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Role-Player Levels; Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert Role-Playing
Topic Started: Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:19 pm (1,675 Views)
¤Lothlómendil[Adm] Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:19 pm Post #1
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 A role-player level system exists to reward members that work to improve their writing skills. The harder you have worked and improved, the more benefits will become available. Previously, this system consisted of "Role-Player" and "Advanced Role-Player" levels, but we felt that Imythess has grown since its early days and so has the range of writing ability displayed. There are now 4 levels in the RPer system, described below.

Everyone who had Advanced Role-Player status in the old system has been reset to Role-Player and must re-apply starting at the beginning, staff included.

It is entirely optional for you to participate in the leveling system, please do not feel pressured into applying if you are not comfortable with the requirements.

Notes On Post Length
  • Each level has a word count requirement. Please observe that the following phrase is used: "...an average of x words..."

    The word "average" means that many posts can be above and below the required count. You should be able to easily write that many words or more on a good day, but it is not something you are required to do in every post; we understand that there are plenty of RP situations where making a long post is superfluous.

    Word count is not something you are required to meet all the time, and you are never in threat of losing an RPer level you have earned if you post below the limits. RPer levels are not judged in black and white and take into account many different aspects of writing. At their core, these levels are all about creativity and quality writing that allows your readers and RP partners to enjoy your story.

    Please also bear in mind that the word count requirement is the least significant of the factors used when judging applications. It is only looked at during the application / leveling process, and after that we don't monitor how much people write. These requirements are just a handy tool for the staff to use to help with reviewing apps.



Role-Player Levels

  2. Role-Player - This is the default level for newly registered accounts, and serves as the basic level off of which to build. At this level you are not required to write more than the 50 words-per-post minimum.

    Benefits:
    • You have access to all the role-play forums.
    • You pay the basic "RPer" price for items in the shops.



  3. Intermediate Role-Player - The first level in the newly expanded system. IRPers are members who have decided to begin their journey through the levels.

    Requirements:
    • 2 weeks of active membership, minimum.
    • You have put forth effort into refining your skills and shown improvement.
    • You should have a basic grasp of spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and show it in your posts.
    • At this level, you should be able to easily write an average of 150 words per post.

    Benefits:
    • You pay a slightly discounted "IRPer" price (90%) for items in the shops, to account for writing more per post than the previous level.



  4. Advanced Role-Player - You have started to master the art of cooperative writing.

    Requirements:
    • 2 weeks as an Intermediate RPer, minimum.
    • You have put forth effort into refining your skills and shown improvement.
    • You should have a very good grasp of spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and show it in your posts. I recommend reading the Polishing Your Writing topic.
    • You should be using a spell-checker to make sure your spelling is correct. You can read the Tools for the Diligent Writer topic to learn where to find a spell-checker.
    • Your posts show good description and creativity.
    • At this level, you should be able to easily write an average of 300 words per post.

    Benefits:
    • You pay a moderately discounted "ARPer" price (75%) for items in the shops, to account for writing more per post than the previous level.



  5. Expert Role-Player You go above and beyond average, and when you are on your game your posts are a great pleasure to read. This is designed to be a very difficult level to attain, so please do not feel down if your application is denied.

    Requirements:
    • 1 month as an Advanced RPer, minimum.
    • You have put forth effort into refining your skills and shown improvement.
    • Always use proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and make an effort to go back and correct your mistakes.
    • You should re-read your posts before you submit them to make sure they are coherent. Pay attention to details in other people's posts and avoid creating illogical action or time paradoxes.
    • Your characters are well-developed and have a good storyline.
    • You never god-mode, power-play, misuse items, etc.
    • At this level, you should be able to easily write an average of 400 - 500 words per post. You are not required to do this in every post, but you should be readily able.

    Benefits:
    • You pay a respectably discounted "ERPer" (60%) price for items in the shops, to account for writing more per post than the previous level.


Applying

  2. To apply, post a new topic in the Staff Requests forum stating which level you are applying for. You must provide at least 4 links (not quotes) to sample RP topics that exemplify your skills. The topics you submit should be different from the topics you submit for other levels. It helps (but is not necessary) to explain the ways in which you think you've improved.
    • If you are applying for ERP, you have additional information we need to see in your app. Use the following guide for your ERP application:
      ERP Application Form
       
      Character Description: Describe your main character(s) to us. We want to know what personality traits define them at their core (not what they look like). This is your opportunity to tell us how well-developed they are.

      Storyline Synopsis: (Can be combined with character description.) Tell us how your characters' stories have developed through their adventures in Imythess, and where you plan to take them in the future. Information on their goals and significant ties to other characters is useful.

      Links to Topics: Link to at least 4 topics that exemplify your ERP qualifications and briefly explain how they are important to your character's development and storyline. Try to explain why you believe they qualify you for ERP.

    • For a really good ERP application sample, you can review this accepted application.

  3. Once you have posted your application topic, you must navigate to Preferences -> Joinable Groups, click "Request Approval" next to the level you're applying for, and submit a link to your application. This allows the staff (not just admins) to easily approve your group membership immediately after we read your application.

  4. If one of your accounts has earned a specific level, then you may ask to have it automatically applied it to all of your accounts via the Joinable Groups requests. Be sure to link to the relevant approved application topics.

  5. If your application is denied, you are allowed to reapply after some time has passed.
    • You may reapply for Intermediate RPer after 2 weeks.
    • You may reapply for Advanced RPer after 1 month.
    • You may reapply for Expert RPer after 2 months.

  6. If English isn't your first language, or you have a disability like dyslexia that has a significant impact on your writing, please put a note about it in your application. We do take factors like this into consideration.
Edited by Lothlómendil, Mon Aug 15, 2011 5:00 pm.
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¤Lothlómendil[Adm] Mon Jul 18, 2011 2:16 pm Post #2
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 Application Review Rubric

Below are highly detailed lists of they key aspects of your writing we are reviewing when judging RPer level applications. Following this rubric isn't a guarantee that you will be accepted, but it should significantly improve your chances.



Intermediate Role-Player
  2. Length: We begin reviewing topics by copying and pasting posts into the word counter to ensure a potential IRPer can consistently post enough to give an RP partner enough material to work off of. If you meet the average count of around 150, then you're half way there for this level.

  3. Spelling / Grammar / Coherence: This is the second key factor to IRP. IRPers don't have to be awesome at this, their posts just have to be mostly readable without thinking to yourself "yikes, this person doesn't care/try at all." If you can communicate clearly, you're set.

  4. Punctuation / Mechanics: I prefer that IRPers still use commas and periods appropriately a decent amount of the time for readability's sake. Apostrophes shouldn't be abused, but this category is not strict at this level. It can be on the weak side without being a deal-breaker, but improvement will be necessary to move on to ARP.

  5. God-Moding / Power-Playing: If we notice uncomfortable amounts of this in samples RPs, that's a bad sign that could affect the outcome of an application. Naturally, all members should be following the rules and we check for it at this point of the level-climbing process.

  6. Resubmittals: If you've applied and been denied before, we pay more attention to the IC posts you've made since your last app to look for specific improvements in the weak areas that lead to a denial the last time.



Advanced Role-Player
  2. Length: At this point, length becomes more of a basic item to cross off the check list before focusing on the content. Just keep in mind that it's not encouraging for the future if your posts only meet the minimum all the time.

  3. Spelling / Grammar / Mechanics: A potential ARPer should be 85% - 100% correct in spelling, grammar and punctuation. This is the most important requirement for ARP. Make good use of the Polishing Your Writing and Tools for the Diligent Writer topics.

  4. Coherence / Flow / Quality of Writing: Writing should start to have flow to it so that it's easy to read. A reader shouldn't be stumbling over choppy sentences and having difficulty figuring out what's being said. Vocabulary should also improve at this level. Longer, more eloquent words and sentences should start forming. A post should not read the same way you would hear someone speak in today's culture. Their characters may speak modernly, but the narration should not read the same way a person sounds.

  5. Creativity: RP posts should begin showing signs of creativity and interesting storylines. If a character just goes around looking for fights all day, burning down cities, eating babies, or does a bunch of cutting off heads in one blow and firing 100 spells out very quickly, stuff like that - that's typically not ARP quality creativity and is essentially god-moding. At this stage we are looking for something with a hint of complexity.

  6. Resubmittals: If you've applied and been denied before, we pay more attention to the IC posts you've made since your last app to look for specific improvements in the weak areas that lead to a denial the last time.



Expert Role-Player
  2. Length: As with ARP, length is more of a basic item to cross off the check list before focusing on the content.

  3. Creativity: The most important part of ERPer.

    The ability to hold a reader's interest is essential. A post can be very well-written, but still just plain boring if a character doesn't do anything interesting (interesting = progressing the plot forward, for example). A big flaw we check for in someone's ability to write is the over-use of purple prose. Purple prose may be nice writing, but it's not necessarily relevant or interesting. It can be okay in small doses, but can quickly become problematic.

    Another way one must hold the reader's attention is to give their adventures more complexity. For example, a very good writer can have a character who is a murdering psychopath, but if that character's sole motivation in life is to kill anything that moves it can get boring very quickly. Posts can begin to sound like "I'm so awesomely powerful, look at how crazy I am" instead of something that is actually captivating to the reader. A story should be dynamic, not flat and 2-dimensional.

    Use of inventory is also an important factor. It's not very creative to just inventory things to death. It's fine to have a lot in your inventory, but an ERPer is expected to be more artistic about how they use it. It's better to rely on good writing to put some kick into your actions than is is to bank on items alone.

  4. Character Development / Depth: This is the second key factor of ERPer.

    A good ERPer's main character should have relatable emotions, even if they don't display them outwardly to the other PCs and NPCs in the topic. A masked murderer can appear cold and emotionless on the outside, but the reader should gain glimpses into the thought patterns he has that make him a monster; his deep, dark, secret fears that fuel his insanity, his desire for control over himself and others, past life experiences that lead him to being the way he is, frustration and anger when he fails, anything like that.

    Having emotions doesn't always make a great character though; you need that full range of the spectrum. If a character is emo and always crying, that is a display of emotion, but it's only one emotion. Someone who is multi-faceted is interesting and makes the reader empathize with a character and enjoy reading about them.

    A major factor into character depth is the presence of flaws. Even the most heroic knight in shining armor should have something that makes him "human," something that allows him to make mistakes and occasionally stray from the path he's chosen for himself. Sometimes opponents will break through his defenses, his spells will fail and his attacks will miss, he will place his trust in the wrong person, and he won't always be able to save the damsel in distress. These defining moments test his character, and make him greater than if he had never experienced failure.

  5. Storyline / Plot: The third part of the ERP qualification trifecta. Does your main character have a good storyline going or under development? The character's topics should be interconnected to tell an on-going story that develops them in some significant direction. Making significant ties to other characters and making self-discoveries helps to tie everything together for a really great, well-rounded story/character.

  6. Spelling / Grammar / Mechanics / Proof-Reading: This is also very important, ERPers have got to be diligent about it. They should have a great grasp of these concepts and back them up by using a text-editor to help catch mistakes. It also needs to be clear that they proof-read carefully so that everything makes sense and mistakes are eliminated.

  7. Resubmittals: If you've applied and been denied before, we pay more attention to the IC posts you've made since your last app to look for specific improvements in the weak areas that lead to a denial the last time.
Edited by Lothlómendil, Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:04 pm.
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