Sleuth Home - Message Boards - Newbie Questions

Jul-14-2007 18:48

Get reaserch as soon as possible! Not only does it cross out one suspect, but it's always a suspect with fake alibi. Being so, that suspect will never match any physical evidence nor have any witness against him, like sometimes not guilty suspects do! The reason of that is that if that suspect had any evidence against him, he would automatically be guilty. This way, reasearch saves you a lot of questions.

I've seen people here advising newbies to start playing with tough or charming characters, but my advice is the opposite. The best way to start is with a Very Smart detective. CSI is the best thing to do in the game. It rules out a lot of suspects, specially in the early difficulty levels. With a very smart detective you'll bulldoze through the first few levels!

Jul-17-2007 06:31

and how many skill points you need exactly to learn research?

Jul-17-2007 06:59

It depends what archetype you are.
I really can't remember, I am guessing about 12 ish.

I don't think research is the be all and end all actually. I think a lot of detectives get it way too early at the expense of other skills.
Sure it is good about Incred Hard level or higher but even Incred Hard cases can be done without research.

AND if you are in a good agency and have help or have good gear, it makes research less important.

And I would choose a smart/tough or a smart/charming myself :) But each to their own and I don't disagree with you completely.

Jul-17-2007 08:42

With skills I always say get a basic set of smart skills so you find all the evidence, a basic set of questioning skills for suspects and townies and then research, it's invaluable.

Jul-17-2007 09:47

it always rules out one of the suspects especially when you're choosing between or among three.

Jul-17-2007 09:52

Its good for ruling out the one suspect, yes. But I would never, ever tell someone that its more important than interview skills. Knowing that one person is eliminated does you no good if you have a list of five/six and can't ask any questions.

Jul-17-2007 10:48

biggie is right and so is everyone else, it's not like the basic stuff, interigation, sweet talking,rule bending,intimadation, these skills help you talk to clamed up suspects, if you didn't have these skills the game wouldn't be as easy to find the guilty suspect, stress detection, is a skill to tell how many questions you got tell they calm up, you don't have to have to finish a game. JC, Judge of Character is something that tells you wether sweet talking is better to use than interigation, interigation is better than sweet talking to use, or if it matters which you choose, again you do not have to have this skill some don't have it, others do.

Jul-17-2007 15:22

From my perspective another advantage of research is:
as long you don't get a name by using the research skill you know your list of people is not yet complete.
E.g. : the case you are playing has 9-10 suspects and you got 9 of them already but not yet a name by research you don't have to go to the fortune teller.
Maybe just a small advantage but it's one and everything which saves questions to anybody in that game is an advantage :-)

Jul-18-2007 12:33

All of this sounds positively lovely, but how do you go about USING research?

Jul-18-2007 16:32

Click on the City Hall tab, hit the Hall of Records button, then click Research. If you have Research, it will let you research your case (tell you if your suspect has turned up yet or not). If you don't, it will tell you you're not allowed to be there.