Sleuth Home - Message Boards - Sleuth Talk

Jan-11-2013 02:22

I would like to ask for advice from the veterans around here regarding the ridiculously hard cases. I simply can't solve them due to everyone being clammed from the start. I have the skills to convince them (both tough and charm), but everytime the percentages of success are around 50% because the skills are not advanced. Even with flirting it barely makes a difference in the overall case. At the moment only these cases grant me skill points and I can only solve about 1 in 6-7 cases with the skills I have...

Jan-11-2013 02:47

Hi Walenstein. Yes, very frustrating when suspects clam up on you. There are a number of things that will help you. First of all, I see that you are a 'Very Smart' detective and that you also have a lot of smart equipment. However, smart detective archetypes don't actually need much smart equipment to get the benefit of most physical evidence being identified. One point - or even zero - should be enough. What you do need much more of is EITHER charm OR tough equipment. Don't try to mix. Try to get as many points as you can for whichever you choose and forget about smarts equipment. This will help to stop your suspects clamming. Don't bother about judge of character etc - that is only useful much later on in your career as a detective :)

Also - just because ridiculously hard (RH) cases are available to you it doesn't mean that you 'should' be able to solve them with your current skills etc. You might be getting skill points each time you solve a RH case - but if you are only solving every sixth or seventh case then it doesn't make a lot of sense to keep on doing them. Best to try lower level cases for now, ones that you can solve more easily.

I hope this helps. Feel free to send a pm listing your current skills - I'd be happy to share my thoughts on the most helpful skills you should buy next :)

Jan-11-2013 03:31

Hi Walenstein.

Summer's advice is good! I'd just like to clarify one thing about skill points. As you progress in Sleuth, the number of experience points you need to get another skill point goes up. You can still earn skill points by solving cases at every level, but since easier cases give you less xp than harder ones, it'll take more solves before you earn the next skill point.

It sounds you need to get the advanced skills for either toughness or charm. Summer's right in saying it's best just to pick one. The way to do it is to keep plugging away at the highest level of case you can reliably solve till you earn the skill points you need.

Jan-11-2013 10:57

I see you're not Subscribed, which means you can't join an Agency, unfortunately. If you could, you would have a group of people, like Summer and Cordy, to give you both help and advice when you want and need it (and sometimes, even when you don't ;-).

Both ladies have been doing this a while, and have give you very sound advice. When they say "reliable" for a solving level, they generally mean you should be able to solve cases at a point where you're only quitting one at a rate of about 1:4 or 1:5 (20-25% quit ratio, in other words). Anything higher, and you are spending too much time, money and frustration for too little payoff. And yes, it will mean taking your case level down to about Incredibly or Really, Really Hard (IH or RRH) for a few days.

Since you've said that "everytime your chances of success are around 50%...," that tells me that either at the beginning or sometime during your progress, you've already acquired JOC (Judge of Character). Normally, we would tell you not to bother til you've at least hit the 100k mark in exp. But, spilled milk now. So, instead, use it. Have a look at it over your next several cases. Notice which skill set (Tough or Charming) seems to be working better for you. (None of us will be able to tell you that.) When you've figured that out, THAT set is the set you should concentrate on to get skills for now. (Eventually, when you get to be old fogeys like us, you'll work on getting both sets. ;-)

You're only at 23K exp. right now. I'm guessing you JUST started being able to open Rid. Hard (RDH) cases, yes? Just because you can open a case does NOT mean you have the ability yet to be able to either process (find and match evidence, and interview suspects), or solve the case. Give yourself some time. In a couple of weeks, you'll have another 8-10,000 exp., and you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about. ;-)

(Cont'd)

Jan-11-2013 11:07

I have no idea what your financial circumstances are, and am NOT judging you for them. There are tons of Unsubbs who do just fine on their own (I was one of them for a while ;-). However, if at some point you can Subscribe, joining an Agency will give you access to equipment above anything you can buy or win, cases out the wazoo (both yours and often other people's), people who will pretty much take a bullet for you, and infomation that will be difficult to find anywhere else. It's something to think about. ;-)

I hope all of this makes sense?? If something doesn't, say so, or PM any one of us. We'll be happy to explain it, or go over anything else you don't understand.

I also hope you continue to keep trying, and plugging away at it. You WILL get there. It will just take time. You're doing great!! ;-D

Good luck, and Happy Hunting!! ;-D
Breit

Jan-12-2013 01:50

Thanks for the advice. Very useful info. I will stick to easier cases, pick tough or charm and I'll be patient until I'll have the necessary skills.

Jan-12-2013 12:15

don't forget to start picking up a uniform... ;0) L