Criminal Organization

[NostalgicMelody7]

So... one of my characters (No names ;D) is planning on rooting a criminal organization in a certain town (No name ;D ;D ;D). No idea how often this has been done, but I'm determined to make it happen. Any suggestions?

[Snickie]

Don't get caught by the wrong people.

Sorry, that's all I can really offer. After seeing what happens to most thieves, I've decided not to have any thieving characters.

[Taralyn]

It really depends what you mean by 'criminal organisation' will you be pirates that fly through town and steal everything not nailed down, assassins who take out other characters for coin, marauding bandits? Be aware that you would need to be careful, many towns would band together to take you out.

[CrashBlizz]

I've been involved in secret societies before and I'm guessing thats the type of thing youre going for with criminal organisation - otherwise, as Taralyn says, the goodie-goodies will just wipe you out.

The problem with this sort of thing is notes. When one of your members dies they'll undoubtably drop a note that speaks about your organisation and thats you rumbled. Even if you tell characters not to keep notes most still will because they know you'll never find out until they die and by that time what do they care.

Get around that problem and you could do well in the right area with the right help.

[Arenti]

As far I have seen there are few bad people who get old, especially those without support of old powerful groups. I only play good chars and couldn't play bad chars. So if you meet one of mine and he knows what your char is up to, through in game things of course. Your char will be stopped. And I find it bad form to ask for suggestions to ruin the play enjoyment of others.

And the good people aren't like irl, trying to capture bad chars and put them on trial. They will be executed without any questions asked. the bad guys I mean.

[NostalgicMelody7]

Yeah, I kind of figured there would be some opposition, but that's just the way I roll

As for the guild itself, I imagine it as comparable to the Thieves Guild mixed with the Dark Brotherhood in the Elder Scrolls games

[SumBum]

And I find it bad form to ask for suggestions to ruin the play enjoyment of others.

A "criminal organization" doesn't have to be something that ruins the enjoyment of others. Admit it or not, you can't have a knight in shining armor if there's no villain to slay. Players are most active when there's some thief to chase, etc. Criminals don't always have to be violent or even thieves. If they're done well then it can bring a lot of interesting long-term RP.

On topic: I think your biggest struggles will be the fact that chars are so quick to squash anything that remotely sounds suspicious. Recruiting will be difficult. Also, the fact that all those "good" chars are quick to kill anyone displaying a hint of criminal behavior means that finding clients will be difficult (in the case of trying to establish a mercenary group). I've tried playing chars who offer to kill criminals for the squeamish, hunt down chars who someone has grudge against, and so on, but the bottom line is that the majority of chars have no problem cutting someone down themselves and it's far more interesting for the player to give chase than pay someone else to have the fun.

[NostalgicMelody7]

Well, I have recruited many people already. I find that the easiest way to recruit people is to hound them as soon as they spawn on whether they want to join our little "group" or not. The system works quite well, actually.

I've also developed a system of code names for our group members, as well as a sort of Codex for us. That way, we can speak in notes without much worry (we still order the notes to be destroyed). And now the number of people joined are so high that if one of us betrays us, we can all gang up and kill them in a day's time. So, hopefully, the number of group members will help to avoid a betrayal, or worse, complete rebellion.

[Arenti]

Okay, one suggestion. If you want it to be a secret, keep it a secret. even from the forum. and sounds to me your little group is growing to fast to be organized well and to control who gets in. . and the more new people the more who will fall asleep in some time .Anyway that's all you get from me

[NostalgicMelody7]

Thanks for the tip ;D

[Arenti]

and the more brutal the group is as in killing people for things are just attacking towns. the quicker the group will meet resistance and get wiped out. Always happens. That's why It'the most bad, just because people kill many chars for greed or just wanting to kill and ruining people's fun. And then soon get killed themselves so it was all for nothing except for hurting the game.

[NostalgicMelody7]

Well, it's just like that in real life, isn't it? Some people like to live life peacefully, doing nothing but living to survive. Others prefer to go out and adventure, pushing dangerous borders for their enjoyment. And others still, like my one character, prefer to make others' lives miserable. It's not like he's just going out of his way to destroy towns, either. It may evolve into that later, but that isn't his goal at the moment. He just wants a little pit of evil to call his own, is all :3

It's not much of a game without the baddies, in my opinion. Imagine one of those uneventful lives I mentioned earlier. A very sleepy life filled with nothing but harvesting potatoes so they survive day to day. Sure, there's occasional friendship drama, or a petty thief here and there, but nothing major would ever happen in their life. I'm just here to turn the tables ;D

[Arenti]

Partly wrong partly right. Sleepy towns have more to do with bad leadership than with no bad people to kill. true bad people add something to cantr, but not those who kill people just for the fun of it. that damages cantr. and by attacking towns you mostly kill the ones who do care about playing and making plans. there are enough examples of towns that went to ruins after an attack because of the active people keeping it running were killed. So not active town is bad leadership and not the lack of bad people.

[NostalgicMelody7]

Everyone has their own opinions, I suppose :3

[Arenti]

well of course but I also have lots of experience with this. And my chars have many times changed such towns of potato harvesting all the time into very active towns. So yes I know what I'm talking about and bad people had nothing to do with it