Special apps

[Cavaticus]

Starting now. Those of you who submitted a dozen special applications last week won't be affected by this until you've submitted three more starting today.

[Morgenes]

How does this affect people who might have put in 3+ special apps already since February 2008? Will they have to wait to submit again, or does the year period just start fresh, now, for everyone?

Effective immediately, special apps will be limited to 3 per account per year.  There is still a 30-day waiting period between special apps.  Applications will count toward this limit regardless of whether they are approved or denied.

Emphasis mine.

[brytta.leofa]

Per calendar year or rolling year?

[Nyr]

Per calendar year or rolling year?

Rolling year.

[deviant storm]

I've never been one of those people who liked special apps. Who wants to wait thirty plus days to play a character, when there are concepts I can play within 24 hours?

But then I got to wondering: Does the limit include those applications toward positions announced as open by staff? Say staff wants another templar and you try an application for something like that, does it count towards the three special ap limit?

That's maybe going to dry up the well towards some of those roles, if so. That's my only concern.

[Nyr]

I've never been one of those people who liked special apps. Who wants to wait thirty plus days to play a character, when there are concepts I can play within 24 hours?

But then I got to wondering: Does the limit include those applications toward positions announced as open by staff? Say staff wants another templar and you try an application for something like that, does it count towards the three special ap limit?

That's maybe going to dry up the well towards some of those roles, if so. That's my only concern.

Sponsored roles != special apped roles.

If you are responding to a call for a sponsored role, this is completely separate from a special application, and will not count towards your limit.

[deviant storm]

I've never been one of those people who liked special apps. Who wants to wait thirty plus days to play a character, when there are concepts I can play within 24 hours?

But then I got to wondering: Does the limit include those applications toward positions announced as open by staff? Say staff wants another templar and you try an application for something like that, does it count towards the three special ap limit?

That's maybe going to dry up the well towards some of those roles, if so. That's my only concern.

Sponsored roles != special apped roles.

If you are responding to a call for a sponsored role, this is completely separate from a special application, and will not count towards your limit.

Okay. Then I'm good with the whole thing. 

[RogueGunslinger]

I think this is a great idea.

[musashi]

I'm pretty cool with it as well. As was said, this makes absolutely no difference to 90 percent of the players.

[Clearsighted]

Should limit it to 1.

[Good Gortok]

Which of these factors holds more sway in whether or not a special application is approved?

> The quality and originality of the application. How many similar characters are already in the game. How little or much the game might benefit from such a character. The potential for meaningful interaction and involvement with other players.

> The player's dedication, responsibility and roleplay capability. Their history and involvement with the community. The observations that staff make during the review. The player's previous characters.


Also, what happens if the player wants to make some adjustments to the application after it has been approved? Say they applied for a character of some guild or race but want to change the description or the starting location before creating the character. Is this possible? Who should the player consult?

[musashi]

My word is of course, only my opinion, but from my limited experience I think that a player's dedication, responsibility, and history with the game weigh more heavily than the originality of the application; though both are likely important and factor in.

I say that because in the last (and really only) special app I submitted, staff told me that while they weren't positive that my concept /needed/ what I was asking for ... my account notes and history with the game thus far were quite positive and based on that merit, they were willing to let me have a go with it.

As for making adjustments, if it's something minor like a little tweak in the description I think you're ok, since you're still going to have to go through character generation when the PC is actually created anyway. But typically, staff discourage people from asking for changes once the special app is submitted.

If you did want to change something beyond a simple description tweak, I think you would do better to cancel the current app, and put in an entirely new one with the changes you want, then tough it out and wait the extra wait time for having started over.

[number13]

Should limit it to 1.

I could live with a limit or 1 or 2. Three is fine, too.

[Bebop]

Special apping doesn't just mean karma it can mean playing a role in a clan with a unique storyline and so on.

[musashi]

Special apping doesn't just mean karma it can mean playing a role in a clan with a unique storyline and so on.

I agree that special apping doesn't just mean playing above your karma, but can you explain what you mean about a unique storyline?

[Synthesis]

My prediction:  those who actually get special apps approved will be 4x as trigger-happy, or 4x as isolated.  There's no room for error when you only get 3 chances per year.

[jcljules]

My prediction:  those who actually get special apps approved will be 4x as trigger-happy, or 4x as isolated.  There's no room for error when you only get 3 chances per year.

Yeah, I'd agree with this. I mean--its good to cut down on staff time spent on reviewing special apps, as well as the amount of special characters. But I know if I play a special app I'll be more nervous than when playing a normal character, and that'll hurt my ability to act ICly, even if I try to stay IC all the time.

[number13]

Yeah, I'd agree with this. I mean--its good to cut down on staff time spent on reviewing special apps, as well as the amount of special characters. But I know if I play a special app I'll be more nervous than when playing a normal character, and that'll hurt my ability to act ICly, even if I try to stay IC all the time.

...I don't think losing a special app character is any worse than losing a normal character with days worth of play time invested.  If people are going to be more 'trigger-happy' because they have a specially apped character, then maybe that sort of person shouldn't have a specially apped character to begin with.

Right?

[Synthesis]

People care more about things that are special.

Hell, I quit playing for around 6 months after my last special app. died, and that wasn't even a role that was above my karma level:  just a role with a few skill additions.

[musashi]

My prediction:  those who actually get special apps approved will be 4x as trigger-happy, or 4x as isolated.  There's no room for error when you only get 3 chances per year.

If someone is playing a special app role that doesn't require them to be trigger-happy or isolated in the first place (from my perspective that covers everything other than rouge magickers and raiders) ... I don't think their behavior would change overly much.

[Synthesis]

My prediction:  those who actually get special apps approved will be 4x as trigger-happy, or 4x as isolated.  There's no room for error when you only get 3 chances per year.

If someone is playing a special app role that doesn't require them to be trigger-happy or isolated in the first place (from my perspective that covers everything other than rouge magickers and raiders) ... I don't think their behavior would change overly much.

Think about it:  how many karma classes are there that aren't essentially paper tigers that need to get the first strike or die within a couple of shots by any 10-day warrior?  Even if you're a special-apped gemmed mage, you're still going to fireball first and ask questions later.  Or you're a damn fool.

[musashi]

But, we already established that not every special app is to play something above their karma, didn't we?

Sometimes folks just want extra skills or special mutations to give coded weight to an uncommon background idea.

[FantasyWriter]

What if you are rejected, fix about the character what you are asked to fix, and resubmit.... does that count as two or one?

[Synthesis]

Furthermore, what about all the crazy ideas that might just be crazy, but might also have been really cool?

I played a special-apped rat once, and that was fun.  Who the hell is going to special app for a rat now? 

I applied for a magick gwoshi once and got rejected...sure, maybe it was crazy, but it might have been accepted (and if it were, it would've been really fucking cool, in my humble opinion).

For a while I've had an idea about a psionicist/burglar who breaks into people's apartments, rearranges their belongings, then makes them believe the furniture was always arranged that way.  No chance I'm going to waste one of my 3 slots/year on something that asinine (despite its potential for hilarity).

I've been thinking about applying for a city-elf warrior with some sneak skills, possibly clanned in a coded city-elf tribe in order to reinvigorate the city-elf scene, but right now I doubt I'm going to waste a special-app on what is quite possibly a hopeless role destined for an early death by twinkery.

Similarly, I was thinking about applying for a human tribal with some extra skills, to maybe help one of the tribes get some loving, but again:  not going to waste a special app. on a character that can get picked off at a moment's notice by some bored elf with a buttload of arrows he's been practicing his poisoning skills on.

The only roles I'd wait 4 months for are sorceror or psionicist Bad Asses.  Sorry, but that's just the only attitude that seems rational to me at this point.

[number13]

Furthermore, what about all the crazy ideas that might just be crazy, but might also have been really cool?

...

The only roles I'd wait 4 months for are sorceror or psionicist Bad Asses.  Sorry, but that's just the only attitude that seems rational to me at this point.

This post makes me believe the appropriate number of special apps per player per year should be zero.