Screening Applications
From Tazlure Gaming System Wiki
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
Before being accepted the character will have been screened for suitability and plots. The screening process is important because you protect the community from PC's that vanish as quickly as they enter as well as PC's that do their own thing which doesn't fit anything that exists in the setting. It is true that with screening you will limit the size of your community. The more exclusive you make a game by making demands, the smaller it will become. However, it might improve the quality of the community you have if that is what you consider important.
[edit] Suitability
The central question is: will this new PC fit the game? At Tazlure we had hundreds of players with hundreds of characters that, while we did want them to be creative and free, may not bend and shape the world we've created beyond the natural balance of developed material. While we don't require players to know our site perfectly to join, we do require a sensible character for them to present, because the only truth that all characters have in common is the world they're in...so they need to live in it!
However, there is an OOC element to suitability too. Is the player's writing advanced enough to keep up with the rest of the community? Does it appear the player is both creative and pro-active and so can deal with the TGS effectively? How old and more importantly how mature is the player? Can the player make a long term commitment? Is the player generally friendly, cooperative and polite as opposite to rude with an unhealthy dose of entitlement?
[edit] Potential Plots
Here is where screening becomes interactive. Perhaps with a few tweaks a PC might fit one or more existing plots, allowing immediate excitement for the PC and a bonus for the moderator. A player might want to join as a family member of an existing PC or NPC, be a member of existing parties or alliances. This can be made more apparent to an applicant by direct suggestions by the screening team and are often picked up. Some PBP games have extensive systems for this, like lists of adoptable characters.
Finally, a moderator should be making a few easy notes on potential plots for the new PC even if no changes need to be made.
[edit] Who Approves The Sheet?
When you are able, due to the scale of the game, it is worthwhile to discuss the sheet as a team of moderators. It helps brainstorming and offering helpful advice for improvement. There is a danger that such a process means waiting on each other for a long time. Having a procedure in place (such as a deadline for replies), and sticking to it, will assure the process is still smooth.
If however this is a large scale game it is best limited to the moderator in charge of the area described in the background, as they will know what will be the most realistic background and understand the details (and possible impact on the game). In a large scale game discussing each sheet as a team becomes too draining on the system.
Overall, whether it is a team or a single moderator reviewing the sheets, it is a good idea to have a document where you point out
- the standards a player must meet (presumably it is the same material you give to players)
- the standards of communication (tone, suggested replies, timeliness)
- what needs to happen after a player is approved (who sets up what)
[edit] Public or not?
There are two standards in the PBP community. Many moderated free form games have a forum for applications. Both submission and reply by the moderator team are public. Community members are allowed comments which may be helpful. A public process is very transparant and the player also gets to know the community, and vice versa, which may help with the integration. A con is that if an applicant needs to be rejected everybody might have an opinion on it and may not agree with staff.
The other option is the closed screening. Only applicant and staff communicate until the applicant is introduced into the community. This prevents hurt feelings and allows staff stricter screening.
[edit] What To Look For?
IC:
- Is the background consistent with the setting
- Is there an explanation on how the PC gained the skills
- Are there skills in the background assumed that the PC doesn't have?
- Does the Background allow some plothooks that immediately involve the character with content?
- Are there connections with existing NPC's and PCs?
- Is the Background balanced (aka both good and bad things)?
- Is it devoid of Background clichés ?
OOC:
- Is the writing of the player advanced enough for the community (grammer & spelling, creativity, use of thesaurus, length of paragraphs)?
- Is the player flexible?
- Is the player polite/friendly?
- Does the rate of replies match the expected posting rate of the community?
- Does the player provide recommendations from members inside the community?
WARNING: It is very important to remember the goals of your screening. Try and not force people to spend hours on something only to still get a rejection. Be honest, fair and swift. As a Tazlure moderator once famously asked "Is this a test of endurance then?"
[edit] Changes After The Approval
It may be that an inconsistency of the character background later surfaces. The compendium is the prefect place to discuss this with the player. Some tact is required of course, but in the end most players are cooperative enough.
