Architectural Espionage is a mission in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas given to the protagonist Carl Johnson by Wu Zi Mu as part of plans to pull off a heist of Caligula's Casino from the Four Dragons Casino in Las Venturas.
Mission
Carl finds Woozie in a storage room in Woozie's casino. The two discuss the plans to rob Caligula's main vault, where the money is held. The first step in the preparations to rob Caligula's main vault is to photograph blueprints of the building's layout. To do this, Carl heads down to the City Planning Department, which houses the blueprints under heavy security. By creating a diversion, Carl obtains an illegal photograph of the blueprints, and blasts his way out of the building. After evading the pursuing authorities, Carl returns the film to the Four Dragons Casino to be developed.
Mission Objectives
In order to complete the mission the player must:
- You need a camera to get a copy of those casino blueprints. Grab one from some tourists at the strip.
- You've got a camera, now head to the planning department building.
- The stairwell is now accessible. Climb up to get to the location of the blueprints.
- There's a document depository downstairs. Head down to see if you can cause a distraction.
- Those old con units are decrepit. Destroy them anyway you can.
- Okay! They're busy with the evacuation just now. Get upstairs and photograph those blueprints pinned to the wall.
- Great! You've photographed the casino blueprints! Get out of the building before you're caught.
- Take the camera film to the back entrance of the Four Dragons Casino.
Reward
The reward for completing the mission is increased Respect and the mission Key to Her Heart is unlocked.
Tips
- Check each flight of stairs for cops before descending; this will make it easier to prepare.
- A Bravura will be parked outside; use it to escape.
Trivia
- One of the blueprints in the City Planning Department is labeled "Starkweather Estate", a reference to Rockstar's game Manhunt, the last few stages of which are set in the mansion owned by the main antagonist, Lionel Starkweather. The blueprint is a map of the level "Key Personnel".
- Also, Carl can find a picture of Carcer church and the surrounding district from the same game. The picture is labeled as "Development site" and features a CCPD Boxville parked near the church cemetery. This church is featured on the level "Drunk driving".
- The model of the building located in the room with the casino blueprints shows the logo of Rockstar Games when viewed from above.
- If the player already has a camera, after the cutscene, he will be instructed to get to the planning department.
- Depending on what the player's answer choice is at the counter of the planning department, Carl can trigger four different replies out of which only two will get him inside the blueprint room.
- Failing this mission because of photographing the casino blueprints before causing the distraction or refusing to put the weapons away when a security guard spots the situation will display the "Mission Failed!" text along with the failure reason "You were told that this is a low-profile job and you were showing off your weaponry!" Following this, the screen fades into black and the player will respawn at the nearest police station. The player's armor and weapons, however, will be lost and their cash will be deducted by $100, as if CJ was busted on a one-star wanted level.
- This will not be counted on the player's busted stat.
- The receptionist is the only minor story character which uses solely her pedestrian voice. Her model was also used as Sweet's Girl. Unlike her ped form, she will not comment on CJ's appearance.
- Even if the player completely extinguishes the fire, the smoke will neither vanish nor even diminish unlike the fire in Burning Desire.
Gallery
Video Walkthroughs
