Barbary

Agreed. My faction has those standards already, but I'd imagine the reason why others don't is mostly due to lack of inertia.

I'd blame Hollywood for this, where most show's cast of characters are 33 at most and are played by good looking actors/actresses with a battalion of make up artists. A lot of people want to RP their favorite media when it comes to scenes than the scene itself. Thing is I'm not sure it can really be fixed outside of faction leadership forcing age parameters. But doing that could also have a negative effect on membership.

All I'm saying is if we were rolling with realism, the alphabet gang would've come down once Hateseed became a thing.

Generally just find a spot and pop a squat. Most people prefer setting up in one of the smaller flat parks.

The people I tend to run into the county fall into three categories most of the time. 1. They're affiliated with one of the multitude of gangs/OCGs that run out of Sandy, even when you're rolling around Paleto or Grapeseed. 2. They work for the LSSD (Like my character does). 3. They work for SASP. Perfect example I'd say would be that MMA gym that popped up in Paleto Bay by the supermarket. It started off as a normal business until eventually one of the local MCs stepped in associated themselves with it. Moment that happened, most of legal/LEO characters bailed and went back to visiting gyms in LS. Far as I know the only County business that's remained independent neutral ground other than the 24/7s is the Royal Rebel Casino. And that's because they've got armed security out the gills and their owner's been around so long that he's built inroads to the established groups. I'd say that's the main issue more than anything. The County as an RP spot exists basically as an anathema to Los Santos. People who RP living there do so because on some OOC level they actively dislike the RP in the city. I'm in that boat myself, my character lives up north and works out of the Senora Station because I on an OOC level don't like getting into gunfight #32 of that week. But that mentality also causes people to become guarded and distrustful of newcomers because we don't want the County to turn into the same tire fire that the City is. This, plus the fact that most county RPers know who each other are, means that cliques can form very easily and very quickly. Not that this isn't an unfixable problem. We just need server management to find way to make RPing in the county an easier transition for people. It's why I've always advocated for more improvements to be made to Paleto Bay, to try and make it seem more like a proper town than just a small settlement on the far edge of the map. It has the perfect setting to create that middle ground between high speed City RP and the entrenched rural RP of Sandy.

The county scene is turning into one of those CCTV videos from Brazil. Everyone you run into out there is either a member of organized crime or an off duty cop.

IFM would still almost certainly block bodycams. Heck LFM might too.

You don't get a server with this much dedicated mod work without the Devs and the owner making money. I'm good.

Gonna add something on from a video I saw a few hours ago. A deputy rolled around the corner in his car, and he stumbled upon an ongoing robbery. Two robbers putting three people against a wall and running their pockets. Both the suspects were armed. You'd think the smart thing to do is to run like hell, maybe fire a shot or two at the Deputy's car to keep him pinned. Maybe try to use your robbery victims as leverage. No. They both charged the car and magdumped the guy through his windshield. You wanna know why? Because even if they lost that fight, the worst thing that would've happened to them is a PK. But trying to put someone in the dirt is the path of least resistance on this server, because if they did try to run then there was a chance they could've been caught. Then sent to jail. And risking a day in jail is so much worse than risking a PK, right fellas? I'm gonna turn into the Goddamn Joker.

There's too many OOC ways to get out of player or character screw ups. Mis-ID'd someone and attacked them, but you realize after the fact they're the wrong guy? Void. Get put in jail for a long period of time after you get caught lacking? Name change. Pick a fight you can't win and get taken down for it? PK. People want to win. They keep rolling around acting like this is some contest where they can somehow end up as King of Shit Mountain. You want consequences to start mattering, you need to develop and enforce a server culture where people take their failures on the chin and roll with it instead of looking for a way to rules lawyer their way out.

I do also worry about that, I'll admit. If the Mask ordinance did get passed by the City or State GOV, how would people react? Would they try to have it reverted via IC means or would they immediately demand Faction Management step in? If the attempts to revert the ordinance IC fail, would players accept that or would they then turn it into an OOC matter? Flipside's also true, if the mask ordinance got shot down in court after the fact, would people be good with that or go to FM and push for it to be reinstated. At the end of the day it seems like no one has faith in LSGOV or SAGOV to actually create laws.

Better yet, have Courthouse Auctions for the cars. But still kill the motherfuckers.