Hostage negotiations

Hostage Rules and Requirements

When planning any robbery or heist, there are strict limits on the number of criminals and police who can be involved. For example, if your team stages a bank robbery with a limit of 10 criminals against a police response capped at 12, you must stick to those numbers even if the situation escalates—such as an officer being taken hostage. In that case, while police have the right to bring in additional forces if needed, your side must still adhere to the predetermined limits.

It’s also important that hostage situations are genuine. Imagine you’re setting up a scenario by bringing along a friend and having them act as a hostage solely to make the plan seem more dramatic. That isn’t allowed. Hostages must be an integral part of the operation and you must follow the specified minimum and maximum hostage requirements exactly as outlined. This keeps the role-play authentic and prevents players from exploiting the system.

Furthermore, if your heist involves additional elements like outside shooters—say, a sniper on a nearby rooftop tasked with covering your escape—you are required to inform the police department of their involvement. You don’t need to reveal the exact number, but every additional participant will count toward the overall maximum number allowed for the operation. For instance, if you’ve organized a robbery that allows for 8 criminals but have set up two additional shooters outside the primary engagement area, these shooters must be reported and counted within that limit.

These rules ensure that all heists and robberies remain balanced and that both the criminals and law enforcement operate within a framework that promotes fair and immersive role-play.

Negotiations

• During a hostage negotiation, law enforcement can offer up to $100,000 in total assets for the release of the hostage(s). This must be split between $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in additional items (e.g., dirty money, gold bars, or other contraband).

• Each gang or group may kidnap only one officer for negotiation per server restart. Once the kidnapped officer is released—or if the scenario concludes—they cannot capture another officer until the next restart.

Example: If Gang A takes a cop hostage and demands $75,000 plus some dirty money, the police can negotiate within the $100,000 limit. If the officer is freed or the scenario ends, Gang A must wait until after the next server restart before attempting to kidnap another officer for ransom.