Having a conversation with a few old friends in the coffee shops, the same topic keeps coming up. The topic of getting the cue to take a helm of a crew and leading gangsters to build to family in hopes of leading to an empire. As my ancestors just recently came back to this life, I can say personally its different. The sight, the smell, the feel of this life has changed so much after the war that removed 99% of the world's population. The argument shouldn't be "we're still rebuilding", but we're changing and our values are slipping. Our values are at such a slippery slope that I think in the near future, they maybe lost.

The question I bring to you all is, does being active in the life grant you a bold suit or even a slanty suit? Is rank based on those terms as well? Are we simply recycling our lives and keeping the same leaders as before major events like the war? 

Here are a few numbers I'd like to share with all of you:

Number of Associates: 138

Number of Active Wackers: 143

124 characters are near 100 days old. 

537 people died in the May war (approximately 100 days ago)

There are currently 371 people Made Man and higher

There are currently 28 Crewleaders

There are currently 27 RHM

There are currently 27 LHM

Currently there are 82 upper structure members and the average amount of people actively engaged in the criminal activity is around 79. Also remember that Durdens, CAs, RIAs, HelpDesk, WEBSPIDER and even the Gods make up this number. It really makes it seem that the only people with a position are those are actively engaged in the life of crime. 

The recycling comment I made earlier pertains to the idea of the same blood lines getting authed after a huge loss of the population. The irony of people saying that the previous regime only authed the same blood lines is baffled from the aftermath of the war. Hypocrites will be hypocrites. But I'll be the first to admit that there are a few new leaders I do not know of. Is this a good thing or again, something that the numbers is proving to be a burden?

I really think the main point of this is trying to figure out how do we increase the amount of criminal activity without making every single person an upper structure. 

I have honestly thought the same thing myself...

I can't count the number of people that have said 'I think there might be too many crews'. 

I look around and I see a lot of familiar faces... That's nothing new. I see a few newer faces too. Not an abnormal amount. 

A close friend of my great grandfather once joked about the days when he said there could be 'A crew of crewleaders' I laughed and thought it was an exaggeration, but truly by looking at these numbers, obviously it wasn't.

My question is, of the 537 people that died, how many of their sons came back? I know all of those weren't 100% active, but still. It seems as though a portion of the children of the fallen came back, were immediately placed in to positions of power, and the rest forgotten.

Mikehunt, our bloodlines were both in that war. We both knew many people that fought. And I cannot begin to count those that I haven't seen since then...

It saddens me to think that these people won't come back, many will, but how many?

Can we gain enough fresh blood to replace them if they don't come back? How can we achieve something like that?

I look around still, and something seems to be missing. I don't get excited when I see a friend in a bold suit, especially unenthused when they are in a slanty suit. Is that the problem? Is it no longer a source of excitement?

Has this thing of ours devolved from a wide array of ranks, purposes, and goals - to a large circle of leaders?

I'm not sure what to make of how I feel about these numbers. Good? Bad? Inconsequential? 

Most leaders I cannot comment on their ability. I will not comment specifically on the abilities of dead CL's, but very generally I will say that I've seen many die for what would be considered 'rookie mistakes'. 

I wanna ask, with these numbers in mind... Do things seem a little Top-Heavy? How can we get more people to be active, REALLY active, without putting everyone in a position of power?

tony flicks down a ccigarette that previously rested between his lips

I often wonder and think how my father and his father and his father etc spoke of a larger world to travel and populate. I often think perhaps we feel and are indeed over crowded. With the large supply of leaders all willingly coexisting in close proximity with one another it tends to look quite crowded and with so few new people willing to work for what? To live for months and never advance passed at the best Don?

I'm sure those who were part of the war have yet to have their children step back here as it takes time to grow, to move passed the loss of theitr father. But the ones that do however? They come back in spirts taking up more space than they are contributing. They see the way things are, the over crowding of cities and districts, few changes and they find other worlds to occupy their time. And with so few turnover and new blood flooding our streets what once would have been killed for being MIA are now held onto for numbers sake.

Yes with this world this has and will always happen. But in such large amount? 

Until our world once again gains cities of old and new blood has more space to roam and grow, and the ancestors of familiar faces feel they have something to work for I fear this trend will continue. 

My great great great etc passed down stories of how Godfather was once a high achievement, more seldom reached myth than familiar sight. Now it seems a consistent rank achieved by those whom have out lived the rest and built an empire within a city. A smart war tactic, but now there is no war, we only see over crowding and no turn over.

I'm all for ppeople getting what they earn. However is it truly this at this point? Or smart military type placement to ensure longevity of something that used to be the heralded end, not the way to hold on to power that should be allowed for others to work for, not to build an empire of crew leaders. 

My family have been here and the old country a long time, my father served frank in the war, my grandfather served sephiroth.  My blood line joined sephiroth simply as the man convinced him he had a life in crime, he died pro whacking space pole and sephiroth knowing they could make a big difference in the war and the sacrifice was a worthy one in his mind.  My father had just finished his military service when he heared of my grandfathers death and wanted revenge, he served well taking even though he died early getting into double figures within his first day as gangster with frank.

I ended up where i am with Jake for a mix of reasons but the personality and friendliness of some of the crew was enough and i felt like home around certain characters who's bloodlines i had served with, or admired in the past.   What was my plan when joining? simply continue the war, serve, pro, spot, whatever was needed when i joined knowing the life could be short.

At present i don't aspire to be a hand and have turned down the job internally and externally of city and district but believe there is too many crews and those crews are sometimes innefective.  We can watch sometimes how a family struggles to grow or mass suicides, rule breakers and ia's spawn from these crews and to some its a warning light; leading to conversations on the street in the  past.

Part of the problem is, so many want an opportunity, they deny the problem exists of too many crews, as if there is too many crews, it means less chance they will obtain one; even if in reality they wouldnt anyway.  The reduction in size of headquarters was something that made this forseeable but city hall intervention has also questioned the ability to effectively recruit and develop members.

I think the truth is a good leader can educate, motivate and shape an individual for leadership or jobs within the family but too many people get into a comfortable zone and just slow things down to their own pace as they know it won't matter what they do in many cases.  You can reward, thank and congratulate members and attempt motivation this way, but people have to want to do something and want to be a part of something and as was mentioned in another conversation leaders aren't psychic they need good communication between member and the next member in the chain of command and so on.

Many crews my line has served in recently have a limited chain of command, capos which ran and taught squads do not exist as much, the vice captain either.  This takes away old Capo Bastone roles too, which kept an eye on the caporegimes to see they did their job and was a source of self esteem, work and reward.

The truth is depending on the person, we have different factors to motivate and rank them, some are naturally enthusiastic others bored at the simplicity of our daily life.  We need to be constantly communicating really to find what keeps our members ticking and that can be the challenge as some people want things, even if unable or undeserved.

Even the life of the streets limited, even if the diversity limited, with only 5 conversations or discussions in a day.  Have we all become mute again as i remember long ago, when i was less criminally active, at least i tried to keep an appearance on the streets so those who knew me had an idea i was still doing business even if out of country at stages.

Izzy listens to the banter of the lad and slicks his hair back he takes a deep breath and thinks clearly.

My bloodline has been tied to many of those around and there has been its ups and downs. With your remark to the numbers I see many bloodlines that have not returned to this life of ours (taking probably) 

Your comment about "It  really makes it seem that those who have a position are those who actively seeked a life of crime." baffled me. I would hope that those who seek are rrewarded not just any tom and dick who aren't doin shit.

I would also like to make note that the (low numbers of people) number of soldiers often come here and there but ask your self am I doing anything to bring in more soldiers to our way of life?

(Ooc many bloodlines are taking a break*)

I hear the argument of so many bloodlines taking a break and I hear ya. I understand. I mean my bloodline took a break as well.

But that doesn't give any reason for why we have these numbers.

Whitey's question is still left unanswered in my own thoughts. 

The question I bring to you all is, does being active in the life grant you a bold suit or even a slanty suit? Not really i see a lot of people more active then me, but without the complete mix of talents to be a hand or leader or in some cases,  I have even seen failed incidents which could of been handled diplomatically leading more to a shooting spree then a take down like with Visicaro.

Is rank based on those terms as well?  Rank is based on many things i have found in my time travelling round the cities.  Gun, PP, earnings, activity, diplomacy, street activity or being someones buddy.

Are we simply recycling our lives and keeping the same leaders as before major events like the war? to a degree yes, as the truth is there has to be a mix of new and old blood but one would guy another is the hope and bring new aspects to society, unfortunately people often look at others when authing, different things that the rest of the society sees.