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Going "Mum"
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John Pinkerton
John Pinkerton
Well-Connected

Jul-2-2005 22:56

I've been playing for a few days now, and the deeper an understanding I get of the dynamics of questioning suspects, the more curious I get about its inner workings.

As I'm sure most people here have, I've developed my own little strategy for investigating a case in a way that'll get me a WE before my suspects go mum. My question is: what's the logic behind "going mum"? Is it much like rolling a die (i.e. a random outcome)? Is it based on my toughness/smarts/charm and difficulty of the case? Or is there a set rule (i.e. any suspect will go mum after x number of turns)?

I ask because a) knowing this would vastly improve the way I go about my questioning, and b) I think I've noticed that suspects with no/fake alibis clam up quicker, and I wasn't sure if that was my imagination.

Replies

cfm
cfm
Nomad

Jul-2-2005 23:16

The simple answer is that each suspect has a preference of interview skills, either tough or charming. If you use the technique they prefer, the more likely it is you will be sucessful in getting them to answer your questions.

Okay, I already hear the next question...how do you know? The skill Judge of character will break down the likelyhood of getting answers out of someone based on using tough/charming skills. Maybe this will help, from a suspect in an incred case....

Base Interrogation Chance: 43
Tough Equipment Adjustment: 4
Advanced Skill Bonus: 35
Adjusted Interrogation Chance: 82

Base Sweet Talking Chance: 53
Charming Equipment Adjustment: 15
Advanced Skill Bonus: 35
Adjusted Sweet Talking Chance: 103

The closer your adjusted chance is to 100 the better the chance of getting the suspect to answer not only the question you are currently asking about, but also subsequent questions. (ref. http://newyork.hypoware.com/map/cityhall/post.spy?id=3257)

The harder the level, the lower the base level tends to be.

Okay, now that you armed with that knowledge, you really only need to have either tough or charming skills, especially until you get to the higher levels. A full set of charm will cost you a lot less skill points and will be plenty effective than a mix of charm/tough. I use both only on the Almost Impossible cases, where there is not a single suspect that will talk to you without some sort of persuation.

I would not recommend Judge of Character until after you have a full set of charm skills, research, and probably a full set of smart skills too. They are all much more important to solving a case. I've known detectives that have done a mix of tough/charm, and it made life difficult when they got to the upper levels.

Hope this helps a little.

*shuts up before someone throws something at her* :)


John Pinkerton
John Pinkerton
Well-Connected

Jul-2-2005 23:22

Thanks very much! That was really informative.

One quick question: you've mostly described my chances of getting them to talk once they've already gone mum, and I can sweet talk, interrogate, ask to bend rules, etc.

Do these same numbers apply to how long it takes a suspect before they clam up in the first place? I notice some suspects will give up a seemingly endless amount of information, while others seem to clam up the second you enter a room.

John Pinkerton
John Pinkerton
Well-Connected

Jul-2-2005 23:27

Additional question (sorry, I'm full of them): does a suspect's guilt have anything to do with them clamming up?

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cfm
Nomad

Jul-2-2005 23:33

Other than the degree of difficulty of the case, I have no idea what makes some suspects, from the start, smile and answer questions freely while others are stubborn and difficult. Sorry. Anyone???

My experience says, no, some of the guilty ones are arrogant enough to answer lots of your questions. Like most things in Sleuth life, it's randomly generated. Besides, when you get to the upper levels, no one wants to talk period. :)

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