Whitelist Server Petition

[Kota]

Let's be frank. Light RP is fun for a chatroom environment, but some of us crave a little more.

We all love Badlands and the work the admins do to make it a great experience for us. But, as a community, it's up to us to make it fun. A lot of us equate fun with immersion, and light RP just doesn't provide the type of immersion we all are desperately craving.  That being said, there needs to be an alternative. We outgrow light RP. We become better role players.  Instead of Badlands being a springboard community for people to learn how to role play and then leave to "better" servers (RP content-wise, definitely not coding wise), there needs to be a layer of protection for the advanced role players to avoid having their storylines interrupted by casual gaming. Players like Merr Khan, Alex Payne, Nancy Denino,  Brandon Sanchez, Johnny Holliday, Veronica Black, Anton, Alexandra White, Staci Fernandez, and countless others do a phenomenal job of adding dynamic, and even sometimes controversial, storylines to the city that get the community talking about their role plays even outside of the server.  People like this who dedicate time and effort into their roleplaying deserve to have the opportunity to pursue their stories without the fear of being completely disregarded simply because someone chooses to disregard it.

The topic of whitelisting has been repeatedly brought up, and repeatedly disregarded by the staff. Ultimately, it's their choice, but we need to make ourselves heard that this is something that we, as the players, want.  We dedicate our time, suggestions, effort, and some of us even choose to donate because we enjoy the community so much. We're not asking for handouts, we're simply asking to acknowledge that some of the player base has advanced well beyond the scope of "Light RP."  Enforcement of stricter RP rules on one of the servers or the creation of a third server for the purpose of medium to heavy RP shouldn't be met with just a stark "no."
In the following link, there's a form to sign a petition regarding this idea.  The purpose of this petition is to show that there is legitimate interest from a large portion of the player base in creating an environment where we can continue to support Badlands, but foster a higher quality of role play. Our player base is amazing, and our admins are just as amazing. The advanced players don't want to leave but are beginning to feel as if there is no alternative.

 

 

Whitelist Server Petition

https://goo.gl/forms/KZRR80jHYBchZcFq2

 

[Dont Eat The Iris]

This is exactly what I've been thinking for a while. I really want an environment where I can get into deep RP but I really dont want to leave badlands. The effort that staff puts into the making of the server and community makes it for me but I'd really like an option get deeper RP  which isnt as available with the whole light RP environment kinda disallows for this.

[Johan]

10 minutes ago, Veronica Black said:

This is exactly what I've been thinking for a while. I really want an environment where I can get into deep RP but I really dont want to leave badlands. The effort that staff puts into the making of the server and community makes it for me but I'd really like an option get deeper RP  which isnt as available with the whole light RP environment kinda disallows for this.

I quote this. Well said.

[Thorgs]

I don't get where you think they disregard it? Many have made it known they would like it whitelisted but this was not there intent when the server was started. Nothing is stopping you from your storyline it just you can't force it on others would probably be no different on WL servers either.  Then who decides who you kick out next of your WL server if it's not how you want it to be? I personally don't want it to change I like it how it is, yes it can be crazy at times but I interview a lot of new recruits and one question is asked " What do you like about Badlands " and most of the answers I get is we love how the RP is and how the server is set up. I like the fact that if I don't want to be in your RP scenario I can walk away I'm not the best at RP like some of the names you listed above and that's how I am but I'm just one person and giving my opinion. I personally donated cause I like how it's set up and I enjoy the people that run it I didn't really know Speed when this all started but I knew Sneaky and Serpico really well even though Sneaky is not here anymore I still love how he envisioned the server to be. I understand you love the server but we all have choices to make if your not happy here anymore then you have a choice to go if you want  I wouldn't want you to go but I would respect your decision.  This community has grown a lot since it started and I hear from many new people it's one of the best around. Again this is my opinion others might feel differently.

[BrandonM]

2 hours ago, Thorgs said:

.

Steve, I think there's some confusion here. This isnt asking for all of the servers to be whitelisted and heavy RP. This is asking for a whitelisted server to be added to what is already available. Why can't we have both options? What's the harm in creating an additional space where advanced RPers, who genuinely dont want to leave Badlands, can play and develop their stories without having a slot taken up by "sits at legion square" guy or "grinds gold ore and talks to nobody for 12 hours" guy, or their stories ruined by "I'm gonna run IN to the store during a robbery because its hilarious" guy?

Edited April 26, 2018 by BrandonM

[iDezzy]

I have been a member of Badlands since January, and I know quite a few of you have been around longer than that. So, from the small amount of time I have been a part of this community, I’ll state my opinion from that. Badlands RP is the first GTA V RP server that I have had the pleasure of being a part of. Granted, I’ve role-played for years prior to this. I’ve been a part of whitelisted servers, and the opposite on multiple platforms, so I’d like to say that my RP capabilities aren’t too shabby. Now, if I were to compare myself to the advanced RPers out there on FamilyRP and NoPixel, I have a lot more work to put in and experience needed. I feel that Badlands is a good alternative to that, while still holding us to some sort of code. No, Badlands isn’t a heavyRP server, but that’s something we all knew from the beginning. I joined the server to gain experience and to better my own RP potential. 

Now, personally I don’t feel like starting a petition is the right way to go about this whatsoever. The staff behind Badlands is constantly working hard to improve the server and give us amazing perks and advantageous that other servers just don’t have. There is probably always going to be that “one thing” that someone wants and from our point of view it may seem like an easy adjustment or addition to what is already being delivered. However, the truth behind it, we don’t know what these guys deal with or what they have planned for us all. A whitelisted server is a lot of work. They would have to increase the number of staff to properly sort through applications and networking. An additional server would also be more money coming out of their pockets. Which brings around my next question, who is going to provide the funding for another server?

I’m sure we’ve all realized that the admins have plans to better the server, they’re always making updates, small and large. Who’s to say that they haven’t considered a heavyRP server? It could be in the works for future development after they are satisfied with how Badlands is operating. While I do understand that some people in the community want bigger and better things, you’ve also got to stop and realize that maybe that isn’t what everyone wants. Personally, I would love a heavyRP server. I’ve joined a whitelisted server before, and the memories I have from that alone is simply one of the reasons I joined GTA RP. Being able to intertwine character stories, you begin to build on your own character. Quirks you didn’t realize they had, scenarios you never thought they’d be involved in.

Of course, it’s exciting and it leaves you craving more, but I don’t see anything wrong with the “sits at legion square” guy, or the people grinding for money.  While I do understand that a lot of crap happens at Legion that shouldn’t, I also know a lot of people meet up there to decide what they’d like to do as a group. Legion has also been the location of several events such as the campaign and even a rock concert. If people want to sit back and relax, they shouldn’t be reprimanded for it. It’s no different than friends meeting up at the Playboy Mansion, or several other known locations. If they’re breaking server rules, you know what to do. As far as grinding money goes, we’ve ALL done that. It isn’t a secret that people want apartments, vehicles, or just extra spending money and if that’s how they want to spend their time they shouldn’t be thought less of simply because it’s what they enjoy doing. They’re people too, and I don’t think it’s fair to say they’re “taking up a slot”. We all have jobs in RL don’t we? If you ask me, those people grinding money are RPing just as much as those people craving for an event to pop off.

Edited April 26, 2018 by Siinerge

[speed]

1 hour ago, BrandonM said:

Steve, I think there's some confusion here. This isnt asking for all of the servers to be whitelisted and heavy RP. This is asking for a whitelisted server to be added to what is already available. Why can't we have both options? What's the harm in creating an additional space where advanced RPers, who genuinely dont want to leave Badlands, can play and develop their stories without having a slot taken up by "sits at legion square" guy or "grinds gold ore and talks to nobody for 12 hours" guy, or their stories ruined by "I'm gonna run IN to the store during a robbery because its hilarious" guy?

Because you’re asking us to splinter our community and create one server where the “good” RPers go to play, and one server where “everyone else” goes.

This simply does not work. What happens when a new player joins the community and they can’t find anyone “good” to RP with because they’re all on the other server? Do you think they’re going to stick around? No, they are not. Look around at other communities that have tried this recipe. It doesn’t work.

We’re not refusing to do this because we’re “disregarding the wishes of the community”, we’re refusing it because we know it won’t work.

Please understand that our staff team is full of RP veterans, most of us have been staff in other very large communities. Serpico and I have both developed for communities that dwarf the size of any currently existing FiveM community. We know what does and doesn’t work, that’s partly why Badlands has grown as large as it has while other communities have faltered.

I hate to say this, but if Badlands doesn’t offer the quality of RP you desire, your best bet is to apply for a hardcore server. No pixel is a great community with a brilliant developer. Badlands is, and always will be a “light RP” community.

 

[Str84it]

As much as I like this topic, I feel two sides in this.
Having a closed up server does mean you need a steady stream of people coming of the jumpboard.
As otherwise a stalemate is a possibility at some point, which means more moderation work for staff initially.
I do trust the judgement of the staff behind this.

That being said, it does open a lot of possibilities for creativity, as assumed the player on the white listed server can follow rules,
meaning there is trust to grand a few things an open server wouldn't allow, because of abuse.
Which is great, reward the good RP with even better stuff to RP with! 

It's about connecting with the right people, a guarantee for a level of RP you are looking for. (we have them plenty  )
(Unless you run into a random person in a store that decides BadlandsRP is just Badlands  )

So we do not lose the people who are looking for that to, it is a cycle and it's a shame, wouldn't want to miss any of you.
Hope the city index will provide that to some extent. All the players in there at least are looking for more in depth RP.
And in the meantime I will try to do think of ways to cater to players who are looking for more,
so we can try to please everyone as they grow as an RP'er and person in this great city. 

As I also do not want to turn into little tight groups of regulars because of this,
as it becomes a really difficult for new players to connect with us. 

Edited April 26, 2018 by Str84it

[Dont Eat The Iris]

1 hour ago, speed said:

Because you’re asking us to splinter our community and create one server where the “good” RPers go to play, and one server where “everyone else” goes.

This simply does not work. What happens when a new player joins the community and they can’t find anyone “good” to RP with because they’re all on the other server? Do you think they’re going to stick around? No, they are not. Look around at other communities that have tried this recipe. It doesn’t work.

We’re not refusing to do this because we’re “disregarding the wishes of the community”, we’re refusing it because we know it won’t work.

Please understand that our staff team is full of RP veterans, most of us have been staff in other very large communities. Serpico and I have both developed for communities that dwarf the size of any currently existing FiveM community. We know what does and doesn’t work, that’s partly why Badlands has grown as large as it has while other communities have faltered.

I hate to say this, but if Badlands doesn’t offer the quality of RP you desire, your best bet is to apply for a hardcore server. No pixel is a great community with a brilliant developer. Badlands is, and always will be a “light RP” community.

 

Allow me to rephrase,

If you think all the people who want real RP should just go somewhere else, it might be a good idea to consider how many people are imbedded into the system that you created. People in high rank EMS and Police positions. 

Go somewhere else IS splintering the community. And its disrespectful to the people who helped build the server, and people who fight to make it better.

Edited April 26, 2018 by Veronica Black

[TiLLeR]

I didn't read that as a fuck off at all.  I read that as there is a reason that Badlands is setup the way that it is and at the same time recognize that one size does not fit all.  We want people to be happy with their RP experience and if our setup does not meet your needs we 100% support you finding something that does.  

[iDezzy]

3 minutes ago, Veronica Black said:

Wow. So... essentially the answer is "if you want real RP, fuck off" ? #FeelsBadMan.

Sweet.

I LOVE that we would rather lose a major chunk of our community than to even bother considdering it...

Why does everything have to be taken so negatively? There ARE opportunities for great RP on Badlands as it is now. No, it isn't going to be handed to you on a silver platter but with so many people wanting better RP then I don't understand why that can't be accomplished as it is now. The admins can't be forced to do something that they aren't comfortable with just because a handful of people want something different. What Speed is saying makes sense. If you aren't satisfied with how things are on BadlandsRP then try and find a server that you feel suits YOU. Getting hot headed and frustrated because it isn't an option isn't going to help anyone. 

[Flori]

i strongly believe this is not up to the staff. I am pretty sure the community is what creates the RP we are looking for. It all starts with us, and the scenarios we initiate. I am pretty sure a load of ppl will be engaged, and a lot of ppl initiate too. 

For example Bill Vegas, he has a ton of stuff going on, and he has a solid amount of regular players he stays in touch for his RP, however, he keeps (almost on a daily basis) meeting NEW people he brings into his scenarios, and expands his "network" exponentially. I don't believe such a thing would happen in a whitelisted server. Eventually you kinda would get stuck with the same ppl that play in your timezone. Yes, you develop stories, but with a reduced group of people. IMHO.

[Anton]

I have to agree with @speed on this. I really think this server has become great exactly for the reason that some of the good RP-ers or simply people who care about BadlandsRP a lot, are mixed with the new players. I can't remember how many times i helped out a new player and get surprised how well they reacted to that small gesture. If all these people would be taken out of the circulation, i feel that the non-whitelisted server would simply turn into GTA Online hell. 

[Flori]

18 minutes ago, Veronica Black said:

I LOVE that we would rather lose a major chunk of our community than to even bother considdering it...

Where you are wrong is assuming they haven't considered it. This has been brought up sooooooooo many times, so i am pretty sure it's not just a whim, it's a decision they are entitled to make being the ones that run the server. Like Tiller said, this decision may have consequences that they are willing to accept. I would't personally like to see these people go, but I, accepting the way this server is run, also understand that this is something that might happen. It is what it is.

[BrandonM]

The problem that I see it that it just doesn't seem to be open to negotiation at all.

White listed server? No.
Bump to medium RP? No.
Keep one server light and one server medium? No.
Enforce rules on failure to RP? No.

But then we ask Serpico to spend time coding training wheels on people so they don't RDM, instead of adding content to the game. We ask cops and EMS to be professional and not wear something fun that coincides with their character's role play, but then get told that it's light RP. We tell people "well, that's just how it is" when their role play is ruined by someone who doesn't care about role play and disrupts it. We let guys break character to tell people who are role playing to "fuck off, I'm not role playing with you" after attacking them in game with no recourse.

Seems like conflicting ideologies to me. Concessions to people who dont role play should not take priority over those who do role play on a role playing server.

[fwalandra]

It's already been said that the server will not be whitelisted, and @speed gave a very clear and concise reason as to why. Badlands has amazing roleplayers on it, and they're not that hard to find. It's a light RP server to be inclusive to all people. Queue times are already high as it is now that it's getting popular, and making one server different from the other in the stance of roleplay quality will ostracize people even more. Fail RP is a thing, unfortunately, and you can't force someone to roleplay with you if they don't want to. The fact of the matter is that it's not going to change and they're not going to whitelist the server, as they've stated multiple times and even gave a reason to that makes a lot of sense.

There's nothing to negotiate. They made their decision.

[Anton]

10 minutes ago, BrandonM said:

The problem that I see it that it just doesn't seem to be open to negotiation at all.

White listed server? No.
Bump to medium RP? No.
Keep one server light and one server medium? No.
Enforce rules on failure to RP? No.

But then we ask Serpico to spend time coding training wheels on people so they don't RDM, instead of adding content to the game. We ask cops and EMS to be professional and not wear something fun that coincides with their character's role play, but then get told that it's light RP. We tell people "well, that's just how it is" when their role play is ruined by someone who doesn't care about role play and disrupts it. We let guys break character to tell people who are role playing to "fuck off, I'm not role playing with you" after attacking them in game with no recourse.

Seems like conflicting ideologies to me. Concessions to people who dont role play should not take priority over those who do role play on a role playing server.

... and sometimes we have a mayor who roams around in the city, breaking every single rule he came up with for the mayor role. I'm just gonna put it out there, and you can hate and attack me for it, but maybe you are not as good of a roleplayer as you think you are either. 

[AtomicGinger]

5 minutes ago, Anton said:

... and sometimes we have a mayor who roams around in the city, breaking every single rule he came up with for the mayor role. I'm just gonna put it out there, and you can hate and attack me for it, but maybe you are not as good of a roleplayer as you think you are either. 

You're right. He's better than most. Just gonna lay that one out there for you. 

[BrandonM]

5 minutes ago, Anton said:

... and sometimes we have a mayor who roams around in the city, breaking every single rule he came up with for the mayor role. I'm just gonna put it out there, and you can hate and attack me for it, but maybe you are not as good of a roleplayer as you think you are either. 

Breaking the rules that I came up with for my own RP that me and my group decided to share with the entire community, only to be met with your instant criticism (like most things I suggest)? Those rules?

Sorry you need prop sounds to get your RP's up to snuff, but maybe you should consider the content you're judging right now. Were it not for me and the team of people I had supporting me for the campaigning and realization of the Mayor RP, there wouldn't be a mayor role for you to complain about, Anton.  I'm glad I could give you content to talk shit about me in Tiller's stream though.

That being said, I've mentioned to you multiple times that if you don't like the RP, you don't have to go along with it. If you've got a problem with the way I role play, let me know directly instead of in places I can't defend it.

Edited April 26, 2018 by BrandonM

[iDezzy]

I was under the assumption that this thread was to discuss the potential of a white-listed server, which has thus been denied. There is NO reason to bicker back and forth and call one another out on what you feel is correct RP/incorrect RP. Show some maturity please, if you want to be taken seriously. 

[TiLLeR]

yep please keep the personal posts out of this.

[BrandonM]

Per @speed's request, the petition will be changing to increasing Server 2 from Light RP to Medium RP. We have both agreed that this could be a fair, attainable compromise.

Edited April 26, 2018 by BrandonM

[Kota]

Medium RP is a compromise and a step in the right direction. 

Edited April 26, 2018 by KotaJon91

[fwalandra]

If it is changed to a medium RP server, how will this be maintained? Will the community be involved? I think it a bit unfair if, perhaps, someone new to roleplay joins the "medium RP" server only to be reported by another player for not roleplaying to their standards, as the definition of a "medium RP" is questionable per whomever is the one viewing the standard. Most people on Badlands that I've interacted with personally already have what I consider to personally be a "medium RP" quality anyway. I'm just worried about the influx of unreasonable reports sent in to the admins over someone being unhappy that someone isn't roleplaying with them to their standards, when everyone is entitled to their own definition of what fits "medium RP" or "light RP".

[TiLLeR]

What bothers me the most about this is that the list of 'veteran players' is a small fraction of the over all community.  And while you are entitled to your opinions and to share those, that does not mean that they should carry more weight than anybody else.  I can also confidently say that many of these 'veteran' players have been some of the biggest problems promoting some of the most toxic behavior on the server because they feel that their needs are more important than others.   I feel that splitting the servers between medium and light is a bad solution.  Now I need to remember what server I'm no and behave differently.. If one server is full I don't have the choice to go to the other if I dont' want medium, etc.  Consistency is always the best solution.

I just ask that people reflect on their own actions before judging others on theirs b/c in my experience there is a lot of hypocrisy out there.