Anyone else having issues claiming the latest Twitch drop. I hit claim now and it doesn’t claim it. Never had an issue before. My Twitch account is linked to my IOI account I just checked it
1 Like
Yeah, I imagine this feature will be quite buggy - especially on maps with odd-behaving walls and objects like Haven and Paris.
Neat feature though!
1 Like
This closet thing better apply to suspects in Freelancer. It’ll be quite useful. Shame they never improved on Harrdcore mode. I finally hit my 10th prestige the other day. Still got like 200 leaders and 30 or 40 campaigns to do for the last 2 challenges.
I can’t even remember the last time I played contracts. I want a stat tracker showing how many we’ve done. Then I’ll do them all. lol
Not personally, no, but last month that was happening too. I had to download the Twitch app and claim it there to finally get last month’s drop. Twitch seems to have fixed the web-based issue for me at least, but maybe try using a different platform and see if that works?
1 Like
Will have to see how detrimental “NPCs in Crates can now be Killed” is to the game… it has me worried tbh.
The game has always operated on the logic of them being safe from explosions and the like, so it would really suck to now contend with “I just made an accidental explosion kill, but a crate-NPC was in the blast radius so now I lost SA 
”
Lots of specific VR tweaks and changes which is neat, glad they aren’t totally abandoning that mode. VR is still a relevant medium!!
an illegal item by putting something between it and the people around you — your own body, a wall, a pillar. If a guard can’t see what’s in your hand, they’ve got nothing to object to.
Also LOL this is some Looney Tunes-esque logic
You can’t see it! You can’t see it! I’m not suspicious!
2 Likes
I think the ability to kill even when in a crate or a closet is a positive thing (potentially losing Silent Assassin notwithstanding). It makes the game more realistic. I know exactly how the doors in my own closets are built and they would never, in any way, stop even a .22 so having the ability shoot through one or having an explosion impact whatever is in the box is fine. It’s actually more unrealistic and “takes you out of the game” more to have whatever is in that box be completely out of the game, so I’m good with that.
As for making long-established kill methods suddenly not work the same, I’m treating it as an improvement that I’ll just have to develop new tactics and skills to deal with.
I get the hiding objects to avoid suspicion. Is it any different than putting the thing in your pocket, really? If the guard can’t see it, how can they react to it… I agree with that.
Now, once seen, if the mechanic simply lets you turn around, that would be ridiculous.
4 Likes
I’ve been doing some intensive testing with killing hidden NPCs, here are my findings:
- Poison clouds DON’T kill people in containers
Now, onto explosions, this is more tricky. NPCs can die with explosions, BUT there are multiple caveats.
First let’s list most of explosive arquetypes:
- Throwable (granades)
- Contact (golf balf, molotov, etc)
- Placeable (can be placed on walls, most explosive devises and the breaching charge are here)
- Propane tank
With that said, let’s see the findings:
- In general, placeable explosives are the most consistent to kill. For box type containers you have to place them right on the front side of the box (this also applies to breaching charges), now there are some inconsistensies across boxes. There are some like baskets or plastic ones where you can get a kill by placing them on top (doesn’t apply to BC), but there are others like metal ones where you don’t. In general, if the material seems thick, then you won’t be able to kill from the top.
For closet type containers, the only way to kill is by placing them on the door (applies to BC) or on the floor in a way that the device slightly clips inside the container (doesn’t apply to BC). Placing them in any other side won’t kill the NPC.
-
For throwables, is almost impossible to kill on closet type containers, very rarely the granade will land in position where it can actually kill but It’s really hard to get consistently. For box types, the only way to kill is by throwing them on top of the container, the restrictions discussed above also apply, which means that you wont be able to do this on all boxes. Throwing them to the sides does nothing.
-
Killing with contact explosives seems to be impossible
-
Killing with propane tanks also seems to be impossible
-
One notable exception are curtain type containers, since you can actually throw items inside it, you can use any explosive type to kill.
If you’re wondering, ducks and non lethal explosives cannot kill.
Oil or water puddles cannot kill.
There is nothing fancy going on with contracts mode, the game just registers any kill normally as if the NPC is outside the container.
In conclusion: while it’s possible to kill hidden NPCs with explosions, you have to go out of your way to intentionally kill them this way, which means that it’s very unlikely you’ll get any accidental non-target kills, so any established strategies shouldn’t be affected by this change.
15 Likes
I wish they’d reinstate the optional frisks if you’re armed.
2 Likes
I appreciate this research and writeup. It seems very odd that they would add this new mechanic to the game after so many years, but for it to be so limited in usage. For example I would have bet money that throwing contact explosives at a container would kill the NPCs inside.
3 Likes
This is fantastic news. My concerns are eased. Now I just need to know about showdown suspects and I cannot believe that no one with access to freelancer during this period has reported on this yet.
3 Likes
Unconscious suspects can be hidden in containers now.
8 Likes
Finally! Thank you. One other thing: can it be before the Leader is eliminated?
1 Like
Yes, you can do it before the leader is eliminated.
1 Like
Hallelujah.
If this functions the way they make it seem in these notes, this will make several objectives in Freelancer that much easier. When you have to kill a certain number of guards with a certain firearm and don’t have access to a suppressed version of one, you should now be able to KO them, put them in a container, shoot them while in the container with an unsuppressed weapon, and get out of there before guards come to investigate, and not have to worry about not hiding the body in time. Unless of course, what they don’t tell you is that shooting a hidden NPC invalidates the hidden status.
1 Like
Frisking is still broken in Freelancer after all these years. I’m dressed as one of Cassidy’s guards, try to walk in his front door and they want to frisk me anyway? Same with guard disguise trying to enter the ICA facility in Chonqing. It’s ridiculous.
4 Likes
Some nice fixes, but gutted still no clipping fix for 47’s signature suit with gloves 
2 Likes
My guess is that they made it with the intention of only being able to use gunshots and the whole explosion thing is an oversight. I doubt they made it this finicky and inconsistent intentionally.
3 Likes
Play next for Contracts is wonderful.
3 Likes
I’m increasingly starting to think that people on here will only talk about balance changes and items when people agree that it’s controversial and/ or worth discussing and disseminating and also not try to bury it in another thread.
That’s not to dismiss this awesome write-up you’ve done Guillermo, it’s good to demystify what does and does not work in a more open space that everyone can see. The more accurate the information, the better everyone understands what’s going on, leading to an overall more well-taught community and people are kept in the loop.
However, it’s very noticeable how little pushback there was for this, which is a more wider-reaching change to gameplay, versus players refusing to talk about the water balloon, despite both being balance adjacent discussions that were worth their time in the spotlight, and the latter is worth a proper discussion, but was constantly derailed.
I dunno, with all the shade and toxic self-centered comments I got; “it’s a sandbox, it doesn’t matter!”, and “It doesn’t affect me, so why would I care?”, I’m surprised by the relative calmness of everyone here this time around.
Let’s hope it stays that way. I hope I speak for everyone when I say: I don’t like being shouted at or harassed with frippery.