In real life I am a silent walker - people jump when I approach them and they accuse me of 'sneaking up' on them. I don't sneak deliberately but just walk quietly, naturally. If I were a real thief in this game no-one would ever be able to detect me by footsteps. Has our protaganist never heard of Hush Puppies? I realise that without this 'feature' the game would be unable to sic the guards on me via footsteps - they would have to use their vision and other awareness abilities but not footsteps. How about at least one mod where one can buy or steal soft leather boots/slippers and where noisey footsteps are for guards in boots and citizens in hobnailed boots. Even creeping makes terribly loud footsteps in some missions. Anyone that can make a moss arrow should surely know how to walk/creep silently - even on tile or metal.