Busting has always been a hub of community activity. The realistic facts are that busting provides next to no experience. However, the community as a whole has, more than ever in this round, embraced busting as its centrepiece and even formed crews around it. Is this however, just a reflection of the increasingly passive nature of the community as a whole, as round by round we see a shift away from the aggressive and confrontational nature once seen to dominate the game? I wanted to look a little deeper into busting. Past the classic contests and immediate apparent points of busting. To do this, I spoke to both Sky and regular buster GoFuckYourBust.
Busting has always been a popular part of the game. But with the updates brought in this round by Moderator Sky a focus has been brought on the activity, with the overtaking of the Game Forum and public spotlight that now shines on those who partake in competitions and the such like. But have the updates actually brought about a surge in those who bust? Or has the spotlight just intensified a substantial amount to make that appear so? Further to this, does the busty nature of the community in general reflect upon claims made in a previous interview by Mika that the community is passive in nature? We sought the opinions of both Sky and GoFuckYourBust on all these questions and more.
Our first question for our pair of interviewees, was what they felt attracted users to become part of the busting community? Why has it proved so popular in this round and others proceeding it? GoFuckYourBust was first to step up with an answer, as he said, "I think people like it because its one of the few ways you can help out another person without sending money. It also is a good way to break the ice if you want to talk to someone." So it may be seen from this answer that GoFuckYourBust believes that busting is a reflection of the users better nature, in trying to help other users where it may not otherwise be possible! This was added to by the answer we received from Sky, as he told us, "It's one of the few times players can directly interact with one another where both parties get something out of it. The buster gets experience and the busted player gets out of jail. Plus there's invariably some cash to earn as a result of it so people are more willing to be altruistic." This in part was similar to the answer of GoFuckYourBust, as it touched upon the interaction seen between busters, particularly in Bust Parties. In my opinion, the appeal of Busting and parties as well, is the removal of all barriers between users. A huge diversity can be seen in those who partake in bust parties, in terms of rank, crews and more. The accessibility of interacting with all these different users is, I think, part of what makes busting so unique and fun.
As we touched upon earlier, in a previous interview Mika made reference to the Bootleggers community as becoming increasingly passive. Is this shift towards chatty Bust Parties a reflection of this passivity? We put this question to both our participating interviewees. Sky was clear in his answer, saying, "That's true to a certain extent, but that's not to say killing isn't a big part of the game anymore. Less than an hour ago we saw a Crew half-killed and insided. The aggressive players still exist, but they aren't as public as the passive players who have the forums in which to practice their passivity." A timely shooting for Sky to draw reference from. However it has to be said shootings have become more prominent in recent times. The fact as was quoted that the forums provide more opportunity for attention to be drawn to busting and the such like perhaps creates an unfair reflection of how great of a part it plays in the round.
But how would this compare to GoFuckYourBust's response? Well he has this to say, "I don't think it has affected peoples aggression or confrontation. If anything it has made the game more competitive, but just in a different way. Some people can't afford to be big shooters, so instead they take their competitiveness to bust comps, where it doesn't cost millions and take many hours to come out ahead. Granted, people will be less likely to shoot others if they have a good busting account, but just because they bust doesn't mean they won't train their gun or shoot people." Indeed I think that the ease brought about by Skys updates in terms of Bust Competitions and Parties, in terms of set up, donating, awarding etcetera has seen more people get involved simply because of its easy nature. It has to be said the competitive nature of users is still present, as much as it may have shifted slightly towards more passive means, it is still present. I think that GoFuckYourBust answer here in fact sums up the situation in a very appropriate way. Shooting still occurs, those who wish to shoot still do, and others who do not want to, partake in other competition based areas of the game, to which Busting has come to the forefront in part due to Sky's updates this round.
Another focus we took while looking at Busting was the Busts based Crews that we see occupying the Statistics page, in particular in this round. In the early rounds of Bootleggers a crew based on an activity such as Busting would of been laughed off. However now it forms a respected part of the game. Does this represent a change in attitude of the user base of Bootleggers? Sky answered this question for us, saying, "I wouldn't say it's a change in attitude but a change in approach. These people acknowledge that busting can be invaluable for experience, and the more busts you have under your belt the quicker you'll rank up." Continuing, "A Crew full of committed busters will reach high ranks very quickly and that makes for a very strong Crew." This can be seen of course in crews such as JAIL, who despite being caught in the crossfire a few times this round, can now be seen to have one of the most solidly high ranked Crews on the Statistics! We put the same question to GoFuckYourBust, who told us, "I think it does reflect the bootleggers game base, which has gotten more involved in busting as of recent. But I feel the reason these crews are able to maintain their spots is because they've worked hard to gain respect in this game. Both of the current busting crews, and a former (The Chain Gang), have put lots of time and money into hosting fun and elaborate bust competitions. People have come to respect what they're doing." The giving away of cash and or points can always be a surefire way to win some support from the community. Have these crews therefore bought their respect? You can decide that for yourself, however you probably wouldn't be complaining if you considered how many times members of such crews have saved you a boring sit in a cell!
But is busting really worth it? Sure it allows you to network, communicate and have a relaxed laugh while gaining very minimal experience. But with the experience that is available to gain being so low, is it worth it? Sky responded to these questions, saying, "Well the act of busting does give you experience, but a failure could result in you being in jail and potentially missing an opportunity to commit a crime or auto burglary attempt, which offer more. It depends on the style of play as to whether or not it's worth pursuing habitually." So depending how you engage in the activity, it can certainly prove worth your while.
Busting, as a whole, is a craze which seems to be sweeping the users of Bootleggers and gaining more and more support along the way. Whether you choose to engage in it or not of course depends on your own style of play and what you are looking to achieve in doing that. But competition, as much as it may not be through the expected means of shooting, is at an all time high!
