Lack of funds

[Check Six]

It seems to me a spy network would have a few dollars lying about to donate to the surveillance of enemies. You start out with a very modest amount, and usually spend it on weapons or more spies. To get more you need to put a forger on the job. Brilliant! But he makes $20 an hour. REALLY? Ok, you can spend a few hundred dollars to buy another "slot" and have TWO forgers working. But it still is not enough. How can I make more money (without using a trainer)?

Also, due to lack of funds, I can't afford to recruit more spies, therefore I can't station them all over to world, therefore I can't make it to some locations in time to prevent them trying to locate my base, therefore I am CONSTANTLY moving base. Sure, you can move to a safer base for a few thousand dollars, but read the previous paragraph.

What am I doing wrong? HELP PLEASE!!!

[FuzzyLogic]

Sell off gear and weapons you don't need or that is obsolete.

[cptvictor]

You can sell things you find. Guns, mods, equipment, off-map support as well I think. If you have anything you don't need, you can make some pretty quick bucks off of that. When you go to equip stuff, there's a button at the top of the inventory panel to switch between your inventory and the vendor, which is where you sell off what you have and buy stuff you have trade contacts for.

Also, the further you progress in the story, the more base upgrades that will be unlocked, including passive money generation, better forging rate, and more forging slots.

Another thing, if you're still hurting on agents, is I highly recommend just doing informer rescue missions instead of interrupting them, as the person you rescure will automatically join your ranks as well as immediately give you the intel after mission completion.

[cptvictor]

Originally posted by cptvictor:

Another thing, if you're still hurting on agents, is I highly recommend just doing informer rescue missions instead of interrupting them, as the person you rescure will automatically join your ranks as well as immediately give you the intel after mission completion.

One thing about this I forgot, hiring agents also increases danger, which makes you need to move hideouts sooner (you can reduce the penalty through upgrades, but that again requires story progression), so don't hire too many guys too quickly. I believe the people you rescue don't have this penalty, so that's another reason to do those missions.

[Cahos Rahne Veloza]

Do what I do...

Prolong a particular chapter, say chapter 1 for as long as you can. It helps to not do story missions ASAP. then have your Forger Agents make money for as long as you need. Again as an example, in chapter 1, I didn't do the final story mission (CIA route, Scorched Earth) until I had 75k in the bank. Now I'm nearing the end of chapter 3 and will be needing to forge more money ASAP as I've less than 10k now and I know things are just going to get more expensive from here on.

[Check Six]

Thanks guys, all very helpful info. I almost always capture enemy agents instead of killing them, but invariably, my hideout gets raided amd they get released. (It also costs $500 to execute them, but I never have enough money to do this. Sometimes I get to interrogate them, but then I have no money to train agents, or move bases). Frustrating.

[Battleseed]

Originally posted by Check Six:

Thanks guys, all very helpful info. I almost always capture enemy agents instead of killing them, but invariably, my hideout gets raided amd they get released. (It also costs $500 to execute them, but I never have enough money to do this. Sometimes I get to interrogate them, but then I have no money to train agents, or move bases). Frustrating.

Your causing your own problems. Once you build the MKULTRA, stop capturing agents, or at least stop keeping more than one at time in your base till you get the Faraday Cage upgrade.
The captured agents add to your danger level and are what is causing you to move the base so often, or in your case, get raided.

[Dorok]

You shouldn't have to move so often your base, that's the problem.

You need ensure not have cells increasing constantly base danger level. Attack in priority the cells with this effect.

You probably don't spread well your agents, use pause when you hear the ping cluing new events.

Events that are very far from your base will have no effect on it. Check carefully the real effects of each enemy activity and get a better clue of all those you can ignore, this can make a huge difference.

But when you are close to have to move your base, this can require some extra management and caution. So check the possible base move locations and their price. If you need move base, try select the cheaper if possible.

In general don't buy anything if you haven't about 10K in backup.

To spread more efficiency agents to manage events, it's often a good to consider your base can provide a scout pair, or two later, by stopping temporary an activity.

Then the nasty trick exploiting a bit a design weakness, when a cell only lower income without effect on danger, let it live.

EDIT: It seems this trick hasn't been quoted yet, crafting and selling can provide a good amount of extra income. When you are in critical phases, you can consider this option, particularly if you have agents that craft faster. Quote that you can check this for agents with hidden skills, the hidden skills are already active.

[NeoHunter]

I didn't really have this problem. Some things that I always take note to do are:
1. Kill all enemy Agents you encounter on missions and do not bring them back to base. They somehow increase your Danger level over time IN YOUR BASE! If you want more Agents, pray for more missions where you go out to rescue your Informer from assassination.

2. If you reveal a Beholder cell, wipe it off the map ASAP. Do not hesitate.

3. Sell unwanted and obsolete gear and equipment. No point hanging on to them.

4. Make researching anyting related to Forging more cash in the Workshop your top priority.

5. Do not hire Agents early on in the Campaign. They initially add 60 Danger. Eventually, you can research options to bring that down to 40 then 20.

[cptvictor]

Originally posted by NeoHunter:

I didn't really have this problem. Some things that I always take note to do are:
1. Kill all enemy Agents you encounter on missions and do not bring them back to base. They somehow increase your Danger level over time IN YOUR BASE! If you want more Agents, pray for more missions where you go out to rescue your Informer from assassination.

2. If you reveal a Beholder cell, wipe it off the map ASAP. Do not hesitate.

3. Sell unwanted and obsolete gear and equipment. No point hanging on to them.

4. Make researching anyting related to Forging more cash in the Workshop your top priority.

5. Do not hire Agents early on in the Campaign. They initially add 60 Danger. Eventually, you can research options to bring that down to 40 then 20.

1. I found that as long as you're performing some sort of MKULTRA treatement on them (including release) they actually don't increase danger for the duration of that treatment, so just make sure to keep an eye on that. Plus there's upgrades to reduce the danger buildup from captured agents. I don't know the exact amount, but I remember at some points having 3 or 4 agents and having no danger buildup, so they're definitely good to have.

2. If you click on the beholder cell, you can see the affect it's having on you. If it's increasing danger, you will probably want to deal with it. But if it's just affecting cash flow, then as long as you can manage the recon ops, you're probably okay letting it be for a little bit. It just may take longer to farm money than you like.

[NeoHunter]

Originally posted by cptvictor:

Originally posted by NeoHunter:

I didn't really have this problem. Some things that I always take note to do are:
1. Kill all enemy Agents you encounter on missions and do not bring them back to base. They somehow increase your Danger level over time IN YOUR BASE! If you want more Agents, pray for more missions where you go out to rescue your Informer from assassination.

2. If you reveal a Beholder cell, wipe it off the map ASAP. Do not hesitate.

3. Sell unwanted and obsolete gear and equipment. No point hanging on to them.

4. Make researching anyting related to Forging more cash in the Workshop your top priority.

5. Do not hire Agents early on in the Campaign. They initially add 60 Danger. Eventually, you can research options to bring that down to 40 then 20.

1. I found that as long as you're performing some sort of MKULTRA treatement on them (including release) they actually don't increase danger for the duration of that treatment, so just make sure to keep an eye on that. Plus there's upgrades to reduce the danger buildup from captured agents. I don't know the exact amount, but I remember at some points having 3 or 4 agents and having no danger buildup, so they're definitely good to have.

2. If you click on the beholder cell, you can see the affect it's having on you. If it's increasing danger, you will probably want to deal with it. But if it's just affecting cash flow, then as long as you can manage the recon ops, you're probably okay letting it be for a little bit. It just may take longer to farm money than you like.

For point #1, you are correct. However, that is somewhere in the late game already and after spending tons of cash researching it in the Workshop.

For point #2, I never realised that! I just see a Beholder cell appear on the map and instantly want to get rid of it.

[Gregorovitch]

Originally posted by Check Six:

Thanks guys, all very helpful info. I almost always capture enemy agents instead of killing them, but invariably, my hideout gets raided amd they get released. (It also costs $500 to execute them, but I never have enough money to do this. Sometimes I get to interrogate them, but then I have no money to train agents, or move bases). Frustrating.

The advice to slow down on doing the story missions is good. There is a big advantage inb completing missions in pure stealth becasue you don't take any heat. Once an agent's ID is blown I believe it makes it easier for Beholder to find your base. This is costly in both new ID's and base relocations. Also if none of your agents ever have any heat (or very rarely have it) you need less of them.

There are big advantages to completing missions in pure stealth. Not least of which is never leaving any loot behind and not needing heavy armour weapons/armour which you can sell for a lot of cash.

It's important to upgrade to four MKUtlra slots so you can process enemy agents in batches of four. While they are in MKUltra you don't get additional danger from them. If your MKultra is full, don't bring in any more until slots are cleared.

I use one slot to do a Locator and a Control Phrase (which takes a while) after interrogation and then release. You get an extra base assault mission from this usually which is very profitable. just execute the other three slots. This seems about the right balance.

So main things are:

* don't take heat (by not getting busted on mikssions) to reduce the number agents you need to operate effectively
* find and kill any beholder base giving you additional danger and reducing your income
* sell excess equipment to upgrade your base, particualrly MKultra slots and interrogation/execution cost reductions

Another thing which I haven't done is to expand the worshop to mass produce items for sale. You will need additional agents for that though.

[FuzzyLogic]

Originally posted by Gregorovitch:

While they are in MKUltra you don't get additional danger from them.

This is not quiet right. Captured agents generate heat unless you have the right upgrade for MKUltra. Think it was the "Faraday cage" upgrade.

[Gregorovitch]

Originally posted by FuzzyLogic:

Originally posted by Gregorovitch:

While they are in MKUltra you don't get additional danger from them.

This is not quiet right. Captured agents generate heat unless you have the right upgrade for MKUltra. Think it was the "Faraday cage" upgrade.

Well when I have them assigned to a "treatment" they don't seem to cause any +1 to danger. I meant that while they are undergoing interrogation or w/e they don't. So you can be processing four without any danger hit. If you got any more waiting in line, without Faraday Cage you get a +1 danger hit per.

[frankie60]

I think people tend to buy everything too soon in the game. Initially the only thing you need is a couple of forgers and only buy stuff that reduces your being vulnerable to heat and other outside influences. You should be playing in stealth since generating new IDs all the time because you have an itchy trigger finger will cost you. Other than that you should be stacking that paper and selling stuff.

Another major problem with money generally comes from building the MK Ultra too early in the game. You don't need to build it until the game drives you to do so. Honestly it shouldn't even be available until then. It can cripple your game if built too soon. But if built at the right time, when you are flush with cash, and you have "control phrase" you can use it to get new agents nearly every mission.

[Cahos Rahne Veloza]

Yup, you only ever need to build MKUltra when the story requires it, so until then Yay! for free interrogations and executions.