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[carnality.livejournal.com]

Hi there everyone, you’re friendly neighborhood modcrew here with some proposed application changes!

We’ve been hearing that you guys would like to see a harder app process and we ran with this idea, deciding to change it around in a way we hope is for the better. What we have in mind is a new system involving prompts. Basically, each month, applicants will be given five prompts. Of these prompts, you will pick two and write a response, in character. It can be third person, first person, whatever person you want so long as you write 150 words a prompt. Each month, these five prompts will be traded out for something new, so that it remains ‘fresh’ and you have a variety to work with. (And we’d be open to you submitting prompt ideas to us!)

Before we come to a final decision on this, we'd like to have your input. Another option is to keep it to one sample instead of two, and simply increase the required word count. Let us know what you'd prefer.

Character notes will remain mostly the same. We will allow Wikipedia links in place of a written response, but we will strongly encourage you to write a history of your own. The more you show you know your character, the better chance you have of getting accepted, right? Writing a little about your character's history and personality will greatly affect your application’s final result. But as we said, you will still be allowed link to a wiki page.

Now, we’d like to know what you think! Comment away!

Edit: Considering maraihi's suggestion to have the option to pick a prompt to work off of OR to write your own sample post of a required length (to be debated)-- what do you guys think of that?

Comments

[know-sacrifice.livejournal.com]

Endorsement as is, assuming "150 words a prompt" means 150 or more. |D

Option:
As coming up with five new prompts every month might be difficult, maybe there should be a master list? 20 or 30 prompts or however many, and a different set of five are picked at random every month? That way you won't need to generate new ideas on a consistent basis, and changing the prompts is just a matter of picking and pasting.

And the list can always be added to/replaced if people think the same prompts are coming up too often.

[lightning-larx.livejournal.com]

XD You know what's funny? The master-list thing is what I thought all along, when apparently Nor meant new ones every month. I like your idea better.

[dorked.livejournal.com]

Personally, I find the idea of prompts rather difficult, as I tend to write samples off the top of my head or based on previous samples. I don't mind a word limit, although prompts could be a bit restricting.

[carnality.livejournal.com]

Agreed, much simpler. XD;; *didn't think that one through before*

[maraich]

Maybe you could have an option like, "Write 2 of these prompts OR write one IC entry that's so-many-words".

That way people who aren't sure what to write about could work off the prompts, and people who already have their own idea can do their own thing still.

[carnality.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, I like this, personally. :0 Best of both worlds? Haha

[death-chopper.livejournal.com]

Simple is good! :D

[lightning-larx.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's good. :D

[changeling-fae.livejournal.com]

I'm in favor of prompts. I've seen a method similar to this at another community, although they left of word limits and such. I think its a great idea. Tests how well people know they're characters and are able to respond to certain events ICly.

[thejackal-is-in.livejournal.com]

In my opinion (although perhaps this is because I'm just lazy), having to write two prompts a month seems to be a bit much, even with them only being 150 words each. I think that if this is about making apping more difficult, then the way the actual applications are written should be changed instead of giving everyone IC challenges.

Making the sample posts longer is an idea that I think could work. Either that, or an idea I came up with is when a character is applied for, the person should receive comments from five different people who decide whether or not that person is actually in character. If the majority give their ok's, then the person can have the character, but if not, then they will need to try again.

I dunno. I'm just throwing out random crap <.<;

[lunargoodness.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I think the prompts are kind of going overboard. Maybe just having a rule that says sample posts have to be a certain amount of words. I really don't know. =/

[death-chopper.livejournal.com]

I'm really not fond of the idea of community members weighing on applications. There's too much a possibility for abuse of the system--if you don't like the player, just say the app is OOC, and get your friends to as well. Just like that, the app is denied. Beyond that, there is a lot of room for interpretation in some characters, especially minor ones; what's IC to one responder may be OOC to another.

[cardcastlelord.livejournal.com]

IAWTC

[gogogidget.livejournal.com]

This is the closest thing I have to a 'thumbs up' icon.

I've also got a huge prompt list of hugeness if there is ever a need.

[fifth-kazekage.livejournal.com]

...I like the application process as it is right now, to be perfectly honest.

Do we have to change it? =/

[carnality.livejournal.com]

Mmm, we considered a CFUD-method of applications but the reason we thought against it is basically what death_chopper said. There's just too much room for abuse and personally, I think it's so much more intimidating than whatever we may choose. XD;

Point taken, though, definitely considering your opinion!

[lunargoodness.livejournal.com]

Agreed, and that could go along with if you don't a like a character, too, and would rather not have anyone play she/he/it.

[carnality.livejournal.com]

People are 'abusing' the fact that it's easy. There are a lot of applications that come with sample posts that are in character, but could be in character for any character-- am I making sense? XD;; Basically, we want to toughen it up a bit and we're just seeing what you guys think about a new system. Nothings changed and for all we know might not change beyond addressing word limits.

[godisagirl.livejournal.com]

I don't really think we want to become CFUD...

But I think I length requirement would be best and let it be in 3rd person if the character is quiet.

[death-chopper.livejournal.com]

Or if you/someone you know wants to play said character, and didn't bother to put a reservation on. Deny this player and then they have room to step in.

[wannabesanta.livejournal.com]

I agree with you. We all have other things that cause stress after all and RPing should be fun.

However, to add to the apps, besides just making em longer, have a voting system of sorts. I think campfuckyoutard *I think that's it* does that now. Seems to work rather good. ^^

[maraich]

Yay, I did gud!

[sine-sole-sileo.livejournal.com]

I like this new idea! :D

[attorneyatlol]

Um... I have a question. What, exactly, is the point of the 'character notes' section of the application? Is it to make certain that the applicant knows their character or so that the mods have a reference if they're unfamiliar with the fandom? Honestly, I was under the impression that it was the former and it always seems kind of like... cheating to just link to a Wiki article. Does that make sense?

I know you guys aren't changing that section, but I just thought I'd put my two cents in or, perhaps, get some clarification. :)

Otherwise... I suppose I like the idea of prompts, because it would make someone actually think about the way their character would act or react instead of coming up with a generic sample post.

[boundedforever.livejournal.com]

Sounds fair enough, prompts sounds rather limiting though.