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Newcomer Bombardment and the Powers of Captain Planet
Okay so some people will have read little announcements like this before so apologies if I've repeating myself for some but as life moves on and forums grow new members come along or people forget and reminders are needed so bear with me here, it'll be as painless as possible, I promise!
For those of you who don't know: Aeipathy is awesome. We have a wonderful community of near a hundred members who all love to be helpful and encouraging and eager and friendly and all of those wonderful, wonderful things. Not for a second do I want anyone to change on the way they are welcoming and kind to newcomers on the site. There is many a forum which are isolating or cold-shouldered or dismissive to newcomers and I will never accept Aeipathy becoming like that - we are awesome and we are going to stay that way with the help of the lovely people we have.
However, sometimes our friendliness and wonderfulness does not always account for certain, unique elements of Aeipathy...
There Are Lots of Us
Firstly - the size of our community. We are a pretty big group of people with some loud personalities and we love to welcome newcomers (sometimes all at once) and we can occasionally leave newcomers looking a little dazed and confused or even (God forbid) frightened or nervous. It's not that any one of us has overstepped a mark or gone too far - it's just the sheer volume of people and welcomes and eagerness to have someone take a wanted character or be a part of their story. It's a lot to take in for a sole newcomer who feels like an army just descended upon them.
So, my first message to the community is: please remember that you are one of many and they are alone.
By all means, say hello, be friendly, ask some questions. But, remember that you have all the time in the world to ask them. If you see there are two or three people already typing on Discord, maybe just wait a second. Let the newcomer answer them and then go for it. If you notice that the newcomer themselves is talking, schtum until they post so that you can show that you're listening. If a staffer is talking to a newcomer, maybe let them take point and help them out. You have all the time in the world to ask your questions - they don't need to be asked alongside several dozen others. One at a time is fine. Else we end up Captain Planet-ing people and drowning them in 'Heart'.
Our Lore Is Complex
Some of us forget this because we have been members on the site for a long time. We've learnt the lore, we've done the reading and we've immersed ourselves in it for a while. So, we happily start talking about kingdoms and characters and houses and curveballs and all these wonderful things that we forget other people don't understand. Sometimes it is honestly so important and a total make or break for a newcomer when someone takes the time to tag at them and say - 'hey hun - just so you know, X is a character in the kingdom of Colchis - he's current doing Y plot, which is why so-and-so is joking about Z.' A single translating sentence, just so that our new friend doesn't feel out of the loop. You don't need to bombard them with every detail of Y plot or the X character's family tree. Just the basics and how it applies to the current conversation is enough. Just to help them feel included in the discussion.
Enthusiasm Can Run Away With Us
Connected to the above, sometimes I see members letting their enthusiasm for chatter, joking and plotting move them away from the original point of the conversation. When a newcomer is present they are the focus of the conversation. It's all about them. We have other channels like the green room and plotting channels were everyone can natter to their hearts content about characters and plots that a newbie wouldn't understand. Go there to have fun. Remember when you start talking about characters to newcomers you are talking about them for their benefit. I love that our members get carried away with their eagerness, bouncing off of each other and joking around, but please remember not to lose sight of the main purpose when you're talking to a newcomer who needs encouragement and support that they can understand and follow.
We Have a Lot of Wanteds
A quick reminder to all those who've forgotten whilst our Compendium is down... but Aeipathy has a LOT of wanteds. We have upwards of 200 unclaimed canons and wanteds in our database. And our staff team have very good memories. In fact, we have a full compendium available to us (even if it is a work in progress) to search those characters and be able to find the ones that most closely fit with what a newcomer is wanting to play.
Aeipathy holds true to a policy that every newcomer who walks in the door has a perfect character that would fit them just right. Out of 200 wanteds, plus the additional secret wanted ads and ideas that our staff team are cooking that could do with an X or a Y type character, statistically it's unlikely that we won't have something for each and every new arrival. And, in our experience, members are 10x more likely to complete their app for a character they have been perfectly matched to and more likely to stick it out on the site, to get their character involved, to have confidence in their writing and then go on to make more characters. Whilst it is lovely to be called upon the second you walk in the door to consider a wanted ad someone has, this initial flattery does not always lead to good things.
I would like to remind our members that asking leading questions in the general chat - 'how do you feel about Colchis eh eh?' or 'having you always wanted to be an Egyptian priest eh eh?' - or, worse still, DMing a newcomer with a wanted suggestion are strongly discouraged on Aeipathy. Yes there are times where there are no staffers around, no mentor has been assigned and someone honestly goes - hey just throw me anything and I'll see if I like it. Or, I really really want to make this super specific character that fits perfectly with someone's wanted ad even to the point of having the same FC. Yes, there are those times and yes we encourage everyone to be friendly and warm and offer something up if asked. As these events do happen it is not a rule that people can't suggest wanted ads. But we do ask that suggestions of specific characters are a) not given until it is super clear what someone might be looking for: personality, gender, age, kingdom etc... and b) unless it's something super specific, they are never given only one option. One character being given - especially in direct communications like DMs - can feel very difficult to say no to. And whilst it might be the perfect fit and go on to good things, there's also the stronger possibility of a newcomer getting buyer's remorse, losing faith in the app they are working on and then the staff team and their mentor have to work extra hard to bring their muse back around and encourage them to try again.
I can assure you that, if you have a wanted ad on the site that matches the criteria of what a new member is looking for then that wanted ad will be suggested to them. Mentors and Staffers are super thorough on this point. You do not need to go and promote a character in DMs or on the server personally. As lovely as it is initially it is a less likely to succeed plan than the way our Mentors and Staff Team go about things.
So, as much as we love you all and your enthusiasm and your welcoming efforts to bring newcomers into plots and suggest characters straight away please stop, think and let our staffers or mentors do their jobs and find the right fit for the newcomer. After that, they'll be on board, on the site and ready to get stuck in and you'll have all the time in the world to sell them on their second character claim!
And Remember...
Above all else, though. We want everyone to remember that being friendly and being welcoming is key and it is important. We do not want our members instantly shutting up so that a newcomer can have a single one on one conversation with a staffer the second they walk in the door. Be there, be friendly. Ask how they came to find Aeipathy, what are they up to today, where abouts in the world are they? Have they done historical rp before (not that it matters)? Anything and everything under the sun - make friends. And feel free to ask them what kinds of characters they like to play. Just don't lead them, don't throw a single character at them on the server or in DMs and be aware of how many people are talking at once. If the chat is blowing up for you, imagine how it feels to the dude who just walked in the door. We are a lovely community and I don't want that to change whatsoever. But I DO want us to keep growing. And we can't do that by scaring off lovely members or skewing their arrival with the wrong character because we were just a little too over eager to prove our own loveliness. Kay? Our newbies will see we're lovely. I promise. And your wanted ads are remembered, I promise. Your staff team is here for you. We just need you to work with us and remember that a whole community together can be powerful but it can also be a little overwhelming at times. So, let's have the right kind of teamwork, yeah!
JD
Staff Team
JD
Staff Team
This post was created by our staff team.
Please contact us with your queries and questions.
Newcomer Bombardment and the Powers of Captain Planet
Okay so some people will have read little announcements like this before so apologies if I've repeating myself for some but as life moves on and forums grow new members come along or people forget and reminders are needed so bear with me here, it'll be as painless as possible, I promise!
For those of you who don't know: Aeipathy is awesome. We have a wonderful community of near a hundred members who all love to be helpful and encouraging and eager and friendly and all of those wonderful, wonderful things. Not for a second do I want anyone to change on the way they are welcoming and kind to newcomers on the site. There is many a forum which are isolating or cold-shouldered or dismissive to newcomers and I will never accept Aeipathy becoming like that - we are awesome and we are going to stay that way with the help of the lovely people we have.
However, sometimes our friendliness and wonderfulness does not always account for certain, unique elements of Aeipathy...
There Are Lots of Us
Firstly - the size of our community. We are a pretty big group of people with some loud personalities and we love to welcome newcomers (sometimes all at once) and we can occasionally leave newcomers looking a little dazed and confused or even (God forbid) frightened or nervous. It's not that any one of us has overstepped a mark or gone too far - it's just the sheer volume of people and welcomes and eagerness to have someone take a wanted character or be a part of their story. It's a lot to take in for a sole newcomer who feels like an army just descended upon them.
So, my first message to the community is: please remember that you are one of many and they are alone.
By all means, say hello, be friendly, ask some questions. But, remember that you have all the time in the world to ask them. If you see there are two or three people already typing on Discord, maybe just wait a second. Let the newcomer answer them and then go for it. If you notice that the newcomer themselves is talking, schtum until they post so that you can show that you're listening. If a staffer is talking to a newcomer, maybe let them take point and help them out. You have all the time in the world to ask your questions - they don't need to be asked alongside several dozen others. One at a time is fine. Else we end up Captain Planet-ing people and drowning them in 'Heart'.
Our Lore Is Complex
Some of us forget this because we have been members on the site for a long time. We've learnt the lore, we've done the reading and we've immersed ourselves in it for a while. So, we happily start talking about kingdoms and characters and houses and curveballs and all these wonderful things that we forget other people don't understand. Sometimes it is honestly so important and a total make or break for a newcomer when someone takes the time to tag at them and say - 'hey hun - just so you know, X is a character in the kingdom of Colchis - he's current doing Y plot, which is why so-and-so is joking about Z.' A single translating sentence, just so that our new friend doesn't feel out of the loop. You don't need to bombard them with every detail of Y plot or the X character's family tree. Just the basics and how it applies to the current conversation is enough. Just to help them feel included in the discussion.
Enthusiasm Can Run Away With Us
Connected to the above, sometimes I see members letting their enthusiasm for chatter, joking and plotting move them away from the original point of the conversation. When a newcomer is present they are the focus of the conversation. It's all about them. We have other channels like the green room and plotting channels were everyone can natter to their hearts content about characters and plots that a newbie wouldn't understand. Go there to have fun. Remember when you start talking about characters to newcomers you are talking about them for their benefit. I love that our members get carried away with their eagerness, bouncing off of each other and joking around, but please remember not to lose sight of the main purpose when you're talking to a newcomer who needs encouragement and support that they can understand and follow.
We Have a Lot of Wanteds
A quick reminder to all those who've forgotten whilst our Compendium is down... but Aeipathy has a LOT of wanteds. We have upwards of 200 unclaimed canons and wanteds in our database. And our staff team have very good memories. In fact, we have a full compendium available to us (even if it is a work in progress) to search those characters and be able to find the ones that most closely fit with what a newcomer is wanting to play.
Aeipathy holds true to a policy that every newcomer who walks in the door has a perfect character that would fit them just right. Out of 200 wanteds, plus the additional secret wanted ads and ideas that our staff team are cooking that could do with an X or a Y type character, statistically it's unlikely that we won't have something for each and every new arrival. And, in our experience, members are 10x more likely to complete their app for a character they have been perfectly matched to and more likely to stick it out on the site, to get their character involved, to have confidence in their writing and then go on to make more characters. Whilst it is lovely to be called upon the second you walk in the door to consider a wanted ad someone has, this initial flattery does not always lead to good things.
I would like to remind our members that asking leading questions in the general chat - 'how do you feel about Colchis eh eh?' or 'having you always wanted to be an Egyptian priest eh eh?' - or, worse still, DMing a newcomer with a wanted suggestion are strongly discouraged on Aeipathy. Yes there are times where there are no staffers around, no mentor has been assigned and someone honestly goes - hey just throw me anything and I'll see if I like it. Or, I really really want to make this super specific character that fits perfectly with someone's wanted ad even to the point of having the same FC. Yes, there are those times and yes we encourage everyone to be friendly and warm and offer something up if asked. As these events do happen it is not a rule that people can't suggest wanted ads. But we do ask that suggestions of specific characters are a) not given until it is super clear what someone might be looking for: personality, gender, age, kingdom etc... and b) unless it's something super specific, they are never given only one option. One character being given - especially in direct communications like DMs - can feel very difficult to say no to. And whilst it might be the perfect fit and go on to good things, there's also the stronger possibility of a newcomer getting buyer's remorse, losing faith in the app they are working on and then the staff team and their mentor have to work extra hard to bring their muse back around and encourage them to try again.
I can assure you that, if you have a wanted ad on the site that matches the criteria of what a new member is looking for then that wanted ad will be suggested to them. Mentors and Staffers are super thorough on this point. You do not need to go and promote a character in DMs or on the server personally. As lovely as it is initially it is a less likely to succeed plan than the way our Mentors and Staff Team go about things.
So, as much as we love you all and your enthusiasm and your welcoming efforts to bring newcomers into plots and suggest characters straight away please stop, think and let our staffers or mentors do their jobs and find the right fit for the newcomer. After that, they'll be on board, on the site and ready to get stuck in and you'll have all the time in the world to sell them on their second character claim!
And Remember...
Above all else, though. We want everyone to remember that being friendly and being welcoming is key and it is important. We do not want our members instantly shutting up so that a newcomer can have a single one on one conversation with a staffer the second they walk in the door. Be there, be friendly. Ask how they came to find Aeipathy, what are they up to today, where abouts in the world are they? Have they done historical rp before (not that it matters)? Anything and everything under the sun - make friends. And feel free to ask them what kinds of characters they like to play. Just don't lead them, don't throw a single character at them on the server or in DMs and be aware of how many people are talking at once. If the chat is blowing up for you, imagine how it feels to the dude who just walked in the door. We are a lovely community and I don't want that to change whatsoever. But I DO want us to keep growing. And we can't do that by scaring off lovely members or skewing their arrival with the wrong character because we were just a little too over eager to prove our own loveliness. Kay? Our newbies will see we're lovely. I promise. And your wanted ads are remembered, I promise. Your staff team is here for you. We just need you to work with us and remember that a whole community together can be powerful but it can also be a little overwhelming at times. So, let's have the right kind of teamwork, yeah!
Newcomer Bombardment and the Powers of Captain Planet
Okay so some people will have read little announcements like this before so apologies if I've repeating myself for some but as life moves on and forums grow new members come along or people forget and reminders are needed so bear with me here, it'll be as painless as possible, I promise!
For those of you who don't know: Aeipathy is awesome. We have a wonderful community of near a hundred members who all love to be helpful and encouraging and eager and friendly and all of those wonderful, wonderful things. Not for a second do I want anyone to change on the way they are welcoming and kind to newcomers on the site. There is many a forum which are isolating or cold-shouldered or dismissive to newcomers and I will never accept Aeipathy becoming like that - we are awesome and we are going to stay that way with the help of the lovely people we have.
However, sometimes our friendliness and wonderfulness does not always account for certain, unique elements of Aeipathy...
There Are Lots of Us
Firstly - the size of our community. We are a pretty big group of people with some loud personalities and we love to welcome newcomers (sometimes all at once) and we can occasionally leave newcomers looking a little dazed and confused or even (God forbid) frightened or nervous. It's not that any one of us has overstepped a mark or gone too far - it's just the sheer volume of people and welcomes and eagerness to have someone take a wanted character or be a part of their story. It's a lot to take in for a sole newcomer who feels like an army just descended upon them.
So, my first message to the community is: please remember that you are one of many and they are alone.
By all means, say hello, be friendly, ask some questions. But, remember that you have all the time in the world to ask them. If you see there are two or three people already typing on Discord, maybe just wait a second. Let the newcomer answer them and then go for it. If you notice that the newcomer themselves is talking, schtum until they post so that you can show that you're listening. If a staffer is talking to a newcomer, maybe let them take point and help them out. You have all the time in the world to ask your questions - they don't need to be asked alongside several dozen others. One at a time is fine. Else we end up Captain Planet-ing people and drowning them in 'Heart'.
Our Lore Is Complex
Some of us forget this because we have been members on the site for a long time. We've learnt the lore, we've done the reading and we've immersed ourselves in it for a while. So, we happily start talking about kingdoms and characters and houses and curveballs and all these wonderful things that we forget other people don't understand. Sometimes it is honestly so important and a total make or break for a newcomer when someone takes the time to tag at them and say - 'hey hun - just so you know, X is a character in the kingdom of Colchis - he's current doing Y plot, which is why so-and-so is joking about Z.' A single translating sentence, just so that our new friend doesn't feel out of the loop. You don't need to bombard them with every detail of Y plot or the X character's family tree. Just the basics and how it applies to the current conversation is enough. Just to help them feel included in the discussion.
Enthusiasm Can Run Away With Us
Connected to the above, sometimes I see members letting their enthusiasm for chatter, joking and plotting move them away from the original point of the conversation. When a newcomer is present they are the focus of the conversation. It's all about them. We have other channels like the green room and plotting channels were everyone can natter to their hearts content about characters and plots that a newbie wouldn't understand. Go there to have fun. Remember when you start talking about characters to newcomers you are talking about them for their benefit. I love that our members get carried away with their eagerness, bouncing off of each other and joking around, but please remember not to lose sight of the main purpose when you're talking to a newcomer who needs encouragement and support that they can understand and follow.
We Have a Lot of Wanteds
A quick reminder to all those who've forgotten whilst our Compendium is down... but Aeipathy has a LOT of wanteds. We have upwards of 200 unclaimed canons and wanteds in our database. And our staff team have very good memories. In fact, we have a full compendium available to us (even if it is a work in progress) to search those characters and be able to find the ones that most closely fit with what a newcomer is wanting to play.
Aeipathy holds true to a policy that every newcomer who walks in the door has a perfect character that would fit them just right. Out of 200 wanteds, plus the additional secret wanted ads and ideas that our staff team are cooking that could do with an X or a Y type character, statistically it's unlikely that we won't have something for each and every new arrival. And, in our experience, members are 10x more likely to complete their app for a character they have been perfectly matched to and more likely to stick it out on the site, to get their character involved, to have confidence in their writing and then go on to make more characters. Whilst it is lovely to be called upon the second you walk in the door to consider a wanted ad someone has, this initial flattery does not always lead to good things.
I would like to remind our members that asking leading questions in the general chat - 'how do you feel about Colchis eh eh?' or 'having you always wanted to be an Egyptian priest eh eh?' - or, worse still, DMing a newcomer with a wanted suggestion are strongly discouraged on Aeipathy. Yes there are times where there are no staffers around, no mentor has been assigned and someone honestly goes - hey just throw me anything and I'll see if I like it. Or, I really really want to make this super specific character that fits perfectly with someone's wanted ad even to the point of having the same FC. Yes, there are those times and yes we encourage everyone to be friendly and warm and offer something up if asked. As these events do happen it is not a rule that people can't suggest wanted ads. But we do ask that suggestions of specific characters are a) not given until it is super clear what someone might be looking for: personality, gender, age, kingdom etc... and b) unless it's something super specific, they are never given only one option. One character being given - especially in direct communications like DMs - can feel very difficult to say no to. And whilst it might be the perfect fit and go on to good things, there's also the stronger possibility of a newcomer getting buyer's remorse, losing faith in the app they are working on and then the staff team and their mentor have to work extra hard to bring their muse back around and encourage them to try again.
I can assure you that, if you have a wanted ad on the site that matches the criteria of what a new member is looking for then that wanted ad will be suggested to them. Mentors and Staffers are super thorough on this point. You do not need to go and promote a character in DMs or on the server personally. As lovely as it is initially it is a less likely to succeed plan than the way our Mentors and Staff Team go about things.
So, as much as we love you all and your enthusiasm and your welcoming efforts to bring newcomers into plots and suggest characters straight away please stop, think and let our staffers or mentors do their jobs and find the right fit for the newcomer. After that, they'll be on board, on the site and ready to get stuck in and you'll have all the time in the world to sell them on their second character claim!
And Remember...
Above all else, though. We want everyone to remember that being friendly and being welcoming is key and it is important. We do not want our members instantly shutting up so that a newcomer can have a single one on one conversation with a staffer the second they walk in the door. Be there, be friendly. Ask how they came to find Aeipathy, what are they up to today, where abouts in the world are they? Have they done historical rp before (not that it matters)? Anything and everything under the sun - make friends. And feel free to ask them what kinds of characters they like to play. Just don't lead them, don't throw a single character at them on the server or in DMs and be aware of how many people are talking at once. If the chat is blowing up for you, imagine how it feels to the dude who just walked in the door. We are a lovely community and I don't want that to change whatsoever. But I DO want us to keep growing. And we can't do that by scaring off lovely members or skewing their arrival with the wrong character because we were just a little too over eager to prove our own loveliness. Kay? Our newbies will see we're lovely. I promise. And your wanted ads are remembered, I promise. Your staff team is here for you. We just need you to work with us and remember that a whole community together can be powerful but it can also be a little overwhelming at times. So, let's have the right kind of teamwork, yeah!