There's something about these days, the old days of SchoolRP that I can't seem to let go of, no matter how much time may pass or how many updates the server goes through, it's been through a lot. When I take a moment from my day to look back, I realize how much these experiences shaped how I am today as a person, and my experience within the server itself, and why I still compare today's roleplay to what we had originally. Specifically, I wanted to take a mention to Gang Roleplay, as for me, that was the heart of the reason I played the server, the thrill, the chaos, the unforgettable connections that made it feel more. . alive.
Gang roleplay back then obviously wasn't perfect, I know there's a large sum of you that feel this way as well. Let's be honest, there was a fair share of power-hungry organizations or gangs, there were plenty rulebreakers, and moments where it all went a bit too far, whether it be toxicity or disagreements. But that was the charm of it. The streets within the game felt dangerous, you felt as you had to watch your back, because you didn't know if something would have kicked off. There wasn't the same sense of over-policing or micromanagement that could theoretically kill todays vibe of it. Back then, people moved publicly, whether you agree or disagree, something was always happening, no matter the time. Nowadays, from what I've seen, people get the occasional minor permission, and act upon that. It use to be a plenty of things, behind the shop, on a rooftop, or the corners of a park, the potential for conflict, or betrayal was always there. One thing that I remember most was the sense of unpredictability. One day, you could be walking home from school to anywhere, and you suddenly see someone chasing you with a ballistic mask, baseball bat. Maybe they just wanted to have a simple talk, maybe they were just asserting themselves, but either way, the feel of the scenario and what was happening would spike. It wasn't just about winning, losing, no, it was about the way of escalation, the way consequences were given, every brawl, mugging, kidnapping added another part to someone's story. I just see people now do permissions for the fun of it; granted that was the same back then, it was different though, it was more chaotic. You could turn a corner, there's a group of masked people waiting for you.
I think what made gang roleplay so. . special, back then was how personal it actually felt. Gangs weren't just groups that you applied for and forgot about it, they were families. When you joined a gang, you actually went out of your way to make sure you were respected, the wars of power, example Kishi & Akihito war, at almost any time of the day, something was happening. I remember the nights where people just sat there for a good minute, planning a single attack or deciding how to respond to another gangs provocation, we weren't rushing through roleplay for the sake of it, it was how invested you were. Another thing that I wanted to mention is how different the community was, there was a level of activity that nowadays feels impossible to find, granted there's still an average of 200 people a day, at almost any time of the day, you could log on and find something happening. There was more people on the streets, more voices to listen to, more life. It felt like a large ecosystem, gangs were a crucial part of keeping it dynamic. Even the people who weren't involved in gangs felt the impact of crime itself. Civilians would avoid specific areas, in some cases it was turfs, or what people claimed to be turfs, now people run up to them for what, to be annoying? Where's the fun in that, the fear factor your character doesn't display. Everyone was on edge, and that made it fun.
Lets talk about the visuals, it could just be me, and I do hope not, but the server felt more raw than it was now, I preferred the older shading style of outfits and bases, the older modelling style with weaponry, and items overall, it felt more real. Yes, it was changed for the better of the server, but it's something that I sure miss. The server was less polished, less "clean," perse, but it fit perfectly with that type of roleplay. Karakura itself wasn't some pristine utopian city, it was a place with dark corners, the rougher aesthetic reflected that better than some of the newer, more refined polished styles I seen nowadays. The imperfections made it all more real.
There was also less focus on clout rather the roleplay itself. People weren't obsessed with stats, ranks or flexing they had permission on someone. The gangs weren't flashy about discord tags or power gaming their way to the top (i don't like p2l, i never really have). Sure, there was the share of drama, no community is to exist without it, but the majority of us were there because we loved what we could build. Many didn't want to be just the strongest for the sake of it, people were trying to create moments to remember, and that's what made the older gang roleplay so powerful, the impact of it. You could be in a group with just a couple of your friends, but if you played the cards right, you could leave a mark on the city's history, one example I could think of is the Forelli event, how they blew up a truck. Granted, explosives or fire isn't really allowed in gang events from what I recall, but that truck was there for a long while. One of the blatant facts about the era was wars between gangs that could have lasted for weeks, it wasn't just an unpolished fight every day, it was a slow burn. Sneak attacks, betrayals, meetings, truces were negotiated and broken. There was a plot that played out with each side trying to outthink one another, form alliances, and gain the upper hand. You'd see people walk in groups because nobody wanted to get caught slipping. Every night, you'd have a wonder of logging off for the next day as to what would happen. Someone could have been taken out, someone could have flipped sides, what plan would fall apart like wet sand, or succeed. It was more immersive, it's hard to describe to someone who wasn't there to actually witness it. And that's the thing, the immersion was, and always be unmatched. When you were deep in gang roleplay back then, it didn't feel like you were just playing a Minecraft server, it felt like you were a part of it. You felt as you were in a breathing city with its own dangers and legends, the tension, the stakes, and how unpredictable it was. It all combined to create something bigger than one person could ever have been. You weren't just controlling the character, rather being that character, you were that character, caught up in something larger. And when you won, when your gang pulled off the impossible, the satisfaction was real. Not because you just got some reward or special role, but because you knew you played he game right, you told a story that mattered.
I wanted to clear this up, I'm not saying the server is bad at all, it's amazing, there's a lot of good roleplay happening, there are still dedicated players and there are still there moments of brilliance. But I can't help but feel some of that old magic is gone, or at least harder to find. The community isn't quite as active as I remember, the gang scene feels more restricted, the raw, chaotic energy that held up those old days has been smoothened out in a lot of places, and maybe that's inevitable. Striving communities grow, change, and try to improve. Rules tighten to prevent abuse, systems change to be refined, but with all that I think we had lost a little bit of what made those days so unforgettable. There's days I wonder if we could ever bring it back, not by simply turning a clock but rather recapturing that spirit. What if we had focused less on perfect balance and more on storytelling? What if we had more player-driven conflicts, more organic escalation, more opportunities for small groups to rise and make an impact? What if the people of the server was allowed to breathe once more, let the danger feel real again? I don't have all the answers, and I'm sure neither does anyone else. But I do know that I miss it. I miss the days to where gang roleplay kept you on the edge of your seat, when the streets of the server felt alive with possibilities, when the past felt, in a word, funner.
However, in the end, it's more than just a memory. They are recollections of a chaotic and promising community. Perhaps, we may be growing older, but I can't believe that. What we're experiencing, in my eyes, is the loss of that spark, where it was about belonging in a world we created, this energy that made every logon feel like we were entering something greater. Each story mattered, it had an impact of it's own. Our choices, decisions mattered. I think the spirit is still alive, and it just needs the right potential to start again. The right people, to start it. The best days aren't behind us, rather the ones we choose to create next.
Again, this is all based off of my PERSONAL opinion, don't take this personally, some of it may not make sense, to me it does.
Gang roleplay back then obviously wasn't perfect, I know there's a large sum of you that feel this way as well. Let's be honest, there was a fair share of power-hungry organizations or gangs, there were plenty rulebreakers, and moments where it all went a bit too far, whether it be toxicity or disagreements. But that was the charm of it. The streets within the game felt dangerous, you felt as you had to watch your back, because you didn't know if something would have kicked off. There wasn't the same sense of over-policing or micromanagement that could theoretically kill todays vibe of it. Back then, people moved publicly, whether you agree or disagree, something was always happening, no matter the time. Nowadays, from what I've seen, people get the occasional minor permission, and act upon that. It use to be a plenty of things, behind the shop, on a rooftop, or the corners of a park, the potential for conflict, or betrayal was always there. One thing that I remember most was the sense of unpredictability. One day, you could be walking home from school to anywhere, and you suddenly see someone chasing you with a ballistic mask, baseball bat. Maybe they just wanted to have a simple talk, maybe they were just asserting themselves, but either way, the feel of the scenario and what was happening would spike. It wasn't just about winning, losing, no, it was about the way of escalation, the way consequences were given, every brawl, mugging, kidnapping added another part to someone's story. I just see people now do permissions for the fun of it; granted that was the same back then, it was different though, it was more chaotic. You could turn a corner, there's a group of masked people waiting for you.
I think what made gang roleplay so. . special, back then was how personal it actually felt. Gangs weren't just groups that you applied for and forgot about it, they were families. When you joined a gang, you actually went out of your way to make sure you were respected, the wars of power, example Kishi & Akihito war, at almost any time of the day, something was happening. I remember the nights where people just sat there for a good minute, planning a single attack or deciding how to respond to another gangs provocation, we weren't rushing through roleplay for the sake of it, it was how invested you were. Another thing that I wanted to mention is how different the community was, there was a level of activity that nowadays feels impossible to find, granted there's still an average of 200 people a day, at almost any time of the day, you could log on and find something happening. There was more people on the streets, more voices to listen to, more life. It felt like a large ecosystem, gangs were a crucial part of keeping it dynamic. Even the people who weren't involved in gangs felt the impact of crime itself. Civilians would avoid specific areas, in some cases it was turfs, or what people claimed to be turfs, now people run up to them for what, to be annoying? Where's the fun in that, the fear factor your character doesn't display. Everyone was on edge, and that made it fun.
Lets talk about the visuals, it could just be me, and I do hope not, but the server felt more raw than it was now, I preferred the older shading style of outfits and bases, the older modelling style with weaponry, and items overall, it felt more real. Yes, it was changed for the better of the server, but it's something that I sure miss. The server was less polished, less "clean," perse, but it fit perfectly with that type of roleplay. Karakura itself wasn't some pristine utopian city, it was a place with dark corners, the rougher aesthetic reflected that better than some of the newer, more refined polished styles I seen nowadays. The imperfections made it all more real.
There was also less focus on clout rather the roleplay itself. People weren't obsessed with stats, ranks or flexing they had permission on someone. The gangs weren't flashy about discord tags or power gaming their way to the top (i don't like p2l, i never really have). Sure, there was the share of drama, no community is to exist without it, but the majority of us were there because we loved what we could build. Many didn't want to be just the strongest for the sake of it, people were trying to create moments to remember, and that's what made the older gang roleplay so powerful, the impact of it. You could be in a group with just a couple of your friends, but if you played the cards right, you could leave a mark on the city's history, one example I could think of is the Forelli event, how they blew up a truck. Granted, explosives or fire isn't really allowed in gang events from what I recall, but that truck was there for a long while. One of the blatant facts about the era was wars between gangs that could have lasted for weeks, it wasn't just an unpolished fight every day, it was a slow burn. Sneak attacks, betrayals, meetings, truces were negotiated and broken. There was a plot that played out with each side trying to outthink one another, form alliances, and gain the upper hand. You'd see people walk in groups because nobody wanted to get caught slipping. Every night, you'd have a wonder of logging off for the next day as to what would happen. Someone could have been taken out, someone could have flipped sides, what plan would fall apart like wet sand, or succeed. It was more immersive, it's hard to describe to someone who wasn't there to actually witness it. And that's the thing, the immersion was, and always be unmatched. When you were deep in gang roleplay back then, it didn't feel like you were just playing a Minecraft server, it felt like you were a part of it. You felt as you were in a breathing city with its own dangers and legends, the tension, the stakes, and how unpredictable it was. It all combined to create something bigger than one person could ever have been. You weren't just controlling the character, rather being that character, you were that character, caught up in something larger. And when you won, when your gang pulled off the impossible, the satisfaction was real. Not because you just got some reward or special role, but because you knew you played he game right, you told a story that mattered.
I wanted to clear this up, I'm not saying the server is bad at all, it's amazing, there's a lot of good roleplay happening, there are still dedicated players and there are still there moments of brilliance. But I can't help but feel some of that old magic is gone, or at least harder to find. The community isn't quite as active as I remember, the gang scene feels more restricted, the raw, chaotic energy that held up those old days has been smoothened out in a lot of places, and maybe that's inevitable. Striving communities grow, change, and try to improve. Rules tighten to prevent abuse, systems change to be refined, but with all that I think we had lost a little bit of what made those days so unforgettable. There's days I wonder if we could ever bring it back, not by simply turning a clock but rather recapturing that spirit. What if we had focused less on perfect balance and more on storytelling? What if we had more player-driven conflicts, more organic escalation, more opportunities for small groups to rise and make an impact? What if the people of the server was allowed to breathe once more, let the danger feel real again? I don't have all the answers, and I'm sure neither does anyone else. But I do know that I miss it. I miss the days to where gang roleplay kept you on the edge of your seat, when the streets of the server felt alive with possibilities, when the past felt, in a word, funner.
However, in the end, it's more than just a memory. They are recollections of a chaotic and promising community. Perhaps, we may be growing older, but I can't believe that. What we're experiencing, in my eyes, is the loss of that spark, where it was about belonging in a world we created, this energy that made every logon feel like we were entering something greater. Each story mattered, it had an impact of it's own. Our choices, decisions mattered. I think the spirit is still alive, and it just needs the right potential to start again. The right people, to start it. The best days aren't behind us, rather the ones we choose to create next.
Again, this is all based off of my PERSONAL opinion, don't take this personally, some of it may not make sense, to me it does.
