Good Cop & Bad Cop Points
How do Cop Points work?
Cop points basically measure Kim’s opinion of your abilities and personality. Anything that can convince him that despite your oddities, you still make an effective detective (and a decent human being) earns +1 cop point. Anything that makes him think you’re completely gone / a terrible freaking person grants -1 cop point (+1 / -1 cop point is probably easier to parse than “+1 Good Cop Point” and “+1 Bad Cop Point“).
Points are only awarded for things Kim actually witnesses. Like the game notes – if you can sneak away from Kim to conduct your sordid business, he (mostly) will never find out about it and / or adjust his opinion accordingly. You can send Kim back to the police station for various reasons, and you can also sneak out of your room after bidding him good night in the evening.
Points don’t really influence Kim’s attitude towards you THAT much (There’s only so much divergent writing the game can tolerate). However, there are a few important checks that rely on Kim trusting or distrusting you.
I thought quite a bit about how to best format this guide. I’ve concluded that it’s best to proceed in roughly chronological order, starting with the options that are available to you as you first meet Kim, and going on as you explore the gameworld.
Obviously, I haven’t completed every single permutation of every conversation, so I’m sure there are points I haven’t listed. If you are entirely certain about what specific interaction provides a positive or negative cop point, let me know. In particular, I’m interested in the initial interactions with Kim before you get your ledger, as you can’t actually track your cop points at that stage.
Talking to Kim
These points are available the moment you meet Kim, as you interrogate him about the case and himself.
+1 cop point each for:
Ask about the case, whether Kim thinks it’s mysterious, say “white male in his 40’s”.
Talk about the Cop-Off with Kim and suggest you’re an experimental cop, and this is just how you approach cases.
Pass a logic check about the Cop-Off, ask Kim whether you were sent as a joke.
-1 cop point each for:
Insist that your memory loss constitutes a medical emergency.
Talk about the Cop-Off with Kim and say you’re a hero cop who’s been sent to humiliate him.
Ask to know more about Kim, then call him a binoclard.
Do speed and tell Kim about it (not actually available the moment you meet Kim, but can be done at any point after doing speed).
The Whirling-in-Rags hotel
Good cop:
Find the footprints behind the blue door (only if you first insist on the Blue Door investigation in some form?)
Bring Garte a replacement stuffed bird from the fishing village
Bad cop:
Lick the booze stain next to the passed out worker at the hotel (Electrochemistry check)
Tell the cook “we speak Revacholian” (requires the fascist thought)
Kim’s car and hubcaps
An opportunity to discuss Kim’s car further comes up on day 2 (Interfacing check). If you don’t have the money for your hotel bill by the end of day 1, Kim will offer to pawn a set of shiny hubcaps he previously confiscated.
Good Cop:
Say you would have confiscated the hubcaps too
Say sorry that Kim has to sell his hubcaps
Mention the specific engine specs of Kim’s car.
Offer to help install lights on his car (only if your relationship is already positive)
Tell Pissf****t and the World that you’re one of the bad cops (Day 4+)
Bad Cop:
Call Silvie, ask why she hasn’t reported the murder, medium Half-Light check to call yourself her god.
Your Ledger
Retrieve your ledger from the garbage container and inspect it at Kim’s motor carriage.
Good Cop:
Name the case in your ledger – ask Kim about his pens but stick with your pencil (+3 points total)
Look at the autopsy form in your ledger before conducting the autopsy (triggers as you start the autopsy)
Bad cop:
Try to name the case, steal Kim’s pen, and deny him when he attempts to name the case (a total of -1 points)
Initial Area Around The Hotel in General:
Good cop:
Accept the “Waste Land of Reality” thought (requiring you to sober up) from Measurehead (after internalizing Advance Race Theory) or Tiego in the church. You don’t have to internalize the thought, just acquire it.
Bad cop:
Pass the conceptualization check with Tommy, go “the police”
Get down with racism when talking to the racist lorry driver (-1).
After the talk, Kim asks you if you meant it. Say you did, push further with a Rhetoric check, and say you have a responsibility to future generations (-1)
Try and fail to steal the Frittte poncho.
Talk to the Frittte shop girl about her magazine, and say it’s “very futuristic”
Attack Measurehead and tell Kim you may attack him again.
Check out the coin-operated viewer and tell Kim that you dig organized crime.
The Bookstore, Doomed Commercial Area and Apartment Building
Good cop:
Convince the book store owner to bring her daughter inside
Recover the Belle-Magrave in the Doomed Commercial District basement and wonder what it means.
Investigate apartment 10 for the cleaning lady
Ask the Sunday Friend about the hanging
Tell Billie her husband is dead (Day 3+, doesn’t matter how well you handle the news)
Bad cop:
Look at the Kras Mazov bust in the commard student’s apartment (requires chaincutters), call him a deviant.
Insist on accusing the Sunday Friend of murder (you can still do this after getting his witness testimony).
Talking to the Sunday Friend about the dead mercenary’s history (requires having talked to Klaasje) use a racial slur.
The Harbor and Evrart
Good cop:
Find your RCM cloak
Discover the remains of your party at the harbor, pass an Inland Empire check.
Compliment Easy Leo (Evrart’s flunky)
Successfully pitch an investment idea to the MRLBG
Pass the composure check after Evrart tells you about the lost gun.
Bad Cop:
Insult Easy Leo
Tell Evrart you don’t care about your gun – he can keep it.
Joyce
Good cop:
Let Kim handle telling Joyce about the drug investigation.
Bad cop:
Tell Joyce about speedfreaks FM (Kim’s fav radio station, which you discover by messing with his car radio)) (Forgot what specific dialog option triggers this)
Mention to Joyce that Evrart is helping you find your gun.
During the reality lowdown, ask Joyce about what she is and whether she wants tO.
Volunteer to share the drug investigation info with Joyce.
Roy and Siileng
Good Cop:
Don’t play along with Siileng’s finger-guns when you first meet him.
Bad cop:
Hit up Sileng for a bribe to improve relationships with the RCM.
Ask Roy how much you sold your gun for.
Get Pyrholidon from Roy (requires an Electrochemistry check)
Cuno:
Good Cop:
Don’t give Cuno the drugs.
Bad Cop:
Make the deal with Cuno and say you’re a bad addict cop.
Give Cuno the drugs (-2 points).
The Hanged Man and The Autopsy
Good cop:
Say “I think he’s dead” and every single one of the following dialog options (+5 points total, one for each option) when looking at the hanged man.
Note the odd-sole in the footprints around the hanged man.
Autopsy:
Recover your badge beforehand, and make sure you’re listed as the arriving officer.
Pass Conceptualization check to add a “Moral” to the story.
Pass a Physical Instrument check to list the height as 1.85.
Get the victim’s age right (about 40) during the autopsy (triggers when you have Klaasje confirm it later)
Notice the brilliantine and confirm it with Klaasje, but only if you took the investigation seriously and didn’t write downt?
Find the bullet (+1 at the end of the autopsy) and offer it to Kim as a gift (+2) = +3 total.
Bad cop:
Make up a random serial number for the hanged man’s boots, then tell Kim you’re a psychopath when he questions you during the autopsy.
Autopsy summary – “this man was murdered by seagulls – I don’t like this game”.
Steal the hanged man’s boots (decide on the task while examining the hanging corpse, sneak out of your room after Kim goes to bed without sending the body into processing), wear them, and talk to Kim about it.
Fishing Village and Boardwalk Area (Day 3+)
Good cop:
Investigate the car, then whistle a tune as you wait for the tide to come in.
Suggest a funeral for your cop car when talking to Lilienne.
Fail the authority check with Acele (regarding the hat) and talk to Kim afterwards.
Ask Acele about where she got the mic (not Mike) and tell here you have a problem with homo-sexuals.
Let Gary know you’ve opened his apartment door for Evrart.
Get Gary to regret his racism towards Seolites.
Bad Cop:
Review your badge – “Putting up with my t because I’m your superior” and “I don’t want to get better, I want to get worse” (+2)
Fail to make Isobel sign Evrart’s contract, then threaten her.
Find the catch in Evrart’s contract after getting the genuine signatures, and say “these people”.
Keep making calls via the boardwalk phone. During the phone call to Girard, tell him you’re ing his wife and keep going.
Tell Morell he shouldn’t leave his woman unattended (requires the fascist thought?)
Talk to Gary the Cryptofascist about Seol, ask him whether they are scheming.
The Church
Good Cop:
Enter the church.
Pass Soona’s logic check about the 2mm hole, say you’ve had this thought before.
Apologize for ing up the check to make Kim dance (this just cancels out the -1 you get otherwise).
Bad Cop:
Try to use the pyrbar to enter the church and succeed in the Physical Instrument check.
Pass the Encyclopedia check for the window in the church, say you like the new RCM logo as it “puts the fear…”
Evict Soona from the church.
Fail the authority check when trying to get Kim to dance.
Refuse to apologize for failing the authority check – “getting bent out of shape over a word” (-2) + “Don’t really need you anyway” (-1).
Confronting “The Pigs”
Bad Cop:
Tell Kim to “blow her away”.
Insist on leaving the confrontation.
Confiscate her narcotics (have to know about Pyrholidon) and say nothing in response.
The Hardie Boys and Klaasje
Good Cop:
Pass the Drama check with Klaasje.
After Titus calls you a can-opener, ask Kim whether that’s true.
Bad Cop:
Ask Elizabeth “what are you going to *do* to me?”
Talk to Easy Leo about Elizabeth and tell her he called her a “death machine”.
Connect Titus to the drug trade and tell him you’re on drugs right now.
Check the tape player in your room after being given Titus’ tape, and tell Kim to off.
Steal Preptide from Klaasje’s medicine closet (fail or don’t bother with the roll)
Call Klaasje a at some point (possibly pounding on her closed door), then bring it up again when talking about Titus’ tape.
Tell Klaasje you take drugs (at any point during the conversation) then ask her if the drugs made her kill the man.
The Instigator, the Tribunal, post-Tribunal:
Good Cop:
Successfully warn Kim during the tribunal
Light the graffito on fire.
Ask Kim about the generator on the Island, then kick it.
Bad Cop:
Don’t let the Instigator go.
Tell Kim to mind his own business as you prepare the necktie Molotov.
Up the tribunal : -1 for Titus dying, -1 for Elizabeth.
Tell Tommy that Ruby shot herself.
