Ok recently we all have seen a fluctuation in CLs. I am in no doubt that these people deserve their auth to go out and start their own family and become one's "Captain". However, in my opinion aside from the Role Playing aspect side of it "Captains" are just really their own CLs who RP a "Captains" role. I feel that coding in a "Captain" feature would slightly change dynamics, where in essence said "Captain" would be a Sub-Crew leader but would have similar powers to that of a CL.

If such feature was coded said "Captain" would have the power to recruit members, promote members, purchase HQs (while they are "Captains" the CL would still have some control over HQs or at least the ability to visit it). This would also have the potential to increase the Role Playability. As for the "Captains" to go out and say promote a member the "Captain" would have to get it Okayed by the CL such as other things like HQ wacks.

As well potentially adding more RPing to the game it could also add older features like the ability to purchase larger HQs if the user database is large enough to support it. Smaller yet significant benefits would also be added like "Captains" benefiting from training and learning and or sharpening much needed leadership skills before they are fully out on their own.  Also by doing this it could lead to the user database being increased how much I don't know but when one person is made into a "Captain" they may tell their friends to join so they can join their crew.

My last point pertains to the crew page where there is a plethora of CLs who are actually meant to be "Captains" by coding in a "Captain" feature it could also aide the Crew page where an extension menu could be created under the CLs name showing all "Captains" within a family. This feature could limit the amount of names seen on the Crew page, however, not taking away from the "Captains" allowing new citizens to view them and find out if they have a spot for them.

Sidenote: I have heard that this game previously had it but it was removed. However, I would like to bring it back to the table for consideration.

I completely agree with this idea. I was always wondering when someone would bring this up again. I do believe they should bring it back.

The reason it was removed because people bitched. Captain 1 buys out of Crewleader A's Family, and the userbase was pretty divided on whether Captain 1's members should go with him or remain as part of Crewleader A's family etc. Personally, I feel much of the problem with the original Boldslanties was that the feature was never fully coded, which led to far too many grey areas.

Were this to be fully coded to remove any doubt and descrepancy, I'd fully support a return to Captains.

It seems from the two responses I have had that it would make sense for a return of the Captains feature. But after considering Noah's explanation this addition that is following would also be good to consider if admin decide to re-code it back into the game.

Well if the Captain feature was to be brought back it would be reflective of real life if the members that are in Captains 1 crew go with him/ her if Captain 1 buys out of Crewleader A's family. As it would reflect loyalty that should be shown in a mafia family/ crew. It would also make sense if the members in Captain 1's family go off with him as Captain 1 would of recruited these members and Captain 1 would usually be the highest member in Crewleader A's family that these associates would of have contact with.

I would fully support a return to coded Captains.

I don't believe the above situation should really be an issue. The captain is appointed at the discretion of the leader of the organization. Should your captain turn out to have delusions of grandeur, those you entrusted to his sponsorship (rather than your own directly) should remain with them. Nobody forces the leader of an organization to appoint a captain and these choices are reflective upon that particular family head. If you do not appoint a disloyal captain, you obviously do not encounter this situation.

Part of the problem here is the inability to discern between family and crew. A captain runs a crew within a family. When this was originally suggested, it was really intended to make sub crews realistic and the appointment of several captains with limited numbers of members under their own leadership. What we have at the moment are virtual families as large as the original organization they are deemed to serve. Again upon its introduction a family was not supposed to be allowed to exceed 75 members including captains. This was never officially coded and as a result we have the current system of multiple 50 man captains operating under one banner.

I don't believe a captain's members should be dropped from his sponsorship if he decides to become a maverick. If the idea is that these members are sponsored by the leader of the organization directly as well as indirectly through a captain, then the captains themselves have no use other than to look pretty on the 60 second list. The reason they exist at all is to take members into their employ.

I also agree that it would significantly alter the dynamic of the game. We would get a much clearer picture of how many unique organizations we have operating on our streets and how many are within the same organization. This would be welcome.

~T~

I think that the captains would be a nice feature in the game, but it's not front-of-the-line stuff. I say it should be considered after the Casinos are finished.

It does seem that everyone that has visited this this thread is in support of re-coding in the feature of "Captains".

Although in response to Fever's comment. Without a doubt I believe that this feature shouldn't be rushed into the production line before things that are already in motion such as the casinos. But I still believe consideraton of this paramount even during the time that they're coding in other features due to this feature being previously taken out for a reason. So it will need heavy consideration from both the admin staff and player userbase.

Yeah, I agree, Anthony.

I don't believe it's necessary, as it can clearly be laid out without coding. 

For example, if you look at Marietta's profile you'll see "The Detroit Crime Syndicate. Want in? Talk to one of the Captains." After which it lists the other 4 CLs in Detroit.

I don't believe we need code to fix this problem- if there are inclarities in the world perhaps it could be solved by the Godfathers clearly stating the status of any new auths.

I see where you are coming from Kate that it can be RPed, but in this case Detroit can not be included or should not be used as an example as the CLs are not captains in essence, Detroit more represents early NY with the five families and the first, last and only "Boss of all Bosses" Salvatore Maranzano. But in this case it is the four families.

But the idea I want to bring to the table is for example if one of the members of Detroit's four families wants to set up a "Captain" instead of this "Captain" becoming the fifth family within Detroit, the Captain will work for one of the "four families" of Detroit in which he/ she belongs, recruiting members and such other roles as a CL but will not be an offical CL nor would the "Captain" have as much power as a CL.

Also by stating the status of a new auth, although it may seem insignifcant new players when they first arrive and go to the crew page they are going to see every member outside of a Godfather's family even some Godfather families equal to all other families. So by implementing this and slightly recoding the crew page, this issue wouldn't be a factor even though it still currently is a small factor.

Wonderful idea. Although its an old one, I think it would still be quite useful still in this new era of Mafia.