I'd love to hear peoples thoughts on this.
I'd love to hear peoples thoughts on this.
WJF vehicles? Sure.
I don't think a regular corporate citizen's car is enough to cause alarm, though, unless it is an exceedingly rare and expensive vehicle. There are multiple Holdens in Red, even, so seeing one come through is not necessarily indicative of corporate citizenship. Similarly, I wouldn't think that anyone could recognize 90% of corporate citizens by looking at their face, unless they are NLM stars or celebrities, or recently made appearances on television.
Even if some corporate citizen jumped out of their car and beat someone down with no disguise at all, how does one tell they are a corporate citizen at all unless they're a celebrity? I don't necessarily think that's worth xhelping, personally.
But, of course, bringing corporate branded vehicles down into Red or being a celebrity or obviously being a Judge, all these things make sense to xhelp to alert for an appropriate response.
However, the Mix is huge and chaotic. For example, the time it'd take for a gang to verify the report, organize, communicate effectively and respond to a situation is far, far longer. I think it's fair to keep this in mind when comparing NPC responses.
I agree that if something happens where the Mix collectively would see and be able to verify it through the ambient population, the NPCs should also react (and as I have said, this happens 99% of the time anyway, and people in organizations like these know when to xhelp). But a lone ganger spotting a corporate or WJF vehicle coming out of the tubes that speeds away? It'll take a considerably longer time to be communicated and then verified compared to topside sectors.
The point I am trying to really make here is that there are part of the mix the specify the gangs are supposed to work together to keep certain people that should not be there out of the mix, so for this to happen, the equal playing field in terms of xhelping for crime and actions in the mix should be met to help facilitate this. While I do agree that the WJF probably has a bit more infrastructure, at the end of the day, both factions share the same sic implants and would be dealing with the same problems regardless.
The WJF being in the MIx is definitely atypical but again those situations that do occur are good events for pretty much everyone, and stir stuff up, and by the very nature of the faction those events cannot ever really be surprise activities as far as staff are concerned.
The response rationale has an internal logic but I think fundamentally the XHELP-For-Crime concept is really about topside being safer in theme than in gameplay practice, whereas I'd say the situation is reversed with the Mix where it's notionally a lawless free-for-all where everyone is on their own and no one cares and danger lurks around every corner, but in practice the player density makes it hard to do anything secretly. On that basis I'm not sure the added hurdle would be theme positive.
I like, in general, what is proposed here. However, I think that the spirit of 'help crime' already captures this. I say the 'spirit' of it as there are, in my view, loopholes there that stem from the focus on 'crime'.
An example of what I mean:
Snake Ganger PC Scales takes a loan from PC Snark.. They don't pay. The loan defaults and now Shark is allowed to legally kill Scales. Shark gets a tip Scales just went into Snake HQ so Shark gathers a posse and goes in and kills Scales. Shark wonders if they need to xhelp first as the help files says attacks in ganger HQs but the entire help file is talking about criminal action and what he's doing is legal. So he just rolls in.
Similar situations could occur when it comes to legally sanctioned actions by the WJF or corps. I agree that this feels like an edge case but I also feel that it hits most heavily when it comes to situations described by the original post. I feel that the important parts are already covered in 'help crime' and all that is needed is to adjust the helpfile so it's not so focused on legal and illegal actions.
How would I do that? I'm a little at loss. My first thought is something like this. This is just a rough idea. The exact verbage could probably use a little polishing.
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In Withmore City, the Code of Militant Justice (WCMJ) serves as a guideline for official law enforcement while corporations, gangs and syndicates maintain their own 'law' within their respective domains. But for some, crossing such lines is a lifestyle. Whether a destitute panhandler, newly blooded ganger, illegal arms dealer, self-styled urban terrorist or self righteous vigilante; every day is a gambit evading the consequences of breaking the these laws. As a player, you will find it ubiquitous in coded features and player-influenced lore.
Getting away with such transgressions is just a part of the struggle, residents of Withmore City will often need to use every means necessary to get ahead, even if they have to ruffle some feathers along the way. In one's earliest forays into such RP, consequences can seem overwhelming and brutal at times but the risk often equals the reward. It is important to remember that is not about succeeding or failing but rather telling a story. The web of intrigue woven around even the most innocuous illegal activity can often ripple in ways not perceived.
Keep in mind that it's not just about the WCMJ. It's about actions that would cause the local 'authorities' to react. A PC judge transgressing in a ganger HQ needs to xhelp just as much as a PC ganger transgressing in the Hall of Justice. Being a representative of any one group of authority doesn't make someone exempt from the need to xhelp before committing any of the transgressions described below.
SOME TRANSGRESSIONS REQUIRES NOTIFICATION & APPROVAL FROM GMS VIA XHELP
TRANSGRESSIONS THAT ALWAYS REQUIRE XHELP
- Kidnapping NPCs
RED SECTOR TRANSGRESSIONS THAT REQUIRES XHELP APPROVAL
- Attacks/Bombing/Theft in/on NPC run Ganger/Syndicate/Faction HQs
GOLD SECTOR TRANSGRESSIONS THAT REQUIRES XHELP APPROVAL
- Violent acts/Bombings in Corporate Buildings / Lobbies / Hall of Justice
- Theft in Corporate Buildings / Lobbies / Hall of Justice
GREEN SECTOR TRANSGRESSIONS THAT REQUIRES XHELP APPROVAL
- Any planned bombings
- Planned violet crimes
- Crimes involving Corporate or WJF Buildings / spaces
BLUE SECTOR TRANSGRESSIONS THAT REQUIRES XHELP APPROVAL
- Any crime being planned for Blue Sector
EXAMPLES OF TRANSGRESSIONS THAT WE DO NOT REQUIRE AN XHELP
- 95% of acts on Red Sector
- Tagging on Gold or Green in public areas
- Assaulting or Kidnapping other players on Gold Sector outside of Corporate Buildings
BOMBINGS ON GREEN AND BLUE
Bombing a place is a large action and we want to be prepared for the world to respond in a realistic way. This could mean ambient SIC messages, screams for help, WJF or Emergency Services responses, News Articles, etc. As such, if you're going to take this action on Green or Blue sector, we want a heads up. This heads up does not mean you won't get away with your crime. It does mean that there will be a response. This response helps make your effort meaningful and impactful. A response from the GMs is NOT a negative thing. We want to help your actions have the impact that you are intending, where possible.
"No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well maybe chalk it up to forced consciousness expansion: Tune in, freak out, get beaten." - Old Man Thompson
First you have those players who avoid engaging staff at all cost for whatever reason. Maybe some might have engaged but not now. Then you have the simple fact that, despite their best intentions and efforts, you now have scheduling issues. Staff is not always there and even when they are they are not always available for this kind of thing
These are not barbs at either party, just how I have always seen things going. It will also not stop the activities completely. And maybe some feel the potentially improved quality more than makes up for the reduction in frequency. I'm just saying it's always a tradeoff.I tend to prefer as few 'xhelp first' restrictions as possible but I can see why some prefer it the other way too.
However, if there are going to be restrictions like this, I just prefer for them to be as clear and streamlined as possible. In my mind, something like what I suggested helps here. But maybe not. That's fine too. I don't feel anything I suggested expands anything. It's just an attempt to provide more clarity on what is already there - though I think it can for sure be worded better!
The caveat is you gotta @note your IC-actions. They don't need to be glamorous notes (mine often resemble a child with a crayon) but they need to be there.