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Posted by: winxclubrox23 Apr 2 2010, 9:01 PM

Okay, so like, on other roleplaying forums, often times, there's a set word count that you have to meet in each post. Some of them are quite high, like 500 words, some of them are 200, some 150 and so on.

The main reason they set a word count, is that say someone did a really long post (we're talking waaaaay long. I've seen people religiously post 7k) and then in response, you get maybe 10 words? Not fair is it? If you spent awhile on your post, and get in response a few words, it ticks you off. And I've noticed that sometimes that happens on this forum too.

Now I'm not suggesting we go out and say everyone has to do 500 word posts. I'm suggesting that maybe we set something like a 20 word count at LEAST. Then, everyone would at least have a good, descriptive response, and roleplaying would be more fun, because you'd actually have something to reply to.

Thoughts?

Posted by: P-girl Apr 2 2010, 9:07 PM

Personally, I don't like this rule. True, some of us could get more.... descriptive. But if the limit gets to high, you're just using words for the sake of filling up the quotient. Empty padding. For someone like me, who has a short, to-the-point style to begin with, this isn't really an incentive. Then there is combat. While I always try to be as descriptive as possible in combat, due to the pace, you often can't get anything more then short sentences.

I think this rule promotes purple prose and quantity over quality.

Posted by: winxclubrox23 Apr 2 2010, 9:12 PM

I agree, quality over quantity is most important, and honestly, I wouldn't join anything that has a word count set over 200 words, but really though. 20 words isn't that much. I've bolded the word set because it's the 20th word in my post. Is that very long? No.

Posted by: P-girl Apr 2 2010, 9:15 PM

No. But I think word count is more of a.... I don't know. I know it's an incentive for people to get more taught in their posts..... but I fear it's the same as promoting good grammar and punctuation. Some people aren't going to do it. Either saying they can't, due to.... various reasons. (Some more sensible then others, like English not being your main language. I can get that.) and people having a 'Whatever, I do what I want' approach to things. Which saddens me. Just because it's a hobby, doesn't mean you shouldn't try to improve yourself.

But I'm going on a tangent.

Posted by: humbu111 Apr 3 2010, 1:02 AM

I totally agree with Tea. There are very few posts in which less than 20 words is all that an RPer is able to write. And the occasional post under 20 words should be okay. But if on a consistent basis someone's RP posts are less than 20 words, they often have very little meaning and leave the rest guessing and with nothing to work off of. It can get annoying.

Posted by: winxclubrox23 Apr 3 2010, 2:20 AM

Exactly. 20 words is pretty much nothing. 100 words isn't even that bad. If you use description and stuff, you can write forever.

Posted by: P-girl Apr 3 2010, 9:25 AM

But like I said, promotes describing useless things. 20 words? Fine. 100? Already stretching it. And like I said, if you're gonna promote word count, pleasepleasePLEASE promote proper grammar, punctuation and spelling while your at it.

Posted by: mightymarty2 Apr 3 2010, 9:57 AM

I think the problem is quantity over quality like P-girl said. I know in the fight can be hard to get over detailed as there is only so much you can do and you don't want to give away plans. The other problem I can see is if its not strictly enforced who decides whats ok without being open to the accusation of bias or being unfair.

Posted by: humbu111 Apr 3 2010, 8:07 PM

How many useless things can you describe in 20 words? Seriously, its less than a line most of the time. And I dont get what you're trying to say =S 20 words is fine? And for spelling and all that like you said, there's the excuse of english not being a strong language for someone, or like some of the younger members may not be as good at it yet. For word count, there's no excuse other than being lazy. If you're in a rush, dont post, its that simple.


Well fights are the part where description is the easiest. So many times in fights its hard to understand what the person is trying to do exactly cause they're post is like 10 words and vague.
Well if most of the members agree, a 20 word post count can be added to the Magix Club RP Rules and the mods along with the creator of the RP can enforce the rules. If there's an accusation of being unfair, the person could simply be linked to the rules.

Posted by: P-girl Apr 3 2010, 8:09 PM

Fine. 20 words. I was just trying to make a point. But please.... don't go overboard and go like 'Only if you're posting three paragraphs per post' and stuff like that.

Posted by: winxclubrox23 Apr 3 2010, 8:11 PM

Did I ever once say anything about 3 paragraphs? No. I simply said 20 words, which is so, so easy.

Posted by: humbu111 Apr 3 2010, 8:12 PM

Lol that was specified in the first post by Tea:

But you agree, so its cool ^^

Edit: Whoops, posted at the same time as Tea.

Posted by: P-girl Apr 3 2010, 8:15 PM

Yeah.... but you gotta admit, it's also so, so easy to go overboard with rules like these. Or maybe that's just personal. I had some baaaaad experience with these kind of rules. Both in RP-ing and writing.

Posted by: mightymarty2 Apr 3 2010, 8:20 PM

You said the occasional post under 20 words would be ok, this is what i was talking about how do you decide when under 20 is ok. I mean obviously an accasional 19 post would not really be punished but under that is where the problem could begin

Posted by: P-girl Apr 3 2010, 8:20 PM

Well.... uhm..... would you be really offended if I chose you as an example, Marty? If so, I'm really, really sorry.

Posted by: mightymarty2 Apr 3 2010, 8:22 PM

ok thats ok

Posted by: P-girl Apr 3 2010, 8:24 PM

Because.... y'know.... your posts tend to be short. Really short......

Posted by: mightymarty2 Apr 3 2010, 8:26 PM

I know some are though i am trying to improve

Posted by: winxclubrox23 Apr 3 2010, 8:33 PM

...NaNoWriMo?

Just a shot in the dark. XD

Posted by: P-girl Apr 3 2010, 8:36 PM

Nah . Getting kicked out of an RP forum just because I couldn't meet a word count every single time. They were ri-di-culous. Three paragraphs, two-hundred words minimum. One-hundred in combat. Yeah. That invited useless padding like you wouldn't believe. And then there are these people that believe that, unless your stories are novel-length, they're not worth the reading. For someone who mainly writes one-shots, that's a downer.

Posted by: winxclubrox23 Apr 3 2010, 8:46 PM

Ooh, that's rough. NaNo's pretty hardcore too. I got to ch. 7 then died.

Posted by: P-girl Apr 3 2010, 8:46 PM

Meh. I'm too insecure about my original writing to offer it up. That, and it's only like 0.1 % of my stash. And there's deadlines. I don't like deadlines.

Posted by: Jahnavi Apr 4 2010, 10:51 AM

Amen.

Posted by: P-girl Apr 4 2010, 11:06 AM

Thanks. Especially not for something as artistic as writing or drawing. Art takes time.

Posted by: Jahnavi Apr 4 2010, 1:00 PM

I know exactly what you mean. I had a very irritating two years as a student reporter for a pretty big newspaper here. They've called me on more than one occasion at around five in the evening, asking for an article by seven that same day. Now if anyone asks me about pursuing journalism later in life, I tend to say no a little too forcefully. xD

...Deadlines are not your friends, kids.

Posted by: humbu111 Apr 4 2010, 7:09 PM

Err... so are we going ahead with the new rule?

Posted by: mightymarty2 Apr 4 2010, 9:01 PM

I am not sure but admin will have to change the rules for any change to effect all roleplays any new ones could automaticly include this in a section adding it as a rule

Posted by: Fortress Guy Apr 5 2010, 3:46 AM

Interesting what P-girl and Jah were saying about deadlines. I agree art takes time, and no one wants to rush it.

On the other side though, I know people in the creative arts - be it movies or video games or commercial art, etc. Deadlines are a part of life. A part we may not like but one in which we have to deal. Additionally, some like to put the "art" moniker on pursuits that involve others and may be artistic rather than art.

Pursuits like the scenic painter on a film, or the background artist for a video game, etc. But these are more commercial art despite the creativity. It has to be done on time. Even a successful writer has deadlines from the publisher and/or financial concerns about their own time.

Posted by: Zing Apr 5 2010, 6:32 AM

Ok so I have kind of left role playing here, but I feel like this is a point that needs to be expressed.
(Note: The sentence I just wrote has twenty three words.)
TWENTY WORDS ISN'T HARD GUYS!!!
I am already at forty two/forty three words. I don't understand the fuss.
Today for example I have written two 600 words posts, three 300 word posts and am working on the fourth 300 word post. If I can do that then all of you can muster up twenty words xD
Tea's not asking for two hundred or one million. It's twenty words!

Posted by: P-girl Apr 5 2010, 6:56 AM

I know, but I also know that writing for me is, in fact, a hobby.

I don't want deadlines on my hobby.

Posted by: mightymarty2 Apr 5 2010, 7:04 AM

@Fortress guy please avoid the c word

@P-girl I completly understand deadlines are not be in something you want when you are doing something for fun

Posted by: Zing Apr 5 2010, 7:13 AM

P-Girl's last post: Twenty two words

Marty's last post: Twenty five words and one letter


No deadline about it, and those replies took you a few seconds to a minute I assume? At least, I hope xD

Posted by: P-girl Apr 5 2010, 7:14 AM

I meant. With my writing. Y'know..... stories. Mostly fanfiction.

*Sigh* I taught that was clear.

Posted by: mightymarty2 Apr 5 2010, 7:16 AM

Question as I don't thinks its been mentioned is it 20 words per character or post?

Posted by: Jahnavi Apr 5 2010, 12:08 PM

Well, honestly, if the minimum word-count required is just twenty, I don't see the need for a new rule at all. Like a lot of you have said, twenty words or so can be written quite naturally, without worrying about actually maintaining a requirement. So how about you just deal with a particular post if you feel it's way too short, but apply rules like these to RPs with higher limits (e.g., an RP with a 100 word requirement per post, or something)?

Posted by: Fortress Guy Apr 5 2010, 3:29 PM

Sorry marty, the "c-word" was in the image and not in my typed response; so it made it past my usual filtering. I will remove the image as to not offend you.

P-Girl, I understand. Hobbies should only have self-imposed deadlines if any.

Posted by: Jahnavi Apr 5 2010, 3:43 PM

Lolz. My self-imposed deadlines become *very* flexible. xD

Posted by: humbu111 Apr 5 2010, 4:12 PM

(:


I think Tea thought up the idea (and some others agreed like me lol) cause there have been alot of posts less than 20 words lately. Dealing with each individual post could be kinda tiresome, thats why a rule I think would make it easier for everyone to be aware of it ^^ But I like the idea of RPs with higher word count rules just for those RPs. Though I think in general no post should be less than 20, they tend to be vague and lifeless.

Posted by: terriordx32 Apr 5 2010, 8:31 PM

***I'm going to be brutally honest, so i really hope nobody takes offense to this.

I think this post was made because some members have a tendency of making posts that are seriously 5 words and don't add anything to the story. I'm not going to specifically call out those people because they know who they are. I think teagan made this topic not to say "Oh we should make a new rule" But to enforce the fact that said people who are posting 5 words need to post more. By posting 20 words or more, we wont see post like:

Julie walked.
Olga saw the monkey eat.
Tiffa jumped and feel on her butt.

Those exams above are just some of what im talking about when i say they dont add anything to the story.

Posted by: {§hani} Apr 8 2010, 5:16 AM

^ too true my friend. amen to that.