The thing that annoys me is the fact that they're on the 60 seconds list. I understand why they're on there...but it's annoying.

Will the edit profile feature work soon? (OJ needs a quote :(

I know I may not get an answer, and of course it is well within ones rights to ignore a question, but it is a simple question.

What is the reasoning behind this addition to the game?

I am very curious to see an answer to ricketts question! I am not holding out though. NPM'S :s The whole reason for gaining auth is to build a reputation so that people want to join you.. You make a slight profit with this new feature but you need the money to start with. I can only take a shot at the dark and say this is to increase credit sales once again. The game needs money to keep running to build new features but I can't help but wonder what we will be able to buy next. I like the suggestion made in this thread! Maybe giving incentives may make the old players need and want to be more active.

It's an extremely unnecessary addition to the game. If small crews want to grow, they should grow with real members. This addition just makes it more 'click monkey' friendly.

I honestly don't see how the game benefits from this.

If each crew had a purchasing limit of 10 and there are currently 21 crews, that's a potential of 210 'faux players' in this game... before we know it, there will be more of these guys online than REAL players... where are we headed?

Are we to the point where we have to inflate our 'perceived' active users?

The NPMs may have obvious names now, but once crewleaders are able to edit their names and suits, the social aspect of the game will suffer. People will no longer spontaneously message each other or strike up a friendly conversation for the fear of running into one of these guys. Who would then try to make a new friend if even the players are no longer real?

This feature will hinder the spontaneous formation of new friendships this game has always fostered and will add an unnecessary amount of distrust and deception among users. The real mafia doesn't work like this - nobody can just 'be' multiple people - and I'm disappointed this was implemented without public input.

Squishy, you mentioned earlier that you were trying to "increase socialization and user interaction," but I honestly don't think adding fake players (that will eventually be undetectable) will help 'increase socialization'

It will scare people away from talking to new people.

Is this just another way to bring more actual money into the game? Don't we have enough of that already? Don't mean to sound like an asshole but theres no other good way to put it.

Some good points were brought up earlier... I'll leave with that.

You can never, ever, please everyone.

Could you imagine this place without the additions that have been implemented.

I hated the thought of made inactive players, then worse, made inactive made inactives, then made inactive crews of inactives..... you get the drift. Old players want to keep on with the the old type of interaction and playing, but new guys are coming, new and younger teams that we need to adapt to. People call it click monkey stuff, but we have always been that way, we click left right and centre, be it a petty crime or a mail to a new found friend.

I remember, and I hate to name drop, but years ago, I said on IRC "Would be cool if the old maf was up and running" and a fella named Teq said try this place "www.mafiareturns.com".

I came back and I think Evsie was running the show, or was top of the tree?

Anyhoo, at that point there must have been 5 cities, hardly any crimes, no felonies, no pickpockets, no bodyguards, fuck I might be wrong but I'm sure I'm at least half right and we adapted, we moved on and got a decent userbase.

These implementations, I'm absolutely certain, are in the interests of us, the user.

I can see it from both sides, one from a building, coding, non discretionary side, and another from getting in the mighty dollar/pound/cash side of things.

Basically, You can't please everyone

Everything youve just listed doesnt support the reason for computer created members.

I think it's a great addition, though I wouldn't be surprised for some confusion while the Durdens are spawned, due to similar names. People will just have to pay more attention.

Jose_Chavez, I think you've missed the point. The people who are opposed to this change aren't opposed to change in general. We're just opposed to this change for the specific reasons that have been listed in our responses. Adding nonplayer members that can be hired into crews add NOTHING POSITIVE to this game.

If I'm not mistaken, there was a post not too long ago from the admins regarding the inflation of dollars in the game and a proposed change to the economy. It has for a long time been a commonly held opinion around these parts for the men and women in blue that there is too much money in the game.

Adding nonplayer characters for the purpose of giving crewleaders more money and the crew a free shot is a bit of a unusual solution to that issue as well as the issue of lacking social interaction and text based roleplaying and usage of the forums on this site. In fact, in my opinion (and while I can't speak for all the opposition to this new implementation, it seems as though they share my opinion), this new feature seems to worsen both issues.

So again, we're not opposed to change at all. But please, if you can justify this change with a rationale that shows a benefit to this site other than "you can't please people" or "change is good", I am all ears. So far after reading the official announcement, I am very unconvinced.

I do understand your points Alex, I know from your posts you feel strongly about this very issue. I'm not missing the point, I can see from my own point of view why these have been added.

I also recall the very thread about the economy you've just referred to and I see you point, I really cant state what these guys offer from a positive side of things (roleplay wise) and certainly cant state why they have been implemented, only admin could come out and say why, until then, we only have guesses , or own points of view and thoughts on the matter.

It would be nice for someone to come out and answer the questions here.

Jose, have you even read the Game Suggestions threads?

If you have, you would have known that the general userbase is constantly wanting change, which is why we have so many suggestions (and even more that support those suggestions) in the first place. In fact, we want so many changes left and right that I'm sure the admins would agree that the amount of interest towards game changes is simply too overwhelming for them. They can't honor all the requests. In fact, they don't honor most requests.

What could have possibly made you come to the conclusion that we oppose this simply because we want to "keep on with the old type" of things?

As I'm typing this I believe there are more NPMs online than living, breathing users. Am I the only one that finds that weird?

Not exactly my greatest or clearest response, It was mainly from talking to a few old hats, should have made my initial statement more clearer in that respect.

I'm also fully aware of the suggestions forum, and there are indeed many, many suggestions for the improvement of the site and community there.

Probably best described as a poor presumption on my behalf.

For now id just like to be able to change their profiles

I guess the admins have decided not to answer the questions being asked.

I just wish these were tagged and did not appear in the 60 second list, so I don't send them msg's. I either think my fellow crew members are being ignorant and not replying, or I feel stupid for trying to strike a conversion with a computer. I think that detriments the gameplay. Plus maybe limit them to crew size?