Your role decides what you can do and what you lose. In Looty Bay you are a Citizen (no mask, can’t fight, loses nothing), a Criminal (masked, loses the bag and gear on death) or a Cop. Outside the city you are a Settler, and the desert has no law at all. Banked money is safe in every case except the wipe.
The roles
You choose a role only inside Looty Bay, and you choose it again every time you enter. Everyone in a party must hold the same role while in the city.
| Role | How you get it | Can deal damage | Loses loot on death | Respawns in place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizen | Enter the city without a mask | No | No | Yes |
| Criminal | Put on a Heist Mask | Yes | Yes | No |
| Cop | Enlist at the Police Station (needs a free slot) | Criminals only | Department gear only | Yes, with a growing delay |
| Settler | Default in settlements and the desert | Yes | Yes | No |
| Clan battle fighter | Joining a clan conflict | Yes | Yes | No |
| Prisoner | Being in the Prison | No | No | Yes |
| Hub guest | Being at Lenny’s Motel | No | No | Yes |
Items also lose durability on death for every role that can lose loot, plus cops. Citizens, prisoners and hub guests take no durability damage.
Rules for each role
Citizen
- Can’t attack and can’t be attacked. Heals for free.
- The only role that can open a bank account at the Looty Bay Bank.
- The only role city stores will sell to, at three times the Trade Laptop price.
- Best used for scouting: find the target, the exits and the Fence vans before you mask up.
Criminal
- Hostile to everyone: cops and every other criminal can shoot you.
- The only way to drop Criminal status is to drive out of the city.
- If you quit the game while masked, your character dies. The same goes for clan battle fighters.
- Your actions raise Notoriety, which raises both sale prices and police pressure.
Cop
- Max 4 per city. Free gear and a patrol car for the shift; your own items are stored until you clock out.
- Can only kill criminals. Sees alarm markers and the kill feed, removes Drills, repairs security panels and can close the bridges.
- Details on pay and badges are in police and prison.
What you lose, situation by situation
| Situation | Bag (loot) | Equipped gear | Bank money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizen dies in the city | Kept | Kept | Safe |
| Criminal dies in the city | Lost | Lost | Safe |
| Criminal surrenders (Q) or is knocked out and arrested | Confiscated | Kept | Safe |
| Arrested, bribe accepted | Kept | Kept | Pays the bribe |
| Anyone dies in the desert or a settlement | Lost | Lost | Safe |
| Cop dies on duty | Department gear lost | Personal items stored, so kept | Not affected |
| Federal Raid, or surrender to the feds | Everything | Everything | Confiscated, becomes sentence |
The surrender row is the one to remember. Pressing Q when cornered costs you the bag but keeps your armor and weapons. Dying costs both. A bribe from your bank balance (10,000 steps, up to 200,000) can keep everything if the cop accepts.
Edge cases
- Durability: gear loses durability every time you die, and there is no repair yet. Kefir lists repair as planned.
- Owned cars: a purchased car is not lost when you die, and its mods stay installed. Its trunk can still be lockpicked.
- Dropped loot: cargo and bags left on the ground despawn after a while.
- Logging out: quitting starts a timer during which your character stays in the world and can be killed.
- Cash on the counter: after selling to a Fence, take the money right away. Cash left there can be stolen or confiscated.
The 40-minute city timer
Every player in Looty Bay, cop or criminal, has a personal 40-minute timer. Near the end you get the warning “Leave the city before the feds arrive.” A criminal who stays past it loses equipment and items. A cop who stays gets the spent badge back.
Parties
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Party size | Max 3 (no plans to raise it) |
| Where you can invite | Global map or a settlement only |
| Entering a location together | Everyone must be on the global map |
| Invites during a clan conflict | Not possible |
| House access | Party members get full access to each other’s houses |
| Solo start | Notoriety 4 (Kefir, 13 Nov) |
| Bigger groups | Clans, up to 100 members |
Kefir keeps the cap at 3 because larger parties cut down on random encounters. Party access is the only permission system for houses, so only party people you trust.
Cheap kit that changes the odds
A few Lenny’s Tree buys make early runs much safer. All three cost $5,000 to research.
| Item | Price | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lockpick | $99 | Opens doors and containers without tripping the alarm |
| Sports Bag | $5,000 | Two inventory rows for loot |
| Versatile Pouch | $250 | One extra pocket |
Related
LockpickSports BagVersatile PouchSergeant's Badge
From the FAQ
- What's the difference between a Citizen, a Criminal and a Cop?
- How do I stop being a Criminal?
- What do I lose when I die?
- What happens if I surrender?
- Can I bribe a cop?
- Do items break?
- What happens if I quit the game mid-run?