User blog comment:Jiskran/Importing chars/@comment-1613839-20160215141414

First...sorry for the wall of text. I do want to start by saying I haven't really looked at any of these groups or the characters in them...so when I'm grabbing examples I'm doing so at random from my head. If there's characters or issues with them that are identical, I apologize...I'm not intentionally picking you out. So....It looks like this has been settled(?) and the last thing I want is to bring up something that's already a hot topic, but I do have a couple things I wanted to add. Firstly...I see both sides of this, and have been on both. As Jisk referenced a while back with Twilight-mania was going on we had a rash of copycat characters and lots of vampires from that series appearing here...and as vampires in this world are very different, I'm sure you can all see how it was causing some issues. We had to edit some policies (specifically the DAW:CHP) about having half-vampires at Hogwarts, etc. The first line in that policy really sums up it's intent though: "Characters must be wizards/witches, or one of the other characters as outlined in J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter books. If they do not conform to this genre, then they will be deleted." This is supposed to be a Harry Potter Roleplaying wiki...and if a character doesn't work here, then they shouldn't be here. Now, like I said I've been on the opposite side of this too. I (like most others here) were all aboard the Frozen train, and soon after the movie I created Jaina Nordskov. She's not a typically "Harry Potter" character and some adjustments had to be made for her to work and fit in our RP world here. While her abilities are magic based, they don't really work well with traditional Harry Potter wizardry. I severely regret making and RPing her now, not because I don't like the character, or that she wasn't fun...but due to all the controversy and strife creating and RPing her caused...which was never my intent. I've intentionally let her fade because of all that, because I would rather lose a character than friends on here. This wiki isn't about the characters, the RPs, or anything else...it's about the people the RPers on here. We tend to forget that since we're so used to just posting everything online and don't consider there's people there we might hurt. It's just one of the dangers of all our technology, and we often forget that people can and do get hurt from it. So...back to the issue at hand. Hopefully I don't upset anyone or restart any arguments, but I do want to put my thoughts. I think it mostly comes down to how a character is RPed. I have no problem with characters based on another character somewhere. Most of mine take some inspiration from character I like from movies, books, TV, etc. Feel free to ask, but I'm sure it's not hard to guess some of them. That being said those characters should be created to fit in this world. There aren't any superpowers for example in this world...so a lot of the X-men might be a bad fit and hard to create here. However, a Colossus could be created as a wizard who specializes in and enjoys transfiguration and has created a spell to turn himself into metal. There are ways to make a lot of things possible inside the current framework (though obviously some things would be impossible or ridiculous...Deadpool for example). I think the more important part is the part that Jisk mentioned about also bringing over all the pre-done relationships between the characters. Hulk and Black Widow have a romantic relationship in Avengers. Great...but that's not really their defining relationship...like it would be with a Romeo and Juliet. If you can find a way to bring the characters in and make them interesting, that's awesome...but instead of re-RPing out relationships that have already been done elsewhere (comics, movies, etc) why not change it up a bit and see how things happen? What if characters who are traditionally enemies become friends...or roommates? Etc, Etc...there's a lot you could do here. Instead of having heroes and villians lifted straight from elsewhere, why not tweak them a bit to make sure they fit in this world, then twist them to make it fun and interesting? All things that I think make interesting stories and can help these characters fit in our world...not just reside here. So, my final thought is this...I DO know there's a group called Camp-Half Blood, and I assume they're part of the issue here? I haven't really looked too much into them, but I always assumed the name was a play on words and they were all HALF-BLOODS in Harry Potter terms (Half-giant, mudblood, etc) and even if they're based on Percy Jackson there'd been a fun idea to twist them to work on this Wiki. If that's not the case and they are demigods with abilities we don't have (or allow) here I'm not sure why? I mean...there's a Camp-Half Blood RP wiki where you can go RP those characters? I don't know the origin or intentions of the group, and like I said with that creative twist I don't have a problem as long as they fit into our world and policies. I know they have a house of sorts where they live...but as long as there's an adult character there and not just students running amuck...and the characters are adapted for Harry Potter (like I said, I think it's be a hilarious twist on the term Half-Blood) I don't have an issue, but if they're copied straight from another RP wiki...I can see why that could be an issue. Alright...final thought (again I know). It seems like anytime there's something that people don't like or agree with on here they whisper about it in chat and get each other worked up, then it explodes all over hurting a lot of people in the process and people on the wiki. It seems to keep happening over and over again, and that's not right. There are better ways to go about changing things if you don't like them how they are. If you're a user...ask a RB or Admin. They've been here a while and know and understand why things are the way they are. If they give you a valid reason, please consider it before spamming chat or talking about that person behind their back in chat. If you're a RB or Admin talk to each other about your ideas, and if multiple people like them, respectfully push them up the ladder. Crats on this wiki are in a difficult position. They try to allow things and ideas to happen while having to still understand this wiki is based on the World of Harry Potter and trying to keep things as Canon as possible...and based around Hogwarts. When things, even good ideas, don't help with those things...sometimes they just can't be approved. We only have so many users here, so things like the Ministry have to become of less importance than Hogwarts itself. If too many people or characters are getting funneled away from those primary things...the whole place could start falling apart...and it's the Crats job to protect that and understand that big picture, which may mean they have to disapprove some ideas even if they are really good. Finally(third one...wow I finalize a lot)...if you're a Crat and you want to make foundational changes to the wiki...you can because as a Crat that's your job. However, before just doing so I'd recommend you talk to the other Crats. I know when I was a Crat I went and did some things without asking anyone that blew up in my face. If I'd asked for some other thoughts and opinions they would have pointed out why some of my ideas wouldn't work, and I would have saved myself and the wiki a lot of pain because when a Crat's ideas backfire...there's repercussions all across the wiki. So...I honestly don't know who's on what side of this argument...who has a CHB character or not or one of the other groups on here...so I'm not targeting anyone specific, just asking that in the future when there are issues like this, if you're angry or upset take a bit to calm down before posting. Talk directly to people about the issues instead of in PMs. Everytime there's a difference of opinion it doesn't have to be this big of a deal. Remember that the users on here are people, and if instead of posting on blogs or even in chat you had to talk to them face-to-face...would you say the same things? We're a family, and they're your friends...please keep that in mind as we continue to move forward together.