How to approach a gang/reasons for joining
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Approaching most gangs may seem intimidating, but there are a few things to take in and consider that will make it a whole lot easier and feel less forced.
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Take into consideration the following:
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The residence of your character
His/her capabilities
Mindset
Financial situation
Social status
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When attempting to join a gang, it wouldn’t be the best idea to try to start up as a hardened criminal or being well off, gang members are usually young, broke, and susceptible, you are either looking for gratification(to feel wanted by a group of people) or looking to come up and make money, most people who aspire to join gangs come from a dysfunctional household, with no real form of guidance. Take into consideration what might lead your characters down that path, what situation lead them down that road, and how your choices may affect where you the outcome of your character.
---------------------------------------
Character development is pivotal as it differentiates authentic roleplay from just being a stereotype if you decide to start up as an already established gangster with a full-blown criminal mindset, you would most likely be ignored by the people who put the time in to develop their character or in most cases you would get checked, robbed and humiliated. Trying to become a full-blown gangster should never be your end goal either, just popping out on a random street and evolving into a gang member after a couple of hours of roleplay is highly unrealistic, taking slow steps towards becoming initiated would be the superior option.
---------------------------------------
When attempting to join a gang, it wouldn’t be the best idea to try to start up as a hardened criminal or being well off, gang members are usually young, broke, and susceptible, you are either looking for gratification(to feel wanted by a group of people) or looking to come up and make money, most people who aspire to join gangs come from a dysfunctional household, with no real form of guidance. Take into consideration what might lead your characters down that path, what situation lead them down that road, and how your choices may affect where you the outcome of your character.
---------------------------------------
Character development is pivotal as it differentiates authentic roleplay from just being a stereotype if you decide to start up as an already established gangster with a full-blown criminal mindset, you would most likely be ignored by the people who put the time in to develop their character or in most cases you would get checked, robbed and humiliated. Trying to become a full-blown gangster should never be your end goal either, just popping out on a random street and evolving into a gang member after a couple of hours of roleplay is highly unrealistic, taking slow steps towards becoming initiated would be the superior option.
---------------------------------------
In relation to approaching gangs, roleplaying coming from another state or city is highly unrealistic, why would somebody take a road trip or buy a plane ticket to end up in a poor and disenfranchised environment? The best option would be to roleplay being from the area, roleplaying being from another part of Los Santos could work if your character had to migrate with a relative as moving from location to location is common.
---------------------------------------
The best way to approach a gang is through social interaction or being used for profit, through drugs or any other illicit item, buying narcotics from a gang member would be one of the easiest ways to constantly interact with them, sharing drugs is also an easy way to build up relationships with the people around you. Parties are usually thrown in the community and most people are allowed to attend, you may meet people there who are willing to interact and from that, you could build a relationship.
---------------------------------------
I would also like to encourage linking up with people who are already in the faction and roleplaying relatives, as this is highly common in gangs.
---------------------------------------
One thing that I want to point out is being creative, you have to adapt to the environment you’re in, there are many ways to interact with somebody, you don’t need a group to develop your own character and provide avenues to roleplay for the faction.
---------------------------------------
For example; You could shoplift, get a couple of cigarette packs, and re-sell them in the hood for a cheaper price.
---------------------------------------
Try not to limit yourself to thinking that the only way to join a gang is to sell drugs or kill somebody, gang members have been initiated through relationships, family members, music, the list goes on, you can’t expect everybody to be a full-blown drug dealer or a contract killer, some people are just cool to be around, some people fight very well and so on.
Character Foundations
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Some ideas for your character development. Gang banging contains way more activities than just violence and selling drugs. Focus on being good at one thing, not everything. RPing your characters strengths and flaws makes roleplay more immersive anyway.
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Barber
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This character cuts hair/does hair to make a living. This character can work in a shop, work out of their home, or go to their client's homes to get their job done. This sort of RP requires some basic knowledge of hair styling in order to be executed properly.
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Tagger
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You're a banger that likes to tag up walls with spray paint, it's your thing. You take pride in embarrassing rival neighborhoods on the wall and marking your grounds with your gang-related hit-ups. It's important to you for outsiders to know where they are and that rival gangs are not welcome.
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Athlete
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This is a character that plays sports. These sports can be an escape from the gang life, something that a character does on the side, or something that a character fully strives for. RP'ing an athlete can be enjoyable because of the different paths you can take with it; maybe you suck at your sport, maybe you're a star player. Get creative when roleplaying an athlete and it can lead to a lot of RP.
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Musician
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This character is an aspiring musician. Maybe they make beats and sell them online, maybe they rap and are trying to get their name out there. Roleplaying a musician can be very unique and is something that is common amongst gang members in real life. Setting up shows, recording in the studio, passing out your mixtape, etc. are all possible roleplay events that can come with being a musician.
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Stoner
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This character smokes all day, every day. They're very nonchalant about a lot of things probably, and just want to know where the weed is at. Because of them being around weed a lot, they may sell a few bags here and there just so they can re-up and smoke some more weed.
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Junkie
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This character is addicted to hard drugs. They may be a functioning drug addict, still capable of getting their business handled and making money. They can also be a straight-up addict that is only looking for their next fix, and any money they come across is going to more drugs.
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Booster
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Similar to property theft, this character specializes in stealing clothes. They walk into various stores and steal shirts, jeans, socks, belts, shoes, etc. Maybe they work at a clothing store and steal whatever they can when the boss isn't looking. These characters sell their merchandise to others around the neighborhood.
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Crash Dummy
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A send-off kid, usually reckless and wild. This is a person that you could send off to do anything and everything that you wanted, no matter how dangerous it can turn. It's evident that this person is fueled by adrenaline, and they like it so they do whatever they can to keep themselves riled up. Crash dummies are more than likely going to end up dead or prison at a young age and are one of those types of people you wouldn't wanna always hang with because of the danger level.
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Parent
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This character has a child they care for. With this, they may be more conscious of their situation, maybe avoiding more dangerous situations due to the fact that they have a child. They may look to the gang for help raising the child or join the gang for monetary gain.
Relationship - This character is in a relationship. Maybe a character is introduced to the gang because they're in a relationship with someone currently in the gang. They may have to resort to crime in order to help pay the bills with their significant other. Or both characters may be involved in criminal schemes together as a couple.
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9 to 5
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This character has a legal job that makes their money. They probably work at one of the convenience stores in the hood and come kick it with the homies after work. If it's a store some gang members frequently visit, they can hook the gang members up and give them discounts.
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False Claimer
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The person that wants to be from the gang so bad that he/she is willing to falsely claim a position within it. This person wants to join in on the gang because the lifestyle's appealing to them, although, there's a good chance that they wouldn't lift a finger when it comes to the gang's rivals. They're often seen excessively wearing gang colors and heard using gang terms to try and fit in.
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Tattoo Artist
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This character knows how to do tattoos. This character could work in a shop, or work out of their home. They schedule appointments, find clients, etc. This could lead to you eventually running your own tattoo business in the future.
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Robber
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This character steals things. He's breaking into homes or robbing others at gunpoint. You can recruit others to help you with your schemes, or do these missions solo. The items are probably sold online, or to others in the neighborhood.
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Bike Life
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This character loves driving preferably dirt bikes, but also BMX bikes and such. They are speed addicts and often get into danger by wheeling or pulling other stunts with their bikes.
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Gamer
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This character enjoys playing video games and spends the majority of his free time in front of his console.
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Religious
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This character is very religious and believes in god. His actions will more often than not be very hypocritical.
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It's not recommended to create characters that portrays an ice cold gangster from the jump. All these flaws and traits is what makes your character realistic/human. Watch these guidelines if you need some inspiration to portray your character the correct way.
EXPLAINING HAT-BANGING, AND INSIGNIA, ITS IMPORTANCE, ETC.
What is hat banging? Hat banging is when your represent your set with a cap, usually a baseball , or football team. This is another direct way to know where another person is from. ( If they present in a /do if they’re wearing a hat, or you ask if they are ).
In certain areas, if you’re caught with the wrong hat it could be over with. If you check gang-insignias - you’d see what our teams are that we represent— if we were to walk in an enemy hood and they’d spot Hustler affiliated cap, they’d press us, or know where we’re from instantly.
The same for our enemies as well— if we catch them in our territory, or spot them and recognize the hat they’re sporting, knowing what it means.
(https://www.reddit.com/r/CaliBanging/comments/iyud1s/just_dont_wear_any_hats_in_la_better_safe_than/)
Checking-In, Card Pulling, and Affiliation.
What does checking-in mean? - If you're un unfamiliar affiliate being released from prison, or coming back after being absent for a while, you should check-in with the proper leadership according to your clique. So your identity, and affiliation isn't a confusion to anyone, avoiding issues, etc.
What is card pulling, what happens if I get mine pulled? - Your card can be pulled for multiple reasons, they aren't all the worst case scenario. Often times you'll be asked to spit your handle, or the statement announcing your affiliation, (Below) , mostly when you're unfamiliar, being called out, getting disciplined, etc. If you are asked, just recite the statement accordingly.
How to approach a gang/reasons for joining --------------------------------------- Approaching most gangs may seem intimidating, but there are a few things to take in and consider that will make it a whole lot easier and feel less forced. --------------------------------------- Take into consideration the following: --------------------------------------- The residence of your character His/her capabilities Mindset Financial situation Social status --------------------------------------- When attempting to join a gang, it wouldn’t be the best idea to try to start up as a hardened criminal or being well off, gang members are usually young, broke, and susceptible, you are either looking for gratification(to feel wanted by a group of people) or looking to come up and make money, most people who aspire to join gangs come from a dysfunctional household, with no real form of guidance. Take into consideration what might lead your characters down that path, what situation lead them down that road, and how your choices may affect where you the outcome of your character. --------------------------------------- Character development is pivotal as it differentiates authentic roleplay from just being a stereotype if you decide to start up as an already established gangster with a full-blown criminal mindset, you would most likely be ignored by the people who put the time in to develop their character or in most cases you would get checked, robbed and humiliated. Trying to become a full-blown gangster should never be your end goal either, just popping out on a random street and evolving into a gang member after a couple of hours of roleplay is highly unrealistic, taking slow steps towards becoming initiated would be the superior option. --------------------------------------- When attempting to join a gang, it wouldn’t be the best idea to try to start up as a hardened criminal or being well off, gang members are usually young, broke, and susceptible, you are either looking for gratification(to feel wanted by a group of people) or looking to come up and make money, most people who aspire to join gangs come from a dysfunctional household, with no real form of guidance. Take into consideration what might lead your characters down that path, what situation lead them down that road, and how your choices may affect where you the outcome of your character. --------------------------------------- Character development is pivotal as it differentiates authentic roleplay from just being a stereotype if you decide to start up as an already established gangster with a full-blown criminal mindset, you would most likely be ignored by the people who put the time in to develop their character or in most cases you would get checked, robbed and humiliated. Trying to become a full-blown gangster should never be your end goal either, just popping out on a random street and evolving into a gang member after a couple of hours of roleplay is highly unrealistic, taking slow steps towards becoming initiated would be the superior option. --------------------------------------- In relation to approaching gangs, roleplaying coming from another state or city is highly unrealistic, why would somebody take a road trip or buy a plane ticket to end up in a poor and disenfranchised environment? The best option would be to roleplay being from the area, roleplaying being from another part of Los Santos could work if your character had to migrate with a relative as moving from location to location is common. --------------------------------------- The best way to approach a gang is through social interaction or being used for profit, through drugs or any other illicit item, buying narcotics from a gang member would be one of the easiest ways to constantly interact with them, sharing drugs is also an easy way to build up relationships with the people around you. Parties are usually thrown in the community and most people are allowed to attend, you may meet people there who are willing to interact and from that, you could build a relationship. --------------------------------------- I would also like to encourage linking up with people who are already in the faction and roleplaying relatives, as this is highly common in gangs. --------------------------------------- One thing that I want to point out is being creative, you have to adapt to the environment you’re in, there are many ways to interact with somebody, you don’t need a group to develop your own character and provide avenues to roleplay for the faction. --------------------------------------- For example; You could shoplift, get a couple of cigarette packs, and re-sell them in the hood for a cheaper price. --------------------------------------- Try not to limit yourself to thinking that the only way to join a gang is to sell drugs or kill somebody, gang members have been initiated through relationships, family members, music, the list goes on, you can’t expect everybody to be a full-blown drug dealer or a contract killer, some people are just cool to be around, some people fight very well and so on. Character Foundations --------------------------------------- Some ideas for your character development. Gang banging contains way more activities than just violence and selling drugs. Focus on being good at one thing, not everything. RPing your characters strengths and flaws makes roleplay more immersive anyway. --------------------------------------- Barber --------------------------------------- This character cuts hair/does hair to make a living. This character can work in a shop, work out of their home, or go to their client's homes to get their job done. This sort of RP requires some basic knowledge of hair styling in order to be executed properly. --------------------------------------- Tagger --------------------------------------- You're a banger that likes to tag up walls with spray paint, it's your thing. You take pride in embarrassing rival neighborhoods on the wall and marking your grounds with your gang-related hit-ups. It's important to you for outsiders to know where they are and that rival gangs are not welcome. --------------------------------------- Athlete --------------------------------------- This is a character that plays sports. These sports can be an escape from the gang life, something that a character does on the side, or something that a character fully strives for. RP'ing an athlete can be enjoyable because of the different paths you can take with it; maybe you suck at your sport, maybe you're a star player. Get creative when roleplaying an athlete and it can lead to a lot of RP. --------------------------------------- Musician --------------------------------------- This character is an aspiring musician. Maybe they make beats and sell them online, maybe they rap and are trying to get their name out there. Roleplaying a musician can be very unique and is something that is common amongst gang members in real life. Setting up shows, recording in the studio, passing out your mixtape, etc. are all possible roleplay events that can come with being a musician. --------------------------------------- Stoner --------------------------------------- This character smokes all day, every day. They're very nonchalant about a lot of things probably, and just want to know where the weed is at. Because of them being around weed a lot, they may sell a few bags here and there just so they can re-up and smoke some more weed. --------------------------------------- Junkie --------------------------------------- This character is addicted to hard drugs. They may be a functioning drug addict, still capable of getting their business handled and making money. They can also be a straight-up addict that is only looking for their next fix, and any money they come across is going to more drugs. --------------------------------------- Booster --------------------------------------- Similar to property theft, this character specializes in stealing clothes. They walk into various stores and steal shirts, jeans, socks, belts, shoes, etc. Maybe they work at a clothing store and steal whatever they can when the boss isn't looking. These characters sell their merchandise to others around the neighborhood. --------------------------------------- Crash Dummy --------------------------------------- A send-off kid, usually reckless and wild. This is a person that you could send off to do anything and everything that you wanted, no matter how dangerous it can turn. It's evident that this person is fueled by adrenaline, and they like it so they do whatever they can to keep themselves riled up. Crash dummies are more than likely going to end up dead or prison at a young age and are one of those types of people you wouldn't wanna always hang with because of the danger level. --------------------------------------- Parent --------------------------------------- This character has a child they care for. With this, they may be more conscious of their situation, maybe avoiding more dangerous situations due to the fact that they have a child. They may look to the gang for help raising the child or join the gang for monetary gain. Relationship - This character is in a relationship. Maybe a character is introduced to the gang because they're in a relationship with someone currently in the gang. They may have to resort to crime in order to help pay the bills with their significant other. Or both characters may be involved in criminal schemes together as a couple. --------------------------------------- 9 to 5 --------------------------------------- This character has a legal job that makes their money. They probably work at one of the convenience stores in the hood and come kick it with the homies after work. If it's a store some gang members frequently visit, they can hook the gang members up and give them discounts. --------------------------------------- False Claimer --------------------------------------- The person that wants to be from the gang so bad that he/she is willing to falsely claim a position within it. This person wants to join in on the gang because the lifestyle's appealing to them, although, there's a good chance that they wouldn't lift a finger when it comes to the gang's rivals. They're often seen excessively wearing gang colors and heard using gang terms to try and fit in. --------------------------------------- Tattoo Artist --------------------------------------- This character knows how to do tattoos. This character could work in a shop, or work out of their home. They schedule appointments, find clients, etc. This could lead to you eventually running your own tattoo business in the future. --------------------------------------- Robber --------------------------------------- This character steals things. He's breaking into homes or robbing others at gunpoint. You can recruit others to help you with your schemes, or do these missions solo. The items are probably sold online, or to others in the neighborhood. --------------------------------------- Bike Life --------------------------------------- This character loves driving preferably dirt bikes, but also BMX bikes and such. They are speed addicts and often get into danger by wheeling or pulling other stunts with their bikes. --------------------------------------- Gamer --------------------------------------- This character enjoys playing video games and spends the majority of his free time in front of his console. --------------------------------------- Religious --------------------------------------- This character is very religious and believes in god. His actions will more often than not be very hypocritical. --------------------------------------- It's not recommended to create characters that portrays an ice cold gangster from the jump. All these flaws and traits is what makes your character realistic/human. Watch these guidelines if you need some inspiration to portray your character the correct way. EXPLAINING HAT-BANGING, AND INSIGNIA, ITS IMPORTANCE, ETC. What is hat banging? Hat banging is when your represent your set with a cap, usually a baseball , or football team. This is another direct way to know where another person is from. ( If they present in a /do if they’re wearing a hat, or you ask if they are ). In certain areas, if you’re caught with the wrong hat it could be over with. If you check gang-insignias - you’d see what our teams are that we represent— if we were to walk in an enemy hood and they’d spot Hustler affiliated cap, they’d press us, or know where we’re from instantly. The same for our enemies as well— if we catch them in our territory, or spot them and recognize the hat they’re sporting, knowing what it means. (https://www.reddit.com/r/CaliBanging/comments/iyud1s/just_dont_wear_any_hats_in_la_better_safe_than/) Checking-In, Card Pulling, and Affiliation. What does checking-in mean? - If you're un unfamiliar affiliate being released from prison, or coming back after being absent for a while, you should check-in with the proper leadership according to your clique. So your identity, and affiliation isn't a confusion to anyone, avoiding issues, etc. What is card pulling, what happens if I get mine pulled? - Your card can be pulled for multiple reasons, they aren't all the worst case scenario. Often times you'll be asked to spit your handle, or the statement announcing your affiliation, (Below) , mostly when you're unfamiliar, being called out, getting disciplined, etc. If you are asked, just recite the statement accordingly.
