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+--- Thread: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator (/showthread.php?tid=24229)
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A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - Frank_Stein - 06-01-2025
I think it would be a good idea to have a 2nd Detective-like role both for roleplay purposes and mechanically.
Roleplaywise, Detective's having partners is a classic trope in fiction. It gives the Detective person to riff off of with while investigating a crime, or to switch on and off with between interacting with anyone else involved in the scene while also doing the mechanically duties of gathering evidence.
Now, arguably you could say Head of Security or even just a random Officer could serve that role, and you wouldn't be wrong, especially with HoS, but I think having a separate role that is more closely connected to the Detective would work better.
At this point, you might say "The Detective is a pretty powerful role, do we really want two of them running around?" which is why I think this shouldn't exactly be a 2nd Detective, but something lighter with less firepower, more investigative power. I'm leaning towards something like "Private Investigator"
With as much gear as the Detective has, it would makes sense to me to just divy up the existing gear. One guy takes the gun, one guy takes the camera. One takes the Thermals, another takes the Spectrometers, etc. Spec them out a bit to where one is maybe the muscle guy, the other the gadget guy. Maybe even lean a little towards Detective as a Counter to Werewolves and have some paranormal Investigation gear for the other role as a counter to Wraith.
I figure they would share the same office, though the Investigator should get something a bit unique appearance wise to tell them apart. Vest instead of a coat? Bowler Hat instead of a Fedora?
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - Skotcher - 06-01-2025
I think this would be a fun late join role, similar to inspector. I think having another member of sec dedicated to collecting evidence could be useful in higher pop rounds for RP. It'd be fun if they always spawned in with the Noir gene, had something like Shitty Bills forever cig (but this time a cigar), and maybe a unique, much weaker version of the Derringer.
I like the idea, but mostly as a late join role.
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - Chasu - 06-01-2025
I'd love to see a role like this. The det has so much cool gear, and they can only really use one piece at a time. Something along the lines of a "Forensic Assistant" would be cool. As for differenciating them from the det, I'd suggest giving them a simple shirt and brown pants, but without the coat or hat. Definitely a cool idea!
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - Katzen - 06-01-2025
Give Detective some locker equipment for a Junior Detective including a gold star badge and an orange tipped revolver cap gun.
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - Lefinch - 06-01-2025
Sure, but: please, learn from the teething trouble of hall monitor: Make sure their role as -specifically- an assistant to the -detective- or straight second detective is clear.
Seeing hall monitor go through with some things that immediately and inevitably coded it as a backdoor security role (giving them sec frequency, sec colours) should inform either a detective assistant or straight detective role PR. I have no doubt some people would be awesome, but it was very clear some cannot avoid the temptation of "Another security slot" and it would be very sad to see a det assistant just being played like an upgraded secass instead of the wilson to holmes (or more likely wilson to house with ss13 but still) or rival detective (or rarely if the antag dice so roll that way: moriarty).
I don't play detective, but I also am aware acutely that it's already pretty easy for the detective's forensic role can be overshadowed and their dynamic with security is complicated. I'm not saying don't have a second detective slot, it probably could work well. However, I think detective's assistant has better dynamic for fostering potential partnership and thus prefer that concept. Lorrmaster's forensics overhaul might also help here a bit.
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - Emimiyu - 06-01-2025
Secass but Det, Detass. Like NTSC and sous chef, it should only be available after detective joining in round.
Only issue I would see from this is, like secass, people don't play it as "assistant", but rather extra security.
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - JORJ949 - 06-01-2025
Only problem I see is there's already little detective work to do and having a second detective would make that worse. I do much prefer the idea of the "Watson Kit" that spawns in the locker with the gear for them so a detective can turn a secass into their own assistant if that's wanted or needed by them.
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - Skotcher - 06-01-2025
(06-01-2025, 03:00 PM)JORJ949 Wrote: Only problem I see is there's already little detective work to do and having a second detective would make that worse. I do much prefer the idea of the "Watson Kit" that spawns in the locker with the gear for them so a detective can turn a secass into their own assistant if that's wanted or needed by them.
I really like the idea of a Watson kit for a secass. I think it could encourage getting security assistants into the role of detective, and would also allow for some fun where an antag detective can recruit a secass in a fun and flavourful way
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - Mouse - 06-01-2025
This is what clowns are for.
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - tamakona - 06-02-2025
good idea
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - Frank_Stein - 06-12-2025
Shamelessly bumping my own thread
(06-01-2025, 12:58 PM)Katzen Wrote: Give Detective some locker equipment for a Junior Detective
(06-01-2025, 03:00 PM)JORJ949 Wrote: I do much prefer the idea of the "Watson Kit" that spawns in the locker with the gear for them so a detective can turn a secass into their own assistant if that's wanted or needed by them.
Yeah, this is probably the best way to handle it, and the radioman/dispatcher proposal would also work well with this
Spawn as your normal role, and then elect to kind of spec yourself towards one of these. The only thing I feel is that they should get a distinct outfit
As far as the orange tip fake gun, nah. I figured the role should lean even harder towards the civilian side of Detective than the current role does, and that means no weapons, even jokey fake ones
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - JORJ949 - 06-12-2025
We DO have the assistant token... perhaps the assistant token should have additional options for these two roles. And perhaps remove that option from vendors after its been redeemed once to avoid multiple assistants taking the same assistant role?
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - Kotlol - 06-13-2025
I like the detective as a loner type.. and thus.. i rather see a detective assistant as someone who's tact on for some reason.
Not a standard job.
maybe a daily job with most detectives going: "Ugh.. I hate company mandate training days."
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - KikiMofo - 06-16-2025
I also agree that I like how Detective is as a loner. Someone who stalks the maint tunnels for crimes and then eventually gets ambushed and murdered with no one knowing.
RE: A 2nd "Detective" - The case for another Investigator - Frank_Stein - 06-17-2025