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Author Topic: Some thoughts and Questions regarding LCS  (Read 1534 times)

Oksbad

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Some thoughts and Questions regarding LCS
« on: January 27, 2015, 03:28:08 pm »

So I recently got back into Liberal Crime Squad, finished a pacifist run and made good progress from a violent run. I had some questions and feedback, if anyone is interested.

Before I start, I want to state it was a very fun experience. Kudos to those who have been working on it.

Feedback

First off I felt that hacking was way, way, way too overpowered. My end game sleeper network of over a dozen people was still producing less Liberal Guardian material than one hacker. This is somewhat balanced by the fact that hackers cannot obtain certain types of data (police, prison, cia files), but considering hackers can also influence issues directly I think the rate of them finding LG material could safely be reduced by an order of magnitude and still allow hackers to be useful. As things stand, they make "snooping around" for sleepers in the media, medical research, corporations or the judiciary useless for any reason beyond getting juice.

The Bank Robbery mechanics, specifically the choice between the violent approach and the sneaky one were fun.

I felt the heat mechanics were a bit too forgiving of a pacifistic-but-illegal play through. I never had any heat except on my hacker's hideout for my pacifist game, until relatively late when treason and terrorism charges came in. I imagine that a group of people that go around smashing, stealing, vandalizing and breaking and entering would still attract police attention and raids. Due to the heat mechanics, this also kept me safe from the CSS until I finally obtained sleepers in their ranks.

Questions
How feasible is it to seduce the higher-end conservatives? I never was able to seduce an Agent, Vigilante or any of the "Debate" conservatives (Eminent Scientist, Hangin' Judge etc.), even though I had people with 10+ seduction. I eventually had a liberal squad of guitarists first turn them liberal, then recruit them.

How do you deal with the CEO non-violently? My guitar strategy failed horribly against him.

By what standard does Club security deny entry? Early game, they wouldn't let me in at all until I got a sleeper. Late game, when my sleeper lost contact, I was able to enter regardless  a few times.

Since the CEO is very bad ass and (as far as I can tell) unique, how does one get tipped off against Corporate Mercenaries without a CEO sleeper? Neither my elite security, not my corporate manager sleepers detected it beforehand.
« Last Edit: January 27, 2015, 05:55:35 pm by Oksbad »
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I always just found it peculiar that the police are always able to pin the crime on you 100 percent of the time. The fact that organized crime rings exist at all without being bombed to hell by the national guard is evidence enough that this is not strictly the case in reality.

Kodiologist

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Re: Some thoughts and Questions regarding LCS
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2015, 05:26:49 pm »

Quote
How feasible is it to seduce the higher-end conservatives? I never was able to seduce an Agent, Vigilante or any of the "Debate" conservatives (Eminent Scientist, Hangin' Judge etc.), even though I had people with 10+ seduction.

It can get quite hard. I've never been able to seduce or persuade eminent scientists, and I've only gotten radio personalities and cable news hosts after a lot of tries. Seduction of 15 or higher helps and is quite doable with sufficient juice to get your charisma that high. Paying the $100 fee on every date helps a lot. Having skills in common can also help, but I haven't really checked how much (see the dating code for details).

Quote
By what standard does Club security deny entry?

The relevant lines from mapspecials.cpp are:

Code: [Select]
// Wrong clothes? Gone
if(activesquad->squad[s]->is_naked() && activesquad->squad[s]->animalgloss!=ANIMALGLOSS_ANIMAL)
   if(rejected>REJECTED_NUDE)rejected=REJECTED_NUDE;
if(!hasdisguise(*activesquad->squad[s]))
   if(rejected>REJECTED_DRESSCODE)rejected=REJECTED_DRESSCODE;
// Busted, cheap, bloody clothes? Gone
if(activesquad->squad[s]->get_armor().is_bloody())
   if(rejected>REJECTED_BLOODYCLOTHES)rejected=REJECTED_BLOODYCLOTHES;
if(activesquad->squad[s]->get_armor().is_damaged())
   if(rejected>REJECTED_DAMAGEDCLOTHES)rejected=REJECTED_DAMAGEDCLOTHES;
if(activesquad->squad[s]->get_armor().get_quality()!=1)
   if(rejected>REJECTED_SECONDRATECLOTHES)rejected=REJECTED_SECONDRATECLOTHES;
// Suspicious weapons? Gone
if(weaponcheck(*activesquad->squad[s])>0)
   if(rejected>REJECTED_WEAPONS)rejected=REJECTED_WEAPONS;
// Fail a tough disguise check? Gone
if(disguisesite(sitetype) && !(activesquad->squad[s]->skill_check(SKILL_DISGUISE,DIFFICULTY_CHALLENGING)))
   if(rejected>REJECTED_SMELLFUNNY)rejected=REJECTED_SMELLFUNNY;
// Underage? Gone
if(activesquad->squad[s]->age<18)
   if(rejected>REJECTED_UNDERAGE)rejected=REJECTED_UNDERAGE;
// Not a gentleman by their definition?
if(sitetype==SITE_BUSINESS_CIGARBAR &&
   (activesquad->squad[s]->gender_conservative!=GENDER_MALE ||
    activesquad->squad[s]->gender_liberal == GENDER_FEMALE) &&
    law[LAW_WOMEN]<1)
{
   // Are you passing as a man? Are you skilled enough to pull it off?
   if(activesquad->squad[s]->gender_liberal == GENDER_FEMALE)
   {
      // Not a man by your own definition either
      if(rejected>REJECTED_FEMALE)rejected=REJECTED_FEMALE;
   }
   else if(disguisesite(sitetype) && !(activesquad->squad[s]->skill_check(SKILL_DISGUISE,DIFFICULTY_HARD)) && law[LAW_GAY]!=2)
   {
      // Not skilled enough to pull it off
      if(rejected>REJECTED_FEMALEISH)rejected=REJECTED_FEMALEISH;
   }
}
// High security in gentleman's club? Gone
if(sitetype==SITE_BUSINESS_CIGARBAR && location[cursite]->highsecurity)
   if(rejected>REJECTED_GUESTLIST)rejected=REJECTED_GUESTLIST;
if(location[cursite]->renting==RENTING_CCS && location[cursite]->type!=SITE_BUSINESS_BARANDGRILL)
   rejected=REJECTED_CCS;

So the only parts that should pose much difficulty are the disguise check and high security or the presence of the CCS.

Quote
how does one get tipped off against Corporate Mercenaries without a CEO sleeper?

One can't! Only the CEO can warn of corporate raids. I would agree that this is too harsh.

The funny thing about the CEO is that he has hard-coded extra resistance to seduction, but all those photos and love letters suggest otherwise.
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SlatersQuest

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Re: Some thoughts and Questions regarding LCS
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2015, 11:26:53 pm »

Quote
How feasible is it to seduce the higher-end conservatives? I never was able to seduce an Agent, Vigilante or any of the "Debate" conservatives (Eminent Scientist, Hangin' Judge etc.), even though I had people with 10+ seduction. I eventually had a liberal squad of guitarists first turn them liberal, then recruit them.

It depends on how you go about it. Vacations use a different mechanic than ordinary seduction, and the juice of a conservative multiplies xer resistance roll against ordinary dating but not vacation. Ordinary dating is prettymuch guaranteed to fail against any conservative with 200+ juice (which is the minimum for Agents).


Quote
How do you deal with the CEO non-violently? My guitar strategy failed horribly against him.

Seduction, followed by vacationing, can deal with a CEO non-violently.


Quote
By what standard does Club security deny entry? Early game, they wouldn't let me in at all until I got a sleeper. Late game, when my sleeper lost contact, I was able to enter regardless  a few times.

It depends on the club's security level, and on the Women's Rights laws.

If the club is at high security, then you can't go in, period. This happens if you recently raided the club and set them on high alert.

If Women's Rights laws are not sufficiently liberal, then they will forbid non-men from entry. This means that only squads containing only male liberals will be admitted.

If Women's Rights laws are sufficiently liberal and the club is not on high security, they still have a fairly strict dress code: no visible weapons (even legal weapons), and everybody must be wearing a suit/dress (dresses only on sufficiently liberal laws).


Quote
Since the CEO is very bad ass and (as far as I can tell) unique, how does one get tipped off against Corporate Mercenaries without a CEO sleeper? Neither my elite security, not my corporate manager sleepers detected it beforehand.

The CEO is unique, but a new CEO is created instantly to replace any existing CEO that you remove through either murder, recruitment, kidnapping, etc.

I believe that mercenaries can warn you of incoming attacks, but they are unreliable at doing so (presumably they aren't always in the loop).
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