Sunday, November 8th, 2009
Issue: 1   Editor: Nyxxie


Going, Going, Going, GONE! IShallPersevere
With the long awaited reset given to the Bootleggers people, it was not long before players had signed up and begun earning their fortunes. New crews and groups were formed, plans were constructed and brought into practice, and the action began. The influence of Bullet Factories (BFs) was there for all to see in all of the previous rounds of Bootleggers, therefore it was no surprise to see all of these hot properties under new ownership within 24 hours after the first bullet factory had been taken. As dust settled from the action, we at the Buzz spoke to some of the owners and crew bosses about the influence and importance of BFs.

It soon became clear from the interviewees answers that Bullet Factories were high on the list of priorities of many crews prior to the reset. As Kamikaze, boss of The Invisibles and HDO, told us, “It was indeed planned and infact before this round started myself and the other crew bosses decided that one of the most important purchases for us to make early on was to buy at least one bullet factory.” The importance of these money making machines is clearly appreciated by all crews, with household names Event Horizon and The Order from prior rounds moving quickly, along with newer ones such as Avarice and Omertà also getting in on the act. Names to look out for in future, perhaps?

The next thing we at the Buzz wondered, was how important the crews viewed the Bullet Factories to both their long-term and short-term success. There is no disputing the profitability of the properties, however they are not the be all and end all. As BettyB, boss of Event Horizon, told us, “The bullet factory will eventually be a decent source of income for the crew, and provide some bullets to play around with.” Continuing, saying, “However, there are a number of ways that a crew can earn some cash, and bullets can always be bought. A crew could quite easily be successful without a bullet factory.”

The reset has also seen a great increase in users online, with both old and new users returning to the game. How would this affect the risk of owning a Bullet Factory? We put this to our interviewees, who seemed realistic about the threat, as one explained, “Owning a bullet factory is always a risk, UG crews/people would be a greater risk than people on stats who may not want to risk their spot.” Another boss shared this view, saying, “Owning a bullet factory will always have its risks and I believe even with increased crews/players the threat levels would be the same due to it being one of the more valuable properties within the game.” This showing that owning a BF is not a win win situation, the risk involved with owning one could potentially far outweigh the benefits!

Bullet prices were a topic of heated discussions in previous rounds, therefore the next question on our minds was how the owners thought Bullet price would be affected by fluctuating cash in the game, along with reintroduction of points later in the round. One experienced player had a clear view on what would happening, telling us, “One of the main influences for bullet prices will be the current cash levels within the game and once points have been re-introduced you will be able to use the current average value for them to help determine the price. For example if you still need 10 points for 500 bullets and a point costs $3,000 it will cost you in broad terms $30,000 for 500 i.e. $60 per bullet.” Clear guidelines then for those wondering what course bullet prices may take.

Are people stocking bullets already? Will the Bullet Factory prove to be as valuable to crews as in previous rounds? Only time will tell, and as we wait for the first owners to fall and first crews to be made, we can only imagine! For now however, happy gaming!

-IShallPersevere