General Application Suggestion. Alongside some concerns.

[Avee]

This thread annoys me.

First, let's go over my qualifications to post here.

1. I hate the application system.
2. I hate applying for things.
3. I don't post logs when I do apply.
4. I get denied much more often than I am approved. (I don't care.)

A few things to start.

The 230 longevity reward is a good thing. It rewards long term characters who are in many ways running things behind the scenes. Just because someone does not have sigs does not mean they aren't important, sometimes they can be more important.

The flamboyant actor who flaunts atop the center stage is pointless without his unseen stage crew.

Moving on...

There are many, many applications per cycle. Sometimes, you straight up don't deserve something. Additionally, administrators can only offer -so much- feedback. If they tell someone exactly what to do to get something, it's basically no different than putting the plot on rails. One must be creative with the limited feedback the administrators can provide.

Moving on...

My only real gripe with things I have seen lately is any denial in regards to OOC conduct. If someone is a shitter OOC, punish them in an OOC manner. Applications are functionally an IC building block. It just... doesn't seem right from my morality lens.

Moving on...

I fucking HATE the application system. It makes me cope on a regular basis. Seethe. Mald. I hate it I hate it I hate it.

Anyone who disagrees with this suffers from Stockholm syndrome. 

Unfortunately, there's just not a better system at the moment. (I fucking hate it.)

[VibeEntertainment]

Love Avee.

[akemimera]

Figured id toss my garbage opinions into this thread before it gets locked.

Since I have started playing this game, and having been on both sides of the application fence (I went and checked, my approval/denial rate is unironically 50% rn) 90% of why I feel apps get denied is a lot of information related to the app is inside of other apps that are old af and the app team is unaware of its existence after months of apps. if the few numbers of apps chance shared publicly are an indication the 3-5 appmins (its been a minute since i check discord tags) are on average getting 50 ish plus apps a week to sort through.
I have had denials that came with the classic catchphrases of world presence and at this time. But very rarely did I ever see denials based on weird things. (I only have two references of such, and i looked at them and went, well thats a weird reason to -1 something but aight.) The motivational hits, for some, are rough af. For others its taken as a challenge to app again with even more. I have noticed a few minor inconsistencies for apps, but that happens with any system.

I have heard the classic complaints of hire more staff, to hiring people who are not allowed to play the game, solely there to do apps, to just fuck it, sigs are optional. (They are, but holy shit does it make your IC so much more entertaining to write. Plus sigs have some of the DOPEST sprites which i feel is the majority of the reason people go for them outside of IC)

At the end of the day, the staff team is entirely volunteered to my knowledge, meaning yes they do they job, but are under no contractual obligations to dedicate their lives to it when they have bills to pay to. The ability form for example, while it sucks not being able to go back and edit it without linking a google doc inside of it, it has made ability apps faster, and less time consuming to both staff and imo players. 

As for the forums, I have seen some apps sit for months, and seen some answered in 48 hours or less. The Forums imo do seem to take longer for ??? reasons. 

the TLDR opinion:

App system will never be perfect in any format. Personally the system we have now is a nice mix given the nature of the game.

[Dandeli]

make a second server with all no applications, the only magics attainable the ones accessible via the in-game tree & a very cheap rendition of the rebirth potion with infinite uses as a social experiment

[VibeEntertainment]

I'd rather an alternative system that isn't appealing to a set group of people but rather hitting markers. Like how 200 awards a token, 210+ 5-10 dangers awards a 2nd token. 230 now awards a Sig. (I see no issue with this because 230 RPL is literally not easy to get. You can sit on the game 24/7 run your dailies and whatever else. You're not hitting 230 until at least a good month of gameplay IF this method is even done. Even then, look at the amount of time you legit need to invest to get there man. I don't like how people are saying "You can grind to 230" ...? Show me a spreadsheet of how you're doing that man. Like show me a reasonable layout of how someone that works, or goes to school is investing a reasonable amount of time on top of that to get 230 RPL. Keep in mind some of the current PC's are not even 230 with like 2-3 Sigs. People have gone Sigless for their entire IC and the moment they get a Sig people are shit talking them for it. That's just lame bro.)

I ended up venting there and again it's not even about me. I've never been 230 RPL in Eternia and it's nutty because I've grinded to 200 and what not, never 210 or 220 though that to me is nuts and I dont put that much time in after 200. I do other stuff.

These allow people to somewhat showcase some kind of "Unique" flare to their IC and not have to deal with the system as an alternative.

Some may argue, oh hey this is a Storytelling game.

Yeah, I agree. I also agree verbing carries a good portion of the game too. Hence why Sigs are there so some people can get those wins where they need it most. Same thing with other various things like gear, etc.

It all plays a part. Then we go back to.... Storytelling. Some again don't have the knack for this. So when they try things their own way, exmaple...

A character "Typical Battle-chad" is only running around and his IC is just fighting people. Sigless, potentially an Armed PC. So he has losses, clearly and some wins. No deaths ofc. Right? He puts in an App for a Sig and get's denied for the hypothetical following:

"We'd like to see more avenues taken that don't just involve you Fighting and Dangering, etc!" Maybe there is more to add here, there definitely could be right? But then again, we look back at something mentioned waaaay earlier in this thread.

Rping to appeal to someone else before RPing your own way and feeling unique/enjoyment for your own efforts... or we look at the other scenario.

Someone gets denied for... Mechanical Strength or whatever else. (Now this one I know people try to avoid but it needs to be said. I'll shoot myself for it and it's fine.)

So, as many are aware. How you verb in this game carries a good portion of it. You can verb better than someone in many cases and win. Hypothetical example:

Myradin, Bog, Neather, Myself or whoever else that's on the roster for their verbing, are playing a Child PC (Sigless) verb an Adult with like 2-3 Sigs and somehow pull out a crazy 2-0 win. Or a 2-1 win. People will look at this and go... "Huh?" "How?" "Why?"

Someone could say did that child's build counter theirs? Probably.

Someone could say did that the person behind the PC isn't a combatant? Hmm... I wonder what this means?

Point is, there are TONS of factors that come across an Application Response I'm pretty sure. Whether it's worded or not. Said OOC or not. It still happens. So....

Alternatives are cool. Will I ever get 230? No man. I legit don't play -that- much. Nor do I even think any of my chars live to that point. So don't think all these suggestions are for myself. No. This entire thread and all my current responses are for people I see getting quote un quote "Shit On" as more and more people around get additional IC Mechanical benefits to their character where as others are sitting there like...

"Ah, denied again as a Leader" as "Someone who's not even a leader has 2-3 Sigs" <-- Now yes, this had to be said because this is how people feel. Does it sting, yes. It does also hit peoples morale. Are they afraid to say it? Yes. Because of what happens when people speak up. People are afraid to share their concerns about things because of backlash and knowing they can't get things in the future... Like..

Man. So again, is this the case? Probably not. Could it go back into their efforts and whatever else. Yeah, pretty sure that's what's going to be said about it. Either way, alternatives are cool. Keep them for those who can't be cool like you and always play mainstage PC's. It's neat.

[Tsaritsa]

I have never in my life seen a character that truly deserved a mythic hidden go long without getting one, tbh. Even when people are new to the game or they normally don't apply, they are rewarded.

With that said, the responses are never going to be perfect. You are never going to hear something that will 100% appease you when you are being told that you aren't quite there. You could make an argument that with the form apps it's a bit harder for admins to view what your character's done, but ultimately it lowers the response time by so much that it's hard to argue against it.

The only thing I'd really want is to have at least one appmin in every (big) faction (not that u can force an admin to just play in a specific faction, but ideally this would naturally be the case). It's hard to judge people when their stories are so far away from yours, esp since logs aren't meant to be normally used in this app format.

[Chance]

Myradin, Bog, Neather, Myself or whoever else that's on the roster for their verbing, are playing a Child PC (Sigless) verb an Adult with like 2-3 Sigs and somehow pull out a crazy 2-0 win. Or a 2-1 win. People will look at this and go... "Huh?" "How?" "Why?"

[Drive]

Myradin, Bog, Neather, Myself or whoever else that's on the roster for their verbing, are playing a Child PC (Sigless) verb an Adult with like 2-3 Sigs and somehow pull out a crazy 2-0 win. Or a 2-1 win. People will look at this and go... "Huh?" "How?" "Why?"

ur a troll for this LMAO

[Milly]

I ended up venting there and again it's not even about me. I've never been 230 RPL in Eternia and it's nutty because I've grinded to 200 and what not, never 210 or 220 though that to me is nuts and I dont put that much time in after 200. I do other stuff.

what rpl was volt ignis

[VibeEntertainment]

I ended up venting there and again it's not even about me. I've never been 230 RPL in Eternia and it's nutty because I've grinded to 200 and what not, never 210 or 220 though that to me is nuts and I dont put that much time in after 200. I do other stuff.

what rpl was volt ignis

222 Currently, but all his fights were in defense of "Kin" or attacking demons or attacking hunters who say out of their mouth RIGHT NEXT TO HIM... "Hey, bird fight me I'm trying to be the best monster slayer..." As the Owldrake sits on his usual spot. During his Gremlin stage attacking as a mindless beast seeking flesh, you can check logs to confirm that.

I didn't actively go out of my way and "Grind" to 220+ rpl on that char and I don't even use it because Fire was buffed and playing the overpowered bird feels dumb. I don't get any story out of this. It also doesn't take any Magical Beast long to hit 220+ Legit all those who made before me or even after me are roughly around 220 at this point. So again, I stand by what I said, but I'll get specific.

I've never grinded to 210 or 220 on any PC I've played solely to hit that point/marker.