Three things

[ping111]

Hi there! I have a couple questions regarding Mane RP.

1. I finished my app a long time ago, almost a month, and I have gotten a few reviews that pointed out errors and whatnot, but it's now totally ready for approval. However, it's been totally ignored, even when I ask a helpstaff about it. I'm trying as best I can not to be impatient, but it's kind of annoying seeing an app being accepted within a day when you've been waiting for a month. Sorry if there's something I'm not seeing about the process.

2. How far is too far when it comes to disabilities in Mane RP? I understand it's not okay to have ponies with schizophrenia or be socially unsafe (except for Screw Loose, but she's canon), but I do know some ponies are blind. Is deafness okay too?

3. Regarding the deafness, I know I can't have past relationships or interactions with canon characters unless I get their owner's consent, but can I put the Sonic Rainboom in my story? It relates to my character directly.

Cheers, and I'm awaiting your speedy replies!

[MyLittlePonyTales]

1. It looks like your Application is awaiting final approval from a Senior RP Helper, which no, you don't get told on your app.

2. Blindness and deafness and even missing limbs are totally fine. It's just that mental illnesses are a route we'd rather not take, as we do not wish for something to be portrayed poorly.

3. Seeing how far the Rainboom stretched, there were probably many ponies that saw it. I give a tentative yes, but ask the RP Helpers to be sure.

[Rosewind]

Hi there! I have a couple questions regarding Mane RP.

1. I finished my app a long time ago, almost a month, and I have gotten a few reviews that pointed out errors and whatnot, but it's now totally ready for approval. However, it's been totally ignored, even when I ask a helpstaff about it. I'm trying as best I can not to be impatient, but it's kind of annoying seeing an app being accepted within a day when you've been waiting for a month. Sorry if there's something I'm not seeing about the process.

There is more behind the application process than you realize. Real people are volunteering their free time to discuss applications for quality, consistency, and whether or not a character is a good match for the Mane RP -- as you understand it carries our strictest, canon-specific environment. All of this discussion is not public, and with good reason. A lot of applications -- especially first time applications -- need a lot of development and understanding from their authors about what, exactly, they are getting into. The exercise of making an application goes beyond just describing your character -- we're making sure you have a good grasp of how to roleplay, too.

This process takes time, so your patience is appreciated. Other applications getting passed before yours simply indicate they were written consistently without challenge or debate to the rules and environment, perhaps from a trusted player who we know isn't going to do anything wacky in the game. Perhaps these players don't feel the need to look for loopholes (and question multiple staff about them), or try to use different variations of cutie marks that were asked to be changed. Each application is usually flagged by an RP Helper, who reviews it and presents it to a Senior staff for final approval. If changes need to be made, the application is "sent back" for review again, and presented again once it is ready. Since your Helper may have been busy -- or did not feel the application was ready -- it was placed lower on the pile before being brought back to my attention.

2. How far is too far when it comes to disabilities in Mane RP? I understand it's not okay to have ponies with schizophrenia or be socially unsafe (except for Screw Loose, but she's canon), but I do know some ponies are blind. Is deafness okay too?

We have blind ponies, ponies with broken horns, etc. The problem with this cliché/trope is that if the injury is grievous (permanent flight removal, suffering, gore, etc.), it doesn't fit in Mane RP. We just recently had to ask for an application re-write from another player that designed a pegasus with two broken wings. On the issue with the horns, we do not allow complete magic removal, since we really have no idea how unicorn magic operates; we see the whole character as magical, not just the horn -- the horn is treated as focal point for magic, not a source. Blind ponies don't really affect the character, bad as they sound. Can any of these characters appear in the show? Sure. We saw Dashie break her wing, but that was temporary and created a good story as a result. If you want to create a deaf character, that's fine -- however, if that deafness creates a character that suffers or drags down the environment and fun of other players and their characters, that will probably not be allowed.

3. Regarding the deafness, I know I can't have past relationships or interactions with canon characters unless I get their owner's consent, but can I put the Sonic Rainboom in my story? It relates to my character directly.

I know Phil already replied to this, but I'm going to put my point of view on the table here. With this question about an important event occurring in the series -- and your character being there for it -- seems to be more of a need to feel more special than other characters by taking things directly from FiM instead of creating your own. I know we've both spoken at length about the various rules and standards of the roleplay here in messages, and every time I get the feeling you're looking for some loophole with which to present a character that would be troublesome to handle in the game. The Rainboom is a slippery slope because it allows you to say that your character was affected by a Cast member, giving you a connection to them without their direct consent.

Instead of pushing the boundaries and looking for ways to get around conventions we have in place to balance the game, why not try to create a character without using the crutch of a disability, real-world references, or using canon-lore with which to design your character? You'll find that if you avoid doing so, you'll get your application processed faster, and into the game without so much scrutiny from the staff. I think you have the potential to introduce a lot to our roleplay here, but I think it's important you understand what the spirit of this game is really about. It's not to make a character to shine above others (or to serve as a manifest of suffering and woe) or to design your character around borrowed lore -- it's a continuation of FiM off of the screen. Truly ask yourself if the ideas you come up with would be seen on the cartoon for real; if you have trouble deciding, you'll likely answer a lot of your own questions about what is okay for the roleplay or not.

TL;DR - Design characters that don't require so much discussion and observation for balance, and they will be stamped faster.