Executive Perk Choices

[Fringehunter7719]

These seem like a really fun idea, that apparently was introduced with the Marketing and Malpractice DLC, which came bundled with the game when I bought it in the sale.

Four of them seem to be absolute game changers:-

• Executive - Start the game with 3 bonus executives
  
• Genius - +20% Research Speed
  
• Local Networks - Ingredients start with 50% discount
  
• Mixologist - Multimixer and centrifuge process time is 1

Depending on scenario I can see all of those being hugely useful, but it feels like they blow all the other possible choices out of the water.

Local networks is hugely powerful in the early game, I was expecting that it meant that you could never upgrade your ingredients, and thus was just an early game revenue booster, but in fact that's not the case and you can upgrade on top of it for up to 100% discount, it seems. Not only is it amazing early in the game, but it keeps on giving.

Executive is also deceptively good for similar reasons. Instead of getting 3 executives earlier than you otherwise would, you always have 3 more. Now because of the way cross branding works, if you play (for example) an advanced level where you'd normally have 9 executives, you have 12, so you get 3 more crossbranded products with 48% sales boosts and your original 9 products each get 48% instead of the 36% they'd have without the perk, amounting to a range wide sum of boosts of 252%, focused in on your best lines. To get something similar out of any of the other sales boosting perks is just flat out impossible. For example you'd need over 25 side effect free lines of comparable value to your best 12 money spinners before Trust me I'm a doctor could draw level.

I was wondering if these really are as imbalanced as they look, or if there are any others that are up to this level. Or failing that whether future rebalancing is on the cards.

[Twice Circled]

Yep, I think you have picked out some of the most broadly powerful perks in the game there. Couple of things I woud add:

1. Trust me I'm a docter works from the get go and doesn't need access to other research projects such as Sales Reps, Marketing or Disease Awareness Campaigns. One of the nice things about this is you can concentrate on researching new machines, getting access to new cures earlier than the AIs who go for a more Executive-based strategy.

2. Local Networks is for sure really powerful, but its effect is lessened the higher up the product tree you go where it's more high margin and low volume. Having said that, it does give a pretty ridiculous tempo boost in the early game! ;)

Overall I'd say you're right, some perks are undoubtedly stronger than others from a pure profitably standpoint. Others are more situational or work well in combination. Or some work well depending on the scenario objective.

For example, I quite like Rigorous Trialer and Trust me I'm a doctor for scenarios where you have to maintain a high cure rating on your products. If you're having to make side-effect free products at max strength concentration anyway, you might as well get some nice sales ratings out of it!

I'm interested to hear what combos other people are using or whether people mainly stick to the ones FringeHunter has singled out?

[Fringehunter7719]

Oh wow, I wasn't expecting a developer answer. Many thanks for taking the time to read my comments.

I think perhaps part of the issue with 1. is that you don't have to specialise, you can afford to research machines and National HQ/Sales simultaneously if you want to. Trust me I'm a doctor will probably be better for those first 6 months, but once you get sales reps it already gets equalled or surpassed. Trust me I'm a doctor is also a bit of an ingredient lottery, it seems quite rare to have more than 1 of the 3 starting lines you can make be easily side effect free, which hampers its effectiveness a lot.

I like your point about rigorous trialer for beefing up cure rating instead of sales rating, but Trust me I'm a doctor says it's sales rating on the tooltip, so I don't see how that one would be better than one of the other options for getting cure ratings up. I wonder if I'm missing something?

[Twice Circled]

No you're not missing anything, you're quite right about Trust Me I'm a Doctor. I suppose my point was, to get a good cure rating (for the objective) you normally want to avoid side-effects. If you are doing that anyway then you can get a neat sales boost on top of the cure rating to help increase profits! ;)