Within the world of video games, by design, most protagonists are pretty malleable. Mostly because we want to project ourselves onto these characters and roleplay as the person we want to be.
With this in mind, Harry Dubois might just be the epitome of this. Seeing as Harry has lost practically all of his memories due to a dose of amnesia, players are able to form a personality for Harry that suits them.
You can control his political views, his relationships with others, his core values, and you can even control what type of cop you want Harry to be.
You would think this would just be woven into the narrative with the player left to decipher what sort of Cop you have become, but in fact, the game has a Copotype System.
A system that makes a note of your decisions when discussing your profession and hands the player thoughts that they can internalize if they want to double down and become a ‘Superstar Cop,’ a ‘Hobo Cop,’ or anything in between.
So, with this in mind, we thought it would be sensible to run through all the different Copotypes on offer and find out which one might be right for you. So, without further delay, here is Indie Game Culture’s Disco Elysium Copotypes Explained Guide.
Dive into the award-winning narrative masterpiece of "Disco Elysium," where every choice shapes your destiny in a world brimming with intrigue and moral ambiguity. With its innovative blend of role-playing elements and noir-inspired storytelling, prepare to unravel the mysteries of Revachol and confront the demons within.
Also See:
- Disco Elysium Best Thoughts
- Disco Elysium Best Skills
- Disco Elysium Best Build
- Disco Elysium Measurehead Guide
- Disco Elysium Best Side Quests
What Are Copotypes in Disco Elysium?
Copotypes are just one of the many systems used to create a profile of your character as they explore Revachol and make their way through Disco Elysium’s fantastic story. However, these, in particular, make reference to your profession, essentially deciding what type of cop you are.
Depending on how you handle yourself in certain situations, either when discussing your profession as a police officer, or while on the job doing actual police work, the game will make a note of your behaviors in these moments, attributing points to your respective Copotypes.
Then, when you have enough Copotype points in one particular category, you will gain the ability to internalize a thought related to this Copotype, unlocking new actions, dialogue options, and this will also affect how those around you treat you in certain situations.
There are a grand total of seven Copotypes, which are:
- Apocolypse Cop
- Art Cop
- Boring Cop
- Hobo Cop
- Honour Cop
- Sorry Cop
- Superstar Cop
It is also worth noting that, despite being able to internalize multiple thoughts awarded to the player through advancing Copotypes, the Copotype thought that is internalized first will be treated as Harry’s core Copotype. So don’t be too hasty if you want to pick a particular Copotype for your run.
Every Copotype In Disco Elysium
Okay, now that you get the concept, it’s time to explain what Copotypes are on offer, what sort of behaviors will allow you to access them, and what Thoughts are on offer if you do decide to become a particular type of Cop. Here they are listed below:
Apocolypse Cop
How to Unlock: Choose dialogue relating to impending doom, and dialogue that has Harry ‘Hate The World’
Corresponding Thought: Cop of the Apocolypse
We begin with Apololypse Cop, a Copotype that essentially turns you into Grandpa Simpson, wearing your sandwich board and ringing your bell as you chant about the end of the world.
It’s a pessimistic, doom-mongering option that turns Harry into a bit of a rambling, psychotic madman, but in fairness, he’s not too far removed from that at the best of times.
This Copotype is achieved through selecting dialogue options that speak about the end of the world in any shape or form, and dialogue options that have Harry speak poorly of the world in the present day, urging a culling to take place and wash the world clean.
This will make you quite hard to stomach for others, but it does come with some benefits. With the Cop of the Apocolypse thought active, the player does lose -1 Rhetoric. However, their caps for Shivers and Inland Empire rise by 6. Not to mention that Pyrholidon will now offer a +2 Psyche buff as well.
Art Cop
How to Unlock: Select options that support the arts
Corresponding Thought: Actual Art Degree
Next, we have Art Cop, which will speak to those who are huge supporters of the arts, and want to offer some police backing to these projects, however that might be.
This essentially turns Harry into a pompous and highly opinionated critic, albeit without the actual knowledge or experience in the world of art to back it up, which is humorous, to say the least, effectively turning Harry Dubois into Ongo Gablogian.
This Copotype is triggered by commenting on the world of art throughout your playthrough. Whether that be talking to Cindy The Skull about her Mural, or considering blowing up the Horse Monument Statue outside the Whirling-In-Rags.
This does make for some fun dialogue options, but the thought that players get alongside this one is pretty sub-par. The player will lose -1 Hand-Eye Co-ordination, and also lose -1 Perception, with the only positive being that the player gains +1 Morale from Conceptualisation Passive Checks, and 10XP.
Boring Cop
How to Unlock: Be a Boring, by-the-book Cop
Corresponding Thought: Regular Law Official
If you’re more of a straight-edge type that likes having rules in place and following them to the letter, then Boring Cop may be the Copotype for you.
This allows Harry to access his normal side and grants the player a number of responsible and straightforward outcomes in certain scenarios. But thankfully, doesn’t rule out all the ludicrous options in the process.
This Copotype is achieved by selecting regular, boring options when doing police work. Essentially, when given the option to be a fascist, a disco sympathizer, or anything in between, all you need to do to achieve this Copotype is think, what would Kim Kitsuragi do?
This Copotype comes with some perks and pitfalls. The main pitfall is that you will lose -3 in Inland Empire once internalized, and you will also lose -1 in Shivers. However, as a trade-off, your learning cap for all skills raises by 3. In short, this can be useful if you have a build that focuses on other skills, but if you’re a dreamer, this one is a dream-killer.
Hobo Cop
How to Unlock: Speak to Garte early in the game and entertain the thought of ‘Living in a Dumpster.’
Corresponding Thought: Hobocop
Now we move on to what is easily the most fun Copotype of them all (at least in my opinion). Hobocop is exactly what it sounds like; it’s a Copotype that have you merge your role of Police Officer with that of a street urchin who will do anything and everything for a fistful of change.
This is a thought that is unlocked through a specific conversation with Garte in the early stages of the game. When you are settling your tab after trashing your room, you can entertain the idea of living in a dumpster outside the Whirling-In-Rags, and with that comes the option to become ‘Hobocop.’
This thought is made for those who want to scrouge cash and be as thrifty as possible, as well as those who want to have an innate sense of their surroundings. You’ll gain +1 to Shivers, and will also be able to find Special Collector’s Edition Tare Bottles.
Not to mention, get more for every Tare Bottle you find. The only downside, however, is that you will lose -1 Composure. But overall, provided you are willing to put the time in to collect Tare, it’s a decent trade-off.
Honour Cop
How to Unlock: ‘Choose Honorable Options,’ which essentially translates to ‘Don’t break the law when you have the chance.’ (Also Requires 4 Authority)
Corresponding Thought: Overproductive Honour Glands
If you’re someone who wants to play Harry as a ‘Holier than Thou’ upstanding citizen, then the Honorable Cop Copotype may be the one for you. This allows you to do what you deem as ‘the respectable thing’ in certain scenarios, with the hope of a delayed but larger reward later. Very much a glass-half-full option.
Of all the Copotypes on this list, this is the one that is the hardest to manufacture. In theory, this Copotype means acting honorably and doing the right thing in all situations, but in reality, it’s a case of doing something deeply inappropriate and then correctly the error under the guise of being an honorable cop.
This Copotype grants you the Overproductive Honour Glands Copotype, a Thought that will see the player lose a whopping -4 in Drama because lying or gossiping wouldn’t be the honorable thing to do, now would it?
However, as a trade-off for this dedication to honour, you’ll gain 25.00 Honour Points, which are essentially fake credits applied in your mind giving you a false sense of superiority. But, you get a tangible gameplay buff, which is a raise in your learning cap for Authority by 5.
Sorry Cop
How to Unlock: Pick any dialogue options that have you apologize or say something self-deprecating
Corresponding Thought: Righteous Self-Critique
If you’re from Britain, then this one will resonate with you more than any other. The Sorry Cop Archetype is for those who are generally apologetic for just about anything, from being incompetent, to being too loud in public, or punching a child during a Police Investigation.
The Sorry Cop is never assured in their actions, forever hesitant, and always willing to take the blame. So if you want to role-play as a down on their luck and defeated Harry, this is the one for you.
This Copotype is achieved by selecting any dialogue option where Harry apologizes for his behavior, or any options where Harry is self-deprecating in any way. Of all the options, this one is probably the easiest to achieve, as Harry has a lot to apologize for over the course of this run.
This will grant the player the Righteous Self Critique Thought, which will lower your Authority by -1. However, the benefit of this thought is that you are more of a glutton for punishment.
You’ll heal +1 Health for any FYS or MOT fails, and you’ll heal +1 Morale for every Physical and intellectual fail. Plus, your learning cap for Pain Threshold will rise by 6.
Superstar Cop
How to Unlock: Pick any dialogue options that are boastful, narcissistic, or make any mention of drugs, alcohol or parties.
Corresponding Thought: Some Kind of Superstar
Then, lastly, we have Superstar Cop, which is essentially the direct opposite of Sorry Cop, making you an over-confident, over-zealous, and generally insufferable narcissist with a penchant for parties and recreational drugs.
It’s what I like to call the denial route, where you try to invent a genuinely competent and magnificent character that never existed, and then talk them into existence. It’s deeply sad, but also, lots of fun.
This Copotype can be earned by picking just about any conversational option that will make you sound like an asshole. So, anything boastful, narcissistic, related to disco, or to partying in any way will do the trick. Oh, and if you can actually call yourself a Superstar, do that too.
This will unlock the Some Kind of Superstar thought, a thought that will initially lower your stats, but will also delude Harry into believing he can be better in a number of key areas. You’ll lose -3 Logic, but in return the learning cap for Visual Calculus, Suggestion, Electrochemistry, and Composure all rise by 6.
Which Copotype is Best In Disco Elysium?
There are really two schools of thought on this. If you aren’t too worried about the gameplay benefits given by the thoughts in question and just want to roleplay as the Copotype that suits you best, then, by all means, do this without any further thinking. However, I would suggest Superstar Cop or Hobocop as they are, in my eyes, the most fun.
However, if you want a Copotype that offers benefits to the player above all else, then there are only two options that offer tangible benefits worth prioritizing.
Despite being a huge downer, the Sorry Cop Copotype is a pretty useful one to choose, as the ability to gain Morale and Health through check fails can be a comfort, especially for beginner players who don’t know where health and Morale can be lost.
Then secondly, Hobocop is a great option for those who want to have more money in the early game, as you will be able to collect special Tare and make more for your efforts.
Boring Cop is also an okay alternative option, but only for those who are willing to work their build around the sharp drop to Inland Empire and Shivers.
ACAB – Accurate Copotypes Are Beneficial
As you can see, even when you don’t think Disco Elysium is charting your progress and controlling the narrative, it very much is pulling the strings in the background.
Each Copotype can make a playthrough slightly different and offer some new and often wacky opportunities. So be sure to pick the one that works best for you, and as always, thanks for reading Indie Game Culture.
Dive into the award-winning narrative masterpiece of "Disco Elysium," where every choice shapes your destiny in a world brimming with intrigue and moral ambiguity. With its innovative blend of role-playing elements and noir-inspired storytelling, prepare to unravel the mysteries of Revachol and confront the demons within.
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