Like i said, it's a change to the crime mechanics,
not a request for a new non- lethal weapon. That weapon already exists.
I disagree-ish with the suggestion discharge kills shouldn't cause bounties, but that's a whole other discussion not relevant here.
Brief Counterpoint: i routinely clear small buildings up to whole bases:
- with base alarms active
- using "overt" weapons
- without triggering an alarm
- without silencing engineering
That shouldn't get treated any differently to using a discharge... and just like that, the on-foot C&P system is completely ineffective.
I think the discussion should be indeed the Crime System, as it is directly affecting stealth.
I also clear many bases, mostly pushing the limits of stealth and exploits on AI behaviour.
As you said, you can do stealth without the intended tools.
That is because stealth should be about how NPCs react acording to events they are aware of:
-Active Alarms
-Finding Bodies
-Seeing Violence
-Overhearing Gun Sounds
-Scanning Inventory, Profile and Crimes
So the problem is how the gameplay is only about avoiding theses triggers.
The Zap gun should not be treated diferently from normal gun kills. Crimes without proper evidence on the other hand, should be treated diferently from witnessed Crimes.
Stealth is more than not triggering failure state that leads into repression. I should be about freedom of aproach vs consequence of actions for the risk.
As I said, the current crime system restricts stealth, there is no deception, pretending, controlling situations.
It's all about dodging mechanics.
-Don't Trigger the alarm system
-Don't let them scan you
-Don't let guards get too close or see a body.
-Don't let them hear you shoots or see your weapon.
And even if you do all that, you are still a convicted criminal. On the loose, full of evidence that is directly attached to your resposibility.
So the only payoff is not triggering gun play. Become a notorious criminal a pacifist. A state that affects your current activity on that base as soon as a crime is commited.
Harmfully impacts steath gameplay.