[quote=@Sugar and Spite] I can respect that, and I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Do you think that the GM giving resources to help find faceclaims when requiring RL FCs would be beneficial to you, or people who have the same train of thought? Not asking that to try and persuade, but just genuine curiosity. [@IAmTheIsland] I agree that deadlines can be a double edged sword kinda thing. If one were to just let life direct the pace of an RP, what are your thoughts on going in that direction? I imagine it can be difficult to trust people will return or to keep plots going (especially in sandbox style) if people are disappearing for months unless you are writing with people you know well - which makes us end up in the `clique hole`. I also agree that I myself would like more feedback on why sheets are being denied. I try to give feedback k as a GM when I deny a sheet, but I feel most others refrain because it can - more often than not - be seen as offensive. [@Qia] Case by case for character caps is something that I can and do vibe with. That being said, it can sometimes look like you aren't holding peopke to the same standards and rub others the wrong way because you're 'letting someone break the rules.' Have you seen something similar and/or do you have any thoughts on navigating that? As someone who's been on the site for 10+ years, there are certain writers that I know and [i]am[/i] more willing to be a bit more lenient with, but I never want someone to feel like they are being treated different, simply because I do not know them. I can also attest to your thoughts on a praise system; I've seen them do both good and bad. Kinda feel like a well rounded praise system starts with the GM team - you cannot raise this writer, and not the next. Even if it's something like `great post!`, I feel like it is important to acknowledge everyone, and if the GM doesn't set that standard than others will be way less likely to follow. [@Ruby] Haven't heard anyone compare RP hunting to relationships, but I can say that I wholeheartedly agree with that analogy. One of my biggest pet peeves lately has been feeling like I'm putting in a shit ton of effort, and getting.... way less than what I put in. Which I know you can't expect everyone to be you and all that jazz, but it does bum me when I'm excited as hell and that isn't being reciprocated. Not sure if I've articulated that point like I want, but don't want to ramble. I've always heard that SoL can be intimidating, though as someone who's mostly done SoL for nearly half my life, I've been fortunate enough to not have that experience. Is there anything particular that is keeping you from joining SoL specifically, and if so, how would you like to see GMs approach those things? [@Deadline] When you say formatting flair, are you more referring to cells, scroll bars and intense coding like that - or just any and all BBcode a turn off for you? As someone who likes to make things pretty, I can agree that it can be a lot of unwanted, added pressure to make an aesthetic post every time, but I've always been curious where people draw the line on aesthetics. [@Azure Bubbles] I myself have fallen into the slump where I don't feel like posting for a bit. What is a good deadline length that allows for downtime, but also keeps the RP moving somewhat consistently in your opinion? On the topic of OOC discussion, do you think OOC works better on site, or through a discord? I know people mostly use Discord now, but I've found that it can backfire sometimes. [/quote] Well, for my part, I think there's always going to be some degree of contextual judgment involved in GMing, and I think most writers understand that on some level. Like, a GM who's been writing with someone for years has context that a newer member simply doesn't have yet. The perception issue is the tricky part though and I think you're right but also that transparency helps here. If a writer knows why a certain exception is being made rather than just seeing that it is, it's a lot harder to read it as favouritism. Personally I haven't run into this in a way that's caused real friction beyond like the odd jokey comment here and there but nothing that actually affected the IC experience is what I mean. Maybe I've just been lucky with the GMs I've had. Edit: [quote=@Altered Tundra] I don't have much to add that hasn't already been mentioned/addressed/responded to, but one thing I will say that usually tells me a lot about a person both in the moment and in future consideration in roleplays is how do they conduct themselves after getting rejected? Playing the victim card seldom does you any favors. If you were rejected from a roleplay, it was probably for good reasons. Moaning about it won't help your case. Sometimes there was a reason or maybe that reason was simply because you weren't a good fit for said roleplay. This isn't directed at anyone specific but if you feel it is, then maybe it does apply to you. My point being is GMs have final say. Now whatever that say takes the shape of is entirely in their hands. I've been around the block way too many times to see friend groups torn apart because of situations like these. I've seen people get butthurt because they weren't given a satisfactory answer for why they were rejected. Drama began, shit stirred, etc etc. My opinion about deadlines and face claims won't come as any surprise. I love em. Deadlines help keep people motivated (or at least reminded that they don't have long to get their shit done). Face Claims come down to a personal preference. Some people love them (me) and some don't (apparently Mole). And yes, sometimes they are purely for aesthetic purposes but I don't think that's a bad idea, now is it? We love pretty things and in certain genre of roleplays, pretty people will be a main focus and I think that's okay. As for the gm thing, I will stand firm on my earlier statement that GMs should always have the final say. If some players don't like it, well not to be too blunt, but they can eat rocks. Sure, being collaborative is important and should always be the priority but at the end of the day, gms are the ones making the rp, they're the ones driving the story forward. They should, of course, take the players who join and invest into consideration (their characters, arcs for characters, ideas they might have), but unless it's sandbox or sandbox-lite, the GMs having the final say is ultimately what will decide what scenes get established where. And sometimes, there's a big disrespect for that, as well as a general lack of respect for the deadlines that a gm will put forth. Waiting until the last minute without any sort of communication is not fonz cool, my dude. Anyway, that's a lot more that i thought i would say but that's my two cents. PS: Great thread. Hope it keeps being productive. [/quote] The rejection point is one I find really interesting because while I've personally been lucky enough to never experience it myself. The worst I've gotten is a "fix such and such on your sheet" but I've witnessed it happen to others and even from the outside it's hard not to feel for the person a little. You put real time and creative energy into a sheet and then it just doesn’t work out, you know? That’s bound to hurt a little regardless of the reason. That said, I do agree how someone handles that moment says a lot and that GMs have final say full stop. I think where it gets complicated is less about the authority itself and more about how it's communicated. So again…transparency. But hey wtf do I know I've never been a GM haha