Districts & Properties

The city is divided into distinct districts, each offering unique tactical challenges and economic opportunities. Understanding the terrain is essential for dominating the map.

Five Districts, Five Different Decisions

Districts are rules, not cosmetic labels. Their modifiers apply to the economy, defense, Heat, or police response and therefore change which block is valuable at a particular stage of a run.

• The Docks — Smuggling Bonus: +25% business income, but capture costs 25% more. Police response is slower — heat drains faster.
• Neon Strip — Casino Economy: Income swings ±40% every tick. Heat builds 30% faster here.
• Industrial Row — Fortified Territory: Base defence is 1.5× — assaults grind, garrisons hold.
• Old Town — Informant Network: First visit reveals a rival gang's total crew and their weakest garrison.
• Uptown — Elite Businesses: Upgrades cost 1.5×, but upgraded businesses pay 2× income. Police shoot straighter.

Strategic Properties

Selected blocks carry a named strategic property in addition to their ordinary businesses. These effects reward connected territory and purposeful assignments rather than raw page-count expansion.

• Chokepoint: Connected turf is harder to breach.
• Warehouse: Stockpiles make business upgrades cheaper.
• Safehouse: A secure retreat restores control faster.
• Garage: Vehicles let this block deploy more crew.
• Surveillance Zone: Eyes on the street reduce local heat gain.

Combining District and Property Effects

Read both labels before spending. A Warehouse can offset an expensive upgrade plan, a Chokepoint can reinforce connected border blocks, and a Garage is most useful where dispatched crew actually have targets. A Surveillance Zone supports operations that would otherwise add more Heat, while a Safehouse helps a damaged block restore control.

Docks business takeovers cost more; blocks themselves capture automatically. Compare the displayed purchase price and control before buying. District advantages do not cancel crew payroll, and this city-business comparison does not apply to Base Assault lanes.

A Practical Route

For example, choose a reachable Docks block when your immediate problem is Heat, but compare its takeover price before spending the cash reserved for payroll. Choose Uptown only when you can afford its upgrades; owning an expensive location without upgrade money does not realize its full income advantage.

Consolidate a defensible cluster first, then choose the next district for a specific reason. Move toward the Docks when Heat management and steady income matter; toward Uptown when you can fund upgrades and survive police pressure; toward Old Town when rival intelligence is worth a first visit. Check Territory & Economy before taking an isolated property whose payroll cost exceeds its strategic benefit.