Education

Knowledge is the one thing nobody in Vesper City can mug you for.

How courses work

You'll find the college under You → Education. Each course card shows its fee, how long it takes, the level it needs and what it gives you.

• You pay the fee up front, in cash.
• The course runs in real time, even while you're offline. The card shows a countdown.
• You can study one course at a time. Donator status lets you study more at once (extra courses at the same time: 1).
• Each course can be taken only once.
• Some courses need an earlier course first: the card says "Needs … first".

Your mood matters a little: a very good mood makes courses slightly shorter, and a miserable one makes them slightly longer.

What finishing gives you

When the countdown ends you graduate, and the course's bonus is yours for good. The bonuses add up, so every course you finish makes you stronger. A few examples:

• Street Smarts (level 1, $1,000, 4 hours): better crime odds.
• Bookkeeping: more income from your properties.
• First Aid and later Medical School: shorter hospital stays.
• Driving School: faster travel around the city.
• Business Management: better pay at your job.
• Law School: shorter jail time.
• Psychology: bigger crime payouts.
• Reading the Street: sharper Street Smarts for gathering intel.

The exact bonus of each course is printed in bold on its card.

The crime ladder

Not every crime is open to beginners. Four courses form the crime ladder, and each one opens the next tier of crimes:

1. Streetwise (level 5, $7,500): opens the next tier of street jobs.
2. Safecracking (needs Streetwise): opens professional jobs.
3. The Big Time (needs Safecracking): opens the top tiers and the big jobs.
4. The Commission (level 40, needs The Big Time): opens the Syndicate, the sixth tier.

These courses give no bonus of their own; their reward is the crimes they open. Each card shows "Opens crimes: …" so you always know what it unlocks. The very top tier also needs level 30, whatever courses you have. See Crimes and Every crime.

Finishing early with Gold

While the Gold Shop is open you can buy Finish my course now: you graduate from your current course straight away and get its bonus. See Gold and the store.

Tips

• Start a course before you log off: the clock keeps running while you're away.
• Street Smarts is cheap and quick, and it helps every crime you commit.
• Plan the ladder early: each step takes longer than the one before.
• Check the "Needs … first" line so you take courses in the right order.