Rejecting Characters

silverclawedmouse · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **silverclawedmouse** on Mon Jul 18, 2011 7:01 pm

Does anyone else have the problem of rejecting submitted characters? I don't mean technologically, but morally. I guess thats the right word.

If you start an RP and someone submits a character, but you hate it, what do you do? I'm not the best writer in the world, but I prefer those I collaborate with to be around my level. However, when I get a character that I can't stand, I feel bad about rejecting it. The person liked my RP and wants to be a part of it, and I feel bad denying them that. However, I don't want to force myself to do something I find unpleasant and would therefore lose interest in.

For example, I had this one RP. Some of the characters were really good and some of them I could put up with, even though they weren't the best things I've ever read. There was this one guy who was horrible. He mentioned that he was new and wasn't sure how everything worked. We talked and he was very eager to take my pointers and edited his character sheet closer to what I wanted. It was still terrible. But because he wanted in and had tried to fix it, I didn't have the heart to tell him no, even though I really didn't want him.

I realize this possibly makes me a terrible person, but its how I feel.

How do you guys deal with submissions you don't want to accept? Do you suck it up and deal with them, or do you tell them straight up that you don't want them?

Vanity Evolved · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Vanity Evolved** on Mon Jul 18, 2011 8:05 pm

I think I feel your pain.

Really, there isn't much you can do - I'd feel just as bad rejecting a good player who made an effort, as I would a new player who's not experienced, but made the effort.

Have you thought about maybe subtlely dropping a link to a friend, or something? "This game has quite a few new players, and I'm sure you could learn a lot from this game"?

silverclawedmouse · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **silverclawedmouse** on Tue Jul 19, 2011 5:46 am

I normally don't reject good players, because I tend to avoid making RPs with needed character slots that only one person can fulfill. They're more open, free-for-all kind of things. And I think its much easier to reject a character for a slot RP than an open RP. But that could just be me.

As for suggesting that to friends, all my friends on this site have a higher writing level than I do, so I never have to suggest such a thing to them. Its the complete strangers that I have trouble with. Its when they try to enter my game, but I don't want them.

Sench · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Sench** on Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:56 am

I think it's well within your rights to reject people. You are not obliged to accept them, so rejecting them, even if you don't have a reason at all - and you do - isn't mean or impolite or anything of the sort (at least I don't see it that way). If they are not up to your standards or you just can't get along, neither of you will get to enjoy the game (and other players might be upset as well). You are not being a jerk when you do this, on the contrary, you're saving everyone a bunch of trouble.

Harlequin Smile · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Harlequin Smile** on Fri Jul 29, 2011 2:52 pm

Rejecting people for no reason at all is awful.

Rejecting people for a legitimate reason, eg, characters not fitting with the spirit of the game, or like it's been said someone who isnt up to the standards you'd like them to be, is perfectly fine.

The only thing I would say is give them a chance, which you're obviously doing. If someone doesnt quite match up, tell them, give them pointers, offer outright help, if it's needed. If they still cant give you what you're looking for, then let them go. If you've offered what help you can, it's not your problem any more, and what's better for you and your stories in the long run, having to feel momentarily bad for rejecting the odd person, or having a dead weight dragging everyone else back?

Fallacy · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Fallacy** on Mon Aug 01, 2011 1:02 am

I know what you mean. It's hard for me to reject the characters of well-meaning roleplayers who are nice and all, but don't quite fit my criteria.

The best way to deal with it, I think, is to let them down as softly as you can, and maybe recommend some other roleplays that "are better suited for your skill at this point in time" (though that kind of sounds condescending to me :/).

Queen of Ice · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Queen of Ice** on Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:56 pm

Ugh, just had to do this recently. Miserable. I felt absolutely awful. Especially since I asked the person to edit their character and it still came back just as bad.

But then I got over it. You see an RP full of good writers and you know it was worth it.

As long as you aren't mean, you won't regret rejecting a character that doesn't meet your standards. Trust me.

Being a GM and creating an RP on this site is about having a fun time. It's something that you worked hard on and want to have a lot of fun with, right? So don't taint your work with poor writing or turn it into a chore where you're constantly having to help someone write better. If you had just built the coolest car ever, you wouldn't let someone who was just learning drive it, right? You'd tell them to take the bus and try again later. Same with an RP.

Wow my analogies are weird... haha...

ryushima2011 · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **ryushima2011** on Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:20 pm

I think you have the right to reject whoever you want! But if you do it, you should have a very good reason!

Tea · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Tea** on Wed Aug 17, 2011 8:20 pm

Speaking in a generalistic manner rejecting characters is not something that normally weighs on my conscience. Characters are figments of concepts lashed or woven together and do not have feelings of themselves. The trouble arrives when I sense that there is some kind of connection between the character and the player. In other words, that part of the character submission is based upon the mind and emotions of the player; a basis that extends beyond simple frivolity and enters into an area more alike to sincerity.

Speaking generally the easiest answer to provide a potential player with a character submission that I find odd is, "Thank you, but no. Please try with a different concept." But, yes, I do understand the feeling that comes when a player's attitude about a role-play is the primary issue rather than the character that they submit. In this case the rejection is based on the player, rather than the character, and I often feel it must be handled with more tact and sensitivity than simply saying, "No. Try something else." When this case arises I do feel, but I also generally wash my mind in the knowledge that a player with a non-fitting attitude is something that no amount of character submission can fix.

Ephemeral Rhapsody · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Ephemeral Rhapsody** on Fri Aug 19, 2011 1:38 pm

I always feel bad about rejecting characters because I automatically believe the person tried their best and still failed and I have to make them feel bad about it.

I just tell them what I saw as wrong, whether the style was wrong for the RP or their character lacked depth or maybe the character was simply of no use in the game setting, and then tell them how they could improve or what they could change and maybe I'd let them in if it works.

As a GM, your role is create the best environment for the game and to keep the player levels constant (You wouldn't bring a one liner to an RP that has 3+ paragraphs per post) so everyone has fun. Allowing someone who doesn't fit in the game is like a company hiring someone who can't do their job. It will irritate everyone and cause people to leave or ignore the bad guy.

So, don't feel too bad and be nice and you'll just have to hope they don't send you an angry PM.

Black · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Black** on Fri Aug 19, 2011 5:39 pm

Rejecting characters can be hard sometimes. Many do try their best in creating characters and I don't think anyone wants to actually do it. But you have the right as the GM to decide who you think is best suited for the RP, if you have spaces then you would obviously choose those best suited to fill those spaces. It doesn't make you a bad person, it makes you a good GM. Sometimes if you have a too big of variety in posting length then it can affect the players and you don't want that.

What I tend to do is work with them to fix their characters and perhaps ask them to send me a sample of what they would write for their posting. If it's still pretty terrible then I would try and help them to make it better, perhaps say that at this current moment in time you don't think they are quite ready to join your RP but with some practice, you'll happily accept them later or again in another RP. I am sure they will understand if you explain kindly that many people tend to post 2+ paragraphs (just an example) and thus you fear the pressure put upon this new person trying to join.

I know it's a hard thing to do but it's a thing which must be done occasionally, even if you really don't want to. At the end of the day it's your RP and you cannot let it's players suffer because you feel bad and have to let someone join. I know it's easier said then done and I don't mean to offend anyone by what I just said but you can understand that sometimes it's just necessary.

Wudgeous · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Wudgeous** on Sun Sep 18, 2011 12:46 am

Critique is the key! Critique the crap out of them!!

No, really. That's what I do to stave off pesky negative feelings like guilt. To be fair, I critique everyone, good and bad. The way I critique is: Find a few things in their profile that actually work, and compliment the roleplayer on them; sprinkle those compliments between the cracks of the rest of the crit, which would be Everything that is wrong with their app.
I give second chances. I've never had someone lose heart and not want to try apping again! ...But on the other hand, some tend to miss the point on their second try, and make their apps worse... somehow. <:| So I crit them again, reaffirm the important bits from before that they need to be aware of. And send them on their way because I don't have enough dedication to give them a third critique. I tell 'em SORRY BRO! GOTCHER CHANCE ALREADY! Good luck finding a roleplay better suited to you, have a nice day, etc, etc.

When it comes down to it, you've at least tried to help them become a better roleplayer, and that's all that matters in the long run.
(Okay, you could argue that "better roleplayer" is extremely subjective when we're not talking about novices, but let's not tread that muddy path for the time being).

Maybe I'm just heartless though. <333

Also, Queen of Ice? That analogy was beautiful. I want to use it in everyday life so badly right now.

the_judged · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **the_judged** on Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:05 am

I don't GM a lot of role plays, but I have experience with it.

When people give me a character I don't like, I go ahead and give them at least a trial period to show that I made the right decision in accepting them. I prefer to have all information available to me before I decide whether or not someone's worth keeping around.

If my suspicions about the role player end up being wrong, great. If not, I arrange a private discussion with the role player and explain my reasoning. If we can't come to an agreement, then I reject them.

Ninja Vanish · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Ninja Vanish** on Thu Sep 29, 2011 3:38 pm

It's certainly a rough situation to be in. I think you went through a lot of trouble to create this role-play and it is, after all, your job to maintain it and keep it at the level of quality you strive for... so sometimes you have to play bad cop and make the tough calls if you foresee a character or writer influencing the story in a negative way. And sometimes that negative way can mean not being able to keep up with other writers, or writing shorter, less quality posts than you are exepecting. The rest of your writers look to you to keep the story going, so you have to do what you can to maintain it... regardless of the morality of it.

ChaoticMarin · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **ChaoticMarin** on Sat Oct 08, 2011 1:58 pm

I feel the guilt, but I generally acknowledge that what I'm doing is necessary and my job, and not something that I can be held at personal fault for. I will often attempt to help someone before outright denying them. However, there is a point where it's no longer within my power to teach someone for the purposes of letting them join the roleplay.

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