Voting:Level 5's and Up/Claiming History Requirements - Passed

This vote is basically to make claiming easier and clearer for claimers and claim checkers, as it will detail the specific things claim checkers should look for in a character history, and make it clear what is reaching when asking claimers to change something. Some of it is reiteration from past votes, some of it will be slightly newer/more specific so there is no doubt.

NOTE: This vote is a further development on Character Policies 2.0, and solely focuses on the history aspect of claiming

Demigods/Demititans Nymphs and other non demigod creatures Pets
 * Length: It must be more than one paragraph, MEANING, 6 sentences minimum . They can be very short sentences.
 * Must contain:
 * Creation/parent meeting (includes conception, like "Then, the baby was born." does not have to be specific) - two sentence minimum
 * Early childhood - one sentence minimum
 * the first Monster attack (if the attack is reasonable, then monster levels do not matter)- one sentence minimum
 * 9+ years of existence - one sentence minimum
 * Arrival at camp, make sure it's a recent arrival (between 1-2 weeks) - one sentence minimum
 * Must contain:
 * creation - one sentence minimum
 * personal history - should, with the creation, make up a minimum of six sentences
 * Must contain:
 * at least a three sentence history on how the pet came into the owners possession

Against Outline (-2)

 * 1) I don't really see a point in changing it, nor do I see the need for this vote when even quite a few new users go over and beyond the current 3 paragraph minimum.


 * 1) Adding requirements make it labour-some and therefore will deter people. Also, just using newer users, we have users who don't have English as their first language and it seems unfair to try and force them to reach these standards when, potentially, they can't.

Comments
It isn't really a change so much as a specification. The main reason I created this is because sometimes claim checkers go above what is needed when checking claims and this leads, particularly for newbs trying to get the hang of it, people frustrated. Having this present, and specified, is like a history bill of rights so to speak. Of course, if a claim checker sees something op they can call it out, but sometimes the requests are highly unreasonable

Okay that's fair, but in all honesty I don't think having the minimum be set at three paragraphs (or even two well written and explained paragraphs) is bad. I might just be focusing on the specific part where you said more than just one paragraph would be enough too much but that's just my two sense. This also seems like it could suffice as just a reminder to claim checkers in my opinion, as I do agree with what you're saying about claim checking.

I did over focus on length and it being more than one paragraph, but I mainly did so in response to claim checkers asking for more information on different events in a characters life when it really isn't needed, as long as the period of time is mentioned.

Some great points have been made, so I'll step in to leave some thoughts as a claiming admin c:. Not to take away from this proposal, but if I'm going to be perfectly honest, I really don't think that a single paragraph is suffice for including the minimum requirements of claims for demigod characters. No matter how well-condensed it is, the history would more than likely be incredibly vague and ambiguous (trust me, I've seen my fair share of one paragraph histories).

Hence why the Claiming Department has always gone with the three (to four) paragraph minimum (which I don't think is too incredibly much to ask for). Really, the minimum and what we usually see the bare minimum claims having is: More often than not, users decide to give the monster attacks more detail or have "how the character got to camp" have its own paragraph, thus why we tend to say a minimum of three to four paragraphs. Four paragraphs is totally not necessary at all if everything necessary is well covered within the three paragraphs. It's only when the backstory of a character gets more complex is three to four paragraph not enough.
 * A paragraph for the god parent and mortal meeting.
 * Covered between the other two paragraphs:
 * The early childhood.
 * All we really ask for is for the user to briefly go over things that may have happened every few years in the character's childhood, something more than just "he got straight A's in school".
 * The first monster attack.
 * Unless a user goes above and beyond, only the first attack needs to have details about it described.
 * Really what we're asking for is a short explanation of how they survived the encounter (whether they killed the monster or they escaped, beyond the fact that they encountered the monster).
 * Any subsequent attacks after the first can be generalized. E.g., stating that monsters were (or if they want to be more specific, specify which monster were encountered.
 * How the character got to camp.
 * This is pretty self-explanatory and we don't really ask for a lot here.

As a standard, 3-4 paragraphs is good, but by 2.0, we already have the minimum set to above a paragraph. While it is good for people to write in detail, I dont see the point in making them write more when theyve already fit the requirement, especially as it seems to undermine the point of 2.0. To suggest to write more is fine, but to explicitly require it in order to claim it is unnecessary when theyve already met what is needed. Claiming is no longer about refining claims so much as to make sure the basic premise isnt op, and by 2.0, its our job to guide anything that shows up in rp or whatecer as op in the right direction. Vaguety isnt fantastic, but at least it gives the user time to develop the lore asnthey get to knowntheir character. I hope that all made sense, I'm writing this while walking the dog

I will just say as an example but all the sorting requirements over at DARP has made it so making a character there becomes so much more intensive than it needs to be. I know personally it has put me and others off from trying to get new characters sorted so I think to have a similar thing here would deter people and, really, that's not what we want. We need the opposite - trying to encourage people to join.

Also, as I stated, we do have users who don't have English as their first language. I know some where this is the case can speak it fluently and will have no trouble with this, but others might and I don't think it would be very inclusive nor fair to try and force them to meet these standards.