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[Jonathan S. Fox]

This isn't really a finished release, but I've been doing lots of funky stuff with the game without releasing my changes, and I want to get some feedback, especially with regard to balance. I wanted to standardize a skill and stat check system, so a lot of things might suddenly be too easy or too hard, and the only way to know is to test it out.

Please check out:

http://www.jonathansfox.com/lcs/lcs_win32_4.02alpha2.zip

And provide copious feedback on balance, coolness, bugs, missing features, and other suggestions.

Some things to try:
- Recruit people
- Experiment with fundraising methods
- Sort your liberals
- Get in a car crash
- Explore the new CEO Residence/Castle

[Soadreqm]

First impression:
I started a game in Nightmare Mode, recruited a bunch of child workers and made them sell brownies, and kidnapped a radio personality. I see some options have been scrapped from the brainwashing screen. I liked to having multiple approaches, but I can't comment on balance until I've messed with it a bit more.

Then one of my pot dealing kids was shot by a death squad officer and I got a newspaper saying that a police officer had been killed, which I assume is a bug. I like the new rap sheet. Maybe the crimes I haven't committed shouldn't be displayed, though. Right now it looks like some kind of achievement checklist, not that there's anything wrong with that.

EDIT:
I got into a car crash too!
My founder, and three out of five child workers survived, and struggled to their feet, still chased by the Death Squad. Then the game crashed.
This seems to happen consistently. I can send you the save, if you need it.

[Soadreqm]

Also, I could raid a site and try to steal a car in a single evening.

And I'm having serious trouble brainwashing anyone now I'm no longer allowed to deprive them of sleep, food and water.

Oh, and there's something wrong with the disguise skill. I went to the Gentlemen's Club with a cheap suit and 0.08 disguise skill, was let in, found a radio personality and held down S. And nothing happened. To test the hypothesis, I broke to the Ministry of Love, and none of the agents noticed anything. A guard dog eventually found me out, though, and I died.

[Jonathan S. Fox]

I see some options have been scrapped from the brainwashing screen. I liked to having multiple approaches, but I can't comment on balance until I've messed with it a bit more.

I cut out the options that didn't affect interrogation much. They were cool flavor, so that will have to be compensated for in other ways in the interrogation system, but they came at a high cost: Interrogation was very hard for new players to understand and succeed with. I've tried to simplify it significantly.

Then one of my pot dealing kids was shot by a death squad officer and I got a newspaper saying that a police officer had been killed, which I assume is a bug.

Did you fight back? I'll have to look into this.

I like the new rap sheet. Maybe the crimes I haven't committed shouldn't be displayed, though. Right now it looks like some kind of achievement checklist, not that there's anything wrong with that.

I don't mind that so much. I'm interested in what others think as well though; if it bothers people it can be changed.

My founder, and three out of five child workers survived, and struggled to their feet, still chased by the Death Squad. Then the game crashed.
This seems to happen consistently. I can send you the save, if you need it.

Please do send me a save, or at least give clear instructions on how to reproduce it. I've been able to survive car crashes before without them turning into game crashes, so I'll need some specifics.

Also, I could raid a site and try to steal a car in a single evening.

Oh yeah, that was a feature. I was experimenting with letting you raid and do activation screen activities in the same turn. I think it's too confusing, so I meant to remove it, but forgot. Let me know if there are any objections.

And I'm having serious trouble brainwashing anyone now I'm no longer allowed to deprive them of sleep, food and water.

That's more of a general balance issue, rather than the specific options, since it's been heavily altered. Let me know what tactics you're using and what the outcomes are; also try with props if you haven't already, since they're a bigger factor now. I hate juggling mechanics like this, but I'm trying to get interrogation to be much more new player friendly.

Also, if anything else in the game seems too difficult or easy, it's probably not your imagination, so let me know.

Oh, and there's something wrong with the disguise skill. I went to the Gentlemen's Club with a cheap suit and 0.08 disguise skill, was let in, found a radio personality and held down S. And nothing happened. To test the hypothesis, I broke to the Ministry of Love, and none of the agents noticed anything. A guard dog eventually found me out, though, and I died.

Okay, sounds like the stealth skill is too strong, and crowding out disguise. Thanks. What is your character's stealth skill, by the way?

[Kay12]

Oh, and there's something wrong with the disguise skill. I went to the Gentlemen's Club with a cheap suit and 0.08 disguise skill, was let in, found a radio personality and held down S. And nothing happened. To test the hypothesis, I broke to the Ministry of Love, and none of the agents noticed anything. A guard dog eventually found me out, though, and I died.

The gentleman's club part is not a bug, I suppose, since the interior of the club is a public area, like the latte stand or the park. You're not really trespassing there.

[Jonathan S. Fox]

The gentleman's club, and several other locations, force disguise checks even in ostensibly public locations.

[Little]

Recruiting seems a bit hard, interrogation seems impossible unless you're loaded with cash, Martial Arts seems to gain far too slowly, and succession seems broken.

[Jonathan S. Fox]

What's wrong with succession?

[Little]

When my founder dies and there's multiple other candidates, recruitment that the dead man started continues. Also, crtashing out in a car crash and fleeing and then getting killed brings up an error message.

[Soadreqm]

Then one of my pot dealing kids was shot by a death squad officer and I got a newspaper saying that a police officer had been killed, which I assume is a bug.

Did you fight back? I'll have to look into this.

Nah, tried to run away. It happened several times.

Please do send me a save, or at least give clear instructions on how to reproduce it. I've been able to survive car crashes before without them turning into game crashes, so I'll need some specifics.

Fuck! I forgot to copy it! D:
My founder assaulted a factory, all by himself, cut up some people, snatched rescued five child workers, and peeled out in a stolen car. I didn't have much driving skill, had a crash, had people get injured and die, and then the game crashed when I tried to run from the death squad on foot.

That's more of a general balance issue, rather than the specific options, since it's been heavily altered. Let me know what tactics you're using and what the outcomes are; also try with props if you haven't already, since they're a bigger factor now. I hate juggling mechanics like this, but I'm trying to get interrogation to be much more new player friendly.

If I try to lower wisdom with beatings and drugs, I end up killing them. Just talking to them isn't very effective. Sleep deprivation was nice, since it wasn't as brutal, and I could lower wisdom without hurting heart, making the hostage hate me or accidentally killing them. Props, I didn't try out much yet, since they were so expensive.

After a few accidental deaths, I managed to grind my psychology skill to eleven, max at the time, and started having more success. I managed to convert a few janitors and teenagers into sleepers. It was definitely easier before, but I'm not sure whether the old one was overpowered or this one is underpowered.

On a second thought, I'm not sure if the problem is that I'm forced to be more brutal, or that the hostages are more fragile. I don't think they died this often before.

Okay, sounds like the stealth skill is too strong, and crowding out disguise. Thanks. What is your character's stealth skill, by the way?

I'm sure it was less than three. I hadn't been grinding it.

[cowofdoom78963]

Like the crime list but...

Really hate the lack of interogation options though. I needed those options for my style of interogation!
Cant you just have a "simple interogation" button or something that greys out the more intimidating choices?

I do like however that I dont always die in car crashes though.

[Org]

Okay, so, new to the game, I tried it out.
Went to the Cigar Bar, and they wouldn't let me in.
I fight.
He shoots and shoots, and finally kills me.
Game crashes.

[Org]

The game crashes each time I die.

[Ampersand]

Found a crash when attempting to evade club security into the exits, after having started a fight and having one squad member die.

[Org]

How do I interrogate and recruit?