Suggestion to Scale Drug Manufacturing Level(s)

[skeletee]

Hi there,

I’d like to propose that drug manufacturing level(s) be retroactively scaled based on the number of drugs a player had crafted prior to the update.

For example, if a player who’s been active for 5 years has crafted 5,000 drugs prior to the update, their level should reflect that past effort rather than starting from lvl 0.

Speaking on behalf of the faction I help lead (Girlies), we have members who’ve been around for 3–6 years and have put in a great amount of time and effort into the server, and during that time, will have manufactured enough drugs to be at a level significantly higher than 0. Resetting them to level 0 feels like a bit of a disservice and demoralising to that long-term commitment and progression.

If drug manufacturing level represents in-character expertise, then it should follow that levels should reflect a character’s past experience. Currently, it doesn’t make much sense for my character, or others, to be reset to level 0 when they’ve been involved in the drug scene for several years in the past.

Appreciate your time and consideration!

P.S. Apologies if this suggestion has already been made, please feel free to merge with similar suggestion(s).

Edit: I wanted to add an honourable mention from @Phantas to the main post that relates directly to the suggestion above. This is in regards to ensuring more fairness, which I do agree with.

Quote

There was a point where multiple players I knew could/would easily cook 500-1000 drugs in a single day in property labs. If it was possible to isolate the date for this ''previous exp'' to after private labs being removed I feel the exp would be fine to add retroactively but in no way should it count private lab drug exp.

Edited July 10, 2025 by skeletee
Removed "scaling to EXP", because I think it could get confused with player playtime EXP, which was not initial reason for suggestion.

[Danny_V]

would 1 level per X days actively played on the server be fair?
or 1 level per X experience?
Think it's potentially a bit of a can of worms to figure out who's a crim (and a crim that cooked in the past) to figure out what a fair level of starting experience would be.

I dont have any ideas as how to balance this, so i'm going to let that open for now,
But there's numerous ways this could be done, just unsure what would be fair..

In a way the new system levels the playing field, and more seasoned players are better connected so that may be an advantage in and of itself over newer players.

 

Edited July 9, 2025 by Danny_V

[skeletee]

17 minutes ago, Danny_V said:

would 1 level per X days actively played on the server be fair?
or 1 level per X experience?
Think it's potentially a bit of a can of worms to figure out who's a crim (and a crim that cooked in the past) to figure out what a fair level of starting experience would be.

Hey Danny. The suggestion is not to scale days of activity to level, it is to scale amount of drugs manufactured in the past to level. I would expect the server’s database to have records of the total number of drugs each player has crafted historically. 

I think that scaling by days played would not be fair, since many players play daily without crafting drugs and therefore would not have the same knowledge as players that have. 

In terms of scaling, the scaling system would remain the same as it is currently. The only ask is for the scaling to take account of all the drugs manufactured pre-update. For example, a player with 5 years of experience who crafted 5,000 drugs (pre-update) would have the same drug manufacturing level as a player who crafted 5,000 drugs within 1 year after the update (post-update). 

Edited July 9, 2025 by skeletee

[Skiperz]

The idea in itself is nice but I doubt there is a way to find out how much a person cooked before the update. Giving levels per X EXP would be a bit unfair as some have VIPs and would fly through levels. I like the idea, I do not like the fact I have to start from the zero after years of cooking but again, I don't think they have a way of making it fair for everyone. They already allowed XP purchase in the beginning.....

[DaMasterSplinter]

I hardly agree with the said person above, but the suggestion she made is actually thoughtful. Personally I have not cooked that much in the past as I find cooking drugs the most boring shit you can do. I am not wasting my time sitting afk in a drug lab or to be pushed by pvp dudes but I believe all these people that spent so much time cooking in the past to be level 0.

I would like to add if there was something like  small experience given to all the players present in the lab it would be a good idea. Because cooking drugs is not the fastest and when holding with 10+, all the others are just afk till someone try to contest the drug lab or to run away when pd/sd pull up. It makes sense for them to get some exp as they are actively present during the other person's cook as they are watching/learning from other.

[Danny_V]

42 minutes ago, skeletee said:

Hey Danny. The suggestion is not to scale days of activity to level, it is to scale amount of drugs manufactured in the past to level. I would expect the server’s database to have records of the total number of drugs each player has crafted historically. 

I think that scaling by days played would not be fair, since many players play daily without crafting drugs and therefore would not have the same knowledge as players that have. 

In terms of scaling, the scaling system would remain the same as it is currently. The only ask is for the scaling to take account of all the drugs manufactured pre-update. For example, a player with 5 years of experience who crafted 5,000 drugs (pre-update) would have the same drug manufacturing level as a player who crafted 5,000 drugs within 1 year after the update (post-update). 

oh if that record exists then, yeah 100%
I just assumed there wasn't and tried to come up with other systems of scaling.

[AnakinB]

tbh -1, Its annoying to have to sell piss tier drugs again, but at the same time half the servers crim base was always complaining about how theres nothing to work toward, now there is something to work toward and people wanna skip it, I think its fine how it is tbh. 

[Danny_V]

3 minutes ago, AnakinB said:

tbh -1, Its annoying to have to sell piss tier drugs again, but at the same time half the servers crim base was always complaining about how theres nothing to work toward, now there is something to work toward and people wanna skip it, I think its fine how it is tbh. 

would you want the entirety of historical experience to be wiped, or would you be open to having them count at a reduced percentage?

Lets say 10k drugs cooked pre update could be the same experience as 5k or 2.5k drugs post-update.
 

 

Edited July 9, 2025 by Danny_V

[skeletee]

37 minutes ago, AnakinB said:

tbh -1, Its annoying to have to sell piss tier drugs again, but at the same time half the servers crim base was always complaining about how theres nothing to work toward, now there is something to work toward and people wanna skip it, I think its fine how it is tbh. 

I totally get where you're coming from, but if criminal players feel there's nothing to work toward, the solution shouldn't be to wipe progress and force everyone back to square one. That just punishes long-term, experienced players who’ve already put in the grind.

Instead, the focus should be on expanding the system, such as adding new mechanics, tiers, or incentives that allow progression beyond where things previously capped out. Give even the most veteran players new mechanisms and features to learn and understand. That way, newer players still have goals, and veterans have something meaningful to work toward too, without erasing what they’ve already built.

Edited July 9, 2025 by skeletee

[Sarahh]

3 hours ago, skeletee said:

who’s been active for 5 years has crafted 5,000 drugs prior to the update, their level should reflect that past effort rather than starting from lvl 0.

I agree with what you said. I feel like starting from zero again gives me no motivation especially when I need to cook 250x drugs a day to reach max level in 4 months. I can't cook that much anymore because of the number of factions using the labs. Only 5 are active, and they have 2–3 tables that barely get used. We need more tables and a new marijuana plantation in other labs.

 

 

2 hours ago, DaMasterSplinter said:

I would like to add if there was something like  small experience given to all the players present in the lab it would be a good idea. Because cooking drugs is not the fastest and when holding with 10+, all the others are just afk till someone try to contest the drug lab or to run away when pd/sd pull up. It makes sense for them to get some exp as they are actively present during the other person's cook as they are watching/learning from other.

I agree with this idea because I feel that holding a lab should give you Criminal EXP based on the time you spend there. For example, if someone is cooking 10x of a drug like LSD on each table, it takes at least 23 minutes of holding inside the lab. You should gain some experience for helping your gang member cook it would make players enjoy staying in the lab more. To prevent AFK abuse, you could make it so Criminal EXP is only given when there are drugs actively being cooked on the lab tables.

[Ritchie Stones]

here is the real difference maker... all you guys need is a reason, 
like being able to have a private lab at certain level 
or being able to plant weed plants anywhere in the map, all at level 100

and suddenly all this noice will shut down to 0 and yall be grinding your asses off.
why ? because the reward is far bigger, so suddenly you feel bussy and fullfilled.

all it takes is a good reason....

[Danny_V]

are you for real Richie?

How did you find a way to turn this into a private lab thread again?  

[derick gee]

IMO there is nothing wrong with resetting the levels, alsong as there is something new in the levels, which they fixed by adding a higher price for top level. 

Would be nice to see ability's added too maybe like certain drugs cook 5 seconds faster etc just to fill in the gaps of the level system as its very long jumps for each target

[Phantas]

Tbf a fresh start in levels is fair, because someone who cooked 5k drugs in public and someone who cooked 5k drugs in a private property lab using the water bug/feature are going to have put in different amounts of effort and risk. 

There was a point where multiple players I knew could/would easily cook 500-1000 drugs in a single day in property labs. 
If it was possible to isolate the date for this ''previous exp'' to after private labs being removed I feel the exp would be fine to add retroactively but in no way should it count private lab drug exp. Or else Mr. @moment would be level 958. 

[GodDammitKopi]

Okay, that’s enough. If you all can’t handle yourself and act like adults this will be locked. Anymore senseless back and forth and petty remarks are going to result in punishments.