Hybrid/Twin Waitlists

[boom]

Not that this is so much of a problem here, but in Isilme it did eventually become quite a long wait for a hybrid or twin birthing. In order to avoid this from happening, I was thinking we could impose a few rules about absent abyss or inactive characters on said list, so that we don't have to explicitly ask permission to take a player's slot who may or may not be around.

• If a character is placed in absent abyss when their reserved date meets, they may be bumped back a spot in favor of the active character following them.
  
• If a character is not on absent or in abyss when their date arrives, but they have failed to log in for 45-60 days, they may be switched to a later date in favor of active characters.
  
• If the player wishes to switch the character, they must notify the admin team via the Waitlist thread prior to the date set, or they may face the above rules.
  
• If a player is inactive for over 60 days when the date arrives, without notification, their character(s) will be removed from the waitlist.
  

And, as always, if you would like to remove your character from the Waitlist, all you have to do is ask.

Any comments, criticisms, or other suggestions?

[Narmer]

I really like all of these changes just because the waitlists are already long enough and it sucks to wait behind a charrie thats not currently active. Overall, I love it! (though it still sucks to have to wait like 6 months if you get on the list late.haha)

[Prometheus]

Speaking as one of those people who at the moment is loaded with school and unable to be as active as she would like, I would appreciate not being tossed off the list. I initially placed Tares on the list thinking I'd be playing her, but since then have become too busy to play that character. I'd still love to have a hybrid at some point without having to wait several years. When I was on Isilme I never even bothered to sign up for their hybrid list because it was a two year wait, and it was simply not reasonable. I've never been able to play a hybrid, and at the moment my main character (And since the order of the sun plot is apparently ending, soon to be my only), Prometheus, is not exactly capable of bearing children, but I would love to be able to try it sometime.

What happened a lot of time on Isilme was characters would be registered and their partners would go inactive, so the hybrid slot or twin slot would go to waste. I feel like registering by user as opposed to character could counteract this. I understand if a user drops off the grid then they should be bumped down the list, but I do my best to check in every once and a while, and I'd like to remain on the list for the time when I am able to come back and give my attention to the site, and also be able to change the character without being taken off completely. Things happen and change a lot, characters you expected to do certain things with don't end up following through on plots, etc.

[boom]

But a person is only in danger of being removed if they are not on absent or abyss and have not logged on for 60 days. In which case, their character should have been deleted during an activity check, anyway.
I do not see any reason why someone should be bumped off the list if they are an absent (or abyssed). The lack of notification in this case, just disappearing, I'm fairly certain it would be acceptable to remove them, since they may have just quit the site without telling any of the admins.

If a character is in abyss, they will not be removed, simply shuffled down the list one spot at a time. If they are only on absent, they would not even lose their date.

[Prometheus]

Perhaps I misunderstood- but tares is in abyss nonetheless because I planned on playing her but could not, and I would still like to keep that date for some time in the future when I can.

[boom]

That is understandable. I had not intended to relinquish spots for dates that have already come and passed - just more of a "from here on out" sort of deal.
Tares can have a hybrid foal anytime she wants now because her date has passed. That is the current rule, and installing these ones would have no effect on past dates.

I just want to prevent active members from having to wait behind people who will not be having their foals soon after their set date in the future because of time constraints, resulting in a year long wait. People can get discouraged if they have to wait an upwards of a year.
I did not propose these to punish people for being busy with life - I hope that is clear.

[Gossamer the Benevolent]

Well, the systems already set up like that anyways(the having to wait like 6months-two years) so idk. I know its to keep twins/ hybrids down but idk....it still kinda sucks to wait a year or two just for one of them.=/

[Vikram]

I rather like the sign up by player idea... because if I wanted to have say.... Smoke have a hybrid and she had a partner well before Vikram, I'd rather not have to put off the foal for so long that she might (for the sake of argument) die or have an accident that takes away her fertility before her slot even comes up. Yeah, that's the worst-case scenario... but things happen. We've already gone through... what? Four server changes and one to go? Not everybody makes the move. And that's not even taking into account mischievous RE happenings.

[boom]

I do see your point about the third rule, and it can should be scratched.

At the moment, you can always change the character you want your slot for if you ask one of the admins. The reason I would not want to make it by player is because naming a character means you have some sort of plot idea for the foal, which means it will be more likely to be played.

And I think I need to clarify about this "bumping situation". I thought it would be swapping the spot with the character after them in the list, assuming this character was not also inactive, not moving the inactive characters to the back of the list. Essentially, they would only be moved one place back at a time for however many months they are in abyss. This would result in, at most, a month and a half wait when the player returns on the twins list and even less on the hybrids list.

[Blu]

I like it ^^ and I agree with boom about why we prefer by character than player, and that yes if you ask characters can easily be swapped, we're not very strict about that :3 I mean half the time both partners aren't even known.


I understand the wait time is long, but that's also why we offer hybrid slots and spontaneous twins/hybrids as well. I think this new method of bumping slots will be ideal in ensuring that active people will be more capable of getting their hybrids/twins.

Maybe we should also make it a rule that you can only have your name down once at a time. So you have to wait until that date has passed/foal born, before you can sign up on the list again, ensuring that more people get the opportunity rather than the same name going down over and over?

I want to keep the rarity of hybrids and twins. It's roughly every month the date is assigned, which is about how often a companion is released, and at first that might seem very long, but over time you suddenly have 3858445 companions, so I think the wait is good, and helps make the opportunity more special.