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Apr-7-2004 10:37

I was so pleased to use skill points for footprint analysis, but I don't know how to make it work. I thought if I got a case that had a footprint at the crime scene, I would automatically know if it came from a heavy or slim person. Do I need a smarts adjustment? Or is it just because I'm very charming? Help.

Apr-7-2004 10:48

I'm not sure if smarts help, but this skill(as does the advanced hair analysis skill, for example) doesn't work all the time.. so my guess is that a small smarts bonus would help, but I'm not sure. I think the more difficult the case is, the less chacnes it has of working too. Don't worry, it should work from time to time.

Apr-7-2004 15:09

It should tell you Slim or Heavy about 80% of the time, regardless of mystery level. The only thing that should adjust this is any smarts bonus equipment you have.

Apr-8-2004 05:26

Okay, I hope I didn't mislead anyone.. I guess I must be having bad luck because my advanced hair analysis almost never worked in my last few cases. Is it the same percentage?

Apr-9-2004 06:06

Just a thought then Sleuth Admin... I know you were worried about game difficulty on higher levels, so why not actually make the skills work less often on higher difficulty levels?
It would add some difficulty, and it would really reward the players using smarts, as the only way to have a good percentage chance of activation would be to have smarts modifiers. For example, I'm a smart and charming player, but I only use charm modifiers although I still have a few smarts skills, simply because they don't seem as useful as charm modifiers.. It would reward players who are focusing on smarts, and still make the game a little bit more difficult for players who use a wider range of skills(like me!).