Case the bank before the job: casing, gear and the Wanted board in Malta Living

The best Harbour Bank job starts in daylight. Before your crew walks in at night, one of you walks in as a customer, slip in hand, and looks around. In Malta Living, the free life sim played in your browser, that's casing the bank, and it makes the job easier for everyone.

Case the bank

At Harbour Bank, tap Case the bank. You get a minute in the hall. Things come into view one at a time: a camera, the guard on his round, the vault door, and plenty of things that don't matter. Tap the ones that matter before they're gone. Stare at the wrong things twice and the guard notices you, and you walk out.

• Every camera you spot makes the hacker's part easier.
• The guard's round makes the lookout's part easier.
• The vault tells the safecracker what's waiting: a dial, a keypad or a time lock.

Your notes help your whole crew, until the bank changes. After every robbery it's refitted to a new layout, so old notes are no use: case it again. With a police case open on you, the guard knows your face and you only get 40 seconds.

Gear from the fixer

The fixer keeps his gear in a back room at Club Shady in Paceville, through a door off the back alley with a hatch at eye level. Knock, and he opens if he knows your face: you've done something risky before, or you carry bank stars. Otherwise you need tonight's code. Anyone who's been in tonight sees it, so ask your crew. It changes every night at 06:00, and three wrong tries keep the hatch shut until then. Inside, he has:

• A mask (€200): anyone can wear one, and it lowers your own chance of being caught.
• A jammer (€500) gives the hacker longer for each pattern.
• A stethoscope (€300) gives the safecracker longer to catch the click.
• A radio scanner (€400) gives the lookout longer to tap as the guard turns.

Gear is used up when a job starts, and only the person playing that part uses its tool. You can own up to four of each.

The safe box

A police stop that doesn't wave you on searches you and keeps any gear you're carrying. Rent a safe-deposit box at Harbour Bank for €5 a week and keep your gear in it until the night. If you fall behind on the box, it stays shut until you pay what's owed. Nothing inside is ever lost.

The Wanted board

When you plan a job with a club, you can tick "Put us in the news". A clean job then puts your crew on the Wanted board at Valletta Police Station and in Gossip's island news, by its club name, never your usernames. The board shows crews with stars right now, every clean job this week, and who's still in the cell. Messy jobs stay quiet. Real crime boards are less fun (Wikipedia: wanted poster).

For the rest of the bank, read about savings and fixed deposits, or start with the Malta life simulator guide.

Questions people ask

Do I have to case the bank before a job?

No. It's never required, it just makes the parts easier. Skip it and the job plays as normal.

Can I lose my gear?

Only at a police stop, and only what you carry. Gear in your safe box is never found.

Will my name be on the Wanted board?

Only if you're caught and still in the cell. Otherwise the board names your crew's club, never you.