Alone you are vulnerable; in a family you are dangerous. Families are the beating heart of GangCity. It is a group of players working together to earn money, protect each other and dominate the underworld. Besides protection and shared resources, a family offers its own progression track: story missions, weekly operations, a season competition and the ability to wage war.
You can found your own family and recruit members, or join an existing family. Every family has a member limit of 12 members. That number is the same for everyone and is built up through properties — every family property provides room for 4 members (1 property = 4, 2 properties = 8, 3 properties = 12). This keeps every family compact enough to stay tight-knit.
A family has a clear pecking order. At the top stands the don (family leader), who sets policy and can promote members to Capo. Capos get extra responsibilities and powers. If the don falls, a successor takes over immediately so the family does not fall apart.
Families have their own mission system with three types of assignments. The goals scale with the number of active members, so both small and large families face a fair challenge.
The storyline consists of 4 chapters of 3 missions each, which you work through in order. Complete chapter 3 and your family becomes a Respected Family. Whoever plays through the entire storyline (chapter 4) earns the prestigious title Untouchable Family — a golden honor status reserved only for the most dedicated families.
Every week, 3 rotating operations are available (unlocked once your family has finished chapter 1). You have until the end of the week to complete them. Each operation has its own leaderboard, and every completed operation earns your family a season point.
A contract is a competitive race: multiple families work toward the same goal at the same time, and the first one to reach it wins the full reward. Just participating already earns a season point; winning earns more. Contracts appear once there are enough advanced families to make the fight interesting.
Weekly operations and contracts earn season points, which are tallied monthly into a family leaderboard. At the end of each month, the top 3 families are rewarded with a temporary honor title and a prize pot for the family treasury:
Then a new season begins and the fight for the top is open again. See also the article on titles.
Besides the season leaderboard, every family permanently builds up family respect through missions and achievements. Based on that, you climb through four standing levels:
When two families clash, it can escalate into a family war. The don declares war, after which a member of the top 3 must confirm it. A war lasts at least several days. During a war, enemy members become targets and combat bonuses apply against the opposing side.
To prevent griefing, you cannot attack a much smaller family: the target must have a minimum size relative to the attacker (in both respect and member count). A war ends when the don ends it, by surrendering (which costs part of your family respect), or automatically when no murders have taken place between the families for a while.
A family is not mandatory — you can play GangCity perfectly well solo. But if you want to take part in the biggest heists, the season competition and the fight for power in the cities, allies are indispensable. Build your rank, choose your family carefully, and conquer the underworld together.