User blog:JayeMalik'/Old, New, Underused, Overused RP Locations

credit to the owner of the gif! Hello, lovelies! Recently, there's been a lot of chatter in chat about potentially deleting underused locations, revamping the ones we have and creating a wizarding city (not village), to which Hogwarts students have access to. However, no decision can be made without the input of the wiki, hence why I've worked out an extensive list with the help of Blue as to which locations would go up in flames, to see whether or not you guys are interested in keeping any of them or they can all be deleted.

Why should we delete any of them?
As I mentioned above, a lot of the current locations we have are thoroughly underused, since the userbase tends to flock to specific locations and roleplay in those specific ones constantly. Not only does it fill up the archives relatively quickly, but it also just leads to multiple RPs occurring in the same page. This is especially true for Hogsmeade. Because not many characters would go to many of the locations there, RPs are constantly in progress in pages like The Three Broomsticks and The Hmm Cafe.

Because the lifeblood of the IC world is Hogwarts, a vast amount of our characters are students and professors. This means they cannot go to London nor Diagon Alley throughout the school year, which leaves the page under those categories understandably underused. To counterattack this, Blue and I decided to compile a list of potential candidates for deletion. We're trying to pinpoint locations that are pointless to have, in order to delete them and potentially replace them with other, likely more used locations.

Which locations are you thinking of deleting?
Most of the locations whose existence is currently being called into question are vastly underused. Some of them more than others. The most common of them are the ones categorizes in the Portkey page as miscellaneous. Quite frankly, I don't see the point in keeping many of these locations when users tend to flock towards the rest. For instance, not only is Tesco Supermarket only RPed in at a grand average of one RP per IC year, but it doesn't make sense to have it there.

Hogsmeade

 * Jolies Fleur
 * Dervish and Banges
 * The Human Canvas
 * Hogsmeade Hobby Hub

Diagon Alley

 * Flimflam's Lanterns
 * Tobacconist
 * Weeoanwhisker's Barber Shop
 * Le Cordon Magique
 * Grey's Quality Potions

London

 * Tesco Supermarket
 * Nando's
 * ZSL London Zoo
 * River Thames
 * Croydon Central Library
 * London Sewers
 * Williams' Gym

Miscellaneous

 * Ra-Da Café
 * Manila
 * Amplitudo Magicam Theatre
 * Byron's
 * Downtown Cairo
 * Egyptian Ministry
 * French Ministry Atrium
 * Flood
 * Hamburg, Germany
 * Berlin
 * German Ministry Atrium
 * Italian Ministry Atrium
 * Fayette's Fortunes
 * Leeds Orphanage
 * Oslo
 * Oxford Back Alley
 * Atlanta
 * Hong Kong Restaurant

Do we seriously have to delete them?
We don't have to delete all of them. If they're there for a specific reason, such as sentimental value, or even because it's where previous expansions were held in, their deletion can be re-evaluated. Plus, none of this is final; at the end of the day, it's up to the community what gets canned and what doesn't. My only concern is having so many pages go underused. If we know the lifeblood of the community is Hogwarts students, why do we have pages in excess in other places? I understand the need for the Diagon Alley locations, especially if they're canonical, but places such as Manila, London Sewers, Nando's and Leeds Orphanage just don't make sense to have.

The point of this blog is merely to open the userbase's minds to deleting the underused pages. It's pointless to keep them around, and it clogs the wiki up. If they're not going to be used, they should be booted. However, I know there are users who aren't exactly, ah, fond of that, which is something I respect.

Are you done, Jaye?
No, I'm not done. We have so many other really good locations that are underused and really need to be roleplayed in more. Places that are underappreciated, but can't and won't be deleted, if only because they're super important to the community, whether it's because they're canon, like Godric's Hollow, or they're a neighborhood, like Coral Gates, Cholmeley Lodge and Magus Diaetam. It's very disheartening for users to create good things and for people to disregard it so blatantly. So please, guys... please try to diversify where you roleplay; especially if they're adult characters! Put yourself out there. Be creative. And this goes for Hogwarts students, too, who RP in just the more common areas in the castle and in Hogsmeade.

Oh no, Jaye, what's this?
Essentially, this is just one of the many random ideas I had. With the arrival of the Royal Family of the United Kingdom, I began to think: every government in the world has a magical counterpart. The commonwealths, the republics, the democracies, the monarchies. And it's canon that it's the same for cities. So why not, instead of expanding on muggle locations, we focus on working in new wizarding expansions that are accessible to everyone - students included?

Imagine the grand equivalent of muggle London. not necessarily structured the same, but at least somewhat similar. Famous stress, iconic buildings, and what have you. I get it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'd like it if you all heard my reasoning out.

It seems counter-produtcive...
It does. I won't lie, it seems counter-productive to create so many new locations when the ones we have are so widely underused. That is, to be fair, the point of the first half of this blog. To reprimand you lot for creating pages that go unused. However, if there's something that I've come to see with you guys it's that you love new locations, especially those that don't require characters stepping out of their comfort zones. I think the reason that so many of the other locations failed to kick off is because it was pointless to make them. They targeted a specific group of characters. I get it, you wanted to make locations for adults. But you forget that for every five characters, only one is an adult.

If Carkitt Market had canonically been in Hogsmeade Village instead of Diagon Alley, I can definitely see the student body flocking there. However, because it's in Diagon Alley, rarely ever do characters RP there - especially inside the shops. Why would a Ministry worker be in the likes of Dr. Filibuster's Fireworks, unless it's to appease one of their kids? My point is: users are forced to come up with very particular scenarios as to why their characters would be there, hence why most of the time they just don't bother. I think that's why a lot of the pages currently in the air for deletion are where they are.

However, if we had a wizarding city, I think it wouldn't go as bad. There are many streets, an even bigger collection of stores, and we can even incorporate the advancements of technology! Imagine wizards rolling up in their own version of cars? Or extravagant malls where pixies and doxies are flying high above them? Imagine the city having its own zoo. Dragons, thestrals, unicorns, all in display. A mall where adult characters can mingle, or students can hang out with while procrastinating their homework. It'd be the hotspot of DARP.

Dude, we have Hogsmeade...
You're absolutely, 100% right. We have Hogsmeade Village, which was designed specifically to be the studnts' go-to after they entered their third year. A cillage is defined as a group of houses and associated buildings, larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town, situated in a rural area. Meanwhile, a city is just a large town. The reason why I'm so keen on creating a wizarding city is because it'd offer things Hogsmeade doesn't. Hogsmeade's appearance is marked with outdated structures, pubs and restaurants, and the occasional good place for teenagers to hang out in, like Bishop Hotel, Nan's Diner and Strike-Outs Bowling Centre.

If we had a city, the possibilities would be endless for locations, not to mention it would be accessible to students and adult characters alike. However, as I understand, Hogsmeade Village is way more closed-off and less dangerous than a wizarding city would be. It's for this reason that only fifth years, sixth years and seventh years would be allowed to leave the castle for the city, only if they have explicit permission from their mother, father and/or guardian. While this opens for creativity, this keeps a certain level of respect towards what we know to be canon.

But it's the Scottish Highlands!
Ah, dude, you're right. It's the Scottish Highlands. However, wizards have means of transportation! The floo network, apparation, brooms, and even more! They can get anywhere with a snap of their fingers. You know it and I know it. So what stops us from being able to create a wizarding city? I know some of you are big on details, hence why I say I'm very open to suggestions as to how we can make this happen. I know it's a lot to take in, but the administration team - myself especially - is very keen on reaching a happy medium.

The End
I know this is a lot to digest, but just... keep an open mind, guys. That's all I'm asking for. Of course, I'd also love it if you all commented below with your thoughts on a potential new wizarding city, and more places you think should be deleted. Or places you think shouldn't. Regardless, please give us your opinion!

Would you like a new wizarding city? Yes No I'd like for the idea to be developed a little better before I decide.

Do you agree that we have pages that need to be deleted? Yes No

Should we have foreign locations in the wiki? Yes No