Fantastic rules and where to find them

[Arkten]

You're trying to boil down CityRP gamemode into simple fast-paced fundamental cops & robbers gamemode (or think of it as a CS:GO match).

I'd argue this is what essentially CityRP if not GMod for that matter is at its heart:

1. Out of 44 rules a staggering 25 (rule 3.4, 3.6, 7.1 and the entirety of section 4, 5 and 6) are applicable to only 'cops & robbers' as in aggRP/govRP. 2 rules (1.2 and 2.7) are applicable to only pasRP, 17 rules (everything else) are general rules that can be applied to any type of RP (although I argue NLR, Metagaming, sensible driving, extremistRP and the like lean more on regulating the aggRP side).

2. GMod, originally being a derivative of HL2/CS:S and still being heavily dependent on them, naturally has the necessary mechanics already worked out pretty perfectly for these types of scenarios. GMod itself is just shooting, building and driving, so naturally aggRP/govRP plays a big role. I can't count the amount of items right now, but if I were to take a guess, most items are used for mostly (if not exclusively) aggRP such as weapons, pharmaceuticals, ammunition, schematics, etc.

3. Most people play video games not to mimic what they do or could do IRL, but to experience what they can't or wouldn't want to experience. In fact, most media works this way. And since I can't shoot people or would want to be shot IRL without severe real life consequence but can do this from the comfort of my couch/gaming chair, the natural tendency of games develop into shooters or obscure simulators.

4. Even if you prefer building over driving fast cars and shooting loud guns, you cannot deny the high entry barrier. Building is an art one needs to spend a lot of time to even just make something decent. But driving is just WASD(maybe SPACE) and shooting is maybe not easy but certainly more familiar to newcomers and easier to come by as weapons are highly inflated.

The main point being: FL has and will always be aggRP at its base with pasRP enhancing (but not making) the experience. The rules currently highly discourage aggRP and encourage pasRP. But if pasRP is something players so drastically want that it warrants a 42:19 rule ratio, then why would they not join the server? These rules kill the playerbase as has been said numerous times by the playerbase itself, but discredited as toxicity.

While I did agree with you on several points, I still think rules should be left as they are.

Great. Would you like to showcase any points in particular you agree on?

The way they're written right now, I only see them as a V2.0 fail-safe for admins,

I don't quite get what you meant with fail-safe for admins. Can you please elaborate further?

because on ideal server in ideal world there'd be no need for admins whatsoever. With your changes, there'd be endless queue of admin sits and daily dosage of semantics from players, tons of arguing on forums etc.

You are absolutely right: In the ideal scenario there would not be a necessity for any rules or rule supervision at all. Of course this is far from reality and we do need some rules to establish a set wanted behaviour and unwanted behaviour. My entire point was to limit the amount of unwanted behaviour not by forbidding them within a rule, which is prone to ineffective supervision capabilities, overworked or inactive staff, lack of rule breaking evidence and others, but by altering the game mechanics in a way that makes it impossible to commit such behaviour. This is more effective as it would not require admin intervention, so I fail to see where you get 'endless queue of admin sits' from exactly.

Considering rules will not be added to the table, but just removed, they cannot be argued. The last 4 sections would be entirely removed. There are no semantics about RDM, if RDM is not a rule. And it cannot cause an admin sit either. The rules that are changed/kept do not provoke @-calls, admin sits or OOC discussions any more than they do right know as they are still the same rules. No one is arguing about /me-powergaming and if FL right now is not an 'endless queue of admin sits' then it won't be when the rule is kept.

Condensing the rules further down also aids in shortening the time to play for newcomers. The remaining 10 rules can be explained while the user waits for their content to download, so he can immediately get to playing.


However, I do appreciate you getting through my entire wall of text and even leaving a response