No Heresy Can Hide: A Deep Dive into the Investigation System
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy · published
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST HOLY GOD-EMPEROR OF TERRA
SEQUESTERED INQUISITORIAL DOSSIERS AUTHORISED PERSONS ONLY
CASE FILE ?V=MMFU_SPM-6U
Passing judgement is never easy, for every Inquisitorial case is unique. It always begins with a suspicion — a vague rumour, a fragment of data, a strange report, or simply a name repeated one too many times not to raise questions. Not all suspicions can be easily confirmed; that is why they must be investigated.
It falls to the Holy Inquisition to be the unbending instrument of righteousness in this secret war — to seek out the nascent or already-spreading corruption and eliminate it before it flowers into full-blown blasphemy. This is what acolytes do: they investigate and hunt down, they accuse, and they doubt. Their task is simple in word, and impossible in deed.
To properly convey the atmosphere of the setting, we are developing an entirely new gameplay mechanic for Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy — a detective-style Investigation system. Seamlessly integrated into the story, it will form one of the core features of the game. Throughout the narrative, players will be confronted with numerous cases that must be solved, ranging from the minor to the critical, with repercussions for the entire sector. Inquiry and deduction will become their art, as they find themselves engulfed ever more in the filth and fear of unholy deviance.
Today, we are ready to grant you access to the Inquisitorial archives and share the details of this new mechanic. Together with Georgii Doronin, one of the game’s designers and the authors of this system, we’ll guide you through secret files and closed dossiers, and show you what the investigation interface will look like, how you can search for evidence, and how to draw your conclusions.
Don’t forget to wishlist Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, and let’s uncover the intriguing features of our brand-new system together!
FIND CLUES
Collecting evidence is the most important part of any investigation. Some leads may send you off course, while others will be too dangerous to follow. Yet even the smallest clue can become the thread that unravels an entire case; that is why everything, no matter how seemingly insignificant, must be examined. Whether it’s an old bolter covered in blood, a burnt piece of a ledger, a trace of some unknown substance, or a sigil left on a wall — all of it may hide secrets that an experienced investigator must uncover.
Just like people, some leads will lie to you. Be careful, and keep an eye out for any inconsistencies in the evidence or in the testimonies of those you are questioning. After all, many in the Imperium have reason to keep secrets from a member of the Inquisition. Find the truth and connect all the information you find.
Some clues will be easy to spot, while others will require specialist skills and your finest deductive instincts before they reveal themselves. Use the terrain analyser to discover what is not visible at first glance. Track your target by their footprints. Identify informants or suspects by their appearance. Reconstruct the sequence of events using all the pieces of information at your disposal. The work of an acolyte has never been easy, and together, these various interactive activities will allow you to experience what authentic Inquisitorial investigation is truly like.
USE SPECIAL TOOLS
The Inquisition will also generously provide you with a suite of unique tools to aid you in your work. Yes, servo-skull swarms are back again, updated and more awesome than ever! In Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, you will be accompanied by multiple servo-skulls, humble fragments of once-living servants of the Imperium now blessed with the gift of eternal duty and boasting an array of state-of-the-art functionality.
Each of them is different and comes with its own unique abilities, from lighting your way with lumens to conducting Auspex scans, speech synthesis, or pict recordings, and so much more. Whether they’re analysing substances or detecting psykana, these bleached skulls will grant you clear advantages as you carry out your detective work. Always loyal, they will hover beside you in solemn service.
DRAW CONCLUSIONS
The crimes acolytes are tasked with uncovering are rarely simple, for heresy wears many masks. To make the investigation process as authentic as possible, we’re adding a special Detective Journal in the game, allowing Acolytes to analyse evidence and draw conclusions about active cases across separate tabs with ease. Each case will be assigned its own workspace, where collected clues, connections, data, and conclusions will be stored.
Here you can gain an overview of open cases, review evidence and clues, and generally progress in your investigations. It will be up to you to find the connections and build your theories based on the data you have collected. However, this is no simple task as the same clue may lead you to several different answers. Analyse the information, examine the crime scene, and study the witness statements. It is your duty to spot the pattern where others see nothing. And remember — an incorrect conclusion is still a conclusion.
In addition, you also have the support of your companions, each of whom is a specialist in their own field. Depending on the situation, they may occasionally provide insights into clues, offer a fresh opinion, and generally help you in your investigation.
PASS JUDGEMENT
An investigation never truly ends, but eventually, it will reach the point where the truth, however tenuous, demands judgement. Once the trail has brought them to this final point, it is time for the acolyte to prepare their report to the Inquisitor. It is a discerning summary of everything they have discovered about the case, as well as their deeds, their failures, and whomever they hold to be the ultimate guilty party.
Yet are these reports always truthful or correct? Certainly not. Acolytes may falsify their accounts, and lay blame on people who are actually innocent. Such distortions may be accidental, arising from a lack of information or incorrect conclusions — or they may be intentional; after all, everyone has their own ideas of what constitutes justice. You may decide to deliberately accuse someone as punishment for their actions or simply out of personal animosity. The choice is yours: you render the verdict, whether fair or not, and so too will you face the consequences.
Thus concludes this secret report. You are now ready to begin your work, Acolyte. Tell us: how will you conduct your investigations? Will you follow the law and accuse only those who are proven guilty, or will you follow your heart and pass judgement wherever you see fit?
This is your first case. To solve it, be sure to wishlist Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy. You can also support the game’s development by becoming a founder on our website!
Innocence proves nothing, Acolyte. But remember: you now hold the power to lay blame on the guiltless, and to condemn any and all you deem worthy of punishment.