Criminals
Part of what makes Asphyxiation Point thrive is its seedy underbelly. Whether you want to get involved with running drugs or busting heads, from blue collar to high class, Asphyxiation Point has a place for your character. Most of what you need to know about playing a criminal at Asphyxiation Point is already covered under history & criminals in the about section of the website. However, this short guide goes into some more details for those who want to delve into the dark side :
1. Criminals & Law Enforcement at Asphyxiation Point
Understanding the delicate balance between criminals and law enforcement involves understanding Asphyxiation Point's history with criminal activity and the tourist trade. As the tourist business grew, the fishing business declined. While the upper town grew more prosperous, the lower town fell into ruins. The once prosperous fishing trade was soon replaced by smuggling, trafficking & organized crime to appease Asphyxiation Point's tourists. However, there were only so many ways to safely smuggle wine, women and drugs on such a tiny island and a turf war resulted.
Eventually, the resulting decline in the tourist trade would convince them all to cooperate. But the first step was actually taken by Asphyxiation Point's finest. In a suave move, the understaffed PD declared they would stay out of the sewers and the Red Light District and instead concentrate on crimes that were actually reported to them. The gangs naturally responded by retreating to those locations instead of fighting on the streets. As the streets grew safer, the tourists came back, and the surviving gangs learned to work together over time. Three loosely banded groups emerged, each controlling a certain trade and a certain portion of town.
Eventually, the resulting decline in the tourist trade would convince them all to cooperate. But the first step was actually taken by Asphyxiation Point's finest. In a suave move, the understaffed PD declared they would stay out of the sewers and the Red Light District and instead concentrate on crimes that were actually reported to them. The gangs naturally responded by retreating to those locations instead of fighting on the streets. As the streets grew safer, the tourists came back, and the surviving gangs learned to work together over time. Three loosely banded groups emerged, each controlling a certain trade and a certain portion of town.
2. Does this mean criminals have free rein?
No it certainly DOES NOT ! Just because the PD decides not to look too deeply into certain activities / certain portions of town, does not mean you are free to do as you please. They still fiercely uphold the law and will forcefully investigate any REPORTED crimes. Fighting on the streets, kidnapping that doctor who is sure to be missed, having a whore rat you out, or even leaving your calling card on that corpse by the cliff, will all see you prosecuted to the severest extent of the law.
The only crimes the PD will not investigate are the crimes it doesn't hear about. If you don't want to be caught, make sure your activities stay well out of the public eye. While some members of the PD may be corrupt, their influence is really limited once a crime is actually reported. The local newspaper is well known for investigating slow police response to high profile cases, meaning that such corrupt officers will eventually be found if they overplay their hand.
The only crimes the PD will not investigate are the crimes it doesn't hear about. If you don't want to be caught, make sure your activities stay well out of the public eye. While some members of the PD may be corrupt, their influence is really limited once a crime is actually reported. The local newspaper is well known for investigating slow police response to high profile cases, meaning that such corrupt officers will eventually be found if they overplay their hand.
3. Staying out of the public eye
Staying out of the public eye involves two independent but related activities :
- Maintaining a legitimate public persona : The criminal best suited to flourish at Asphyxiation Point is one that blends into a crowd. Finding a legitimate job, living in a normal house, getting involved with the town and its activities all give you that legitimate public persona you will need to succeed. Living way beyond your means, bragging about your criminal activities in public, unruly behavior in public places, and past convictions for crimes are all likely to draw suspicion onto your character.
- Knowing where to conduct illegitimate activities : The storm drains running under Asphyxiation Point have long been a hotbed for crime. Clicking on metal pipes along the walls of the underground storm sewer may still lead you to one of many abandoned rooms hidden from the public eye. Due to their proximity to the docks, the Red Light District and the bank, three underground bases have come to serve as the three main hubs for smuggling, trafficking and money laundering activities. Additional details can be found on the criminals page.
4. What should I expect if I am arrested?
Asphyxiation Point has a complete criminal justice system including a Police Department, courthouse, district attorney, judge, lawyers and even a Jury when need be. All of these people are dependent upon the criminal enterprises on SIM for their Roleplay. If the criminals on SIM do not let their activities ever become public knowledge, or refuse to follow through on potential consequences, a significant number of Roleplayers would be deprived of any Roleplay opportunities.
As a result, the criminal justice system in Asphyxiation Point has been modified in a manner that ensures that In-Character crimes only have In-Character consequences. Instead of giving you (the player) a three day time-out from Roleplay, every effort has been taken to make sure you are automatically drawn into an ever expanding web of Roleplay from the time you are arrested.
The following is a rough outline of what you should expect :
What happens if I never receive a summons from the court?
What kind of sentence can I reasonably expect?
As you can see, every effort has been made to ensure you spend as little time as possible sitting by yourself (in jail). However, if you happen to fancy a cop and want to spend time in jail, there are plenty of ways you can add additional jail time to your sentence.
As a result, the criminal justice system in Asphyxiation Point has been modified in a manner that ensures that In-Character crimes only have In-Character consequences. Instead of giving you (the player) a three day time-out from Roleplay, every effort has been taken to make sure you are automatically drawn into an ever expanding web of Roleplay from the time you are arrested.
The following is a rough outline of what you should expect :
- Your first stop on being arrested (unless you are hospitalized) is the Police Department. Here you will be fingerprinted, photographed, formally charged with a crime, and offered a phone call.
- We recommend using your phone call to call a lawyer or friend who can post bail for you. The Police Department will be happy to accommodate you in their jail cells while you wait. Please use an NPC lawyer if waiting for 24 hours or more.
- Your case has already made its way to the AP court house by this point. Here the District Attorney will review your case and inform you of next steps via certified mail to your address of record.
- You may respond to the district attorney via certified mail, phone, or in person. Next steps typically involve either a plea deal or a full trial depending upon the severity of the crime, scheduling constraints, and the like.
What happens if I never receive a summons from the court?
- In case you provided a false address or happen to miss / ignore the certified mail for any reason, the District Attorney will attempt to have your papers served to you in person by the PD or the court investigator.
- If the papers cannot be served or the DA does not hear back from you within a week, a warrant for your arrest will be issued. Please let the court lead know of potential absences from RP if you do not wish for this to happen by accident.
- The consequences for a second arrest is more severe than the first. You may be held for up to 48 hours while a court date is arranged. Failure to arrange a court date within 48 hours will result in a NPC based trial.
What kind of sentence can I reasonably expect?
- Firstly, it is entirely possible that you get away scot-free due to the lack of evidence. Hire a good lawyer, establish a good alibi and think of all the ways you can throw a wrench into the prosecution's plans.
- If you are found guilty, your sentence is likely to be some combination of fines, house arrest and community service. Given the logistical nightmares of shipping a prisoner to the mainland, jail time is rarely used at Asphyxiation Point.
- If house arrest is part of your sentence, you will be affixed with an ankle tracker that alerts the authorities if and when you leave your home. The tracker is not a GPS tracker and does not provide your location. Simply whether you are home or not.
- Violating a house arrest will leave the Police Department no choice but to arrest you again and hold you in jail for the remainder of your term. You will still be let out for your community service of course.
As you can see, every effort has been made to ensure you spend as little time as possible sitting by yourself (in jail). However, if you happen to fancy a cop and want to spend time in jail, there are plenty of ways you can add additional jail time to your sentence.
5. A short note on Roleplay Etiquette
Please remember that there is no winning or losing when it comes to Roleplay. A certain amount of give and take is required to move any story-line forward. Jumping into an ongoing scene prematurely, meta-gaming to find those who would rather not be found, or power-gaming to win once they have been found, eventually leaves one party disappointed. Repeated disappointment will simply cause such players to avoid future story-lines that involve you - meaning less Role-play for you in the long run.
The best way to avoid the other situation is to pause and ask yourself what the other player wants out of the Roleplay as well. Is this ongoing turf-war something both gangs want or is it just me pushing my desires on everyone else? Do the kidnapper and his victim want to be interrupted right now or would I be better off looking for them three days from now? Such questions are relatively easy to answer when you are part of the Roleplay to begin with. But occasionally it may be safer to just IM and ask.
Of course, if you expect other players to extend you the above courtesy, its your duty to try and draw them into your Roleplay as well. What clue do I leave behind to let the Police Department track me? How do I let gang X know of my criminal activities? Leaving hints that allow other Roleplayers to get involved in your Roleplay is critical to sow the seeds for future RP. A crime that no one gets to follow to the end is not a story-line. It is just another scene.
The best way to avoid the other situation is to pause and ask yourself what the other player wants out of the Roleplay as well. Is this ongoing turf-war something both gangs want or is it just me pushing my desires on everyone else? Do the kidnapper and his victim want to be interrupted right now or would I be better off looking for them three days from now? Such questions are relatively easy to answer when you are part of the Roleplay to begin with. But occasionally it may be safer to just IM and ask.
Of course, if you expect other players to extend you the above courtesy, its your duty to try and draw them into your Roleplay as well. What clue do I leave behind to let the Police Department track me? How do I let gang X know of my criminal activities? Leaving hints that allow other Roleplayers to get involved in your Roleplay is critical to sow the seeds for future RP. A crime that no one gets to follow to the end is not a story-line. It is just another scene.
