New Original Character Profile Style

OK, so there's been talk of making the Original Character Profile applications more detailed. Some members feel that the format we currently use needs to become more specific and detailed. With more sections added and more quantity to describe a characters personality.

I'm wondering what the mass populous thinks of this?

You can view Zero's profile, which he has updated to include the same character profiled in the proposed new style, located here.

In my opinion, I'm happy with the way the profiles are at the moment. I feel that while more experienced role players might desire a more detailed character profiling system, the relatively inexperienced role players we may attract might be intimidated and put off by the though of such a drawn out application process.

Previously, Zero and I have had talks about perhaps changing some of the system so it would be more professional. However, in the end we agreed that it should stay as simple as possible, so it would be easy to follow.

Secondly, I feel that it would be unfair to have people rewrite their own Bio's, to suit the new standards. I also feel expecting people who have joined the Role Play after the standard change, would feel disgruntled to have to write a super detailed profile while Member Bloggs who wrote his a few days ago got away with half the work. However, if members are for the idea of more detailed profiles, and will alter their profiles to support it, I have no problem unlocking the profiles so that they might.

I also feel that while giving a more specific start point for a character may seem more orderly, it also, to me, seems to stifle one's creativity. For instance, say you added a friendship and a rivalry with a pair of characters for your appilcation, then later on decided that maybe your character would be more suited to such a relationship with other characters, you would have lost some freedom in creating that.
I think a character is something that grows with your own RP, so though it may start out quite simple in the beginning, as you walk along the path, small pieces can be added and by the end of it, your character will be whole.

My opinion is that the current system of application we use is the minimum standard our members should adhere to. If members feel they can write something more detailed, then I have no problem with them doing that, but I don't think that all members should be forced to be completely distinguishing in their profiles.

Well, that went a bit ranty, sorry.

What are everyone elses thoughts?

Mu I have to agree with you and Zero. The way things are now is set up very well and from what I personaly have been involved with the harder it is to start in a rp the lessmembers a site has. Now this is not always true but that. Is the way it is from what I have seen. I would say if a person wants too include a toon og extra information then that is on them and they could just have some brownie points. But hey these are just my thoughts.

I'd agree with your opinion, Mu.

I think making things too complicated will only serve to discourage people.
In fact, I found the system we used now top be intimidating, so an increase information requirement will only serve to exacerbate the intimidation.

And to think the template I submitted was a simplified version of the one I originally devised!

This template doesn't seem to be popular with the majority of members on this site, so as a fierce proponent of democracy, I say scrap it and return to the original template. I would like to tweak the old template a bit, however. I would like to add on the follwing sections:

-Character number
-Character type
-Race
-Appearance Section from new template.

Is this reasonable?

Character number seems unnecessary, and lets make the appearance addition optional. Character type would be obviously original as canon characters do not really have a template. Race is a good idea however. I think that one would be a very good addition.

The purpose of the character number is to help the staff keep track of a person's number of characters and make sure they are following the rules.

The character type section just lets people know if the player is using a canon character from the series or a original character they created from scratch. Some people may not know every canon character.(I don't know any of the characters from the Gundam 00 manga.)

I'm fine with making the appearance section optional.

We have a list of Canon characters on the site -_-. again, people can only have 2 characters, so if we see their account show up in approved characters more than once than they'll be in for hell.

As for the character number, I'm thinking about the future, where we may have many more members and then it will be much harder for a staff member to just scroll down the approved character list to see whether or not that person has exceeded their character limit.

Well, if a person was THAT determined, couldn't they just list their third of fourth character as their second, in such a scenario?

Besides, if you wanna control more than two characters, you can always sign out an unused canon character in Feldt's Canon Character Sign Out. You can have as many as you want, as long as you have a good reason for needing them.

I thought about that problem as well. Well, I really hope people wouldn't get that desperate, but if a staff member is suspicious that a person is performing fraud, then we can check the approved character list manually. Perhaps we could also set up some sort of directory to track a user's characters.

Should we make people place links to their characters on their signatures?

I'll agree with that.

A hyperlink with their character profiles would not only provide security, but also be useful for RP, if for instance, one needed to look up a particular characters backstory.