Social stealth

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The Stealth Meter in the Animus 1.28 (top to bottom): Unaware, Watched, Alert and Detected

Social Stealth, or how inconspicuous one could remain in public environments, was a key ability to master for a member of the Assassin Order.

Philosophy

A Master Assassin knew that targets were unable to prepare themselves for a covert strike completely. For the Assassins, remaining unexposed was the safest way to move about without catching the attention of guards, arousing the crowd or alerting an assassination target. Thus, avoiding attention was vital to the survival of Assassins during their assassination missions.

Based on the second tenet of the  Creed, remaining anonymous was a priority for members of the Order, Assassins achieved greater chances of success during investigations and assassinations when they did not arouse suspicion. It was vital for Assassin apprentices to understand the people, and utilize them, or other surrounding elements to their advantage. Assassins used crowds to mask their approach, create distractions, and only revealed themselves during assassinations when necessary.

Whether performing silent executions or public assassinations, Assassins struck at the most appropriate moment, where they could accomplish a covert kill and also run or hold their ground against guards when required. Whether approaching a target from behind and killing them with the hidden blade, or gently pushing past a crowd before bursting through the guards on a rampage charge towards a target, the knowledge of social stealth was an indispensable skill. Though mastering an assassination was a priority, mastering the approach to the act was equally important for Assassins.

Third Crusade

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Altaïr hides in plain sight

During the Third Crusade, the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad’s current social status was displayed on the Heads-Up Display (HUD) of the Animus virtual machine, either via the social status icon or witness indicator. The social status icon switched to the witness indicator under context - they were never displayed simultaneously. The witness indicator only appeared when Altaïr was in the presence of guards who were not in open conflict with him. In all other cases, the social status icon was visible.

The social stealth system kept track of how much attention nearby guards paid to Altaïr and his actions. Citizens and guards would react differently, depending his actions around or towards them. Whilst walking within the cities and Kingdom, Altaïr was able to force people out of his way and gently push past them. Though the former attracted attention and prompted some citizens to shove him in retaliation, Altaïr was able to pass through the crowd much more quickly. Gently pushing or moving past civilians would attract no attention, but took more time in crowded areas.

Socially unacceptable behavior would increase the attention that guards and civilians paid to Altaïr’s presence. Remaining anonymous, completely avoiding arousing suspicion and publicly expressing only socially acceptable behavior would enable safe travel through city streets. Should guards chase Altaïr, he was able to use the following places as hiding spots:

• Groups of Scholars
• Benches (only when occupied by two civilians)
• Piles of hay
• Rooftop gardens

Remaining anonymous refilled Altaïr’s synchronization bar. When Altaïr attracted excess attention, omnipresent guards would recognize his identity as an Assassin, and attempt to kill him, eliminating his anonymity, and forcing him to seek a hiding spot. An important and dependable way to assure anonymity was to blend. Since Assassins dressed in attire similar to religious scholars, a change in Altaïr's mannerisms to mimic a group (folding the hands and assuming a prayerful stance) ensured a slow, yet safe passage through guarded entrances and areas.

Social Status Icon

Icon	Status	Explanation
	Anonymous	When Altaïr was not visible to guards he remained Anonymous. Represented by a white social status bar, this status was ideal during assassination attempts.
	Exposed	When Altaïr drew too much attention to himself, he would become Exposed. The social status icon changed shape and color, flashing red. He could either kill all guards present (instantly returning to Anonymous status) or attempt to flee.
	Unseen	When Altaïr chose to flee, and was able to break the line of sight of pursuing guards, the social status icon would flash yellow and an audible beeping was heard, signifying an Unseen status. At this point, Altaïr would find a hiding spot or outrun his pursuers until he reached anonymity.
	Vanishing	Whilst in Unseen status, Altaïr entered Vanishing status. After a few seconds, the guards would approach his last sighted position, and if unable to trace Altaïr, they would give up their search for the Assassin.
	Vanished	When the guards gave up their chase, Altaïr had Vanished. During this status, he could not be Exposed again. He would remain in this state as long as he continued to hide in a hiding spot. Once he left the spot, he was able to be Exposed again.

Witness Indicator

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The indicator is the triangle on the left of the Synchronization Bar

The witness indicator distinguished the different awareness levels of guards near Altaïr. Shaped differently from the social status icon, it had an eye in its center that glowed yellow or red, depending on the soldiers' level of awareness.

• Unaware: A yellow witness indicator meant that the guards near Altaïr were either unaware or suspicious. An unaware soldier had his hands to his side, unaware of the threat posed by Altaïr.

• Suspicious: A suspicious soldier was slightly cautious of Altaïr’s presence, but not enough to attack or draw his sword. Instead, he rested his hand on his sword hilt, with the blade drawn slightly. Unaware and suspicious guards were unlikely to attack, unless provoked. The witness indicator glowed yellow whilst soldiers were suspicious of Altaïr, or unaware of him.

• Informed: A flashing red witness indicator meant that guards near the player were extremely suspicious, and prepared to attack Altaïr. An informed soldier had his sword fully drawn, ready to engage in combat due to suspicion. During this state, guards were provoked easily. Altaïr could escape by blending with scholars, or killing the suspicious guards. All guard patrols in the Middle Districts of cities were always Informed, similar to those within the Kingdom.

Renaissance

The HUD notoriety icon of the Animus 2.0

The social stealth engine of the Renaissance differed from its predecessor. The Assassin Ezio Auditore was able to blend into any crowds, bribe Heralds, and either hire Courtesans or Thieves to distract specific targets. He could pickpocket civilians for florins, and ran the risk of being pickpocketed. Ezio was able to hide in carts of hay, flower petals, and autumn leaves, and dive underwater to escape from pursuers. Doing so, however, was not necessarily an effective form of escape since seeker guards could search for Ezio in hiding spots. Evading guards was far easier since Ezio was able to leave a hiding spot at anytime.

Notoriety System

The notoriety icon, set next to the Synchronization Bar, indicated Ezio’s level of notoriety amongst guards. When caught undertaking socially unacceptable deeds, his notoriety in that individual city or location increased.

Actions that increased Notoriety

1. Killing or fighting civilians
2. Becoming detected by guards in a restricted area
3. Bumping into a stationary guard (gently pushing the guard or brushing by him was allowed)
4. Being caught pickpocketing civilians
5. Being caught looting bodies
6. Being caught carrying bodies
7. Knocking into Minstrels
8. Hiding in a hiding spot and being found by Seekers
9. Causing Guards to flee from fights
10. Killing guards in open conflict
11. High-Profile assassinations
12. Killing Borgia Messengers and pickpockets
13. Hijacking guards' horses

Actions that reduced Notoriety

1. Ripping down Wanted Posters. Ripping off a poster would lower notoriety by 25%, however if guards saw this act, Ezio would receive a small increase in notoriety, and a guard would shove him. If a poster were located on the wall of a Borgia Tower, igniting the tower would not lower Ezio’s notoriety.
2. Bribing Heralds. Once heralds were bribed, notoriety was lowered by 50%. Ezio could pickpocket heralds for the 500 florins he had bribed them with, however, this would cause a slight rise in notoriety. He could also kill and loot heralds after bribing them, yielding the same results.
3. Assassinating Officials. Kill off the corrupt officials giving false witness, or selected key guards would reduce notoriety by 75%. This was the most effective way to lower high levels of notoriety, however, it was usually only available when Ezio attained a significantly high level of notoriety.

Incognito

When the notoriety meter reached capacity, guards were on constant lookout and always suspicious of Ezio. They would attack him almost immediately after sighting him. However, when the notoriety meter was empty, guards would not pay attention to his presence unless he moved into restricted areas or committed socially unacceptable acts.

Special capes worn by Ezio would enable a permanent incognito state in certain cities and areas. Ezio obtained capes by completing main memories or by completing certain tasks. However, the Auditore cape, possessed an opposite effect; when worn, Ezio would become permanently notorious in any city during the 15^thcentury.

Social Status Indicator

The Social Status Indicator (also known as SSI) of the Animus 2.0 contained two components:

Arrow Indicators

An arrow located above a guard's head indicated Ezio’s risk level of detection.

• When the arrow turned yellow, this indicated that the guard had begun investigating Ezio’s actions and had become alert to his surroundings. The amount of time needed for a guard to recognize Ezio depended from the type of guard observing the environment and his actions.
• When the arrow turned red, the guard had recognized Ezio and would immediately engage him in combat, or pursue the Assassin if he attempted to flee.

Mini-Map Frame

The Social Status Indicator, instead of being located to the left of the Sync Bar, was a frame that surrounded the Mini-Map on the bottom right of the HUD of the Animus 2.0. The Indicator's colors were the same from those in the Animus 1.28.

• White: Ezio’s status was "anonymous"
• Red: He was in open conflict with guards.
• Yellow: He had have broken the guards’ line of sight whilst in open conflict with them.
• Blue: He was "vanishing" from view, though the guards were still searching for him.
• Green: He was “hidden", in a hiding spot.

In addition, the mini-map displayed an orange circle when guards’ line of sight was broken. This orange circle represented the area where guards were actively searching for Ezio. Exiting the circle greatly increased Ezio’s chances of escape without the need to hide; though the guards were still able to see him from within the indicated area.

Trivia

• In Assassin's Creed II: Discovery, there are additional hiding spots including, large barrels and boxes, behind certain walls, and the inside of doorways.
• Brutes take a lot more time to recognize Ezio.