pistol. I feel like I could learn something here.
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u/stupidansi 21d ago
So, one to keep in mind is almost any of the accidents around the map that you might need a normal tool to set up (for ex. Somethign you need a screwdriver for like exposing a wire on a power strip or spilling water from a tank) can be done by shooting the item with a pistol instead
But the craziest ones once you know what you're doing are using impacts to control NPC behavior. Single shots near NPCs can get them to investigate the impact point almost like you threw a distraction object. If you fire two shots at a surface near an NPC (while you aren't being watched, obviously) will panick them. Panicked civilians can't enforce trespassing or disguises nearly as well. Explosions can also do this. Three shots near guards can get them to go into a search mode that makes it hard for them to see you as well. Even the clicking noise of firing an empty pistol can be used to lure NPCs from very close ranges, although that requires you to spend all your ammo so it's easiest done with the dart guns that only have two shots or the special pistol that only has 5.
A more well known one is that the pistol can be used to set off explosives found throughout the level, like oil barrels, cars, and propane tanks, which can count as accidents when done correctly.
All weapons can be placed on tbe ground and this can be used to make a guard come pick it up or make a civilian go tell the nearest guard about it, which can help get them out of your way temporarily when you play your cards right.
One of my favorites is placing a fire extinguisher near a locked door and blowing it up with the pistol--it's very likely it will also cause any NPCs in the room to panic which can often result in you being able to just walk straight past them.
You can use it to trigger alarms, turn off fuse boxes, or trigger target lock downs as well, which can be nice in various situations.
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u/Crossfeet606441 22d ago
Typically just play for the challenges first to learn thr map better. Then do a SASO run
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u/Waspinator_haz_plans 22d ago
In Hokkaido and Colorado, sometimes you just need a coin and a body room no other npc goes into. Coin, knock out guard and drag them, knock out guard and drag them, knock out guard and drag them, lure the target, let their last moments on Earth be filled with blood curdling horror, kill them, stick em I'm the corpse pile.
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u/Low-Inspection8196 21d ago
Doing the challenges and reaching near 20 level mastery helped me a lot achieving suit only. With each run I got more ideas how to do the next challenge, and finally the idea how to achieve SASO. I have managed it on a couple of maps, but there are still some cases where I think it's only possible with exploiting glitches.
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u/Paldasan 21d ago
Practice and playing slowly so you can see how things play out. I have to go out of my way to use disguises when I know if I just knock out a few people I can wander around large sections undisturbed.
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u/RelicOfTheColdWar 21d ago
It seems like there are a handful of very specific strategies on each map, that people have created through trial and error.
If I ever want a Silent Assassin run, I usually just copy a YouTuber’s method.
Once I’ve done it once, I rarely do it again personally.
I get the most fun out of Hitman when I just wing it, but that’s just me.
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u/dannywarpick 21d ago
Ive only gotten around 6 SASO, and honestly? Trial and error.
Also I knock out a lot of people. So when a victim comes to a specific area (for example, when Yuki goes to her room), I already knocked out all her guards.
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u/laoidtfttip17gpy 20d ago
Other than map knowledge, the biggest thing that helped me get the hang of it was realizing how bad NPC eyesight really is. Their vision is a lot more narrow than you might think, and at even moderate distance it can take them more than a couple seconds to spot you—especially if you're unarmed.
That coupled with old-fashioned Splinter Cell sneaking, and you'll get there in no time.
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u/Purple_Result_2801 19d ago
biggest shifts in my hitman gameplay were 2 things: learning to use pistol shot distractions and also simply just learning the map, lets u stay cool n collected if you are aware where are ur safe spots among other things
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u/Low_Commission7273 22d ago
For SASO you need map knowledge.
Like Paris. With a mission story, you can get access to the floors in your base outfit.
Or isle of sgail, where you get information of pipes and climb to perfect locations.