[Good_Old_Epsilon]

* Good_Old_Epsilon looks at this thread.

* Good_Old_Epsilon reads the thread.



...I promised to avoid debates and arguments... especially staff business...

* Good_Old_Epsilon leaves awkwardly.

[LuckyLeaf]

I'm wondering if there can be anything more to add to this thread, but hey, take this from a guy who's read almost all char backstories that came to this server and spied on a lot of rp's.

Rp isn't really something you can jump in. The word roleplay itself suggests that you're playing in a role, most likely one that isn't you. And what do you need to play a role? Imagination and a heap of research.

And as it happens, those things don't come too readily at a whim.

Think of playing with a fistful of clay. You want to mold something out of it, a person, an animal, anything that you have in your mind. But even for the talented, it doesn't happen in a blink of an eye, and even after you've finished, the result may not be what you had originally planned.

I believe that us on the server have put in time and effort to create our characters, and are continuing to mold them with the rp's we do. To allow people who haven't put in at least some amount of care and attention to meet our standards, well, that wouldn't be fair for the rest of us, the potential for the new players messing up the rp's notwithstanding.

If you've read the app I wrote for Seven, you'll notice that it is just abnormally long. I can tell you now (and maybe Chelle, lol) that it took me near a month to write it, with countless editing in between. Was I overdoing it? Definitely, but I wanted to write a proper story for my character, and loved every hour spent.

The server doesn't ask this level of scrutiny and meticulousness. A thirteen year old can get accepted and have a great time here, if that kid has the patience to go through the rigmarole of getting whitelisted.

The staff asks to know about the char in such detail so that they can be sure they won't be detrimental to the community, but as is written up there, they are willing to literally hold your hand and lead you through the whole ordeal.

So be patient with them, they've got a lot to handle, besides living their real lives off the net, and dealing with apps with a 60 page backstory that properly drives them up the wall, round the ceiling and back down again, or an app that gives them an experience of dyslexia.

Must be great being staff eh?

[MelancholyFae]

Why is it so needlessly difficult?

It is not needlessly difficult. It is difficult, in many ways; this can be explained more later (or what others have already said, matches as well.)

Why label this a pg 13 server when the average 13 year old wouldn't have any hope in hell of getting accepted?

I'm not sure of the average 13 yr old's abilities, but to compare my friends who were around that age, the average of them did have a good chance of being accepted.
PG-13 is what's used to rate things such as movies, and games. It explains to people that there's gonna be some "material that may be inappropriate for children under age 13". Nowadays, this rating is skewed because younger people are being exposed to topics that 20 yrs ago, would have been considered R. We use it anyway, to cover our butts.

Why do people need to be highly adept at writing stories to Role Play?

Being good at writing, helps a lot, because (as others have said) you are writing a story of your character, before being accepted, and then during roleplay, you are continuing to explain that char's actions, emotions, reactions.. their life.. while interacting with others.
You don't have to excel. I don't think the application process demands great writing skills. What it does demand is you getting intimately involved with your character, being passionate about that character, excitement about playing that character, and showing all this through the backstory, and details.
Then, the character is accepted, the passion and excitement of that character gets transferred into the roleplay with others, and this is why the roleplay excels. You are living in an interactive, unrehearsed play. You are that character.

Why does it have to be hyper realistic/difficult?

Because this is Mesalia, where we as advanced roleplayers, have collectively agreed that hyper-realism and difficulty is not only challenging and rewarding to us, but makes this server shine above others and gives us pride to be here.

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?

This is stuff staff is still working on, and tweaking. We discuss this at length, debate, etc. However, currently, it's where we think it's most realistic, especially for being medieval/renaissance/fantasy setting. Modern schools and things (for most people) have skewed the views of how it was like to apprentice to someone and only learn that skill.

Competent: most people glance at and think to themselves that this is what someone out of high school would be at. What it actually means is what a normal worker would be at, when they finally end their apprenticeship. Using this skill as their means of living. Something they devoted to, for the last 5-9 years, without a lot of other hobbies or jobskills to detract from their learning. You need time, and much practice. You -worked- at this apprenticeship like a job, for the last 5-9 years.

We made a guide to explain this as best as possible.

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

As explained earlier - lack of advertisement, busy staff trying to work on other things behind the scenes are the largest reasons.

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?

Some of the reasons it's difficult, were listed earlier. However, you are also seeing it as more strict, more difficult, less fun, and stressful, because you are frustrated.
I admire your persistence, but please understand that we, as staff, are doing the same (continuing to try and help you with your application.)
I want you to not see yourself as someone who's being picked on, or someone who's being targeted, because it's not true. I want you to see, instead, that we're working with you, if you let us.
If there is a specific issue you are having, we need to know, so we can help you better. But we need to understand what you need, so we CAN help. You have to work with us.

TL;DR

I don't get it. Why so difficult?

Because of server history, pride, high standards, and excellent playerbase and staff. And we welcome everyone, and will help them achieve this high standard to roleplay with us.

[SmugValiant]

Do I dare? I guess I do, sigh.

Demo, the "needless" difficultly, as you put it really isn't. I get to go the library roughly four times a week for an hour at a time, and I have time for my application. I think the process gets easier with time. The issue isn't difficulty. We cannot, excuse me for sounding horribly elitist and rude, let in just anyone.

I'm not saying you're just anyone. I'm not calling you special either. You're just another applicant/player making a submission.

Most role-players love the backstory. Or we pretend we do and grudgingly fill it out. Some characters go faster in terms of creation, depending on the amount of love we put into them as well. The process of creating applications is assisted by staff who lovingly take time out of their lives to assist you with said story.

A good backstory is like a foundation to a household. Without a good backstory, the foundation isn't set - causing our poor house to sink into the ground eventually or collapse. A good backstory should not be "too little," or "too much," it should be just right. Without a proper backstory, even a great character can fail once entered into the setting.

That is why the staff tirelessly work with you. Alongside you (the author,) they help guide your work into becoming an acceptable piece for our server.

As for the school thing. English language (and others as well, though we do not use them in our setting,) works better when you put the proper level of effort into it. While I do not think Zarkaylia nor her staff are asking for college level essays, I do think they expect a certain quality fit for the server.

Simply put, it isn't that rough. Everyone expects a lot because we wish for the applicants to take pride in their own work. I don't know about you but, when I make my application I do the following: (I've spoilered this part as not everyone wants to see it. Also, since it is my opinion and slightly off topic, I feel as if it does not deserve to be in the main body of this post.)

Spoiler

• I make sure to build the setting to an acceptable level. A good setting sets up the character's life. (Hurr, see what I did there?)
  
• I proofread, make sure the prose is at least acceptable and flows.
  
• Most importantly, I create an outline to funnel my thoughts. I break my application up into sections and I tackle the back-story last. I use the other elements to sorta give myself concepts for the back-story and then I take it from there. I make sure the skills are balanced, the personality is realistic for our slightly morbid setting, and I triple check the characters build. When in doubt, I leave it out.
  
• The back-story is a work in progress, always. It can always be improved before submission. That is why I do not bother staff AT ALL until it is done. Or if I must, I simply wait until they have free time and ask questions in private. Am I telling you to bother staff over the time in which your app is processed? Hell no.
  
• Then I, being the little peasant I am, knock on the staff's castle door and beg for someone to whitelist it, in my own thread. (Just kidding.)
  

I address these few last as they really don't apply too well to your argument.

We are PG-13 in terms of content. It's not about average age accepted. It's about what is expected in our server. Fae pretty much covered it.

As for the writing part, I sorta covered a portion of this but, it's mainly this: If you can't write, you can't RP in our text based setting.

The hyper realism is not only good for a server that fills a niche spot like ours but, it brings most enjoyment. Most servers don't provide hyper realism. Hm, I should rephrase. Yes, we're a "server." But, not really. Imagine a pen and paper DnD game. (Time to fetch your d20 dice,) Anyways, the pen and paper is the setting. You use it, and your mind to illustrate whatever fantasy world you are currently in.

We're not playing Minecraft. I mean, we are technically since we boot the game up. But, not really. Mesalia isn't Minecraft. We use the pixely-block world of Minecraft to illustrate our text based Rp better. It illustrates the world that our little Lucins, Xitians, and Mesalians run around in. If that makes sense?

Fae covered the skills/building time bit.

As for your applications taking forever compared to other users? I've made an entirely new application. Not a character sheet. And I'm a prior member. Anyways, as I said above - I take my time with the backstory and app, making sure it is ready. Knocking small chunks out each week. That being said, the staff works with you on the entire process. While your application/character sheet is entirely yours to work on, and the character is yours - know this: The staff will always know what can and cannot exist in Mesalia's fantasy setting.

When something doesn't fit, mesh, or work with the established lore, that is when the staff send you (the author,) back to the drawing board to work on your application.

I've read and seen where you argued with staff on prior applications and honestly went against the grain. That is the main reason as to why your applications take forever.

I guess what I'm trying to say pretty politely is that the staff have busy lives and the entire server has certain standards and expectations to live up to. Everyone is helpful but, advice has to be listened to in order for it to work. I know I just wasted thirty minutes of precious time to reply to you. I don't mean that harshly. I only have an hour a day to work on my application but, I hope you understand I took it out for you instead of myself.

TL;DR?
Just listen to what the staff say. They work hard to get players such as yourself into the server. I hate saying this but, most the harsh words in the thread here are kind and caring.

[Good_Old_Epsilon]

... Guys, you do know that the post is 5 days old, and that what was needed to be said has been already said?

Seriously, there's no need to adding "your 5 cents" and berate Demo any further. Demo isn't strapped to a stock in the village square for everyone to throw a tomato at. He was told what he did wrong and the server's position has been explained. That's it, that's all there had to be done about it.

Everyone, seriously, just chill.