Again Man Go, I don't understand how you can speak for every player by saying you "don't think it will be accepted by the majority of players in this game?"

First of all, lets hear your opinions on this new districts concept?  Do you know where the full district build is going down the road?  How do you think the majority of players will take to these new radical changes?  I'm curious what your thoughts are...

You know, because about six years ago when I was halfway through my total tenure in this community you had the privelage of building up your character into a don with...

People were telling me and a handful of others that districts would never ever be a feature in this game... It was too radical and the current players would never come to accept it; that everything needs to stay to total tradition.. Except BGs... And crew sizes... And level... And drug tips... And HQ forts... And... I will stop right there.

You know, I had to deal with nay-Sayers my whole life because they couldn't accept that change may actually improve things.  In real life, and among people within our virtual world here.  So for me, this past week with the newly added districts feature... It was over 6 years of sweet justice finally come.  

So I've listened to years of bullshit on what can and can't be, what should and shouldn't be, what will and will not be... But it's all bullshit.. Do you know why?

because at the end of the day, advocation for change WILL come.  Things WILL change regardless of what you and an see here.  You can either accept it and try to encourage positive feedback on practical solutions... Or continue your total admonishment of any good ideas put on the table in hopes you may continue to play the game you've come to understand and love...

just remember one thing man... It was a community of men and women who came before you that helped shape the game you love today.  Who spent and exhausted themselves intellectually and emotionally on issues that were near and dear to their hearts... To make the game world what it is today.  So in all irony man, your words WILL fall on deaf ears one way or another.  Sure, it's easy for strong cynicism to be met with some admiration by less experienced or disciplined minds... But it's a losing side.

And one day, those individuals whom have seen our world change from something small to a profitable and growing business and extremely fun experience... This will all be banter and bullshit, my friend.  Perhaps it would be better in government if we left hard decisions to the people who actually know what they are talking about.. People who attend forums, debates, and say more than "Nay"

what a fucking world it may be...

I absolutely agree. One shouldn't hold the rank of Boss, or Consigliere if they're just a Made Man. I hold the rank of Boss but I'm not the boss of anything, which makes the rank of Boss sound not so boss-like.

Just putting this out there, Ballistic, you're attacking me, not my argument and I don't appreciate it. You're trying to demean me as a person rather than saying why I'm wrong. You're just telling me how stupid I am basically for not liking the idea. Guess the fuck what, I have an opinion and so do you. My opinion is that the idea isn't going to help the game in any way. Yours is that you like it for whatever reasons it may be. There is NO FUCKING REASON to come at me like you have. This will be my last post in this thread as obviously you're just SO much smarter than me and can see things so much better than me. When in all actuality, I just refuse to respond to people further who are too self centered to actually go after someone's argument rather than the person making the argument.

I'd be happy to respond to a valid argument, when you actually make one Man Go.  The point of everything I said is that you simply discredit all ideas put on the table without offering alternatives or a valid reason for saying so.  A "Nay-Sayer" with nothing constructive to add to the conversation.  

Did I attack your character?  If you're measuring character with the content of your arguments... I'd be obliged to agree.  

It's great that you made the comments you did.. At least for me personally as one of the chapters in the book I am writing is simply on cynics and cynicism and why they are the most dangerous people alive.  It's always good to get inspiration, even if its from the most unlikely of places...

I would just like to add in one last thing seeing how you're being a fucking moron about this whole situation. I said why I don't believe the idea will work. Yet you're saying I'm just some nay sayer. Well guess the fuck what. There are several ideas that I've supported. I am entitled to my opinion as are you. Yet you're going to demean someone for theirs which makes you a fucking jackass that has no character. And as far as how you're "supporting" this idea, YOU'VE yet to say anything about how it will help the game other than realism, which has already been stated by admins, that some things we have to sacrifice for the sake of the game in the realism department. I have already said, PERSONALLY, I do not like the idea. I never said that it was just a fucking horrible suggestion, I never said the person who made it is a moron for suggesting it, I simply said I do not like it and why. And yet you attack me for it. I do not appreciate it and all that you are proving is that you can not come up with a valid argument to counter my "nay saying." So fuck off the next time you think you're better than me because I promise you you're not.

Personally, I don't think it is a bad thing to want to hold true to a structure that is and has been a part of the game for longer than 99% of the current users have played it.

Roberto_Carlos (Consigliere) is better than both you.

You can call me whatever names youd like Man Go.  As far as I'm concerned, you're a man without honor and character and it has shown through your words over and over.  You're just pissed off that I called you out on it while others attempt to reserve their own opinions.  Here are your own words:

it would honestly bore me as I stated before. I would get made in no time, and just eventually idle out because there would be no point in putting in more effort because if they were going to give me my own crew, then I would  start playing. Other than that, why would I? And I believe it would make the game more clique-ish because all you would have to do is get a sponsor that you like to rank. Which pretty much ruins the point of doing that in the first place. -Man Go

Ok let's dissect this shall we... I'd like to start off by saying that e fact you think you'd get made in no time by your family, following that with the comment that this feature would make the game more "clique-ish" is so fucking naive, it almost made me accidentally Harlem shake.  I mean, it's the Mafia... And you're whining that it may be too clique-ish.... Think about that... Really???  

Now lets move back to the idea of you getting made in no time then going idle out of boredom... If you were in my family and expected to get to made without anything to really show for it but earnings... You wouldn't see that button if it meant my own fucking life.  In my family pal, you have to actually earn your bones, not just fucking last longer than the others...

But you know, it got me thinking once again.  Maybe Man Go was right after all.  If his opinion is shared by even 30% of the user base, it may be a bad idea to change the current system.  After all, we have to baby coddle them all into higher ranks and groom them to be future leaders who allow people to rank up to consig no problem and they can all play fucking patty cake in the corner.  Meanwhile, stroking their egos with false titles and sense of accomplishment.... 

At least your comments here should ring true for your bosses over in Chicago.  I hope they see their own member stating here publicly unless he gets his own crew, the only thing keeping him active is a leash and the Consig title.  If I were your Don, I'd see that as the biggest slap in the face ever... As it should be.  As it is...

But again, if Man Gos opinions are shared by even a small percentage of the population... I'm afraid the game has deteriorated to nothing more than a ranking system and people have lost the whole fucking Mafia concept.  Perhaps we should rename it to "RankingReturns.com" just for you and all your sad sad friends Man Go.  

I have nothing against you personally, but I have no respect for your way of "life" and neither should most on here who have built relationships with the people they "rank" with everyday.  I'm here for my family and you can ask anyone of them if I'm here for rank, title, my own crew... Or them.  Titles are all bullshit and you have renewed my understanding of why.  

now i like the idea of yours james but with realism we shld try and get more so to 100% then having a few misdirections..in a real crime organization the underboss ran the family idrectly getting all info and having talks with family...the don was head yet delegated his authority..he had say over all things but only to inportant ones that affected family outcome...but lets get on thing correct and not sounding rude but the underboss has nothing to do with consigliere...the consigliere  was a rank of its own yet somewhat our family LHM in a sense..yet he didnt rank up or down and isnt in any line of succession..yet protected family in everyway from legal actions all the way to delaying messages...the consigliere also kept communications between families withing city(crews) or outside city families...

I really like this idea. I believe it would bring some balance back to ranks and also give ranks realism.

i must say I LOVE THIS IDEA! Bump

Nearly a year has passed, the structure is still as rigid as it ever was, families are still top heavy and ranks are still largely meaningless.

Maybe it is time to consider another way?

This would be very difficult to implement but I really like this makes the ranks more realistic and gives them more weight. It looks very complicated but I hope we see it one day.

I felt the same way a period ago, then just got use to the fact these are game mechanics, and work within the game engine.

Realism in this game comes more from outside the game mechanics, imo. And this is why roleplaying games are so fun, because when you start roleplaying with the game mechanics as a canvas, then things are pretty much only limited to what one can think up.

For example myself and Tony wanted to implement more realistic rankings, yet realized we can't limit players to made men within this structure because it would hurt ourselves as a family, and the players, for various reasons.

Yet, what we did realize is we can think outside the box and roleplay the family structure as it's suppose to be, with the Don, the Underboss, the Consig, the Capos, the Soldiers and of course, the Associates; all the while not holding people back from well earned and deserved ranks through the game itself.

Roleplaying really opens things up. If you only play the game with what's provided in the game engine, then it gets really stale and boring. Roleplaying is what really brings this game to life and that's where the realism is, and can be.

Just because the game engine limits something, doesn't mean its the end. With a little creativity and imagination, the browser and the game mechanics become a jumping off point for more depth and realism, not necessarily a hindrance.

I just wanted to chime in, Scarfo and I have been working on this exact thing. While I can understand for various reasons that the ingame rankings can't be capped, for example ONLY 1 Consig, ONLY 2 Bosses ONLY 4 Capos  or whatever the cap is. I def. understand some people may not like that however we came up with a solution.

Very simply put there will be a ingame ranking system just like we have now, however my members are required to do certain things in order to earn the position rather then just reach a age and unit number. More is required of them. 

There will also be a second ranking system which is our RP version of it. This will not effect any ingame mechanics and will open up various roles and positions so that more members outside of CLs and hands are given responsibilites and even in some ways we've setup a taste of leadership. This structure will trump the ingame ranking at least for my crew.

Really you can structure your family how ever you want to, for those of you who liked the original poster's idea however feel it won't get implemented this can still be done, it just won't be a game option but you can run it on your own, however you want it with how many ever positions you want, as long as the CL advises and educates their members on it then it's all gravy after that at your own freedom and control.