It's newsletter time again! It's also the holiday season coming up, so this one will be a bit shorter. We hope everyone enjoys the holiday season coming up!
Last newsletter I feel we were in a more dire place with the server than this one. As you'll see below, average player count is up and we've cleared a significant chunk of our backend support work over the last two months. We still have a long way to go as far as improving larger issues but we're making progress.
We are pushing for increased community engagement from our staff and admins teams - via media contributors, staff event coordinators, etc. Look for opportunities to participate and contribute coming up!
Our two biggest focuses besides general quality of roleplay are still the legal system and LEO/Crim culture. It is difficult to balance this culture in order to maintain both seriousness but enjoyability, and we are addressing things as they arise as well as looking for spots to decrease complexity for players without removing what they enjoy about our server.
We recently received a notice of a violation of the Creator Platform License Agreement due to unauthorized use of third-party IP (Intellectual Property). Because of this, at 2am we will be removing clothing items with IRL brand logos on them. This does mean that some people will be losing items of clothing, but we like being able to have a server to play on, so they need to go. Our clothing team is currently working overtime to save / modify and re-release them back without branding, but please be patient as these are hundreds of items.
We've been doing some restructuring behind the scenes to allow staff more freedom to assist the Administration team complete our tasks. You'll start seeing Staff tag Player Reports, and message players involved in a report. While the Admin+ team will still review reports, this will allow for a quicker workflow. It's already paying off as we've knocked out our PR queue!
Please be patient as the holiday season comes into swing, as while we are also trying to work down our ticket counts, response times may become delayed.
The largest project to come out has been our roll rework, part one of two major criminal systems reworks we've been working on. Our new housing was also a well received project. We hope everyone enjoyed the Halloween event. Many thanks to all the developers involved as it was truly a group effort.
Some of our previously talked about ideas have hit some snags due to having to prioritize other issues or needing more work than anticipated, so some previous ETAs may be incorrect.
Some prison QoL changes are coming, introducing new recipes and hopefully soon new mechanics!
From the Clothing Team:
We've added some new hairstyles for both peds. We are slowly trickling in some new clothing items and replaced the halloween costumes with some new things. Original Clothing will close for the month of December for the holidays.
We've been tracking the clothing megathread for the autumn update, and one of the biggest concerns is people not finding arms for some of the items. Although we understand seeing some small holes here and there can be annoying, unfortunately we won't be creating brand new arms to fit certain items that have very minor issues (1 small hole is not worth the amount of dev time to create a new set of arms). We have added new variations for arms for the most problematic pieces.
Winners of the tattoo contests will have their tattoos implemented very soon. The new tattoo update will drop sometime December, it will be a smaller update. Faction and Gang tattoos are still a WIP and we will hope to get you updates soon.
From Chris Jackson, SAFA Chief Pilot
SAFA is currently working on streamlining our internal SOPs and training so there is more uniformity when dealing with ATC and going through the exam process, as well as updating outdated charts. Speaking of ATC, we are currently hiring both ATC and Check Pilots. We are also working on making our presence more known when we are duty so you don't have to keep glancing at the directory as well as providing IC outlets to reach us if we are off duty. We have also been in the process of coming up with different ways to interact with the aviation community besides just being a pilot. A couple of those have already manifested IC already so keep an eye out for those! Some even involve Zancudo (Which if you didn't already know is open to public flying!).
We have plans for more community engagement as well! Plan to start seeing more little events like our public flights and ground schools(Should be starting to have more then just one a month and some that are friendly to EU times!), as well as a couple larger events like the Aviation Day we had earlier this year.
From Vivian Chopper, SAPD Deputy Head Ranger
San Andreas Parks Department applications are currently closed after our recent hiring round at the beginning of November. We will be looking to open applications for Rangers in the New Year! If you are interested in learning more about the department or doing any voluntary work, we encourage you to reach out to us IC with any questions.
We'd love to see some more animal RP around the server, and want to remind everyone to make use of scenes and /me's to encourage this roleplay! Even without a physical ped, you can still RP your interactions with animals. We're here to support your stories and will always participate in scene or /me RP. Just keep in mind that we're a small team, and while we love being involved, sometimes it can be tough to keep up. Continue reaching out IC for Fish & Game or Skippers licenses, but if you run into issues, you can always send one of us an IC forum email for assistance - I promise we don't bite!
Finally, I would like to announce the upcoming retirement of Charlie "Jessica" Morgan. Charlie first joined the department just over 4 years ago and has served as Head Ranger for the majority of that time. He has been instrumental in shaping the department into what it is today. His dedication and passion for both our roleplay and the server as a whole has built the foundation that SAPD stands on. His influence is felt in every corner of the department.
We are incredibly sad to see him leave SAPD and are grateful for the heart he poured into our roleplay. Our current Command team is committed to carrying his torch forward by continuing the RP driven vision he pushed us to provide. Thank you for everything Charlie!
Currently we have no news on who will take over as Head Ranger but will keep everyone updated once a decision is made.
From Montana Moss, PDO State Public Defender
I am 9 days (as of writing this) into taking over the Public Defenders Office, and am happy to report on some early successes. We’ve got new people hired who are wanting to add legal RP to their already existing and lively characters. I’ve started a weekly IC legal field meeting to help prevent a lot of the siloing that has happened in the past, as well as work to build up camaraderie and rivalries between departments.
My goal is to have a legal department that is character driven and exists mostly IC, limiting as much of the paperwork as we can (dockets, emails, DMs, etc.), as I know that usually is the biggest source of burnout. None of us are IRL lawyers, and I don’t want people to feel they need to become one in order to engage in legal RP
Applications are open, and I’m happy to answer questions about legal RP and anything about it, so feel free to reach out.
When in doubt, call your “IC” Lawyer
From Mitch Wheatkings, USMS Chief Deputy Marshal
The Marshal Service here in the server focuses on the highest level criminal cases in the community. Our roleplay revolves around major investigations such as treason, terrorism, RICO enterprises, trafficking and smuggling networks, financial crimes, high value heists, cybercrime, and, of course, fugitive recovery.
At its core, the USMS exists to facilitate engaging, slowburn roleplay between criminals and law enforcement players, creating storylines where both sides get meaningful development, stakes, and payoff. Whether you’re planning a major crime or responding to one, the Marshals are here to help make those moments memorable and lore-rich.
You can learn more about the USMS, our structure, and our cases at our website here.
To wrap up, we’re excited to share our latest showcase video, which highlights the US Marshals in action and the kind of roleplay we’re building with the community.
From George Thoreau, DoCL Commissioner
DoCL is still hiring! If you want to help support business RP on the server, feel free to drop an application in to pitch in. Our team is in a period of growth, so please don't be shy! If you're not sure what DoCL entails, feel free to ask IC if you see us around.
We're in the process of reviewing and reworking our procedures to better be able to provide RP and more solid IC options for getting things addressed, both for ourselves and business owners. Some small adjustments are also being looked at to streamline our current processes.
Finally, if anyone has any questions about mechanics for a business that is not listed on the DoCL documentation, please open a support ticket on the discord so we can more easily address it!
From Fire Rescue Command
Our applications will remain closed, but will be opening very soon - keep an eye on staff messages for when they open. We are planning to have a new livery fleet in by the end of the year - This is the first time in about 2 years since SAFR has had a livery refresh. We have a couple other In-Character things coming down the pipe just in time for the holidays.
We'd like to remind folks that when roleplaying with Fire Rescue, and being transported to hospital, you will not be charged medical-fees. This also applies when you opt-into roleplaying with SAMS players.
From Erin Murphy, Public Works Director
Public Works actively supports some of the logistics for pop-up or larger, planned out events. Don't hesitate to check in with your local Public Works team member to ask for assistance today. We can help with getting market stalls set up on the fly for food trucks that are looking to spend some time in a spot for a bit or toss down some chairs, lights, tents, tables, etc. to jazz up your AMA in Legion Square.
For large event market stall requests, we ask that event planners to make sure you're reaching out to our team at least 7 days before your events so we can coordinate the setup and support with our team. You can find more information about Market Stalls here.
Public Works apps are still open. The department has been actively hiring more operators for all shifts so if you're interested in joining the department we encourage you to reach out to the team IC with any questions. We're a pretty open group when it comes to sharing RP spaces with the community and we love getting to contribute to cheeky shenanigans that break up the regular day to day you might have going on.
Additionally, we're learning some people might not know all the cool things we can do and help with so our printing and design team are working to create more materials to better advertise our services. Keep an eye out IC for those kinds of things in the coming months.
Overall, the Public Works team is so much more than just towing vehicles and roadside assistance and we're grateful for all the amazing scenes and experiences we get to contribute to. Dial 211. We'll get it done.
From NewDay Management:
Last newsletter I feel we were in a more dire place with the server than this one. As you'll see below, average player count is up and we've cleared a significant chunk of our backend support work over the last two months. We still have a long way to go as far as improving larger issues but we're making progress.
We are pushing for increased community engagement from our staff and admins teams - via media contributors, staff event coordinators, etc. Look for opportunities to participate and contribute coming up!
Our two biggest focuses besides general quality of roleplay are still the legal system and LEO/Crim culture. It is difficult to balance this culture in order to maintain both seriousness but enjoyability, and we are addressing things as they arise as well as looking for spots to decrease complexity for players without removing what they enjoy about our server.
We recently received a notice of a violation of the Creator Platform License Agreement due to unauthorized use of third-party IP (Intellectual Property). Because of this, at 2am we will be removing clothing items with IRL brand logos on them. This does mean that some people will be losing items of clothing, but we like being able to have a server to play on, so they need to go. Our clothing team is currently working overtime to save / modify and re-release them back without branding, but please be patient as these are hundreds of items.
Recent Administrative Changes:
We've been doing some restructuring behind the scenes to allow staff more freedom to assist the Administration team complete our tasks. You'll start seeing Staff tag Player Reports, and message players involved in a report. While the Admin+ team will still review reports, this will allow for a quicker workflow. It's already paying off as we've knocked out our PR queue!
Please be patient as the holiday season comes into swing, as while we are also trying to work down our ticket counts, response times may become delayed.
From the Development Team:
The largest project to come out has been our roll rework, part one of two major criminal systems reworks we've been working on. Our new housing was also a well received project. We hope everyone enjoyed the Halloween event. Many thanks to all the developers involved as it was truly a group effort.
Some of our previously talked about ideas have hit some snags due to having to prioritize other issues or needing more work than anticipated, so some previous ETAs may be incorrect.
Some prison QoL changes are coming, introducing new recipes and hopefully soon new mechanics!
From the Clothing Team:
We've added some new hairstyles for both peds. We are slowly trickling in some new clothing items and replaced the halloween costumes with some new things. Original Clothing will close for the month of December for the holidays.
We've been tracking the clothing megathread for the autumn update, and one of the biggest concerns is people not finding arms for some of the items. Although we understand seeing some small holes here and there can be annoying, unfortunately we won't be creating brand new arms to fit certain items that have very minor issues (1 small hole is not worth the amount of dev time to create a new set of arms). We have added new variations for arms for the most problematic pieces.
Winners of the tattoo contests will have their tattoos implemented very soon. The new tattoo update will drop sometime December, it will be a smaller update. Faction and Gang tattoos are still a WIP and we will hope to get you updates soon.
NDRP Government Faction Updates:
From Chris Jackson, SAFA Chief Pilot
SAFA is currently working on streamlining our internal SOPs and training so there is more uniformity when dealing with ATC and going through the exam process, as well as updating outdated charts. Speaking of ATC, we are currently hiring both ATC and Check Pilots. We are also working on making our presence more known when we are duty so you don't have to keep glancing at the directory as well as providing IC outlets to reach us if we are off duty. We have also been in the process of coming up with different ways to interact with the aviation community besides just being a pilot. A couple of those have already manifested IC already so keep an eye out for those! Some even involve Zancudo (Which if you didn't already know is open to public flying!).
We have plans for more community engagement as well! Plan to start seeing more little events like our public flights and ground schools(Should be starting to have more then just one a month and some that are friendly to EU times!), as well as a couple larger events like the Aviation Day we had earlier this year.
From Vivian Chopper, SAPD Deputy Head Ranger
San Andreas Parks Department applications are currently closed after our recent hiring round at the beginning of November. We will be looking to open applications for Rangers in the New Year! If you are interested in learning more about the department or doing any voluntary work, we encourage you to reach out to us IC with any questions.
We'd love to see some more animal RP around the server, and want to remind everyone to make use of scenes and /me's to encourage this roleplay! Even without a physical ped, you can still RP your interactions with animals. We're here to support your stories and will always participate in scene or /me RP. Just keep in mind that we're a small team, and while we love being involved, sometimes it can be tough to keep up. Continue reaching out IC for Fish & Game or Skippers licenses, but if you run into issues, you can always send one of us an IC forum email for assistance - I promise we don't bite!
Finally, I would like to announce the upcoming retirement of Charlie "Jessica" Morgan. Charlie first joined the department just over 4 years ago and has served as Head Ranger for the majority of that time. He has been instrumental in shaping the department into what it is today. His dedication and passion for both our roleplay and the server as a whole has built the foundation that SAPD stands on. His influence is felt in every corner of the department.
We are incredibly sad to see him leave SAPD and are grateful for the heart he poured into our roleplay. Our current Command team is committed to carrying his torch forward by continuing the RP driven vision he pushed us to provide. Thank you for everything Charlie!
Currently we have no news on who will take over as Head Ranger but will keep everyone updated once a decision is made.
From Montana Moss, PDO State Public Defender
I am 9 days (as of writing this) into taking over the Public Defenders Office, and am happy to report on some early successes. We’ve got new people hired who are wanting to add legal RP to their already existing and lively characters. I’ve started a weekly IC legal field meeting to help prevent a lot of the siloing that has happened in the past, as well as work to build up camaraderie and rivalries between departments.
My goal is to have a legal department that is character driven and exists mostly IC, limiting as much of the paperwork as we can (dockets, emails, DMs, etc.), as I know that usually is the biggest source of burnout. None of us are IRL lawyers, and I don’t want people to feel they need to become one in order to engage in legal RP
Applications are open, and I’m happy to answer questions about legal RP and anything about it, so feel free to reach out.
When in doubt, call your “IC” Lawyer
From Mitch Wheatkings, USMS Chief Deputy Marshal
The Marshal Service here in the server focuses on the highest level criminal cases in the community. Our roleplay revolves around major investigations such as treason, terrorism, RICO enterprises, trafficking and smuggling networks, financial crimes, high value heists, cybercrime, and, of course, fugitive recovery.
At its core, the USMS exists to facilitate engaging, slowburn roleplay between criminals and law enforcement players, creating storylines where both sides get meaningful development, stakes, and payoff. Whether you’re planning a major crime or responding to one, the Marshals are here to help make those moments memorable and lore-rich.
You can learn more about the USMS, our structure, and our cases at our website here.
To wrap up, we’re excited to share our latest showcase video, which highlights the US Marshals in action and the kind of roleplay we’re building with the community.
From George Thoreau, DoCL Commissioner
DoCL is still hiring! If you want to help support business RP on the server, feel free to drop an application in to pitch in. Our team is in a period of growth, so please don't be shy! If you're not sure what DoCL entails, feel free to ask IC if you see us around.
We're in the process of reviewing and reworking our procedures to better be able to provide RP and more solid IC options for getting things addressed, both for ourselves and business owners. Some small adjustments are also being looked at to streamline our current processes.
Finally, if anyone has any questions about mechanics for a business that is not listed on the DoCL documentation, please open a support ticket on the discord so we can more easily address it!
From Fire Rescue Command
Our applications will remain closed, but will be opening very soon - keep an eye on staff messages for when they open. We are planning to have a new livery fleet in by the end of the year - This is the first time in about 2 years since SAFR has had a livery refresh. We have a couple other In-Character things coming down the pipe just in time for the holidays.
We'd like to remind folks that when roleplaying with Fire Rescue, and being transported to hospital, you will not be charged medical-fees. This also applies when you opt-into roleplaying with SAMS players.
From Erin Murphy, Public Works Director
Public Works actively supports some of the logistics for pop-up or larger, planned out events. Don't hesitate to check in with your local Public Works team member to ask for assistance today. We can help with getting market stalls set up on the fly for food trucks that are looking to spend some time in a spot for a bit or toss down some chairs, lights, tents, tables, etc. to jazz up your AMA in Legion Square.
For large event market stall requests, we ask that event planners to make sure you're reaching out to our team at least 7 days before your events so we can coordinate the setup and support with our team. You can find more information about Market Stalls here.
Public Works apps are still open. The department has been actively hiring more operators for all shifts so if you're interested in joining the department we encourage you to reach out to the team IC with any questions. We're a pretty open group when it comes to sharing RP spaces with the community and we love getting to contribute to cheeky shenanigans that break up the regular day to day you might have going on.
Additionally, we're learning some people might not know all the cool things we can do and help with so our printing and design team are working to create more materials to better advertise our services. Keep an eye out IC for those kinds of things in the coming months.
Overall, the Public Works team is so much more than just towing vehicles and roadside assistance and we're grateful for all the amazing scenes and experiences we get to contribute to. Dial 211. We'll get it done.
Last edited by a moderator:
