Considering a new requirement for OOC threads. (All members please read.)

[bury the year]

With the recent number of RPs I've had to warn to expand their information, I've been considering adding a minimum length requirement for OOC threads, in a similar manner that I have set up for fanfiction chapters. This would be either one or two pages, depending on what people think is viable, and would exclude special formatting or tags, and possibly completed applications. So, thoughts and feedback? I don't plan on introducing or dropping this until I've gotten enough responses one way or another.

EDIT: Potential wording for the rule would be as follows.

##. All OOC threads should be at least (one/two) pages long in standard formatting (single spacing, standard margins, and size 11 Arial font). This count includes code tags: however, padding word counts with tags will be frowned upon and may result in a verbal warning if excessive.

[Kazooie]

This seems like a pretty poor way to regulate RP's. It should be quality over quantity always, and generally the quality of the kinds of RP's you're describing are poor anyway. Just because it's short doesn't mean it's bad.

[bury the year]

This seems like a pretty poor way to regulate RP's. It should be quality over quantity always, and generally the quality of the kinds of RP's you're describing are poor anyway. Just because it's short doesn't mean it's bad.

Although I see your point, there is a threshold below which a roleplay doesn't provide enough information for an applicant to reliably work off of. I'd rather see two paragraphs over two sentences. Plus, this isn't a place where writers are putting in so much already that they're resorting to fluff.

[Kazooie]

Although I see your point, there is a threshold below which a roleplay doesn't provide enough information for an applicant to reliably work off of. I'd rather see two paragraphs over two sentences.

 

Generally two sentence RP's are poor in quality anyway, and it's a rather extreme example as I haven't seen many of that here anyway.

 

Just having a page or two requirement seems like a lazy way to try and regulate it and it isn't even that accurate to judge something with in the first place.

[bury the year]

Generally two sentence RP's are poor in quality anyway, and it's a rather extreme example as I haven't seen many of that here anyway.
 
Just having a page or two requirement seems like a lazy way to try and regulate it and it isn't even that accurate to judge something with in the first place.

Then what would you suggest? This is an effort to streamline moderation for me. Of course I'm not going to be too harsh - if you're a few sentences off target I'll let you by - but I can easily copy paste even the shortest roleplay in the section and have it approach a page. It's not as big a concern as I feel you're making it sound.

EDIT: Added an option for 1.5 pages. Neph, I saw you voted, so if you want to change feel free. P:

[BANZAI!!!!]

Not that I'm on here all that often, so I know my word might not carry tha much weight, but I tend to agree with Zecora here. That said, I do see your point. Maybe make the requirement 3/4ths of a page? Not really sure what I would recommend as an alternative to your solution, Rinne. Casting my vote for one page.

[Kyng's Old Account]

I'm stunned. I once suggested some form of guide to help OoC Structure, to which I was initially ignored before being blown out of the water. I am going to put this issue aside and thus re-suggest it to you.

 

If you make this a requirement, Role-play making will become less fun and more orientated towards arduous work. Role-plays are games, an games generally are driven towards having fun.

 

Rather than making a requirement, just make a stickied Guide to OoC Structuring, which conveys to people what they should ideally have in OoC threads. Not only would this be easier on the community, it should be a guideline in itself for newbies to Role-playing, with hopefully helpful advice to point them in the right direction.

 

tl;dr version: don't be snarky, just make a guide. If people want to make sucky OoCs, they won't get a decent audience. Simples.

[Kazooie]

Kyng explained how I see it perfectly. If people really want to get people to join their RP, then they should put some work into it. If they don't know what to do, just telling them to do it doesn't really help.

 

Providing a simple guide should help, then you can lock threads and point them towards that guide. If they continue to do it, then this rule really wouldn't have stopped much in the first place, no?

[bury the year]

Kindly don't give attitude, Kyng. I appreciate opinions but not insults. (And I see no way in which my words can be interpreted as "snarky.")

[Kyng's Old Account]

I apologize, I meant no offence. The usual British manner to take the piss out of people in good spirit and humour often gets the best of me.

[bury the year]

I apologize, I meant no offence. The usual British manner to take the piss out of people in good spirit and humour often gets the best of me.

Well, too bad I'm not British. Dyed-in-the-blue Masshole. ;3

[a coffee]

Generally, a roleplay is more developed by the people in them, not by what's been given to them. Nobody wants to play a character if every move has already been made for them, which is what I feel like many new GM's would do, given a page requirement.

 

Second, I feel like this would make GM's feel the need to over-detail the environment, which could turn people off because of the potentially dry-writing there, even if it's a good concept.

 

With fanfictions, I feel like it's different. It's a story with a beginning and an end; it's already being made, the author already knows what is going to happen, it's just one person providing every last bit of information. For this, a page requirement makes sense.

 

If you're worried about the overall quality of RPs, maybe a screening process of some kind needs to be done (for example, a grace period where topics are not allowed to be commented on until approved by a moderator, etc.), or a sample post of a major plot point from the GM or GMs, as to make sure that the people running the RPs are quality Role Players.

[bury the year]

If you're worried about the overall quality of RPs, maybe a screening process of some kind needs to be done (for example, a grace period where topics are not allowed to be commented on, until approved by a moderator, etc.), or a sample post of a major plot point from the GM or GMs, as to make sure that the people running the RPs are quality Role Players.

I've considered that in the past, but I feel the opposition would be even stronger. Thank you for the feedback, though!

[a coffee]

I've considered that in the past, but I feel the opposition would be even stronger. Thank you for the feedback, though!

In what way, if you don't mind my asking? The screening process I could forsee, but a sample post? I'm not so sure.

[bury the year]

In what way, if you don't mind my asking? The screening process I could forsee, but a sample post? I'm not so sure.

Skills required for a GM and skills required for a roleplayer don't always overlap. Just because you write well doesn't mean you can keep the logistics of an RP going.

[a coffee]

Skills required for a GM and skills required for a roleplayer don't always overlap. Just because you write well doesn't mean you can keep the logistics of an RP going.

 

Well a page requirement would not be able to provide an appropriate scale on whether or not someone is capable of running an RP through to the end. Both ideas run on the same principle, just, a post is more geared towards quality of writing and less the quantity of it; in my mind, anyway.

[bury the year]

Well a page requirement would not be able to provide an appropriate scale on whether or not someone is capable of running an RP through to the end. Both ideas run on the same principle, just, a post is more geared towards quality of writing and less the quantity of it; in my mind, anyway.

Valid point, I'll give you that.

EDIT: Found that half-completed guide I was mentioning earlier. It's really more like third-completed. Anyways, I'll see if I can work on it some more.

[Kōsuke Ueki]

Hm...I have no words (Partially of my own, anyway).

 

I admit, the points made here on this thread are very good ones (Even though Majoras' point is a little confusing to me), and I hope at least one is considered to some extent. But I must say, considering how this thread is turning out, I'm surprised this doesn't become an argument of loose-versus-strict requirements of OOC threads (Consider when John Adams and Thomas Jefferson argued about whether the Constitution should be loosely or strictly followed).

 

Good thing, too, or else I would just ignore this thread altogether.

 

But anyway, I do have my own thoughts on this. The fact that the idea of a page requirement is being brought up sort of annoys me slightly. Everybody has their own limits when it comes to RPing, and when they are forced to go beyond their own limit (Which can be very stressful), that's less of a chance for more RPs by the same users to be made, meaning that the Forum will end up dying out before you can even say, "I'll do better, I promise!"

 

Everybody should be able to make RPs based on how far they wish to go, not by what you are to told to go by at minimum. Hell, I can easily go off a small paragraph of what the plot in an RP is because it's simple and gets to the point (Not always, but bare with me). I don't want to sound like a total jackass at all, but I feel as though when you, Rinne, warn new RPers/GMs to add more information, they might feel as though they don't have to because they're trying to make things simple and you force them to structure the story to make it viable. I mean, that's how I felt when you locked one of my RPs 2 years ago (But I got over it after some time passed), and all I wanted to do was try to bite your head off because of it.

 

If my opinion sounds rash, or even just plain ridiculous, it's just that I have a hard time expressing my opinion on things that I have knowledge about, but only enough to make a half-decent point.

 

Anyway, I will say this though. I honestly agree with Kyng about making a guide, as it gives more RPers more freedom, so to speak.

[bury the year]

Thanks for the feedback, C4. To respond, I don't feel as if pushing people past their previous limits is going to cause the forum to die out: we did that with the Advanced Clause and look at the quality of the writing now compared to before. Looking at the Serebii forums, for example. They have a 400 word count minimum on RP plots, and people get along with it just fine. Additionally, I didn't mean for the extra information to be based solely in plot. It was also to include both world-building - races, cities, etc, although I admit that a roleplay based solely in series canon (for example, a rather cut and dry YGO RP) doesn't require as much as this.

Also, the poll will remain open until next Sunday, although I have a good reading so far on people's thoughts.

[ListenToLife]

While it's certainly an idea, I reckon the guide would possibly be a better idea.

To be honest though, I doubt it would make most of a difference; as has been said before, most RPs will already meet the page requirement, or at least the ones that might actually go somewhere. It could even possibly improve quality to the RPs; though it might end up driving away some newer members, I must admit. People who have been here long enough probably wouldn't be put off though; I doubt you'd see a massive migration away from here.

[a coffee]

I was just simply giving my input on a word count-esque idea, since that was the general theme. If you were looking to compose a guide, as a vastly experienced Role Player, I would be willing to help, and I think it would be at least a good consideration to invite some other strong RPers to put their two cents in; could give a lot of different viewpoints for people who are having trouble following a "traditional way" of making a good rp.

[bury the year]

I was just simply giving my input on a word count-esque idea, since that was the general theme. If you were looking to compose a guide, as a vastly experienced Role Player, I would be willing to help, and I think it would be at least a good consideration to invite some other strong RPers to put their two cents in; could give a lot of different viewpoints for people who are having trouble following a "traditional way" of making a good rp.

Well, no points for being humble. P:

[a coffee]

Well, no points for being humble. P:

 

Humble's not part of the job description for a Music Education major in college. Haha

[Aix]

I don't actual see too much of a point in this because if the roleplay is poor quality, no one is going to join anyway.

 

Any problems a host has to deal with is their problem to deal with.

[ListenToLife]

I was just simply giving my input on a word count-esque idea, since that was the general theme. If you were looking to compose a guide, as a vastly experienced Role Player, I would be willing to help, and I think it would be at least a good consideration to invite some other strong RPers to put their two cents in; could give a lot of different viewpoints for people who are having trouble following a "traditional way" of making a good rp.

 

I assume outside of just this forum, yes?