Since the beginning of Bootleggers all the way back in 2003, the specifics of the game have been shrouded in mystery. Over the last ten years, even as features have evolved, there is still a mystique about how the game works, as no one player (or group of players) still fully understands it. To get some perspective on why this is, the Buzz interviewed some of the founders and old-timers of the game.
“I think that the formulas and what not are kept secret because that is what makes the game,” said Brightstar. “If everyone knew exactly what everything would take, no one would stay logged in…Players will become disinterested and log out, only logging in to commit that OC a day, etc.”
"Most importantly, we do not always disclose everything about a feature because the game should form some kind of a challenge," said Mika. "Finding out how new or revamped features work offers a reward for those that put in effort." Regarding this reward, he went on to say "The basic idea(s) of how something works is(/are) always explained. The specifics are usually left out to provide an option to gain an edge to those who are willing to put in the effort and really get into how a feature works."
When you compare Bootleggers to other games, it is unique in that there is no “Prima Guide” with “how-to’s” on all of its features. There has been an impressive amount of player-generated content, such as the exquisite Mission Guide, the various “OCs to Rank” charts, booze charts, and attempts at creating a bullet calculator. These things are fantastic and really show a sense of community bonding together to achieve greatness in the game.
It is in that spirit that Round 8 launched with a plethora of new features intended to greatly expand the scope of several game features such as Crews, killing, and Organized Crimes, with only minimal information on how each had changed. As always, the impetus was on the always inquisitive players to discover the pros, the cons, and the inner workings of all of these new features.
Round 8 has also been unique in that many updates to existing features and completely new ones have been added as the round progressed. However, there have been two sides to that coin, as although it has been great to be able to get updates and new features out quickly, some players have been upset about “mid-round rule changes” and a general feeling that things aren’t being explained enough. On that end, we will do a better job going forward of sufficiently explaining new features without divulging enough information to render the feature useless. Good luck, and have fun!
