What should my character mindset be, going into this game?

[affairs most succubussian]

I'm planning on playing a prideful, arrogant genius. How will this reflect in game? Will the experience of playing a cold-hearted, unstable genius be as satisfying as a chaotic, unstable genius? For instance, logically, I'd skip out on doing the, erm, "expression" on the young lady right outside the beginning hotel room. Would you think the game will be more satisfying playing it very chaotically and embracing the unstability or trying to avoid such decisions at all cost, attempting to control what remains of my sanity?

[Du-Vu]

I think they can both be very satisfying. Think of your skills each as party members -- playing the game as a deliberately Boring Cop with high Logic, Encyclopedia, Visual Calculus, Perception, and Composure is completely different from going through it with, say, Inland Empire, Electrochemistry, Savoir Faire, Conceptualization, and Drama.

You won't be able to completely change your past, so your memories and the emotions they stir up will still haunt you, but I was always impressed by just how much did change between playthroughs.

[Kaaboose]

It honestly depends on what entertains you more. Since you want to be arrogant and prideful I'd suggest high Intelect and Psyche and possibley even bottom out Motorics and Physical.
Hell if you want to be unstable as well acting like a Superstar Cop at every opportunity will net you the Superstar though AND allow you to shove a bunch of points into Electrochemisty and Composre as well.

[affairs most succubussian]

Originally posted by Du-Vu:

I think they can both be very satisfying. Think of your skills each as party members -- playing the game as a deliberately Boring Cop with high Logic, Encyclopedia, Visual Calculus, Perception, and Composure is completely different from going through it with, say, Inland Empire, Electrochemistry, Savoir Faire, Conceptualization, and Drama.

You won't be able to completely change your past, so your memories and the emotions they stir up will still haunt you, but I was always impressed by just how much did change between playthroughs.

Any chance of playing an artistic, intelligent, still prideful cop? I want to specialize my conceptualization while still being, well, very logic-oriented. Just terrible with people.

[Du-Vu]

Most definitely. Conceptualization, Visual Calculus, Encyclopedia, and Logic are all Intellect skills. Inland Empire, Electrochemistry, and Composure are likewise great skills for an Art Cop. Meanwhile Rhetoric and Drama, while they're both still Intellect skills, are actually mostly about arguing and lying respectively -- they won't help you to be 'good' with people. Psyche is the primary social stat, and even with that it's only really Empathy and Suggestion.

Tank some combination of Empathy, Suggestion, Authority, and Savoir-Faire to get some really awkward advice from your skills. There are thoughts and clothes that can help you with that even if they don't start that low.

[affairs most succubussian]

Originally posted by Du-Vu:

Most definitely. Conceptualization, Visual Calculus, Encyclopedia, and Logic are all Intellect skills. Inland Empire, Electrochemistry, and Composure are likewise great skills for an Art Cop. Meanwhile Rhetoric and Drama, while they're both still Intellect skills, are actually mostly about arguing and lying respectively -- they won't help you to be 'good' with people. Psyche is the primary social stat, and even with that it's only really Empathy and Suggestion.

Tank some combination of Empathy, Suggestion, Authority, and Savoir-Faire to get some really awkward advice from your skills. There are thoughts and clothes that can help you with that even if they don't start that low.

What's a good starter build for that smart, art cop style of play? 5-4-1-2, 5-2-1-4, 5-3-1-3? Not sure if it's worth putting points into motor skills at all, I guess I like the perception aspects and catch the coin in the air and such.

[Kaaboose]

Originally posted by Wanderer:

Originally posted by Du-Vu:

Most definitely. Conceptualization, Visual Calculus, Encyclopedia, and Logic are all Intellect skills. Inland Empire, Electrochemistry, and Composure are likewise great skills for an Art Cop. Meanwhile Rhetoric and Drama, while they're both still Intellect skills, are actually mostly about arguing and lying respectively -- they won't help you to be 'good' with people. Psyche is the primary social stat, and even with that it's only really Empathy and Suggestion.

Tank some combination of Empathy, Suggestion, Authority, and Savoir-Faire to get some really awkward advice from your skills. There are thoughts and clothes that can help you with that even if they don't start that low.

What's a good starter build for that smart, art cop style of play? 5-4-1-2, 5-2-1-4, 5-3-1-3? Not sure if it's worth putting points into motor skills at all, I guess I like the perception aspects and catch the coin in the air and such.

Here's my suggestion: https://i.imgur.com/7O0AB6P.jpg
Now, that does mean you are missing out on Savour Fair, and Electrochemistry but since you don't really want the other skills on those line (And let's face it, Half of the fun of playing a build like this is watching them ♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥ up and then trying to pretent they meant to do it all along) but all you need to do is act like an artist and a superstar and you'll soon get access to the "Actual Art Degree" thought and the "Some Kind of Superstar" thought.
Some Kind Of Superstar will allow you to put up to 6 points into Composure and Electrochemisrty.
You can also get the thought "The Fifteenth Indotribe" by asking Joyce about the wild pines money which will let you raise Savoir Fair as well.
And if you really want some more perception there are a few thoughts that raise it as well, the easiest being Col Do Ma Ma Daqua which gives you 3 to perception but does drop encyclopedia by one. You can get that day 2 by talking to lena about the smallest cryptid then walking outside and listening to it.
Having played an Art cop before you're in for a treat. You'll ♥♥♥♥ up a lot but your conceptualition will constantly try and make that into a good thing. *Try talking to Cuno about throwing up at the crime scene with this build and you'll see what i mean!"
You could Also speciaise in Perception if you want it higher.

[affairs most succubussian]

Originally posted by Kaaboose:

Originally posted by Wanderer:

What's a good starter build for that smart, art cop style of play? 5-4-1-2, 5-2-1-4, 5-3-1-3? Not sure if it's worth putting points into motor skills at all, I guess I like the perception aspects and catch the coin in the air and such.

Here's my suggestion: https://i.imgur.com/7O0AB6P.jpg
Now, that does mean you are missing out on Savour Fair, and Electrochemistry but since you don't really want the other skills on those line (And let's face it, Half of the fun of playing a build like this is watching them ♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥ up and then trying to pretent they meant to do it all along) but all you need to do is act like an artist and a superstar and you'll soon get access to the "Actual Art Degree" thought and the "Some Kind of Superstar" thought.
Some Kind Of Superstar will allow you to put up to 6 points into Composure and Electrochemisrty.
You can also get the thought "The Fifteenth Indotribe" by asking Joyce about the wild pines money which will let you raise Savoir Fair as well.
And if you really want some more perception there are a few thoughts that raise it as well, the easiest being Col Do Ma Ma Daqua which gives you 3 to perception but does drop encyclopedia by one. You can get that day 2 by talking to lena about the smallest cryptid then walking outside and listening to it.
Having played an Art cop before you're in for a treat. You'll ♥♥♥♥ up a lot but your conceptualition will constantly try and make that into a good thing. *Try talking to Cuno about throwing up at the crime scene with this build and you'll see what i mean!"

Very interesting. May I ask why you put your specialty in Composure?
This will be my first playthrough and I will be looking forward to playing this as an Art Cop.

[Kaaboose]

I chose composure just because it seemed to be a skill that would fit you character. It could be anything else. Specilisation only gives you a one off +1 in the skill and increases the cap of every other skill in the line by one. Perception would probably be a better choice if you want to get that high at all.
The other option is just hurl it into conceptualisation. It makes triggering the Art Cop thought easier (You want this asap, It will help a lot.)

[Du-Vu]

Composure lets you read body language and act aloof and indifferent. I actually didn't take it my first time around, but it works pretty well for an Art Cop build.

There's one check in particular that I'm thinking of. You'll know it when you see it

I might go with something like 4/4/1/3, 5/2/2/3 or even 6/2/2/2 if you're really going to be leaning into the artistic genius concept. Just know that starting with a 1 in Physique or Psyche also means starting with only 1 HP in Health/Morale (Endurance/Volition) respectively, and limits how many skill points you can use to raise a skill until a thought like Actual Art Degree occurs to you.

Still, you can't really go too far wrong. Your build depends more on what you end up spending your XP on than your starting stats, and those thoughts *do* exist, and are more likely to show up if you just roleplay the character you anyway.