I was hoping maybe we could get a qclass essay guide. I know in game there are help files, though they don't lead you in the direction of what to what the Imm's are looking for when reading your applications for qclasses. Its probably asking to much, but would it be possible to bring back recent essays that have gotten others qclasses?
Guide for Qclass essays?
Which class in particular?
Was hoping to see some Lich or Psi essays actually
The most important thing is always originality. Don't go with the standard I watched my parents getting murdered / murdered them myself blabla. Get some interesting extraordinary rp foundation and build up from there.
There aren't really any solid specific tips you can give towards applying for anything, you just have..to..well, do it.
Just remember that even though some apps will require at least a modicum of PK, RP will reign supreme. You could think about how you handle things when you get killed too, because I would believe that plays a big part.
Also, (and this is just my opinion) a somewhat (key word being 'somewhat') cliché idea executed VERY WELL is much better than a totally original, crazy idea that isn't executed well. I have a problem with coming up with grandiose ideas that are simply out of my RP (and in some cases PK) ability. If that becomes the case, you could well become frustrated/bored with your character. I'm not saying don't be original/crazy/creative, infact, on the contrary, go for it; it just takes a bit more thought behind those characters to make them work.
Good luck.
Dey
i usually tended to focus on where the character has been, and less on where it is going (cabal-wise). all that can change as your character grows and evolves during the course of it's life.
originality is paramount. you can't imagine the billion 'they killed my family/wife/children/dog/treehouse vamp apps that flood in. open the app with something that grabs attention and forces them to keep reading.
i usually tended to focus on where the character has been, and less on where it is going (cabal-wise). all that can change as your character grows and evolves during the course of it's life.
originality is paramount. you can't imagine the billion 'they killed my family/wife/children/dog/treehouse vamp apps that flood in. open the app with something that grabs attention and forces them to keep reading.
Not asking this to sound like a smartarse, I'm genuinely curious, but as a past Imm, what is your opinion on applications that don't neccassarily hit new ground (not overly cliché, but following the typical theme for that particular qrace/qclass application) but are roleplayed out very well, and with a very well written application?
I suppose what I'm trying to ask, in a roundabout fashion, is that is the problem with clichés the fact that their idea is a clichéd idea, or the that the application itself is cliché? A lot of people say that it is rare to see a very well executed stereo-typical version of said race or class, and I would agree with that for Qraces too. Surely you don't need to be original in your IDEA, providing the APPLICATION itself is original?
Dey
fresh and new was preferable TO ME. that being said, yes, it is possible to do a 'well-used' idea or theme well. it's just very uncommon. you also have to remember IMMs see many, many, many apps. if they all sound the same, it's hard to make one stand out. that's why originality is the key. you want them to remember your name so they can snoop you, and see if you are what they demand for that qrace/class.
so, to answer your question: yes, you can be unoriginal in your theme. but i would urge you not to go that route.
What I mean is, even though the idea of the character could be cliché, the application isn't cliché. Example:
Three guys all apply for Undead:
Guy one:
His idea is that he wants to be a devout killer for Chayesh. He sends his app off, and is quite pleased; after all, why wouldn't Chayesh wan't somebody to be his minion who killed his parents as a child?
Guy two:
His idea is that he wants to be a devout killer for Chayesh. The idea itself is pretty cliché for many Undeads, but his application is a stormer, and is pure genius. It has been written in an indirect fashion, such as say a journal entry, a newspaper article, even a letter that wasn't supposed to reach the Immortals but somehow got lost and did. Heck, even though the idea is the same old idea, this guy didn't even kill his parents!
Guy three:
He has a seriously crazy idea here! He is experimenting on bodies, and sends a letter out to Aabahran asking for an apprentice to aid him. He has no desire to even become one of Chayesh's Undead minions, but Chay "accidently" sees the letter and decides that this guy will become one of them anyway. (Okay, it's a crap idea, but I'm just using it for sake of using something thats a 'different' idea). A well written application, AND an original idea!
So from looking at those, would Guy Three be favoured more than Guy Two? Assuming all are well-played, they all have good roleplay, and the latter two have amazing applications and Guy Two has chosen to play a cliché idea because he knows he can do it well. Just like your typical Elf or typical Dwarf.
I just think that a typical, stereotypical executed very well can be a rarity, and I don't think someone should lose favour if their idea (not application) is your typical stereotype even though again, through application and roleplay, is done very very well.
Dey
i see your point, and i really can't speak for the current staff, but i would most likely pick guy three over the other two based solely on the app. it would intrigue me to the point of 'can't wait for this guy to log on so i can watch him'. all would get a look, but the third one i would remember first and foremost.
and remember, acceptance or denial isn't based 100% on the app itself. snooping would happen on all apps (unless it's very poor). but it helps when you stand out among the masses.
but hey, what do i know? heh. i can only speak of my experience when i was an IMM. i saw everything (59, trusted 60) so i've seen just about every type of app there is. perhaps that's why i looked for originality. once you see 20-30 apps a day, they all seem to run together after a while.
I have to disagree with Eshaine; originality is not the most important thing for applications. The most important thing for applications is making sure that your application is somewhat professional because you are basically applying for a job with a God. Think of it as a coverletter/resume.
Spell Check: Always do this, even if your your character is supposed to be stupid. Ensure that you have the spelling mistakes in all the right places: you want to let us know that it is your character that is lacking, and not yourself.
Format: Make sure the paragraphs line up. Text sticking out in some places and not in others is an eyesore. I believe most of the unformatted applications (with or without paragraphs) are rejected.
Keep it short: I repeat, keep it short! Don't send one enormous application in three separate sections unless absolutely necessary. Quality over quantity.
I have mixed feelings on length. Some of the best applications I've ever written, in my mind, were sent in more than one part due to length. However, I have also been accepted for various qraces with much shorter applications. For example, Manipulant's application was about a page and a half in MS word. Kevoniki's application was about three pages in MS word. The reason being that Manipulant had a semi-cliche succubus RP, whereas Kevoniki (in my opinion), had an original RP, which I felt I needed to explain more thoroughly. So I suppose my point is that your originality is a large factor in how long your application could be. You can't come up with the coolest RP idea ever, and write a three sentence application about it, and expect the IMMs to understand what the hell you're talking about.
Gah, wheres did my creativity cells go too? Have some original ideas, but wanna throw a different kind of one, just when I start writing it and breaking it down to something that sounds even remotely interesting that I, myself would actually take the time to read, I always say its #$#$ and wad it up and throw it away! Limited imagination I guess, then again, I do play a pure text game, and believe I rp pretty well, my chars usually end up as Rp as things come along, xcept for the background ofcourse, always the same.