New face=No heat?

[blackgauntlet]

Hmm... good point there.

Guess being burnt early in the game is rather "game-breaking". ;D

[fallen]

One addition in the next release will be that a hotel will tell you how much it has lowered your Heat when you stay there. This should help make this more clear, and it also posts a message if you are repeat staying in the same hotels that your Heat was not lowered.

[blackgauntlet]

Er... do we have a numerical value of Heat somewhere?

And since that will be displayed, how about showing how much Rep we will gain for each mission (other than just showing how much nuYen we could earn) as well?

Oh, and how much Rep we will lose would be great as well!

[blackgauntlet]

I think the poll's finally closed. Tally of results shows that "Hacking to lower Heat", as already confirmed by Cory as a future feature, is the most popular choice.

Amazingly, Rhinoplasty's coming in at a close 2nd. Actually, it'd be a good idea for cash-rich CKs who suck at hacking. Food for thought, Trese bros? ;D Maybe nY 1K for each bar of Heat?

[LordofSyn]

Score one for Beauty of the Baud.

[cybergenesis]

Speaking as someone that has died several dozen times to heat related encounters - an alternative way would be nice but should be hard or expensive.

The problem I see with hacking it away is that you have no way for non-hackers to clear it. Making it expensive simply makes endgame easymode if all your jobs are stupidly well-paying.

Currently hacking has little use and, as discussed, when it's really needed you simply wouldn't be able to successfully do a heat wipe.

Personally i think it should be timed. In the long run of this game i dont see a player siding with more than 1 or 2 factions, which at some point in the future the factions will be better tied together that working for one will piss off another. This will lead to rep and heat gains in other areas whether you're there or not. I cant see functional faction wars in ST being dropped in CK. So in terms of timing, lack of activity for several hours or a day in an area seems logical. Heat should drop in sector A while you're taking a leak in the cheerios of another faction. It wouldn't be fast by any means, but it would be logical

[blackgauntlet]

Er... not really understanding what you're putting across... so, to avoid looking stupid, yeah! We should totally do that!

[Slide87]

Do u mean heat drop for inactivity?? =) that's a nice idea,however =)

[LordofSyn]

Feb 28, 2012 4:18:51 GMT -5 cybergenesis said:

Speaking as someone that has died several dozen times to heat related encounters - an alternative way would be nice but should be hard or expensive.

The problem I see with hacking it away is that you have no way for non-hackers to clear it. Making it expensive simply makes endgame easymode if all your jobs are stupidly well-paying.

Currently hacking has little use and, as discussed, when it's really needed you simply wouldn't be able to successfully do a heat wipe.

Personally i think it should be timed. In the long run of this game i dont see a player siding with more than 1 or 2 factions, which at some point in the future the factions will be better tied together that working for one will piss off another. This will lead to rep and heat gains in other areas whether you're there or not. I cant see functional faction wars in ST being dropped in CK. So in terms of timing, lack of activity for several hours or a day in an area seems logical. Heat should drop in sector A while you're taking a leak in the cheerios of another faction. It wouldn't be fast by any means, but it would be logical

I see your point ...out of sight:out of mind.
This would work up until a certain Heat threshold, then you really have the Ired Factions' eye, and you will be tracked. I would say if your heat is less than 50 and you stay out of the area long enough, don't push it with that faction, it should diminish in time. you dropped off their radar.

this is a CyberPunk game afterall, and there has to be more than one way to get what you need done. This is why I voted for hacking. Maybe you don't have time to chill it out and wait for your heat to go down...you have a mission that needs to be done, and need as little attention as possible. that's where hacking a Heat Wipe might help.

besides, these factions know there are other Knights out there, you are not the only "enemy'.

[fallen]

I think there is some confusion about Heat vs. Reputation changes. Heat does drop over time (when you sleep). Negative and Positive reputation also trend toward a baseline of 0, over time slowly dropping (as they forget about your sins), but it goes slower when the numbers are bigger, so if you have dug a big hole (a famous enemy of the faction) it takes a long time to forget.

[cybergenesis]

Sleeping it off is really the only way to lower heat at the moment. The concern people seem to have is that hacking it away is just too easy to do since the hacking system isnt exactly robust. The other side of that is you need the gear to be able to do it, and when you actually care about your heat - you can't afford it.

A facelift would be an interesting aspect - provided there was a downside to it. Maybe it also adds a DV point or 2 every time you do it, but it's a complete wipe of all your Heat /and/ Rep. If your intent is a new face for less recognition, you can't go around saying you're still you or else they'd just recalibrate the 'eyes in the sky' to your new look.

The problem I had personally with hacking it away is that there's no low-tech option for the Knights who aren't hackers. They'd be stuck with the only option of sleeping.

Having alt methods to down your heat is nice, maybe they're even only temporary. Something like faking your death in a faction zone (and/or just dying) should lower heat for a short time. If you return to work in that sector too soon - it'll bite you in the ass. The issue with alt methods is simply balance. You can't add hacking it away without a non-hacking solution, probably one that a hacker wouldnt be able to do at all.

Anything that just costs money to complete is a simple add-on, but really all it does is assist you in the late game when you're well-funded. There should be limits to how low you can really lower the heat with an 'easy mode' option. Hacking could drop yours with a given faction at the cost of pushing it to another faction (IE Dropping Mars for an increase in Yakuza, or trading heat for a rep loss - snitching on your fellow CKs, etc)

Feb 28, 2012 14:59:27 GMT -5 fallen said:

I think there is some confusion about Heat vs. Reputation changes. ... but it goes slower when the numbers are bigger, so if you have dug a big hole (a famous enemy of the faction) it takes a long time to forget.

I'm not confused about either, but neither should change all that quickly on their own to begin with. Running from zone to zone should still lower heat on the other side of the map while you're not there working or at least while you're not raining on that factions parade from where you are. In terms of a famous enemy? Hell, make that a mechanic: "If you hit X neg rep with a faction, you can't drop below Y rep ever again" If you commit an atrocity against the faction, your sins should never be forgiven. You might drop to "Hated, but not hunted" status but if you pull a job against them again, it'll double your heat and rep changes. A game like this is ALL about who your allies are who wants you dead, so you should have to think about your jobs later on and where you want to go with your character.

I dunno, i r teh nub. I just recently picked CK up this week (took me an hour of failed hacking to realize the menu on the left scrolled -.-) and testing it out to see if i want to pay for it like i did on ST. Given the BETA status, i expect a lot of broken mechanics as I've done a few beta tests in my life. Just trying to help ^.^

[Dice]

Wouldn't a reasonable way to reduce heat, for non-hackers or those without enough skill, be to hire a hacker in a back room? Just another random encounter in a bar where someone is looking to make extra creds.

Obviously hacking would only be able to do so much. Ie. intercepting data broadcast throughout an organization, corrupting video files, etc. It can not take back word of mouth transmission so this implies a reduction threshold. Furthermore these are some of the same methods used to validate a CK's handy work and if they disappear some of the respect would as well.

Additionally your chances of finding a hacker willing and able to go against an organization would most likely be found hanging out in areas of opposition. Ie. you meet a hacker in a Mars sector who can attempt to reduce your heat by (variable)x in Street, Yak and Los V. or their speciality AzTec (variable)x2. Mars is not an option.

[blackgauntlet]

Well, from what I see, CKs are the only ones capable of directly jacked into a Data Terminal due to a cybernetic neural network systems installed in their body and hard-coded into their DNA. Normal Runners with any hacking abilities are like your run-o'-the-mill haxxors IRL.

So, to gain any bonuses from such runners, citing what gravling said, "Your hacker will jack into you while you jack in to the Data Terminal"

[LordofSyn]

Which seems counter productive.

Question to TB...is that currently part of the Beta and will be changed much as the NBZ Matrix will be by the end?

[fallen]

LordofSyn - what is counter productive? When it comes to Hacker Runners, they use 100% their own skills, talents, and implants to Hack the Matrix. However, they "tunnel" through a CK and use the stats of the CK's computer to do the hacking. Therefore, a Hacker is a very important person to have if your CK is not a Hacker!

re: hacking heat - the hacking system is one of the major systems left that is scheduled for a near total overhaul. Before any chance of hacking down your heat occurs, the hacking system itself will have to be redone.