What do you do when you get on the server? Odds are you roleplay, but what do you roleplay? If you're one of the many people I've seen on any decent serious roleplay server you probably walk around aimlessly through the Plaza, walk up to groups of people talking to talk some yourself and generally piss off the Civil Protection. I'd like to contribute my ability to write, my advice from the years of experience I've gained in Half Life 2 Roleplay starting in 2006 on Digital Soul Roleplay and moving into Taco n Banana when it began in 2007. Now don't let me sound accusing when I suggest that there's very little that the citizens do to roleplay because many do find things to do, but they've gotta show effort and the people they're roleplaying with have to be open to it which more than half of the time they're not; why? Because they're douchebags.
Complicated, thorough, rich and productive roleplay starts at the top tier. That would be the City Administrators and the Civil Workers Union Organizers place and it's their duty to make jobs, improve infrastructure and keep the people content enough that nobody need worry about them roaming the streets like wild angry animals. Now usually the City Administrator, on many servers over time, communicate with the Civil Protection personally and the people through city-wide announcements. They did very little to actually, integrally improve the city. No idea's really been hatched that set the whole idea effigy on fire. So let's suggest this.
The
City Administrator is the medium between all branches of the UU city infrastructure. His or her word is law so long as the Combine benefits. The City Administrator's function must be to make sure all branches of the UU city infrastructure work together harmoniously and in a synchronized manner towards a common goal. The greatest goal of any City Administrator aside from the obvious one, maintain order, is to grow the economy. This is a problem we all see given the tons of people walking around with nothing but forty tokens. The solution is pretty simple, its just a planned economy in a small area.
The first and most important step for the City Administrator is to
order CPs to give out rations often and as much as some folks might like to think the Civil Protection is there simply to beat and oppress you, it turns out that that's not so great for roleplay. Sometimes the Civil Protection need to protect the interests of the Combine by sustaining the citizens. The busier they are with their money the less you'll have to deal with them being idiots.
Now that you have capital flowing through the demographics you'll need to make sure your CWU Organizers are staffing. But this is where one of the most serious problems comes in; what do we give people to do as jobs? There's plenty of opportunities and here are some I've come up.
- Data Entry
Now while most citizens are used to hard labor and picking shit off the street, most would rather a conventional job. Data Entry is something citizens could easily accomplish and to decent ends. The Civil Protection need warrants typed, records and decrees written; even so the CWU could genuinely use people writing spreadsheets and ledgers to be able to give payroll accordingly. For a citizen's good deeds and reputations it would be good for him or her to be recognized for this?
- Packaging
This is something that people might find a little pointless but it's something to do. While you can simply buy a crate filled with the shit you bought it could be asked, why not put two of those crates into a bigger crate and sell it wholesale to someone who didn't invest in the licenses necessary before starting their business? That's what also must be understood about the benefit of including this industry, many people are too impatient to go gather up enough money to start a business and get a license. People who do this could make money selling things wholesale to stores. A business that collects and records data might need more paper in order to make their money from the UU.
- Logistics Operator
A logistics operator manages supply and demand. At some point one place might run out of flashlights. So the logistics operator calls up the wholesaler and asks that more be sent to the store in question. The wholesaler nods, procures the particular item in its requested amount and has it packaged, then delivered. The deliveryman is tipped, paid the wholesalers price who then brings it back to maybe be tipped again.
- Deliveryman
Bout as simple as it gets. You take everything asked from Point A and get it to Point B although this could turn out to be an annoyingly difficult job. Without vehicles and beasts of burden we're left to get things around ourselves and while out there in the open someone might be more than happy to gang up on you and take what your carrying. This would give not just the deliveryman but a CP something to do other than beat, disperse and oppress citizens; now they can actually escort people like a genuine game mission.
- Underground: Bookie
Not everyone likes the idea of being a pushover for the Combine. How can you make money in the city's economy without associating with the main provider of jobs? Why not find a couple people who are good at fighting and open up a little gambling circle and a small enclave of entertainment. While in the beginning you may not make a lot, eventually if you work at it enough your circle will become the height of the bored citizen's day and the idea of making a good amount of money back will always be tempting.
- Underground: Brawler
Some people wish they could just beat the crap out of some random bastard. Well, you can't do that. But here's a fine alternative! Beat the shit out of someone you know in privacy for a crowd of fans. In the oppressed and malnourished City 45, there isn't much to do that will be all that entertaining and in the real world many people don't like to fight but don't mind watching others do it. If you have the grit and a bookie to collect a cut of the makings from you could be making steady income in no time.
Yes, these jobs take creative effort and although I know it to be true I don't really give a fuck about the general assumption that people are too retarded to make creative efforts. These things can happen, all it takes is semi-critical thinking and communication. It would require that the CCA begin working in different ways and increase their interaction with the population
nonviolently. It would require that the citizens themselves stop resorting to acting like morons and trolls wantonly, thereby pissing all over the good roleplay atmosphere and it would require that administrators lend a helping hand to advancing these goals.
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