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Star ArmyⓇ is a landmark of forum roleplaying. Opened in 2002, Star Army is like an internet clubhouse for people who love roleplaying, art, and worldbuilding. Anyone 18 or older may join for free. New members are welcome! Use the "Register" button below.

Note: This is a play-by-post RPG site. If you're looking for the tabletop miniatures wargame "5150: Star Army" instead, see Two Hour Wargames.

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  • 📅 July 2024 is YE 46.5 in the RP.

Changes for 2016

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Here's some changes I want to implement this year, which I'm posting for your feedback:

1. Make Editing the Wiki Optional for Character Creation

The problem: Despite our helpful tools like me linking everyone to the wiki syntax guide, providing instructions on page creation, namespace templates, and offering an automatic template for character sheets, the fact is that the wiki can be an imposing obstacle for people joining the site. When you consider that, as an original setting with HUGE LORE, we require players to learn so much, why pile the wiki on top of that too? And let's face it, our wiki is not the greatest-designed piece of software to work with.

The solution: So the solution is to let people join up without the wiki. Instead of making everyone sign up for the wiki, I was thinking we should make that optional. It only takes a small change to let us happen, which is that we can start allowing characters to be submitted via forum post like the old days. Users who don't know how to make their own wiki pages can request that a staff member make one for them (I'm willing to do this work myself). New members can then learn the wiki on their own time and pace.
  • Users only needs to sign up once
  • Members could submit characters on the forums (traditional), or as links to a wiki page (current way)
2. Ensure every character gets threaded

"Threaded" is a term among RP sites that means the character gets into an RP thread with other players.

The problem: New players want the freedom to make a character in the SARPiverse without necessarily wanting to join a plot that's already in progress and having to catch up. We also have seen players join and then fall through the cracks.

Solution ideas: Basically when a character is submitted, we need to make sure that the character ends up in RP, whether that's in a subforum RP like the YSS Eucharis's current mission, or an open RP. It would be preferable to match newbies with veterans, but even getting a group of new players together would be good.
  • We need mentor moderators that stick to a new player like glue from intro post to first RP and make sure they successfully get involved.
  • We might need to break up new character submissions into general characters and plot-specific characters because the latter have GMs to approve them and the former need character mods. We can do this with thread prefixes!
  • Make a few starting zones of the setting where new characters are inserted, which are designed to make characters there encounter each other and interact.
  • The character's approval thread, instead of being just "APPROVED" at the end, should say, "APPROVED, and is going to this RP thread: LINK."
3. Rapid Thread Resolutions

The problem: Sometimes threads end in the middle of things without resolving the action or the scene of the RP. Sometimes the current thread becomes long, boring, and not fun because it's gone on forever or because people feeling like they have to RP out every single detail of something.

The solution: Add to the rules that it's okay for a GM or thread OP to make a "bug out" post that resolves the action. It could even be short as, "In the end, the attack was successful and everyone went back to Nataria to get debriefed." A little RP post is better than everyone being left hanging.
  • If someone doesn't post in the expected time frame (set by the GM, thread OP, or maybe something like two weeks otherwise), someone else in the thread can free the characters in it by making a post the resolves the thread.
  • When no one else steps up to do within a month of the last RP post, players other than the OP/GM can "bug out" the thread on their own.
  • Staff and FMs can also "bug out" inactive threads (1 month since last IC post) as needed.
  • Remember, due to flexible time, you character might also be able to RP in two threads at once (like one on their leave and one on a mission), so bugging out isn't always necessary.
  • Individual RPers can also "bug out" their characters while the thread goes on without them.
 
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  1. As a new member, when I first made my character I can’t agree more. It was like asking for a cup of water and getting hooked up to a fire hose. You shouldn’t cut it out altogether- like reposting full pages from the wiki on the forum (letting them read it there is fine) but having them sign up on the wiki, expect them to know how to edit/code a wiki page (even with a template, and then cross link it to their character post, is a bit of a hurdle to joining. When I first joined I literally had to spend like 2+ hours reading wiki pages to get all the info necessary for making a new character. That’s a HUGE investment of time for an RP site.

  2. So an issue I personally had, when I tried to join the first time, was that I wanted to make a MP (military police)- kind of a space detective and we told “well- we don’t really have much of a role for that”. This is an example, not an issue. But if someone wanted to play something more exotic that didn’t quite fit the normal bill- there should be a way for them to still get threaded. And I don’t mean shoved off into some small thread or told (for their first thread) to go make something.

  3. On other mission-based sites like this one when I ran plots we ALWAYS had to do “bug-out” posts when things went too long (we had a 1 month duration on ALL mission threads). On a related point- when you join (as a new person) and you get dropped into a thread with people you don’t know that is 10+ pages long and you have a little blurb from someone in the CBox to go on it feels like you are jumping in on a TV show 10+ seasons in.
 
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I'm OK with players submitting characters the old way, with the understanding that they'll be at a disadvantage until we can wiki them up. However, I'd still like them to have to sign up for the wiki too. They don't have to start writing or submitting to it, but having an account will make it easier for them when they do.

The third point is fine, so long as it's optional and we talk to the GM and players before taking such action (on a staff/FM level).

The second ... you're asking for a huge commitment with mentoring. It would be a great one, but we need people who have time. Many of the older vets might not be able to find that time. I can get behind creating two character approval lanes, but mentoring a new player that far becomes difficult.

It becomes more difficult when you're not able to shoehorn them toward picking something that GMs can handle today. To use Hemlock's example, creating something exotic that doesn't fit any established bills puts pressure on GMs or threadrunners to suddenly come up with a position. It isn't always feasible.
 
Unfortunately I have some issues with item 2. While it is a noble sentiment. We've all see new folks submit characters that are border on god-like. A new player and a new character should reflect that. In the case of Thaddeus's Military Police concept. That would be doable, but as a newbie, the character should perhaps be a rookie or to use NCIS a probie. The other issue is some characters just aren't going to fit into a particular thread, and it is not feasible to expect folks to create a roleplay to accommodate a strange character. If someone wants to that is fine, but there should not be an expectation that a person can come with an OP/bizarre/unorthodox character and be guaranteed a roleplay.
 
I'm heavily with Doshii and Nash on #2, for much the same reasons. As much as I approve of trying to make sure new players get involved, and get something to do, it shouldn't be purely on the GMs and other players to make that happen. If a player is making something that there is no place for, there's no place for them, it's that simple. Especially with the push you're making towards Open RP, in a lot of those cases, it's better for them to just make something of their own if they have to play that exact character than it is give someone else a headache trying to work with something that just doesn't fit for them. Most of our veterans are already stretched pretty thin, and a good number are pretty stressed, without expecting them to start doing all that to take care of new players/characters with weird requests too.

A big part of my feelings here are pretty much exactly what Nashoba said, too. A first character isn't meant to be a badass end all character. They're the private, the rookie, the new guy that is expected to come in knowing nothing, and learn as they go. That's not just for a character's benefit, but for the player, because it means the PLAYER can learn along with the character, and once they know the setting better, go for more complex ideas, or even just grow that first character into it. Every badass has an origin story, after all. We've had more than one character submission that would've been much less painful if the player had spent less time making their character awesome up front, and more time learning how to make them badass later.

#1 I'm good with. I've been saying for a while that it would make sense to make the template something that autobuilds a page, not just autogenerates text, just because the coding is a bigger headache than necessary, especially since DokuWiki uses weird code. If we can't do that, than having players post their code and letting someone else build the page and paste their stuff in for them is probably the next best thing, and it doesn't take too much work.

For #3, I think my only concern is making sure it's clear that it's not only optional, but only meant to take care of stalled threads. As it stands, it could be read as "Well, I think this thread is boring, so fuck everyone else, the rules say I can just ditch out." I'd hope people wouldn't use it like that, but I'd feel better if we specified that it's meant to take care of stalled threads, at least from a player perspective.
 
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Now, I joined the site just recently so I think I have the least amount of pull when it comes to suggestions but I have been through a /lot/ of roleplay sites boasting multiple type of Character Creation/Application styles. As the last three people who have commented on this thread have already stated, there are... Issues with the second suggestion. Primarily the expansive universe of each individual's imagination. Everyone has an ideal character that they want to create and let's face it, most people aren't happy when they can't have it. They also don't care if their character will fit in the current setting and events of the site. Even I am making character idea's without knowing what is going on! This is what I find to be the major problem with 100% freeform roleplay sites.

However, as I am lead to believe, this is not a 100% freeform website and there is a character application process. This means there is the possibility of a buffer if those who can approve profiles are trusted to make a decision to if a character will or will not work. If it does wonderful, they can point them towards players who would be able to further get them settled into the roleplay. If not, they can make constructive comments to help make a character who would better suit the roleplay.

Player and Character Co-Efficiency is by far one of the most important parts of any roleplay, and if people join who aren't even trying to go with the current flow of the site then they will get discouraged pretty fast. With a little guidance though, not quite to the degree in which you mention, I'm sure player/character co-efficiency can be maintained quite easily.

To be fair though, it would be pretty awesome having someone almost dedicated to RPing with me til I get into the Story properly. Feel free to ignore me, as I am being silly and posting simply based on the knowledge I have read in this thread.
 
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Personally I'm okay with #1 as long as the quality of character submissions is not dropped. We still need to retain quality even if it's forum post for submission. How it's submitted isn't all that important after all it's what's inside and what eventually ends up being displayed.

The second one...I get where you're coming from with it Wes, and that's why I started Nexus (which I need to get back running) but I agree with those above who mentioned that we shouldn't be stretching people too thin. And we shouldn't be just letting a character get jammed in somewhere they don't fit. It's one thing if there isn't anymore plot space, but if they don't fit with the plots that are already there it's because the people willing and able to GM don't want to GM stories for those kind of characters most likely. So trying to force them in just means the GM gets stressed and the quality of the RP ends up low. We do need more tools for allowing new players to do -something- but we shouldn't be just trying to get any and everything in, the setting will fall apart.

As for the 3rd I've already done it myself in a plot when things got really really behind schedule and slow, but as mentioned above it shouldn't really be able to be used "because I'm bored" it should be for things that are stalling out, or like if there are players waiting for the next join opportunity and things aren't moving fast enough.
 
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