Temporary Suspension of Applications

[robot-mod.livejournal.com]

Is it that late already?

If you took a look at the calendar earlier this month, you'll see a note that we're closing applications late in December. Well, that time is upon us now that the open applications week has just ended.

→ From now until January 11^th, applications are closed. ←

It's a busy time of year for everyone, between holidays and travel and family, and that makes reviewing applications a little tricky. However, we know everyone gets the insane urge to write up an app, and here we are at what would be the start of an app slot week, and waiting for apps to reopen can be agony.

We closed applications like this before, and when we did, we decided that each player could submit two applications to the application slot thread while applications in general were closed and the application cycle was stopped. We'll be doing that again this time: two applications to the app slot thread while applications in general are closed. We will not be reviewing applications immediately, but we will review applications on a first come, first served basis once applications re-open.

When we reopen apps on January 11^th/January 12^th, it will be another slot week. If you've already submitted your two applications during the time applications were closed, you'll have to wait until the open application week that follows to submit another one.

So, tl;dr:

*Applications are closed from now until January 11^th.
*You may submit two applications to the application slot thread between now and January 11^th.
*The application cycle (slot week → open week → slot week) will resume on January 11^th with an app slot week.

Questions, comments, concerns, or fish, please leave us a message.
Thank you!

Comments

[mypace-musume.livejournal.com]

Are applications that have already been submitted and queued still up for consideration this month, or will that process resume next month as well?

[robot-mod.livejournal.com]

If we've sent you a "queued" note, we will give you a decision (we're trying to hustle on 'em too). So not to worry if you've gotten the "queued" note. We're only pausing on new applications.

[mypace-musume.livejournal.com]

Okay. It's not my app I'm wondering about, but thank you very much for explaining.

Have a happy holiday.

[robot-mod.livejournal.com]

Either way, I hope it answered your question.

Thanks! You too!

[ibrokehistory]

They're not waffles, but.

[robot-mod.livejournal.com]

Beep beep om nom nom!

[windmemory.livejournal.com]

THAT'S FUCKIN' TAIYAKI.

I WANT IT NOW.

[dirgingcerberus.livejournal.com]

Um, okay, if we submit an application or two during this hiatus...will we have to wait until the active week to get them reviewed or will they be looked at during the app slot week that starts on the 11th?

[robot-mod.livejournal.com]

They will be looked at during the application slot week that starts on the 11^th, but they won't be stamped with decisions until the open application week the next week. This hiatus is sort of like a really long app slot week, if that makes sense.

[keikain.livejournal.com]

Ooooh~ I was just wondering how that would play out.

[robot-mod.livejournal.com]

And...did we answer your questions about it?

[keikain.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. Thank you~

[robot-mod.livejournal.com]

*Whew* Good.

8-[:|] You're welcome.

[fun-in-here.livejournal.com]

Cooool, thank you for clarification. And happy holidays to you guys, you deserve it~

[shining-grail.livejournal.com]

I-I'm totally new here, so I do have a question. Does that include potential new people too, or only members of the game already? I'm trying to talk someone into joining up over here. :D;;

[crone-mod.livejournal.com]

robot_mod is asleep, so I'll grab this.

It means everyone. We can't give preferential treatment to anyone. New people are still welcome to utilize the app slot option, but their apps will be reviewed in the same manner as everyone else's.

[shining-grail.livejournal.com]

Awesome, all right. :3 Thanks!

[mr_phale]

::Does a fish-slapping dance::

[jiyuna_togabito]

Sounds good! Thank you very much and have a wonderful holiday!! =^W^= <3333

[tenaciously.livejournal.com]

Is this restricted to new players? Or is this merely 'each player' as an individual - providing that it's not like a sockpuppet journal or something.

[robot-mod.livejournal.com]

It's not restricted to new players, old players, or anyone in between. "Each player" as in, each individual person, new or old--and, yes, provided it's not a sockpuppet journal. We'd rather not have anyone faking it with a sockpuppet journal.

[tenaciously.livejournal.com]

True enough - sockpuppet journals and such = bad idea. *takes foot out of mouth*

So what this entails is that I can submit my application After Jan.11th when the slot time is open? The actual closure is Dec.22nd to Jan.11th then. (Pardon my logic I tend to do soundboarding.) That, and I couldn't see the calendar but that may have been my computers fault.

I'm sure you've been asked this question before - yet why do you not do character reserves?

[robot-mod.livejournal.com]

This is a little complicated, so I'll do my best to explain it, and feel free to ping me on AIM if I'm not doing well at this.

What we're doing is something like a character reserve. The "app slot thread" is roughly like a character reservation thread, but with a whole application rather than just a promise to write an application (there's a longer explanation about this at the bottom).

You can submit one of your applications right now, if you like. You'll just have to submit it to the application slot thread. That's basically like a character reserve right there (again, see note). You will be first in line with your application.

The only thing we've stopped for the moment is our reading the apps and giving decisions on them. If you want to send in an app, please go right ahead! Your application will be in our queue, but know that we won't stamp it with our decision until after the 11th, when we've read it.

Does that make some sense?

(Specifically regarding character reserves: we had them ages ago, but they were phased out as part of a reorganization of the application process. What we have now is something like 24/7/365 applications.

We have open applications every other week--and that's something of a misnomer. It's more like "decision time." During those weeks, the mod team reads applications and stamps them with their decision (accept, requesting clarification or an additional sample, reject, &c). Sometimes, getting the last few applications done during an open week takes us into the next week. So to keep us from getting inundated, we alternate decision weeks with "app slot weeks."

Those off weeks in between are "app slot weeks", during which players [new and old] can still submit applications, just to a different thread. Those applications won't be looked at until the the open applications/decisions week starts, but those slot thread applications are looked at first. So if you want to get in first on applying for a character, post the application in the slot thread, and it'll be looked at first, even before an application for an identical character posted during an open week.

Right now, we're only doing "app slot weeks", and no open applications, so the moderators can get over hiatuses and holidays without too much scrambling over applications too. So any time you want to apply for a character, you can send us your application. You don't have to wait for the open week--but if you submit your application during an "app slot week," there will be more of a wait to get an answer. It's like a character reservation, but with the application already attached.

An elaborate explanation, I know, but I hope it made some sense to you.)

[sirarie.livejournal.com]

LATE QUESTION AND IT IS PROBABLY STUPID BUT.

iiiiiiiif we have an OC app we'd like to submit, can we put it in the slot thread (as our one of two), or is that restricted to non-OCs for the duration of app closure?

[crone-mod.livejournal.com]

Caru's on holiday hiatus for the moment, so let me grab this. We don't take OC apps in the slot thread, so you will have to wait for the actual regular app week to open to submit the OC app in the OC app post. However, it can still be one of your two apps that we are accepting during the extended app cycle. You could even wait and submit two OC apps during the app cycle, but both must go in the OC app post when it opens.

[marginoferror.livejournal.com]

This page says "until January 11th" but the actual application page says until the end of the 18th. When do you reopen?

[robot-mod.livejournal.com]

You know, that is sort of confusing.

We will begin stamping applications with decisions on the 18th and the Application Thread (not the slot thread) will open that day. That's the end of the Application Slot Week that begins on the 11th. In the meantime, we are still accepting applications in the Application Slot Thread, but we're not looking at them yet.

Part of the problem here is trying to fit this application pause in between the slot weeks and the decision weeks. We've tried to make it fit, but it's maybe not fitting as well as it could.

Have I made things...any clearer?

[marginoferror.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I think so. So if any applications are submitted between now and the end of the 18th, they won't be reviewed until then?

[robot-mod.livejournal.com]

Basically, yes. Between moderators going on hiatus for exams, holidays, traveling, and returning to school, we were going to be hard pressed to keep up with applications at the same time.

(Just between you and me, we'll probably start reading the applications submitted during this hiatus pretty soon, just to get a head start, and stamping will start on the 18th.)

[marginoferror.livejournal.com]

Okay, it's clear now. Thanks a lot.