Crime and FD: Clearing misconceptions

[Random_White_Guy]

As someone who lost most of his characters to conflict, I just thought I'd take this moment to give kudos to the EFU community. It's very easy for PCs to rant and rave about how rampant FD is on a conflict-driven server like EFU. How conflict is spoiled by it. How stories are ended well before they should be and how criminal PCs are heartless monsters.

My favorite aspect of EFU as a DM and PC alike has always been crime so I thought I'd use my own current opportunity to clear up some misconceptions.

While I've for a long time known that Crime RP was some of the best RP on the server and that some of the most courteous and mature PCs are criminals over non-criminal. Those who take only portions of gear or gold, leave people alive during fights, and more to advance the storyline. Lately PCs are more stellar than ever, especially seeing the server from this side.

It's never fun to lose a PC and it's easy to make quick, knee-jerk reactions. So I'll fill you in on a secret: Criminals don't want you dead.

As someone who for the last week has sat through ever RP encounter I've had and offer to do just that, the results are almost eerily similar. From DM factions and PC factions and Individual PCs alike. These are all conversations had, in one form or another with EFU's Criminal Underworld in the last week:

"I'd like to hire you to handle a problem"
"Sure. What you have in mind"
"So and so has been giving some trouble with (this business) and I am hoping to get him out of the way."
"Won't be easy but I'm interested. Won't be cheap".
"I'll give you a fair sum of money to start harassing his employees. Rough them up a bit, take a few things for yourself, scare them."
"...That all?"
"Spread some rumors. Wreck his reputation. Sabotage his contracts with the bigger powers"
"...And?"
"See if you can figure out his next move. We can muck him up in the works and slow him down"
"Ontop of that?"
"Snoop on his alchemists. See if you can't figure out something new they're working on. Special reagents they're using. Their tricks"
"Then?"
"Let me know who they're dealing with. If your boys have any eyes and ears we can try to blackmail him for spreading information he shouldn't have"
"...After that?"
"See if you can find out who his big friends are, before he tries to make his run at Lordship. If we can get them on our side and their business we can nip it in the bud. Give them fake information, blackmail them, set up a fake robbery and tell them their friend di it, the likes."

As an aspiring assassin wannabe, a professional EFU-FDer it kinda makes you go-  "Well shit."

And not even a "Man, there's no work!" style of well shit.

A "Well shit, if they're gonna throw me all this money to do these easy jobs I'm not going to complain".

Quickly followed by: "Well shit, why don't more people play criminals this is awesome?"

As one proudly out of work assassin, I encourage you all to take it a little easier the next time four PCs rough up you and your buddies and leave you alive to tell your bosses to back off.

Don't just turn around and go "YOU SONS OF BITCHES IM GONNA KILL YOU -ALL- FOR STEALING MY BLUR POTION AND 100 GOLD!"

Also to all you concept-less people out tehre don't be afraid play more criminals. There's a ton of militiamen and Armadasmen, as well as every other DM factions highly populated who need cool folks to do work.

You may die early, you may die gruseomely, but playing a Scoundrel on EFU is well worth the reward: You get to be truly proactive.

[Random_White_Guy]

As a side note: Part of the reason people avoid playing criminals is just that: The knee-jerk reaction is "Oh man i'm getting the guards you are so dead for taking 150 gold from all four of us". I'd almost venture to say crime victims commit more conflict and story ending FD actions than criminals in EFU's history. It's the price we gladly pay for stirring along the story but it's just one of those things I'm not sure enough people realize.

[Heist]

I second RwG's excellent posts and would also like to remind people of the following:

Criminals are not commonly kill-on-sight. Don't forget that it takes three separate and individual convictions before you're slapped with Persistent Criminal Behaviour. That is, theoretically, presuming you get caught all the time, you get three chances to mug and rob people (or other scoundrelly things).

Granted. There's some flexibility depending on how much of a stickler/corrupt the Armadaman/militiaman is, but you will be given seconds changes--second changes to do good or ill depending on a number of factors.

Yes, if your crimes are big enough, you'll be sent to the gallows if you're caught, but teetering that close to the edge can be just as much fun.

[Divine Intervention]

As I am currently playing a stygian who is a big stickler for the law, I thought I'd give my view from the other side of the fence.  Personally I agree with the general gist of this thread, criminals can be awesome.  Some of the most fun i've had has either been playing lawmen or playing bandit.  However one thing i'd love to see more of is low level crime (Perhaps they are all so good i'm missing it though!).  I'm not talking comitting crime at level 3, i'm on about the minor crimes.  Far to often I see that all the criminals are either murderers/sedistionists/mass assaulters etc.  Today for the first time ever I caught someone trying to peddle drugs and I thought "This is awesome, this is great interaction".  It's these minor things that make efu feel more real and immersive rather than, "Oh look another serial killer, baby eater".  Nothing wrong with playing that i'd just like to see more of the minor stuff, the kind of thing which is actually more common.