Adoptions and a warning

[Seth Makwa]

Hey everyone it is me Brandon!

Well I think this a rare first for me on the site to post here but I just wanted to get a little feedback on a certain hot button topic.... Adoption.

I have seen a few characters in the last couple of months trade hand as a few people struggle to keep there characters alive. I know sometimes we take on more characters than we can chew or life just tends to get the best of us but for some reason we sometimes have to let are creations go whether it is due to mysterious death or a happy ending and sometimes a new owner.

I know that this is greatly frowned upon by the staff of the site and as such I think there should be posted somewhere risk one takes in adopting another persons character and a strong warning against doing so carelessly.

I would also Like to suggest maybe a drop list where member can go and post characters who they no longer use for what ever reason they find and if they one day the decided to bring a character off the list . Now I know this suggestion may be redudant since character are moved to inactive after a certain amount of time goes by but It never hurts to try a suggestion.

 

[Nicolas King]

Hi Brandon,

Thank you for your feedback and your suggestion.
Your observation is actually quite pointed and astute, so kudos on that. While I'm not sure the site staff as a whole has objections to characters changing hands, I know that I have fairly strong feelings toward it due to a lot of concerns that I see involved in it. This is also why no official forum for trading off characters has appeared (which was suggested in the past).
Following that suggestion, a topic was created where we tried to weigh the options available to us, taking in to consideration the obvious concerns but also the fact that sometimes, a character simply needs to change hands. Plots need to go on for some roleplayers, even if others have to drop the character or leave the site. The staff team agreed that we needed to determine some sort of happy medium on the issue of character trading/whatever.

I think that what you've suggested, a topic posted by staff where we outline our concerns and the risks we see in changing who uses any given account, would be very beneficial and possibly the solution we've been looking for. People will be able to know the full details of what they're risking and getting themselves in to. Something similar to what we did with the informational post on backseat moderation, I think an announcement can be made and closed from replies - then a link to the post will be added to the site documentation page and the rules for future reference.

As to the drop list: could you clarify what you mean by this? I'm not sure I understand, so I don't want to give an opinion on it one way or another, in case I'm wrong in what I'm thinking you mean.

 

[Nicolas King]

Nicolas King prods.

Any clarification for that second suggestion, Brandon?

 

[Fabian Bartholomew]

Good idea, Nick.

Brandon makes a very valid point and it's got me thinking that there should be ways of managing character transfers. I really believe that there ought to be be some method of, if not controlling, then recording the swappings of characters for the mods and admins. I can imagine that there have been or could be cases where mix ups occur. I've seen it where a person has given use of a character to a player and didn't make it clear that it wasn't a permanent transferal. They returned to find the character completely changed in history, looks, information and most importantly, password. That ended badly. I'm sure it would make some people's lives a lot easier if they could physically see who has passed on a character to whom, and when. Is this plausible?

Would there actually be ways of doing that, through maybe a form or a process where people have to inform a third party through post or PM?

 

[Nicolas King]

I will, quite frankly, never ever support a formal system for accounts changing hands on HNZ.
The second it is a formal system, it's site approved and we, the staff, have to set up the system, keep track of it, and deal with the inevitable repercussions of such transfers. Brandon's first suggestion is that some sort of documentation outlining why the staff are weary of account transfers, why members should be cautious as well, and why we won't set up a formal system for it.

That is why I want Brandon to clarify his second thought, because I don't think he's requesting a list of characters being transferred but rather a list of characters that are sort of "on hold" and not being actively used. (In which case I would agree that it's likely redundant due to the inactive members group.)

 

[Zaria Love]

Nick you have my second opinion peg down and I thought it was a redudunt Idea but I still wanted to try an off a solution to that issue if possible. So now worry there bu I am glad that people do agree with me as a whole on the idea that there should be some where that should state the staffs feelings and concern on this subject.

I have adopted a character so do not think that I am innocent but I also have been with the site just about as long as nick and have seen where this has become a problem. It is part of a much large issue of member making what I like to call a dud charcter or a chacter made only to play a part in a single plot or topic. That character once it serves its purpose is then rolled off to the inactive list never to be used again. I too have been one to do that only to see the light most recently realizing I do not need to register a new character to only support a charcter... but now I am rambling and getting off topic so in conclusion:

I think that the site should have somewhere warning member of the risk of adopting a character or putting one up for adoption so to speak so that the do this at there own risk and to discourage members to doing this too much.

 

[Nicolas King]

Yes, I agree.
Although I do want to reiterate as well that we won't make it against any sort of rules for characters and accounts to change hands. Sometimes it's simply necessary, and if we don't want a system to regulate account "trading" (or so to speak) then we can't ever limit it to only what might be "necessary", either. So pretty much people will likely still do just as much of it, but hopefully they'll be educated when they do it.

 

[Nicolas King]

It's been done.
http://hogwartsnewzealand.com/topic/7371079/1/