Fact is i sat round doing jobs for various crews just to only hear from 4 people.   Felt like the whole jobs board process was pointless to me.

To this that @DanDare said, i can only suggest this. The job board to have a list with the name of the  sponsors available online -more or less just like we see in localcrews page. After clicking on each sponsor to be able to choose from the jobs each sponsor has for him available. When one is directed personally to someone, the sponsor will deal with this differently. While, when there are 3-4 sponsors online, maybe they can think that someone else from the crew will contact first...

As for the cash, it would be nice if there was a kind of achievement that practically don't matter for many of us to reveal, just like the petties, or felonies achievement, that when a "new" player completes, some cash to be directed to the sponsor. As a reward  for having an active member on his responsibility. We need to give rewards to sponsors who are mentors to new players. Thus we need  to find a way to promote the true spirit of helping people in game, and not just making some easy money. Taxes are just easy money. Sponsors will not appreciate this. Some bonus (even in XP) from an associate  who is active in the streets then, seems also a good idea for me. 

The sponsors would go offline was a big problem for me, would do 2 jobs then be stuck in limbo with them

No james contacted me, i had been talking to vivian and tabitha before, when it went quiet, i was doing jobs for richard maybe, was a mail, then i think richard went offline and james contacted me, then i got a second mail of richard after i joined james.

From what I can gather the problem doesn't seem to be a lack of cooperation or willingness on the part of most participating CLs. It would appear the numbers of designated sponsors being proactive and alert to their role, is. Therefore, as you mentioned, it would seem logical to incentivise the role for the majority of them. Making them earn money from their associates crimes and activities again would certainly be a step in the right direction. Maybe even increasing the amount or percentage they make from each to the point where a full compliment of active associates could yield a half decent daily cash boost. 

Additionally, perhaps some extra bonus for each associate that receives their button and becomes a member of the main family. This would again incentivise tutelage and make sponsors less ignorant of their associates. The increased interaction and help would surely be worth a little cash/perk/credit smile? 

Personally, I am not a fan of it being automatic again. I was fully supportive of the change away from that and I continue to be as a member.

If sponsors want to be compensated then perhaps they should discuss it with their CLs and come up with a way that can be managed without changing the game back. I think it would be a good chance for crew leaders to pick up on the initiative and see where that leads to first?

I do like that there is the ability to turn off sponsor when you get busy and have something to do. But if people aren't encouraged or incentivized to recruit should that not be something leaders need to address for their own family? Could fall under those things that can make a crew different from the next one.

I wouldn't mind seeing it go back to automatically kicking the Sponsors back a % - I don't think I've ever been in a Family since it got switched where the CLs directly kicked back money to Sponsors..Which is fine, there's obviously a ton of expenses being a CL, but ultimately it's not that much money that Associates bring in, generally. I think if it'll help get Sponsors to be more efficient/attentive*, go for it.

(*Granted I still think the responsibility of having good Sponsors should fall on the Upper Structure(s) of any given crew(s), but clearly this is not happening)

I don't think this would make an impact anymore.

The sponsor system was a great idea when it was first brought in, however it feels like the pressure to make it work is geting higher and higher on a select few people.

I've mentioned this to Izzy privately, but over the last week I've spoken to at least 11 workers and brought them into the crew. 10 of them Thursday to Sunday. 

On Sunday I turned off my sponsor flag to enjoy the evening and then left it off Monday morning while I was clearing my weekend work in the office. Rebuild mode landed again. I turned it back on again and noticed it lifted over the course of the night. I turned it off again so I could get some work down and R Mode is back AGAIN.

I've turned it on to find I'm the only sponsor online, by checking the jobs board.

Now this is not about me, I'm sure there are others who are having an equal impact on the jobs board, however it feels like we are a minority. The time I'm taking to talk to workers is eating into the time I would use for Helpdesk mails.

The fact of the matter is that the site needs traffic to survive and whether we want to be responsible for that or not, we're perfectly positioned to offer that support to people who need introducing or housing.

I completely understand Izzy's point of view and the resulting impact is that the job of being a sponsor has become a great deal more significant. There are many things to be wary of. Keeping an eye on your flag. Keeping in touch with the worker to retain their attention (I've had at least 1 log off and not return as I couldn't respond in time). Be sure not to ask questions about their history. All on top of making the right impression.

I got burnt recently for sending out a templated approach and then mirroring the wording I used to two recruits, who happened to know each other IRL. I hate using templated responses, but it's getting to that point so I can keep up with the demand. Being a sponsor isn't about templates and copy pasting, it's about engagement.

The alternative is we just get used to Rebuild mode being on and adjust the way we play to accomodate it.

Squishy, as I went on record previously, i believe your suggestion should be the other way around, the taxes should go to the sponsors and it should be their job to forward it to the CL, which would be a far more realistic setting. lowly gangsters don't walk up to the Don with a big fat envelope of cash after all.

This allows for Sponsors to stiff their boss if they so wish, and it alows for the boss to try and catch those not being 100% honest with them, leading to a far more immersive experience.

As outlined in greater detail, here:

https://mafiareturns.com/comm/thread/542634#111971446

The problem with that is if the sponsors stiff the bosses then the associates get blamed for it.

So I disagree about that being a thing They_Live.

Why would the associates automatically get blamed? Surely in management if all your teams save one is performing well, then you should look to that teams manager, not its members? I mean, as a past CL myself over these last 15 years, If I had an issue with an associate or two, my first port of call was that associates sponsor, this going right back even to the days before sponsors, when we had 'sub crews'.

As a sponsor in my crew, you were always responsible for those you invited into the family, and they never got their button unless the sponsor was prepared to personally vouch for them.

Sure there are CLs who aren't like minded as myself, but no matter what solution you come up with, you will always have CLs like that. A CL could even demand that you immediately forward any and all Sponsor earnings you recieve if they so desired, and it would be perfectly fine within the realms of the game.
 

As long as the CL is observant enough, they should be able to determine if a sponsor is stiffing them, or if said sponsor truely has a bunch of pathetic loosers working for him.

The next thing would be that a sponsor who regularly stiffed his boss, would get a reputation for being a poor sponsor. He'd reach his associate limit, be unable to recruit more, and the money he was able to skim would start to dry up.

If you really want to skim money from a mafia boss, you need to do it in such a way as you don't get caught, otherwise you will probably end up face down in a hole in the desert.

Not every CL is the same though. So if suddenly a sponsor isnt kicking anything up to the CL, perhaps they would think it was the associate who wasnt?

I still hate this idea regardless of how you dress it up. I can see more problems with trying to rank then we already see. As a member I want my money to go directly to my CL. I usually don't pick a family for any other reason..

Exactly, not all CLs are the same. That's what makes the world such a pleasurable place. Also, as you said, you choose your CL carefully, someone who you believe to be a good and decent CL perhaps? Would this not reduce the chances of a CL automatically assuming you are to blame over your sponsor?

Further, if a CL approaches you and says, 'Tenley, you've been in my crew for 10 days, and haven't sent me a cent in tribute, what are you playing at?' would you not say, 'But sir, I did, i have sent my Sponsor 3 million today alone, here, look at my personals showing the money I have sent my Sponsor?.'?

What if someone unfortunate picks the first CL that offers them a spot? Maybe that CL wouldn't be a decent one and they would get screwed. As much as you promote the possibility of good things, you aren't looking at the downfalls to it.

Yes, CLs being different is a good thing. Sure it makes it more pleasurable, but I rather not promote horrible CLs being horrible to a degree that can potentially screw over new players.

I would never send my sponsor anything. This is where you and I don't see eye to eye. I think it should be up to the CL to send incentives for their sponsors, or get different ones that really want to do it. I was for the change where that was actually an option, not where my money was going to god knows who for god knows what.

I'm perfectly aware of the downfalls of it, as with everything, there should be plusses and negatives. The current system has flaws. Whilst as a CL I automatically paid my Sponsors half of what their Associates tributed up in taxes, I am aware that most do not. Its why i don't become a sponsor in any crew anymore. Why should I work my balls off for nothing in return?

I understand that we you don't like my idea, and that is also fine, to each their own. In the same way as I think your opinion of your sponsor is reprehensible. I look for a good CL to work with, but I also look for a good sponsor to work for. If I am not happy with the sponsor, or I don't believe he is up to the job, i won't be taking an invite from him. To the point that if I still really want to work for that crew leader that i would contact one of his hands or the CL directly.

If you are determined to play a mafioso, then your first loyalty to to your Sponsor, in reality you would probably not even meet the CL until you are getting groomed for your button, when you go from 'a friend of mine' to 'a friend of ours'.

Good to know what you think of Sponsors in general though.

I am speaking on my own way of doing things. I don't pick a family based off a sponsor, in fact more often then not I speak directly to the crew leader because I like to know whether it's a good fit or not. Or at least the chances of it being a decent match for myself.  I am also aware that sometimes sponsors don't actually do the recruiting, sometimes they are told to send an invite to a particular individual. Again another way that your loyalty may not even be to the sponsor.

When I join a family, the chances are I will be dying for the CL, not the sponsor. So I don't understand how its such a hard concept for you to grasp that I may not have the same attachments to a sponsor as someone that the sponsor recruited themselves.  You are of course entitled to your beliefs though, but don't try to accuse me of knocking sponsors because my experience is not to deal with them directly. Someone else may do so and it will be great for them. They can come speak their own minds on that. But I do not join a family for a sponsor. I cannot unless it's a specific person I trust not to screw me over.

Not a hard thing to grasp at all, I commend your loyalty to your chosen CL. Would you extend the same loyalty to a CL that you didn't choose to be with? For instance if the CL you chose became a GF and didn't bring you into his GF crew, perhaps lumbering you with your Sponsor as your new CL?

And i didn't try to accuse you of knocking sponsors, i think you did a fine job of that with your 'I would never send my Sponsor anything' and 'Not where my money is going to god know's where and god knows what'.

Its fine, we don't see eye to eye on this point, and in all liklihood never will, regardless of what we say to each other, but again that is fine, we will only find a workable solution when everything else is exhausted.

Perhaps a small(10%) of all the Associates actions (Petty/Felony/OC/DFP/Votes/Drugs) could get wired to the Sponsor automatically? I feel like this would still leave the Associate plenty of room to directly send their CL [which realistically has been pointed out is inaccurate anyway, as you'd never see the Boss that young, but alas,] which covers the potential "getting screwed by your Sponsor" bit, yea?