Disco Elysium is one of the most unique RPGs to come out in the last decade, and not just because of its unique world and characters. The game does not rely on combat, but instead on dialogue and skill checks. The game starts with the player assigning numbers to four attributes: Intellect, Psyche, Physique, and Motorics.
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Each of these four attributes has six skills associated with them. The number assigned to these attributes is then assigned to their respective skills, but individual skills can be upgraded using skill points earned throughout the game. While the attributes give players an understanding of what the skills do, each skill is unique in the purpose they serve.
24 Logic
Attribute: Intellect
How It Works: Logic gives players the ability to connect pieces of evidence to form a conclusion, as well as finding problems in someone's statements. High levels can help players overcome difficult puzzles, while low levels will give players a tougher time solving basic problems.
23 Encyclopedia
Attribute: Intellect
How It Works: Encyclopedia gives players all the knowledge that they can conjure up. With a high level on this stat, players can figure out anything they need to understand about the world they live in and certain elements of it. Having a low Encyclopedia will make this knowledge harder to come by.
22 Rhetoric
Attribute: Intellect
How It Works: Rhetoric focuses the ability to debate with people. With a high Rhetoric stat, players are able to nitpick any argument that is presented to them and stand by their own convictions when challenged. Low Rhetoric makes winning any argument almost impossible.
21 Drama
Attribute: Intellect
How It Works: Drama puts the player in the perfect position to lie and deceive, in order to help them get the information they need. On top of this, it can also help players figure out if the person they are talking to is also lying. Be careful with a low Drama stat, because lying to someone could easily make them more suspicious of the detective.
20 Conceptualization
Attribute: Intellect
How It Works: Conceptualization lets players take on a more creative approach to analyzing. Players who have a high conceptualization statistic are able to think of the most creative theories and associations that could tie into the discussion or investigation they are participating in. Those who aren't as strong in this stat won't be nearly as creative.
19 Visual Calculus
Attribute: Intellect
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How It Works: Visual Calculus is the best way for players to visualize a crime scene or series of events without being present for them. This can help the player reconstruct what has happened, and can make it easier to figure out what the detectives need to look for. If this stat is low, answers will be harder to come by.
18 Volition
Attribute: Psyche
How It Works: Volition is what controls the amount of Morale the player has, making it probably the most important skill in the Psyche attribute. Volition tries to keep the player on the right track, in regards to being a good person and focusing on the task at hand. Having high Volition is important, as running out of Morale can cause the player to get a Game Over.
17 Inland Empire
Attribute: Psyche
How It Works: Inland Empire can give the player a truly wild imagination. Being proficient in this skill allows players to look into and understand things that the human eye can not see. It also allows them to communicate with inanimate objects. However, a low stat in Inland Empire means the player lacks imagination.
16 Empathy
Attribute: Psyche
How It Works: Empathy allows the player to see themselves in other people's shoes. This stat is useful as it lets the player read into the way people are actually feeling, not what they are trying to portray. High empathy makes the detective feel what others feel, while low empathy makes it harder to communicate with others.
15 Authority
Attribute: Psyche
How It Works: Authority gives players the one thing cops like to flex more than anything. Those who can roll well for this category will be able to assert their dominance over individuals and situations in order to gain or regain control. The higher authority a player has, the more they are able to understand power dynamics.
14 Esprit De Corps
Attribute: Psyche
How It Works: Esprit de Corps is the understanding of cops and the culture around them. Proficiency in this area helps players pick up certain signals from the partner, and gives the player insight into the station they are working at. Not grasping Esprit de Corps will make it harder to understand what the partner is signaling in high-stakes situations.
13 Suggestion
Attribute: Psyche
How It Works: Suggestion is almost the opposite of authority, as it gives players the ability to convince others that the detective's goals match the goals of the individual. Those with a high Suggestion stat will be able to schmooze their way into what they want, while those who are low in this stat will have a harder time building a rapport with people.
12 Endurance
Attribute: Physique
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How It Works: Endurance is the primary way for players to add extra slots for health. A higher endurance allows players to survive taking some brutal hits, whereas a low endurance could end a player's life on the spot.
11 Pain Threshold
Attribute: Physique
How It Works: Pain Threshold can best be described as the player's defense against events that may otherwise harm the detective. A higher Pain Threshold allows the player to experience things without taking a hit to their health. This doesn't always work, but keeping the stat high can greatly reduce the chances of being hurt.
10 Physical Instrument
Attribute: Physique
How It Works: Physical Instrument is probably the best representative of all the skills that fall under Physique. Having a high stat for Physical Instrument allows the player to take part in physical activities, including fighting and knocking down doors, without getting easily tired. A low Physical Instrument makes it harder to even arrest people.
9 Electro-Chemistry
Attribute: Physique
How It Works: Electro-Chemistry is the skill that drives the player to want to indulge in drugs, drinking, and sex. A high Electro-Chemistry allows the player to take drugs and deal with fewer side effects that could hurt the player. Not only would a low electro-chemistry make the player's tolerance weak, but it can also make socializing and learning about the world tougher.
8 Shivers
Attribute: Physique
How It Works: Shivers are the ability to give players a supernatural read on the city around them. A high stat for this skill can give players information on the surrounding area by using just their senses. However, a low stat will make it harder to fully understand everything that the city is about.
7 Half Light
Attribute: Physique
How It Works: Half Light is the gut feeling of how a situation is unfolding and how to react to it. Being proficient in this means being in lockstep with situations, and being able to make the first move before someone else makes theirs. Being weak in this stat will make it harder to handle situations, with reactions being somewhat delayed.
6 Hand-Eye Coordination
Attribute: Motorics
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How It Works: Hand-Eye Coordination is rather self-explanatory. It gives the player the ability to easily catch things that are flying in the air, and allows them to use a gun properly as well. This can be a dangerous stat to have a low level in, as attempting to shoot anything with a gun could end in disaster.
5 Perception
Attribute: Motorics
How It Works: Perception is a classic statistic for a game that is emulating tabletop roleplay. The skill gives players the ability to see things that aren't out in the open, but can be grasped if players just look a little more carefully. Low perception means players will miss out on potentially important details.
4 Reaction Speed
Attribute: Motorics
How It Works: Reaction Speed is the innate ability to avoid trouble with quick reflexes. It's not just a physical skill either, as Reaction Speed can give the player the ability to provide some nice comebacks. Not having this skill loaded means the chances of avoiding a punch decreases dramatically.
3 Savoir Faire
Attribute: Motorics
How It Works: Savoir Faire puts players in the position to be slicker than normal. A good Savoir Faire stat allows players to sneak by individuals and sift through evidence without others noticing. Low levels, however, make the player look more foolish as they try and fail to perform acrobatics.
2 Interfacing
Attribute: Motorics
How It Works: Interfacing is the skill to have if the player wants to master machines. This includes the ability to pick locks, repair certain objects, and even study how others use machines as well. Not having this skill high will make it a lot tougher to understand mechanisms that could be crucial to solving the murder.
1 Composure
Attribute: Motorics
How It Works: Composure is the ability to keep cool while under pressure or scrutiny. Keeping this skill on the high end will make it harder to crack and even help in reading into other people's composure, such as where the cracks may be. Low composure means that the detective will be quick to snap, which is a one-way ticket to losing control of a situation.
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