RP Quality of Life - Available Jobs

[MasterChief]

Please keep this on topic and stay respectful. I want this to be a healthy discussion towards the quality of life of this server. I don't want this to be a "omg this sucks and it should be fixed" thread, I want to encourage active participation in suggesting improvements if you have a complaint. Help fix it, don't just contribute to the issue.

 

First question is for any Admins/anyone that can clarify this. There are many things that I still don't know and I hope to get some clarification here as well. I understand there is a feature that involves a certain distance radius from an open store with an employee, that shuts down other stores in the area. How far is that radius? If one gas station is open in the main Los Santos city area, would one have to travel outside of the entire city to get away from that or is it just a couple of blocks?

 

I've noticed a serious lack of RP quality when it comes to this. I know that there are quite a few people who stay true to their RP in this case and go to employee-opened stores mainly for the RP interactions and I thank you all for that. Unfortunately, I feel this is also a problem with more people who don't want to spend the time to interact with them. I've opened 24/7's and gas station countless times (often during peak) only to have few customers come through for RP interaction. So, with the radius feature, where do all these people go? I've stood in a 24/7 with 200+ people on and sometimes barely get any people to come into the store. Obviously some days are better than others, but a majority of the time it ends up being the latter. I feel the gas station would be a great earning job, if more people came through. There are a few times that I've gotten lucky and ended up earning $1,000+ in a matter of 15-30 minutes, but a majority of the time I'm left standing there with absolutely no customers (often in peak times) or people who come through and act like it's more of a hassle to deal with filling up their gas and RP'ing with someone. It breaks the immersion completely when someone acts like an asshole because they are being "forced" to RP putting gas in their car (something that they should be doing anyways even with no one around, but most everyone simply pulls up, turns their car off and types /refill as if it magically refills itself). 

 

So, what can be done to fix this? I feel the radius feature only works so much because I still don't notice a huge amount of gas stations, 24/7's, Tattoo shops, etc being open a majority of the time. How many people have actually RP'd getting their tattoos done versus going to a closed store and using the script? I applaud those of you who have, but I guarantee more have just magically gotten them done because it takes less time that way. I see maybe one of these businesses open during any given time, but it's never like I would expect it to be where every corner you turn there's a gas station open or a 24/7 open, etc. It seems more people shy away from doing these jobs that are readily available to be used on the server.

 

My question is why? What is stopping you from working these jobs? What are your complaints/concerns? What do you think could be done to fix it or at the very least improve it? 

 

Discuss ?

[Coni]

As a tattoo artist I feel the pain to this. This is and has been discussed in several topics so far, the most actual one I can remember being this one:

 

 

I don't want to type out my opinion for a third time though so I keep it basic - as long as no incentive is created to go to stores that are actively roleplayed and as long as there is no punishment for business owners who just let their business sit idle, generating money on it's own this won't change. 

 

Unfortunately I have yet to see a comment from management regarding this subject. 

 

The best suggestion so far is to make ALL businesses work like garages - no active employee, no service. I don't know why the garage is the only business getting this novelty treatment (especially regarding the popularity in roleplaying a mechanic and the high demand for players to modify their vehicles).

[Mitch]

From a business owner perspective, it's a mixed bag but I'll drop my opinions in here from a gun store owner view

At the start, we heavily invested in building a website to attract people to our store, making it all from scratch, despite the multiple server failures that led us to rebuilding it once again, we do try and actively recruit in store now, which led to a few new recruits to keep the store active and to actively promote RP, but it seems that the majority of the  community just isnt interested in RP in a RP store or a shooting range. Overall I'm happy with the business openings, but its the lack of interest from people in the store which can drive people away. 

39 minutes ago, Kestalas said:

What is stopping you from working these jobs? What are your complaints/concerns? What do you think could be done to fix it or at the very least improve it? 

 

I've heard that some people can get bored in the store, and thats a growing problem I simply can't fix, it's up to the playerbase to work together and make this a fun experience for all, personally. What can be done to fix it or help? I simply don't know what can be done, I'm simply at a loss, unless theres ways of making it more enjoyable for the person working, I don't know. 

 

[Coni]

It's a three fold really. 

 

Employees who don't want to cough up the employee cost

Employers who get bored due to having no customer base

Customers who prefer stores without employees to get in and out quicker 

 

From my view point only the second deserve attention in this regard. Players who actively try to get out of roleplay should not be considered - at all. Employees who refuse to work in their store themselves or employee as well (NO business works with nobody working in it. This is a major realism break in comparison to other realism breaks people complain about)

 

I think if business owners would be forced to employ people and/or work in their store themselves due to not getting revenue otherwise and if customers would be forced to go to stores that are actively roleplayed as nothing else is available the middle issue that employers could bored would sort itself out. 

 

I think the server has a strong enough playerbase to support this. 

 

"What if I play during a time when nobody is online?" Neither your haircut, your clothing, your tattoos or your vehicle modifications are essential to your roleplay. You can simply postpone those activities to when an employee is around. 

 

Filling up gas is the only topic where I see a problem if nobody is online - being forced to walk because you need to save gas during low-activity times is not adding to realism (although one could argue driving around is not essential to your roleplay).

 

Then again out of all roleplay jobs offered the gas station clerk propably offers the least amount of RP depth.

[Jauss]

24 minutes ago, Coni said:

The best suggestion so far is to make ALL businesses work like garages - no active employee, no service. I don't know why the garage is the only business getting this novelty treatment (especially regarding the popularity in roleplaying a mechanic and the high demand for players to modify their vehicles).

I totally agree with this. Honestly. Gas sations and 24/7 stores should only be able to make money with people behind the desk just like garages.. Its a little hard tho, because this would mean that you wont be able to fill your vehicle with gas, if the shops are closed. 

 

Im sure you should keep some kind of system. Like devide it into 3 Sections on the map, rangewise. 

 

So Paleto and the north is one zone. Sandy and the middle of the map is then the next zone and LS and the south is just the city zone. So that if all gas stations are closed in the city, you are able to get gas everywhere, for example. But if one opens, you have to go there... Not sure if its possible. But something like this would force RP upon people. Just like at garages. And I think its needed. 

I heard people running the gas stations are making quite an amount of money, passively, without having to do much, so I think it would only be fair. 

 

Both for the sake of the employees so they can earn more. But also so that the money earned is evened out more. 

 

Also when a vehicle do /fuel. A confirmation should be sent to the employee working there. So the car can't get gas before actually coming inside the store to RP. - Could be a "fix" as well.

Edited July 18, 2019 by Jauss

[Coni]

you forgot us tattoo artists, barbers and binco clerks ?

[MasterChief]

24 minutes ago, Jauss said:

So Paleto and the north is one zone. Sandy and the middle of the map is then the next zone and LS and the south is just the city zone. So that if all gas stations are closed in the city, you are able to get gas everywhere, for example. But if one opens, you have to go there... Not sure if its possible. But something like this would force RP upon people. Just like at garages. And I think its needed.

 

Also when a vehicle do /fuel. A confirmation should be sent to the employee working there. So the car can't get gas before actually coming inside the store to RP. - Could be a "fix" as well.

 

I do know there is some sort of range system, but I'm not sure how far the radius/distance goes from the open store with an employee. The 3-part division you mentioned would make the most sense though. That way someone in Sandy Shores wouldn't have to drive all the way to the city to get gas (if that's the only open gas station with an employee) and same thing goes for Paleto Bay.

 

The second part is already in-game. When an employee is on duty, they have to fill the order before the gas is actually put into the car and payment sent to the employee (just like at an auto garage). 

Edited July 18, 2019 by Kestalas

[Jauss]

1 minute ago, Kestalas said:

 

I do know there is some sort of range system, but I'm not sure how far the radius/distance goes from the open store with an employee. The 3-part division you mentioned would make the most sense though. That way someone in Sandy Shores wouldn't have to drive all the way to the city to get gas (if that's the only open gas station with an employee) and same thing goes for Paleto Bay. 

Exactly

[Rayy]

The biggest issue with gas stations is the fact that no one in their right mind would take a 100k+ vehicle into the ghetto of strawberry to have it refueled. It's fail rp if done so. It's why I never go to any open gas stations(Mostly because the only ones I've seen open are ones in ghetto areas.) And the gas stations out of the ghetto areas don't even seem to be owned by anyone active. 

 

And forcing all businesses to work like mechanic shops won't fix anything, would just make it worse. Mechanic shops are different as theirs always a demand for people wanting to upgrade their vehicles. There isn't as great of a demand of people wanting to go buy sodas and candy bars. Plus even then, everything would depend when you open, I can open a mechanic shop at 100 players on and still only see two people in a hour in my late NA hours. That suggestion fixes nothing but adds more problems. 

 

Most of those shops don't have active workers as people know they aren't money makers, so they would rather get a job at a garage or bartend or do courier instead. 

 

Forcing RP does nothing but make people do a low tier shitter rp or not even rp it. It's the sad truth. 

 

I believe a good solution would be to force owners of these types of businesses to actually have active workers. Currently, there isn't any rules(that I know of) that say you don't have to be hiring people. From my view point, I can easily get a 24/7 somewhere and just let it do its thing and not touch it anymore after getting it. Maybe make it so when items are sold during when a active employee is working it, the business gains a extra bonus % to the business. And when items are sold at a time with no active employee, they gain less money. This would encourage business owners of these types to hunt out active employees to work for them, in return meaning more cash, more rp and more businesses open.  

 

[Engelbert]

I'd say it is generally lack of interest, I still remember when it was the other way around. Mirror Park tattoo studio was opened and people there were nice and roleplayed everything. Yep that's where I had my back done, given arm was already set prior to roleplaying this character. I see people in general being bored with just standing around behind a counter waiting for customers. Nervous went through for those few interested in such by blocking scripted gas stations or stores whenever a roleplayed one is opened. But the rpg element at fault here is "getting money". Also many people either forget or don't even think about roleplaying the most trivial things in quality of life, like cooking, eating, grocery shopping, or even chilling at the beach or pool or whatever.

I think that is where it all goes downhill. Those simple necessities in real life are turned to a hassle in roleplay and slow people down, not really, no they don't.

Edited July 19, 2019 by Engelbert