I already did, on my previous blog. It doesn’t seem like you saw it, so I’ll copy and paste it here :)
First Impressions:
- URL: Obviously, I can immediately tell that it’s a high school RPG, which is good. It sort of leads me to expect a typical high school roleplay- so now I’m curious to see if it has any different twists.
- Icon: I already know from the URL that it’s a high school roleplay, so the icon being a school building seems a little redundant to me. It would catch my attention a little bit more if you tried something different, like a picture of the school mascot.
- Sidebar Plot: I quite like it. I’ll admit, I was expecting a typical, unoriginal high school RPG based off your URL and icon so I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s a good plot idea, it makes me feel intrigued.
- Theme/Appearance: The theme is alright. I’m familiar with it, but I personally like it more on character blogs. It still works, though. The all gray is a little boring looking to me, it would be a lot more visually interesting if you added more of the red that I see in the sidebar and header. I love the sidebar, though. It manages to be just as eye-catching as a gif, and it’s a lot more original than the typical school building or picture of a classroom.
- Promo: I like it, it fits well with the sidebar and colors. It relates to the plot well enough, it’s simple and clean. Just a tip for the links at the bottom though- I usually prefer this format:
MAIN || ASK || CHARACTERS || AUDITION
rather than the parentheses. It just looks cleaner to me, that’s all.
Score: 22/25
Digging Deeper:
- Extended Plot: There doesn’t seem to be one, but it’s fine for this roleplay. The plot’s not too complicated, so it’s not really necessary to expand more.
- Rules: You’ve got most of the basic RP rules here, but there are a couple I’d recommend adding. For one, that the account needs to be sent in ASAP once an audition is accepted. I always have that rule whenever I admin and give the players a 24 hour time span to send in the account, because it just doesn’t seem fair to me when there were several applicants and the accepted one lags on making the account. Also, I always add that the dash must be kept clean. I’m very OCD about reblogging as text, and deleting old replies. I’d also recommend mentioning a key word that applicants mention at the bottom of their audition to show that they read the rules- it always helps you to tell which applicants are really serious about joining and which don’t even bother to read the rules. I like that you have a minimum para length, it bothers me as well when people post short replies. Also, the idea of having a maximum time for excused absence is genius, because you’re right, there’s a point where it gets kind of ridiculous.
- Application Form: It’s simple and clear, not much to critique here. I like how you have applicants tell you why they want that character. It really helps see who’s going to be really dedicated to the RP, so I definitely give you credit for that.
- Masterlist: I don’t really like how it’s a blogroll rather than a written out masterlist. It would be better and neater if I could see all the characters names, at the very least, on the follow list.
- Extras: Gossip blogs are always a plus, they make things more intense and real for the RPers. I always love when roleplays show places to go, things to see, that kind of thing. It really makes the RP more realistic and gives the roleplayers a good sense of place.
Score: 21/25
Characters:
- FCs: I don’t believe in overused FCs, so I’m not going to be one of those RPCs who bitches about that kind of thing. However, some of these are a bit unrealistic to me. Many of them do not look like their given age, and the ones that are the same age in reality have a huge age gap (and look it, too). For example, you have Jennifer Lawrence and Ashley Greene FCs playing characters the same age. In reality, Jennifer is 21 years old and makes a much more convincing FC for a high schooler than Ashley, who is 25. It doesn’t seem like much of an age difference, but it’s very obvious in their appearances. Same with the Robert Pattinson and Lucas Till FCs, among others.
- Graphics: I’ve been noticing this ID card format popping up a lot, and I rather like it. It works well for this type of RP, and I like how you made it more personal by adding the school mascot in the background.
- Bios: I don’t know, they seem a little bit like they’re just listing things to me. To become interested in a character, I need to be captivated by their bio and really get the sense that it’s personal and giving a glimpse of what the character is really like, rather than just listing out their life story. I’ll give you an example, to clarify what I mean:
There’s a difference between this:
From when he was a very young boy, trouble always seemed to manage it’s way into Harry Potter’s life. After the murderous tragedy that befell him as an infant, Harry grew up with his wretched muggle Aunt and Uncle, along with their pig of a son, Dudley. Upon hearing the truth about his parents’ deaths from a mysterious giant by the name of Rubeus Hagrid, Harry couldn’t have been more shocked. He was a wizard now, and he was on his way to a magical school filled with all kinds of surprises that awaited him…
And this:
When Harry was a baby, his parents were murdered by the evil Lord Voldemort. He was taken to live with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and cousin Dudley, who were muggles and couldn’t stand the sight of him. One night, a gigantic, mysterious man named Rubeus Hagrid came and told Harry the truth about his parents’ death, and Harry was shocked…
You get the idea.
Score: 19/25
Overall:
- Originality: I am absolutely in love with the plot of this RP. It’s original, a fresh take on the typical high school plot. It’s completely new and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
- The Admin: Judging by the way you answer all your asks, you seem to the point, yet still very friendly and welcoming. It’s just the way a good roleplay admin should act.
- Attractiveness: The theme colors and writing style of the bios definitely take off a good amount of the appeal to me. Also, I noticed that you misspelled Dianna Agron’s name on her character’s ID card, so just be careful with that. Little things can make a huge impression on someone.
- Would I join?: If I saw a character that I really could relate to and enjoy playing, then yes (hypothetically, of course. I’m sorry to say that in reality I’m far too busy to join any more roleplays)! You should be immensely proud of yourself, I normally do not go for high school roleplays, usually because of their repetitiveness and trite plotlines. This one’s fresh and edgier though, I really like it.
Score: 23/25
Final Notes:
- My Opinion: I really like the idea of this roleplay, I hope you do well. There’s a lot of places this could go, and I’d love to see it set a new model for other high school RPGs.
- Tips and Advice: If you just take all the advice I gave to heart and tweaked the things I mentioned (most importantly the bios), you would have a flawless roleplay, in my eyes.
Final Score: 85/100- B.
