City Stats Search Modifier Question

[Thamior]

Hello! I've been thinking about this for a while now. In GURPS City Stats we have a rule about Search Modifier and its additional applications. Namely, finding some kind of establishment. It is said:

"This includes both rolls to determine whether such an establishment is there at all (the usual application), and rolls to locate a specific establishment the GM has already decided is present."

An here we have a table with modifiers according to population:

Less than 100 -3
100-999 -2
1,000-4,999 -1
5,000-9,999 0
10,000-49,999 +1
50,000-99,999 +2
100,000 or more +3

I have no problem with "there at all" part. But "specific" gives me doubts. Shouldn't the table be inversed in that case? Because by logic it is tougher to find something specific in a larger city. Thoughts?

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Thamior

I have no problem with "there at all" part. But "specific" gives me doubts. Shouldn't the table be inversed in that case? Because by logic it is tougher to find something specific in a larger city. Thoughts?

I’m not sure what City Stats says about this (my copy is currently inaccessible), but Social Engineering calls for exactly that reversal. Check the rules for Search rolls in chapter 3.