Staffing To Application or Not to Application! That is the... no that's not the question, read inside

[Morrigan 1,826]

11 minutes ago, SithLordOfSnark said:

 

I have to agree 100% with Morrigan. Writing a full on app means NOTHING. I've had someone write 5000 words for an application on a site when I ran sites that required apps and not even a week later they vanished without a word.

 

Applications don't make someone vested in a site. At all.

 

There is a lot more to this bit but it's probably good for another conversation but this is definitely part of it.

[Rhindeer 217]

As an administrator, how do you feel about members creating applications for their RP partners/friends/people that want to play their wanted ads.

Hey, as long as they're both down with it, that's cool by me! 8D

 

We're really laid back. We don't really have apps in the traditional sense? Like, we require people to submit a character profile...but...how much or little they write is up to them, and they don't have to use our template. They can do whatever. If they just wanna slap a name down and call it good, by all means! If they wanna write 5000 words, go for it! Edit whenever, do what you want, live your life, bro.

 

If players wanna write apps for each other and challenge each other to play the character (or just because it looks fun!) then by all means, go for it. Apps ain't serious business on my games, and though we're big games, we're also tight, so if anything was stolen it'd be clear pretty fast. I'm honestly not worried about it.

 

Now that I think about it, this seems like fun. xD I'd love someone to write an app for me for a character they want me to play! I'd do it.

 

Actually, I kind of have done it before! My husband DMed a DnD campaign where he created all the characters (he was teaching us how to play it). He gave us the sheets for each character, their personality and backstory and appearance and everything, and then we played them. It was hilariously fun. 8D And he was super amused by how we chose to interpret each character. It was a great campaign. xD

 

As a member, if you wanted it bad enough, would you do it?

I hate writing apps, but if I wanted it badly enough I would totally do it because this actually sounds like a super fun exchange. 8D

Edited October 26, 2018 by Viscount Rhi-Rhi

[c.widow 123]

I’m personally okay with it, I’ve known a lot of adoptions for characters come with prewritten information by someone other than the adopter... In this case of ill play the character you want me too it reminds me of adoption of characters. Perhaps yes it is someone else’s idea (sometimes people require that credit too) and in my community/section of the RP world it’s accepted so long as the character is written as described. *insert shrug here*

 

As long as both players are chill with the fact then I do not see an issue. Another character on site, more plots/activity/movement and something players have worked together on. It’s being involved, having fun and doing your thing. Not sure where it hurts anyone since both parties agree so why as staff get my panties in a wad about it?

[Quell 249]

My view of applications is that they have a three-fold purpose, so I likely would not allow this on my site. But might be persuaded if spoken to (as opposed to the players being sneaky-sneaky.)

 

- the base information about the character. (If this were the only quality, I would be indifferent to who makes the app. On canon boards, I have previously advocated links to wikis, since it is just... not super important.)

- the writing of the player (Both of my boards are intermediate+. Whether you or not "rp levels" are your thing, I write substantially better than some of my pals. My grammar, punctuation, and coherence level is substantially higher. I want to know how well a person can write before they come in.)

- the understanding of site lore (Far less relevant on a board that is based in a real life genre, but there are multiple things that have happened, in this future world that the app is checking for. This is not a detailed test, but a "we need to be on the same page for the world to make sense".)

 

Basically, if someone wanted to join and asked if they could write another person's app, I'd probably want to get a writing sample from them and ask them a few incredibly basic lore questions.

[Deep Sea 326]

I'm really lost with all these threads about applications, I'm not familiar with how you all are using the word.

 

Are we talking character sheets, or the forms we fill out when we apply to join a roleplay? Because those are two different things and I use them both.

[Morrigan 1,826]

I'm honestly not sure what you're referring to as in my understanding they are normally one in the same. You submit your application, which is your characters profile, to apply to play at a roleplay. Which is what all of us are discussing in this specific thread. The other application threads are about gaining information on the application process as a whole.

[Shades 676]

I have actually done that, and clearly credited the person who wrote the character.

 

I don't really see a difference between adapting a canon character/taking up a well-developed wanted ad and having someone else write you the app for the character they want you to write as long as the whole process is transparent and you're not taking credit for someone else's work.

 

As a roleplayer: I'm 100% cool with it as long as my partner and I have a conversation prior to them writing the app so we can make sure we're on the same page and that they'll take input on things I feel I want the character to have/not have or any deal breakers. Once we're on the same page, I'll give them free reign and offer input only when required.

 

As an admin (though I'm not currently adminning): I'd be okay with it. I'd just want the person taking the character to credit the actual writer of the app, and maybe have something in place to make sure it was freely given, and not stolen content (such as the original writer sending a PM to let me know the other person has received the app from their hands). I admin for adults, so I believe people should be treated as adults. The moment I know they're both on board, I step back and will only approach anything like violation of rules or constantly playing the character out of character (making them have powers that aren't on the app, for example). If everything runs smoothly? I don't care, you do you, have fun. It would be hypocritical of me to ban something I have done myself both ways (have an app written for me and written an app for someone else).

[Sage 289]

As an admin, I think it makes me uncomfortable because I also use apps to gauge new players and their ability to mesh with the current community. If the writing in the app isn't up to par with the existing member base or the writer exhibits some questionable practices in the app, then I won't accept them. It's all very subjective, and apps are essentially an audition in my games. 

 

However, and I think this was said earlier too, if an established player had another app written by somebody else, I wouldn't mind. I'd rather they be up front about it, but I already know their capabilities and that they're gonna have a good time here. I trust them. It's cool.

 

But I think if it came down to it and I just didn't know an app was written by somebody else, I wouldn't notice. Or rather, I wouldn't pursue it if I suspected anything. We're all adults it's whatever I'm just trying to have a good time.

 

As a member, if someone else wrote an app for me I'd definitely consider playing that char! I'd probably have to rewrite it though - writing an app is how I order a character's life in my head. It's how I decide how I want to write the character. It has less to do with the content of the writing and more to do with the mood and feeling of it. That's how I get into a character, but not necessarily how you do. 

[dusk 106]

As an admin: so long as the roleplay sample was written by whoever is actually playing the character, and credit was given, I don’t think I would gaf. I am very short on them as it is. If there was weird sneaking going on I would be upset, however. Mostly I used the apps to make sure a person understands the lore, and the rp sample to see how they actually write (since I have come across people you make beautiful apps but terrible words). 

 

Since in this instance it would be for a want ad, I would assume the requester and taker will work out lore mechanics together. With the option of stepping in if things get funky. But all of my members are adults and I trust them. 

 

As a member: I would care even less. I have never thought about it tbh. Though now all my jokes about asking someone else to write my app seem plausible.