Bit of a double post here but I have a big list of gripes I'd like to get out of the way, alongside suggestions for the new crime squad game Jonathan S. Fox is considering, although this is mostly a pipe dream as some of it would be a pain to code and fit more of a total remake/new game than mod.
First off,
vehicles and pursuitshttps://github.com/Kamal-Sadek/Liberal-Crime-Squad/blob/c2a0e24b7f974319e39dcaef161c51a0a59e7d5a/art/vehicles.xmlCurrently vehicles actually DO have different stats in the game code for stuff like how fast they are, how nimble/easy to dodge with they are, and even how exposed the driver and passengers are, (and
even which parts of their body are the most exposed) as well as how easy they are to shoot from. There is also an unused stat for armor thickness.
Note there is no stat for passenger capacity, you can fit 6 liberals in a bug like some sort of clown car. Vehicle damage is also not implemented.
Stolen vehicles DO attract heat but IDK if the heat is permanent or if it dissipates as it is transferred to a safehouse.
You cannot tell a liberal to stay in a car as a getaway driver. Annoying when you have a driver and they get killed during infiltration, meaning you have to have other liberals drive.
Ways to improve vehiclesStolen status of a car is tracked better + more consequences. If a car is stolen, a chance it will be reported as such. (Maybe more valuable vehicles like a sports car and police cruiser have a much higher chance of being reported after a few days) Stolen cars not only accumulate heat, but have a chance of being recognized as stolen when arriving at a site. (As well as things like having wanted criminals driving or passengers? Or driving a police car without a uniform?) This would result in a chase. Maybe certain vehicles are bait cars or have a tracker that skyrockets heat until removed?
I'd add more stats to vehicles like capacity, (maybe for loot as well as liberals/hostages) and customization. (Either bought from a shop or DIY'd onto the car) Options could include better engine (faster car, easier to evade with?) better tires (better dodging events like fruit stands and durability?) reinforced glass (less chance of getting hit) or tinted glass (liberals cannot be recognized if wanted) as well as a way to "Clean" a stolen car. (GTA-y paint spray method? Changing license plate?)
Vehicle damage would be a thing. Not like Cataclysm where every nut and bolt can break but things like a damaged engine reducing speed and thus chance to pull away from pursuers, or damaged wheels reducing dodge change due to poor steering.
Mounted weapons like a turret for the HMMWV, (one passenger will be very exposed to enemy fire but can get 5 shots a turn like the M249?) or a mounted machine gun for the pickup.
Pursuits are fun but need more variety and differentiation between pursuers like Sieges. Maybe the police can deploy spikestrips to damage your tires, or the agents could use some sort of high-tech thing to shut your engine off, etc.
vehicles nutshell More stats, damage, customization and depth.
Political SystemCurrently seems alright but I dislike how seats swing between arch-conservative to Elite Liberal. I wish moderates would get elected more. I also noticed presidential elections are National Popular Vote. I would prefer they be electoral college (
Bonus: Have election reform at liberal and above switch to popular vote) instead. Considering the events of the 2016 election it would be a nice thing to put in, although how you would effect other states would be hard (Red States try and stay conservative?) but it would be a nice touch.
I do not know how it works currently but it's possible supreme court nominations are always accepted. Realistically congress has to confirm them. I wish it was possible for congress (if stacked heavily against the president) to refuse to confirm a justice and leave the seat vacant.
Political Nutshell Electoral College, supreme court has to be confirmed by congress
Justice SystemOnly gripes I have are after a certain point (Made worse supposedly by a judicial nerf at one point in the version history. I know before that you can have liberals with black comedy levels of criminal records get not guilty verdicts) you can always get convictions (and even death I think even though lenient judges are supposed to prefer life sentences) even with a sleeper judge, liberal jury, and ace attorney. It might be a bug as I often get stuff like the prosecutor was really slick and had two liberals given a month in jail with a court appointed attorney for one vandalism charge.
I know the worse the crime the better prosecutor but I feel like petty crimes are currently prosecuted too hard. As mentioned there seems to be a cut-off (and its pretty low, too.) where no matter what you're getting jail, even with a sleeper judge and ace attorney and stacked jury and save-scumming to see if it was even possible to get a not guilty verdict.
This is especially bad with certain crimes that go on your record but do not give heat like credit card fraud or vandalism (ESPECIALLY vandalism on a site with spraypaint as each tag is one charge each for everyone in the squad and not just the one spraying, unlike the activity where you only get a charge if caught) meaning you can rack up a ton of them without really realizing it. I actually had a few credit card fraudsters get
executed solely because they had hundreds of counts, again with the ace attorney and sleeper judge.
Speaking of Ace Attorneys, I do wish one could have other liberals defend them. Why do you need to have a sleeper attorney? If you can defend yourself in court we need the option to have a active LCS member show up to defend them. (Maybe if they don't have a criminal record themselves)
For liberal enough juries (I.E. one of the members flash a LCS sign or was a best friend from childhood) the worst outcome ought to be a hung jury, giving you more time to attempt a breakout. Remember all 12 juries have to say guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, so if just ONE jurist refuses to budge, the trial is hung. Maybe charges can be convicted on (or charged?) by a charge-by-charge basis, meaning you can plead guilty to have certain charges removed or downgraded, or be convicted of some crimes but not others.
Justice Nutshell More realism, less "All or Nothing" trials, and punishment that actually fits the crime instead of the death penalty being possible for petty crimes in a large enough amount. Ability to have other LCS members defend you in court.