Casino Party Experts - Detroit - Detroit, MI - Yelp

Remasters in 2020 continue to be a popular theme, as newer IPs have been baking in the oven waiting for the right moment to be served on the next-generation of gaming platforms, it’s never a bad time to revisit some of gaming's biggest hitters.
The Saints Row franchise has experienced an interesting journey, what started out or was seen as a bastardized GTA clone back in 2006 has survived the scrutiny thanks to its bona fide atmosphere that combined exaggerated gangster tropes with true crime motifs that resonated surprisingly well with fans of the genre. Volition embraced feedback from its community to develop on the wackier aspects of the first game to implement through its game-mechanics in its second release just 2 years later.
What happened with Saints Row that other GTA clones failed to do was that it became self-aware of its over the top nature and capitalized on it. Seeing as most action-adventure games that fall in the spectrum of crime often tend to fall in the same grim and dreary undertones to the point where the storytelling and characters become comically predictable or the mechanics feel lacklustre. These pitfalls are masterfully avoided, if not, taken to zany creative heights in the worlds of Stilwater and Steelport. I could go on about Volition’s previous installments but it would detract from Saints Row: The Third, Remastered.
Right off the (dildo) bat, graphics have rejuvenated this game to a whole new level; breathing new life into its characters, cut-scenes and decadent world. It’s clear that with the remaster, Volition/Sperasoft have proven they are up to date with modern standards of visual fidelity. If you own a high-end console or a PC, 4K and HDR support for this game are available.
Regardless, the textures are sharp, detail oozes right down to the very skin pores, the overhauled game engine sells itself beautifully and does a great job at making the world of Saints Row even more believable as crazy as it sounds. Just watching a before vs now video says it all really. Of course it's still far from Rockstar Advanced Game Engine levels of immersion, it’s still a step up in its own right.
The new lighting model is excellent, although RTX is not yet available, it still renders its environments to a level of stunning and detail that brings out every world element in true 4k fashion. Even though it's a remaster and not a remake, I can’t help but feel a little ticked off that Sperasoft haven’t found a way to fix the day/night cycle that the game clearly needs and not the random preloaded time of day antics. Come on, it’s 2020 and you still haven’t figured it out?
Every character gets a very well done remodeling that borders on uncanny valley in spite of its more cartoonish origins. My only gripes with the character models are the lack of effort that went into the lip-syncing, this undermines the realistic approach it’s trying to sell; in certain cut-scenes it felt like I was staring at high-tech androids with the oral articulation of an animatronic mouth servo. It doesn’t ruin the experience but again, if you’re going for that uncanny valley feel, investing in better animations can go a long way.
Steelport, even it being a fictional world, feels very believable. Each “district” of the island city has a distinguishable urban mood. Carver island in the southwest feels oppressively industrial with its smoking chimneys. The postmodern architecture of downtown Steelport and its towering Skyscrapers of steel and glass make for pleasurable obstacles to perform feats of aeronautic exploits on. The suburban neighborhoods of Stanfield in the northwest and New Colvin in the east are reminiscent of Manhattan’s Chelsea borough district style of public housing and Detroit's urban decay. This brings me to my next point; I couldn’t help but wonder if Steelport was on the verge of bankruptcy or if its mayor just hates public transport? Seriously it has an airport and metro system but they are both defunct, not a sign of life. I understand this comes down to Volition being a MUCH smaller company than Rockstar so resources were a lot limited and crime being so overtly rampant, perhaps could be written off as Steelport being a discouraged tourist location?
I digress but the world feels more dystopic and is reinforced by that with its updated visuals that really liven up its decade old environments. The “cribs” give a lot for the eye to look at, it's packed with props that give credibility to the world and really convey the lived-in vibes of a world famous but dysfunctional criminal organization. The rifles and rocket launchers casually lying around Shaundi's Ex’s apartment feel more plentiful, the eccentric art deco of Zimos’ pad, the shiny floors and gaudy fixtures of the Saints HQ, the decrepit surroundings of a once booming casino at Angels Gym, Kinzie's secret hacker warehouse are all given the special remastered treatment and feel very distinct from on another and make them worth dropping by in every now and then if you’re in their respective neighborhoods.
The audio and music are cleaned up but still use the old sound files. Still though, it felt good driving over to Planet Saints singing along to Sublimes “What I got” with Pierce, the nostalgia my inner child was feeling certainly didn’t die off. The “Party Time” mission when you jump out of a helicopter to Kanye’s “Power” to crash a rooftop pool party somehow feels more electric. Flying a STAG VTOL on your way to wreak havoc across the city felt even more epic than the first time I played it, and I must have finished SR3 like well over 6 times at this point. Nevertheless, the entire narrative story is blockbuster material that only occasionally takes itself seriously, the main characters are well written and expertly voiced by a robust cast (Troy Baker, Laura Bailey, Daniel Dae Kim, Hulk Hogan, Sasha Grey, Burt Reynolds, Danielle Nicolet, Arif S Kinchen to name a few).
If you’ve never played a Saints Row game, Saints Row 3 is a great way to get acquainted as it is perhaps the latest of the series to have kept its head on its shoulders as far as the meta goes. What happens after the third game is hit-or-miss. Do not go into this game expecting a GTA immersive sim experience or you will be disappointed. SR’s core strengths lie within its addictive, offbeat gameplay loop and insanely rigorous customization schemes. All this is now amplified with its updated visuals and DLC that come included in the remastered version.

EDIT: Good to read up on other Saints fans opinions out there! It's nice to know that this game still has a loyal base despite R*'s big shadow.

"You're going to play gotcha questions with me?" - Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), asked if he thought Joe Biden won the election

Don't Wayne On My Parade

Eleven days after the election ended in decisive victory for Joe Biden, Republicans’ continued performance of uncertainty about the outcome is as appalling and dangerous as it is unrelentingly embarrassing.

On Tuesday, the two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers briefly refused to certify the election results in Michigan’s largest county, for a very valid reason that definitely wasn’t “Detroit has a lot of Black voters and we don’t think their votes should count.” (Against all odds, a white man in a polo shirt summed up this stunt best.) The Republicans reversed course on Tuesday night, for a very badass reason that definitely wasn’t “reporters started finding all the racist memes on our Facebook pages.” As a cherry on top, Donald Trump missed the memo and congratulated his would-be coup enablers on their courage, after they had agreed to certify the results.
His hopes of stealing away Michigan’s electoral votes dashed, Trump has turned to Wisconsin, a state he lost by more than 20,000 votes. The Trump campaign has filed a petition for a recount, but only in Wisconsin’s two largest, most Democratic-leaning counties, for a very solid reason that assuredly wasn’t “we’ve been through this, that’s where all the young and Black voters are.” That partial recount cost the campaign $3 million, but if you can pay Rudy Giuliani $20,000 a day to rattle off conspiracy theories at an exasperated judge, what’s a few million dollars to lose Wisconsin again?
As profoundly dumb as all of this is, it is also incredibly corrosive. It’s no particular surprise that Trump fired DHS’s cybersecurity director Chris Krebs for the crime of debunking his lies about the election having been stolen from him, but it deserved immediate, unanimous condemnation. Instead, Democratic lawmakers have spoken up, while Republicans, with a few half-hearted exceptions, have sat on their hands. What will it mean for future elections that a defeated president fired an official who safeguarded this election’s integrity and then told the truth about it, and a whole political party said “sure”?

Republicans might be blowing up democracy in slow-motion, but at least most of them aren’t pretending to agonize over it.

Sources who have spoken to General Services Administrator Emily Murphy say she’s been struggling with her unilateral decision to delay the presidential transition, and feeling like she’s been put “in a very difficult position.” Boy have we got great news for Emily: This one’s actually super simple. There’s no real doubt about who won the election, so you can just go ahead and sign that piece of paper! Get a marketing job and move to Paris! You’re free!
In the meantime, Joe Biden has been pushing ahead with transition briefings from outside experts. Those briefings have limitations, as advisors outside of the government won’t have the most up-to-date information, and can’t share classified intelligence. The White House has refused to provide even basic coronavirus data to the transition team, and in spite of the lives hanging in the balance if sabotaging the transition creates problems with vaccine distribution, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the department won’t communicate with the Biden team until the GSA signs off.

Each of Trump’s far-fetched coup maneuvers has flopped, but way too many Republicans have been happy to give them a whirl, and there’s no reason to think they wouldn’t try again in an election with closer margins. Whatever surreal elements of this year we eventually shove down the memory hole for our collective sanity, that fact can’t be one of them.

Look No Further Than The Crooked Media

On today's Keep It stream, Ira, Louis, and Aida discuss Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro's fervor over Harry Styles wearing a dress on the cover of Vogue: "The hilariousness of 'bring back manly men.' Where do you want them brought?" Watch and subscribe → youtube.com/crookedmedia

Under The Radar

Donald Trump just gave the worst possible job to a former speechwriter who was fired for having white nationalist ties. The White House dismissed Darren Beattie in 2018 after it came to light that he had spoken at a white-supremacist conference, back when that was something the Trump administration could still be shamed about. Beattie then took a bunch of taxpayer money from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), in a violation of House rules. Following that proud interlude, Trump has welcomed Beattie back into the administration fold with an appointment to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, which was established for the specific purpose of preserving the memory of Holocaust victims. Sixty-three days until the Inauguration.

What Else?

The official U.S. coronavirus death toll has surpassed 250,000, and more than three million people are estimated to be currently contagious. Doctors on the coronavirus task force warned Vice President Mike Pence that the U.S. could see an average of 2000 deaths a day by Christmas (Scott Atlas was presumably in the bathroom), and urged Pence or Trump to stress the importance of mitigation efforts from the White House podium.
Neither of them has any scheduled plans to do so, but White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany called statewide coronavirus restrictions “Orwellian,” if that’s helpful to anyone?
New York City’s public school system will shut down for in-person learning on Thursday (though bars, restaurants, and gyms are still open, lol), and Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) has joined a growing number of Republican governors in issuing a mask mandate for the first time. All straight out of Animal Farm.
The FAA has cleared Boeing’s 737 Max to resume flights, 20 months after grounding it following two fatal crashes and roughly 100 years before we will agree to step foot on one.
Trump has ordered the rushed withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, though not the total withdrawal he had campaigned on. According to one administration official, this is part of the White House’s galaxy brain strategy to light more fires than Biden can put out.
Well, here’s unelected Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) violating Senate ethics rules by soliciting donations from a federal office building. Let’s send her home, yes?
Donald Trump was terrified he would be cut in half by lasers at the opening of his Atlantic City casino in 1990, while “Eye of the Tiger” was blasting over the loudspeakers. Just a nice little image to carry close to your heart.
Rockefeller Center’s bummer of a Christmas tree has been widely deemed a metaphor for 2020. The tree’s resident owl who was just minding his own business before getting dragged into midtown can confirm.

Be Smarter

One of the biggest takeaways from this election has been “Latino voters are not a monolith,” and while much of that analysis has focused on Florida, it’s just as true everywhere else. In Texas, Trump became the first GOP presidential candidate in a century to win Zapata County, which is more than 94 percent Hispanic or Latino. Dissecting the result the requires understanding the specific character of South Texas, where most Spanish-speaking residents self-identify as Tejano. Most consider themselves American above all else, wouldn’t identify as people of color, and have positions on gas and oil, guns, and abortion that are closely aligned with the Republican Party. The Trump campaign recognized and effectively targeted that specific community, and Democrats will need more than generic messaging to win it back.

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Is That Hope I Feel?

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s policy of using the pandemic as an excuse to turn away migrant children seeking asylum at the border.
Pfizer now says that its vaccine actually seems to be 95 percent effective, and, implicitly, that Moderna can eat its shorts. Pfizer plans to apply for emergency use authorization from the FDA within days.
The FDA has issued emergency use authorization for the first at-home rapid coronavirus test.
Tiara Mack has become the first openly LGBTQ Black person elected to the Rhode Island state Senate, at age 26: “I'm going to be unapologetically Black, I'm going to be unapologetically queer, and I'm going to be unapologetically young, and I'm going to push back against the system that tells us we don't deserve justice now.”

Enjoy

Philip Michaels on Twitter: "This Senate hearing looks like the tale of a marooned lighthouse keeper and the robot butler he built to stave off loneliness."

Part 1 Here: https://www.reddit.com/HiTMAN/comments/8yntwi/wishlist_hitman_3_locationsmission_ideas_part_1/

Mission Name: Edifice Complex
Synopsis- While in Detroit, another contract is given to the ICA. 47 is sent to a long-abandoned high-rise building that is currently undergoing renovations to be converted into high class lofts and business offices. 47 must eliminate the corrupt Site Inspector, the shady Real Estate Mogul, and the devious, eccentric, panic-attack prone billionaire bankrolling the money laundering and drug trade operation that this building is going to be a part of.
Setting- A high rise office building built in the 1920's and abandoned in 1983. Currently the top 2 floors, including penthouse, have been fully renovated so that primary tenant may take up residency as the rest of the building is finished. The ground floor up to the second floor are undergoing renovation, the fourth floor is being used as temporary equipment and supply storage, the fifth through 29th floors remain in their abandoned, decayed state (though only floors 5, 6, 28 and 29 are accessible- the rest are unable to be accessed by elevator at this time). The roof and helipad are also accessible.
Disguises-
Worker: Various combinations of cargo pants or blue jeans, t-shirts or cut offs, safety glasses, ball caps or hard hats. As most workers for jobs of this nature are independent contractors, it should be easy to fit in without drawing suspicion, just don't get too close to the foreman. Allowed anywhere construction is taking place and can blend in with most tools and equipment.
Leasing Agent: A Leasing Agent is on site to take photos of the finished office space on the 30th and 31st floors. He is allowed anywhere on those floors and those floors alone. Catch him in the lobby or miss your shot to get his disguise.
Client: A potential client of the property, visiting to get a look at some of the office spaces available for rent. Several of these show up in a group, 47 can blend in with them wearing any of his suits.
Maintenance Staff: Has access to all finished floors, but must face pat-down before entering the penthouse suite.
Security Officer: Site security on patrol.
Safety Agent: From the Worker's Safety Coalition, wanders around inspecting safety devices on equipment and observes workers to make sure they're following safety guidelines. Will discover if safety systems have been disabled and re-enable them - you'll want to get rid of him before you set up any accidents. Disguise can be used to tamper with safety devices un-suspiciously.
Squatter: An unauthorized resident of the building, hiding out on one of the abandoned floors. This disguise does not grant you any access but is included for unique challenges.
Items/Weapons-
Rebar - A piece of steel meant for providing support for poured concrete walls and foundation. The sharpened end from where it was cut off a larger piece makes this a lethal melee weapon.
Paint Can - Can be used as a distraction or a non-lethal melee weapon. A worker wouldn't look out of place carrying one.
Sledge Hammer - Lethal two-handed blunt melee weapon.
Nail Gun - If the safety mechanism is defeated, this battery-operated framing tool will launch a construction nail about 50ft through the air. Useful for long-distance distractions. Can be lethal at point blank range.
Shovel, Screw Driver, Hammer, Crow Bar, Propane Tank, Fire Extinguisher, etc - most tools and items make an appearance here.
Challenges
Just Like Jimmy: Push the Mogul into a hole and then cover him up with concrete from the Mixer.
Shish Kabob: Kill the Mogul by causing him to fall onto the protruding Rebar.
Fire in the Hole!: Detonate an explosive inside the Cement Mixer when The Inspector is looking inside.
Nailed: Kill a Target with the Nail Gun.
Hammered: Kill a target with the sledge hammer.
House of Cards: Collapse the scaffolding onto the Inspector.
Inside Man: Induce the Billionaire into a panic attack and kill him while dressed as his body guard.
Fly Swatter: Use the crane to knock down the Billionaire's escape helicopter as he flees.
Eminent Domain: Kill all 3 Targets while disguised as the Squatter.

Next...

Mission Name: Bet On Your Life
Synopsis: 47 travels to a world-famous high roller Casino Hotel in China to eliminate 3 key members of an international human trafficking ring and disrupt operations permanently. One of the targets is the Casino Owner himself. The other two key members are visiting the Casino to conduct business, but will certainly be partaking in their fair share of pleasure as well.
Targets: Bao Jiang, owner of the Jiang Dynasty Casino and one of the 3 pillars of the international trafficking ring, an extremely professional and paranoid man who surrounds himself with a well trained security staff at all times. Keith Morrow, operating out of Detroit, Michigan, United States - a compulsive gambler with a penchant for fits of rage when faced with a loss, even of the minor sort. Angel Lopez, operating out of Cancun and heavily into gambling on illegitimate fighting competitions which are usually fixed in his favor.
Key Opportunities: Angel Lopez- An illegitimate street-fight will be taking place in one of the sub levels of the Casino and Angel will be sure to be putting a large sum of money on a particular fighter - but 47 uncovers information which suggests that Angel plans on rigging the fight, as he has apparently done many times in the past, by doping the opponent. 47 can intercept the drug and instead dope the fighter that Angel has bet on, causing Angel to lose his money. 47 can also steal the payment briefcase that was taken as collateral (in order to be allowed to bet) with a similar case full of forged bills, so when the fight runner goes to count Angel's bet and sees the money is gone, he'll no doubt have Angel disposed of on account of fraud.
Keith Morrow- 47 learns that the ill-tempered Keith Morrow will be sticking to his favorite game - Texas Hold 'Em. While Keith is a skilled Poker player, he's no match for Agent 47's ability to count cards. 47 can disguise himself as one of the other players in the Poker game and give Keith a literal run for his money. When Keith loses the game, he will become so angry that he will decide to personally murder 47 to get his money back. 47 can use this opportunity to lure Keith into his own demise.
Bao Jiang- Not much will get Bao to leave his well secured office penthouse - not even a building evacuation. Bao has several plans in place in the event of an evacuation - his safe room, in the event of a hostile attack, his escape helicopter, or the express elevator to the basement parking garage. 47 can sabotage one of these 3 escape plans and then trigger an evacuation (fire alarm, shooting, etc) to determine which route Bao will take. He drop a radio/satellite antenna (by shooting the mount) onto the helicopter as it prepares to take off (nod to Max Payne), defeat the safety brake system on the elevator and break the cable as it descends, or put a bomb in the armored vehicle.
Expose the Operation- Although the 3 key players in the trafficking ring will be dead, the operation needs to be exposed to the world so that federal law enforcement agencies and sweep up what remains. This may seem at odds with the notion of covertly eliminating these 3 men, but it's an unwritten agreement that when the ICA gets involved in matters such as these, federal agencies tend to look past the details of their deaths. 47 will need to enter the highly secured server room and install an ICA provided WiFi uplink to connect Jiang's secure server to the internet and trigger a mass upload of its contents. Once the data is out there on the internet, it will be there for forever.
Killing all 3- Exposing the Operation will send the targets into a panic situation. They will likely attempt to meet and figure out a plan, but Jiang's paranoia will cause him to distrust the other two and the meeting will surely be highly volatile. 47 can push Jiang over the edge by planting evidence on Angel and Keith, causing Jiang to other them both to be killed. Of course, Keith and Angel's personal body guards will return fire. If 47 is in the right place at the right time, as the bullets are flying, he can deliver a fatal dose of lead to Jiang himself and slip out undetected in the chaos- otherwise he will still have to eliminate Jiang via one of his escape routes.
Of course, all 3 targets can be eliminated using more traditional methods, but, especially in the case of Bao Jiang, it may not be as easy to get them alone as other targets have been in the past.
Mission-Specific Items: ICA Uplink - This device, when plugged into any computer, will establish a connection to the nearest WiFi network and bypass any security. This is intended to bring offline systems online, giving the ICA- or anyone else, for that matter- access to data stored on closed-networks. Poker Invitation - Not just anybody can sit down at a high stakes poker table. You need an invitation, and that’s something that can only be obtained through a large down-payment (or by taking it off someone who has one). You don't* need to take their disguise as well, but you can if you want to. Penthouse Keycard - Unlocks doors on the penthouse level. Room 1301 Keycard - Allows access to 47’s reserved room on the 13th floor. 1st, 2nd, 11th, 12, and 13th floor Keycards -Allows access to all doors on their respective floors. Maintenance Keycard - Unlocks all doors in the sub levels, all elevators, all maintenance areas on accessible floors, and rooftop access. Portable Defibrillator - Carried by Casino Medical Staff. Can start-or stop a human heart. 2-Way Rad*io - Carried by most Casino staff.
Disguises - Jiang’s Special Security - Unlimited Access to entire Casino and Hotel, but all other Special Security will not be fooled by this disguise - nor will Jiang.* Casino Security - Mostly unlimited access to entire building, with the exception of the Penthouse and sub levels. Maintenance Staff - Allows access to sub levels and maintenance areas as well as all public spaces. Bellhop - Allows access to all public spaces and restricted areas of the casino area. Room Service - Allows access to all public spaces, restricted areas of the casino area, and all guest rooms on all floors - except the penthouse level. Poker Player, - Wears an old fashioned translucent poker visor, polo shirt and khaki pants. Access to all public spaces and room 1337 only. May blend in at any game or table until asked to leave (for not playing). Fight Referee, - Access to sub level fight arena area only. Referees are non-partial parties paid to fly in from various places, so nobody should be familiar with his appearance. Allowed into the locker room pre-fight to inspect fighters lockers. Janitor - Allowed anywhere on the property, but limited access to restricted areas, such as the sub levels or penthouse - must be called up via radio to fix a problem and be allowed access. Casino Enforcer - Jiang's junkyard dogs assigned to extract payment (or sacrifice) from delinquent gamblers. Casino Fire Crew - The Casino has its own fire crew to respond to fires while waiting for the fire department to arrive. Stealing a fire crew disguise and then causing a small fire might allow an opportunity to get behind the scenes. Casino Medic - The Casino has its own medical staff to treat injuries or medical emergencies while EMT's are en route. Agnolo D’Alvade - A VIP of the hotel and close personal friend of Bao Jiang. Allowed unlimited access to the entire building. Just don't get too close to Jiang or his Special Security Team, or other key members of Casino staff. Sheikh Zanzib*ar - A frequent high roller VIP guest of the Casino given Lower Penthouse Accomodations (Penthouse level just below the top Penthouse/Jiang's Penthouse). Has a master key for all floors except the top Penthouse and sub levels.
Assassination Opportunities Fight and Flight - Rig the fight so Angel Lopez loses his bet, and swap his bet money with counterfeit bills to put him in the crosshairs of Casino enforcers. Kill him as he flees or let the enforcers do your dirty work. A Long Drop and a Sudden Stop* - Arrange events so that Bao Jiang attempts to escape via Express Elevator, and cause the Elevator to crash down.* Texas Fold 'Em - Beat Keith Morrow at the Poker Match and lure him into seclusion, then kill him. Payneful Turbulence - Cause Jiang's escape chopper to crash. Shock to the Heart - Sedate Keith Morrow and respond as Medical Crew to kill him with the Defibrillator. Fire! - Start a fire to trigger the automated evacuation and kill Jiang as he flees. Unsafe Ro*om - Trigger a lockdown and kill Jiang inside his safe room.

Next...

Mission Name: Enemies Within
Note: I'm not a Hitman Lore expert so please forgive any inaccuracies.
Without knowing how the Providence story line will shake out, let's just say it happens that Soders wasn't the only person within the ICA who was on Providence's payroll, and over time it becomes apparent to Diana that there are sleepers still working within the ICA, laying low since Soders' death and apparently waiting for the right opportunity to resume operations.
This will turn out to be 47's most difficult mission yet, as not only is he tasked with infiltrating a highly secured building full of people that know what he looks like, but one that also contains a number of expert agents who not only know Agent 47's common methods, but are specifically trained in them.
47 has 6 targets to eliminate among the various divisions of the ICA HQ.
Soders' Former Assistant- Not trained in field work in any way but has a dangerous amount of knowledge regarding 47's operations. While Soders was out on medical leave, the Assistant has been at the helm handling Soders' official ICA dealings, as well as his secret, illegitimate involvement with Providence. Since Soders' death, his Assistant has been at work secretly covering his own tracks, attempting to clear himself of any connection to Providence at all.
Head of ICA Research & Development- With Soders on their Payroll, Providence has been making use of the ICA's extremely advanced R&D department to provide special equipment to key players across the glove. Under the table, of course. The Head of the R&D department is willfully complicit, and she must be eliminated.
Field Operative Trainer- Among the wide ranging efforts of Providence to utilize the ICA for their own nefarious deeds, the Agent who trains new ICA Operatives is a direct plant of Providence, replacing the former trainer after a freak accident left him physically disabled. The new Field Operative Trainer has been tasked specifically with training the new operatives to subvert the methods used by the ICA's top operative - Agent 47, since Agent 47 is a wildcard that Providence is unable to compromise. The new operatives are being trained, ultimately, to beat 47 at his own game, and take him out of the picture once and for all.
ICA Trainee 1- See Below
ICA Trainee 2- Top level recruits being trained in the methods of Agent 47 with the ultimate goal of defeating him. Defeating this recruit will be difficult, as they will be more aware of 47's movements and traps. It would be wise to target the Trainees first and foremost, because even if 47 is able to eliminate the other targets in accidents, these Trainees will surely pick up on the strange circumstances of multiple accidental deaths within a short time span.
Gamma Agent- The Gamma Agent is the ICA's top agent under 47, who has been trained and groomed to know 47's methods inside and out. Defeating her will be 47's greatest challenge of his career, as she will not only be wary of disguises, traps, or outright assaults - but will be actively utilizing these same methods to eliminate 47. 47 will need to be careful not to find himself falling victim to his very own methods, and will need to watch out for suspicious behaviors, objects that appear out of place, suspiciously vacant areas, hidden, unclothed bodies, and other telltale signs that an Agent utilizing 47's own tricks of the trade is possibly nearby.
Unique Items The Research and Development Division will have a number of experimental gadgets and items that 47 may find useful. Note: These items can be unlocked through mastery of this final mission. The idea behind these particularly crazy items being unlocked in the FINAL mission is to not break the entire game prior to this mission, but to allow players to have fun screwing around and experimenting with these items after they've beaten the game.
Hallucinogenic Poison- In Syringe and Vial form, this Hallucinogenic Drug is the same experimental drug used by Ezra Berg. Neither he nor the ICA were able to get the formula down perfectly, however the most recent sample in possession of the R&D department has shown the most consistent results. Research notes suggest that the subject's initial mental state tends to play the biggest role regarding what effect the drug has on them. A calm person may simply be put into a relatively sedate condition, becoming less aware of their surroundings. A paranoid person may see their fears become manifested in the form of hallucinations, an aggressive person may become unpredictably volatile (security guards may attack people nearby, regular civilians will just become lethargic, certain key characters will have unique responses)
Remote EMP Device- A small yet highly conspicuous disposable EMP device activated via remote. Although useful in certain situations, the overall effectiveness of this device was not seen as important enough to warrant mass production. This device can be used to discreetly disrupt any electronics within a 10ft radius. This can be used as a distraction, to erase hard drives, shut down cameras, and more.
"EMP" Rubber Duck- A blue rubber ducky originally designed as a discreet EMP device, but faulty design has barred it from authorization for field use. The requirement of a high powered battery yielded many obstacles in its design and ultimately resulted in this failure of a device which, despite its supposedly water-proof housing, became a lethal electrocution device whenever it came into contact with water due to the rapidly overheating battery burning through the rubber housing within seconds of being activated. May be useful for other purposes, however.
ICA Smart Rifle- Deemed unsuitable for field use despite being an overall well-functioning device, this Smart Rifle is designed to be fired remotely. The Rifle is build into a fairly bulky case that. The case transforms into a mount/stand for the rifle. When the Rifle is armed, it awaits a signal from the Transmitter - a small, button-sized device upon which the Rifle will focus automatically. The user would plant the Transmitter onto a target - for example, on a human, the transmitter would be stuck to their back between their shoulder blades - and when the LED on the remote turns green, the rifle has acquired a direct line of sight to the target, and may be fired. The Smart Rifle was ultimately deemed impractical and unsuitable for field use due to the cost of production outweighing its overall usefulness - a manually fired sniper rifle would be just as effective, without requiring the shooter to return and take down the rifle after the shot has been fired. The Transmitter is discreet enough that it can be discreetly placed on a target even in the middle of a crowd. 47 will gently place his hand on the target's back as if accidentally bumping into them.
ICA Remote Explosive Decoy Gun- A dummy pistol modeled after the Bartoli 75R. Except under extreme scrutiny, appears to be an ordinary pistol, but in reality there is an integrated explosive charge that can be activated remotely or by pulling the trigger. This device was deemed unfit for field usage after a number of reported incidents involving Agents getting it mixed up with the real Bartoli 75R service weapon. This could be used similarly to the remote explosive duck, or in certain cases, by swapping an individual's own sidearm with the decoy and allowing them to blow themselves up.
Opportunities
The Assistant- Sabotage with Hallucinogenic Poison and he will succumb to his paranoia and commit suicide by jumping from the window.
Swap Soder's "desk gun" with the Explosive Decoy Gun and watch him blow himself up when he attempts to shoot 47.
The R&D Head- Plant a transmitter on her, then activate the 3 dormant Smart Rifles on display in her office, and place a call to the phone on her desk.
Use the EMP device to wipe her security badge data when she enters the armory. When the system recognizes a human occupant with no badge, it will trigger the automatic lock down protocol and release non-lethal knock-out gas, which of course you've already sabotaged by switching the feed line to nearby propane tanks, which will inevitably cause a massive deadly fireball when she fires her pistol trying to shoot out the glass to escape the room.
(will have to work on some ideas for the other targets)

Bonus Mission...

Mission Name: House of the Devil
House of the Devil is an amalgamation of the Blood Money levels A House of Cards and Dance with the Devil, intended as a standalone bonus/DLC mission.
Map Design - The Shamal Hotel featured in A House of Cards will be the main structure of the map, but will now also include the parking garage, sub-basement, and top floor penthouse as seen in the Shark Club building in* A Dance with the Devi*l.
The front entrance to The Shamal will remain mostly the same, albeit with the modern Hitman flair - more NPC's, more details, more freedom. It will be expanded and redesigned to look more elegant and classy.
Around the side of the building is the entrance to the parking garage. This will look similar to the parking garage entrance in the Blood Money version, and the layout will be mostly the same, however the first floor lobby and security desk will not be included.
The sub-basement features the Hell party, a masquerade type party with a demonic theme. The penthouse suite on the top floor features the Heaven party.
The main floor of the building features a casino and a middle-eastern themed restaurant, just as its Blood Money counterpart did, except the casino is on the same level as the lobby instead of down a flight of stairs.
the sub-basement, parking garage, lobby, floor 7, floor 8, and the penthouse are all accessible via elevator.
The Story - There are 5 targets in this mission. Anthony Martinez, Vaana Ketlyn, Henrik Schmutz, The Sheikh, and Tariq Abdul Lateef.
Schmutz was a former Ether employee and stole vital DNA samples and research. He intends to sell this research to Ether's number one competitor - APEX International.
APEX's CEO, The Sheikh, will be arriving in person to field the purchase of Schmutz's stolen DNA samples and research.
The Sheikh's head scientist, Tariq Abdul Lateef, will also be present to inspect the samples and research prior to handing over the payment.
The three are expected to meet at some point this evening at the Shamal Hotel, but there is a complication.
Anthony Martinez, a corrupt CIA agent working multiple angles for his own financial gain, is attending a masquerade party at the Shamal as cover - he plans to hijack the DNA research, and well as the payment, and sell it on the international black market.
In order to accomplish this, he has enlisted the help of Vaana Ketlyn, a major player in global black trade, who will help him fence the research in exchange for half The Sheikh's intended payment. The two have a history together of mixing business with pleasure.
Our client is a third party who wants the DNA research recovered and destroyed before it falls into the wrong hands. What you do with The Sheikh's payment is entirely up to you. The client also wants The Shiekh, Lateef and Schmutz eliminated, which will deliver a major blow to unethical DNA
The Mission - Apart from the inclusion of two extra characters and a number of new opportunities, the House of Cards portion of the mission will play out largely the same. The Sheikh, Schmutz and Lateef will play out very similar routines, with a few modifications to fit with the updated game play of the new title. Martinez will at some meet with Ketlyn in the sub-basement to discuss plans on how to acquire the research and money.
Opportunities
The Jaws of Defeat - Vaana Ketlyn has spared no expense with her Heaven and Hell themed raves, but the real spectacle is the live shark swimming around in the water tanks surrounding the dance floor in the sub-basement. As a former world-renowned circus performer, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for Ketlyn to perform a death-defying stunt. Perhaps there is an opportunity to up the stakes? - Vaana will perform a stunt routine involving the Shark. Rig the safety equipment to cause her to fall into the shark tank and be devoured. Her opioid-impaired party goers may very well think it's all part of the show.
A Dance with the Devil - Anthony Martinez and Vaana Ketlyn have a decade-long history of business relationships, with plenty of pleasure mixed in. Apparently, it has been two years since they last saw each other in person, and judging by their recent phone calls, their reunion may be an emotional moment. Nevertheless, they are both professionals and will likely focus on the job at hand... unless they can be persuaded. Catching them in the moment might be a good opportunity to eliminate them both at once. Spike Martinez's drink with an aphrodisiac, and send flowers to Ketlyn. During their meeting, set the sound system to play a slow romantic song. They will issue security staff to clear the dance floor for a private dance. Dispose of them in any way you see fit (dropping the lighting rig is one option).
Poor Reception - The Sheikh has been complaining that his phone calls are being dropped due to poor reception inside the building, and that he is tired of walking outside to take calls. This may be a chance to get him right where you want him.Acquire and use Lateef's cell phone to call The Sheikh, and kill him when he goes outside to take the call. You can carry the cell phone with you and call him from anywhere, but if you prefer remaining true to the original, you can snipe him from Lateef's hotel room.
Room Service - Lateef will need to thoroughly examine the DNA samples and research that Schmutz plans to sell to The Sheikh, but since The Sheikh insists that he and Lateef are not seen together, Schmutz will visit Lateef in Lateef's hotel room with the briefcase, but they apparently have never met and do not know what each other looks like. Posing as Room Service may give you an opportunity to slip into the room ahead of their meeting and prepare for Schmutz's arrival. Getting a Room Service disguise and an 8th floor Master Keycard will grant you access to Lateef's room. Lateef will insist that he did not call for room service, but 47 will make up some excuse about expired dairy product in the mini-fridge and needing to check the expiration dates. From there, you can either distract Lateef so you can hide in the room, or kill him and take his disguise. Eventually, Schmutz will show up and you can either examine the briefcase and let him go, examine the briefcase and discreetly plant a remote bomb and then let him go, examine the briefcase, stand up and kill him right there, or jump him the moment he walks in the door.. among any other number of things.
No Deal - The Sheikh is not a trusting man, and does not completely buy into Schmutz's claim that he has betrayed Ether by stealing the DNA research. As far as corporate espionage goes, this would be a deadly game for Schmutz to play, were he to double-cross The Sheikh. Schmutz has every intention on following through with the deal - his loyalty is to the highest bidder, and nobody will bid higher than The Sheikh. But, sabotaging the DNA samples and research and allowing the meeting to go through will no doubt cause The Sheikh to have Schmutz eliminated. Sneak into Schmutz's room, ruin the DNA samples (poison) and then allow Schmutz to meet with Lateef. Lateef will appear surprised that the samples are no good, but will pretend like everything is ok. When Schmutz leaves the room, Lateef will call The Sheikh and inform him that Schmutz is lying. The Sheikh will have his guards intercept Schmutz and lead him to an outside area to kill him. You can; kill Lateef after he calls The Sheikh, kill The Sheikh before he walks back inside after taking the phone call (only possible with a sniper rifle), and allow The Sheikh's men to kill Schmutz.

Period: 363.77 days

	Submissions	Comments
Total	1000	56801
Rate (per day)	2.75	155.54
Unique Redditors	321	5751
Combined Score	150174	331939

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