Institutions
The city is not only governed by criminals. 7 institutions control various aspects of public life — and each of them has NPC contacts you can put to work for your purposes.
Basics
Finding Contacts
NPC contacts don’t just appear in your address book. You have to find them:
- Organic encounters: Your runners meet them on their routes
- Agent missions: Send runners out specifically to search
- Chain referrals: An existing contact introduces you to a new one
Contact Levels
Each institution has contacts on three levels:
| Level | Influence | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| LOW | Basic services | Low |
| MID | Tactical advantages | Medium |
| HIGH | Powerful interventions | High |
Relationship Types
| Type | Exclusive? | Payment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAYROLL | Yes | Daily fee | Loyalty decay if unpaid |
| BRIBED | No | Per use | Can be used by multiple players |
| SILENCED | — | One-time | Consumed after single use |
PAYROLL contacts are exclusive — only you have access, but you must pay daily. Forget a payment and loyalty drops; the contact may walk.
Heat-Dependent Costs
All NPC costs scale with current heat:
- Multiplier: ×1.0 to ×2.0 based on sector_heat and federal_heat
- In calm times you pay the base price
- In hot sectors costs can double
The 7 Institutions
1. CorpSec — City Police
The law enforcement on the streets. Useful for keeping operations clear.
| Level | Service |
|---|---|
| LOW | Officer ignores your crimes in their precinct |
| MID | Advance raid warning, arrests delayed |
| HIGH | Reduced patrol density in your sector |
WARNING: A HIGH contact on PAYROLL generates +5 federal_heat per day! The feds notice when local police are conspicuously looking away.
2. Compliance Bureau — Regional Oversight
The bureaucratic layer above CorpSec. Controls federal_heat and regulatory proceedings.
| Level | Service |
|---|---|
| LOW | See federal_heat changes in real time |
| MID | −30% federal_heat per day (passive decay) |
| HIGH | +5 federal_heat decay/day additional. Can once per cycle push +20 federal_heat onto a rival |
3. Arbitration Tribunal — Courts
The justice system. Indispensable when your runners get arrested.
| Level | Service |
|---|---|
| LOW | Access to the witness list against you |
| MID | Delay or weaken charges |
| HIGH | Highest bidder wins the case. Bail for arrested runners possible |
4. District Administration — City Hall
The political center. Regular elections take place here.
Election cycle: Every 5/7/11 cycles (depending on game mode)
How elections work:
- Invest Clean Cash in your preferred candidate’s campaign
- The candidate with the most money wins
- The winner becomes Mayor on PAYROLL
Mayor Edicts:
| Edict | Effect |
|---|---|
| PROHIBITION | Bans certain goods — drives up black market prices |
| URBAN_RENEWAL | Urban development — changes building prices and availability |
| CRACKDOWN | Increased police presence in certain sectors |
| TAX_HOLIDAY | Tax relief — reduces operating costs |
| REPEAL | Repeals an existing edict |
5. Fiscal Oversight Bureau (FOB) — Financial Oversight
The most dangerous authority for your laundering empire — or your best friend when you control it.
| Level | Service |
|---|---|
| LOW | Net worth intel on other players. 1 cycle audit immunity |
| MID | Stop ongoing audits against you |
| HIGH | Force an audit on a rival’s subsidiary |
WARNING: A HIGH contact on PAYROLL generates +5 federal_heat per day! Too much control over financial oversight attracts attention.
6. MedCore Division — Hospitals
Your life insurance. MedCore contacts can mean the difference between permadeath and survival.
| Level | Service |
|---|---|
| LOW | 50% faster healing for injured runners |
| MID | Arrest instead of permadeath (saves fatally wounded runners) |
| HIGH | Arrested runners free after just 1 day. Medical sabotage against enemy runners possible |
7. Crisis Response Unit (CRU) — Fire Department
Seems harmless at first glance, but the CRU controls evidence and damage control.
| Level | Service |
|---|---|
| LOW | −30% damage from sabotage to your buildings |
| MID | Immediate fire suppression on ARSON attacks |
| HIGH | Evidence destruction (blocks audits against you). Delayed response for rival buildings |
Counter-Chains
Institutions counter each other. A few examples:
- FOB forces audit vs. CRU destroys evidence — whoever has the better contact wins
- CorpSec raids vs. Compliance Bureau warns in advance — early warning neutralizes the raid
- Arbitration Tribunal frees runner vs. CorpSec re-arrests — a cat and mouse game
Don’t try to control all institutions simultaneously. Focus on those that fit your strategy and use counter-chains to neutralize your rivals’ strengths.