ifm Car Theft/Vandalism & You

[khadijeh.]

Hey.

 

This thread is to start up a discussion, as well as just get opinions and other perspectives, from all areas of roleplaying regarding the specific area of roleplaying with is car theft and/or car vandalism. To define these terms, I am talking about when cars are lockpicked as well as when cars are vandalized/small parts of the vehicle stolen for parts.

 

To give some context, there are 'chop-shops' on the server in which are ran by individuals and/or factions for the sole purpose of cutting vehicles up and receiving X amount of parts for them. These can also be operated from garages, you can read more about them here: https://forum.gta.world/en/topic/4697-garage-chop-shops/

 

Illegal Faction Management (IFM) is currently aiding players through schemes in which can encourage alternative routes of acquiring car parts/metal parts without the need for a chop-shop or a garage involved. This is to broaden the horizons for their roleplay and encourage passive activities among factions without the need for a script in exchange for car/metal part rewards from IFM.

 

This isn't a thread about development suggestions. This is for you to raise any suggestions/feedback for what IFM can do to better this scene.

 

Some discussions points;

• How do you feel about the frequency of car theft?
• How do you feel about IFM offering alternative routes instead of relying on the script? 
• How do you feel about the current quality of car theft?
• Have you ever seen information markers left at cars/buildings regarding metal having been stolen? 

All opinions are valid but comments derailing the thread will just be hidden, my goal here is to get feedback and opinions that I can work with to pitch new ideas within IFM and help illegal roleplayers where they may currently be struggling.

 

[Anders]

I dunno, it has to be realistic. And good on LFM on trying to encourage more rp than script.

 

I've seen few cims of cars being vandalized but no cars there (which is due to restart etc?), they're ok

[knppel]

 

 

• How do you feel about the frequency of car theft?

After playing quite actively for almost a year, it's safe to say that the much lower frequency of car thefts is one of the most convenient changes in QoL in comparison to lsrp.

As other oldtimers will certainly recall, exceptions stating the rule it was common etiquette to despawn one's car there after use, to not just have random bypassers take it along and later have to look it (or charge out for a ringing alarm).

I'd have to check up, but the total number of times a car of Carry's was stolen I can count out on one hand.

I can't pinpoint whether it's the rules, their enforcement or the script, but unlike in lsrp as mentioned, I can realistically park a car like a normal person and, exceptions stating the rule, expect to find it there later again (unless it's Mission Row huehue).

• How do you feel about IFM offering alternative routes instead of relying on the script? 

I got no insight in how it works from the chopper's side so I can't say much about how, if or what sort of rewards should be given for what, however refering to the point above and to my best knowledge car theft not being an overboarding problem ic, more options here might be a good idea.

IRL, many car thieves do not aim for the full car, but only break it open to steal valuable interior or engine parts too after all (which is much easier to transport and hide than a whole car).

• How do you feel about the current quality of car theft?

As the one on the receiving end: It works for me, when the car's gone it's gone and the cops start looking out when I call ic etc. 🤭

• Have you ever seen information markers left at cars/buildings regarding metal having been stolen? 

No, hadn't had that (I had a lot of cims about painted/scratched in penises and insults and egg yolk on the car though 😋)

[Esc]

6 minutes ago, honey. said:

Hey.

 

This thread is to start up a discussion, as well as just get opinions and other perspectives, from all areas of roleplaying regarding the specific area of roleplaying with is car theft and/or car vandalism. To define these terms, I am talking about when cars are lockpicked as well as when cars are vandalized/small parts of the vehicle stolen for parts.

 

To give some context, there are 'chop-shops' on the server in which are ran by individuals and/or factions for the sole purpose of cutting vehicles up and receiving X amount of parts for them. These can also be operated from garages, you can read more about them here: https://forum.gta.world/en/topic/4697-garage-chop-shops/

 

Illegal Faction Management (IFM) is currently aiding players through schemes in which can encourage alternative routes of acquiring car parts/metal parts without the need for a chop-shop or a garage involved. This is to broaden the horizons for their roleplay and encourage passive activities among factions without the need for a script in exchange for car/metal part rewards from IFM.

 

This isn't a thread about development suggestions. This is for you to raise any suggestions/feedback for what IFM can do to better this scene.

 

Some discussions points;

• How do you feel about the frequency of car theft?
• How do you feel about IFM offering alternative routes instead of relying on the script? 
• How do you feel about the current quality of car theft?
• Have you ever seen information markers left at cars/buildings regarding metal having been stolen? 

All opinions are valid but comments derailing the thread will just be hidden, my goal here is to get feedback and opinions that I can work with to pitch new ideas within IFM and help illegal roleplayers where they may currently be struggling.

 

 

Addressing the discussion points;

 

In my opinion car theft is something that happens more often than not, but the roleplay surrounding the theft itself can be seen as not up to standards at times; be it the place you choose to retrieve the car from or the process of breaking through the lock.

The current lock system is not coherent with many of the cars if you look at it from a IRL point of view.

More alternatives should be set on top of the table so people can achieve the same or equal goal through more creative ways so long as they make sense.

More often than not, vehicles are broke into and taken to a chop-chop or garage to handle the chopping part so, there is a very low percentage of times you will find a cim around the vehicles... also because you're not given much of a choice. You either steal the car and chop it through the system or you leave a CIM with the vehicle and have nothing back.

It is already a huge risk when it comes to vehicle theft with all the lock system and OP alarms, people usually do not take a risk for something so little.

[peasoup]

I feel like the frequency has gone up ever since the 3 hour despawn timer was installed, maybe? I remember we didn't even bother with vehicles with too few car parts when I was in a faction that stole cars, but nowadays it's harder to find vehicles. Since I don't /vpark, it just feels like it's been happening quite a bit more even with my really cheap car.

 

Alternative routes to get metal sounds good! The whole turning Grottis into switchblades thing never felt like very heavy RP, honestly, it's just something you do because you have to, but RPing around it feels silly, so you kinda gloss over it. The same kinda goes for the lockpicking system, I think. You do it because you have to, but depending on the car it doesn't make sense to RP it exactly as the minigame depicts it, I'm never sure what to do there.

Edited September 19, 2021 by peasoup

[Viscaria]

I'd like to first of all state that my opinion is of my own experience and by no means does it cover the entire scene around car theft and chop shops. With that said, from my own experience it is very difficult to steal vehicles without getting caught when it comes to them having the higher end security systems, now while I don't know exactly how the tracking system works, it seems to be a little too much in my opinion. A couple of weeks ago my character stole a vehicle, took it somewhere excluded and hidden for around 40 minutes while hiding nearby to ensure any immediate heat on it would die down, I head back over to the vehicle, get in it and are about to drive through some gates when a cruiser pulls up and blocks my way, which in the end resulted in a short-lived pursuit and my character spending 3 days in TTCF, all due to the tracking script perhaps being too overpowered and unlucky timing. 

It should also be mentioned that currently the car alarms are buggy, sometimes the sound file plays for some while it doesn't for others, including the person looking to boost the vehicle, this can and does lead to scenarios that completely ruin immersion for both the illegal and legal side.

While I'm not sure how the quality of car theft is in an overall general sense, I do suspect it to be rather subpar, the reason for my suspicions are due to the very strong high end security systems forcing players to either be very quick with their roleplay or get caught, which doesn't really promote thorough roleplay too well. IFM offering alternative routes sounds like a very good idea to me and it sounds very interesting, can't really comment much further beyond that as I don't know what those routes are, though I imagine they are accepted by IFM requests if the roleplay is deemed adequate?

I don't think I've ever seen any information markers regarding damages to a vehicle or parts stolen that hint to this sort of roleplay.

[JackieH]

To get vandalism out of the way, the ones I've seen myself have been good, always leaving a /cim behind and in most cases, they were detailed enough - however I can't say much about the roleplay behind those /cim's since that's something I haven't witnessed.  The last one I saw was, unfortunately, on my character's car, and it was very detailed and at the end of the day, provided more RP for me as well.

As for the car scrapping, the quality on the RP is good in most cases too. The times I've been involved in it, it developed from petty car thefts for parts to more organized teams ressembling more of a car chopping ring rather than just a bunch of unorganized criminals, which is good. That eventually leads to a chain of "production" where parts get passed around or made into items, and eventually feeds factions, groups, pawnshops and the playerbase in general.

The way the script works, inherently promotes stealing cars "en-masse" - either you hit a few good ones and get a bunch of parts, or you settle for "lesser" ones and steal more but with less reward. As it stands right now, it's a very high risk job with a small reward, it has been for a while - which could see as a demotivation factor for some people, since, if you don't have access to a chop-shop but rather a garage, you risk way more than just a jail sentence for your character.

 

4 minutes ago, Viscaria said:

It should also be mentioned that currently the car alarms are buggy, sometimes the sound file plays for some while it doesn't for others, including the person looking to boost the vehicle, this can and does lead to scenarios that completely ruin immersion for both the illegal and legal side.

While I'm not sure how the quality of car theft is in an overall general sense, I do suspect it to be rather subpar, the reason for my suspicions are due to the very strong high end security systems forcing players to either be very quick with their roleplay or get caught, which doesn't really promote thorough roleplay too well.

 

This is also a REALLY BIG playing factor in the car chopping scene. As I mention below, there's no way to counter the tracking/anti-theft systems, so more than often, you end up chopping the car as fast as possible to reduce your chances of being caught, unless you have a team to do it with you, and each person dedicates themselves to one part of the vehicle (engine, tires, doors and body, interior, etc). 

On the other hand, as Viscaria mentions, alarms are quite bugged. I had, more times than I'd like to admit, very uncomfortable situations where the alarm went off, but not for me or whoever was chopping the car, thus being caught in the act and having to run away to avoid further consequences.

The way anti-theft works. as mentioned,  is also a factor at play in here, since you don't have any tools to counter it, which makes the owner (If they end up being aware of it) find the car in mere seconds, or even turning the engine off mid-drive after you stole the car. There's a recent suggestion about signal jammers made by @hipsxn which can balance this out, so I encourage people to check it out.

 

As for IFM providing other means to acquire metal/car parts without the need of chopping cars, or having access to a garage/chop shop - I'd be all up for it. I'd like to see it in the same fashion as other schemes IFM handles, through the IFM request board. Say you RP picking up scrap from the streets (or in Sandy, for example, where there's rusted out scrap laying all over the place) or you just decide to, let's say, rob a cars radio, or the wheels, or specific parts RP wise without actually chopping the car itself. I think IFM could handle this and provide the player/players who've done the RP properly with parts, and depending on what they've done, calculate the amount they'll get.

 

 

[i dont wanna od in LA]

Great addition imo. You need to end this whole unrealistic lockpick->chop-shop->metal factory->pawn shop meta cause it's just silly as fuck.

[Moss221]

25 minutes ago, i dont wanna od in LA said:

Great addition imo. You need to end this whole unrealistic lockpick->chop-shop->metal factory->pawn shop meta cause it's just silly as fuck.

 

[Chuckles]

There are people and factions who are relatively thorough when it comes to the detailing of this particular area. By detailing I mean they know what cars they're targeting, they know where they're taking them and they know where they're sending them. But what plagues the server is these precipitous break-and-enter thefts where the only interest in the vehicle is to get them from here to there. The way it's designed right now tailors to those who want an adrenaline rush. The avenues for those who actually put time and effort into crafting this concept are cancelled out by a system that's predominantly hurried and makeshift. Ideally, there should be a way to "store" these stolen cars for a certain period of time because it contradicts the point of wanting the roleplay to be thorough. The roleplay can't be thorough if the current system doesn't 1) allow you to store the stolen vehicle until the heat dies down and 2) doesn't give criminals the chance to disable alarms and trackers. The current system or "script" is implemented in a way where the risk is much greater than the reward. It's like it's designed for the thief to be caught, no matter the detail. A sophisticated thief will be no better off than an amateur. 

 

As far as roleplay around the parts, I'd like to see more salvage yards and the ability for criminals to sell these "used parts" on. You don't have to be an auto salesman to sell an XM radio, a lock or an alarm. Mechanics and salvage yards could benefit from this greatly.