Please remove killers leaving anagram notes, it makes the game too easy and gamey.

[caracal]

When the killer first killed, the crime scene was a mystery. The killer used a blade. All I found was a bootprint size 11 and a print I could not match.

No connection to work or friends. I could not track the killer down. Eventually the killer killed a second time. The same thing. Just a boot print size 11, and the cameras did not offer much.

I even went to black markets to track down people who bought bladed weapons.

Then the killer attacked a 3rd time. I went for the building's cctv, and found a woman with a pink trenchcoat and glasses and dark hair right in front of the victim's door matching the approximate time of the murder.

Then I was excited. I was planning to check for wards and pharmacies for people who have eyesight issues and for checking other building cameras to track her.

However then it collapsed into a stupid anagram puzzle.

On the first kill the crumpled note said:

"Let's play

NBDOOSS
_.______"

At first I did not know what the anagrams mean, perhaps a location or hint? I would never guess it would be as stupid as the killer's literal family name.

Then on the 3rd kill the crumpled note said:

"Let's play

DBNSO
_.___SO_"

At this point I thought after SO the last letter is likely an N because "SON" is a common ending in family names in the US and UK.

Then I went to to the wallhack computer (government database) and found DOBSON.





Dear dev, please remove the crumpled notes or at least make the message be about some past grievance the killer has with someone so players have to find out backstory about the victim. Not the name. It's as stupid as a crossword puzzle and totally makes it obsolete to use "tradecraft" of a detective.

I think the game is great, however the sucessively easier anagrams feel like a gamey "failsafe" the dev added to push the player in the right direction. And so far all the killers I had in all my saves were either crumpled note killers or calling card killers. Of course with matching prints I could harvest from databases.

I had a lot of fun playing this like a detective, however the anagram stuff dumbs it down. And it felt like the victory of a hard won investigation was deflated by an anagram puzzle.


Here is a screenshot of the notes:
https://i.imgur.com/kkObLsQ.png

Here is a screenshot of my investigation before I found the crumpled note:
https://i.imgur.com/Ro1jMQY.png

[NotFuji]

Honestly, I kinda like the anagrams, they're one of the only clues that isn't a simple connect the dots puzzle. But literally writing their name on it is maybe a bit much.

[caracal]

Originally posted by NotFuji:

Honestly, I kinda like the anagrams, they're one of the only clues that isn't a simple connect the dots puzzle. But literally writing their name on it is maybe a bit much.

I don't see it like that. They are the only type of clue that reduces the game down to the level of a crossword puzzle.

I want to go deep into detective work. Track a killer by finding where he might have bought a knife, or trying to find a person with a pink jacket by hacking street cctv cameras.

A simple letter arranging puzzle is 1. not engaging, 2. cancels out the need for detective work and 3. is not very smart from a lore standpoint. Because why would a killer leave progressively easier to solve anagram puzzles behind?

I had a complex and very engaging investigation deflate into a letter puzzle. I will from now on ignore crumpled notes.

[Nizaha]

Yeah, I don't mind the idea of the killer taunting investigators with notes, maybe giving up some clue or info intentionally or by mistake, but giving away your entire name is just stupid lol. For that first anagram alone you were given a clue as to name length, and that the name can only start with an N, B, S, O, or D, which you can just open up the phone book to those letters to find any 6 letter name to see if they fit the anagram. It's silly and completely undermines the gameplay lol.

[DoremianCleff]

Murder cases are flawed at their core, because of how many clues that left behind, meaning you only need to check stuff in relation to the victim.

Side jobs with randomized leads actually can take a while, due to nature of the clues. Today i had to check 24 potential targets, living in 7 different buildings, just to find one that had a spouse that matches description. It's not even that it's hard or complicated, it's just thoroughness of a process.

And just to clarify, i don't find it dull. I enjoy the process of deduction.

[wazthatme ttv]

People do this ♥♥♥♥ in real life. they think they are slick. I hope they keep them but make it harder at time like maybe they only leave a note thats missing 4 of the 6 letters or what ever. I am hoping to find a really good killer that makes me work for it one that if left unchecked would grow more and more brave like calling me from a pay phone or leaving notes for me to find.

[Kyle]

could scale with social credit level

[KDR_11k]

As an occasional thing it seems fine to me. It's not dropped into every case.

[Kyle]

every murder i've had except one has had items left behind, i've never had to go and check ledgers and etc

[dorohn]

Originally posted by caracal:

When the killer first killed, the crime scene was a mystery. The killer used a blade. All I found was a bootprint size 11 and a print I could not match.

No connection to work or friends. I could not track the killer down. Eventually the killer killed a second time. The same thing. Just a boot print size 11, and the cameras did not offer much.

I even went to black markets to track down people who bought bladed weapons.

Then the killer attacked a 3rd time. I went for the building's cctv, and found a woman with a pink trenchcoat and glasses and dark hair right in front of the victim's door matching the approximate time of the murder.

Then I was excited. I was planning to check for wards and pharmacies for people who have eyesight issues and for checking other building cameras to track her.

However then it collapsed into a stupid anagram puzzle.

On the first kill the crumpled note said:

"Let's play

NBDOOSS
_.______"

At first I did not know what the anagrams mean, perhaps a location or hint? I would never guess it would be as stupid as the killer's literal family name.

Then on the 3rd kill the crumpled note said:

"Let's play

DBNSO
_.___SO_"

At this point I thought after SO the last letter is likely an N because "SON" is a common ending in family names in the US and UK.

Then I went to to the wallhack computer (government database) and found DOBSON.





Dear dev, please remove the crumpled notes or at least make the message be about some past grievance the killer has with someone so players have to find out backstory about the victim. Not the name. It's as stupid as a crossword puzzle and totally makes it obsolete to use "tradecraft" of a detective.

I think the game is great, however the sucessively easier anagrams feel like a gamey "failsafe" the dev added to push the player in the right direction. And so far all the killers I had in all my saves were either crumpled note killers or calling card killers. Of course with matching prints I could harvest from databases.

I had a lot of fun playing this like a detective, however the anagram stuff dumbs it down. And it felt like the victory of a hard won investigation was deflated by an anagram puzzle.


Here is a screenshot of the notes:
https://i.imgur.com/kkObLsQ.png

Here is a screenshot of my investigation before I found the crumpled note:
https://i.imgur.com/Ro1jMQY.png

I love the anagram clue, when I first saw the crumpled paper I wasnt sure what it is, but the same paper with another character popping at the 2nd victim clued me in that this is most likely the killers name. So I went through the city directory book and spelled out the name combinations one by one, after checking 40 combinations I narrowed down to the one person that has the name combination. And I was able to stop the killer before he kills a 3rd victim.

[Zalugar]

I never understood the "it's too easy for me so remove it for everyone" argument.

[Kyle]

my problem with this is it's always the killers name, maybe the first time it'd be good but five different murderers in?

my process typically involves:
scan any item left behind, murder weapon, note, business card, basically just always get the print, sometimes you can even scan the door

if it's a business card, it's probably an employee and i can just match the fingerprint on the card with the one in the employee files

if it's a paper, you can just type two letters of the name and print out their sheet/immediately solve it, you don't have to wait for them to give you letters and you don't have to spam print 100 people, takes a few minutes to solve the case

i recently actually used the cctv and witness testimony for the first time which was fun though, would have been funner if i had to actually check the weapons dealer, have never been there because no need

this case was actually cool though because i followed witness testimony, marked 3 suspects on the cctvs with 'tall' then asked around if they were seen until i found neighbors or partners that could id them

unfortunately it was lame and ended up being a normal co-worker

the only annoying thing is one of the guys had no address and everyone was saying that they lived together with him

one day, the murderers will wear gloves, i will then be out of business

[Ninian]

I think a nice compromise would be for killers have different... personalities and profiles in their M.O., sort of like the ghosts from Phasmophobia. Naturally you'd get a killer like this who just can't help themselves and think they're a dollar store Riddler, but not all would be like that.

[Retro]

Personality traits like rimworld making the habit of an AI killer different, maybe an algorithm so the game sees how frequent similar things happen in your game so it doesn't happen so frequently

[AtomicBlastPony]

Originally posted by Zalugar:

I never understood the "it's too easy for me so remove it for everyone" argument.

The issue isn't that it's easy, the issue is that it ruins the very point of the game (detective work) and reduces it to a crossword puzzle.

[Zalugar]

Originally posted by AtomicBlastPony:

The issue isn't that it's easy, the issue is that it ruins the very point of the game (detective work) and reduces it to a crossword puzzle.

No it doesn't. Some real killers leave calling cards, several famous ones at that. The game can't assume you find every clue, either. Nor do you have to use every clue you find. You have to understand that some people are bad at anagrams, or don't have the line of thought to lead them to easily solving them.

If we're removing things that are too easy and 'ruin the point', let's remove combat. And edibles. And the ability to break into places. The whole 'too easy' argument is subjective and never ends. If it's too easy, restrict yourself and make it harder. Make a mod. Don't ruin things for others.

They aren't even that frequent; I've had one killer that even used it.