optional expectations?
#1
A thought occurred regarding the pack expectations. While they are set in place to create interaction and reward for members, is it too much of an obligation? Should they be made optional without a consequence?

Also as an alternative thought, perhaps these expectations (if decided to be mandatory) could be less to allow swifter advancement?

All thoughts and suggestions even from non SK members are welcomed.
#2
i like them how they are, gives us a long term challenge, Smile
#3
I'm obviously not a Sangi'lak member, and I probably have misconceptions regarding these expectations. But I will give my input!

As I see it, a member has to complete each of the "tasks" once a month -- hunting, grooming, training, and bonding -- and doing so means that they'll likely advance more quickly in the ranks (as well as gain trophies), while not completing these tasks means they're less likely to be promoted and would likely be looked down upon by the pack. I'm going off the assumption that everything I just wrote was right, because I'm not thinking clearly this hour. xD

Anyway, as an outsider, I believe that these expectations should be optional.

For many members, it might not be any trouble completing all four tasks in a month; people like Shaw here are crazy fast posters and really active. Wink However, others might have trouble getting all four threads up and completed before the time is up, whether because other members are holding them up or they simply don't have the time for that many threads (assuming they've got other personal plots they'd like to do, stuff like that), and so it might be a bit of a high goal to complete four plus threads. (I know that you guys, as leadership, would probably be willing to make exceptions for people who are having a hard time on occasion, have slow thread partners, et cetera. It's still a point I'd like to make, though!)

Another minor thing to take into account is the content of these threads. Bonding, from the website's description, basically entails any positive thread with another pack member, so it seems a bit pointless to hold that up on a pedestal (although members who don't interact with their pack mates at all are frustrating, I know).

Training and hunting are more important, big-scale duties/expectations that are very interesting; requiring a bit of that for rank advancement is understandable, especially if you consider their rank (depending on how extreme the training/hunting is).

Lastly, though -- grooming is one of those things that is often OOCly assumed, a lot like bodily functions and even just what your character does as an everyday routine. It's fun to mention it every once in a while, as well as shove it into a thread introduction, but needing to mention it constantly might get a bit dry. It also seems a bit unfair that there must be consequences and the assumption that the character's wolf is a stinky person who doesn't like to shower on a regular basis just because it wasn't explicitly stated in a marked thread. I can understand why something like this can add another layer into pack life, and it would be a way of bonding if they help groom a pack mate, but I'm not really sure why it's an expectation; it seems on basis with requiring your character threads about eating every once in a while or assuming they're emaciated.

Anyway, after that long rambling mess... I suggest that, if you do want to make any of these mandatory, it would be hunting and training (because bonding will happen on its own, and grooming can be an OOCly assumed thing), and probably not required once a month. Linking a lot of training or hunting to pack advancement still works (because the member is apparently striving to better themselves and provide for their pack mates), but I don't believe there should be consequences (unless they're flat out not participating in the pack at all, which is an entirely different issue).

In the end, obviously, it's your pack! The expectations currently do make Sangi'lak unique, but I would personally tweak them to be less of an obligation and more of a bonus -- somewhat like the prompts of other pack games. Smile

I hope that any of what I said makes sense, because I'm out of it right now. *searches for caffeine*

Edit: I've also noticed that many SK members simply write their expectations into read-onlys, possibly to get them finished in the month -- which also means no interaction with their pack mates. :C I'm not sure if that's the reason, and as I've said I know very little about the pack, but that was just an observation I had!


Forum Jump: