"Ode to a Sunflower" was a poem I wrote in the fourth grade; it probably serves as much of a purpose as this very post. Seeing how no one has been seriously discussing these issues, nor do I categorize this community as healthy, I can assume this article will go unnoticed and fall into the ether - becoming a relic, like all things created by those who are sincerely trying to improve the quality of role-play and thought.
I would have put this post into suggestions if not for the opinionated comments I'm about to share. This server is a hypocrisy onto itself and the players housed within. After joining only a short while ago, I have found myself perplexed by both the ego and the lack of awareness this community harbors. The test, itself alone being far different in tone that the actually game, is anything but a simple filter. I did not read the rules, I did not read anything - at all. I was able to pass the test with flying colors, simply because I knew what to expect - drawing an image in my head that went a little something like this: what would a fourteen year old kid consider serious role-play?
This is where I ramble on.
Somehow this server has literally cut all content from GTA V. Clothes, apparel, animations, and NPCs. Some of the most interesting and immersive parts of what makes the series so fantastic lay undiscovered in this community. I see suggestions to add certain things, but the overwhelming fears of "abuse" or "non-RP" deter all sensible arguments. Except, the consequences of such decisions leave the server barren and distraught. Socializing is scarce, money has taken priority. Expensive products remove the ability for anyone to gain their start alone, and jobs that may be suitable for your character either don't exist, or serve you very little in terms of cash (IE: drug-dealing). Here's a tangent:
NLR is fucking stupid; it is literally so lame, so unintelligible, so horribly offensive, that if it was a person it would be considered medically retarded. This system was birthed from those who wished to not lose their characters, but still encounter fun, interesting, and sometimes dangerous situations... And while I can sympathize with the thought, I cannot ignore the fact is sounds like it's coming from a seven year old's mouth. You mean to tell me that if we have a "situation", I'm supposed to pretend like you don't exist? Great. So, what's the point of fucking playing? Farming? Go fuck yourself.
I digress.
The problem that I see, is that this server is 100% a climb to do anything worth-while, unless you say "Fuck you" to the system and create your own fun (which by the way, is what roleplay is supposed to be about). The community offers little patience or understanding. Ideas are trumped by fears of the staff or players already so high up the general hierarchy, they are no longer relatable. Admins care more for keeping the peace than providing RP. The server itself lay inconsistent and unable to keep up with the demands that players have for entertainment. Here are a few examples:
Police Health. Ridiculous. You deter me from being a criminal because... I'll always lose? Is that your solution? Good on you, developers. Really appreciate that one.
Functionality of type-chat to voice. Awful. Almost impossible. Patience of players has hit an all-time low. That doesn't mean to add more immediate, mandatory emotes from them. When I die, I don't need someone to ask if I resist getting put on a stretcher or not. I don't need to spend every waking second ready to type out a response of /me does not resist. It is by far, the most cruel, most insane sense of self-immolation I've ever seen figuratively put onto my screen. It is not RP. That is fucking Math 101. Solve the problem, move onto the next one. Retain nothing. Feel nothing. Repeat.
Oh, and the fucking jailing system...
Jail time is fucking ridiculous. It already inhibits your ability to RP. Even more ridiculous is the fact each criminal must serve his full sentence in-game. I'll tell you this; they don't. They watch Netflix or YouTube. The punishment they get? It isn't IC. It isn't taken seriously. It's just a temporary ban from playing the server, but even worse - because you hold them there. No activities, no social events, no long-term prisoners. No chance of escape. It isn't a fun, rich environment - which is what RP grows out of. You're asking for people to complain. To be miserable. You should never punish players; only create a variety in which players are rewarded. Is that not the easiest concept to grasp? Jesus fucking Christ. The problem with these servers is that the people at the top never hop on and play a normal dude, unnoticed, for just a day. They don't. If they did, they may want to change some of the features.
I digress, again.
This whole server is a poster-child for how RP has been corrupted. Right and wrong? You people wouldn't know the difference if one was helping the poor and the other was fucking your sister. Everything about this place is shallow and without heart. I don't see passion, I see competition. I don't see forgiveness, I see impatience. I don't see rules, I see chains. There is no freedom here, only because this server has been backed into a wall by its own player-base.
I don't even know why I wrote this thread. I'm just surprised there isn't more like this.
