Is there any way to disable the heat system? It seems a bit unnecessary debuff and should have been an optional choice rather than mandatory. At least if all the gangs are in your control, the heat shouldn't affect much. otherwise its just a nonsense to deal with. This new heat system is really dampening my enjoyment of the game. But if it becomes mandatory, then that's that.
Nope, no way to disable heat. But you’re right - it shouldn’t affect you much if you’ve already beaten the game. That’s why passive heat reduction scales with your rep, up to a 16% decrease. A well-staffed 404 Bleach can cut heat by up to 70%, nightclub upgrade gives up to 35%, and Dampers can reduce it by up to 80%.
By quick math, the maximum possible heat reduction is 201%, while the maximum generation is 204% - and that’s without accounting for the usual fluctuations and without changing your gang type (that adds even more heat reduction). Also, players can calculate all of this themselves - it’s not hidden somewhere deep in the code or anything.
There are also a few ways to lower your heat instantly through actions or money. I think there’s plenty of room to play around it and do not feel yourself restrained - you just need to get your setup right and maybe ease off on using too many racketeers.
Yeah, jumping in with an old save might be a pain, but that’s exactly why this is a minor update.
Edit: but Ig I’ll add a difficulty choice... all heat-related changes are handled through a single macro anyway, so it shouldn’t be a problem...