So after some suspicions on my side and a confirmation from @ColdDayInHell after he tested a submitted featured contract and multiple test made on XBox and PS4. I have to signal a potential issue with the sedative mechanics in contract mode.
Here is a copy paste of the ticket is just sent. But if anyone on PC could look up if the issue also exists on their platform I would appreciate it. Thank you.
Ticket 7104
Subject : issue with the sedative mechanics in Contract Mode
Platform : Xbox and PS4
Level : All but limited to the Contract Mode
Description : In contract mode, sedating a NPC with a sedative syringe or with a slipping accident (grape, banana) voids the Silent Assassin rating once their body is found by a guard. Sedation with a Tranquilizer gun or the bubble gum retains its silent assassin propriety. Syringe and placed fruit sedations still work as usual in the main missions, escalations and Elusive Target and do not result in a loss of the Silent Assassin rating.
Steps to reproduce : General issue with a game mode, no particular steps required, but only occurs in Contract Mode.
- Launch contract mode
- Start a contract (already made) (the issue was first found on the contract You already have what you want, xbox id 3-31-8828862-13 and also seen on the contract What is yours is mine, xbox id 3-27-6374874-13)
- Enable the Silent Assassin Tracker in the HUD
- Pacify a NPC with the sedative syringe or a placed fruit
- Attract another NPC to the sedated one
- The Silent Assassin Rating will be lost once a guard is alerted and arrives to the sedated NPC
Frequency : Always happens. The issue was seen on multiple accounts, platform and machines.
Attach : This issue was discovered in a submitted featured contract for the season on Envy. It unfortunately broke two submissions. Link to the submission post A notice was added to the post.
Copy of the Notice
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO THE PLAYERS AND DEVELOPERS ON THE FOLLOWING TWO CONTRACTS
It has come to Chiku138 and my attention that unfortunately sedation is currently bugged in Contract Mode. Or at least doesn’t work with the usual mechanics.
Namely sedating an NPC with a sedative syringe or with a placed grapes/banana voids the Silent Assassin rating when they are found by a guard. Sedation with a Tranquilizer gun still works as usual and will let you keep the Silent Assassin rating even after the NPC is found by a guard.
As a consequence :
- The You already have what you want contract is currently impossible to complete Silent Assassin as it was created to force at least two slipping sedation with grapes or bananas.
- The What is yours is mine contract can only be completed if the player sedates The Vulture with a Tranquilizer gun, and not with a syringe as is mentionned in the contract description.
We worked a lot to refine those contracts, so we are a bit heartbroken. But it is what it is.
Again I would appreciate if anyone on PC, or even on other platform could test the issue. Thank you everyone.
I just had a return from the support team at IOI. They are quick.
I prepared a video gallery to illustrate the issue, if anyone wishes to see what it is or wishes to test it on their platform I join the gallery link.
https://imgur.com/a/oS5oggL
Edit : After more investigations and help from other members of the forum, it can be conclued that the whole situation was just the expression of the gameplay mechanics and AI behavior towards targets.
It just happens that a quirk in the contract creation and the behavior of the tranquilizer gun made us think that player made contract targets could be sedated without loosing the SA rating.
It is technically the case during contract creation, but the NPC’s behavior is then set to their new paradigm during subsequent runs.
The notice on the submission post was changed to reflect those latest development.
Confirmation from the support team is still needed, but the report can otherwise be considered closed.