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May-29-2005 09:34

Sorry about this but I really need to vent my frustration on this subject and screaming into a pillow hasn't help nor has pulling the hair off my head - it only resulted in a mouth full of feathers and an oddly looking coiffure.

I just can't believe it has to be this hard to get the contacts one wants, and am beginning to wonder if there could be some way of making it easier??

I've currently quit around 50 favours for Non-PE-contacts in Shanghai - 20 in the past 7 days alone, and during those 7 days+ today was the FIRST day, the FIRST in over 7(!!) days, that the townsperson I'm looking for actually said yes to letting me do a favour for her, and what did I get?? Another HAT!!!!
I've been doing plenty of PE-favours as well as favours in others cities, so I just couldn't believe my eyes when she handed me that hat, I really was so sure this was going to be the day, but then again that's what I've been telling myself for days now only to be let down again and again and again.

I think it's okay that if one wants specific contacts, one will have to "suffer" a little bit, but I also think this is bordering on the ridiculous. Getting the necessary PE-contacts in the 3 new cities cost around 1/3 of what I've been quitting to get this one particular non-PE.
I could of course give in, but that would also mean having quit all those favours for nothing as well as a total waste of the exp., agency bonus, and money that I've had to turn my back on.

I'm not sure if a way around this could be created, but am wondering if maybe it would be possible to turn down an offer from a townsperson of becoming one's contact. That way, one would still lose out on the money, but wouldn't be hurting one's agency the way I've been doing when turning down favour offers from townies we've needed for hunt?? - just a suggestion from a desperate player.

May-29-2005 15:52

I mean theories *they* have. I am still stumped on this one.

May-30-2005 21:37

To add to the confusion, my detective received the second contact in NYC at 6000 exp points. I too have a theory. Based on very little data or experience. Will try it out in another city someday.

May-30-2005 22:16

My understanding of the change that Ben made was that at 150K exp. the likelyhood of your receiving a contact increases. It doesn't matter if it is in a certain city or your 6th contact. I could be wrong...

*heads to gumshoe to search for her thread about Akano, where she belives Ben posted the information....*

May-30-2005 22:24

*halfway to gumshoe, remembers it was moved to sleuth talk, so she turns around walks a couple of blocks into the neighborhood....*

Here you go..2/3 the way down the page or so.

http://newyork.hypoware.com/map/cityhall/post.spy?id=3972&first_record=35059

May-30-2005 22:47

Well Im still waiting for 2nd contact in London (and so is half of my agency. As many of you might know Im here very long and way over 150K exp. So Im not sure it really works...

May-31-2005 01:45

Thanks cfm :)

Yeah, it does seem that it's just the likelihood of getting a contact that increases after 150,000. But no idea how it actually works.

Admittedly all my other contacts came pretty easily, it's just this last one that's causing havoc. But having gotten several points over the 150K in Shanghai alone, it seems so weird that when finally getting to do 3 favours for this townsperson on the same day that she wouldn't have been so greatful in the end that she'd agree to becoming my contact. So I can't help wondering of quitting can/will have a negative effect, although it didn't seem to when going for the calligraphist??

May-31-2005 01:48

Oh, and Dogberta - this one isn't for the agency (for that our interest was only in the PEs), this one is solely for my own benefit, because this particular person clams on practially every case I do ;)

May-31-2005 04:29

I found that I got all my contacts in the new cities really easily. But other detectives in my agency experienced the same though. I stopped wanting to travel or get contacts. Hence why, not having London PE...is a blemish on my record. Hahahah.

May-31-2005 05:14

but jstkdn! London is such a beautiful place! There never has been a river quite so brown as the Thames....

May-31-2005 08:48

Though to put things in perspective I was at 290K before I got my second NY contact and keep in mind, this was before there were almost impossible cases(Though that didn't matter much because often I found I had to play down because I had no PE contact). I was often averaging 24-25 cases a day (fellow agents contributing cases). Near the end I was doing about 28 cases a day. At the beginning I was gunning for 1 of 2 specific contacts but near the end I was going for anyone but the 1 that the agency had 5 of.