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[KA101]

I've heard that the CCS gets stronger over time; We Didn't Start the Fire claims to start them "extremely strong".

Where does this sort of thing happen in the code?  I'm curious as to how the CCS is supposed to level up, chiefly because I just got the Liberal Guardian up and it's stopping the CCS from affecting public opinion.

(Thinking the CCS at high/max power might be able to take a cue from the Firemen, and attack Liberal Guardian sites without needing Heat on the site.)

[Jboy2000000]

I don't know, but in my experience the CCS get weaker overtime, continuously getting rampage papers, making them weaker. At least, thats how I think it works, it kind of makes sense that they'd get stronger/weaker depending on how much people like them.

[KA101]

If you have someone writing for the Liberal Guardian on the day the CCS takes an action, the LG will always spin the CCS action as a Rampage.  (Or at least that's been my experience.)  That's why I want to let the CCS attack it directly.

[Jboy2000000]

Well, the paper that reports the rampages are "The Times." If I remember correctly that is. But I have had (massive) tendencies to be wrong.

[Jonathan S. Fox]

I've heard that the CCS gets stronger over time; We Didn't Start the Fire claims to start them "extremely strong".

Where does this sort of thing happen in the code?  I'm curious as to how the CCS is supposed to level up, chiefly because I just got the Liberal Guardian up and it's stopping the CCS from affecting public opinion.

(Thinking the CCS at high/max power might be able to take a cue from the Firemen, and attack Liberal Guardian sites without needing Heat on the site.)

The CCS strength increases at the top of monthly.cpp in the function passmonth. It increases once per month, in a few steps, if public opinion is sufficiently Liberal. The steps are:

1. Occasional raids.
2. Attacks on LCS raiding parties as they leave sites.
3. Carbombings and sieges of LCS safehouses.

At each tier, the equipment and threat of CSS members encountered increases. Destroying a safehouse temporarily reduces the CCS level by one step. Destroying all three shuts it down entirely.

Nightmare mode starts the CCS at tier 2 or 3, I don't remember which. Quite possibly all the way to 3.

It is indeed the case that the Liberal Guardian always spins CCS actions as Rampages. Having the CCS aggressively target the Liberal Guardian if you start publishing "Rampage" stories about them is a great idea. I think they should also stop doing natural rampages entirely, and always be successful in their attacks.

[KA101]

OK, thanks.  I'll look into that, but probably not tonight.  US Eastern and all that.

I'm guessing #2 as I've never been carbombed.  Might have been CCS-raided once, when I deliberately got Heat on the safehouse to see who raided me. 

Tank traps ought to weaken car bomb attacks, hypothetically--they stop the car from getting right next to the building.  Would also be an incentive to use them for LCSes that don't plan on fighting the military.

(If you ever wondered why federal courthouses, etc have those large concrete planters around, it's to prevent vehicles from reaching the building.  Basically a non-obvious tank trap.)

I'd thought nailing a safehouse forced them back to step 1, not just down one step.  Interesting.

Would suggest that CCS effectiveness be a function of their power level--an occasional natural-rampage at level 1 makes sense for an undisciplined group of fascist-wannabes.  A few months of Conservative support/training and I'd expect better discipline out of them.

Maybe something like 20%/10%/1% chance of Rampage or something like that?

[Jonathan S. Fox]

I'm guessing #2 as I've never been carbombed.  Might have been CCS-raided once, when I deliberately got Heat on the safehouse to see who raided me. 

Tank traps ought to weaken car bomb attacks, hypothetically--they stop the car from getting right next to the building.  Would also be an incentive to use them for LCSes that don't plan on fighting the military.

(If you ever wondered why federal courthouses, etc have those large concrete planters around, it's to prevent vehicles from reaching the building.  Basically a non-obvious tank trap.)

The CCS doesn't attempt car bombings if you have tank traps, for precisely that reason. They siege instead.

I conceive of LCS tank traps as concrete planters and such. Putting up dragon teeth or landmines would be like screaming HEY GUYS YOU SHOULD RAID US, WE'RE UP TO NO GOOD.

I'd thought nailing a safehouse forced them back to step 1, not just down one step.  Interesting.

You could be right about that. My original design was down one step, but it's gone through some revisions.

[Neonivek]

Well the fact that you can build tank traps right into the homeless shelter (I think) does explain why it isn't the dragon teeth.

Unless I guess you disguised them as molecular models.

[Jonathan S. Fox]

The homeless shelter isn't upgradable, but the point ultimately stands for any other safehouse in the city. There are a lot of obnoxious things that tank traps could be, and presumably aren't.

[Neonivek]

The homeless shelter isn't upgradable, but the point ultimately stands for any other safehouse in the city. There are a lot of obnoxious things that tank traps could be, and presumably aren't.

Honestly the Homeless shelter oddly even looks like a abandoned sewer.

[SealyStar]

The homeless shelter isn't upgradable, but the point ultimately stands for any other safehouse in the city. There are a lot of obnoxious things that tank traps could be, and presumably aren't.

By the way, I can understand why the homeless shelter isn't upgradable, but have you (or any modders) ever looked into making upgrades for the apartments? It is, after all, the LCS' apartment, whether legitimately or via threat.

Obviously, I'm not talking about huge things like business fronts, tank traps, or AA guns, but I can imagine running a printing press from an apartment, or stock up food there, or get a generator. Maybe you could also add some unique apartment upgrades, although I don't have any ideas.

I have some other ideas for safehouses and sieges, but with this as an exception I'd like to avoid straying too far off topic.

[Jonathan S. Fox]

Obviously, I'm not talking about huge things like business fronts, tank traps, or AA guns, but I can imagine running a printing press from an apartment, or stock up food there, or get a generator. Maybe you could also add some unique apartment upgrades, although I don't have any ideas.

Stocking food makes sense, but there's not much benefit since you can't fortify for a siege. I think anything industrially loud, like a printing press or a generator, would probably generate crazy amounts of heat, assuming you could even install them.

[Neonivek]

Unless it was a hand cranked plate press.

Does the LCS even have to distribute their papers?

[Jonathan S. Fox]

I imagine the LCS has volunteers who spread the guardian like a leaflet campaign. Don't think it'd add much to the game to mandate that you micromanage that step, though.

[Neonivek]

I imagine the LCS has volunteers who spread the guardian like a leaflet campaign. Don't think it'd add much to the game to mandate that you micromanage that step, though.

Well it could be something where you use your best driver to distribute the papers where his driving skill actually improves the coverage.