It depends on what your categorization of 'fun' actually is and where you'd put it between light and heavy roleplay. In your description of 'old LSRP', I'd very much consider it light roleplay. There was no real standard effectuated until probably 2017-2018. This is the timeframe many of us would consider the 'golden age' of LSRP. What nostalgia does is bring you back in time-- to a time where 'roleplay' was a glorified game of cops and robbers. Everything was mediocre pre-2016/2017, the characters, the factions, and the staff. There has been huge growth in the years since and everything else is years gone by. I remember the days you explained like they were yesterday and if we were to go back in time, it'd be good for a few days until the novelty wore off. The sentimentality of the memories is the only reason they're being ennobled and I can guarantee what was 'fun' back then would be much worse than what they claim GTAw is now.
At one point in time, LSRP was also in this position and it's to my understanding that they just haven't caught up to what was our 2017-2018 breakthrough point but that day will come and if we don't make our stance on heavy roleplay clear then the window of opportunity will close. Let me break down your last example for emphasis.
This isn't realistic. This is someone's interpretation of 'fun' and this is what would plague the server if we didn't enforce a 'realistic' atmosphere. People have different definitions of fun because it's supposed to be something that you enjoy doing. These people obviously enjoy doing this, which is why it's so ruinous. They don't roleplay for 'realism' they roleplay for a release and if you enforce this 'standard' then this is the type of players you will attract by default. So on one hand, you're saying "That server is full of people RPing who they wish they could be" (which falls under the definition of 'fun' but on the other, you're saying "Everyone knows how to RP by now, lets have fun" (which also falls under the definition of 'fun') and what that is, is a double standard.
If a server advertises itself as a 'heavy roleplay server' then it can't leave it open to interpretation. People can have 'fun' without being unrealistic. People can have 'fun' while being realistic. It all depends on the enforcement of this. I've been around since 2007 and I've played in every era of the server and going back to the 'old days' would be a step backward. Everyone and everything has evolved since then and it'd go against the grain to go back to a day and age where nobody had a real understanding of what 'heavy rp' actually was. I wouldn't by any means classify the competition as 'super realistic,' in fact, I consider them to be the opposite of that and if I were to categorize, I'd label them a light roleplay server.
In terms of 'ultra realism,' I'd say we've always had a good balance. Factions and players have the creative freedom to do what they want as long as they can justify their actions or plans with logic. This is something I have been pushing for since I've returned and will continue to push for.
What we need (more than anything) is clarity on where we 'stand' on these subjects from the administration. I think we all know where we'd like to stand, we'd just like reassurance.