Karma System and Crime System Currently Not In Sync and Feel Disconnected
Dear Devs, Mr Kjun and the inZOI Team
My feedback is more about the ambient reporting system which affects everyday play more than intentional gameplay. There are many false crime reporting and inconsistent justice system behavior in current gameplay since the crime system is being implemented in game.
Player-controlled Zois who are without criminal traits or crime skills are frequently punished for neutral or repetitive actions (e.g. shopping at stalls in festival parks and buying in bulk/continously and standing/loitering at festival parks watching others), while intentional crimes/scripted crimes (extortion, scamming,burglary…) can be denied in court with no consequences and allow for dialogue based defense and leniency. Ambient crimes are punished more and instantly than scripted intentional crimes gameplay with no options for trial, dialogue or defense option. Karma and traits are ignored. This creates an inconsistent and immersion disconnected Crime/Karma System.
In my gameplay, my Zois (who do not exhibit any criminal traits or crime skills) are always in trouble with the law when I send them out to the parks, festival parks or markets. NPCs reported my Zois illogicially, for example, in one gameplay instance, when they saw my Zois standing in front of stores “spam” purchasing Christmas boxes/ingredients and putting them their inventory. My Zois were handcuffed by a police, fined 200 mews for misdemeanor. My Zois were just shopping and paying for the goods that they bought and putting them into their inventory. If Karma is meant to represent morality or reputation, it should influence how crimes are detected or handled. Criminal traits do not consistently affect whether actions are flagged. Karma and traits do not seem to reduce false reports.
I do not crime play. I am playing rotationally and it is so frustrating to see some of my played families Zois having four attempts at crimes that I never put them to. My good Zois are thus forced into the game’s crime system just to act out the crime system features. Hence my Zois are being turned into Zois with criminal records despite not having any criminal skills or traits. Since than I stopped scheduling my Zois to the parks/festival parks/market places. Whenever I rotated to play another family I make sure that Zois are scheduled to stay at home with activities. Social and normal gameplay in public places are thus discouraged in my gameplay. I do not really enjoying playing as much with the crime updates but I still play because I love SmartZois features where I will just sit there and observe Zois thoughts. SmartZoi is the best overall. Keep it as it is.
As Karma System exists in the game as a morality system, as a player, I will naturally expect it to protect good Zois; Zois with no criminal traits or criminal skills, from false accusations. Karma System should increase scrutiny on Zois with negative karma and to influence trial outcomes or police responses.
I wish to suggest that Karma System
- be integrated into NPCs reporting logically
- allow Zois more leniency or warnings for ambient crimes (eg: vending anger on vending machines)
- allow ambient crimes with options for dialogue or defense options
- reduce false positives to increase thresholds for repeated actions like buying continously at stores, loitering at parks/festival parks/markets/public places watching others or interacting with others
- scale punishement severity based on triats and karma
- align ambient and major crimes under a more consistent justice and judiciary framework
When Crime System and Karma System not in sync, Karma fanstasy and roleplay is disconnected when the Core Crime System unintentionally encourgaes exploitative criminal playstyles over honest ones. This disconnection, too, discourage normal use of public places and breaks gameplay immersion.
Thanks for the time and I appreciate the continued fixes/work on improving inZOI.
