|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:05 pm
NOTE FROM KARMA - I did not feel right deleting this since Setsu put so much work into it, so I'm moving it over here for now if we should need it in the future.All you ever needed to know about the brand-new GMFC RP Prompt system!
... But before you read on, take a deep breath and DON'T PANIC. Prompts are an optional service. Furthermore, if you're using the old ("Normal") growth system, you never have to complete a prompt, ever, even if you opt in. Furthermore, if you try to use the "Alternate" growth system and fail, you can use the Normal system as before. Furthermore, you do not have to commit to one growth system or the other. You can alternate between them as you please.Terminology The Normal growth system is... the normal growth system. The good ol' GMFC growth system is still available, with exactly the same requirements.
The Alternate growth system is a modified, slightly faster, but much more difficult growth system in which responses to prompts, miniquests, and the successful completion of a growth quest take the place of some of the time and ORP requirements.
An RP Prompt is a relatively short scenario sent to you, either by PM or posted in your journal, by Ms Keth. It generally consists of a short happening, challenge, or revelation regarding your child's development.
A Response to an RP Prompt can consist of "Dear Diary" journal entries, solo RPs posted to the journal, or transcribed group RPs also posted to the journal. An RP prompt is considered successfully completed when the mystery is solved (at least for now) or the challenge is dealt with (hopefully overcome.)
A Miniquest is essentially a self-given prompt, used at the child stage and up.
A Miniquest can be Pre-Approved or Custom. Pre-approved miniquests are drawn from the list further down in this thread, though the listed topics are skeletal and the specific situation must be expanded upon by the parents. Custom miniquests are written from scratch by the parents in prompt format and must be PMed to Ms Keth, then approved, before they can be used.
An Extended Growth Quest is a youth's final push towards an adulthood; it is his or her farewell to the carefree days of childhood. The initial prompt is written by the parents, like a custom miniquest, but tends to be more diffuse and long-term. The parents then undertake the weighty task of completing the quest -- in many, many journal entries and RPs.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:06 pm
The Care and Feeding of Prompts You opt-in to prompts by sending Ms Keth the RP Prompt opt-in form. You will then start receiving prompts as the RP Managers write them -- they will try to be prompt (har har) but they might end up being delayed.
If you opt in, pregnancies are guaranteed to be offered one prompt. Infants are guaranteed to be offered three prompts. Toddlers are guaranteed to be offered three prompts. Children are guaranteed to be offered one prompt. Older stages are not guaranteed any prompts, even if you stay opted-in.
Because Ms Keth has an aquarium, she will be checked every day. Therefore, if you feel like you're overdue for a prompt, or you're totally stuck and you need a prompt to start you up again, or your child is a teen or older but you're really hungry for a prompt, you may PM Ms Keth to ask for a prompt. However, you are not guaranteed to get more prompts than the number listed above.
(Also, you may not PM Ms Keth to ask about things not related to prompts; we can't negotiate anything about your appointment, and we have no clue about your art's status.)Responding to a Prompt As noted above, you can respond to a prompt in "Dear Diary" journal entries, in solo RPs posted to the journal, or in ORP, PRP, or in-thread RPs transcribed to the journal. Essentially any format is OK, so go with your preference.
We consider your response "completed" when "the mystery is solved" or "the challenge is overcome." Note that we don't necessarily mean decisively or permanently; rather, we will consider you to be done and ready for another prompt when your characters have at least figured out a way to deal with the immediate challenge or have a working theory to explain what happened. Indeed, it can be a sign of a good RPer to revisit issues from the past and work them out in more detail as the child grows.Skipping a Prompt You will not get another prompt until we RP Mangers feel you have completed your most recent one... simply because we think you are still working on or thinking about your answer to that one. However, you might wish to skip a prompt -- writer's block? it messes up your plans for your child? you just can't think of any way to make it work at all? -- and you can do so by PMing Ms Keth and telling her so.
If you are using the Normal growth system, you can skip all your prompts if you want. However, this does not mean the RP Managers will write a new prompt to replace the skipped one. This is why the guarantees above way "guaranteed to be offered." (Of course, we may still try to write another prompt, but it may not happen.)
However, if you are using the Alternate growth system, it is not a good idea to skip prompts; for Infant and Toddler Alternate growth, you need two prompt responses, and you are only guaranteed three prompts.
In general, it is a bad sign if you are skipping prompts. If you find yourself receiving a lot of inappropriate prompts, you may have picked the wrong Flavor on your RP Prompt option form; consider downgrading to Vanilla or opting out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:07 pm
Anatomy of a Miniquest Miniquests are basically self-assigned prompts. They look just like prompts, but they are picked from the pre-approved list below and expanded upon by you, or they are custom-written from scratch by you. They are also judged "completed" in the same way.
For pre-approved prompts, you can't just copy-and-paste one of the brief starting points below. You should set up the scenario and explain the problem in detail, considering ways in which your child's personality, social situation, and special qualities will affect it.
You should post it in your journal the same way you would a prompt, so that the RP Managers know exactly what it is you're tackling.Getting a Custom Miniquest Approved You may also wish to write yourself a miniquest not on the pre-approved quest so that you get a chance to explore the unique aspects of your child. If you wish to do this, write out your miniquest as a prompt, then PM it to Ms Keth for approval. The RP Managers will review it and approve it or reject it. If your prompt is rejected, reasons will certainly be given, and an altered version will be suggested.
Once it is approved, post it in your journal as if it were a prompt and get to work! heart Pre-Approved Miniquests Child First standardized test
First time attending an after-school club
First time spending time home alone while parent quickly runs an errand
One of favorite items from baby/toddlerhood is lost or destroyed
First time accomplishing a task alone they had previously needed parents' help for
The loss of a family pet
First time being invited to and attending a slumber party
First time saving up allowance to buy something they want to have
First time being allowed to make their own lunch
Realizing some of the things they could get away with as a baby/toddler no longer fly now that they are getting older
Being allowed to pick out some of their own outfits when going clothes shopping
First time being grounded (and why)
First parent/teacher/child conference
Teen Going shopping for a new school wardrobe by his/herself
Learning to drive
First attempt to act on a crush he/she has on a friend or classmate
First date
First time spending more than a day home alone while parent(s) are away to handle a family emergency or business
Dealing with the headaches of onsetting puberty
Bidding a childhood pediatrician farewell and visiting an "adult" doctor for the first time
First real act of rebellion (drastic haircut, piercing, etc) and the results when parent(s) find out
First day of their first job
Choosing an institute of higher education
Youth Beginning to look into the prospect of moving into their own place to live
If they are currently in a relationship, giving serious thought to settling down with their partner and why this may or may not work out.
Being offered and pursuing a career that will take them out of easy reach of their family
Returning to visit a beloved childhood teacher to catch up and thank them for the influence they had
First time balancing a checkbook/paying own bills
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:08 pm
The Last Stretch: Extended Growth Quest The extended growth quest is the last push in a child's journey towards adulthood; when it is completed, a youth can look at herself and say "I am now an adult."
Your extended growth quests is written by you. It is similar to a miniquest, but should be more diffuse and encompass a long-term goal or problem. Ideally, you will decide upon the goal close to the beginning of the Youth stage so that you can work on it, step by step, over the whole stage.
Your quest responses should be well-written, follow a decently-organized narrative arc, and show definite character development. They should be large and numerous; there is no definite length and post requirement because the diary entries and miniquests for this stage might tackle the same topic, but it should be obvious that you're putting a lot of effort into it. The RP Managers should be able to see that the Youth at the beginning of the quest is quite a different person, psychologically, from the near-Adult at the end.
Extended growth quests must be approved before you begin, like miniquests. Write it up and PM it to Ms Keth, then post it in your journal once you're approved.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:08 pm
Rough Response Rubric Here is a stripped-down version of our prompt, miniquest, and extended growth quest grading rubric so that you can see what sort of things we'll be paying particular attention to in your responses.
Effort
Looking for: Enough length to properly introduce, develop, and resolve the episode; realistic depiction of false leads, involved characters' thought processes, and a sense of "struggle" to overcome any challenges
Penalties for: Merely re-phrasing the prompt; very short responses; posts that fail to progress the child's story, even if they are long or detailed
Writing quality
Looking for: Coherent narrative structure; skillful word choice; touching on ongoing themes from the child's life; consistent voice
Penalties for: Horrendous, incoherent spelling and grammar; rushed, poorly structured responses; being too fuzzy or mysterious about the resolution (because there's no way for the RP Manager to know what you're planning)
Character development
Looking for: signs that the character is, in fact, maturing a little and growing into themselves as life presents them obstacles
Penalties for: unrealistic reactions as the character they have written themselves is portrayed (a quiet little bookworm deciding, in response to a prompt, to suddenly dress like a punk and go out and have promiscuous sex all night, for example, with no justification or lead-up behind it.)
Subject-centric writing
Looking for: responses to the prompts that are about the subject of the journal. Their thoughts, feelings, and responses to situations
Penalties for: Responses and miniquests that are, instead, about side-players in the journal such as the parents or siblings with only passing mention of the child. Even if the child is just an infant, prompts are still directed at him or her.
Roleplay etiquette
Looking for: If applicable, giving other player involved in helping you respond to your prompt a chance to develop and flex their own characters.
Penalties for: Godmoding; lazy solutions to challenges (magicking it away); metagaming (using OOC knowledge when ICly, characters should not have that information.) These are all problems that can come up even in journal entries or solo RP.
Research
Looking for: Evidence of doing outside reading on real-world child development, medical conditions; evidence of serious, intelligent, reasonable consideration of fictional or supernatural situations
Penalties for: Blatantly untrue statements about real-world phenomena; inconsistencies in your appointment's mythos
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:10 pm
Example Life Stories Still confused?
Well then, have a look at an RP Manager's OC's life broken down into stages, prompts, miniquests, and an extended growth quest, to give you an idea how you might choose to utilize the RP prompt service and Alternate system.Setsushi of Water Chiyo's Pregnancy I know Setsuka, Setsushi's father, is going to die during the pregnancy of Chiyo, Setsushi's mother. Therefore, there will be plenty to write about during this stage, so I opt out of prompts for now.
Dear Diary entry from Setsuka.
Dear Diary entry from Chiyo. Minimum requirements for normal growth are done.
Solo RP in which Setsuka dies.
Dear Diary entry from Chiyo.
Send in normal growth form.
Solo RPs and Dear Diaries from Chiyo while waiting.
Setsushi's Infancy Congratulations! It's a green-haired, hyper-sensitive, and withdrawing/fearful little boy!
Why not? Opt in for prompts, Chocolate, please! And I have some squicks, too, that I list.
Dear Diary entry 1 from Chiyo.
Dark chocolate prompt: Chiyo's depression influences Setsushi, who becomes rather ill.
Prompt response 1: Chiyo locks away her sadness for the sake of her child.
Milk chocolate prompt: Head domestic servant retires and is replaced by a new servant, which disturbs Setsushi.
Prompt response 2: Chiyo takes Setsushi with her to work more often instead of leaving him at home.
100 days old celebration ORP, just for fun.
PRP with Chiyo's old co-workers, just for fun.
Dear Diary entry 2 from Chiyo. Minimum requirements for alternate growth are done.
Chocolate prompt: Noisy festival activities scare the daylights out of Setsushi.
Prompt response 3: Chiyo tries to teach Setsushi that the loud noises and so forth are harmless, but he's much too little to comprehend, and she just ends up upsetting him more.
Send in alternate growth form.
Solo RPs while waiting; hint at infant Setsushi moving towards acting more like a toddler.
Setsushi's Toddlerhood Your child is now old enough to experience separation anxiety! Isn't that swell!?
Dear Diary entry 1 from Chiyo.
Chocolate prompt: At a New-Year fortune teller's booth, when Chiyo asks about her son's future, Setsushi can't seem to roll up any numbers but the unlucky four and twelve.
Prompt response 1: Chiyo reflects that an unlucky life full of difficulty is said to forge a stronger character, but is also afraid misfortune will hurt her son like it did his father.
Solo RP displaying Setsushi's fearfulness and attachment to mommy.
Chocolate prompt: Setsushi's separation anxiety is so bad Chiyo can't even go one room over to preside over the court without him crying.
Prompt response 2: Chiyo tries both to explain to Setsushi that he'll be fine on his own because he is never really alone, with the servants to support him (not so successful) and then to desensitive him to her comings and goings (a little more successful.)
Various ORP and PRP now that the toddler is old enough to do cute things.
"Dear Diary" from Setsushi consisting of a bunch of colorstick scribbles.
Dear Diary entry 2 from Chiyo. Minimum requirements for alternate growth are done.
Chocolate prompt: It's too hot to stay inside during the summer, so Chiyo takes Setsushi to the nearby seaside, where she finds him to enjoy the water a lot and even wander far away from his mother.
Prompt response 3: Chiyo continues to take him to encourage the idea that there are nice things in the world besides mommy. Of course, there's the danger of him getting swept under, so she makes sure that either she or another Water Porcelain is close if he needs help.
Send in alternate growth form.
Solo RPs, ORPs while waiting.
Setsushi's Childhood Finally, it looks like the fearful and whiny little boy is smiling a little more regularly.
Send him to an ORP or two to show that confidence.
1 PRP, a seaside playdate.
Dear Diary entry 1 from Setsushi, a deformed clay cup For Momy.
Dark chocolate prompt: The farmers are having a bad year, and for the first time Setsushi meets a starving beggar on the street.
Prompt response 1: Setsushi has no concept of starvation or not having any money, which Chiyo explains to him. Chiyo, being the Judge of her town, cuts back on her own spending and sells belongings to buy more food for the townspeople.
Dear Diary entry 1 from Chiyo.
Solo RP to show Setsushi's reaction to these scary revelations.
Dear Diary entry 2 from Setsushi, who wants to grow up to be like mommy.
Miniquest: Because Setsushi wants to grow up to be a gentleman, he wants to enter school a little bit earlier than is usual. Chiyo isn't sure about this, though, considering her son's shyness.
Miniquest response 1: The desire to be a Good Son overcomes his fears; although being teased by other children makes him cry, he hides this from his mother so that he won't make her worry. Minimum requirements for alternate growth are done.
Enjoy some ORPs and PRPs. I don't really enjoy doing solo RPs or diary entries, so I try to do more of these and develop his character in them.
Send in alternate growth form.
Let Setsushi enjoy the last few moments of childhood before I spring horrible, horrible puberty on him...
Setsushi's Teenage Years poorsetsu
Dear Diary 1 entry from Setsushi.
Dear Diary 1 entry from Chiyo.
Hurry and do a few RPs with preteen Setsushi before the horrible strikes.
PRP 1 with childhood friends.
Miniquest: ... Did Setsushi just eat all that in one sitting?
Miniquest response 1: Chiyo checks, but no, he has no illness, no parasites, and dance classes and play are at the same intensity as usual. Setsushi thinks he's apparently just a pig.
Miniquest: And then he starts to grow. And grow. And he doesn't stop. And Chiyo is going to end up spending whole strings of money on his clothes at the rate he grows out of old sets.
Enjoy an ORP, Setsushi smacking his head on a low doorframe for the first time. It will not be the last.
Miniquest response 2: Setsushi is angsty about being a "burden!!11." He takes to wearing shabby clothes, rather than the typical garb of the nobility. His increasing awkwardness also motivates him to quit dancing.
PRP 2 with friends who try to convince him not to give up dancing -- but he can't be convinced.
Dear Diary Entry 2 from Setsushi who is an angsty teen.
Dear Diary Entry 2 from Chiyo.
Dear Diary entry 3 from Setsushi who doesn't want to be an angsty teen and decides he will follow his mother and be a courtier.
Miniquest: ... Given that Setsushi is a male, he'll never rise high in the courtly arts. He either has to accept being a Secretary for life, or...
PRP 3 in which Setsushi is suggested the military arts.
Miniquest response 3: Setsushi will be a Knight, to be the loyal sword-arm of the government.
Solo RP for Journal in which Setsushi is a little overwhelmed by the violence that a military career naturally entails, but tries to put away his sensitivity.
Miniquest: Setsushi's face just disappeared under all his acne, but he has worse ordeals ahead: he's having a bit of, err, trouble with a pretty girl in the neighborhood. What will he do? And can he still be friends with his female friends from childhood?
Miniquest response 4: ... No, he can't. He climbs a tree in the presence of any young female. He may be a loser, but requirements for alternate growth are done.
Send in alternate growth form.
Prepare for the Naming Ceremony.
Setsushi's Youth Setsushi is named Lucid of Water.
PRP 1 for congratulatory after-Naming feast.
Dear Diary 1 from Setsushi.
Extended growth quest: To become a Knight, the golden road for Lucids studying the military arts, in order to defend the Empire.
Dear Diary 1 from Chiyo.
Miniquest: find a Knight to be Squire under.
Dear Diary 2 from Setsushi, on looking for a Knight to be Squire under.
Solo RP for journal of trials and tribulations.
PRP 2 of horrendously failing courtship attempt.
Dear Diary 3 from Setsushi who is a wreck.
Miniquest response 1 of finding and becoming Squire of Tetsuhi.
Solo RP for journal of the difficulty of training -- more the personality conflict.
Dear Diary 4 from Setsushi reflecting on how it's becoming easier over time.
Solo RP for journal of horrific first experience with serious fighting.
PRP 3 of picking himself up from that experience with the help of others.
Miniquest: Eventually, Setsushi will have to kill someone himself.
Dear Diary 5 from Setsushi who is afraid of that day.
Dear Diary 6 from Setsushi who realizes that by being a great Knight he is saving others from that career, so he should be stronger.
Miniquest response 2 of that experience, hunting lawbreakers, which ends up not being as traumatic as he expected.
Dear Diary 7 from Setsushi who wonders if this makes him a bad person.
Solo RPs for Tetsuhi's departure and farewell with Setsushi and Setsushi's return to his mother and Spring-Cove.
Dear Diary 2 from Chiyo.
Miniquest: Chiyo arranges for Setsushi to serve under the Dragon Knight Tenkyuu, but if Setsushi leaves to join her promptly, he might not be at her side when Chiyo dies.
PRP 4 for death of Chiyo (with Tenkyuu arriving.)
Miniquest response 3: Setsushi stays at her side until the end; in the end, though, Tenkyuu admires him more for it.
Diaries, solo RPs, and PRPs as Setsushi tries to pick himself up and serve under Tenkyuu, fighting minor skirmishes and a few more serious battles. The time this is taking, might as well have gone Normal growth...
In the year Toutei-711, Setsushi becomes a Knight.
PRP 5: Setsushi meets Kouwa and Rika. Minimum requirements for Alternate growth are met.
Technically, though, Porcelain aren't "adults" until they are 20, and so I will play with him some more for a bit.
Send in alternate growth form.
Have Setsushi fall on his face while courting a few more times while waiting for art.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 1:11 am
How to get the most out of your prompts You can answer a prompt in one post, sure. But if all you do is answer prompts in single diary entries that summarize what happened, you may not get a lot out of each of them. If you often find yourself bored and with no ideas what to do with your appointment, let me recommend some techniques to make your prompt last so that one prompt can give you lots of different RP opportunities.
First, consider the situation leading up to the prompt. Chocolate and heavier prompts tend not to be mere random happenings, but situations that could have been building for some time. Consider how and why your parent and child characters got into this situation. Even if it is a fairly random event, consider why your characters were in the the right place at the right time (or the wrong place at the wrong time?)
Then, you can spread out the events of the prompt itself into several posts. If it's a "mystery" prompt that poses your family a puzzling situation or a "challenge" prompt that puts your child through a mild ordeal, consider having a few false leads, mistakes, or stumbling blocks. Even if it's just a "revelation" prompt that reveals new things about your child's abilities, it's always possible that the parents will misinterpret it at first or that the child could be initially scared or upset, requiring the family to take a little time to adjust to the situation.
Finally, consider the aftermath. This is a good time to consider arranging an RP with someone else so that your family can share their new knowledge or ask for support and comfort. Or, you could continue to post solo and describe the family's reflections and hopes and fears for the future. Doing so is especially nice as it gives the RP Managers ideas as to what you might like to receive as a future prompt! 3nodding Working your way through these three stages is generally good, and a well-developed episode arc is one of the things that is rewarded during Alternate growth grading. However, this doesn't mean you should endlessly drag out every prompt into a tedious epic -- sometimes you might get a bad prompt or you won't need to milk it for all it's worth because you have plenty of other prompts and RPs going on. But by developing a single prompt into several fleshed-out entries that each advance your child's story, you can generate more ideas, hooks, and RP opportunities for yourself, and the RP Managers will smile upon your efforts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
