Okay so if you've read my thread in OOC you'll know that I have a personal hatred of the current loop hole that is being exploited by the demotion of players for building up bodyguards. I can understand why it hasn't been changed due to the massive amount of targets that are around. However I feel that the level playing field versus gun strength and bodyguards is only there for those who are in a high ranked character.

What however we see is that gangsters are running around IWP, this completely destroys any form of level playing field in my eyes. I am aware, unless it has changed that to shoot through one bodyguard requires 10 kills after max that is unless you get the fabled 1%. What I would like to see is a cap be placed on bodyguards by rank.

Gangster 10
Goomba 20
Earner 30
Wiseguy 40
Made Man 50
Capo 60
Boss 70
Consig 80
Don 90
Godfather 90+ a cap determined by the admins in relation towards gun strength in the game.

The reason I have set the numbers so low, although if you ask me no low enough is simple. People who are low ranked should never be running around with a mass of bodyguards. We cry out for realism in the streets when it comes to roleplaying, yet many of us are quite happy to over look that when it comes to our defense.

A gangsters should be able to kill a gangster, goomba's should be able to shoot goomba's. But with the amount of bodyguards that some people have there are those who are honoured with being untouchable at ranks that they should not be. At this time there are gangsters than cannot be hit by mademen all because of their protection and that in my eyes is quite simply absurd.

To counter balance this I would also suggest that the Durden spawns either be removed altogether or dramatically reduced as to how many can appear in a week. People now think of it as a requirement and something the game owes them, where as in fact it is a bonus from the admins for buying credits and purchasing MIA's. Also to counter balance the reduction of targets I would suggest increasing the daily limit of MIA kills, but not too much mind. Keep it relative to the protection that is in game.

What I feel this would do is to level out the playing field for those who are low ranked as well as those who are high ranked. For if the amount of defence is reduced and the amount of kills are reduced they would keep themselves relative.

I personally do not believe the reason for the closing of this loophole to be linked to the amount of targets around. I believe it has not been closed as it would leave us with a scenario where those who have used the exploit to gain significant protection levels will have a huge advantage over those who cannot use it in the future.

Currently, if you want to get IWP, you get demoted back down to Thug and buy all those BGs on the cheap. However, if that loophole was closed, it would cost me significantly more to reach the same level of protection and the funds required would be astronomical. Whilst I agree the loophole presents a gameplay fiasco, closing it is not a simple and straightforward fix.

My question as to your suggestion is how would this affect those who are already IWP and used the current system to get their bodyguards? Your proposal would give them a huge, huge advantage over users just starting out and actually skew the playing field further rather than levelling it.

That is something that would most definitely need to be addressed. I am loath to suggest a hard reset as that is not what me or anyone else would wish to see. However if there was a way to compensate those who are by say a percentage of what had been paid then it's something that could be addressed.

At the end of the day though, within other games online, WOW/Guild Wars/SWTOR/COD when skills get nerfed, the developers just do it, be it because some classes are severly op'd or under geared and the user base gets little to no compensation.

So it would be a case of do it and compensate a percentage, or do it and have that one account have the same stats as before the change but once it's dead then that's it. Or nerf it, put up with the users complaints and tell them to get on with it. Sometimes I do believe that the admins could take a harder line on what they do and are possibly a little too soft on the users feelings. Although I can understand the want to save themselves headaches.

My question as to your suggestion is how would this affect those who are already IWP and used the current system to get their bodyguards? Your proposal would give them a huge, huge advantage over users just starting out and actually skew the playing field further rather than levelling it.

Now, I believe one fix could be to to lower the Player's BG HP by the amount they would have paid at the rank they were when they were demoted minus the what they actually paid.

Example: I am a don, BGs would cost me $5.25mil per, let's assume most CLs are running around with 200BGs and I want to match it I'd need $1,050,000,000. If I took a demote to thug it would cost me $150,000,000. We take that away from each other we are left with a difference of $900,000,000. Bodyguards currently lose 1 HP a day at a cost of $12,000 per HP per BG, which is $240,000 per day for 200 BGs. Now my suggestion to how Zal's suggestion could be implemented without skewing the playing field would be too lower the BG HP to a point where they would have to pay back essentially what they "saved" through the demotion loop. In this scenario the BG HP would drop by 375 HP, if your BGs are at full "badassery" you would be at -275 HP.

Now, when the collective HP falls, the owner should not lose his or her BG they should be allowed to be kept and trained back up to full health or if you choose not to train them they just get used for cannon fodder.

This is the only way to implement a fair change without a cold reset and in all honesty, this is probably the best choice at least you get to keep your guns, right? When a loophole gets tightened sadly some people get choked and they will be the ones who struggle to retrain their BGs, but then that is only the fairness in the level playing field, the way many wont be able to buy themselves to IWP as it will be a harder route and a fairer route.