How to time runs

## How to Time Runs

To begin this process, you will want to download LiveSplit from [here](https://livesplit.org/downloads/), and unzip it.

## Full Game Runs

For full-game runs, you can use @SuicideMachine's autosplitter, which automatically removes load times and splits when you reach checkpoints, or start levels.

In the future, a tutorial will be located here, showing how to set it up.

## Individual Level Runs

For IL runs, there aren't any automatic timing tools available.  You will need to manually time, even if it is with a program like LiveSplit, which is recommended.  Timing starts the second the fire screen tearing effect plays, and ends the second the sound effect plays before showing the rating screen.

Max Ratings for each level

### A Personal Contract

- Garden: **Unrated**
- Greenhouse: **Unrated**
- Cliffside: **Unrated**
- Mansion: **Shadow**
- Manor Exit - **Unrated**

### The King of Chinatown

- King of Chinatown: **Silent Assassin**

### Terminus

- Terminus Hotel: **Shadow**
- Upper Floors: **Shadow**

### Run for Your Life

- Burning Hotel: **Specialist**
- The Library: **Shadow**
- Pigeon Coop: **Unrated**
- Shangri'La: **Shadow**
- Train Station: **Shadow**

### Hunter and Hunted

- Courtyard: **Shadow**
- The Vixen Club: **Silent Assassin**
- Dressing Rooms: **Specialist**
- Derelict Building: **Shadow**
- Convenience Store: **Shadow**
- Loading Area: **Unrated**
- Chinese New Year: **Silent Assassin**

### Rosewood

- Victoria's Ward: **Unrated**
- Orphanage Halls: **Shadow**
- Central Heating: **Silent Assassin**

### Welcome to Hope

- Welcome to Hope: **Shadow**

### Birdie's Gift

- Birdie's Gift: **Veteran** *(bugged)*

### Shaving Lenny

- Streets of Hope: **Silent Assassin**
- Barbershop: **Silent Assassin**

### Dexter Industries

- Dead End: **Shadow**
- Old Mill: **Shadow**
- Descent: **Shadow**
    - Factory Compound: **Shadow**

### Death Factory

- Test Facility: **Silent Assassin**
- Decontamination: **Shadow**
- R&D: **Silent Assassin**

### Fight Night

- Patriot's Hangar: **Shadow**
- The Arena: **Silent Assassin**

### Attack of the Saints

- Parking: **Silent Assassin**
- Reception: **Silent Assassin**
- Cornfield: **Silent Assassin**

### Skurky's Law

- Courthouse: **Shadow**
- Holding Cells: **Unrated**
- Prison: **Shadow**

### Operation Sledgehammer

- County Jail: **Shadow**
- Outgunned: **Shadow**
- Burn: **Shadow**
- Hope Fair: **Shadow**
- Church: **Unrated**

### Blackwater Park

- Blackwater Park: **Shadow**
- The Penthouse: **Silent Assassin**

### Countdown

- Countdown: **Silent Assassin**

### Absolution

- Cemetery Entrance: **Shadow**
- Burnwood Family Tomb: **Silent Assassin**
- The Crematorium: **Silent Assassin**

## Footnotes

(This guide is also viewable in the game rules popup.)

Rating system explained

Hitman Absolution rating system explained

The ratings in Absolution work pretty differently from the other games as getting Silent Assassin is not possible in most levels. There are also separate ratings given for each checkpoint and the final score screen. To my knowledge the rating shown on the score screen is somehow based on the average of the rating on each checkpoint. Here's how getting the best ratings on each checkpoint works:

- **Checkpoints with targets in them (Max rating: Silent Assassin)**
Only kill the target and not get spotted.

- **Checkpoints with no targets in them (Max rating: Shadow)**
Most checkpoints have an item called Evidence in them. If there are no targets in a checkpoint but there is evidence, then you must get it. You are also not allowed to kill anyone, get spotted and if you knock someone out you must hide the body.

- **Checkpoints with no targets or evidence in them (Max rating: Specialist)**
Don't get spotted, don't kill anyone. No need to hide unconscious bodies.
Checkpoints: Burning Hotel, Dressing Room.

- **Gun Shop -checkpoint (Max rating: Veteran)**
There is evidence in this checkpoint but the level is glitched so that the best rating possible is Veteran. Because of this you can skip getting the evidence and even kill NPCs and still get the max rating.

- **Unrated checkpoints**
There are several checkpoints where you don't get rated at all. In these, anything goes.
Checkpoints: Garden, Greenhouse, Mansion 2nd Floor, Pigeon Coop, Loading Area, Victoria's Ward, The Desert, Holding Cells, Tailor Shop.

**UPDATE**:
You can use fiber wire or silent kills to kill non-targets and hide their bodies and still get the max rating.

Guide originally by Kotti ([here](https://hitmanspeedruns.boards.net/thread/5/hitman-absolution-rating-system-explained)), but moved here in case the forum is down or the guide is otherwise inaccessible.

Why is the GOG version faster?

As of now, the fastest version of the game for speedrunning is **the GOG release.** But why is that?

One of the most commonly used strats in runs is hitting "Restart Checkpoint" during certain levels. This helps with skipping cutscenes, animations, better spawn points, etc. On the Steam version, however, hitting Restart Checkpoint triggers a black screen that lasts about 2 seconds.

On the other hand, the GOG version skips that black screen entirely and goes straight into the loading process. This faster transition is one of the main reasons why we prefer GOG over Steam.

**Here are some visual comparisons:**

Restart Checkpoint on Steam *(The King of Chinatown)*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr38VMaYqe4?t=200


Restart Checkpoint on GOG *(The King of Chinatown)*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR-m-xFdvSE?t=192

As you can see in the videos, the Steam player loses a bit of time right after restarting the checkpoint, while the GOG version loads much quicker.


If you have any questions, feel free to hop into our Discord server and ask! There’s also an updated autosplitter for GOG linked in the pinned messages.

Name	Author
How to time runs	iamrdil 3 years ago
Max Ratings for each level	iamrdil 3 years ago
Rating system explained	iamrdil 3 years ago
Why is the GOG version faster?	Topal 2 months ago