Advanced Section Criteria Rules [Fixed]

Hello everyone!

I am writing this in the feedback thread because I would like to give feedback on this certain topic. Recently, I received a warning as my Advanced Roleplay Section posts were not meeting the criteria of the rules. Being concerned for as to what the rules were that I was not meeting, I decided to look them up.

There is a length requirement for role-play posts. Casual and One-on-One role-playing posts only have to be at least 10 sentences in length. Advanced role-playing posts must be at least 4 (five-sentence) paragraphs long.

So, everyone knows that the Casual and One on One roleplays are 10 sentences long. When asking someone carelessly, cause I had not found the quote above before today, I asked them, "How long must the Advanced be?" They replied back, "20 sentences". So, since then, I have been making sure my posts are AT LEAST twenty sentences, but I usually produce more when I'm on a good whim of motivation.

However, as you can see, the Advanced role-playing posts must be 4 (five sentence) paragraphs. That would equal up to 20 sentences, do you not agree? No, my posts have not always been formatted in such a way, but I've had much more than the sentence limit that the paragraphs produce.

Even in my warning, I was told that I obviously had the ability and had quite a bit to my post that was worthy of being in Advanced, but that one technicality has given me an Unofficial Warning, just because it was not 5 sentences to at least 4 paragraphs.

My request is that, like the other two catagories, the Advanced Section be placed under the same structure. Twenty Sentences, or more, seems fairly decent. I do not think that the number of sentences put within a paragraph should have a say on a person's writing. Personally, it takes me quite a bit to read posts that have quite a few sentences in one paragraph, because the words jumble up on me, and sometimes the topic has changed within the paragraph and they've just added it to the paragraph to meet such a criteria. The flow is set off balance, and it's difficult for me to enjoy what I'm reading.

The same goes for when I am writing. I write based upon what I feel the character, the setting, what have you would act upon, and I don't try to pull out that last sentence to meet the criteria because I feel it would just be filler space. Rarely does it contribute really to what I have to say about my post; it only serves the purpose of meeting that 4 paragraph, 5 sentence measurement.

I do hope some of you come across this feeling the same way so that maybe there can be something done about it. If the Advanced section is not based upon sentences, and only structure of paragraphs, then why are the other two different? And vice versa.

-Sincerely,
Attie

The two are different because Casual focuses more on freedom while Advanced focuses more on development. Whereas 10 sentences in Casual is a bar to be met, four 5-sentence paragraphs in Advanced is a bar to be surpassed. Shorter paragraphs and single lines of dialogue are just as important. Whereas dialogue and quick actions are not always needed in a post, description is always available and necessary. Therefore, setting the bar according to what is always available and necessary in an Advanced post is probably where Fate was originally coming from.

We staff have been and are currently discussing this issue at length. We should have a more official response for you soon.

I'd have to say I disagree with the assignments for content in relation to Advanced and Casual Role Plays.

No offence to the maker, but surely one must agree that not only are they impractical, but limiting on the flow and style of any one particular writer. Having to have to regulate yourself in writing and ensure that you're putting five sentences in every one of your paragraphs certainly seems like something that would restrict me.

What if that isn't appropriate to how I am writing my post?

What if I want to convey a sense of anticipation or fear? Speed up my pace? Surely for this I would use short, quicker sentences and smaller paragraphs. 10 sentences or four 5-sentence paragraphs is wholly destructive of that writing process and, if I am not too bold, quite the opposite of development. We must be careful to separate ourselves when it comes to development and doctrine.

Yes, I know that your rules state clearly that you can write like this but they then state that you must ensure you've included paragraphs of the accepted size to be valid for Advanced. Does that not defeat the purpose of being able to write in the style that suits you most?

I hope I am not being too assertive or coming off as trying to be superior, I am simply trying to help.

So, as a solution to this I would do the following:

By all means keep quotas to be met for posts respective to category, but do it differently so as to avoid getting in the way of your how your members like to write.

10 Vertical Lines Minimum for Casual and One-On-One.
20 Vertical Lines Minimum for Advanced.

OR:

200 Words Minimum for Casual and One-On-One.
500 Words Minimum for Advanced.

Having lines distinguishes from sentences, which can in fact consist of a single word.

So, what do you think?

I agree in that I don't like the requirements, but that is why I tend to role play in causal rather than advanced. The rules are this site's measurement of what is literate, and they have to have some form to measurement to moderate by.

I highly doubt it is going to be changed, however I would like to know whether or not the 20 sentences has to be in 4 paragraph blocks because previously I had assumed it didn't matter.

Edit: While I'm not pushing for change, I have to admit that word requirements are much easier to follow than sentence requirements, at least for myself personally.

Ryona, it is the case that is not just twenty sentences at this moment in time of a requirement for Advanced. It is, infact, that you must write out 4 paragraphs with at least 5 sentences in each of them. We're welcome to write shorter paragraphs and dialogue, if we choose, in addition, but not as an exception.

That is .. the main concern. And while it may not be changed, I still want to place feedback in hopes that I may not be the only one who is less in favor of this particular rule.

EDIT: I think Descent makes a very good point, also. With what s/he spoke about the scary scene, etc. It won't let me quote it for some reason, but I'm sure everyone can just read up on their post as to what I am referring to.

I agree with Attie and Descent.

I wish I could really add more to this, but yeah, they've pretty much said it all. I will say that the word limit might be something to consider. I'd much rather have a word limit than a sentence limit. Its so much easier to count words than to count sentences.

Again, wish I could add more, but sadly, I can't.
>_<

We are actively discussing this issue in the Staff Room.

Thank you all for your concern in bettering FOG and role-playing here.

I understand Attie, my response was more toward Descent than yours. I do hope that they clarify, because like you I thought that the format of the twenty sentences didn't matter as long as there was twenty. It will be good to know if that is not the case. It is just easy to assume so.

Thank you, Hermes. I appreciate that it's even being taken into a conversation.

It's a very important subject, because it concerns who we are, who we ought to be, and especially who we plan to be, here at FOG.

Well, hopefully my suggestion will help you guys with your discussion.

I must say I am very impressed with the care and consideration both from the Staff and the member base and the ability for you to all discuss things openly.

I've been on far too many forums where the Staff does everything behind closed doors and then issues their will upon the community.