Special apps

[Gimfalisette]

I think we're all forgetting that this doesn't affect the playerbase, except for the 10% that send in over four applications.

I mean, I send in one special app a year, if that.

It doesn't even affect 10% of the playerbase; because only about 1/3 of the playerbase special apps at all. This affects 10% of that 1/3, so about 4% of the playerbase total.

[Gimfalisette]

Could you tell me where in Gimf's post she said she average lifespan was about 2 weeks? I couldn't find it in the OP.

This was actually in a different thread, a while ago: http://www.zalanthas.org/gdb/index.php/topic,31961.msg371802.html#msg371802

[RogueGunslinger]

Synthesis, I looked over your account and see that in the last twelve months you have submitted...

Three special applications.

So I guess what I'm saying is that you should just keep on keeping on and continue to submit special applications through the request tool at your current rate, and you should be just fine.

I think Syn is more worried about how this will affect the game and people he plays with, more than how it will affect him. But I'm not sure.

[Synthesis]

Synthesis, I looked over your account and see that in the last twelve months you have submitted...

Three special applications.

So I guess what I'm saying is that you should just keep on keeping on and continue to submit special applications through the request tool at your current rate, and you should be just fine.

I think Syn is more worried about how this will affect the game and people he plays with, more than how it will affect him. But I'm not sure.

I might've had only 3 special applications in the past year, but I also only played what...3 serious characters in the past year?  I see a PC on my list that fought in the gith war...and I only recognize three of the character names following it, including my current.  Further, those 3 special apps have all come within probably the last 3 months or so.

My last serious character died during the summer/early fall (if I recall correctly), and I didn't start playing again until December.  Why?  Because there aren't many stock race/class/subclass combinations that really interest me anymore.  I've got what...72 characters on my account now. 

I've played human rangers, burglars, warriors, assassins, Rukkians.  I've played city-elf warriors, assassins, pickpockets, elkrosians, and Vivaduans.  I've played dwarf rangers, warriors, and assassins.  I've played half-giant warriors.  I've played half-elf rangers, assassins, warriors?, and Rukkians. I've played d-elf warriors, rangers, merchants, Vivaduans and Whirans.

I have very little interest in playing ordinary roles anymore, and I try to avoid the responsibility that comes with sponsored (noble/templar/GMH) roles.  That leaves me with the special application process.  The reason I'm willing to wait 30 days for approval is that there's honestly nothing else in the game I'd rather be doing.  The only reason I'm even remotely interested in my current role is because it's so utterly ludicrous that it's like a personal challenge to see how long I can gut it out.

So...you know what? Fine.  I'll log into the game the once per year I actually manage to sneak a special application through.  I have better shit to do than play another Amos.

[X-D]

I actually agree with Synthesis on this point.

I've been playing for almost 17 years now, I have played everything that can be played through normal app process several times over. Including some things that are closed now.

So now, I have gotten to the point that I will likely have to use the special app process to have any more PCs that interest me (And they will be suprisingly mundane). Now true, I can keep a PC alive for more then a year normaly, but what happens if I have a string of bad luck? And why exactly are some of us being punished for the stupidity of others? I personaly think the limiting of special apps should be taken on a case by case basis. We all know it is not hard to note an account. player amos puts in 10 stupid special apps a year, ingnore all till an OL says otherwise. There, thats 10 silly apps taken out and it would not take long to clean the rest as well as for most people to get the hint.

[Marauder Moe]

I have very little interest in playing ordinary roles anymore, and I try to avoid the responsibility that comes with sponsored (noble/templar/GMH) roles.  That leaves me with the special application process.  The reason I'm willing to wait 30 days for approval is that there's honestly nothing else in the game I'd rather be doing.  The only reason I'm even remotely interested in my current role is because it's so utterly ludicrous that it's like a personal challenge to see how long I can gut it out.

So...you know what? Fine.  I'll log into the game the once per year I actually manage to sneak a special application through.  I have better shit to do than play another Amos.

Why don't you take on more challenges akin to your current character?  Why not voluntarily play the game on hard mode?  Ditch your starting coins. Promise yourself not to use any coded skills but Sirihish and contact.  Ask to have your Sirihish skill set to base levels.  Research a real life psychiatric malady and play it as best you can.  Pick a personality type on one of the personality scales Gimf has linked to in the past and play that as best you can.  Make your own rules so Armageddon becomes a challenge again.

Maybe it's just me only having played 6 years and having a very low character count, but I think it's kinda sad if you feel the only way you can make an interesting character is with an unusual combination of coded skills.

player amos puts in 10 stupid special apps a year, ingnore all till an OL says otherwise. There, thats 10 silly apps taken out and it would not take long to clean the rest as well as for most people to get the hint.

Isn't that what they're doing?  Only difference is the number is 3, not 10.

[FantasyWriter]

I would very much like for staff to let us know how this affects the average number of spec app submitted each month.

[Shalooonsh]

I would very much like for staff to let us know how this affects the average number of spec app submitted each month.

It reduces them.

[Eloran]

I would very much like for staff to let us know how this affects the average number of spec app submitted each month.

It reduces them.

rofl

[manonfire]

I would very much like for staff to let us know how this affects the average number of spec app submitted each month.

It reduces them.

rofl

Yeah, I laughed too.

[Gimfalisette]

I would very much like for staff to let us know how this affects the average number of spec app submitted each month.

It reduces them.

...my analysis based on best-guesstimates and the data Vanth provided is that special apps will be reduced by about 40 to 50 per year, 17%-ish of the total.

[Gimfalisette]

That is, assuming that this cap does not prompt a significant number of players who have been apping 0 to 2 special apps per year to start apping up to the cap, because their perspective has been changed by the cap along the lines of, "There are fewer special apped PCs now so this is a good time for mine," or "We each have a limit and dangit I'm going to get ALL of mine."

I doubt that will happen, but with human behavior, ya never know. A follow-up analysis of the relevant data in 6 months would probably be a good thing.

[FantasyWriter]

Hehe, I laughed too...
Nice one, Vanth Shalooonsh.

I was hoping for numbers after the fact.

I hope that it is a significant reduction: the ones that would have been rejected won't get submitted, and it will make the ones that get approved take less time and feel like less of a load on the staffer handling the.

I am assuming the number of approved apps will remain pretty consistent with what they are now.
But you know what they say about assumptions.

[Eloran]

Hehe, I laughed too...
Nice one, Vanth.

...

>emote pushes back abruptly from ^me table, chair skidding with a piercing scrape as !me shuffles aside towards the wall

[FantasyWriter]

It wasn't sarcasm, lol.
I was acknowledging that it was a good comeback.
Really... wait...
Someone is at my d...
NO NO NOasdfkjdfasjdf
a
adfja

The short, bearded man has lost link.











edited to add: Ooops... i just realized my mistake, sorry Shalooonsh.

[a strange shadow]

He STILL doesn't get it.

[manonfire]

Hehe, I laughed too...
Nice one, Vanth.

...

>emote pushes back abruptly from ^me table, chair skidding with a piercing scrape as !me shuffles aside towards the wall

>emote Sighing, @ closes his eyes, giving his head a sad little shake.

[Shalooonsh]

FantasyWriter,

Our records indicate that your PC, [PCNAME], will be passing on soon. For
your convenience and future reference, we have taken the liberty of
compiling all of his journal entries, in-game board posts and in-
character writings; they will be attached below.

Thanks for playing, and we hope to see you back again soon.

Best Regards,
The Admin Team

[FantasyWriter]

FantasyWriter,

Our records indicate that your PC, [PCNAME], will be passing on soon. For
your convenience and future reference, we have taken the liberty of
compiling all of his journal entries, in-game board posts and in-
character writings; they will be attached below.

Thanks for playing, and we hope to see you back again soon.

Best Regards,
The Admin Team

[Dar]

That is, assuming that this cap does not prompt a significant number of players who have been apping 0 to 2 special apps per year to start apping up to the cap, because their perspective has been changed by the cap along the lines of, "There are fewer special apped PCs now so this is a good time for mine," or "We each have a limit and dangit I'm going to get ALL of mine."

I doubt that will happen, but with human behavior, ya never know. A follow-up analysis of the relevant data in 6 months would probably be a good thing.

That 'would' happen. I know this because now I feel that I should've apped more often. Now I can almost guarantee that I will make an effort to fill up my three slots a year. And if there are two months left for my running year, odds are I'll toss in a special app (Most likely a poorly written one, poorly thought through, and not 'all' that really desired), just so I'll have it pending, when my count resets. Cant be wasteful now, can we? And my total special app amount is ... negligible to say the least.

[UnderSeven]

Yeah, I believe Karma alone is a flawed system and that special apps complete it. I'm not trying to join the debate here so much as support other people who have already stated my views.

That being said, the limit doesn't bother me.  3 special apps per rl year?  I doubt if I do even 1 app a rl year, let alone a special app.

[Semper]

Then maybe remove the special app limit with permission from the staff? For those who've already played sorcs and mindbenders and whatever else and have been at the game for so many years. It's not like the world is over for the exceptions to this case. At least I hope it's that way.

For the regular Amos', the cap works fine. For those who'd special app 3 in a row in three month's time, you just need to wait a year until your next one, no matter how crappy your 3 were. In the meanwhile, people who actually have basis for a special app can app without the clutter and extra time for the next 9 months. Fair enough, eh?

[Morgenes]

Then maybe remove the special app limit with permission from the staff? For those who've already played sorcs and mindbenders and whatever else and have been at the game for so many years. It's not like the world is over for the exceptions to this case. At least I hope it's that way.

For the regular Amos', the cap works fine. For those who'd special app 3 in a row in three month's time, you just need to wait a year until your next one, no matter how crappy your 3 were. In the meanwhile, people who actually have basis for a special app can app without the clutter and extra time for the next 9 months. Fair enough, eh?

If staff think you are ready to play sorcerers and psionicists without special apping within the limits of the rules, we will make an exception for them by granting them the karma for the roles.

[Jingo]

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

A rejected app counts the same as an approved app.  You won't be able to submit again for 30 days and counts against your 3 per 12 month limit.

Can we get some kind of leeway here? I'm not really worried about ever hitting the specapp limit. I just think it would be a lot cooler if staff tried to find a way to work with the player to make that neato concept.

Sometimes I get a  "Sorry, this concept won't work for IC reasons." or "No chance in hell, this build would break the game!" for a concept I happen to think was well thought out. When this happens, I really wasn't given any info as to why; just that it wouldn't work. Which I guess is fine.

I just think it would cool if the staff could help us tweak it bit so it would work in the game world. Either by giving us alternative options for the next specapp or by contacting us and offering suggestions as to how it can be changed to fit with the game.

[sudden ideas]

More subguild options!

And I think there should be 1 karma tribal option so we don't have to worry about losing that handful of useful skills to the nomad class.
[/sudden ideas]

Edit: because I used the word "cool" way too many times.

[Semper]

Then maybe remove the special app limit with permission from the staff? For those who've already played sorcs and mindbenders and whatever else and have been at the game for so many years. It's not like the world is over for the exceptions to this case. At least I hope it's that way.

For the regular Amos', the cap works fine. For those who'd special app 3 in a row in three month's time, you just need to wait a year until your next one, no matter how crappy your 3 were. In the meanwhile, people who actually have basis for a special app can app without the clutter and extra time for the next 9 months. Fair enough, eh?

If staff think you are ready to play sorcerers and psionicists without special apping within the limits of the rules, we will make an exception for them by granting them the karma for the roles.

I've played human rangers, burglars, warriors, assassins, Rukkians.  I've played city-elf warriors, assassins, pickpockets, elkrosians, and Vivaduans.  I've played dwarf rangers, warriors, and assassins.  I've played half-giant warriors.  I've played half-elf rangers, assassins, warriors?, and Rukkians. I've played d-elf warriors, rangers, merchants, Vivaduans and Whirans.

I have very little interest in playing ordinary roles anymore, and I try to avoid the responsibility that comes with sponsored (noble/templar/GMH) roles.  That leaves me with the special application process.  The reason I'm willing to wait 30 days for approval is that there's honestly nothing else in the game I'd rather be doing.  The only reason I'm even remotely interested in my current role is because it's so utterly ludicrous that it's like a personal challenge to see how long I can gut it out.

I meant in these situations.