[Demotheus]

Why is it so needlessly difficult? Why label this a pg 13 server when the average 13 year old wouldn't have any hope in hell of getting accepted? Why do people need to be highly adept at writing stories to Role Play? Why does it have to be hyper realistic/difficult? Why are the times taken to learn skills blown far out of proportion then it would be in real life? Why are the expectations for everything so high?

Why was the last time a new applicant was approved was about 2-3 months ago?

What are the reasons as to why Mesalia is so rediculously difficult to get accepted into? Why has it only become stricter, and not loosened even slightly?

I remember having fun in Mesalia, and loving the community, but I also remember every application I tried to write out becoming stressful and exhausting to write.

Why do you have to do, essentially, school work to play a video game? Potentially college level schoolwork at that, that needs to be scrutinized strictly and graded according to a set regiment of guidelines?

TL;DR

I don't get it. Why so difficult?

[Rokku_Ryu]

Because Mesalia has been around for years.

I've been to other RP servers. Took me about a day to get white-listed. All of those servers fell within months of their creation.. some just weeks after I joined. An RP server is.. like a unicorn. Its delicate.. its majestic... It can kill.

We set the bar high, because it is the only way the server can continue. I know how that sounds.. it sounds like we think we are better than everyone, but what I'm saying is that you have to have passion to play here. You need to show that you are willing to push forward, and put enough effort to be a better RPer.

And writing stories is what RP is. You are writing a story.. with about eight other writers at a time. There are plots, and ques, and twists, and drama and its all so wonderful.

We aren't barring people from the server, we are asking them to be the best they can be.


((This is all just my opinion, and in no way reflects the views of the staff))

[.xXNemoXx.]

If people won't put the effort in to become a part of Mesalia, what would happen when they enter? A half-hearted RP where they would get angry if things don't go their way? The un-willingness to lean?

What if staff allowed people with un-clear backstories in? They could claim they would know something from their life, but staff would have no idea whether it would be justified or not. Things have to be clear, precise, and overall well done; as Ryu said, this whole server is writing stories.

I assume the last application that was accepted which you've referenced is mine(thought that wouldn't be 100% true... My App was a bit complicated.), but even if I'm wrong the next point still applies; It took me a week, I think, to finally get into Mesalia, but I didn't mind at all because I had the passion to do this. The rules aren't 'harsh' as such, but making sure the right people enter. Staff walked me through wonderfully and have been helpful since I posted my application the first time, they made it clear and simple as possible, I wasn't discouraged at all; I was impressed that they would be so careful with who they let enter. It shows they care about this place, something to be respectful about.

Just take a look back at some denied applications, see how fast some gave up, or the little amounts of effort that was put in, and think if they'd be good for the community. (Not implying this was always the case but there are a few I've noticed.) I just don't see it.

Don't know if any of this is wrong or unclear but it's how I see things. Just my simple opinion and I can't speak for anybody else.

[Michelle]

Sigh. Alright, I'll bite.

The reason why "the last time a new applicant was approved was about 2-3 months ago" is not just because of standards--it's mostly a lack of advertising that's leading to a lack of applicants. Firstly, Mesalia suffers from a lack of advertising. (Or at least, as far as I personally know, it has a lack of advertising.) I don't believe the Yogscast and the Minecraft forum threads are active/being maintained anymore. This is because 1. I don't think the current staff have the time to manage apps both here and on those sites quickly, and 2. it's better to have people apply here than on those sites simply because we have more solid documentation of them being accepted and blahblah, but at the same time bumping isn't allowed on those sites... so how do you keep the thread active without bumping it?

On top of those, there's 3. Mesalia is really difficult to "sell". It's a RP server that puts the RP before Minecraft: we don't call ourselves an RPG, the lore ignores certain IG features (enchanting, creepers, etc.), and we treat Minecraft like our "backdrop" for RP (e.g. no one actually hits each other when a fight is RPed, items are spawned in and renamed to represent shit, commands to stop mobs from attacking so lines can be typed in chat), and overall... there's not actually much to call a game, unless you count the RP elements themselves. Thus, saying "Why do you have to do, essentially, school work to play a video game?" is a massive oversimplification of the issue: Mesalia's not just Minecraft.

Anyway, this is a very difficult concept to explain, especially those who are new to RP entirely, or are under the impression that RPG is similar (it kinda is but it isn't). Add the fact that other RP places have different systems of RP across different games and platforms (GMod, Tumblr RP, DnD Campaign, Forum RP, etc.), and it gets even more complex. All the new information and foreign concepts scare people off. Even returning players such as yourself have a learning curve when it comes to new rules, new standards, blahblah.

As staff and players before have discussed several times, there's plenty of possibly solid ways to get around this "Mesalia is too niche" issue--namely advertising on RP forums instead of Minecraft forums--but then it all goes back to time. I'm no longer staff, but I know they work on tons of shit all at once on top of their actual lives, and a lot has to go through every member in staff. Basically, it's an unfortunately slow process when it comes to getting these kinds of things off the ground. Then we come to the whole "standards are too high" thing, which is related to the previous and again, is not as simple as it apparently seems.

Generally, the staff lower or raise standards based on the quality of server RP and the amount of players. So it's a balance of quality over quantity, and fuck, it's a difficult balance to get right. We lower the quality for the sake of quantity, but how many people accepted will stick around enough to be considered "regulars"? Will the people that stick around actually improve over time (because a lot of people don't, unfortunately)? Will lowering the standards ruin the experience for current players? Is it fair to the people who had to put so much work into being accepted and into their own RP? Basically, will lowering the standards actually lead to more members, or will it just make things worse? And yes, people do leave when the RP is crappy here. In my personal experience, I've had plenty of inactivity--both here and in other communities--for those reasons.

But look. The current standards, as I see them, are pretty much as low as we can make them without seriously compromising on the quality we want. The only further steps I think staff should take is to redo the application format so the expectations are clearer (again, not easy), and all that crap I said about advertising.
Follow the instructions.
Follow the guides.
Follow the rules.
Don't argue with the staff. (For fuck's sakes, they're trying to help you get in, they're not shoving you away for incompetency. That is like, rule one of whitelisting.)

Finally, I get that you're frustrated, and I get that this is likely going to go in one ear and out the other, because you've heard this like, a bajillion times from the staff and from me, and I know that I will probably be warned for rule one, but screw it: you are not doing those four things and this thread is not helping you. Quit stamping your feet, quit whinging, and listen.

What Ryu and Night have said before me is also perfectly valid, if not exactly what I said, only shorter.
TL;DR: It's difficult because managing Mesalia RP is even more difficult.

[3llusive]

*snip*

Harsh but, kinder words have never been spoken.

They're kind because the advice is sound. Listen, and deal with staff from a position of respect. There's a fundamental societal behavior known as 'deference' that many people in this generation don't grasp the importance of.

Most staff have put aside a lot of real life responsibilities and personal comfort in order to preform the duties they volunteer for. They have personal experience in managing the community, and the insight of their fellow staff members in making the decisions that they do.

That means you need to learn to respect those decisions. Deference at it's heart is recognizing that someone above you in the social hierarchy that you reside upon just might know better than you. So even if you disagree, you do things their way, because you acknowledge their authority on the subject.

All of society inherently expects deference from everyone as a qualification of a reasonable human being. You're expected to comply with police officers because they're in a higher position than you in that situation. You're expected to listen to your boss at work, even if you disagree. No ones asking you to roll over and do whatever they want. There's a time, and a place to tell your boss that you disagree with them, but that time is not when it'll slow down their, or your workflow. Similar concepts apply here.

You're just being asked to respect staff decisions. If you spent less time arguing with staff and more time writing your apps to conform to the standards they're setting you, you would be accepted much faster.