Danny

I’m less concerned about the lifespan of GTA:V or GTA:SA themselves, because a strong modding ecosystem can far outlive the base game’s relevance. GTA:SA was technologically outdated for years, but its community kept it alive thanks to the freedom, tooling, and culture that allowed for endless creativity. A great example of this is the Russian servers, which have consistently pushed boundaries with unique game modes. In that sense, it’s entirely plausible that RAGEMP could follow a similar path with GTA V, especially given its modern tools. You're dealing with a whole different problem. LS:RP on SA:MP set the standard for serious roleplay early on and became the benchmark that shaped the community’s expectations. Because it launched first and gained momentum quickly, it attracted a large, dedicated player base along with experienced staff and rich lore (`con rispetto). This created a strong, established ecosystem that was hard for other servers to compete with. Even when "technically" more advanced or innovative servers appeared (and I can name a few: IBP-Roleplay, Core Roleplay, LC:RP (hey @Aberdeen), Ultimate Roleplay — a production of yours truly), players often stayed with LS:RP because they had built meaningful connections, characters, and reputations here and leaving meant giving up all that social investment, which is a huge barrier. GTA World holds a similar position today. Thanks to its early presence and growth, it has established a community and culture that new platforms struggle to rival. The real challenge isn’t just offering better features but building the same level of trust, history, and player commitment that LS:RP demonstrated years ago. That kind of foundation takes time and is very difficult to surpass, specially when you've gone the opposite route time and time again.

One thing I can say is that it feels easier to start contributing to LS:RP compared to previous years. I remember applying multiple times for a developer role back when Damian & co. were in charge, and I honestly doubt my messages were ever read. This year, however, I sent an application and @danut replied fairly quickly, which at least gives the impression that there’s some interest in actively working on the SA:MP server. It never materialized, as life got in the way between the application and my introduction to the development team. I was told I could focus exclusively on the SA:MP server (in reply to @Clack saying that their intention is to pull the developers to RAGE), but I can’t attest to the veracity of that claim, since I haven’t yet seen how things operate internally. That said, the barrier to entry is still very real. PAWN isn’t exactly attractive in 2025, documentation is fragmented, and most people with the skills to learn it would rather invest that time into something transferable. I think it’s less about motivation and more about opportunity cost. If you don’t already have SA:MP nostalgia pulling you in, it’s a hard sell.

Quoting OP, "The LSRP brand exists on SAMP, not on GTAV, and it’s glaringly apparent the SAMP server needs to be more of a priority going forward. LSRP SAMP failing is a marketing disaster for LSRPV". I'm sure the people commenting here are worried about the future of LS:RP on SA:MP and not on V, which you clearly couldn't give two fucks about.

That ship has sailed pal. Refer to my first comment in this thread. LS:RP is nowhere near ready to be a successful community in any other GTA iteration with this management (not exclusively) and it continues to live in SA:MP purely off the reputation it has had for nearly two decades.

Censorship is a short-term fix that causes long-term damage to player trust. Time and time again, Los Santos Roleplay has needed its leadership to be more than just present, but to be actively engaged and willing to adapt. If the goal is to save the server, the solution is open dialogue, not a delete button. Let the community speak. I also firmly believe that shifting all focus to GTA:V is/was a mistake. LSRP lacks the first-mover advantange in that space; the market is already saturated with established servers that have spent years refining their features and communities. LSRP’s unique identity and legacy are rooted in SAMP (were they were also the first mover). Trying to play catch-up on a new platform while neglecting the core community here is a recipe for failure. We need to lean into what makes us unique, not chase a train that left the station years ago.

https://www.upload.ee/image/18510034/desert_hole.png

Congratulations Nate, Gino, and Mastarone on joining the indisputably largest family in the city of Sonny Valenti. What a bunch of great characters and people. This is the faction that sets the bar and the rest can’t even begin to fathom reaching it.

Valenti and elitism in the same sentence is a timeless take that’s been thrown around for over 15 years now. If anything, it’s become less elitist over the years. There’s a Discord now where anyone can reach out to members, something that would've been unthinkable in earlier iterations of the faction. I first joined the faction when my roleplaying skills were far below the standards set by Valenti, yet I was taken under their wing and, through months of daily interactions with members, improved a wide range of abilities such as writing and reading English as a non-native speaker, and, specially, roleplaying. I'd argue it's not gatekeeping. Maybe you just never bothered to walk through the door.