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[cowboy-mod.livejournal.com]

¤ CHARACTERIZATION POLL ¤

I'm sure some of you remember the OOC discussion thread posted about a week ago. We'd like to thank you for your input. The various opinions and ideas offered were eye opening, and we're glad that the discussion went over so well. However, while it's clear that we can't make every single person in a community of 200+ members perfectly happy, we fully understand that it's the players that make the community as fabulous as it is, and so we value your input. We do what we do because we have the community's best interests at heart.

We've all read what you've had to say, and now we'd like a poll to better organize certain ideas. Additionally, we know there are members of the community who weren't able to participate in the previous debate, so this is your chance to offer up your opinion without feeling the need to tl;dr your brain out.

Bear with me, because this post will be hosting some tl;dr in the form of a poll. If you care about how this community is moderated in terms of characterization and inactivity, even just a little, then please fill out the poll. It will only take a minute of your time. ♥

[Poll #1183789]

We encourage comments as well because we realize opinions can vary beyond checking boxes. Please feel free to express your opinion, but don't forget to be polite. We won't tolerate flaming of any kind towards other players.

[EDIT] Please, only one vote per person.

Comments

[mildlyreckless.livejournal.com]

As far as neutrality on the mandatory crit post... There are some players here who are extremely paranoid about being attacked over their characterization. I think those folks should be respected by being ENCOURAGED to have a crit post, but not forced. But I'm not going to throw an outright hissy fit if they're mandatory, since it would be a personal post made, where they can screen comments and such.

Also, I really like the idea of OOC complaints being taken more seriously from crew members, since they're likeliest to know if a person's being played right.

This is looking good so far, guys. Kudos.♥

[theotokos.livejournal.com]

IAWTC!

[knightbalanced.livejournal.com]

About people being paranoid - do you think, for the sake of argument, assuming concrit posts became mandatory, that it would help if a moderator account subscribed ("pinned") to said paranoid players' posts so that in the event someone did decide to be a tool and leave an attack, they would be alerted and could be on top of the situation vs leaving a player to fend for themselves?

God, hello run-on. I think that's probably an over-fiddly idea but I'm just curious if that sounds like something anyone would like. I personally am in no way paranoid and have a crit post up.

Also--
being taken more seriously from crew members, since they're likeliest to know if a person's being played right.

Untrue! There are plenty of fandoms present in Poly I know like the back of my hand, yet I don't play anyone from them. I am sure it's like that for every member here, and it is a multifandom game. While chew politics should be considered, I don't think it's fair to place non-crew member complaints too far below others.

Sorry if this seems nitpicky, I'm just rambling. I think you have some good points.

STILL VASH-MUN

[kittycrystal.livejournal.com]

I like that idea. :] I just know some people who seriously stress over that sort of thing and I don't think RPing should be so...stressful? That would probably help, though.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree then. >> I think that the crew members are the ones who should be the ultimate judge, since if you're not in the crew and don't like the characterization, you can avoid that character. You can't do that so much in a crew.

NOTED!

[knightbalanced.livejournal.com]

I think it might! And it might at least make people feel better knowing that they won't have to be alone dealing with it. And it would discourage people dogpiling in honor of their friends - which, while commendable in terms of loyalty, is fairly common and tends to make things worse.

I do think the crew is, overall, more important, but the way you phrased it sounded like - other players didn't matter? And I don't think that's true. I think making such a hefty division between the weight of opinions might make people more inclined to only interact within their crew, which sucks at a multifandom game. For example, I know I am not the only Star Wars fan here. >_>

[kittycrystal.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Which is why I didn't want to say DEFINITELY NO to making crit posts mandatory, because it can be done right.

Oh, no, it's not that they don't matter, that's why I said the crew is MORE important, not important whereas the others are not. Certainly the public's opinion matters, but I personally stress more about what the people who have to interact with me think. I guess my point is that if whole crew is going, "Goddamn, what the hell?" it should be more...affecting than a handful of people outside the crew going, "wut."

I know I don't make much sense right now, I'm sorry. Dx

[knightbalanced.livejournal.com]

No no, it's okay. I hope I don't sound like I'm arguing vehemently/being a jerk, it's just that I find it an interesting topic to discuss overall, not just in terms of the current venue. Juggling crew relations vs overall interaction in a multifandom game is notoriously a challenge for everyone, from the community down to the individual.

Sometimes poor characterization and even inactivity can go unnoticed by close crew members just because they're used to it, or because they've come to certain terms as a whole. Sometimes it's nice to have a fresh pair of eyes - though I admit, I am probably very much in the minority of those commenting, I enjoy crit (though yes, sometimes it can sting, and not in the sexy way). If I ever get sucked into a world of complete failure with some other players, I would hope someone from outside would come whack me in the head with a clue-by-four.

[kittycrystal.livejournal.com]

No, you're not! You're being very sweet about it, so no worries. ♥

I guess I'm pretty spoiled by good crews, so you have a point. And really, in the end, I don't mind who the critique comes from as long as they tell me about it so I can fix it, or straighten out misunderstandings if that's what they really are. Love and peace, after all~

[quackingly.livejournal.com]

I kinda agree with Luke-mun on this one. There's some fandoms where we have no characters, or very few characters...but that doesn't mean they're unpopular.

For example, I believe we currently have no Lord of the Rings characters. But that doesn't mean people wouldn't notice and be bothered if someone apped, say...Sam, and played him as some sort of Magnificent Bastard (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagnificentBastard). (Although that'd be...one really awesome curse day.) Sure, nobody would be in his crew, and we could just avoid him, but it'd still be incredibly unnerving to have such a well-known and well-liked character be played so wrong.

(For another example, imagine of someone apped Darth Vader...and played him as a lovable old man who starts an animal shelter. ...That'd probably never get accepted, but you can bet if something like that happened you'd have a WHOLE lot of people angry about it.)

And I can see some crews being small just because a certain character is so poorly played, so...

...I'm probably talking myself in circles at this point, but hopefully you guys get the idea? XD;

[glock30.livejournal.com]

For another example, imagine of someone apped Darth Vader...and played him as a lovable old man who starts an animal shelter

OH MY GOD I DIED.

Vader on Animal Cops: Houston.

[quackingly.livejournal.com]

...See, now I want to egg someone on to app Vader just to see what sort of crazy things would happen on Curse Days with him.

[kittycrystal.livejournal.com]

I'm...sorta maintaining my position here, because I think formal complaints are a bit extreme sometimes when you could try talking it out first. :| It's not that people who aren't in the crew don't have valued opinions, but if someone gets lynched by other people when the crew is going, "wtf, they were doing fine by canon"... Yeah. I seriously think about these sort of things. >>

Again, this is more about actual complaints rather than critiquing someone.

[quackingly.livejournal.com]

I get where you're coming from, I'm just thinking...

Okay, well, here's an example. You know that secret about me and Manda's Fakir and Ahiru that showed up on f!s? I still stand by the fact that it was ridiculous, but what if my Ahiru really was a Fakir-obsessed slut and Manda's Fakir was a pedobear and me and her were conspiring together to turn them into sex-obsessed assholes? Heck, what if our entire crew was just interested in one big orgy? People who would be familiar with the show would probably go "HEY WAIT, THAT'S NOT RIGHT AT ALL!", but everyone in the crew would be quick to defend it in that case because...well, we'd all be screw-ups.

Plus, sometimes people join a crew because they're friends with other members, and I can see those people getting really, really defensive if their friend is in the line of fire, enough that they don't see the valid crit that's in there.

So I mean...yeah, the majority of the time I'd think the crew would know whether or not crit is valid, but I can see where a problem might be internalized in the crew itself and they just wouldn't be able to see it. (I should note that I'm not saying there's any crews like that here.)

[knightbalanced.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly. And sometimes crews overall can become bogged down with unresolved IC issues, or become stagnant, and might benefit from someone with a direct-from-canon perspective.

This is not to say that people deserve to be attacked by relative strangers. I think people are a little wound up about the idea of it - constructive critique is not an attack. I think on both sides of the fence, looking at things in a more diplomatic way will help. For one, taking steps to being as polite as possible if critiquing someone, and also, to be able to read and absorb such things without interpreting it as an attack and becoming hostile and defensive.

Of course, people will always be jerks and leave strongly-worded critique (esp during HMD), but that's life. 200 players! Shit happens, as they say. Being able to take something positive from it and not letting it get to you will help.

Man I am rambly today.

.. I'd adopt a pet from Vader's House o' Critters. SHOW OF HANDS? WHO ELSE?

[quackingly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what I mean. Admittedly I can be veeeeeery defensive when it comes to crit--both when it's towards myself and towards people I know...and it can be really easy to make crit come out like an attack, too. Both sides need to try to be diplomatic, even though...I...might be a hypocrite saying that.

[gaulish.livejournal.com]

About people being paranoid - do you think, for the sake of argument, assuming concrit posts became mandatory, that it would help if a moderator account subscribed ("pinned")

Actually, that's not a bad idea, and especially more if it's resolved person to person. ._.

[knightbalanced.livejournal.com]

Big Brother watching tends to make people less likely to be assholes, I've noticed. D: No censorship, just... anonymous + internet = this odd compulsion to be a jerk, I've noticed.

[gaulish.livejournal.com]

Wordy mc Word!

[dreadnot.livejournal.com]

You mean this? (http://sc.tri-bit.com/images/7/7e/greaterinternetfuckwadtheory.jpg)

[knightbalanced.livejournal.com]

God I was hoping someone would link that.

You're sexy.

[dreadnot.livejournal.com]

It kinda needed doing.

[ketsumetsu.livejournal.com]

Also, I really like the idea of OOC complaints being taken more seriously from crew members

And activity complaints especially!

[nico-oniichan.livejournal.com]

Seconded.

[gaulish.livejournal.com]

I trust my crew with my kids that outsiders, so agreed.

[guardianed.livejournal.com]

Agreed.