A few Anomalies and Questions

[Able Archer]

Just started playing this weekend, and loving it. I've had a few things happen that I'm not sure about. Not sure if they are defects that I should report, or if I'm misunderstanding how some systems work in the game.

1) I started a Large Sandbox city. First murder victim seemed to give me 2 different names when I inspected them. The first set of info I got gave a name and an employer, and showed that name attached to the address (I think it was a business card and it had the address). I then found 2 more IDs with different names. That proved out to be the real victim and his "partner." The weird thing about the original name--he didn't work at the company that it displayed. At least, I couldn't find him in their directory, he didn't have a desk, a locker, etc. I chased this down for a while, but eventually gave up and started a new city.

2) In my second Large Sandbox, I took a side job to start. It was to photograph someone. Somehow, I got the name of the person that gave me the job--I think this was just blind luck--someone I asked knew him. Anyway--I'm still working that case when the first murder came in. The murder victim was the guy that gave me the first case!

3) Current Sandbox (again, Large) gave me some good jobs before the first murder. I'm in that now, and had a question--everyone saw the person at the same place at about the time of the murder. There are cameras, but I can't find a video room at all. Is it possible the building won't have one? I'm otherwise at deadends. No phone calls, no additional clues to run down, except for a non-matching fingerprint. Any pointers appreciated!

[Isabelle]

1) While I don't really know what that case was like for you, it's worth noting that NPCs have a habit of picking objects up and losing their IDs and such. The game is fully simulated, so it's not off the table that the NPC you inspected somehow found and picked up a random business card. Also, why is "partner" in quotes? Do you mean that it isn't actually their partner?

2) That can happen. It's pretty rare statistically, but it isn't a glitch or anything. You can close the case at no penalty.

3) One single apartment layout that can generate lacks a security room. This is likely a dev oversight. Every other apartment layout has a security room.

In terms of evidence to help with that case, if you truly have nothing to go off, you can wait until the murderer strikes again. Every murderer is a serial killer and will keep going until you personally stop them.

[Sky Wizard]

for 3. Do you know how the victim died? You could check the sales records of places that sell the murder weapon.

Do you know the motive? You can figure it out by contextual clues at the crime scene.

Business card at the scene? "Put a Pin in it" written on the walls? Work dispute. Check out the victims place of work.

Lipstick and a heart drawn around the victim? Stalker. Check the victims address books for names matching the initial left on the writing on the wall.

Red circles drawn around the victim and a crumpled note? Ritual killing. Solve the anagram on the note to find the killers first initial and surname.

Toy car and the words "Make way for the new generation" on the walls? ... well this one's the hardest. Checking the weapon is the best bet. Otherwise, check the victims address book and their neighbours.

If you have trouble reading any of the messages on the wall, find/buy a newspaper. They helpfully print the message in the story there.

[Able Archer]

Appreciate the responses. Gives me some things to consider and think about. I had Partner in quotes mostly because I'm an old man, and I think of business partner when that term is used ambiguously. I presume it meant girlfriend in this case.

I did notice one other thing--not sure it's a problem either, but, folks I arrested for side jobs--they're still where I left them. I've been rewarded and closed the cases. I thought they'd go away or otherwise be removed from the game world.

Again, thanks!

[Isabelle]

Originally posted by Able Archer:

Appreciate the responses. Gives me some things to consider and think about. I had Partner in quotes mostly because I'm an old man, and I think of business partner when that term is used ambiguously. I presume it meant girlfriend in this case.

I did notice one other thing--not sure it's a problem either, but, folks I arrested for side jobs--they're still where I left them. I've been rewarded and closed the cases. I thought they'd go away or otherwise be removed from the game world.

Again, thanks!

The term partner is used as a catch-all in this game, as NPCs can generate as non-binary, and that's the broadest applicable term. NPC dialogue is generic, not specific, so using just the one term makes things easier.

Oh, and job givers sticking around in the spot they said they'd be waiting is a bug that's been around for a while. Very odd, but shouldn't really break anything. Might want to keep a note that says where they're at, just in case you need them. You can try engaging them in combat to break them out of that state but that doesn't work all the time.

[Sky Wizard]

The game (currently) doesn't have a jail. So people you arrest for side jobs just stay where they are until they break out of the cuffs 2 ingame hours later. You can free them yourself if you feel like it, no penalty.

Murderers are removed from the game when you hand in the case though.

[StaticR]

About Nr.3, if you're lucky and it's still sorta recent you can theoretically still salvage it and track down the killer by asking literally everyone if they've seen aynthing suspicious.

I had solved one case like that where I got a first name initial only and literally nothing else so I just asked around basically triangulated the killer's home based on when and where people said they saw something suspicious, which eventually lead me into a apartment where a person with a matching first name initial lived.


Good thing ingame npc witness accounts are much more reliable than real life ones everyone seems to notice oddly specific things when a killer runs past them but oddly enough won't recognize them if you show them the actual person even if they're standing right next to them :v

[Able Archer]

Originally posted by StaticR:

Good thing ingame npc witness accounts are much more reliable than real life ones everyone seems to notice oddly specific things when a killer runs past them but oddly enough won't recognize them if you show them the actual person even if they're standing right next to them :v

Agree it's a good thing. ;) I remember a comment from years ago, though I don't recall the source: Eyewitness testimony is one of the least reliable forms of evidence.

I saw this play out when I served on a jury for a capital murder case. I want to stipulate up front, it was very obvious the kid had done it. Won't go into details, but--he was guilty.

Anyway, for something like this, virtually every cop that was involved has to testify. And it was interesting to see how their stories (didn't) fit together. Three of them claimed to be first on the scene. Another two indicated they entered the house from the back door (there wasn't one). There were a few other minor inconsistencies. Fortunately, none of that really mattered in this case. The physical evidence, coupled with the recorded confession, was overwhelming.

I've often wondered: if the case hadn't been as solid as it was, how much of a factor would those inconsistent recollections have impacted our decision?

I digress. Appreciate the responses! Very much enjoying the game. I like the arrest side quests. I haven't tried the investigative ones yet. Not a fan of the "humiliation" ones. I could do with less of those offers, and more photos and arrests.

It does seem to me, if I can find a fingerprint that shouldn't be there, that's pretty much rock-solid evidence against someone. Trying not to abuse that, but it's been the only evidence I've used (in the Resolve file) to complete cases .