Poll on Applications

[havenmods]

I apologize for this going up so early in the day; however, I will be celebrating a family birthday tonight and not around at the usual 7PM EST.

I've received a few concerns about the application process currently. When I started this game, I wrote "I hope there are a lot of these :)" under the Taken Characters heading. I'm ecstatic to see that my hopes have come true, and that the game is continually growing.

Unfortunately, accepting applications each day has a slightly adverse effect. Characters being introduced are perhaps lost a little in the flood, and existing characters spend each day explaining about being trapped. I would hopefully like to come up with a change that benefits all parties involved.

To this end, I'm having another poll. There are headers within this post to vote (as you need a paid journal for a real poll), so please make sure to comment under the right heading.

The choices are as follows:

-> Applications remain open constantly, but are only processed once a week on Fridays
-> Applications remain open constantly, but are only processed once every other Friday
-> Applications move into a set app cycle where they are open for one week per month
-> Applications remain as they are now

There will also be a discussion thread, so please feel free to bring up any concerns or questions there. This poll will close on the 7th December, and the results will be announced with the ejected list.

Thank-you.

Comments

[hexappeal]

I'm in favor of something similar to CnC's set-up -- they have reserves open for a week, then they close them and open the applications for a week. I feel that this or every two weeks would keep the intros at a steady but not overwhelming pace.

I think once a month leads to people apping almost desperately and in games I've been in in the past have lead to a lot of annoyances when it comes to ATP, test drives, and generally seems to almost create as many problems as it solves. It usually means that there's a time of the month that predictably you'll have a lot of intros, but it also means that there will almost definitely be a lot of them, regardless of the pace of the game.

But I also +1 knifedances! I know that it can be a bit difficult to work around your own plots let alone player plots, so I think something like every 2-3 weeks with reserves being open when apps are closed (and the other way around) is the way to go. o7

+ 1

[storylike]

Definitely, this.

Having apps open once a month versus having them approved every other week means either having a flood of intros within a week period, or having those intros dispersed throughout the month. There's the issue of desperate apps too.

I also agree that limiting apps to once a month may be too hasty for a game that's relatively new. It's something to definitely consider down the road, but for now, spacing applications out - perhaps every other week - should be enough to slow things down.

And I guess, on a personal level-- it's really frustrating when you want to app into a game, only to realize that you've missed the deadline by a few days and have to wait a month to apply. As I said, that's more a personal whine, but I'm sure it's something a lot of RPers have encountered.

[tamer]

oooooh those are all good points! :O admittedly i hadn't considered that. i guess my sense of time is wrong — it feels like it's been more than a few months lol. i didn't realize the game was still considered that new!

but that's all true. and ia with the apping frustration/desperation. maybe the apps can be reviewed every other week, but there could still be a mini-mingle log every month? :D nothing too big to draw away from the week-long events, of course, but at least something to give the characters something to do rather than let them idle about in between events, y'know?

[tamerlane]

(This is hexappeal on my personal journal, herp.)

I don't think it's necessarily a "personal whine," either. A lot of people, even if they are not "fad appers," can quickly be turned off if they can't get instant or near-instant gratification. I also find I'm usually the most eager to play shortly after finishing off an app. The canon review is very fresh in my mind.

I think starting with maybe every 2-3 weeks and then maybe in six months or so going to every other week might be feasible? Then closing them as necessary for large mod plots or pre-approved player plots if apps would fall in the middle of them.

[knifedances]

Yeah I think having apps/reserves left open the entire time and then reviewed every other week will lead to a large build-up of apps that would be a pain for the mods to get through all at once, but having the one week to get apps in, then a week for them to be looked over twice a month might work better.

I still definitely thing some kind of mingle/roommate log will work well to get people involved and prevent the flood of same-ish intros that then might end up being overlooked in the main come!!

[tamerlane]

I think it ends up just as frustrating as a steady flow of apps and I also think once a month leads to more new appers coming in and being ignored and dropping quickly, thus creating an unfortunate cycle of more work for all involved. It also means people tire over introing themselves OOC and will either not bother to say hello to new players or will copy/paste the same intro.

That would definitely help, but that would also put some pressure on the players who share rooms with new characters. Some players may not be up for doing that and may be less than welcoming. I expect some people may be busy, overwhelmed, etc. and that it could be unfair to some players who get put into a room with a inactive/on hiatus player(s). It can also be an issue if you app in before the post goes up or sometime after the mingle post goes up as players do lose interest with "old" threads relatively quickly, open or otherwise.

I have been in a game that did a monthly intro log and it was helpful on some fronts -- it didn't lessen the amount of WHAT AM I DOING HERE main comm intro posts, but it did allow people to quickly offer information about the world build in a unique way.

[knifedances]

That's what I'm saying, that maybe twice a month would be okay providing it was one week to get apps in, then one week for the mods to look at them, then repeat. Having them open constantly could just create more work for the mods, though getting an app team together might not be a bad idea at this point in the game's development anyway. Though on saying that I've only ever played in games with a monthly app cycle until recently, and have never noticed any problems with it.

As for the mingle log, it doesn't necessarily need to be closed just to roommates, it can be for the entire apartment block which makes room for wondering around and for people from different rooms to run into each other. Though with having two app rounds a month rather than one this WOULD be harder because two mingle logs does seem like too much to have in one month maybe. Personally I almost never drop threads until they're done/until my character has no more interest in responding, but I guess I can't say that for everyone in the game.

[hexappeal]

LMAO SORRY IT'S EARLY it totally like, didn't occur to me flat-out until after I posted. Vomits up feelings and TL;DRs like no one's business.

I'm not much of a thread-dropper. I can be a little on the slow side sometimes because of work and the occasional burn-out, but I will back-tag forever if I'm allowed.

I'm sure something feasible could be worked out, following the app decision. Maybe a post on the first of each month by the mod and a link to it in the acceptance spiel and a second post coming up once the first hits a certain amount of comments would work. :|a

[knifedances]

lmao don't worry, I'm not entirely coherent myself thanks to all the vaccines I had to have for my upcoming trip to India!

And yeah, I'm sure something can be worked out. Tbh anything will be better than having apps consistently open given how much work that must be creating for the mods atm, and I think it'd be a really good idea to time it so apps don't come in when there's an event because it's hard for new players to find their feet if they're dropped into a game in the middle of a zombie apocalypse or something lmao!

[hexappeal]

I THINK YOU WIN THIS ROUND, GOOD SIR/MADAM.

Here's hoping it works out for the better! I suspect it will, since the mod is really diligent and competent and I think the player base could very easily come to an agreement that will leave almost everyone (if not everyone) happy.

THERE SHOULD BE WEAPONS
FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE
GOOD LUCK WE GUESS

[knifedances]

WELL OKAY THEN~

But lol yeah, it'll be fine whatever decision is made I'm sure, the mods are great and I THINK our player-base isn't the the kind to whine no matter what decision is made in the end. I'm unlikely to app any more characters in so it only affects me in as much as Izaya wouldn't be inclined to respond to repetitive intros. I'm just trying to think of what'd make it easier both for the mods and for new people entering the game.

[hexappeal]

--BY WHICH I MEAN an overall mingle post is probably better-suited than say, breaking it up into rooms.

Maybe one that breaks it up into floors and maybe a generic, everybodyeverybody get-together would be more suited?