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Increase of difficulty?
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BadAss
BadAss
Charioteer

Aug-12-2006 21:11

Maybe it's just me... But I experienced it became a tad more difficult lately to solve AI cases. More & more suspects seem to clam up right from the start and the townies can't come up with names so the list is not complete. More & more cases with 3 or even 4 PE suspects clammed up. Or what about a case with 4 threads and 3 suspects referring to the tailor for their alibi's...

My surveillance skill seems to be of futile use now....


Is this in any way related to the upcoming new features (avoidance of building up too many unspent skill points)?????


Everyone: NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

:-)

Replies

Summer Frost
Summer Frost

Aug-15-2006 04:21

Thanks Ben....
My bad week is certainly over.....
THANK YOU

Barry Grant
Barry Grant
Old Shoe

Aug-15-2006 05:01

I also noticed that rise in difficulty but chalked it up to "penalty against non-subs" and stopped playing the cases. I've been trying to become the "High Poobah" at OoS to gain an edge before I started another case. I guess I'll start playing the cases again and see what happens.

And, roamie, I agree with you that it would take a lot of fun out of the game if one could not solve a case by himself, subbed or not.

Lady Emerald Devon
Lady Emerald Devon
Nomad

Aug-15-2006 05:24

Hi Barry,
There are no penalties againest un-subbed players when it comes to playing cases. And everyone "should" be able to play cases without an agency... as it states on the main board, there are at least two ways to solve each case .. HOWEVER it does take a bit of skill and luck.

Every detective has had a hard time at cases or a hard time when favours change levels.
However, how you play and what you do it up to you.

Skills and gear become more essential the harder cases you play... however, at anytime you can drop down a level and play easier cases. Through time and playing favours, there's no reason you can't solve cases by yourself...
EXCEPT for that whole luck factor.. at times there will simply be bad luck cases you have to drop even with all the skills and gear. That goes for any detective.. subbed or unsubbed if they're playing by themself.

The advantage being in an agency is that most cases can be solved because people have all the skills between them and different contacts. Also, the first time another person's case is opened, there is a chance thta one person becomes unclammed.
In very rare cases, it's possible that even in an agency with all the skills, gears and contacts, a case has to be dropped.
However, being in an agency makes this rarer.

The great thing about Sleuth , Barry, is that it's designed to be played how you want it. A lot of people don't want to quit cases, want those extra cases and experience that subbing pays for and therefore sub.

Obviously, those that don't want to sub will take a longer time to gain experience and may have to quit more cases or may have to keep dropping down levels to easier cases while waiting to gain gear or a contact or a skill.

However, that's evey individual's choice and it comes down to priority. Does that $40 or so dollars mean more to you or does having a subbed detectives that can gain experience and skills faster AND gain help from others mean more??

Also, Bando has the most

Lady Emerald Devon
Lady Emerald Devon
Nomad

Aug-15-2006 05:29

number of quit cases and she's in an agency... it really comes down to how YOU want to play the game and what YOU WANT to do.

I'm sorry to ramble so much, Barry. My basic point was that an idividual detective does NOT have not have an advantage in solving a case over an unsubbed one EXCEPT that a subbed detective can ask for help, will generally level faster and generally have acess to better gear, but this is because they chose to pay for that.

I know it's difficult when you come to a standstill and get difficult cases. When I started I made some really bad skill choices and had crappy gear. Even though I was in an agency, I had to quit a lot of cases. I went through a really hard month where I couldn't do Incred Hard favours and was tearing my hair out!

I really hope Sleuthing becomes easier... :( It's no fun when cases are always too hard and you have to go down a level to solve them.
But we've all been there and it does get better!

Happy Sleuthing
Love LED/Moira


Lady Emerald Devon
Lady Emerald Devon
Nomad

Aug-15-2006 05:38

P.s You could always leave an offering at the Shrine for the Sleuth Gods :)

BadAss
BadAss
Charioteer

Aug-15-2006 17:28

I appreciate all the input that's been made here so far. And it's true that gaining more skills and the appropriate gear will only help you more to solve cases.

Very true indeed.

But the point I was trying to make was that till recently I never had a real problem with solving cases with all my current skills and gear. Then gradually it seemed harder & harder to be able to solve a case, even with the help of my agency. For the first time I actually put myself over my laziness and went to the locker and equip myself with harmony orbs, white la b coat & marwadi pagdi to give my surveillance skill a better chance. They still keep clamming up on me like seafood!

Where I had to quit one or two cases daily at the very most, three or four quits a day are not that uncommon anymore. Not an assumption, just a fact. And yes, cases are usually designed to get solved in two ways, either with PE verification or witness evidence. However, I ran into cases now that are designed not to get solved. Four pieces of evidence of the same kind, several suspects that point to that particular PE contact (with the same 4 pieces) for their alibi's IF they give you a hint on their alibi's at all! And on top of that one goes into hiding as well...

I realize this debate can go on endlessly, after all we don't all get the same cases and might have different experiences. I was just intrigued by the statistics of my solved cases as compared to the situation before, that's all.

Serena Barton
Serena Barton

Aug-15-2006 17:36

It's been a bad week and I've been so busy, so now my range of cases are mostly zero to three a day.

crunchpatty
crunchpatty
Old Shoe

Aug-15-2006 21:51

Bad - I'm feeling you on this one. I went through a spell of about two weeks where things were so stacked against me every case (like, NO tailor evidence or alibis for cases on end, all initial suspects clamming on first question so I had to burn stupid 'hey slacked-jawed barber *snort* does yer self edumacated ass know anything 'bout this here troubles I'm ah-vestigatin' questions.

I developed numerous conspiracy theories about it - but things got better. Sunshine's a-coming, put on a happy face!

R Anstett
R Anstett

Aug-16-2006 04:45

I started keeping track after this thread started.

The chances per suspect have staying in the same ranges. The low number for the range is in the ~20% base chance on AI cases. I have not seen any go below that point.

When you add on skill levels and gear to that number it should often come out to a reasonable ~80% chance.

The problem with multiples of a type of PE I have not seen. I opened one with 4 notes (PE contact) and one with 4 threads (curses, not my contact). All the others were scattered.

AI cases have always had a higher percentage of suspects with alibis at the PE townies.


One last comment, they are called Almost Impossible for a reason. Without help they are very challenging to solve.

Barry Grant
Barry Grant
Old Shoe

Aug-17-2006 15:34

Ms. Devon,

I appreciate you taking the time to explain all that you did. Thank you. Unfortunately, I forgot to put any kind of indication in my post about subs being favored as not serious.

Your information is good. As well is everyone else's. I'm afraid that even if I did sub, I would not be invited into an agency as I cannot commit to solving cases everyday or even every week. And that's fine. Subbing would allow me to travel and to do FMs and who knows what else...(villians?)

And as for the difficulty level rising, I did experience it and just recently also had 3 PEs of notes. Of course, the Banker clammed quickly, too. Currently, I only have 1 contact. I got the Music Teacher pretty quickly and I'm still waiting for a PE contact. It's been a long wait.

All in all, it's still a fun experience. The recent anomolies of increased difficulty and multiple same PEs has just slowed down my playing. I'm not so quick to try to solve all my 3 cases anymore. And that's OK, too. I'm not in any kind of rush to become "super detective" and acquire all the skills. I'm content with having to quit a few more cases than before and hanging out with everyone here at Sleuth.

Especially when I get that much attention from a lovely lady like yourself.

*tips hat*
Barry

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