Hi,

Just a few comments to help you:

1) I loved your background color but couldn't read the white lettering well, especially on the front page. Perhaps the font is too small. A point to remember is that a lot of people who are online daily wear glasses or have other impediments.

2) What you need above all is trafic and content. If a potential player comes along and sees that the last postings in certain forums is from months ago, that suggests your community is not very active.

3) A pity there are google ads.

4) Your application system sounds a bit complex to me, not to mention intimidating. Some of the things you are looking for can be easily solved by stating a few things, referring to your rules and asking a good write up of the character, even asking for a writing example. That will tell you if they can use grammar right, if the have the right attitude etc. The questionnaire is really overdone and unnecessary.
As a side tip: I always make people do at least one edit to see if they are hostile to such suggestions. Some inate free formers get huffed and leave but they would not be a happy in a moderated game anyway. It tells you a lot more than politically correct questions. Who will ever admit to mega gaming, powerplaying or whatever?

5) The role playing rules are clear, though some of them would not have been my choice. However people who sign up have a clear view of what they can expect and that is important.

Hope this helps.

Maeve

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www.tazlure.nl and www.ageofintrigue.com : premium PBP games!

1) I can increase the font size, thanks.

2) True, but the characters all begin in one location to get the game rolling and that one location has been fairly active. They have not branched out yet, which may make it seem a lot less active then it really is.

3) If I was working full time I’d have no problem paying to remove ads on every RPG I own, but being in college with not a lot of extra spending money it’s something I can put up with.

4) Hmm, that’s a lot to consider. So far it’s been working. Usually if someone is willing to go through such a complex application process they might not easily abandon a character they worked so hard to get.

5) I’m curious...which rules would that be?

~*~
Charmed: Age of Prophecy --- Where your destiny awaits you.

"As a side tip: I always make people do at least one edit to see if they are hostile to such suggestions. Some inate free formers get huffed and leave but they would not be a happy in a moderated game anyway."

This is good advice Maeve, and very true. I've never suggested changes just to test a response, but whenever I -do- make suggestions it teaches me a lot about what kind of a player I'm dealing with.

I think you have to be really cautious with this approach, especially if there's any chance that you, as an admin, might be too controlling, or at least be perceived to be on a power trip. But there is no doubt that a player who cannot handle a change will be trouble later anyway. Although this is going off topic.

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Thanks for the comment Frug. There is seldom a sheet that doesn't need any advice whatsoever (and I do word it as advice mostly) so I'm hopeful that will not be regarded as too controlling but rather helpful and welcoming. Sometimes a sheet gets approved right away but often for some reason or other those are the players that have less staying power, feeling far less in tune with the game, having less of a connection. Curious isn't it? However while I'm in favour of putting some energy into the application process, I think doing literal quotes from website policies would just turn me off as annoying and useless as a player, but also from a game management point of view I would look at restructuring. This is not an endurance test but rather an attitude test, right?

Regarding forums vs. content: you can set the areas currently not in use on view for users only, or perhaps even just for moderators. It gives the casual browers less of an impression of an empty game and instead they will see that one active place which is far more attractive and thus might help give your game that extra allure.

Regarding what rules I was uncomfortable with: you seem to predetermine who is going to live and who is going to die, making a list beforehand. Don't get me wrong. I agree that to make things plausible there will be PC's that die. However my view on moderating is that players should be able to influence the outcome of any event, even their own death, instead of being a mere puppet. Then again, at Tazlure we don't script stories at all at the moment, just going with the player driven content, so I guess that is where my automatic frown came from. We do have PC death at Tazlure (and indeed at AoI where it is less common) and people, though sometimes huffed, by and large accept this as a legitimate moderator decision.

The above was just a personal observation. As I said, you are clear about it so players can't claim they didn't know. To each his own.

Regarding ads: I understand all about money issues, believe me. For under 30 dollars however I run a forum community (hosting and domainname) which is totally ad free safe for one small sponsoring button on the front. At Ezboard I used to ask players to help me out (they had a community chest kind of thing going, not sure if that still exists), which worked as well. I would shoulder about 15-20 dollars and they paid for the rest.

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www.tazlure.nl and www.ageofintrigue.com : premium PBP games!

“However while I'm in favour of putting some energy into the application process, I think doing literal quotes from website policies would just turn me off as annoying and useless as a player, but also from a game management point of view I would look at restructuring. This is not an endurance test but rather an attitude test, right?”

Ah, I get what you mean. And you’re right, I’ll have to think of a way to possibly reconstruct the application. Although the questionnaire is a way to ensure the rules are read. I haven’t found another way to ensure the rules are read.

“Regarding forums vs. content: you can set the areas currently not in use on view for users only, or perhaps even just for moderators. It gives the casual browers less of an impression of an empty game and instead they will see that one active place which is far more attractive and thus might help give your game that extra allure.”

I agree with you. I will do just that.

“Regarding what rules I was uncomfortable with: you seem to predetermine who is going to live and who is going to die, making a list beforehand. Don't get me wrong. I agree that to make things plausible there will be PC's that die. However my view on moderating is that players should be able to influence the outcome of any event, even their own death, instead of being a mere puppet. Then again, at Tazlure we don't script stories at all at the moment, just going with the player driven content, so I guess that is where my automatic frown came from. We do have PC death at Tazlure (and indeed at AoI where it is less common) and people, though sometimes huffed, by and large accept this as a legitimate moderator decision.

The above was just a personal observation. As I said, you are clear about it so players can't claim they didn't know. To each his own.”

Oh I understand. That’s why I try to be as fair about it as possible, having the deaths be determined through a lottery system. Like you said we have a scripted plot with a set ending, so it’s more like an interactive movie than a free form role-play adventure. Now I understand why things like this aren’t so popular or often done.

“Regarding ads: I understand all about money issues, believe me. For under 30 dollars however I run a forum community (hosting and domainname) which is totally ad free safe for one small sponsoring button on the front. At Ezboard I used to ask players to help me out (they had a community chest kind of thing going, not sure if that still exists), which worked as well. I would shoulder about 15-20 dollars and they paid for the rest.”

I’d feel guilty asking to be honest. Why should they have to pay for something that’s basically free? I pay to have the ads removed on my longer running RPG, but for this RPG that isn’t as long term I don’t think its all that worth. I might change my mind if I get some extra cash flow.

~*~
Charmed: Age of Prophecy --- Where your destiny awaits you.

Oh, I completely sympathize with your standpoint on free games. I would never ask players to pay for extra features or to get an in game benefit, that just feels wrong if you claim a game is free instead of commercial.

Basically I see it as the table top version of players bringing along a bottle of soda (or wine for that matter) and a bag of munchies. Everybody chipping in, as they are able. Right now me and the rest of the GD's share the cost for Tazlure by dividing who pays for what in a very similar fashion (christmas cards, drinks and food during real life parties we have, domainnames, stuff like that).

However, I can see where you would want to see the staying power of a community before making an investment like that. It is of a later concern.

Let us know how your community fares and hopefully grows. Are you doing any advertising or is it all word of mouth?

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www.tazlure.nl and www.ageofintrigue.com : premium PBP games!

So I increased the font size and fixed it so guests can only view the RPG forums that are actively being used. I’m still working on changing the application process, but because we aren’t accepting new members at this time it’s not so poignant an issue.

I think if our first installment of the “movie trilogy” turns out to be a success, I will ask members if they would like to donate, without any sort of expectations. So as to not impose any sort of pressure.

I’ve advertised on a couple of sites, but the majority of members I’ve gotten from my longstanding RPG, with the exception of two. Right now, we’re focused a small group of characters, so we’re set with a desirable number of members. When we’re ready to begin the Sequel we will start accepting new applicants. But you're right, I may need to begin further advertisement to get people to want to be apart of the Sequel.
~*~
Charmed: Age of Prophecy --- Where your destiny awaits you.