Post by NPC on Jul 11, 2013 1:23:09 GMT -5
///A Guide to Applications on Eclipse
Whether you're applying for your first character or your fifteenth, writing up an application can be a daunting, anxiety-fueling task. We know; we've been through that process. You write; sometimes it takes hours or days or weeks or months for the character to fully form, depending on who you are. Or maybe you're just not the application type, and prefer to feel your way through your characters as you play them (hence the freestyle app). Whichever the case, we can probably all agree that it's difficult to know what's going to be accepted or scrutinized.
So here's a very, very general guide as to what we look for in an app. Caveat: Following every single suggestion listed here will not guarantee immediate acceptance. The hope here is to give you, our esteemed member or hopeful member, a bit of a headstart. For something more specific to the rules, check this thread.
First, before we get into the app itself: It's important to understand what the site's admins are meant to do. In terms of application reviews, we are a form of "quality control." Here, the word "quality" refers to how well a character or concept will fit in with the site. We're familiar with the site's dynamics at any given time, and can anticipate how easy or difficult it will be for you and your character to find a footing here. Often players leave early because they just can't find a way to fit in. We've all done that at some site or another.
So that's the general aim of app reviews.
A second thing to keep in mind: The admins here are all very different. Some focus on concept, some content, some practicality, some grammar and syntax. That's why we work together so well; we tend to see what the others don't. So while one admin might be okay with something, another might give a bit of dissent. And then we convene in our super sekrit headquarters and give a group answer from there.
Okay. On to the app itself.
This will refer to both the standard and freestyle apps at the same time, because they're similar enough and because this post is already longer than I'd intended. So here we go, from top to bottom.
Names. We're not too worried about them, but there is a threshold.
Images. Your images absolutely must be rehosted on a photo sharing site, such as Photobucket, TinyPic, or Imageshack. The reason for this has to do with bandwidth and Internet courtesy. Also, there isn't a hard restriction on the size of the image, but if it stretches the page, it is too big.
The block of introductory info is pretty straightforward, especially if you've already read the site rules, which you should have.
Personality and appearance. Of these, most of us staff find personality more important. The appearance does not have to match the celeb claim exactly; the celeb claim is just there to give everyone else a mental picture of sorts. As for personality, we'll usually check it against the history and watch for Mary Sue-ness. Strengths and weaknesses are usually excellent points to expand on.
Abilities. We're sticklers for these. Luckily, our guidelines for them are thoroughly covered by the rules, which you've already read. Aside from that, we look for how well the description is written, to see how good a grasp you have on the abilities (although many of us have further developed our characters' abilities in gameplay. That's fine, unless you take it way out of hand).
Limits. These are especially important. You will fall back on these. Depending on the ability, you may be asked to provide solid numbers (the effective radius of a ranged attack, how many minds he can read at once, etc).
We're usually pretty lenient on civilians, especially if they're not meant to be Badass Normals. Providing some skills will be helpful, though, even if the skills are cooking and playing the mandolin. You never really know what will come into play (example: Gabriel Constant's intense dislike for mosquitoes. It did come up in a thread, and it was all kinds of funny).
Family: Not usually a huge deal, but there are certain things we watch for.
History: There are things we watch for here too, but in order to avoid coloring your character or discouraging you, I'm not going to be as specific. Anything can be done well, really. Aside from that, we may look for discrepancies in facts, but those are easily corrected. Each of us admins have specialties in a wide variety of fields. Don't worry about playing something you're not familiar with, though; we're always glad to guide you and give you general ideas.
Faction: Your character is going to start as Hero, Neutral, or Villain unless you have already been approved for another faction by an admin over that faction. Your character can grow from there and eventually join a specific faction, of course.
Anything Else: This is in relation to the character, and is meant for any information that you couldn't neatly fit in the app. You don't have to put anything here if you covered it all.
RP Sample: This is to give us a general idea of how you're going to play the character. Just write naturally and you should be fine.
Other: Some of us are particular about spelling and grammar, as noted above. We typically won't fuss over a few misspellings or errors, but if your app is rife with them, we will likely point it out and help you correct them. This is for your assistance and to prevent future miscommunications between characters. If you aren't a native English speaker, have no fear - we've had plenty of those and are, again, always glad to help.
The above was a long-winded way of saying that while there are some particulars that we watch for, the most important factor is that whatever you choose is done well and will fit with the site. And remember most of all - the app isn't all-or-nothing. We'll review it until we get it to something you'll be comfortable with and that will gel with whatever we've got rolling at the time.
So kick back, write your best, and have fun with it! Anyone can help you with general questions, though app-specific inquiries should be directed to staff (we don't critique apps in the cbox). There tends to be at least one lurking around, and, failing that, there's always PMs. Check this list for ways to reach us.
If you found this post helpful, Rayne does accept gifts of crikits.
11 July 2013
So here's a very, very general guide as to what we look for in an app. Caveat: Following every single suggestion listed here will not guarantee immediate acceptance. The hope here is to give you, our esteemed member or hopeful member, a bit of a headstart. For something more specific to the rules, check this thread.
First, before we get into the app itself: It's important to understand what the site's admins are meant to do. In terms of application reviews, we are a form of "quality control." Here, the word "quality" refers to how well a character or concept will fit in with the site. We're familiar with the site's dynamics at any given time, and can anticipate how easy or difficult it will be for you and your character to find a footing here. Often players leave early because they just can't find a way to fit in. We've all done that at some site or another.
So that's the general aim of app reviews.
A second thing to keep in mind: The admins here are all very different. Some focus on concept, some content, some practicality, some grammar and syntax. That's why we work together so well; we tend to see what the others don't. So while one admin might be okay with something, another might give a bit of dissent. And then we convene in our super sekrit headquarters and give a group answer from there.
Okay. On to the app itself.
This will refer to both the standard and freestyle apps at the same time, because they're similar enough and because this post is already longer than I'd intended. So here we go, from top to bottom.
Names. We're not too worried about them, but there is a threshold.
Images. Your images absolutely must be rehosted on a photo sharing site, such as Photobucket, TinyPic, or Imageshack. The reason for this has to do with bandwidth and Internet courtesy. Also, there isn't a hard restriction on the size of the image, but if it stretches the page, it is too big.
The block of introductory info is pretty straightforward, especially if you've already read the site rules, which you should have.
Personality and appearance. Of these, most of us staff find personality more important. The appearance does not have to match the celeb claim exactly; the celeb claim is just there to give everyone else a mental picture of sorts. As for personality, we'll usually check it against the history and watch for Mary Sue-ness. Strengths and weaknesses are usually excellent points to expand on.
Abilities. We're sticklers for these. Luckily, our guidelines for them are thoroughly covered by the rules, which you've already read. Aside from that, we look for how well the description is written, to see how good a grasp you have on the abilities (although many of us have further developed our characters' abilities in gameplay. That's fine, unless you take it way out of hand).
Limits. These are especially important. You will fall back on these. Depending on the ability, you may be asked to provide solid numbers (the effective radius of a ranged attack, how many minds he can read at once, etc).
We're usually pretty lenient on civilians, especially if they're not meant to be Badass Normals. Providing some skills will be helpful, though, even if the skills are cooking and playing the mandolin. You never really know what will come into play (example: Gabriel Constant's intense dislike for mosquitoes. It did come up in a thread, and it was all kinds of funny).
Family: Not usually a huge deal, but there are certain things we watch for.
History: There are things we watch for here too, but in order to avoid coloring your character or discouraging you, I'm not going to be as specific. Anything can be done well, really. Aside from that, we may look for discrepancies in facts, but those are easily corrected. Each of us admins have specialties in a wide variety of fields. Don't worry about playing something you're not familiar with, though; we're always glad to guide you and give you general ideas.
Faction: Your character is going to start as Hero, Neutral, or Villain unless you have already been approved for another faction by an admin over that faction. Your character can grow from there and eventually join a specific faction, of course.
Anything Else: This is in relation to the character, and is meant for any information that you couldn't neatly fit in the app. You don't have to put anything here if you covered it all.
RP Sample: This is to give us a general idea of how you're going to play the character. Just write naturally and you should be fine.
Other: Some of us are particular about spelling and grammar, as noted above. We typically won't fuss over a few misspellings or errors, but if your app is rife with them, we will likely point it out and help you correct them. This is for your assistance and to prevent future miscommunications between characters. If you aren't a native English speaker, have no fear - we've had plenty of those and are, again, always glad to help.
The above was a long-winded way of saying that while there are some particulars that we watch for, the most important factor is that whatever you choose is done well and will fit with the site. And remember most of all - the app isn't all-or-nothing. We'll review it until we get it to something you'll be comfortable with and that will gel with whatever we've got rolling at the time.
So kick back, write your best, and have fun with it! Anyone can help you with general questions, though app-specific inquiries should be directed to staff (we don't critique apps in the cbox). There tends to be at least one lurking around, and, failing that, there's always PMs. Check this list for ways to reach us.
If you found this post helpful, Rayne does accept gifts of crikits.
11 July 2013
