I listened to Johns first Q&A and remember that one of the items addressed was that the players crew may rise to quickly to power and that it might be seen as something rather to avoid.
It did got me thinking of a small hack idea…
Maybe it could be interesting to start as a high tier group with quite some hold and try to get out of being a criminal crew. Preferably alive and well off?
Bit like shown in the Godfather were trying to dismantle the criminal empire ended with some violence, most of the family (crew) dead and a not as enjoyable retirement..
Easiest way to do that would be to create a set of factions of even higher Tier whom the PCs’ crew was meant to displace, thereby being “invited” into “polite society.”
At the same time, you’d have a bunch of factions of lower Tier, all scheming to displace the PCs’ crew through the usual means (gathering hold, seizing resources, staging coups).
So the PCs must constantly put up a good front and divest themselves of their criminal past while simultaneously fighting a rearguard action to keep their gutter rivals from winnowing away their resources.
Hm, I probably would have them start at a high tier, maybe even the top with only a few (not so criminal) factions above them, a few factions on the same level and quite a lot under them. A few of those being part of their own enterprise. They would have quite some hold as well as some heat. Heat basically representing their renown and the fact that everyone knows they are a criminal heavy weight.
Focus would be two things.
For once they would have to build up a good reputation, overcoming their renown and convince the society that they either changed or weren’t bad to start with. In regards of television crime drama,.. there’s been a scene where Nucky tries to get into the legal brewery business but faces opposition because everyone knows he is rather a bootlegging crime boss as a law abiding citizen or politician.
They would have to care about their retirement funds as those are most likely low. They got some coin and hold but that is on the one hand dirty and at the other hand got strings attached. Investing into a legal company may eat up more coins then it might be actually be worth. It could directly make some people jealous (paying those might satisfy them but could as well instill greed and does cost) and, well, once converted the hold is gone and the crew is more open to attacks. Like the attempt Michael undertook in Godfather III with establishing a legal company that ended in a helicopter attack massacre.
Even if they are on a good way and managed to handle opposition there could be a risk that some of their guys break loose because they don’t want to become legal / are in for a greater profit and attack from within. If not directly running with some hold or money.
In regards of mechanics I think something to convert hold and coins might be a good thing. Maybe there should be new bladebooks to reflect the changes the characters themself are undertaking. The Cutter can’t murder people, the Slide need something that’s less Con like etc. ..
The full game will have rules for starting as a higher Tier crew.