"Due to low Civil Protection count, criminal roleplay is not allowed."

[Equinox]

I saw this message last night as we entered the "low activity" time for the server, where we only had one CP on. I can understand the reason behind it, we want crime to involve risk and the big risk is the Civil Protection, but I feel this goes against the Freedom of RP policy as well as just being limitting in general. This screws over non-EU time zone members more than they already get screwed by low activity hours and essentially means that if you get on at the wrong time, you can't have roleplay like others.

This is a complaint and not a suggestion because I just want to bring attention to it. I know why it was done but we should brainstorm for methods to circumvent this issue and find out how we can let criminal RP continue on even if CP enters a low count state.

The first and obvious (yet easier said than done) solution is to just get more CP non-EU CP players, but this is a huge undertaking given what is being asked.
I have also recommended this, a method to which crime is not COMPLETELY without risk come low unit count: LINK

As for anything past these, I leave it up to the users, devs, and any one else interested to see how we can fix this. It's a shame that criminal RP, a HUGE facet of HL2RP, is just not allowed past a certain point.

 

[Mullin]

We’re still very early on in recruitment for the CPs; as far as I am aware, this could be possible to get some more non EU CPs, of course this is down to the leads, I don’t see why they wouldn’t want this but the possible low activity hours might be a reason for struggling to do so.

If in the future this is deemed hard to do; we could possibly adapt the rules for crimeRP by the amount of players on, but then people may pick low activity hours to go on and commit as many non-risky crimes as possible do to the lack of CPs.

 

[Robert]

At the moment, we have to keep it this way because without CPs... people can get screwed over without any chance to get out of it. They have to rely on the populace who may not be willing to help or if they are in a building... hope that someone comes by. When 4 CPs+ are around, we can allow it simply because there is now enough units to run in and stop whatever ongoing crime there is.

However, we can make this crime rule so it's only against the Combine (Nexus, checkpoints, shops, cameras, units, muggings in the street and the CWU/CMU.) Any other crime is allowed.

This message you saw does not apply to the Condemned Zone (Slums) nor the Underground.

 

[Mr. Hang man]

Agreeing with robert here. The current rule works for me. Most people seeking to harm other players/shops will simply hop on during the low activity hours if this rule ceases to exist. Besides, committing crime in the city is meant to be a risky undertaking, not something that should be done often. Crime can still be committed just not out in the city where rply speaking the place would be surrounded by civil protection if there would be more then 4 in the city.