Well, I am bored.

Rather, I was bored a few minutes ago and this is why I came onto the Streets. So that I will no longer be bored. Now, I am not bored. I am now either talking or pinning up a poster. We'll decide that a bit later.Anyway, as I was saying.... I was bored, a very short while ago.

So, I tried doing what I usually do when I'm bored but sadly, NiNe wasn't responding to any of my attempts to get him to dress up in a gimp suit. Then, I proceeded to try and make a tit of myself in the coffee shops, when that failed.... I really didn't know what to do.

Finally, I came to a rather stunning conclusion, the Streets have transcripts of ancient speeches. So, I started reading old speeches. I read and I read and I read and I read and I read...ok, you get the picture, a lot of reading was done. One of the speeches that I happened to glance through was this one. Yes, if you focus really hard on the last time I said 'this', you will hear the echoes of the speech. I am just blessed like that. Soooooo, for those of you who are too lazy to listen really closely to the speech, I will try to break it down for you.

The speech I read was the one given by SammyG, an otherwise easily forgettable young chap whose only claim to fame resided in the fact that he was the grandson of his namesake, the late Godfather SammyGarcini. He attempted to convey his ancestor's reasons for starting this war that consumed almost every aspect of La Cosa Nostra.... the major one being that Godfather Sammy did not believe that this 'community' that we are a part of couldn't proceed in the right direction under the direction and tutelage of the Godfather duo of DeadlySin and Phil_Steak. 

Now, that got me thinking.... those two Godfathers, legends in their own right were taken out,along with the vast majority of the country's mob population for the sake of this community moving forward but have really progressed? Have we slid a bit more down whatever slope that Godfather Garcini and his cohorts sought to save us from? or... have we just not really changed?

Hopefully, a few of you are as bored as I am and will come out here and share your views.

Unfortunately, i believe we are back deep in the same mire.  I find after a war the next generation flourish, they rank, they are active the streets burst in to life, then slowly, it fades. the excitement of ranking, the ability to be something better, the thought of a position in the family and when it doesnt happen what next.  Do you really just want to be a cash cow for a family, is shooting coma patients and pickpocketing those with bgs still as exciting or has the lustre failed as some of the people you parents helped war, set up again?

The truth, i think we start after a war brightly and slowly come to the realisation generally nothing much changes, just a different face and similar circumstances.   The same rules apply as before, the same lack of reward for many peoples hard work, so they get bored, retire, do something stupid or just slow down in many cases.

I will go a step further, we have ranks who may never satisfy their hunger for leadership as have many high ranks and are not drawing people in on off the boats.  Society has such a high level of bodyguards some people fear the ability to ever change anything, as has been left in suicide notes and the general joy of knowing in many cases your just a cash cow for a family.

     Unfortunately I have to agree with BTSP. The same people are in somewhat the same position they were before the war, except for a very select few who either came back Incog or just don't want to be a leader again. I was one of the less then two dozen people who survived the war, and one of the almost half a dozen people who survived to this time. Its just the same people that are just in different areas of the country. It is not the Crew leaders or Godfathers faults that they are in power. It is no ones fault.

     They are just good at what they do, can't blame them. Sadly I fear that the only way we may be able to see new faces from fresh bloodlines in a bold suit is if we do an experiment, but it is to late in life to do one because all of the cities are already full and prospering. Unless there is another war that would level a city that would allow for an experiment to take place or the gods create another city. Until then, the same people we have in power now will stay in power for the time being. 

Or in some cases, their lineage has dissappeared temporarily from these shores in general for in some cases higher persuits.  Its easy when people can say wait, an opportunity will come, you can make something if you make the right moves but we are at a stage with half full crews in some cases or established crews still not full.  With city hall setting up learning centre's, until the people become literate and able in this thing of ours to get them on their feet, is still temporarily moving people and income from crews and still the danger these people will get bored down the line and fine other challenges outside our world.\

Many of us have tried to bring people from the old country. or from other aspects of our social lives into this for challenge, wealth and notoriety but sometimes the mechanics of our society limit their desire here.  Is like a post war syndrom for them, they come, they see opportunity then reality strikes.

Also its perfectly alright to be bored after a war that consumed so much. I've survived countless wars, from small ones to large ones. The only way you can not be bored after a war is if more things start happening like Competitions, Stories ect. Just look forward to knowing that the next war may be even larger then the last. The Bodyguard count has gone up 200 from 9700 to 9900 in two days. That means more people are wanting to protect themselves, so when leaders find they they have enough strength an protection they will act. WE as common mafioso have the chance THEN to prove ourselves, to be able to follow orders and to get the job done. That's where true leaders rise, in the face of adversity they can lead and pull through, no matter what outcome.

The problem partly is, how do you measure progress? are people happier, are people more active, are people more happy with the quality of a leader?

Also as we have different kind of gangsters, some hyperactive, some sedentary what we aim at one  gangster may not apply to the other.

I personally was not here before the "Big War" that you all say was epic. I came about a month after in early June. I know since my return I have seen the take down of Queens and Frank being killed. Both fairly boring! Not much excitement in either of them.

  I remember when I first started this game years ago, many players didn't get back 30-40 days old if they were lucky! Many players didn't get made as they do today! In all I feel we have unfortunately not made progress but regressed!

Steel wouldn't the fact that we are having much longer lives now, mean that we have progressed. What you're saying is that we haven't progressed Military wise. That back then a war would happen every two months. You my friend are an example of what BTSP was talking about. You like to see more wars where as someone else might like to see more peace.

A more active member of society who instills the same work ethic in their child before death, knows can get rank and gun skill back quicker, where some members who rank slower, vinco was mentioned on the streets recently in regard to this.  Someone who ranks at a slower pace and takes part in criminal activity less  may feel the danger of coming back weighing risk against reward over the longer period.

I could say on one hand, we progress as developed our diplomatic, strategic and delegation skills. someone else could say x is only alive as long as y is around to keep the peace.  Is a matter of opinion.

Can we also say a lack of general enthusiasm leads to lack of education, lack of development, lack of war, lack of diversity and false impression of what our society can be? 

or do we look it as an opportunity for the little guy, creeping slowly up the ranks, building his skills trying to change things, before we rinse repeat that way.  Just for a new leadership to try and innovate, create and capture the minds of the new blood and infuse it into our structure.

"It is not the Crew leaders or Godfathers faults that they are in power."

It is the Crew Leaders and Godfathers fault though, the only people that can shoulder the blame for this stagnant bullshit are the ones in  charge. If they don't like it then they can fuck right off and relinquish the position by eating a bullet from their own gun. Most of them have blood that have been a CL/hand 5-10 times this year alone. When you're in power, the world is on your shoulders, those in charge should either know it or get away from it. We can't change anything, THEY CAN.

You can't expect anything new when nothing ever changes (No shit, right?). If people were unhappy with the way things were, why auth the same beliefs and principals as before, nothing will change. If it gets stagnant, point the fingers up the ladder, they control the world as we know it and they're the reason we're in the same funk as most of our parents were in before the war.

     Barqs, I'll say this again. It is not their fault that they are in power. Whether its because they have experience, the money, the gun, or their godfather just likes them. You have to deal with the hand you're dealt with. If you were a Crew Leader Barqs, would you really be making such a fuss? Every time you point a finger there are three finger's pointing back to you. There's no one to blame but yourself.

Ive seen alot of new cl's over the year and im sure more will come. You see alot of the same peoples bloodline get authed because they are apparently good at something. Im very sure we will not hear bitching "Man they just keep authing me what the hell?!" Its always going to be complaining From the bottom simply

because they do not possess what said person has.

Barqs I will have to fully disagree with you. It is EVERYONES fault to some degree and EVERYONE can participate in changing things. Just because your not in "Power" dose not mean you camt change anything. Why are we stagnant? Because WE let it become stagnant. Constantly complaining that said cl or gf keeps getting authed or this an that, and its boring, etc...instead of taking up the plate and working to change things it becomes your fault also.

You rarely find yourself in a position that you didn't see coming in this world.

Are you seriously gonna sit here and tell me it's nobodies fault that the same bloodlines come to power over and over, often times on the first day of their "mafia" life? You're making a choice when you join a family to be a one day old hand, a choice that you or your CL can alter at any time.

How are people gonna sit here and use the old bullshit comeback "experience" time after time when they don't give anyone a fucking chance? How the fuck is anyone else ever gonna get this "experience" anytime this decade? It's a foolish decoy to go with the same bloodline (their friends) time and time again.

I'm sorry but there shouldn't be a fucking thing pointing at me, I'm a nobody.

I don't desire to be anything other than what I am, I'm getting progressively more and more frustrated for those that do though.

Let me break it down plain and simple, the only way anything can be changed is from the top. You can think you're changing something otherwise but when reality sets in, you've done nothing to the big picture. "Participation" would mean someone in power would need to make a fucking move we could get behind....correct?

We are stagnant because nothing is changing, sure I can alter a few things right now if I chose to go down that path. Things would be the exact same rather quickly after though. Also, why the fuck do you think people are "CONSTANTLY" complaining about auths? Is it all in their head or is it all part of a sad reality?

You can't do a fucking thing about getting passed over by someones friend or by someone with "experience" when you're clearly never gonna get any. You gotta sit there like a good dog and be disrespected and have your rank drug through the fucking mud with a smile. I'm not saying that  someone from the top will never decide to mentor you and teach you some of the workings, it's once in a blue moon.

Tony was standing among the crowd listening to all the talk that has come out recently. He overhears a few valid points being made and decides that he should throw in his 2 cents. He locates the nearest soap box and stands on it...

I wasn't gonna post in this thread, but I feel at this point I have to. I myself have been playing for awhile and have noticed the trend that everyone speaks of. I see in some cases that the same people got authed just under a different name. on the other hand other people get authed because they are friends with someone in the upper structure. Personally i have no stance on the situation being discussed. I remember when a certain CL came to the streets one day asking us " common folk " what we would like to see change in the game. I also remember that not many of us "commoners" spoke up. That was our chance to make suggestions and tell the Leadership what we wanted to see, and most of us ignored it for whatever reason. I haven't noticed much of a change since the May war, is this because people are afraid of change? I don't think that is necessarily the case.  I think that this peace is the "calm before the storm", meaning that eventually another major war will break out. We are Mobsters and that is the nature of the beast in this world of ours. But for now the game has turned stagnant to a certain degree because we as mobsters have allowed it to.

Basically, the short version of what i am saying is this: A wise man once told me, If you want something done, do it yourself. Sitting back and complaining about the game going stagnant is not going to change that. Do something to make it interesting. Start a competition yourself, write a story in the streets that other people will find interesting and contribute to. In fact i made a thread not but a few days ago and i made 3M in tips because it was that good, and people that you don't see post in the streets often, actually posted in that thread. If you aspire to wear a bold suit, go and earn yourself one. The Monotonous tone we have set in this game is our own fault, not the leaderships. 

That is all i have to say.

Tony steps off of his soap box and goes about his unfinished business.

Progress, hmmmm...

* a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage

That is the literal definition. So, have we moved forward toward a goal? Well, the initial goal set was by one Mr. Garcini who unfortunately died during the last big war. That goal was still achieved with the death of DeadlySin, Phil_Steak and their allies. So in that case, yes... progress has been achieved.

Are we better off for it?

Honestly... no. If you believed that Phil_Steak was a danger to our world then yes, we are slightly better off for it. But breaking it down into every other area of our world I dont think we're no better off.

Who's 'fault' is it?

Cpt-Harris'? Seeing as though he was the obvious power remaining after the war, surely the buck passed to him to rebuild our world? I don't think so. Cpt-Harris made it very clear, very early that he didn't want to 'micro-manage' the entire world. He did what was needed and got HQ's up and running and then went back to more personal dealings.

I believe part of the problem lies with the bolds. I know it's been preached a million times before, but those in bold are in a privileged position and for me, should have something about them that makes them different from the rest. I've always been a firm believer that the more contrasting style's and personalities we have in the bold suits, the more creative they are and the more idea's we see come to the fore.

It all depends what your view of 'progress' is. My view is that if we are seeing a lot of creativity either in family, district, city or even who world form then we are making 'progress'. Some others view rank and money as progress, some believe that war-torn world where only the strong survive as progress.

Barqs, you complain of stagnancy and for the most part you are correct. I don't think that the current set of bolds are the whole problem though. Long have we lived in times where EVERYTHING was done as a city, jailparty's, competitions and inevitably... wars. We have usually had a 'stand-out' power who directs how things are going. Now... as I mentioned above, it doesn't seem to me that Cpt-Harris wants the position of 'Lord and Overseer', but so long have we lived in the same cycles that very few know how to 'break ranks'. I'm not talking about disobeying your immediate boss, but there are restrictions that have finally been lifted (thats a metaphor) and some are starting to realise this. It's like when a bear comes out of hibernation after sleeping for 6 months... every step is like a baby step while the eyes are still heavy, but eventually all cognitive senses come back.

Normally there is a huge power vacuum that needs to be picked up after a war, this time it has been spread across more mobsters instead of the hands of a single man/woman. it's going to take time for people to adjust to this.

Once people get more of the district-by-district feel (of course you're going to have allies still), I think we'll find there's more to some of the more prominent members of the community than meets the eye.

You'd be surprised how much more some mobsters have to offer this world. They just need a kick up the arse or a push in the right direction in most cases to prove that. I think you've got a very harsh view, probably based on personal experiences so I'm not trying to tell you that you're talking shit Barqs. Your blood has just moved in the wrong circles thus far and I hope that your current chosen boss proves you wrong (as personally I believe she has a huge amount to offer us).

I notice a lot has been put on GF's and Family heads, and i believe as have seen with sadface's journals a bright light shines in the darkest places, and a few others who converse on the street or show their fictional stories, as would not want anyone arrested

lets off a little grin

So do we extend this to all upper structures? and how can we tell what goes on in a family we do not belong to? little things brighten my day sometimes even if not signs of progress.  My surprise is so few have an opinion on this topic

No, most of the current set of bolds are only adding to a problem that has been plowing over hard working ("newer") members of the mafia for awhile now. I can agree with most of what you said but I still have a problem with why it takes so long to adjust with all this "experience" at the helms. They were supposedly placed there for a reason, anyone can adjust in a years worth of time, adding "experience" should move this process right the fuck along though. Yet, we're at a stand still and with progress halted, opinions seep out.

That's leadership that's supposed to be pulling the best out of you. If they can't distinguish who the talent is in their crew and pull them towards the top with them, then there's a problem with the leadership. Everyone needs a push of some kind and everyone needs to know there's a shot at success.

My harsh views are taken from the world we live in and from what my bloodline has seen here recently, inside and out. I can sugarcoat it and make it nice and pretty or hold my tongue and sow my lips shut like everyone else for the most part....but why? I say I've been quiet for long enough. My blood has been in many circles and towards the beginning of it's existence it might have even accepted a hand out or two. Saddens me to this day now that I actually focus on those around me more and more and see what they're going through trying to get a chance that very well may never come regardless of their work ethic. Everyone hits a point where they'll eventually take matters into their own hands for one reason or another.