Special applications and opportunities

[Nyr]

Special apps can be applied for at any time. Sponsored roles, no. I know and understand and appreciate the app system. Special apps don't allow for literacy but they do allow for magicker roles. I don't see the reason for this distinction.

Honestly you can special app for literacy, too, there's nothing stopping you from doing that.

[Harmless]

Special apps can be applied for at any time. Sponsored roles, no. I know and understand and appreciate the app system. Special apps don't allow for literacy but they do allow for magicker roles. I don't see the reason for this distinction.

Honestly you can special app for literacy, too, there's nothing stopping you from doing that.

First I heard it Nyr. Thanks. It should be more formalized.

[Barsook]

Special apps can be applied for at any time. Sponsored roles, no. I know and understand and appreciate the app system. Special apps don't allow for literacy but they do allow for magicker roles. I don't see the reason for this distinction.

Honestly you can special app for literacy, too, there's nothing stopping you from doing that.

First I heard it Nyr. Thanks. It should be more formalized.

+1

[Nyr]

Special apps can be applied for at any time. Sponsored roles, no. I know and understand and appreciate the app system. Special apps don't allow for literacy but they do allow for magicker roles. I don't see the reason for this distinction.

Honestly you can special app for literacy, too, there's nothing stopping you from doing that.

First I heard it Nyr. Thanks. It should be more formalized.

What else is a special application for if not to apply for something you can't normally get?  It isn't going to ever be that formalized when it concerns things that are outside of normal guild lists.

[Harmless]

Special apps can be applied for at any time. Sponsored roles, no. I know and understand and appreciate the app system. Special apps don't allow for literacy but they do allow for magicker roles. I don't see the reason for this distinction.

Honestly you can special app for literacy, too, there's nothing stopping you from doing that.

First I heard it Nyr. Thanks. It should be more formalized.

What else is a special application for if not to apply for something you can't normally get?  It isn't going to ever be that formalized when it concerns things that are outside of normal guild lists.

If there were a karma point value attached to literacy then it would have been more obvious to be that it could be special apped. The special app system can be used to apply for higher than your limit of karma, which means extended subguilds and mainguilds and races. Literacy currently doesn't have karma associated with it. It was therefore not obvious to me that it could also be special apped for.

I am quite sure I was not the only one who didn't know you could special app a literate PC who isn't a noble or GMH family member.

[Nyr]

Request to play a character that is not available to you through the normal application process.

Any special skills or abilities beyond what the normal race/guild/sub-guild would provide for.

Why this is a special application (please limit this to a paragraph or two)

Yes, you can also use it to apply for roles that are within the range of karma you are allowed to apply for.  We have pretty much always had a policy of not describing what will and won't be accepted for a special application.  I only mentioned literacy here because it was somehow being overlooked that one can special app for things; it doesn't mean it will get accepted.

[Harmless]

I guess I might have someday realized that the language here:

Any special skills or abilities beyond what the normal race/guild/sub-guild would provide for.

Why this is a special application (please limit this to a paragraph or two)

applies for literacy. The framing of the statement implies that the special app is mainly for guild, race, and subguild restrictions. Given that literacy isn't formally included in any guild, race, or subguild's set of abilities, I never intuited that literacy could also be applied for.

I would suggest the statement be amended to have this too:

Any special skills or abilities beyond what the normal race/guild/sub-guild/social caste would provide for.

Why this is a special application (please limit this to a paragraph or two)

Literacy is a skill available only to certain castes. Other things that are normally restricted to certain castes might also be special apped for. For instance, a noble who has the labyrinth accent might be special apped for, as a noble would normally not have that accent.

This would be enough for me to be sure that everyone making special apps knew what their actual range of options included.

[Nyr]

Guilds, subguilds, and races are coded values.  For that matter, literacy is applied to some guilds (templars, for instance), but those are not normal guilds, so that assumption is incorrect.

Social caste is not a coded value. 

I've changed the wording for the helpfile, but not for that page:

Players may submit up to three special applications per year, at most one per month. A special application allows players to request to play a character that is beyond what the normal application process would provide for. This might be any number of things. For karma guilds, this means that a player may apply for a role up to three karma points higher than their current karma level.

We are also currently testing out extended subguilds and skill increases using the same process for special applications. See the helpfiles on both of these subjects for details.

All Special Applications should be submitted through the Request Tool.

Sorry for any confusion there.  Special applications are for you to fill in and define within the guidelines provided.  We won't be offering every possible example of what one could do with them, because one might think that the things listed are the only things one can do with them.

[Nyr]

I've split this thread off because it has been a tangent from the Guild of Records thread.

[Gimfalisette]

Didn't mansa once, legendarily, special app to play a rock? And then he got it and did play a rock? (It could have been someone else.)

Not that it would get approved today, because really, who wants to play a rock? (Other than mansa.)

Anyone who has played the game for a while and attempted to special-app or sponsored-role-app is bound to have been rejected for some concept or combination of requests. It has happened to everyone. It doesn't mean staff doesn't like you (as a HIVE MIND), or some staffers don't like you individually. It just means at that moment in time, you didn't get that role or request, for reasons. That's it.

True story: Once, a staffer who I thought hated me emailed me and offered me a role. I was like, "WTF?!?!?!" I guess that staffer didn't hate me after all.

Lesson: Perception and feeling do not necessarily match reality.

From personal experience, it is very valuable to read and learn from the feedback you have been given by staff. They are generous with their comments, and if you mature and fix your problems, then you'll be able to gain their trust and get the roles you want. None of us was perfect when we started playing; we've all had our problems. (I bet Nyr was a real punk.)

[RogueGunslinger]

I've found staff to be incredibly accommodating of my special applications. Special Apps have always been, in my mind, for the people who want to make an interesting concept that doesn't quite fit within the confines of what it codedly possible. Honestly your imagination is the only thing stopping you from trying something cool out.

For instance I special apped a human that was codedly taller than any human can be through selection process(though not unrealistically so). That character also got some buffs of combat skills hidden and visible, and was also given a bunch of starting gear that fit his background.

I imagine apps like that aren't incredibly common, but are the type of thing staff probably has no qualms with setting up, if your concept is interesting and realistic, and you're not just doing it to have an "uber powerful character to blow shit up with and surpass the grind."

[Twilight]

Special app is just the way staff have decided to channel all the oddball requests they used to get through e-mail.  Anything special, that isn't obviously prohibited (e.g. you used to be able to special app for slaves this way, but now it would be useless to).

It is also possible to request things to be removed.

It might be a skill, but also might be something like eyesight, or an arm (if you wanted a missing-an-arm scar to go along with this concept) or a leg.

[Zoan]

I don't think they've ever denied me a special app, beyond my complete newbish shit from when I was a newcomer (like apping for a mindbender not realizing how crazy they are). I think Sanvean was like 'Awww, try again later.'

[RogueGunslinger]

I don't think they've ever denied me a special app, beyond my complete newbish shit from when I was a newcomer (like apping for a mindbender not realizing how crazy they are). I think Sanvean was like 'Awww, try again later.'

I tried to do the same thing(make a mindbender), back before it was made clear you can't special app over 3 karma above your limit(felt like more of a guideline back then). I thought if I tacked on enough hindering factors(one handed, mental issues, rough life) staff would accept it regardless of me being a noob. Was rejected but they gave me a nice message about how there was nothing wrong with the concept, that they liked it, just didn't know if I was ready for that sort of power.

[Zoan]

You at least were aware of their power and tried to impose handicaps. I straight up just wanted to be Xavier. I'm sure the staff thought it was cute/tedious (I bet every newbie does it).

[Tuannon]

Lesson: Gimfy is still awesome even though none (?) of our roles have ever been on good terms.

[number13]

I'll never stop being mad about my telekinetic  floating skull special app being denied. I'm pretty sure it's because I asked that the skull be made literate.

[Beethoven]

I'll never stop being mad about my telekinetic  floating skull special app being denied. I'm pretty sure it's because I asked that the skull be made literate.

oh my tek, lulz.

I like special apps. I've had 3/4 approved (although I will admit one was just an extended subguild), and the one I had rejected was because I tried to app a Nilazi when the only magickers I'd ever played were really shitty Vivaduans. Silly Beethoven, Nilazi are for grown-ups!

I haven't really thought about special apping for literacy or anything like that, but that's probably mostly because I haven't been thinking creatively enough to come up with an idea more original than "i want 2 play a hi karma class plz."

[Delusion]

I have a small handful of character concepts that I thought were out of the question due to having unusual backgrounds or suchlike, and was always under the impression that special applications were for coded stuff only. I'm not certain why.

To be less vague, I'm thinking of stuff like: a servant of a House with family who are also servants of the House, and where it really doesn't make a tremendous amount of sense for that character to enter the game unemployed, and owning just some tatty clothes, a couple bits of meat, and 800 coins. Or for an example that would be less intrusive on the average clan, characters who have pre-existing relationships with actual, tangible NPCs. Or even just an affluent character, who starts with some nice clothes and a stack of cash. Or a slave character, in certain circumstances (the trusted, skilled variety of slave).

Are these suitable things for special applications?

[Rahnevyn]

You could always submit a Question request if you're unsure whether something would require a special app. Any application that needs special setup from staff, be it extra money or clothes or skills or so on, should probably go through a special app, as the helpfile Nyr linked states.

A slave character would likely be only allowed via special app, or via a sponsored role call.

If you wanted to include an NPC in your background, it's maybe worth just submitting a question about it prior to submitting the character. I don't know if just being Vennant's niece, for example, is worth being charged a special app for, but I also don't know that being Vennant's niece would give you any real special privilege anyway. Depending on circumstances, the staff could make a call on whether such a character would be a normal app, a special app, or just not possible.

[Delirium]

Considering NPCs basically live forever that could get kind of weird.

[BadSkeelz]

Would Vennant count towards your family member cap?

[Is Friday]

I was asked to point out some of my really terrible account notes to show some other players that "recovering" from being "black balled" is possible. I'm currently at 5 karma.

with Ao, sunrunner zarajiri, they led a sunback down a chasm
wall, it emoted a broken leg, they hauled it onward not paying attention.  
Forced the already pained and angry beast to do as she wanted -
12/13/07
(cont) After screaming and yanking on the reins a few times, the
sunback attacked her.  She beat it down with clubs, it emoted it was barely
living, comatose.  She then brought it kegs of liquor to carry, and logged
out,... - 12/13/07


Ao sends this message to the staff, from room #66656
(Dusty Plains)  "Bored. Character hiding in desert, tracking tarantula."  
Moments later:  *BING* - 12/17/07
More than one character (Tukazi, Ao)
disappeared to apparent suicides for special app roles later. -
1/02/08


Repeated special app suicides. Strongly reccommend no special roles in
the future. - 6/08/08


Thrice rejected PC "zerkie" when player was slightly
changing sdesc and fishing for approval.  I hate to say it, but is 2 karma too
much? - 3/05/09


As others do agree, this player is a
superstar when they know they are being watched, but tend to slack and go for
gain during the slow times.  Also common to suicide during boredom. -
8/10/09


botched special role w/ Ueka, suicided and looked for new roles before even
starting / telling clan staff -  6/08/08.

Set karma to 0, Ignores clan
documentation, fucks up special roles, gives paper-thin reports, leaves vital
information out of any report that is given, and is generally a bad example
for newbs. -  5/08/09.


Set karma to 1, Granted back 1 karma, as they have
earned this through positive comments -  5/22/09.
Set karma to 2, The player
helped to guide conversation away from IC information during the oregon APM
tele-chat on 3 occasions.  Please see my comments above on this date. -  
8/10/09.
Set karma to 3, Took the restrictions and such of Kadian Junior
Trader in great stride, and was very responsible about it. -  8/21/10.
Set
karma to 4, as per notes -  1/29/12.
Set karma to 5, point for communication -
8/07/14.

Outside hunting alone during EST mornings, wearing no Byn gear. No emotes or RP. - 9/01/08

nowished after being asked not to wish on behalf of xxxx (acct) who was also nowished. - 9/08/08

    Gus (xxxxx) fell and died from the fall.
    Fell down the well on the grassy knoll in Tuluk. Who knows why she was trying to get in there. - 10/11/08

Militia recruit in the Rinth in the early AM? - 12/13/08

Walks around Tuluk naked or half naked often - 2/22/09
Salarri Family - 2/14/09

    Ozel (Strouticus) has been killed by a player, amen.
    Militia recruit in the rinth. Not the first time, probably won't be the last. - 3/21/09

Taken down to 34/118hp, slept until 58, got up and started riding off without RPing any wounds until an echo about being in pain. - 3/28/09

Is playing one of the worst Akei'ta var in my memory. Lets animals suffer to test city folk, and refers to herself as "Akeita's Boot up Roundear Ass." - 5/07/09

Wandering around the rinth in the AM, attacking NPCs. - 6/06/09

Masturbating in the barracks (r13337) - 7/06/09

Practically naked in Allanak. - 4/30/10

Didn't boost skills as much as the player wanted; they complained, complaint was rejected. - 7/03/11
When they died, they gave a rather whiny complaint as well, then a complaint about how the whiny complaint was treated. - 7/03/11

Arena Champion of 2012! - 1/29/12

[Riev]

Set karma to 0, Ignores clan
documentation, fucks up special roles, gives paper-thin reports, leaves vital
information out of any report that is given, and is generally a bad example
for newbs. - 5/08/09.

Set karma to 1, Granted back 1 karma, as they have
earned this through positive comments - 5/22/09.

Set karma to 2, The player
helped to guide conversation away from IC information during the oregon APM
tele-chat on 3 occasions.  Please see my comments above on this date. - 
8/10/09.

After quite a list of "This guy is seriously fucking up" and "Man, is 2 karma even enough trust", you got busted down to 0 karma for poor communication. Two weeks, to the day, later, you got one back for "positive commments"?

And then 3 months later, a karma for going to an APM?


Man. If I want to get out of this 1karma slump, I gotta start rounding up players, and then telling them we can't talk about the game.

[Twilight]

And I thought my account notes were bad.  Oh wait, they are.

The speed of those changes seems  unusual.  I can only guess that they point to awesomesauce in between the noted occurances, and would encourage everyone to be as awesome as IsFriday.