So there I was the other day, eating my pasta and ragu at my local restaurant when the young upstart of a waiter asked if I might give him a tip given it was the holiday season.  I thought long and hard and seeing the fresh snow on the ground, I smiled, told him "Don't eat yellow snow" and handed him a five dollar bill.

As I left the restaurant and walked along through one of the more well-heeled areas, scoping out houses to rob later, I noticed a couple of gardens; one with a glorious patch of virginal snow and another where the kids of the house had played outside and thought how different they looked yet both as nice as each other.  Sometimes, there's nothing like running into fresh snow, being the first to proclaim your presence….almost taking ownership of the snow.  It's a version of that frontier spirit that made this nation great distilled into the wonder of a childhood experience.  An extension of upright man walking out of a cave and deciding that the valley he lived in maybe wasn't the boundary of his world and setting off over the hill.

Anyway, I'm starting to stray from my point.  At the moment 25% of our cities lie vacant, virginal, "unconquered".  We have the Las Vegas experiment, and it's churning out family bosses like a fast food restaurant.  And like a fast food restaurant you're getting some good quality and some not so good however the experiment is showing that there is no shortage of individuals willing to set off over the hill into the relative unknown.

So why are LA and Detroit not just left for people to make their own?  Why are the other cities stifling that natural urge to go boldly where no man has gone before?  Are people worried about rogues?  Rogues will rogue whatever, in cities with a godfather….anywhere.

Or is it that there is no appetite for this broad stroke venture?

I haven't been around these parts too long but ill throw in my thoughts anyway.

The LV experiment is doing what it says on the tin. Mobsters are able to set up there and make something of this oppotunity which is good as it will give people a chance to lead who may not have got that chance the conventional way. Yes there are two empty cities at the moment, I am sure the Godfather Council are aware of this and will probably have plans for both cities in the future but at the moment we are in a stabilising period and it takes time get the economy back to where it was and for the community to be strong that affords us the luxury of having 8 string cities again.

Do I think that we should have the Vegas experiment in every Vacant city? No because at some point the more populated cities will want to expand and if they are full with experiments eventually those experiments will have to killed of for growth to continue. Which would be pointless in having it as an experiment in the first place. Sorry if that makes no sense but im my little Gnome head that makes perfect English.

Yes Gnome, as I am also new to these streets I was just posing the question.

Of course as cities expand they look to branch out.  The godfather council, such that it is, has limited the current cities to a set amount of families per city so that pressure will always grow as promotions are handed out.  However as I said if Las Vegas has shown us anything is that there are many people willing to take that chance when given the blessing to do so and people flock to these ventures in search of being "the next big thing".  I just ask why, given that no-one has any real claim to govern these cities, are they not turned over into what they are…..open cities ripe with opportunity to those brave enough to take it on.

Personaly I think the answer to this is obvious; The Las Vegas "Experiment" seems more like a gladiator city. What better way to satisfy those itchy trigger fingers than to give them a city to use thier gun in? By keeping the other two cities vacant for no reason at all you force anyone looking to start a family to fight it out in LV, basically eliminating any opposition without lifting a finger.

You give an audience sport and you give the strong a place to test themselves. LV is a city of Gladiators with the GF's playing the Cesar role.

When the time is right I am sure the Godfather Council will send their finiest to take control of these cities and lead them forward. After wars people do not get the chance to go and setup as they please in cities that are not controlled by organised crime.

There is a way things are done an unwritten rule as such. If it wasn't like this every Tom, Dick and Harry would flock to the newest 'open' city and try to make a name for themselves and probably leave a lot of death and destruction.

That is not the way of doing things at the moment. Things may change and new unwritten rules maybe implemented in the future but for the time being thats the way the cookie crumbles.

Well it is not the first time we have watched an lv style experiment just never with such brutal consequences.  This not just weakens potential leaders who take up the opportunity it also thins the ranks in established families which can make a huge difference come war time.  Regarding LA and DT i am guessing when the right person is ready for gf people will suddenly be sent out there to claim and settle the territory but i am sure the gf council dont want to send just anyone out there and cause more damage then good.

As for auth for leaving the city i look at it from 2 perspectives 1. should it be looked as smack in the face to a leader who has ranked, protected and trained you but found you not the best choice for the new size of the cities.  Simply a back alley route to the top possibly? or do we look at it as way 2.  a way for a city to expand out and gain a foothold controlling multiple cities?

is interesting either way

PopPopShinebox shakes his head with a confused and angry look on his face.

Whatever happened to honor in this thing of ours? Why has Las Vegas become a graveyard for us wise guys?

You're not a wise Guy and you already asked this question elsewhere...