Introduction The Mariano Crime Family is an Italian-American organised crime family based on the ancient principles of Cosa Nostra. Like the Genovese Crime Family of New York City, the Mariano Crime Family are considered the 'Ivy League' of organised crime, mainly because of their ability to adapt with the times and find new ways of making money even as law enforcement clamp down on the mob. One of the key differences between this and other criminal organisations is the sanctity placed on loyalty and brotherhood, two values which have unfortunately become rare in the underworld. Structure The organisational structure of the Mariano Crime Family is the same as that of other Italian-American and Sicilian crime families. Low-level associates of the organisation work on the streets, making money in the hopes of eventually becoming 'made men' (official members of the family). Once they are 'made', associates are promoted to the rank of soldier, or 'soldato'. Soldiers operate in crews of up to 10, which are each lead by a captain or caporegime (shortened to capo). A capo is essentially a lieutenant, managing his crew and ensuring that they are earning money without breaking the rules of the family. There can be anywhere from 2 to 20 crews in a family depending on its size, each operating independently of each other (for the most part) but ultimately part of the same organisation. All of the families captains report to the underboss, the second-in-command and one of the most powerful members of the family. The duty of the underboss is to oversee the day-to-day running of the family, ensure that business is running smoothly and that captains are passing up their kick-up (more on this later). The consigliere acts as an advisor to the boss, helping him steer the family in the right direction and settling disputes both within and outside the family. Finally, the Boss (also known as the Don, or Godfather) is at the very top of the pyramid. All decisions, including who gets made, who the families captains are, and who runs what rackets (criminal jobs), are made by him. At the end of the day, the Don gets a cut of all profits made by the family. Kicking Up Key to the power structure of the mafia is the practice of 'kicking up'. Essentially, all this means is that at a certain pre-determined time (probably once a week or once every two weeks), anybody earning with the family (this means associates and made men alike) must pass a certain amount of their profits to their superiors. Associates kick up to whichever made man they are working for. Soldiers kick up directly to their captain under all circumstances, while captains all kick up to the administration of the family (meaning the underboss, boss, and consigliere). The amount that one is expected to kick up differs based on rank and the rackets one is working, but the minimum amount will always be fair and reasonable. Unless you are particularly reckless, kicking up will not be a chore, and most of the time only about 10% of your weekly income will go towards it. However, basic math tells you that the more you earn, the smaller the percent of your earnings you will need to kick up to satisfy the minimum requirements. Then again, kicking up even more than the minimum is a good way to get noticed by the higher-ups and possibly earn you a promotion (which obviously means more opportunities to earn big money). It is always the best earners who are the most respected in the family. It is important to remember that just because you have people working for you and kicking up to you, you should not slack off. Everybody, from the associates to the boss of the family, actively work to earn money on top of what they are earning from kick-up. Nobody sits around waiting for payments and drinking coffee. How to Join It is important for the organisation that our members are competent (skilled) and intelligent, that way everybody is able to make as much money as possible. Even though being an associate of the Mariano family is potentially one of the higher paying jobs available to most people in Identity, being a 'made man' is where the real money is. The higher your rank, the more money and opportunities are available to you. To join, simply work with well-connected associates or made men in the family. Make money and every so often, kick up a decent amount of what you make to your higher-ups. The more you bring in, the better your reputation will be. Of course, it isn't just about money. You need to demonstrate that you are loyal to the family before all else, and that you know and understand omerta (more on this coming up). Once you have earned the respect of the families administration, you will be considered for being made. The very best associates are evaluated and hand-picked to become official members of the family, and therefore expand their earning potential (for themselves and the family) infinitely. It is best not to ask to get made, as this will only annoy and slow down the process. Instead, demonstrate that you are both loyal and a good earner, and you will have your best shot at becoming an official member of the family. Rules of the Family The rules of the Mariano Crime Family are quite simple. For simplicities sake, they are referred to as 'omerta' (pronounced oh-mer-tah). They are: - Your loyalty to the family comes before all else. - Never hurt or kill another made man under any circumstances, and only harm an associate if you have a very good reason to do so. - Never co-operate with the police in any way. If the police ask you about anything related to business, you know nothing. You're simply a businessman. - Do not discuss family business with anybody who is not either a made man, or very well connected to the family. - Make sure you are not late with your payments. You would not like your underlings being late with their payments to you, so show the same courtesy. If you follow these simple rules and generally try to avoid causing trouble, you will find your time in the Mariano Crime Family very rewarding and fun. Conclusion The Mariano Crime Family is an organisation for people who value loyalty, brotherhood, and intelligence. We are, in the truest sense of the word, a family. This is an organisation for those who aren't content with being a part of any old gang. If you would like to discuss further, feel free to send me a private message. Keep in mind that our organisation will operate on the Australian server so, while we are not opposed to doing business with US or UK people, we only accept made men who are willing to play on the Australian server. Regards, J.M

The reason I am so hyped for this game is that it will be a great place to roleplay seriously, and so far it looks like the devs are making something very special. My only concern is that people won't roleplay seriously and will run around being stupid and not actually roleplaying. How many of you guys actually intend to have your character live their lives out highly realistically? Thanks, Johnny.

I don't usually make a habit of 'advertising' my organisation, but we're probably the closest thing you'll find to a 'street gang'. That said, we're more like the Black Mafia than the Crips or Bloods, but we will be heavily involved in the drug trade, and there's nothing stopping you from gangbanging if you so choose. I'll add that we will be accepting members whose only interest is gangbanging. If you don't want to involve yourself in the drug-trade, but do want to sit on a corner, wear our colours, and shoot at people who piss you off, that is most certainly an option as well.

Sounds great in theory, but this would be far too easy to infiltrate. In fact, it's a detectives dream. Do you have any measures in place to avoid becoming a shopping list for police?

The Drayton Syndicate The Drayton Syndicate is an organisation specialising in the manufacturing and trafficking of illicit drugs. The group is led by Vince “Freeze” Drayton and his younger brother Lamar “Breezy” Drayton, and is mainly made up of young African-American men. In addition to drug trafficking, the syndicate is involved in murder, intimidation, and money laundering. Organisational Structure Much like a mafia family, the Drayton Syndicate is ruled by a single boss, with the help of a second-in-command, who advises the boss and assists in the day-to-day operations of the organisation. Cooks work in stash-houses, manufacturing and preparing drugs for sale. Hoppers or slingers deal drugs on the street under the supervision of a crew chief. All members of the organisation work as soldiers, taking orders to kill rivals and carry out wetwork when necessary. History The Drayton brothers first got involved in drug trafficking when Vincent took a job working for legendary Roseport drug trafficker "Big Rick" Staffield. Vince quickly worked his way up the ranks of the Staffield Syndicate, eventually becoming Rick’s chief enforcer and lieutenant. Vince earned the nickname "Freeze", on account of his cold-hearted and ruthless attitude in dealing with anybody who threatened his or Rick’s power. When he was of age, Lamar began working as a soldier under Vince, and quickly proved himself a competent enforcer. Staffield began to worry that the Drayton brothers were too ambitious and powerful, and so decided to have them killed. "Big Rick" knew that the two were extremely dangerous enforcers, and so had his nephew "Slim Bobby" Staffield throw a pipe-bomb into their apartment. Lamar’s girlfriend was killed, but both Vince and Lamar survived. The brothers promptly went into hiding and began plotting to strike back at their former mentor. About three weeks after the attempt on Vince and Lamar’s lives, the torso of “Slim Bobby” was discovered, headless and without any limbs in the dumpster behind “Big Rick’s” pawn shop. By the time the week was out, “Big Rick” Staffield had fled town, and the Staffield Syndicate was defunct. With the path clear, the brothers established their own organisation - the fearsome Drayton Syndicate. Joining the Syndicate There are a few ways to join the Drayton Syndicate. Firstly, you can simply send a message to myself here on the forums explaining why you think you should be accepted into the organisation. Secondly, if you run into us in RP and prove your competence, we will likely offer you a job. Although dedicated career criminals will feel more than at home in the syndicate, there is money to be made by part-time hoppers who simply want to get some cash in their pockets. In Closing It is important to remember that the Drayton Syndicate is not about gangbanging or thugging. While we bear certain similarities with the Crips, or Bloods (for example), the organisation is more akin to a mafia family than anything else. If you have any questions, feel free to ask here or in a private message. As of right now, the organisation has between 10 and 14 active members. If you're up to make cash, reach out and we'll talk. Until next time, It's all in the game, yo.

We're looking specifically for marksmen. If you are a good shot and can play on the Oceania server, send me a private message.

One of the few uses of a government is to implement healthcare. You are absolving yourself of responsibility for perhaps your most important duty.

Sydney.

Myself and the rest of the Drayton Syndicate are interested in an alliance. Message me.

Nice idea, but the name is very on the nose. And honestly, the only reason I'd join a group like this is for political influence, so I have a feeling this will be pretty empty.

Well this looks good.

Another cook couldn't hurt. Read up on the Drayton Syndicate, and if you're interested hit me up in private.

Updated - Added further information. - Miscellaneous edits.

Hitler wasn't a communist in the first place, in fact he was vehemently anti-Communist. Stalin was a Communist, and we all know how well that went. The point is, communism has been shown not to work. This is a lost cause, admit it.

Communism has been shown not to work. Also, if you want people to get behind your cause, I'd fix your grammar. Looks very amateurish.

I like the look of this. It looks a cut above the rest of the families on here. Will this be US based, EU, or AU?

More or less how will gangs work? Will they be considered careers, or will you just commit crimes and associate yourselves with others who are unofficially part of a gang? In the event that gangs are a more official system, will there be official ranks? Also what will be decidable by the boss, etc. Thanks!

From what I have read, it looks as if committing any crime, even if there are no witnesses, will make you wanted by police. I understand the flag system only means that you can be arrested, and not that you are pointed out as a criminal, but is it possible to (hypothetically) commit 10 murders and not be wanted at all if you are not seen? A potential problem with the toggle system is that people may just go around arresting people and saying afterwards "well I arrested him so he must have committed a crime", because you can only arrest people who have committed a crime.

Nobody is going to read this. You know why? Because You Capitalised Every God Damn Word And It's Fucking Painful To Read.

I have to say I really like what I'm seeing here. Remember that having such a wordy entry might dissuade some otherwise competent people from reaching out to you about joining. Which server will The Agency be based on?

Already it looks as if drugs will be a lucrative business for many criminal organisations in Identity, but there is surprisingly little information about how it's going to work. I see two potential ways: 1) Different drugs have different positive effects which serve as incentives for people to use them. This would be ideal, as it would mean that there is a market for drug manufacturers to sell to. You could have, for example, 5 different organisations dealing drugs to the public. Not only would this be the best for roleplay, as you'd have to hire actual drug dealers to unload the product on the streets, but it could lead to wars between organisations trying to dominate the market and remove their competition. This would, however, hinge on drug-use being beneficial. For example, methamphetamine could provide a minor speed-boost and make you slightly more impervious to damage. Maybe marijuana could make it so that you level up your various skills slightly faster. Obviously the effects of taking drugs couldn't be so good that they would make PvP one-sided, but good enough that the effects are noticeable and drive people to buy drugs. Obviously, to stop people from simply manufacturing their own drugs for personal use (as opposed to selling them to others), it would need to be made so that getting into the drug manufacturing business requires quite a bit of start-up. The reason I haven't suggested giving drugs negative-side effects is because then why would people use them? The negative side-effect would be that using the same drug enough times builds up a resistance, which means you need more of it to achieve the same effect. Also, using more addictive drugs (think methamphetamine, cocaine) would get you hooked, so that if you go long enough without taking them you start to feel withdrawal symptoms which initially aren't so bad, but get quite a bit worse unless you get your fix. Obviously, there would need to be a way to cure your addiction, so you might be able to pay a large amount to go to rehab, which would completely cure you of your addiction (though maybe you would still retain your tolerance in the event of a relapse) but obviously drain your bank account. 2) Ideally, there wouldn't be an NPC system for drugs (as explained before, NPCs really hurt roleplay), but in the event that there was, the other option is a way that would potentially spice things up. Instead of NPC dealers having an infinite supply of each drug, it could be made so that each dealer in each city has an 'inventory'. Every time a player drug-manufacturer sells meth to a dealer in Roseport, for example, they suddenly have meth which other players can buy from the NPC for their own use. The more meth an NPC has, the lower the price for meth as the demand would be lower. Only if a manufacturer had actually sold a particular drug to the NPC drug dealer could people buy that drug from him. If this was tied in with the addiction system, it could lead to addicts travelling into another city just to find a particular drug (if there wasn't any on the local market). Thanks to @PaulieMariano for help with this one.

So you're proposing that a game which is entirely centered around player interaction should have an offline mode? At the risk of sounding like an arsehole, you may as well play GTA V if that's the kind of game you're looking for.

Welcome to Identity. Fellow Aussie here. So, what're your plans for Identity?