Staffing Wanted Ads

[Samantha 64]

I was just wondering how you all do wanted ads on your site. What's in the template you use (if you use one)? Do they help your site in any way at all, like do new members join and take wanted ads as opposed to creating their own charries, are people more active because they get their wanted ads picked up?

 

We have a very basic thread for wanted ads, and it's basically just a list and nothing seems to get taken and I think that how they're presented has something to do with it. 

[Samantha 64]

2 minutes ago, SithLordOfSnark said:

Having all wanted ads in one thread doesn't work, in my experience.

 

Yeah, I don't think it does either, lol. That's why I'm trying to see how other people do it before I think about doing anything to ours. 

[Suzi 20]

Hiya! 

At ATO we have a forum for wanted ads (sits next to application, claims and OOC area). Within this, there is a separate forum called "open threads" where members can post opens - this isn't really used much. But many people just post their own thread of characters/plots they would want, and often existing members will pick them up if they sound interesting to them. This is great to see for us, because it means members are getting the plots and stories they want. I don't think new members, at least on ATO, pick up wanted ads. Usually, I find them creating their own characters first and then once they feel comfortable with us all they're more likely to pick up a wanted ad. Generally I think they work for hyping up plots and getting different members to interact with each other on a plot that means something to them

[Kit the Human 759]

What's in the template you use (if you use one)?

I've never used templates! People know what they're looking for when they make a wanted ad. I don't think a template would assist them.

 

And like Suzi, I use a forum to house all wanted ads.

 

Do they help your site in any way at all, like do new members join and take wanted ads as opposed to creating their own charries, are people more active because they get their wanted ads picked up?

When I look at new sites, I always check on Wanted Ads because they're a great way to work out what kind of plots are going on. (Just one way of course.) I won't necessarily pick a wanted ad up, I prefer to see how well I get along with the community before I make that kind of commitment. Once you're a part of the community, I think taking up wanted ads is a fun way to help other people further their plot and to keep you engaged with what everyone is up to.

 

It is also, I think, super exciting when your wanted ad gets picked up and that naturally promotes extra activity. Assuming everyone gets along of course.

[Shades 676]

What's in the template you use (if you use one)?

I don't use a template, but I always advise people to talk a little about the characters they want. Put in their position, an anything they have set about the character (age, profession, etc). At least some information to make the wanted ad interesting.

 

Do they help your site in any way at all, like do new members join and take wanted ads as opposed to creating their own charries, are people more active because they get their wanted ads picked up?

A well made wanted ad is very helpful for people who want to join the site but want to make sure they will have some interaction, as they know at least one character will interact with that one, instead of running  the risk of making a new character and it not really fit in. As for the members who  have their wanted ads picked up, I do usually see an increase in activity, as they have at least one plot line developing with that wanted.

 

We have a very basic thread for wanted ads, and it's basically just a list and nothing seems to get taken and I think that how they're presented has something to do with it. 

I would say that having just one thread won't be very helpful. I would advise at least one thread per player, where they could list all of the characters they want, and add in some information. A simple list won't really help much. The people looking at the wanted ads need to have something to sink their teeth in. Even if there's not a template, something basic about the wanted character and the plots they can expect would be more helpful in getting people to pick them up.

[Elena 546]

I have a subforum for wanted ads. Each member who has a wanted ad, posts it in a separate thread. Because people can further ask for additional details in that thread... Every person has their own way to list the details for the ad and the details for the plot. Some are taken, some are later written as NPCs if not taken in time for the plot. 

[Rune 1,099]

They get their own forum. Each member can do their own thread with all of theirs in them, or separate threads with specific groups. We don't dictate that deep. XD we have a universal template available if people want it, but don't require it.

 

I know I'm much more likely to join a site if there's wanteds or adoptables. Having some details figured out already and basically being guaranteed threads is very helpful.

[Morrigan 1,826]

When I do sites I do them on IPS. I haven't done one in a while but I have an older one that I can reference:

 

And you can click on them for more information. Note that it shows if there is an associated character/player (which actually links to the associated character/player).

Additionally we like to show when characters would get adopted:

 

Instead of removing them, then if they become available again (because the player disappears or whatever) then it doesn't have to be recreated.

 

Clicking on the name there would take you into the wanted ad where (whether it was staff made or player made doesn't matter) there is a list of the details that are being looked for/provided for someone to pick it up.

 

 

 

 

As a person that loves to pick up wanted ads and inspriations I love when they are clearly laid out and the information is easy to find. If I have to go hunting or I get a lot of "This but whatever" instead of a clear idea of the direction someone wants to take a relationship (doesn't matter if it's romance, friends, bromance, siblings, parents etc) then I'm less likely to pick up the character. Also how much leeway I have with the character makes a difference.

 

For me I like them all in one place, laid out neatly.

 

Additionally this:

 

[Rune 1,099]

@Morrigan - Those are super pretty and I am once again jealous of your skills.

[Icewolf 258]

We will have a sub-board when it opens, under the character sheets forum where people post their initial apps. The plan is that everyone has a thread where they post all the characters they'd normally play as NPCs in the hope that someone will be interested in taking them up. Having rped on twitter, there is not a great deal of scope to put up wanted ads for characters because you can't put a lot of info in them (and usually anything like that easily gets lost unless you pin the tweet, or have an off-site link to them), so I am looking forward to doing it this way. (A lot of the problems on twitter is down to miscommunication, missing things and not being able to make things clear on it.)

 

As far as templates go, we do have one, but it's just a simple one which people can fill in with the name of the character, race, and some background information on what they'd like for it, and a place holder for a suggested playby if they have one. I like to keep things simple as possible. I do like looking through wanted ads because they give me some idea of how my characters can interact with other characters and if the concept of a wanted character is interesting enough for me, then I consider taking it on (but that depends on how active the writer making the request for the character is, and if I like the site enough to want to stick with it. I don't want to make a character for some and then end up disappointing them, or take on a role which I hardly get a chance to use.)

 

One problem I can foresee is what will happen to the character of the wanted ad if the person who takes them on can no longer write them, for whatever reason? Does the character belong to the person who requested it, or to the one who wrote it? That's something that needs to be made clear in the rules of the site before people post the ads/take them on.

[Morrigan 1,826]

36 minutes ago, Icewolf said:

One problem I can foresee is what will happen to the character of the wanted ad if the person who takes them on can no longer write them, for whatever reason? Does the character belong to the person who requested it, or to the one who wrote it? That's something that needs to be made clear in the rules of the site before people post the ads/take them on.

 

Probably a better discussion for a new thread. I know I've seen one forever ago but it's been a while.

[Samantha 64]

So after hearing how most people seem to do it the same way I think we're going to implement a new wanted ad system thing in the new year. As much as I love how you did it @Morrigan , I think we're going to stick with individual threads people can post just so the staff doesn't have to upkeep it as much. 

 

Thank you guys for your input <3

 

(And yes, I think that would make a new thread, because it's something I go back on forth on in my mind)

[Morrigan 1,826]

Well my system is a combination system technically. A little different because it was made in pages but they are a list that links to an individual informational thing.

[Kit the Human 759]

@Morrigan's post reminded me that I did something similar once. I made a gallery of wanted ads, with the ads being pulled from the forum (not automatically). The cool thing about it was that you could filter the gallery by say, race, taken or open, gender, group/individual (whatever you like!) It used the Isotope javascript.

 

Raven has already made a character list if you're daunted by the javascript. (Live preview.)

 

I appreciate that it might be too much work, especially if your community makes a lot of wanted ads. But I think that it helps user's find a character that they might be interested in.

[Morrigan 1,826]

Mine was basic because I wanted it to be basic. I could have made it more thorough but I wanted making a wanted ad to be easy. They post it and it adds to the overall list that links back to the important details.

 

Like I said. If I have to hunt I will give up.