What decides the timer for enemies to alert their allies? It seems inconsistent when I try stealth.

[Ouroboros612]

I never quiet understood how the alert timer works for stealth. Some times in melee with blunt weapon I can beat the living crap out of someone for like 5+ seconds w/o an alert triggering. Sometimes I shoot them and miss lethal and the alert seems instant. Sometimes I shoot them, miss lethal, but still have time to finish them off.

Couldn't find this anywhere. Thing is I want to make a stealth assault rifle build over revolvers/pistols. But in my experience anything but a 1-shot most often instantly triggers an alert. Sometimes not. It seems inconsistent. Revolvers are so good at it due to high base damage obvs. But I'd like to RP a more agent type "swat" assault trooper

The fear I have is that enemies won't die fast enough for it to be viable (as in triggering alert too often). I still have no clue wtf is going on with alert timers. Like I said sometimes I can use my fist and beat an enemy for like 5+ seconds straight with no alarm. Sometimes I shoot someone with instant alert. Sometimes I have time to burst down. It's driving me crazy - is alert timer for enemies randomized in some way? Does detection time also modify alert timer from enemies being shot?

 

[AlienSpaceBats]

I've given up my usual stealth antics again this run, seems to be something up since update 1.3, enemies are being alerted when they really shouldn't; hidden bodies, successful Breach Protocol, etc.
Yet I can sit hidden on a rooftop with a silenced SMG killing an entire area's enemies without being discovered.

I suspect there may be a randomizer, or dependant on enemy type, their level/your Cool stat, but it's hard to really tell what's going on.

 

[lyin321]

OP you might want to make a hybrid build with quickhacks (for the Sonic shock one) and maybe the cyberware that gives you RAM on kill (need high int I think) and silenced rifles. I don't know how well or if it even works. Never tried.

Sonic Shock

Duration: 51 sec Upload Time: 2 sec Cooldown: 10 sec

Uncommon ・Deafens the target, reducing their ability to detect enemy sounds. Rare ・Prevents the target from communicating with their allies about your activity. Epic ・Excludes the target from their allies' audio and visual perception systems, causing them to be completely ignored. Legendary ・Passive While Equipped: enemies under the effects of any quickhack are cut off from the local network

 

[medion_no]

Wow. Never figured Sonic Shock was so op on legendary.

 

[GogRelvas]

I think what happens depends on whether the enemies are online or offline. If they are online one hit that doesn't kill from the player is enough time for him to alert and even "mark" us.

 

[LeKill3rFou]

If it's only alert (like when enemies find a corpse), on my side it's quite consistent.
If a enemy don't die in a single shot, generally I enter in combat directly (If an enemy don't die in one shot, but if I shot a second time very quickly, with luck, he die and don't alert his buddies... But I consider that as be lucky).

Sonic shock can work, but if you Ping (or any other QHs) a group of enemies with Sonic Shock equiped (legendary), they are all alerted (You're not in combat but they search you).
At least it was like that in 1.31

And due to the "crit chance nerf", for now in 1.5, the only reliable weapon with silencer for stealth is Overture (all the others are not enough powerful to properly "one shot" enemy). And I think CDPR have changed a little bit the "alert" on enemies in 1.5. If theu are alerted but don't see a corpse (nor you), they return to their routine after a little while.