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[Rose]

Application process

Okay guys, so I've noticed that there is an uncomfortably large number of characters floating around that basically aren't active. They've maybe seen a post or two, and then they are forgotten.

Honestly, I think that this is unnecessary. The main reason why a lot of these characters are around is that we haven't been following our own rules. There is an amount of posts that each character has to have before we can create a new character. Yes, I know that sometimes we get brilliant ideas for a new character shortly after making a character, and we end up forgetting the last character in favor of the new one. Our characters should be treated like our own children. You can't have a child and then ignore that child when a new child is born.

I think from now on, we need to make sure that we have at least 30 posts for each character before making a new one. Those posts should not be posts to yourself or anything silly like that. Perhaps it would also be best to have your character interact with more than once character. It helps for character development and might keep you from getting bored with your character so quickly.

If you are dead set on creating a new, exciting character, then that will give you an incentive to get through the 30 posts for your last character as well as give you more time to think about your new character's application.

Characters that don't work out

I think it would also be a good idea to set up a process involving the deletion of characters. Sometimes a character just doesn't work out for the writer, even after 30 posts. The character shouldn't have to sit idle. The writer should be able to delete the character without worrying about making other members of the site mad. If you want to get rid of a character, then you should be able to run it by the admins. I doubt we'll force you to keep a character. If we like this idea, we can set up a character deletion thread that allows you to submit a character for deletion. I think it would be a good idea to include a reason for deletion, so that we don't get rid of characters out of spite or anything like that.

Accepting/rejecting applications

This is a touchy subject, but the site needs a little tough love. Sometimes the character applications that we submit aren't exactly up to par. We start getting vague about histories, personalities, and a lack of sample posts. Not only that, but sometimes we get so used to a personality that we end up having repeat personalities. It might be a good idea to have a sort of rubric for applications. Some of the penalties could be for not meeting length requirements, repeat personalities with a character you already have in the roleplay, lack of depth in personality, lack of details in history, godmoding... things like that. If you have penalties like that, and you can't add to your application then your character won't be accepted. We can't have a site full of vague, boring characters or the same personality in three different bodies.

Also, I think that if we do this...all of the admins need to be in agreement so that a member can't get a rejection from one admin and then get accepted by another admin. Maybe a way to enforce this would be for each admin to post a vote for acception/rejection (written penalties) on the application before it is actually sorted. However if one admin is unable to vote let's say within four days then only the two other votes will decide so that the creator of the character isn't kept waiting.

Major involvement in the plot

Okay, so we all know that some characters have more involvement in the plots than others. This may be because the plot is focused in the ministry, or the plot is focused on certain groups within the school/community.

Having a lot of involvement in the plot requires a lot of time and effort. If you are a roleplayer that gets grounded from the internet more often that not, then it's probably not the best idea to have a character central to the main plot. If you are majorly involved in the plot then you need to be active. If you get your character really involved with the plot to the point where they are needed and you disappear, then I think we have the right to reduce that character's significance or take it away. The plot can't move forward if we're waiting a week for one character to make one post.

Also, if you want your character to be majorly involved in the plot, then you should come up with your idea and pose it to all of the admins. Generally the admins tend to have the better understanding of the plot, and we're here to guide the plot. We can make sure the idea fits into the plot seamlessly and doesn't disrupt someone else's idea. Maybe we can post up a list of what we consider to be major involvement in the plot. The following is Meg's idea:

"A Major Plot Character (MPC) would be someone who is directly involved with the administration of the new Minister or is directly undermining the administration or plays a significant role in the above (i.e. killing Minister), not necessarily every single ministry worker. Everyone else will just be affected and may choose a particular side but won't really have a leading role."

To be more specific with the plot, the involvement of students would primarily be how they react to the disappearances and how they treat their peers in response to the Minister's opinions/laws. The only way I can see a character getting directly involved with the ministry is if they are considered a magical creature and are directly restricted by the ministry. It also has to be within their character to go to the ministry. If a character is shy and avoids standing up to people, then I doubt they would run to the ministry to yell at the Minister. The same goes for Ministry workers. The only difference is that if they work directly under the minister, then they'll probably have some kind of involvement. That's not required though.

Your opinion

I know this is a lot, but I'd really like everyone's opinion on all of the above topics. This is a democracy, and I don't want anyone's opinion to go unheard.

[Meg]

Agreed. With pretty much all of it.

Will there be a place specifically that people can run things by the admins? Or will that just be the suggestion board?

To clarify the repeat personalities....I think what you mean is characters that basically have interchangeable personalities because they're so similar, right? Because, for instance, on the surface, Sebastian and Mona are both sarcastic and cynical loners who don't like people. However, I think they are inherently different enough in histories and deeper aspects of personality that they would not be considered repeat personalities. Correct?

[Russell Cunningham]

Well, if the idea goes through we could either do it through PMs or suggestion board, depending on how comfortable the person is with sharing their idea.

And I think you've got it right, Meg. My main concern is that a member might be having the same character running around in different bodies. It's really easy to have all of your Slytherins to be antisocial jerks or troublemaking badasses. Likewise it's very easy to have a bunch of Gryffindors who had simple childhoods, are very brave yet very stubborn. This may be considered stereotyping.

[Kat]

This is actually a lot of things that I have been thinking about for a while so I agree with pretty much all of it. Although I did just notice a flaw in our plot, well it may not be a flaw but downside might be a better term, anyways; this site is about Hogwarts and most of us mainly have members in Hogwarts, yet our plot is at the ministry.....Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining, I'm just commenting.

And yes, Rose, that would be considered stereotyping.

[Rosabella daBarucci]

Sounds good to me. I don't really notice that kind of stuff so sure.... Anything works for me.

[Katie]

Being as that I talked with Rose about all of this on the phone...I agree with everything she has said.

As for the plot, it does pose a problem that most of us have younger characters, however, I was hoping that the reactions really could be a big part of character development plot.

I was talking with Rose about maybe having rule changes such as those which occurred in the fifth book. Rude things such as "mudbloods cannot eat at the same tables as purebloods" or "students who are not pure blooded humans cannot attend classes with humans".

Example: Seth is a poor, middle eastern, mudblood who is dating a better off, English, pure blood. If someone says one thing about him not being good enough for her, Seth is going to punch that kid out. Get it?

I don't know, that's just my suggestion of how things could sort of go at the school.

[Meg]

I like those ideas, Katie, although I think they should start out mild at first and there should be some sort of punishment...Other ideas: Muggleborns/Non-humans are not allowed to share dorms with pureblooded humans. Muggleborns/non-humans must register themselves as such to the Ministry and the school and maybe be required to wear some sort of article identifying them (like a star or something). Maybe even Muggleborns/Non-humans are not allowed to graduate.

I'd also like to point out that while a lot of our characters are going to be upset or angry at the laws, some of the pure-bloods might react as if the laws are good and it is their right to be treated special.

[Lance Higgins]

Nat would be the one who goes along with the ministry. ... Though it's not certain if he's pureblooded or not.... hmmm.... Lance is a half-blood.... Skylar is pureblooded (last time I checked) but she stands up for kids that picked on.

... Why must my characters be so complicated?

Anyways, since everyone's pretty much agreeing with all this... from now on, I think we should start enforcing the application process.

Do we want to make a board for running ideas by the admins or should it just be through PMs?

And I really like the idea of kids being separated to the extreme. It could start out as opinions, and of course opinions would cause fights...which would lead to "enforcing punishment" that would be in favor of the pureblooded kids (according to the new Minister). I hope that made sense.

[Meg]

I have one 3/4 magic (rounds up to pure?), one Muggleborn, one half-blood, one werewolf, one Squib, and two purebloods.

I think we could have an official board, maybe a subforum of application board, where people can officially apply or something, but then if people are just proposing ideas or figuring them out, it can be just PM.

Same, Rose. It should definitely start out small, so that no one really notices that it's a huge problem except for people beginning to be wary of the people they know. And then it gradually gets worse...I think that's where your newspaper forum is going to come in handy for keeping everyone updated.

I don't know what's going to happen with the staff of Hogwarts. Technically, they'll have to enforce the Minister's laws, but I know Kendra and probably others will be just as upset about the laws. So what's going to happen with that? The staff is going to try to let things slip and maybe some sort of Ministry official is appointed to Hogwarts to keep everything running smoothly....Like in the 5th book, how Umbridge was a dictator, but teachers still found ways to get around her.

[Kat]

Hmm. This all sounds good. I'm liking the separation stuff as well. It would make it a bit more drastic for the kids so it's not pointless to still have them .

As for pm-ing versus admin board, I think it would be easier to make a board that way all the admins could read it instead of having to chase each other down to talk to the others. Just saying. Also it might keep us from having to answer the same questions over and over.

[Seth Kashani]

Alright, well we admins can discuss applications in the Admin Forum. You know, that thing we never use? lol. We have a reason to use it now!

As for the new ministers policies, I think maybe we should start enacting a few of the minor ones soon? That way we can get the plot moving along.

And the Derek plot, let's start that as well? I can make a forum for it.

[Kat]

Yes we can do that Katie.

Alright all plots are on go then .