New: Special Profile Test Runs

[Loxmardin]

Hello everyone.

What with the increased interest in evil factions and other character types that require special profiles, the GM team has decided to allow a certain testing period for most with a few set conditions. What this means is that you would be allowed to roleplay your Special Profile character before the profile's approval provided you:

1. Have started the profiling process; i.e. you've created and posted the profile. If you post it in the Workshop first, this also applies for two weeks since the profile is first posted until it's moved into the Special Profile queue, at which point there is no time limit beyond the waiting time before profile approval.
   
2. Ask a GM and get a direct, instant and affirmative reply (this means you should ideally ask in-game or through any IM service; Skype, AIM, etc.) before you set out to start roleplaying. This needs to be done for every RP occasion; permission does not last over an extended period.
   
3. Are able to provide the name of the specific GM and they can back you up. We will be keeping track.

Keep in mind that the following also applies for Special Profiles roleplayed this way prior to the actual profile approval:

1. You may not use your "Special" abilities, status or authority against other players or NPCs prior to profile approval.
   
2. We extend these permissions primarily so you have time to get to know your character and take them for a "test run"; personality and history, not much else.
   
3. This grace period is meant to permit storylines, especially involving "evil factions", to get off the ground without being held up by the Special Profile process.
   
4. This movement does NOT include application-only Special Profiles, such as: Dragonsworn, Nobility, mini-CMCs.

This movement is ultimately a test of trust, and so there will be repercussions for those who fail to follow the above guidelines.

• If you are found roleplaying a Special Profile character prior to profile approval and it turns out you simply forgot or neglected to ask permission, you'll get one warning. Second offense and you lose the right to take advantage of this testing period in the future.
  
• If you are found roleplaying a Special Profile character prior to profile approval and claim to have gotten GM permission that can not be backed up, you lose the right to take advantage of this testing period in the future and also get suspended. This is essentially Scamming, as far as we're concerned.

All the ominous details aside, we hope you'll take full advantage of this and that this makes Special Profile characters easier and more fun to pursue, alongside the storylines that heavily involve them.

Love,
GM Team

[Sorum]

Thank youuuuuuu, a lot.

[Osvaldas]

Even entry ranks of a evil faction need to make a special profile? (Burning Legion for example.)

[Mathias]

Yes.

[Osvaldas]

So I can play evil character go around killing people without a profile, but if I want to RP entering a Burning Legion I need to make a profile. Alright.

[Loxmardin]

Indeed.

Evil faction characters are special primarily because of their delicate nature. There's also the matter of special storylines and OOC details involved with some of them (like how the Twilights had their factions changed for a while to permit them to enter previously hostile areas, which made them hostile to previously neutral NPCs). All in all, they are an oddity against the common "character base" and are treated thereafter.

(Although I'd argue that the evil mass-murderer won't last long, either. *dusts off her NPC commands*)

[Sorum]

Feedback time!

I've actually used this system in the past few days, and I'd like to give a bit of feedback from a user point of view (I would guess you guys want to hear this, mhm?).

First of all there's a small detail that needs to be in the thread, can a Trial GM give approvals? I know we don't tend to have trial GMs for that long but right now it would be nice to know, and who knows maybe in the future it will also be like now where we have 4 trial GMs.

The length of the approval. Poking a GM -each- time you go out to RP is tiresome for both the player and the GM (and sometimes you can't even find a GM for that). I'd imagine that extending the approval to let's say a day would be much better so people won't have to flop about in an attempt to catch one of 'em GMs. Another problem with this is that sometimes you can end up planning some RP and then you have to find a GM to say "yis, go RP like it's 1990", and then you don't find one! And you are sad cause you really wanted to RP.

Also, this is more a tip for the players than anything: Get in the skype group chat, it tends to be the best place to find GMs for approvals, that unless you got them added to skype. Overall, the system is working but the tweaking would be amazing to have.