IMPROVEMENT IDEAS
When?
Activity Checks/Day Changes:
So I've been in this guild on and off for about 2 years now.
In that time span, the day has only moved forward 2 or 3 times as far as I can remember.
Long story short, it takes months for a day change to take place.
I feel like that's WAY too long and can make the guild drag on for a very long time..
which is very..very..boring..
In other guilds, members have 2 full weeks [irl time] to do what they wish throughout an RP day.
(sometimes 3-4 weeks if members request day extensions).
Usually, when the day changes in other guilds, It will say something like:
"Oh, today is [Day of the Week, Month, #th] and it's [Weather condition here] for the [insert holiday or guild event here]".
A topic is also created in the Main forum to help people keep track if they miss the day-change announcement.
Events don't have to be every day, but some every couple days would be nice.
Guild Events:
As for guild events, I've seen a couple pop-up recently,
but there is no way anyone could have known about them unless they actually went looking for them.
Those should be announced as well.
My suggestion for an announced guild event would be a Festival or Ball.
(I think there's a strawberry festival or something? I might need to check.)
But it needs to work for characters of all ages. Not just students.
Who/What?
Characters:
I feel as though the most 'ideal' character you can play in this guild is either a mermaid or a human. All the other fantasy races, the OCs especially, get placed on the back-burner for the canon red-head mermaid bombshell just sitting and eating food in front of the TV. While on the other hand, a girl just transformed into a Fairy Dragon on the other side of town and is trying to save everybody. Oh wait, what is there for her to save people from again?
Character Arcs:
When someone makes a character,
Most of the time, an experienced writer will make them flawed and give them a dream or aspiration.
When this character gets to know others, they may express their love for something they want to do- It's fine.
But I've been seeing characters obsess over something they want in the RP.
While that's somewhat okay, it gives the reader the vibe that your character has no other hobbies or traits that makes them interesting.
I'm also seeing a lack of villains..Who is sending all these mermaids/other creatures to shore in the first place?
Canon Characters:
In the art world (where I make tons of OCs),
people don't really like the usage of canon characters in an RP unless it's an Alternate Universe (AU).
I consider this guild to be an AU of the Fantasy Film 'The Little Mermaid',
but where's Ursula? Or even other sea-witches?
Not all of these 'Sea-witches' have to be villainous either.
It's just there's no conflict for these canon characters anymore.
They just sit and look pretty.
Where?
Setting:
Suburban France.
It's not terrible, and I know this is already being done,
but why not have other worlds and places beyond France people can visit?
They're aliens in the guild for crying out loud!
Why not other planets?
I feel like a more diverse setting will allow for a more diverse story overall.
There was even another guild I was in that took place in the ocean and people could be pirates! It was awesome! Why not let their be a militia trying to fight pirates at sea? (That would also give the "Dad" characters a purpose in the guild should they choose to go fight for France against the pirates).
How?
Active Members:
My other ideas to get more active members:
- 1.) Create a Thread in the "RP recruiting" forum
2.) Actually invite people you know like to RP instead of just random people.
3.) When you advertise, promise a guild event for new members so they have a chance to meet other people and characters (Follow that promise!).
4.) Make a discord server so people can better communicate out of character if they cannot access Gaia.
5.) DO NOT, AND I MEAN 'NOT' SPAM NEW MEMBERS INBOXES.
Let them discover the guild for themselves without asking "Oh hey, what's Alexandra going to do next in the RP?"
That's basically asking for spoilers.
And don't fill their inbox with "I bought this and this from the store/amazon" today.
Most people joining are probably younger (anywhere from 15-their mid to late 20s)
They'd rather talk about how intense things are going to get to do in the RP, Like:
"What new villain is going to try and foil my character?! I hope my character be okay! I wonder if the villian and my character could be friends one day..?"
It just seems odd to me that no one (Aside from a few people I know) Understand the thrill of a conflict in a story.
Without conflict, it's not interesting.
Feel free to post all your suggestions in this area here too if you want.
