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So, I've found the Sponsorship system on The Inquisition: Legacy to be both a boon and a detriment to the game. I've mentioned to some people that I'm frustrated with the implementation of the system, and I wanted to go into some details about why I'm dissatisfied with it as it stands and how I think it could be improved to make its purpose— getting a character into a guild— quicker, more enjoyable, and with more open invitations to Role Play the diverse types of characters we've got here!

The chief irritation that I have with the system is that it places an undue amount of OOC pressure on guilded members to ICly sponsor someone, and it's solving this "pressure" that I'd like to fix, rather than go into an overhaul of the system. — — I'm not sure if any others have been there, but I know for me, when dealing with prospective guildees, I feel like, unless there's some obvious "wtf no this character shouldn't be in this guild" that I'm supposed to sponsor them... even if my character (let's just call her 'Garra' for ambiguity) isn't really the sort to go handing out her apparent favor to just anyone. Not getting a sponsorship as a new player can really hurt a character's morale and ambition OOCly, especially if there's time access restrictions that make getting ahold of, or in RP with, members of the guild a problem. On the flip-side of it, I've worked to try to get into guilds with more eccentric characters and felt that I had to dial back my eccentrics just to get into the meat of what I want to do with the character.

In my opinion, having the 'sponsor' command be entirely IC hurts, rather than enhances, role-playing. It encourages players to either play characters that match the existing ambition of the guild (ie, an ambition-less Knight, a polite Bard) rather than embrace the eccentrics of Urth, OR it kind of pigeon-holes those who are sought to gain sponsorship from to let their own character's personality or standards potentially slide if the person in question is clearly suitable for the guild but might possess some quality the Guilded PC has an extreme distaste for. To our playerbase's credit, it seems to be more the latter—I think we all get the frustration of becoming guilded, which can take weeks for the truly new players to our game. But it still seems clunky and unintuitive—why does a merchant need so many sponsors? Why do you need the IC backing of a third of the court just to get the foot into what is supposed to be a political, potentially more divisive, guild? Being able to use the threat or temptation of an IC sponsorship has led to some wonderful role-playing for me in the past, but now that I find myself drawn into more directed scenes more often I see someone with the [Seeking] tag on the who list and get a bit panicked wondering if, should I decide to decline the sponsorship for Reasons™, if I'll be able to follow-up with the person appropriately and if my denial will be the thing that keeps them struggling to continue with their own RP Arc.

So what are my suggestions?

1) Slightly expand the sponsor command to allow for an IC/OOC distinction to the sponsorship, and allow a reason to be supplied (or required, if an OOC sponsorship). Allow guild leaders to see the reasons for a sponsorship and perhaps allow Guild Leaders to set the base limits for
2) Potentially, grant a small QP reward for sponsoring a player who is then accepted into the Guild. (This could be XP, Silver, rewarded only to IC sponsors, however we want it!). While we can all go on and on about the role-playing being its own reward, I'm of the opinion that role-playing that is more beneficial to the game should be rewarded. We're already awarded for using thoughts, for sending mail, for RPing with nobles, for RPing with Orderites... what's a bit of incentive for chasing down and arranging those meetings with our poor cyans going to hurt us?

As I understand it, the system was built to be entirely IC, and no amount of OOC pressure should ever be applied to it. That being said, these ideas are well thought-out, well-worded and well-argued, and I could easily get behind them.

Another wrote:As I understand it, the system was built to be entirely IC, and no amount of OOC pressure should ever be applied to it.

In a perfect world I don't think they would be! In an imperfect one, though, I just don't think that's the case. Sometimes people can only get online during very specific hours, and if those specific hours and only a few guild members line up right, not being given a sponsorship can completely ruin a character concept.

I am going to say it: I fucking hate the seeking system as it exists right now.

I do. Despise it. Every fibre of my being.

It both somehow manages to place the onus of being guilded on both everyone and no one at once and it is easily one of the most frustrating things we have going. I would do away with it altogether. If you fit certain set prerequisites, there should be absolutely no reason (barring exceptional circumstances) why you would not simply be able to automatically be in a guild.

You want to be at Court?
a. Are you a commoner?
b. Are you in two other guilds?
c. Have you been placed on the do-not-guild list by a Court GL?
d. No to all of the above? Welcome! Contact your GL to get involved.

You want to be a Merchant?
a. Do you have a pulse?
b. Yes? Congratulations! Read the gnotes and go build furniture.

Add various sets for all guilds.

It is admirable to want to push people who will usefully and super actively contribute to a guild, but honestly, those who are proactive will find things to do and others may not even want to be. People find their validation in RP in different ways and somewhere that has to be fine. We need to allow for a broader variety of characters archetypes everywhere. There are obvious restrictions and GLs should be able to bar people from their guild with reason (even I-don't-like-your-face reasons. If you RPed your way into that, you can RP your way out.), but I fail to see why we need to have a sponsorship system at all.

Y'know, I agree with Limonade. I honestly, actually, HATE sponsoring. I've had terrible experiences on both sides of the curtain, but mostly as an active guild member, I find that I end up spending a preposterous amount of time dealing with seekers - seekers who, in many cases, won't even hang around. I don't really enjoy seeker RP - it isn't RP that you 'choose' in that you pretty much have to RP with any seeker, no matter how little they give you back. I'd love to see the system just go and recruitment be in GL hands only.

Dice wrote:I'd love to see the system just go and recruitment be in GL hands only.

+100000.

If guilding just goes into GL hands, it would be nice to be able to also delegate the ability to add new members to other Guild leadership - like the Trade Masters of the Merchants Guild, for example, who aren't GLs but are still plenty important!

To be contrary, as I usually am, I think the problem is the apparent pressure people feel to approve someone they don't think is a good fit.

Yes, it sucks if you can't get into a guild your character is built around.

It also sucks for your guildmates to be forced to deal with you if you aren't a good fit for the guild.

So I'd rather prefer people just feel more free to tell people 'no, you don't fit' or require little errands done or bribery to let people in.

Pressure isn't my complaint - I've never felt pressured (but I do in fact approve everybody unless there are extremely good reasons not to). It is literally just the time sink and substandard, uninteresting RP.

Dice wrote:Pressure isn't my complaint - I've never felt pressured (but I do in fact approve everybody unless there are extremely good reasons not to). It is literally just the time sink and substandard, uninteresting RP.

But that's all RP though. Until you build up a small ring of relationships with other characters, most RP is going to be substandard and uninteresting. Even group scenes can oftentimes just dwindle down to only one or two characters doing stuff. Introduction scenes, public scenes, etc. Sponsorship RP is pretty much a reflection of the most common form of RP. When others say they feel pressured, I believe it is because the whole process can feel so hollow and inane; so trivial that to deny the sponsor would be pointless since guilding is almost a guarantee. You can opt out of boring RP, but not a sponsorship interview.