Quick story. I clearly recall sending out MM politely reminding leaders and hands  to toggle on when the warnings came out. (It was rare we had rebuild back then) It was helpful and some appreciated the heads up. To no surprise there were some who found my friendly mail annoying. Surprisingly enough we did fall into rebuild mode in that era. Now this is rich. One of the CL's who was annoyed was crying in main about the rebuild. Another Cl basically through them under the bus and told them you cannot have your cake and eat it too. This is how I came to learn some were annoyed by my heads up mail. 

And I see the richness keeps coming. As much as I would like to talk about I'm going to let it go. I am certain there will be ample opportunity in the future to go into it. :P

This is written semi-in-character. I am a role-player. 

The fact that many (not all) of those who CHOOSE to be in uppers are flailing at job board coverage is a joke. This change isn’t even that monumental, but you’re triggered because you’re weak as Walmart toilet paper after rancid late-night 7-11 hot wings. Going below 90% for that long is really tough. 

While the last regime may have had slight issues of inactivity (mainly from the Ligambi sector), we did not have this problem nearly as much as this current era has. It is not hard to cover the job board. It is easy. I could easily give you very simple tips to fix it (you have the power to fix it), but I’m enjoying you fucking up. 

The fact is while you can critique some game mechanics, a lot of the uppers are “coasting.” This is not acceptable. And yet, at the same time, this current regime keeps playing victim. OH, THE REGIME OF THE PAST WAS SO BAD WE COULDN’T PLAY (CUZ YOU GUYS DON’T BLOODLINE AT ALL AND NEVER HAVE). OH, WE’RE DOING SO MUCH BETTER. OH, THESE CHANGES ARE BAD AND IT’S NOT OUR FAULT. IT’S THE GAME CHANGES.  IT’S THE LAST REGIME’S. I like that you’re still feeling the itch from us but golly gee, we can’t be blamed for what you do or don’t do now. Everyone has fun trying to take a regime out, but no one has fun maintaining the new one… But y’all’is just plain lazy. We did it for way longer and didn’t have these shit results at any one period. 

Fucking accept it. You’ve been lackluster, and you need to coordinate to cover a very simply fucking thing: the job board. Whatever you do, don’t blame the game. Realistically, nothing has changed mechanically, and you’re just floundering under the same shit we had to do to hold things down. Yet, we didn’t whine. Since the takeover, it’s been, oh we were victims this and we were victims that. I know I’m known for having a long memory, but fuck, you guys have burned the stage to the ground enough times yourselves and hurt and held down people (to ensure your own safety). Didn’t Kristoff bump a member off a few days ago just cuz he could for mugging in his own crew (despite the city rules blah?), and you guys are letting it slide. Don’t you see why the morale isn’t great? Is he still upset you forgot his birthday or whatever? Grin knock it off. Morty knock it off. The only ones even trying are Drieza and maybe like Tony and Rags, and that’s it. 

You bitched and bitched and took over. Now as winners, you still bitch. That just tells me you want it, but you want daddy to pay your bills instead of getting a job, government stimmies for all, participation trophies and fresh lemonade, owww my pussy hurts. Do something to get your troops to do better rather than be bored in inertia, or shift things around. Shifting things around is what we did to keep it interesting. 

Stop it with the whiney bitch ass victim card shit. I can die every day and I don’t care. You can slit my friend’s throats the same way we slit yours. We kill Technical five times. You kill Marie five times. It’s fair. You do hold people down, but again as I’ve said many times, that’s fair. You need to in order to keep power, but why keep power if 80% of uppers don’t seem to want the responsibility? Do you need the help of a Great Container Crew Job Fair? Why did Revan retire? But that said, many of those from the past powers aren’t bothering right now for various reasons, a lot were tired after two years, and if anyone has the right to be lazy and coast and get a little rest in… It’s us. We don’t sob and cry and stop or totally disappear, especially even when you purge, execute with or without “reason,” or whatever you want to call it. I’ll make you bleed someday again and I know that, so it’s all gravy. Today isn’t the end of the world. Tomorrow isn’t either. It’s just a Tuesday. 

And whatever you do: This isn’t Izzy’s fault. You’re just shit workers. You complained and changed were made, and we took them in stride, now you don’t like them. Being an upper is a job. Do the fucking job or take the cut in pay or get fired or get given shit shifts. Overall, this BS over who wants to stay in what crew and who isn’t inviting who is all irrelevant. It’s just: Cover the job board. Talk to people in crew chat or at least OFFER another means to be social. Knock it off with the Lame Ass CL’s who can’t be active and hold down their ships or put in effort to their members. Make them step down or kill them. It’s been pitiful. You’ve been failures. And whatever this change is, it’s not even a minor probation. 

This isn’t Rome you’ve been building. It’s a ghetto. 

Happy Hannukah.

Being an upper is a job.

Was this part written in-character or out-of-character?

Spike, this is not an in-character forum, so why are you posting "semi-in-character"? It would be better if you posted out of character in the out of character forums and in-character in the in-character forums, like the Streets, where you consistently fail to do so. As you don't seem to understand the distinction, out of character forums are so you can speak objectively as a user to broader concerns that apply to all of us, regardless of the position of your existing character. You should try doing it and putting the rest of your nonsense into a Street thread - preferably in character for a change, unless these are your thoughts as a user, which would be kinda sad. 

But anyway, yeah, Deepblue is clearly right and I was mistaken. This period of the game is much worse actually because Rebuild went on - the true measure of the user experience - for a short period during the middle of the night/early morning. 

Let's not compare, say:

Hours played in the last 24 hours (297 in November 2024, 370 in May 2025 vs 412 now)

Average hours in the last 24 hours (1.3 in November 2024, 1.6 in May 2025 vs 1.8 now)

Active in the last 24 (309 in November 2024, 308 in May 2025 vs 317 now)

Number of Made Men+ (61 in April 2025 vs 196 now)

Number of users Gangster+ (311 in April 2025 vs 374 now)

This despite the "lame ass CLs" being "lazy", "coasting", "not even trying" and "shit workers", I should add.

Given the above, since we are comparing time periods. What would you say for those who came before, objectively? If we, the current leaders, are all these things and are still managing to facilitate a game which is played by more people, for a longer period of time, whilst letting them experience more of the game's features without holding them down before shooting them and thanking them in their funerals for the help in the process? Objectively, you might say something like "oh maybe they aren't actually so bad". And then you might see if they had also managed to make changes and keep rebuild off since it was pointed out, which they have and that might draw another "oh". 

Or, maybe not. I don't know. Maybe this is actually worse and what we really need is a game which is played by less people, for a shorter period time, trapped at an paranoid user-imposed glass ceiling, with no prospect of progress. Show me the big picture I'm missing, Deepblue. 

Spikes post:  https://youtu.be/a8JIoKeApKs?si=FGTkoimY8c24q_ep

Comparing to a snapshot of your regime's time, Spike, on July 4, and anecdotally for months before, you had the ranks clogged at Wise Guy. It was more middle-heavy at the time, having 121 WGs on July 4. Compare to today and the recent numbers, 66 vs 121 WGs and more ranked above, and people can now flourish in the higher ranks.

The last regime was very good, might I add, an expert at gatekeeping whether it was holding before the members button, or wacking once the members shot report hit a certain threshold, or they just simply didn't like them/knew who they were. Shame. I know you miss the power, but the lack of leadership, integrity and ethics is what ultimately caused its demise.

This reply is mainly for the uninitiated, the people who have not been here for years and do not yet recognise certain patterns.

Spike has a very established MO in this game. When his regime is not in power, he adopts a lone wolf playstyle with a small orbit of pawns, refuses to properly integrate, takes low level pot shots, and quietly stirs tension wherever possible, all while presenting himself as innocent despite repeatedly being shot because his own behaviour consistently positions him as a legitimate threat. When something even moderately contentious appears, he shows up with a wall of emotionally loaded rhetoric like this, not to resolve anything, but to inflame it.

It is politics by outrage. Drown people in aggression, imply catastrophe, and hope enough of it sticks.

Opinions are fine. Everyone has one. But facts matter more, and this entire post is almost entirely opinion, framed to provoke rather than inform.

So let us talk facts.

Job board coverage, the supposed centrepiece of Spike’s rant, is not failing. When this regime first took over, there was an initial rebuild issue while systems were being established. This was openly acknowledged and resolved by introducing a leadership IRC channel that every upper was actively invited to, not just a small shadowy group of people “in charge.”

That channel still exists and continues to be regularly updated to include all new uppers.

For a long period after that, rebuild was not an issue at all. Recently, there were a handful of short dips. They were identified, addressed, and resolved. Current statistics speak for themselves.

Job coverage is at 100% across the last 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 hours, and above 98% across the last 7 and 14 days.

That is not failure. That is effective response. The game is not, and has never been, only about the job board as Spike seems to imply. Reducing leadership to a single metric, as he has attempted to do on more than one occasion, says far more about his mentality than it does about the state of the game. At present, we have more active players who are living significantly longer, with greater stability between families and more capped guns across the board than under the previous regime, a regime Spike was part of. During their roughly three year period of power, mass killing, forced disengagement, and player burnout were routine. Singling out people like Grin and Morty without evidence is deliberate targeting, not critique. Claiming that only three individuals are “trying” is demonstrably false and frankly insulting to the many others putting time and effort in.

Regarding the Kristoff mugging incident, opinions may vary, but one core fact remains. The game itself explicitly warns that mugging can be treated as an attack on a player. Anyone choosing to mug does so with full awareness of the risks and consequences. That outcome is not an abuse of power. It is a direct result of the mechanics. The birthday remark is baseless, irrelevant, and serves no purpose beyond provocation.

“You bitched and bitched and took over. Now as winners, you still bitch.”

The irony of making that accusation in your post is genuinely staggering. That said, I will happily acknowledge the one accurate statement here.

We are, in fact, the winners.

“I can die every day and I do not care.”

That is a choice of playstyle, not a virtue.

“Why did Revan retire?”

No idea, but one person choosing to step away out of hundreds is not evidence of systemic failure. That is a reach, and a lazy one.

“Being an upper is a job.”

It has responsibilities, yes, but it is still a game at the end of the day. Treating it like unpaid labour and expecting others to do the same is part of a mentality that has historically driven people away. If that is the case, it has likely done more damage to engagement over the years than anything we are currently doing.

We talk to people. We use crew chat. We promote use of all channels on IRC. We offer alternatives. We adjust when issues arise. And when problems exist, we deal with them as quickly and transparently as possible. Just because you choose not to see or believe it does not mean it is not happening.

Calling the last six months “pitiful” while ignoring measurable improvements across almost every metric is opinion dressed up as outrage.

This post complains about “bitching and whining” while being almost entirely that. It accuses others of coasting while recycling a playbook that has historically lowered morale, driven players out, and made the game worse for everyone not holding the gun.

Criticism is welcome. Manufactured outrage is not leadership, and it is not insight.

This change isn’t even that monumental, but you’re triggered because you’re weak as Walmart toilet paper after rancid late-night 7-11 hot wings.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

"Why did Revan retire?" Keep my wifes name out ya mouth. @spike

None of this means leadership is failing. It also does not mean leadership is easy, or fun, or something everyone should want to do. The Detroit thread demonstrated that pretty clearly. Opportunity without uptake tells its own story.

My understanding is there has been uptake in other cities that have offered the opportunity. 

We talk to people. We use crew chat. We promote use of all channels on IRC. We offer alternatives. We adjust when issues arise. And when problems exist, we deal with them as quickly and transparently as possible. Just because you choose not to see or believe it does not mean it is not happening.

So we have a crew leader who is saying they do not use crew chat, do not promote use of all channels, and has no desire to speak to members of his crew.  He is here simply as a favor to a friend. This is an obvious problem that needs to be addressed by leadership is it not? Perhaps there are game mechanics that can be changed to help, but what can leadership do to help deal with this issue?  Now that Ghostof2011 has launch his crew might he be allow to step down now since he doesn’t want to be in that position in a meaningful way?

The Detroit auth isn't as part of an experiment city, it has been put forth as an option for anyone, but I guess specifically those supposedly trapped people, to have an avenue away from that if they so wish. There is absolutely zero in-character reason for this nor any demographic or demand-based need (there is space already in every city, and very few active unsponsored available to recruit) and it is entirely because as a concerned user I hear you saying that people are trapped and I'm trying to provide a viable solution for them because I've been there. Most of us have actually and to lengths never before experienced. Just recently in fact, say between October 2023 and July 2025, no such alternatives existed. Users were forced to join families answerable to a handful of people, who took all discourse and decision-making to 3rd party apps, and continually opted to kill those trapped users out of hand without explanation rather than interact with them and give them the benefit of the doubt. Even their own LHM weren't safe (although that might have been part of Spike's big mix-up to keep it interesting strategy, idk). It was truly a terrible experience which many, many people will corroborate, but it did cement my thinking - there has to be a better way to play. 

And thus, here we are, trying to do exactly that and now offering an alternative anyway, which you're saying is going to be discounted due to past experiment cities and their ilk because it might not be safe. I suppose that is one reason you could proffer as to why there has been no interest in this proposal, others, which in my view are far more likely (very few people want to lead, they don't desire the responsibility of vouching the past, present and future actions of their hands, they don't want to move from their current friends and family, to commit to speaking on lounge regularly, having their activity level critiqued or mentality questioned and there is already competition from other crews in every city for currently 16 active unsponsored players), are contained within this thread. But try as we might, there can be no, nor should there be any, 100% safe options; 'the action is yours, the reaction is not' after all. We can't say, "you absolutely will not be killed under any circumstances" because nobody gets that pass, so it would be a lie, and frankly, unhappy people don't deserve a guarantee any more than happy ones do. What they will get is a fair shake, just as every member I've interacted with up to now has been given. If they deem that not safe enough to even try, then clearly their unhappiness is not so great as to leave the presumed safety of their current location. The crazy part of that thinking, which again makes me question it as a viable reason for not grasping the opportunity if otherwise desired, is that if it is due to distrust of the leaders as you suggest it might be, their existing safety is guaranteed in exactly the same way, by their leader, so why should it make a difference?

I should also add that I've done similar offers to this before, caveated with a little more Mafia to them in that they had to pay tribute, and none of those leaders were killed unfairly. One even went on to be given their own city. Similar experiment city success stories come to mind, I believe DeadlySin once setup during one without a single bodyguard and went on to become the preeminent power and HeadCoach even authed himself mid-war and stole all of our hearts, but I'll leave it there. 

tl;dr: 98.51% job coverage during preceding 336 hours, 150 available crew spaces spread across every city, open auth offers for anyone willing, free movement of associates; things are not that bad. 

Grinnywinx, Those stats are kinda useless. Here are some other sparse ones from Wayback. Random daily snapshots don’t help much. You could even catch it in the same day, and if it’s during the deader hours, it’ll omit the more active hours etc. Weekly would be a better stat to look at, monthly even better. Hours in Last Month. But this covers the entire game, not specifically uppers which is what we should be focusing on.

Right now: Total Accounts: 68,060 Active in last 24: 311 New in last 24: 158 Killed in last 24: 6 Hours in last 24: 401 Avg hours in last 24: 1.7 Total hours: 7,143,107

8/22/24 Total Accounts: 66,400 Active in last 24: 339 New in last 24: 178 Killed in last 24: 22 Hours in last 24: 574 Avg hours in last 24: 2.3 Total hours: 6,923,723

11/4/24 Total Accounts: 66,592 Active in last 24: 308 New in last 24: 134 Killed in last 24: 7 Hours in last 24: 370 Avg hours in last 24: 1.6 Total hours: 6,952,692

1/26/25 Total Accounts: 66,840 Active in last 24: 348 New in last 24: 107 Killed in last 24: 26 Hours in last 24: 541 Avg hours in last 24: 2.1 Total hours: 6,996,873

5/12/25 Total Accounts: 67,228 Active in last 24: 311 New in last 24: 70 Killed in last 24: 10 Hours in last 24: 400 Avg hours in last 24: 1.8 Total hours: 7,047,107

7/12/25 Total Accounts: 67,493 Active in last 24: 371 New in last 24: 344 Killed in last 24: 47 Hours in last 24: 803 Avg hours in last 24: 2.9 Total hours: 7,071,785

As for the Made Men Stats in April… We had some wars/rogues leading up that. At the time, you made a post about the books being closed. We had higher standards for our promotions, but at the same time, we were also in recovery mode so it’s misleading. You also made a followup thread about how people were starting to be promoted again so eh?

Grinnywinx, you’re not totally IA or coasting at all. You’re trying, especially now, to make things look better… Trying to salvage the image of what is around you, carrying the load for the Numbers People and others. Who woulda thunk? However, you have struggled to keep your own city’s uppers active. Your city is one of many with this problem, not entirely but in parts! Admit it’s a problem, and adjust (which is what you seem to be doing in some sort of facet by starting your little kill crews or whatever they are)… I'd rather have an IA mobile gun than an IA CL personally. Use the free labor until it’s not useful anymore… Yes, you’ve done similarly in the past with Disorder and etc and they were just kill cities. Look around at the other cities’ uppers, and note that hours are even low with a RAT event in the last week.

I think it’s time you auth Kuku. He can be your new champion. 

Finally, if there’s an upward trend on the job board, since this thread was posted, then that means it was effective, and you are good boys and girls for taking the nudge in the right direction. At the same time, that doesn’t mean you should pat yourself on the back that much, since you needed the little rap on the nose to correct something that was an obvious problem to everyone. Keeping it up is the question though, and that remains to be seen. 

Who is your new IA Ligambi? Shuffle them around. Sometimes when you’re gardening, you need to flip over the soil for it to grow healthier. Show off that deep dark rich soil, rather than the whitened dog pissed topsoil spots in the flowerbeds that are all over now.

Matt: In reference to Kristoff being a murderer…

Don't cry about PP or Mugging. Don't want it? Don't be involved in it.

Posted by Dixxon on Jul 14, '25 14:58

Have Fun! Be Active!

Posted by Dixxon on Jul 15, '25 19:51

Do not shoot sponsored members of our community without prior authorization from your CL.

Posted by Dixxon on Aug 07, '25 21:39

That seems to violate rule #3. It’s okay if you’re letting Kristoff skirt the rules of the district and be shady about it at the expensive of a lesser member, that’s cool, I guess. Are you saying now that you authorized it instead of your city looking for a WS of a Capo? Was that just for show?

Also, the game is not ABOUT The job board, but job board coverage does reflect this current regime’s dedication to their jobs as uppers. In the past, we made sure we did not have this many slip ups like you guys are doing. We rearranged things to accommodate the job board. It’s a duty. A job. Do your job... and make other people do theirs too!

Maybe you talk to people and use crew chat, Mr. Matt. Others do not. Members in many crews can’t even sell drugs at random times because the uppers are failing to do exactly that… Again, maybe you are doing better than other CLs, but that doesn’t mean all the crews are. Again, look around.

All I see is you, Matt, and Grinnywinx trying to come up with excuses for others. That’s why you’re the ones here posting. You and Game Leader Drieza should team up and freshen up the garden. Toss out some rotten cabbages (pickle them?), and plant some nice purple turnips.