Civilian

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Ezio strides down the streets of Florence while Civilians and Guards look on.

Civilians were the common people throughout the years, that could be found abundantly in every city. They were to no significance to either Templars or Assassins.

High Middle Ages

Peasants were the general denizens of the cities (and the Kingdom) of the Holy Land. Generally, they did nothing to hurt Altaïr, although there were some special variants of peasants that might.

Peasants reacted to Altaïr's actions: watching closely when he entered a fight, making comments as he free ran throughout the city, gasping if he buried any of his blades into an enemy and fleeing when the enemy died. Peasants could also act as both a shield and a hindrance for Altaïr as he fled. If he ran into enough of them while sprinting, he would lose his balance and fall to the ground, greatly offending those he ran into. However, if Altaïr was shoving his way through a crowd, he could keep up his momentum.

If Altaïr murdered an innocent peasant, he would suffer a large penalty due to his disregard for the first tenet of the Creed, also making Desmond desynchronization as Altaïr never killed civilians.

15th and 16th century

Civilians behaved roughly the same way that they did in the High Middle Ages. However, when killing civilians, instead of losing synchronization, Desmond would be warned twice and finally be desynchronized if a third was killed; a double assassination counted for two kills and thus two strikes. Ezio could also blend in with all groups of civilians, as opposed to just Scholars. Ezio had the ability to throw 10 florins on the ground, which caused a mob of civilians to crowd around him and pick up the coins.

In the 16th century, aside from being by themselves, civilians were often seen on horses or in couples or groups as well, and instead of just walking about by themselves could also be seen doing group activities such as giving massages, having conversations and having romantic moments.

Sorts of civilians

Some civilians were different from the rest. Some may assist, be a hindrance, or an outright danger.

Beggars

File:Beggar AC.jpg

A beggar.

High Middle Ages

In the three cities Altaïr visited, a desperate female beggar sometimes pestered him for money, claiming her family was "sick and dying" and "have nothing". They harassed Altaïr for several seconds, before giving up. If he attempted to climb a building to escape them, they would throw a rock at him. If he climbed up a ladder however, they would simply walk away without throwing rocks. If he drew any of his weapons, they would run away screaming. In addition, he could throw them in another direction to frighten them. Another method was to simply punch them once, and send them running. Doing this was much the same as throwing them, but would (usually) not cause the guards to intervene.

Desmond would take a very minor hit of desynchronization, but frightening them caused them to be scared of Altaïr for quite some time.

15th century

Beggars appeared in some cities, but did not chase or harass Ezio for money, only leaning against a wall or standing up when Ezio approached them. If he threw money at them, they would pick it all up, thank him, and then walk away. They instead reappeared in function as minstrels, who acted similarly to the beggars in the first game, except that they did not demand money, but instead ran in front of Ezio singing and playing chords on their instruments.

16th century

Rome featured the calmer beggars of the previously visited cities, as well as the return of the harassing beggars from the High Middle Ages. Both versions of beggars could be gotten rid of by throwing money at them. This time around, the harassing beggars were usually found in groups of three, all of which were women.

Carriers

High Middle Ages

In the three cities visited by Altaïr after his failure at Solomon's Temple, some peasants could be found walking around carrying something heavy. If Altaïr bumped into them, they would drop the item and cause a big commotion. To pass by carriers without causing a commotion, they were to be gently pushed aside. The carriers came in two varieties: jar carriers and box carriers. Jar carriers were women carrying around a large jar on their head and box carriers were men holding a box close to their chest. If Altaïr were to knock any of these things down, nearby guards would give you a warning, and if he repeated it, they would attack.

15th and 16th century

Only box carriers appeared during the Renaissance. They were seen carrying boxes from shop to shop. If Ezio bumped into one, they would cause a great deal of commotion, and guards would often come and push Ezio around. Ezio became one in the penultimate memory block, when he was carrying a box. He could not use the "gentle push", and knocking over another carrier caused nearby guards to push Ezio, making him drop the box.

It was quite possible for a box-carrier to walk into the back of Ezio while he was walking. This resulted in them dropping the box but still blaming Ezio. Also galloping near one caused him to drop his box, even if his definition of "near" seemed to span a circular area of 20 meter diameter around him.

In Rome, box carriers once again were the only type of carrier, and they acted the same way as in previously visited cities.

Citizens in distress (Save Citizen)

File:Saveyourmother.jpg

A citizen being harassed by guards.

Occasionally, Altaïr could find citizens that needed saving within the three cities. They were often being harassed by guards for crimes they did not commit. Altaïr could kill the guards, and in doing so, unlock a group of either Scholars or Vigilantes. Women that were saved brought an extra group of Vigilantes, and if he rescue a man, they brought him groups of Scholars.

In Altaïr's visit to Alep, Citizens were similar to their original counterparts, but rewarded Altaïr with coins instead of giving him a specific group of helpers.

In Rome during the 16th century, citizens that were being harassed by Borgia guards could be saved by Ezio. Once saved, they gave their lives to join Ezio's cause and became Assassin apprentices.

Scholars

Main article: Scholars

A Scholar.

Scholars were holy men who walked slowly and silently through the three cities. Having robes similar enough to a Scholar's, Altaïr could blend in with a group of them to escape guards.

During Altaïr's visit to Alep, Scholars did not come in groups and appeared even when Altaïr had not saved any citizens. Altaïr could not blend with them.

During the Renaissance, instead of Scholars, there are Monks. Their importance was severely diminished as Ezio could blend in with any crowd, and that they weren't very good pickpocketing targets. Instead, their closest counterpart functionally would be Courtesans, which had the added advantage of moving with Ezio instead of the other way around.

Thugs

Main article: Thugs

File:AssassinsCreed 360 Test008.jpg

Altaïr about to pickpocket a thug.

Thugs or Courageous Citizens were burly denizens of the three cities. They were the only peasants that would fight Altaïr, but only in a fistfight; drawing a weapon caused them to flee. Altaïr could pickpocket thugs for 5 throwing knives, or defeat them in a fistfight for one. Desmond could not make Altaïr kill them, as he would lose synchronization, and there would be no throwing knives to obtain. Strategy-wise it was better to flee for Altaïr should he start a fistfight with them, as the reward for beating them was hardly worth the effort, as opposed to running away and trying again somewhere else. Thugs did not follow him to the roofs should he choose to escape.

Thugs appeared in Masyaf as well, but they had a much different appearance than the other 3 cities. In Masyaf they were far less burly, and took the appearance of Assassin Informants but with darker robes. They acted in the exact same way though.

While they did not appear in any other time period, it is worth noting that some civilians would fight if one were caught pickpocketing. Unlike in the High Middle Ages, however, fist fighting civilians were very easy to defeat. In addition to the fact that Ezio was more proficient in unarmed combat than Altaïr was, fistfighting civilians backed down and fled after the first hit, even if they blocked it. It should also be noted that in both the Beat Up and Mail Delivery missions in Forlì, gangs of Civilians engaged Ezio in much the same way as the Thugs did in the High Middle Ages and unlike the aforementioned civilians, they would require a lot more hits to defeat.

Troublemakers

In the three cities visited during after Altaïr's failure at Solomon's Temple, he could sometimes find madmen and drunkards. They usually were found babbling, walking through back alleys, and struggling with chronic flatulence. If he get close, they would shove him violently and generally cause a great disturbance. Because Trouble Makers created a commotion when they pushed him, it could cause him to become exposed. This could sometimes cause him to fail a side mission, or break his cover as he attempted an assassination. They could also push Altaïr into the water, instantly causing a desynchronization for Desmond.

Just like with beggars, it's suggested that he punched or shove them when he saw them, as this will, oddly enough, not arouse suspicion with the guards and was a surefire way to get them off your back. Altaïr would take a hit of synchronization (one unit's worth) but this was a small price to pay to deal with them. However, he had to make sure that there were no Thugs nearby, as this would start a fistfight with them.

During the Renaissance, drunkards resembled the ones during the High Middle Ages in terms of appearance, however, they did not act aggressively.

Vigilantes

Main article: Vigilantes

Vigilantes were groups of brave, tough men that were available after saving female citizens. If Altaïr ran past a group of Vigilantes while being chased by guards, the Vigilantes would grab the guards, delaying them greatly. Altaïr could then escape, or take the opportunity to assassinate the guards as they were held back. They were particularly helpful in assassination missions for targets who fled, such as Talal, Jubair al Hakim and Sibrand.

In Rome during the 16th century, the vigilantes made a return, acting exactly like vigilantes from the High Middle Ages.

Minstrels

File:Minstrel(Small).jpg

A Minstrel.

In any of the cities visited during the Renaissance, minstrels followed Ezio on the streets, playing a song on their lute and singing about Ezio. For better or for worse, they were the beggars of the 15th and 16th century. However, they were slightly less annoying than their Middle Aged counterparts. For starters, they were not as desperate or whiny as the beggars of that time, nor would they throw rocks at Ezio if he tried to escape. Secondly, there was a much easier and socially acceptable method to get rid of them than in the previous game: appeasing them by throwing money at them. Just like previously, Ezio could punch or throw them to cause them to run. But unlike before, doing these sort of rash actions against them (drawing weapons, punching, etc.) did actually carry a real consequence, as it would cause a 25% increase in Notoriety.

Another method for dealing with them was to knock them over when holding the high profile button, immediately stopping them from singing and blocking your way. Although if done near guards, this could cause a slight amount of Notoriety. Stealing from a minstrel causes him to drop his instrument.

They were also found in Rome, they only wore different colored clothes, but they would still sing the same songs as in the previously visited cities.

Pickpockets

Main article: Pickpockets

File:Thief.jpg

A pickpocket.

Pickpockets, as the name suggests, were thieves that attempted to steal the Ezio's money. If the pickpocket was successful in stealing the money, or if Ezio was in the pickpocket's sight, he would escape by use of free-running. Should one be pickpocketed, the stolen money could be regained by chasing, and tackling the pickpocket. In addition to the player's money, an extra 500 florins could be gained by tackling. Also in Rome, pickpockets carried one trade item that could be used for the Shop Quests. The extra money could be gained even if the player didn't have any money stolen. Pickpockets were identifiable by a money pouch icon on the map, as well as a silver arrow above their heads, inside the Animus. Pickpockets were also subject to the same laws as Ezio. If one was on the rooftops, he could be shot at by an Archer, or Arquebusier. If one was killed, the dead body could still be looted. Killing one had no penalties for desynchronization, but could cause an increase in notoriety.

Borgia Messengers

Main article: Borgia Messengers

File:Messenger.jpg

A Borgia messenger.

Borgia Messengers behaved almost exactly like pickpockets, but with some minor differences. Firstly, they wouldn't attempt to steal from the player. Secondly, they did not have any icon on the radar, and the only way to identify them was by a silver chevron which appeared above their head. Thirdly, Ezio steal a sum of 1503 to 1505 florins from them. And lastly, killing one resulted in a 50% notoriety increase during the 15th century, or a 100% increase in the 16th century. If a Borgia messenger was located on the rooftops by guards, he would be attacked. Same as with pickpockets, the dead bodies could be looted.

Courtesans

Main article: Courtesans

A group of courtesans in Venice.

Courtesans were very good at distracting guards, also they could get into places covered with guards, although guards would steal 2 courtesans from Ezio when he walked past them, a new upgrade of the courtesans in the 16th century is that they could poison guards; Ezio hired courtesans, then walked past guards and got them to steal 2, then the courtesan would stand in front of the guard and blow a powder (poison) into the guards face. Then the Courtesans would walk away, the guard then did the same as any other guard that got poisoned by Ezio with the poison blade.

Also when Ezio entered a fight with guards while with courtesans, they would flee instead of fight.

Mercenaries

Main article: Mercenaries

A group of Mercenaries in Venice.

Mercenaries were very skilled fighters. Ezio could use them to attack and kill guards; the only down side of Mercenaries was that they couldn't scale rooftops with Ezio unless there was a ladder to climb. Mercenaries always carried heavy weapons, i.e Axes or Claymores, meaning they were unable to sprint. Also, in Rome, they were useful for getting rid of Minstrels, as when they sang to Ezio, a Mercenary would run over, push him away and chase him around the city telling him to keep away from Ezio. This, however, did not last as the next time the Minstrel appeared he would just continue to sing to Ezio.

Thieves

Main article: Thieves

A group of Thieves in Venice.

Thieves were a good way to lure away guards from targets to assassinate, or good ways to get rid of Guard Posts. While being in Rome, Thieves were extra handy for receiving Florins without arousing Notoriety or a Fight as they would pickpocket any civilians they passed and Ezio would receive the cash, although Thieves can free run with Ezio, they were not good in a full group as, if they were on a small platform or rooftop, they were most likely going to fall, either from lack of space, from an archer, crossbow man, or rifle man shooting at them, other thieves' gently pushing them caused to fall or losing grip while holding onto the edge of a roof.

Potential Assassin Apprentices

Main article: Apprentices

File:Ezio Recruiting Assassin.JPG

Ezio recruiting a citizen.

Potential Assassin Apprentices were civilians under the influence of the Borgia, who were often bullied and beaten up by the guards for fun. When saved by Ezio during his time in Rome, the civilians saught to eliminate the Borgia influence in Rome and join the Assassin Order as Ezio's personal team of Assassins.

Trivia

File:RichCivilian.png

A rich civilian in Florence.

• Assassin's Creed contains files titled "SnakeCharmer", but no snake charmer exists in the game. This hints that Ubisoft may have originally intended the game to feature snake charmers.
• When you have completed the game Assassin's Creed, Altaïr will no longer desynchronize for killing civilians.
• As seen in early gameplay videos, Altaïr was originally able to push civilians out of his way while standing still in Assassin's Creed.
• An achievement could be obtained for throwing the female beggars in Assassin's Creed enough times.
• The NPCs of the civilians in Damascus, Jerusalem, and Masyaf are similar.
• When using eagle vision in Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood, civilians are the only ones that do not glow any color. They are simply grey, because they are not an ally or an enemy.
• In Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood, the player can distinguish between different civilian attributes and types. For instance, a rich civilian will wear more lively and colorful clothes, capes and shoes, all of a very fancy nature. A richer civilian can be pickpocketed for more Florins.
• In Assassin's Creed II if the player pickpocketed any male civilian and who later realized what had happened the male civilian would attack the player with their fists; however, pickpocketting a female who realizes it would only cause them to shriek and run from the player. In Brotherhood it was changed so that both men and women would attack the player after being pickpocketted indiscriminately. If the player were to choose to retaliate with a counter attack Ezio could very violently attack a woman which is quite out of character.
• People celebrating Carnivale are rich civilians, especially the ones that dance.
• In Assassins Creed II the minstrel's florin pouch only contains 10 florins at most but in Assassins Creed: Brotherhood minstrel's does not have any florins
• Interestingly enough, you see no children walking in the streets, not even with an adult. The only children found are Ezio's younger brother, Petruccio, Caterina Sforza's children Bianca and Ottaviano and the lost child in Brotherhood whose mother was captured by Silvestro Sabbatini. Also a child appears when Ezio and Mario are trotting down the streets in Monteriggioni.
• In Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood, women will often find anything Ezio does to be attractive, commenting how strong, fast, or brave he is throughout the game.
• Ezio can kill civilians without desynchronizing by using a gentle push or by punching them into water. However, throwing them in to water will cause desynchronization.
• You can also 'kill' civilians without desynchronization by knocking them out first and then dragging their subdued body off a ledge higher than a single story. This will stop them from writhing about on the ground and turn them into a motionless corpse. In fact, this works with any subdued person. If the civilian is picked up and thrown a second time, he will resume his writhing.
• There is also a rare glitch in Assassin's Creed II where a group of civilians listening to a town crier will not react to any violent act the player commits. These civilians can be killed in the form of an execution without penalizing the player. Although occasionally about a minute after the glitch the player may be spontaneously desynced if they had killed two civilians a minute or so prior to killing the glitched NPCs.
• In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, as Ezio rebuilds Rome, civilians will start carrying parasols, sceptres and fans.
• In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, the male potential Assassin Recruits always have the same clothes as Duccio de Luca, Claudia Auditore's former love interest in Assassin's Creed II.