Since it's impossible for players to trawl through the hundreds of threads currently there and RP burn them, I wonder if threads that have been inactive for over a month be deleted or locked? I know this may take a while to do but it stops people posting in very old threads for no reason other than to earn extra vip points. People seem to be avoiding the active threads to avoid giving the players creating the business the perks that come with having replies to your thread.

I'd also love it if CL's had a bit more control over the business district, this has probably been said before, but if we were allowed to delete and lock threads ourselves that would be useful. Especially if the admins don't want to go through the hundreds of threads themselves and delete them.

I think the business district just generally needs a good clean up and I think it would be ideal if CL's had the responsibility of looking after their cities BD.

I certainly agree with much of this Achilles, though I would throw in a few caveats around "CLs deleting and locking threads". 

While in theory giving leaders full control should work well, in reality it can be hit and miss. The game will go through periods where the leadership is phenomenal and have the best interest of other users as part of their remit as leaders... but other times the leadership could just plain suck and might even intentionally troll other players. Combine that with the havoc a rogue or a war auth could do in a city... it could get a little messy.

To combat that, a few thresholds on what they can/can't delete/lock would solve most problems. If a thread is IA for a certain period, if the original poster is dead, if the original post is older than xxxxx.... though I'm not sure how easy those flags would be to fit in with the existing DB structure or position rights of users. 

I think the issue lies in the threads themselves. Most are setup to be role played with the owners of the thread, otherwise there seems to be no other draw to be in there posting. If an owner of a business died IRL, the business wouldn't keep ticking over. It would be sold, liquidated, or someone else with authority would be given the business.

I agree with locking inactive threads for the reason they are business, that would be simply 'closed down'. Maybe have an option that someone can re-open it if permission is granted by the previous owner? Like a will of sorts to give this authority. If no said permission is then given, why wouldn't it be closed down?

This would actually bring more activity to the business districts, as you wouldn't have stale business running and open for squatters. Businesses would be opening and closing more frequently, and those that are managed properly would prosper and really stand out from the crowd.

As it is, nothing differentiates a business from another, besides the RP quality within. I understand this is why they are there, yet the site also caters to the realism of the environment, and I believe this would be more realistic. +1

To add I'm not advocating CL's being able to lock/unlock threads, because that would mean they have that kind of authority in the world to close and re-open businesses that they have no part in. I think the mayor should have this responsibility, as in admin moderate the forums and lock inactive threads after a certain period of time. 

This would mean the council would effectively not have received payments for a period of time, and they would foreclose the business due to non payment on the mortgage.

An example of a 'business' being squatted in, and people getting XP for useless posts, which aren't actually really adding anything to the district, because the said business wont be continuing is here: http://mafiareturns.com/comm/thread/389822/page3#newest 

The business has been promoted (pushed to the top) above all others, from a useless post. If someone walked past a business and took a look in the broken windows, it isn't really going to re-establish it as headline news.

Mafioso/CL's/GF's would have 'some' kind of pull, as they would have influence due to bribing/connections etc, yet to close a complete business by their own hands doesn't make sense.

Here's a suggestion. There should be some kind of system that recognizes a business as something that holds more sway in the district, and whatever that criteria is, it then allows the business to be a sticky thread, so it always stays at the top, no matter these random walk bys.

Those established businesses would then have nothing to lose by such posts, and the non-stickied businesses would need to keep their activity up to keep it competing with the other businesses. Although, with a certain criteria in place, activity alone would also hold less weight, yet it should be taken into some kind of consideration.

This would also be good incentive for people to take their business a little more seriously, and return to them more than they do, if of course, activity is a part of the criteria.

What criteria? I'm not in that creative mode, and I don't know enough about the game engine yet to give any ideas I feel are awesome enough, but I'm sure those that know more about how things all tie together could have a good system in place to promote businesses from the mediocre (non-stickied) to the places to be.

And once stickied, if they business then drops off it can fall out of favour and drop off sticky again, so other businesses can compete as they grow and expand.

Sticky/unsticky could work better than lock/unlock.

I think that if a owner of a business dies the business should appear boarded up and closed down like this The Lucky Screw Hardware store  (Closed) There would be an automatic post from the city in the business showing a working crew from city hall from the department of X shutting it down.

Something like

You are walking down the street to The Lucky screw hardware store when you see a group of people with hardhats boarding up the windows.

Worker: "Sorry buddy, but the city is shuttin' this joint down. Apparently we haven't shut off the water and electricity to the building. The city was losing money just having it connected. Now if you'll excuse me..."

The Worker finishes boarding up the windows and puts a city notice on it telling people to keep out.

Worker: "See ya around."

Squishy, to save making a separate thread I will expand on your response.

I like the idea of a revival to a good business thread, would it then be possible to have the descendant take over and receive any tip donations from the original post?

For instance if I create a business that is tip based (requires users to tip in order to receive something) and then die, can my next character then take charge and receive the tips from the original post? If so, would it be possible to change the name from tip to maybe purchase? Or something along those lines, so that it isn't an actual tip due to your admiration of the post made, but a purchase of the goods the poster is selling.

I hope that makes sense, it did in my head lol.

Sorry Squishy, do you mean in addition to the "Purchase" option? As in, there will be 2 options, one to tip if you enjoy the post, one to purchase if you want to receive the goods.

The original poster would still be the same name, but the descendant could take over where the original left off in terms of replying to posts and continuing to provide a service and receive the tip or if it is added, the "purchase" money.

Aye, makes sense.