Government Database is too overpowered.

[CastelloRuby]

In my opinion the Government Database should be nerfed, either by locking it behind a social score level or removing it entirely from higher difficulties, or only making it available by having a cruncher in your apartment and upgrading it to have the database (just an idea).

The database renders the whole premise of the game of being a detective and having to snoop around and question people for information almost pointless when this tool is right there to be used and abused, given how it pretty much gives you everything you need to identify suspects/targets/victims, or just anyone at all.

Say you take a job and the only singular clue you're given to find your target is their spouse's first name, without the database it'd be EXTREMELY difficult indeed, but WITH the database it becomes very easy since you can just plop their spouse's name into it, find out where they live, and that's pretty much it considering NPCs rarely share names.

I hope instead that with future updates, the ways that you can question people for information gets expanded upon.

How do you people feel about the database?

[Shurenai]

I agree, It's overpowered- I avoid using it almost all the time. I do use it however when I'm curious why I wasn't able to find something.. As an example, I spent a few hours combing what I thought was every business in the building Andre View for a person who I had very little info on- Just Long brown hair, Shoe size 13, and 'works at Andre View'.

After going through every business, I had nothing. I got lucky to notice that the 'Details' of my job listing had unknowingly updated and showed the person's name. I had not seen that person's name anywhere in ANY of the businesses in the entire building, So, With a burning curiosity I went to the government data base to look them up. Turns out that the little street level businesses are considred part of the building too- They were working as a waitress in the restaurant on the bottom floor.

But in general, I agree- It's way too easy to access for just how much information it has on the residents of the city.

[Shurenai]

That said, I think the government database is absolutely fitting to the setting of the game- A mega corp mini-city where everyone is under their thumb with surveillance everywhere? Yeah, you can bet they'd have every detail about every resident's life.

It should just only be accessible from a more high security area that you either have to break into, or pay a tidy sum for a 1-2 hour guest pass. (Maybe like 1,000-2,500 or something)

[SpecOp Clergy]

Originally posted by Shurenai:

It should just only be accessible from a more high security area that you either have to break into, or pay a tidy sum for a 1-2 hour guest pass. (Maybe like 1,000-2,500 or something)

That's what I was thinking, too. I would make it cost a fee per hour to use (sort of like the passes you can buy) that adjusts based on your social credit. So, when you have low social credit (i.e., the authorities don't know or trust you) it will cost more but the more social credit you earn, the cheaper and cheaper it gets.

Originally posted by ReppLoyd:

In my opinion... or only making it available by having a cruncher in your apartment and upgrading it to have the database (just an idea).

That's a good idea, too! Right now, our personal crunchers need more of purpose in the game. Upgrading them so we can hack into the gov database would be a step in the right direction!

[Stuka White]

I think its OP but I think it should exist and its use be self regulated by the player, especially at this phase of the games development imo.

From a utility standpoint theres been a couple of times Ive had to use it because of, or just checking incase of, some bad proc gen on a case in regards to info hunting.

[Geeky Meerkat]

I'm fairly sure there is one specific case where you need it. If an unemployed person that won't share personal information kills someone, the only remaining way to verify without a doubt that the fingerprints on the murder weapon and all around their home actually do belong to them. It's strange we can't fingerprint a hand cuffed person.

[Shurenai]

Originally posted by Geeky Meerkat:

I'm fairly sure there is one specific case where you need it. If an unemployed person that won't share personal information kills someone, the only remaining way to verify without a doubt that the fingerprints on the murder weapon and all around their home actually do belong to them. It's strange we can't fingerprint a hand cuffed person.

You can fingerprint a handcuffed person. Take out your scanner and aim at their hands. Just remember to right click; Not left click, Or you'll free them instead.

[David]

I think there is a bug where you sometimes can't fingerpint a handcuffed person that has something in their hands. Hopefully it gets fixed.

As for gov database, I don't use it. Maybe self-regulation for now is best.

[Stryderunknown]

Some thoughts on the subject (not ingame):
Access to secure data (from a terminal) would require having to "ask" for privileges (not just a password) that might be done via an internal mail to an administrator or via a manager to an administrator (requiring office hours to be checked for both the person requesting and the administrator being on duty).

Secure data might be limited to one physical location (such as a terminal sat next to a mainframe in a secure server room)

Normally password checks are designed to limit the number of attempts, which then could trigger a lockout for a set duration of time (a timeout until it resets) or trip an alarm. (That could be loud, or silent or send an enforcer quietly to your position)

Administrator accounts are therefore the entry point for full access, however administrators would (should) change their passwords more often (Filling their house with tonnes of outdate password notes) and perhaps have other security measures in effect. (With the current game setting that would mean hidden behind surveillance and defence, perhaps with a guard always on duty etc.)

Toughing the access to the database would therefore make more sense than nerfing it's strength. There is also an absence of "REDACTING" currently, for instance if they are an Informer (Which is one reason why people get bumped off) then some of their information might be omitted from the databases.

[Sky Wizard]

Originally posted by Guide:

I think there is a bug where you sometimes can't fingerpint a handcuffed person that has something in their hands. Hopefully it gets fixed.

Annoying when that happens. usually (but not always) after you knocked them out first. or after for that matter.

Luckily a cuffed suspect is much more likely to give their prints when asked for them.

[Blackmagemasher]

Government Database is very overpowered...
Think it should be in the game, but not as accessible.

I feel a pretty easy fix would be to have the enforcers and the government have a different database's. Let the enforcers have a database that is very incomplete, but their files are printable.
Government Database stuff all prints to a more secure area, since it should be more confidential. That way you can use it to pull full names, but you can't use it to fill out bio's easily

[ScissorLiftFox]

The government database feels fine to me, and feels less overpowered in a very large city. It doesn't help that much if you just have a physical description or fingerprint. The fact you can only search by name (or part thereof, first initial requires some guesswork on your part)- not address, phone number (which isn't even in the database), or fingerprint, seems to balance the database for me.
On my current map, I've been trying to dox every citizen tangentially related to my jobs, and keeping track of the fingerprints, I'm up to type 'OO', which would mean there's at least 405 citizens. Unless you get really lucky, or hammer the database till you read every entry (can't just view all entries without a search either), you'll need more sleuthing to narrow it down.

[Blackmagemasher]

Originally posted by ScissorLiftFox:

The government database feels fine to me, and feels less overpowered in a very large city. It doesn't help that much if you just have a physical description or fingerprint. The fact you can only search by name (or part thereof, first initial requires some guesswork on your part)- not address, phone number (which isn't even in the database), or fingerprint, seems to balance the database for me.
On my current map, I've been trying to dox every citizen tangentially related to my jobs, and keeping track of the fingerprints, I'm up to type 'OO', which would mean there's at least 405 citizens. Unless you get really lucky, or hammer the database till you read every entry (can't just view all entries without a search either), you'll need more sleuthing to narrow it down.

But that is just it, it is pretty easy to gain. Had a case where I am looking for a person with glasses, first initial A. About 10 minutes in the database, (starting at aa and ending at az and going thru everyone with a first name starting with a) I have shortlisted to a handful of people and where they live.

[ScissorLiftFox]

Seems like a thing they would have in the dystopian alternate timeline- I do find it rather odd I can access one of the Ivy Ward [The ground floor medical ward in my town's city hall] computers without it counting as trespassing though. Still seems balanced enough at it's current detail level, but it's a bit too easy having it in a public area.
I lost over 1/3 of my assets during the last update, so I may try making a new city and detective, and seeing how similar the new city hall is.

[Blackmagemasher]

My main "fight" that it is something you can use, but we are WAY abusing it is the fact that your computer log-in doesn't give that info.

We are taking the Head Admin's passcode that is too easy to find on a board, in a room we have permissions to be in.

Admin in question walks past me all the time, with no qualms I am abusing her rank....

AND that is why I feel they should move the print results.

It isn't ours to use, it is ours to abuse, and it is very op

[Vanessa]

I think it's mostly fine but should ONLY give fingerprints for City Hall and Enforcer employees.