I see the pros and cons of allowing multiple characters on the site. I mean yes I would end up having too read them all but at the same time I wouldn't want too restrict the creativity that comes with creating a brand new character. Sometimes it is for a wanted ad, other times a species or group that one doesn't have yet. I'm a true believer on if you can handle it, sure why not, make as many as you want. Though I am happiest with a cool down or it being a shop item too ensure activity is being met. On the other hand, would have too read them all and if the character doesn't seem much different from the last it sorta gets tiring after a while but than again, for any site I made I always had somebody helping me, so they would chip in with reading applications so that I wouldn't have too do it all the time. The more characters, the more possible plots too come from it. Though I will say it sucks when a plot was supposed too happen and it doesn't pan out so one has too search for another person too take that plot so that you could have it.

i used to staff a lot but honestly, i don't like hardcaps. soft caps to prevent people from going overboard first and foremost? yeah. but i find it extremely humbling someone is enjoying what i created enough for inspiration to strike them, for them to write more on it, i think it is such a joy that they not only stick around but want to spread it too. that said, do i not get overwhelmed? yeah, but that's why having a good staff team is important. like it's okay to chill and not think i have to micromanage people but just trust that my team will make sure things work well. only if i think my mods will slack off or that they'll try to abuse the systems i feel burdened. cause with the right people, staffing is like "being a member with additional responsibilities" than "authoritative figure that has to do stuff for others". although it is hard to find those people, i feel it's completely possible and the advantages of giving people some of the workload is massive.

but as i said, i just like my sites to be places for fun, and i love members being able to interact with the plot with their characters - new or old.

I wish we had one, but I also really hate limiting people. I do get overwhelmed that now, there are tons of characters that I barely know anything about ;; I'm hoping that taking a break from processing apps will get me to feel a little better, at least! And give me time to be a member and get reacquainted!

Staffing wise, I don't think it's really my job to say what someone can or can't handle character wise. It's not my job, it's not my problem, it's not really a issue for me. If there's a canon group or a plot-sensitive group, I made that clear up front what was expected of someone. If they can handle it, that's great. If they can't, they can't. All that matters to me is if they're trying or not. Considering I wrote all the lore, I think it's only expected of me to read what people write if I want them to read my lore. Again, personal view only since I understand why people have caps and things like that, it's just not how I would run a site.

Personally, I have 80+ characters all the time. Am I active on every single one all the time? No, but I tend to have plots running with all of them and since I'm chill with people - they usually respond to me last or whatever. No big deal, I write character apps fast and just wait for everyone to join in. I like having a cast of characters who shape the world and that's that.

As for my confession, I really do wish a lot of plot pages, character apps, etc introduced more plot hooks to draw on since I'm unoriginal and I have no idea if someone likes meet and greets or wants me to kool-aid man my way through their wall.

i am always feeling like I'm never doing enough for a site, or that my ideas and premises and events aren't invigorating or motivating enough. I'm trying my best though! And, I want to excel. I'm excited to get things moving.

I have had to slack off as staff the last week due to being in the hospital. And I gotta say... Thank goodness for my member base. While things have slowed down without me around to consistently drive things, they're all still pretty active, at least in discord, and all the understanding is really nice. I'm sure once I get back activity will pick right back up again. I love my members. <3

For characters, we have a rule that you can create up to 5 characters to start with and then to get more characters you have to unlock them with posts or buy the extra slots. So that way you're using the 5 characters you create at the start, and then you need 10 posts on your most recent character before staff will look at your next character.

It's kinda helped prevent serial apping. I don't feel like I get a ton of apps, and members technically aren't limited by anything but their own activity. They can buy or unlock more characters by posting.

On sites I solo-admin, I also add "please do not app more than two/three characters a month past your first five unlocked characters" if I'm feeling overwhelmed.

The soft cap means players who like large casts can have them, they just have to use their casts and play them (and sometimes be patient) to have a massive cast.

Find it strange when people not even part of the site complain about said site. Downright strange. Love reporting it to the site admins though!

Our 1 month anniversary is in a couple days and the only people who have apped characters are the friends I invited. I'm worried it'll come off as clique-y, but I don't know how to change the fact that no one else has applied (except the one (1) account I accidentally deleted 😭 and the person who left when we accepted their app).

^ In response to this... Being cliquey is not terrible when it's only you and the people that are there. However, it becomes a problem if there are other active members and you purposely go out of your way to mock or ignore them. Just accept their apps and leave them to their own devices while you go on posting with only those people you have been and don't reach out to the new members. It's not necessarily a bad thing to have fun with the people you're comfortable with, but as long as you try to make everyone else comfortable too, then it isn't really a problem. Besides, if a site is only a month old, you're doing great <3 people will come around eventually, just keep up the good work!

A double but its been like... days...

I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED A THREAD TODAY AND I FEEL TERRIBLE -cries-

Trying to build sites for nostalgic/vocal minority niches, doing all of the things, just to left alone with it kinda sucks. Idk how people keep it going solo, cuz asking for help didn't do anything. Just to have to shutter things down in the end... and see that same type of site be asked for again and again on 'site you want to see' ((just did that last season but no one cared!)) It's just not fun and makes me consider if this hobby is even for me anymore. Do you really want X, or do you just wanna lament ad nauseum about how it doesn't exist in your ideal RP form? It just feels like people ask for something to be made, it's made, but when I ask for staff/help its crickets so inevitably I shut it down because one man cannot sail this ship and it's just a vicious cycle of disappointment.


/rant

^ This is why I only make sites that interest me. For my current site, while it's entirely original and not like fandom or something that would have a wide interest, it was just me and a friend for the first like year. We've been open since December of 2018, and we didn't really start getting active until like... I wanna say about August/September 2020. Now in July, we've got like 13-15 members and a bunch of interested parties. It really sucks doing everything on your own, especially when it looks like it won't work out. But even if it's just two or three of you and your friends, all it takes is some persistence, and just having fun with it. <3