Detective: Track Down Your Target in BELLOCCO

The detective lives in the Underworld menu and is the spider in the web of every professional hit. To murder someone you have to be in the same country as your target: and the detective is the one who finds out where that is for you. He shadows, listens and pays informants, so your bullets do not end up in an empty café. These days you can have several targets shadowed at once: you start a separate investigation for each target.

What exactly does the detective do?

You pay the detective a fixed fee (adjustable; the costs scale with the economy preset) to start an investigation into a specific player. He needs time for that: the investigation time is about 15 minutes by default (adjustable). During the investigation there is nothing to see yet. Once the investigation is done, the lead appears: the country your target is in at that moment.

Good to know: your detective can now run several investigations at once, one per target. Want two (or more) players shadowed at the same time? Just enter a new name and start an extra investigation: your existing files keep running. You just cannot open two files on the same target at once; if you want to refresh that lead, wait until the running investigation is done, or cancel it and get half of your costs back.

Your files: hire → investigation → result

For each target the detective page shows its own content block that follows the status of that file: a small progress strip shows where you are per target. If more than one investigation is running, you simply see them listed one below the other:

• 1. Hire: enter a username and press Track. No target yet? Then you see this screen.
• 2. Investigation: your detective is at work; a countdown shows exactly when he will be done. You can still cancel here (50% back).
• 3. Result: your target's country is shown in large type, together with the right next step: "Strike" if you are already in the same country, or "To the airport" if you have to travel first.

The detective now works on several files at once: each target gets its own investigation and its own lead, neatly separated. Want to track an extra target while other files are already running? Just enter a new name and start the investigation. Only if you want to have the same target shadowed again while a lead on him is already active do you need to wait until that one file is resolved or has expired: or click "Track another target" to let it go (without a refund, because the information has already been delivered).

Can you strike without a detective? Yes: you are allowed to gamble, directly on the murder page. If your target happens to be in your country, the hit goes ahead as normal. But if he is somewhere else, the job comes to nothing and you risk an arrest (8-16 minutes in jail) or a beating from the local boys (5-15 health). So the detective is formally optional: but in practice indispensable for anyone who values their freedom and health.

A lead is only valid for a limited time

A lead does not last forever: after the investigation time it is valid for 60 minutes (1 hour) by default (adjustable, with a clear countdown on the result screen). Players move around, after all: your target can fly to another country, and then the information is worthless. If the lead expires unused, the page automatically returns to the hiring screen and you pay again for a fresh investigation. And note: a murder attempt uses up the lead, hit or miss. Want another go after a failed attempt? Then the detective has to get to work again first.

Why does tracking cost money?

The detective fee is a deliberate design choice. It acts as a money sink that curbs inflation in the underworld, and as a barrier against impulsive killing: because every hit requires an investment (detective + possibly a plane ticket + bullets), you think twice before you take aim at someone. So always include these costs in your total budget: especially if you want to collect a bounty, because then you will earn them back many times over. Costs and waiting times automatically scale with the staff's economy preset: under "Casual" the detective is cheaper and faster, under "Hardcore" more expensive and slower: just like the rest of the economy.

Strategy: get the most out of every lead

• Be ready for combat before you pay. Make sure your weapon is in good shape, your bullets are stocked and your murder rank is up to par before you start the investigation. A lead that expires while you are still buying bullets is a double waste.
• Keep your travel money separate. There is a good chance your target is in another country: count on a plane ticket on top of the detective fee, and only strike once you have landed.
• Time your investigation. The investigation takes about 15 minutes and then the 60-minute validity starts ticking. So start the investigation when you plan to strike within the hour: including travel time.
• Check rank protection in advance. Targets who are 2 or more ranks above you are untouchable: do not let the detective search for someone you are not allowed to take out anyway.
• Only gamble close to home. Striking without a lead only pays off on targets you strongly suspect are in your country: new players rarely leave the Netherlands, for example. For everything else: detective first.
• Cancel wisely. If you change your mind during the investigation, you get 50% back when you cancel. Better half a loss than a lead you will not use anyway.
• Combine with the bounty list. If there is a bounty on your target, you collect it on a successful kill on top of the regular loot.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really need the detective to murder someone?

No: you can gamble without a lead that your target is in your country. But if he is somewhere else, the hit fails and you risk an arrest or a beating. With a lead you know for sure.

Do I have to travel to my target's country?

Yes. The lead tells you where he is; then you have to be in that country yourself to strike. On the result screen you automatically see "Strike" if you are in the right place, or "To the airport" if you have to fly first.

Can I track several targets at once?

Yes. Your detective can now run several investigations at once, one per target: handy if you want to keep an eye on a few rivals at the same time. You just cannot track the same target twice at once; for that you wait until that file is resolved or has expired, or you click "Track another target" (no refund, because the information has already been delivered).

How long does the investigation take and how long is the lead valid?

The investigation takes about 15 minutes by default; after that the lead is valid for 60 minutes (1 hour) by default (both adjustable). If it expires unused, the page returns to the hiring screen and you pay again.

Can I cancel a running investigation?

Yes, as long as the detective is still searching: you then get half of the costs back. If the lead has already been found, you can still let it go ("Track another target"), but without a refund.

Does my lead remain after a murder attempt?

No. Every attempt: hit or miss: uses up the lead. For a new attack you have to hire the detective again.

Play for free and put the detective on the trail of your first target today.