What is your idea?:

I propose expanding “Take on a Contract” so we can purchase MIAs of different ranks, from Gangster up to Godfather, with options for their level and protection.

After a one-minute spawning period, the MIA would become the rank and level selected when purchasing it. The normal 1-credit Gangster contract would remain available.

For example, somebody could buy an unprotected Wise Guy, a Capo with ten bodyguards, or a Godfather with substantial protection. Players could choose a target that gives them something useful to test instead of repeatedly buying the same setup.

Has your idea already been suggested in some form or another before?:

I haven’t found this exact version through the keyword searches. There have been related discussions about NPC training, rank-dependent gun progression, and contract descriptions, so I wouldn’t claim the whole subject is new, but my specific idea I think is new.

What does your idea entail?:

The contract page would let players choose,

• The MIA’s rank, from Gangster to Godfather.

• Its character level.

• Whether it has bodyguards, how many, and their training level.

• Whether it has a training HQ and the strength of its fortifications.

Bodyguards would start healthy at the training level purchased. The page would show the complete setup and credit cost before confirmation.

Rank alone shouldn’t determine everything. Each NPC setup would need an appropriate starting-stat profile so the target’s difficulty actually reflects what was purchased. Otherwise, a Godfather label on a weak NPC wouldn’t tell us much.

The price would increase with the rank, number and strength of bodyguards, and fortifications selected. I’m leaving exact prices open because those should be based on testing and the amount of training each setup offers.

How can your idea be successfully implemented into the game as it stands?:

The visible change would be dropdown menus on the existing contract page. Behind those menus, the spawning system would create the selected NPC and attach its purchased protection.

These would still be MIA contracts. A Godfather MIA wouldn’t collect district taxes, become a genuine crew leader, or take a leadership position away from anyone. Its HQ would be a designated NPC training target rather than using a slot intended for a player’s family.

Contract-specific authorization would also need to allow the purchaser to attack the selected NPC where necessary, while leaving authorization for attacks on real players unchanged.

I would introduce the feature in stages: first selectable ranks and levels, then bodyguards, and finally HQ fortifications. That would give the admins a chance to check the results before releasing the most complicated setups.

What major changes would be needed to make your idea work?:

The main work would involve NPC spawning, protection settings, contract pricing, authorization, and how the resulting attacks are recorded.

Contract limits would need particular attention. Buying one NPC with a large bodyguard detail shouldn’t automatically create dozens of additional training opportunities outside the normal allowance. More demanding contracts could consume more of that allowance, or have a defined limit on credited training.

Achievement handling would need checking too. NPC kills should be identifiable in the records, and the admins could decide which achievements accept them. An achievement intended to recognise defeating a real player shouldn’t accidentally become something anyone can purchase.

There would also need to be clear rules set by players for unfinished contracts and targets attacked by somebody other than the purchaser. Those details should be explained before anyone spends credits.

I don’t know how the current code is organised, so I wouldn’t put a development-time estimate on it. The dropdown menus are straightforward to describe making the targets behave correctly is the important part.

What is the positive impact of your idea?:

It would make contracts more interesting and give players a practical way to learn about their characters.

Someone could test their Wack against different ranks and protection levels, practise BG Wack, or try an HQ attack without choosing an actual player as an experiment.

It would also make progress easier to recognise. A player could return to a comparable setup later and see whether their results have improved. Eligible combat achievements would have more opportunities for completion, and separate achievements could recognise particularly difficult contracts.

There is room for better contract descriptions as well. Taking a job against an unprotected street-level target should feel different from taking on somebody behind a substantial guard detail.

What is the negative impact of your idea?:

The biggest concern is balance. If higher ranks or large guard details give excessive training, wealthy players could use the feature to grow their guns much faster. Credit pricing alone wouldn’t necessarily prevent that.

Repeated tests could also make combat thresholds easier to estimate. That would give players more confidence when challenging established characters, which could affect the hierarchy. Some players would welcome that; others would feel it removes too much uncertainty.

Other possible problems include making achievements less meaningful, encouraging repetitive farming, and generating too many unfinished NPCs or training HQs. The feature would need sensible limits and monitoring.

How may your idea affect the rest of the userbase?:

Players who want ordinary training could continue buying the existing Gangster contract. Those interested in testing stronger opponents would have additional choices.

Newer players could learn what their characters are capable of, while experienced hitters could try more demanding setups. Crews could also use the results when helping members understand their training.

It would give people a better indication of which ranks and protection levels they can challenge. It wouldn’t guarantee the same result against a real player, whose starting stats, upgrades, and circumstances may differ.

The purpose is to make contracts more useful and give us choices, while keeping the rewards and limits fair enough that the strongest setup doesn’t become compulsory.