What is considered Development?

[Cira]

Hey folks,

Because [member="Silencia"] and I are looking to streamline the factory and codex together, I got to wondering again, what is considered development?

In Factory, we have this in place:

4. Development threads must be ten posts or greater to be accepted in factory submissions.
5. Submissions & development threads should adhere to the established standards of development.


My goal was to consolidate this and trim it down to a simple explanation on what is considered to be development for a submission?

This is what I have so far is down below is Factory specific. I think the only solid difference with dev threads between the codex and the factory is that the Factory requires at a minimum that development threads be 10 posts. Please correct me if I am wrong.

I'd love to come up with a combined version, or something along a similar vein where we can both use similar but slightly tweaked versions.


Thoughts? Suggestions? Concerns?

I'm trying to go for simple.

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What is considered Development?

The Factory typically only asks for development threads if: a submission is a set standard (for example as with Starship; is not properly balanced, or an item located within the submission is found on the Restricted Items List Restricted Items List.

One very easy method to follow is that if there is canon precedence and it is balanced with a solid set of weaknesses, then it typically doesn't require development. However, if a submission is particularly ambitious, a Judge reserves the right to ask for additional development for balance and fair play.

Unless specifically stated in the Factory rules, development threads typically start out in the range of a 10 to 15 post requirement. We recommend that the more ambitious and the more powerful the characteristics are in a Factory Submission, then more development you put in it. Solid weaknesses are a definite plus. If you know you're working on a particularly ambitious project it's probably a good idea to get a group together and do some larger scale development work.

On the same note, remember that a development thread may be a fleshed out, entertaining story. It does not need to revolve around dull and raw development. A writer may go on a quest to find the item or conduct roleplay that incorporates the submission in some way.

 

[Hailyn]

You also get that 'feel good feeling' that you worked hard for it.

I'm not sure this line is entirely necessary.

But I'm also a robot.

 

[Cira]

I'm not sure this line is entirely necessary.

But I'm also a robot.

Haha, I can remove it. That's fine if that is the consensus. I was just trying to be positive in explaining the whole, work hard at something so you feel as if you earned it.

 

[Julius Sedaire]

[member="Cira"] - I like it, but it could inspire some to feel like we are being un-needfully mean if we deny a pet project with the feel-good line. Might be best to leave it off in that regard and others.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

I could be wrong, but I think the Codex also works with a ten post minimum.

That being said, I feel like we should consider exceptions. Like if a person just wants to do one big story in one post, instead of having them cut up the big story into ten posts just to fit the rules, you know?

 

[Julius Sedaire]

I could be wrong, but I think the Codex also works with a ten post minimum.

That being said, I feel like we should consider exceptions. Like if a person just wants to do one big story in one post, instead of having them cut up the big story into ten posts just to fit the rules, you know?

Not something I thought of, I was more in 'edit and review' mode than contributing otherwise.

I would, if this is part of the discussion, like to see some way of rewarding word count, or making a minimum word count for post. It's massively unfair for someone to do three paragraphs or more at 5-6 lines each, clocking almost 800-1,000 words, and get the same dev credit at a 200-300 single paragraph post. I'll chew on methods for how maybe, since I don't have any yet, but I think working something in to that regard would be very helpful, one way or the other.

 

[Cira]

My goal is to explain in simple terms, what development is in general when it comes to submissions. IE when should I have a development thread? What should I expect when asked for development and why?

The nitty gritty on what is a quality post is a can of worms.
Because you can easily get into elitistville. The memberbase is broad. We have those who have done this for years and do 3k posts for threads. We also have the folks who just started rping and are learning via posting a few sentences. We have those whom English is their second language and are in varying degrees of working their way through it. And we have members who are dyslexic or who have suffered terrible head trauma and are rping because they are recently out of brain surgery and this is what they do for fun while they recuperate ( like kami)

With such a broad memberbase, quantifying what is a quality post is a super long task between trying to figure out what is fair and simplicity.

So I went with, if your submission is well balanced, good weaknesses, and follows canon precedence, then odds are you won't need a dev thread . . If your submission is ambitious then it might require dev and the factory judge will provide options via a range of posts or modifying for fair play and balance.

See the difference?

I am not sure about codex, but the Factory has that rule that at minimum a dev is 10 posts. That's the min hard limit.

Discussing what is a quality post is a different convo. Lol and a long one. Baby steps. Too much change at one time freaks people out. Right now I just want to streamline the rules and expectations with what rules we have now.

Post counts and such can be a separate discussion.

 

[Zeradias Mant]

Can confirm Codex generally adheres to a 10 post minimum.

I've never been a fan of changing what kind of dev is required - the current system is fine. Between all the contests and other promotions we have that offer 'get out of dev free' cards, members get enough breaks. Development isn't meant to stop people from submitting things, it's there to test how much people really want something. Plus, I'd really not look forward to have to copy and paste posts into a word doc to get a word count every time something is getting judged. If it ain't broke, don't fix it guys.

This list is kind of Codex-centric, but I did my best to change the language so it might more be universally applied. I would consider dev to be expected any time a submission:

• contains or utilizes a restricted material
• is doing something unusual, strange, or radical
• has the potential to tip the scales in a PvP scenario
• possesses unusual and damaging powers and/or abilities
• is exceptionally powerful with a higher availability rate

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

[member="Zeradias Mant"] put it better than I could. Or, at least, did so more succinctly

 

[Quietus]

10 is definitely the hard minumum however as I told Cira, I find a 10 post dev thread to be a huge waste of time. I would rather my Judges seek to have the submission in question be more balanced or further expanded upon than require a ten post dev. 15-20 is where I would rather see the minumum start while allowing for ten with writers who may be more long-winded in their posts.

Flexibilty is key. If you get a writer that gives you five sentenced a post, you're going to need 20 posts to cover the required dev. Writers who typically put out 5+ long paragraphs in evert post might be able to cover whats needed in 15 or less.

 

[Quietus]

Forgive the typos. On my phone.

 

[Raziel]

I've never seen it as hard work for some reason.

I've always seen it as "I've been writing about this thing and now I'm going to turn it into a factory/codex item so other people know what it is" rather than "I am annoyed at being asked to do some work for this overpowered nonsense I just submitted"

I feel this is especially true for Codex IMO. I only sub things there if they've been established on Roleplay already.

(sorry, pointless footnote, but maybe we can add something about not necessarily having to make the development thread dull and about raw development. You can go on a quest to find the item, conduct any old roleplay that incorporates the submission in some way)

 

[Cira]

What is considered Development?

The Factory typically only asks for development threads if a submission is a set standard as with Starships, is not properly balanced, or an item located within the submission is found on the Restricted Items List.

One very easy method to follow is that if there is canon precedence and it is balanced with a solid set of weaknesses, then it typically doesn't require development. However, if a submission is particularly ambitious, a Judge reserves the right to ask for additional development for balance and fair play.

Unless specifically stated in the Factory rules, typical development threads may run a broad range of 10 to 15 posts if an item may require development. We recommend that the more ambitious and the more powerful the characteristics are in a Factory Submission, then more development you put in it. Solid weaknesses are a definite plus. It doesn't hurt to do 20 to 50 quality posts for something ambitious.

On the same note, remember that a development thread may be a fleshed out entertaining story. It does not need to revolve around dull and raw development. A writer may go on a quest to find the item or conduct roleplay that incorporates the submission in some way.


[member="Raziel"] [member="Silencia"] [member="Braith Achlys"] [member="Zeradias Mant"]

Thoughts? Anything to make it pretty?

 

[Hailyn]

Sure

 

[Zeradias Mant]

I wouldn't consider the difference between 10 and 15 posts 'broad', but it looks good otherwise.

 

[Raziel]

Unless specifically stated in the Factory rules, typical development threads may run a broad range of 10 to 15 posts if an item may require development.

Suggest:

Unless specifically stated in the Factory rules, development threads typically start out in the range of a 10 to 15 post requirement

It doesn't hurt to do 20 to 50 quality posts for something ambitious.

Suggest change as below:

It doesn't hurt to do 20 to 50 quality posts for something ambitious. If you know you're working on a particularly ambitious project it's probably a good idea to get a group together and do some larger scale development work.

Added comma:

On the same note, remember that a development thread may be a fleshed, out entertaining story. It does not need to revolve around dull and raw development. A writer may go on a quest to find the item or conduct roleplay that incorporates the submission in some way.

 

[Cira]

What is considered Development?

The Factory typically only asks for development threads if: a submission is a set standard (for example as with Starship; is not properly balanced, or an item located within the submission is found on the Restricted Items List Restricted Items List.

One very easy method to follow is that if there is canon precedence and it is balanced with a solid set of weaknesses, then it typically doesn't require development. However, if a submission is particularly ambitious, a Judge reserves the right to ask for additional development for balance and fair play.

Unless specifically stated in the Factory rules, development threads typically start out in the range of a 10 to 15 post requirement. We recommend that the more ambitious and the more powerful the characteristics are in a Factory Submission, then more development you put in it. Solid weaknesses are a definite plus. If you know you're working on a particularly ambitious project it's probably a good idea to get a group together and do some larger scale development work.

On the same note, remember that a development thread may be a fleshed out, entertaining story. It does not need to revolve around dull and raw development. A writer may go on a quest to find the item or conduct roleplay that incorporates the submission in some way.

 

[Quietus]

On the same note, remember that a development thread may be a fleshed out, entertaining story.

[member="Raziel"]

Your comma usage sucks.

fleshed out,

not

fleshed, out

[member="Cira"]

 

[Raziel]

[member="Silencia"]

Oops, yes quite.

Now post to me.

 

[Cira]

[member="Raziel"] [member="Silencia"]

LOL

Fixed. Thoughts?