(12-05-2017, 03:14 PM)Teadrinker Wrote:(12-05-2017, 12:40 PM)Zhavi Wrote: If this thread has shown me anything, it's that there's a lot of folks who feel like the barrier to entry is high enough to be discouraging. Â From the end of an established fc, it likely doesn't feel that way at all, but you know, not everyone is the same, and we've seen time and time again that shyer rpers have a wicked hard time making that initial approach.
This kinda boggles me. I've really yet to see an FC publicly open to recruitment with some ridiculous standards for entry. Not saying it's not out there! I just haven't seen it in a good long while. Yeah, maybe there's an app. And your character has to meet people ICly. But if that's all a little much then I'd question whether the person has found the right hobby.
I feel like the problem has less to do with ridiculous recruitment standards and more to do with peoples' perceptions. An FC can say it's open and accepting of everyone but from the outside looking in it still looks like a clique to a lot of people. There's plotlines and characters and all kinds of stuff can be really overwhelming to just jump into. Not to mention, who out there hasn't ever tried to join a group only to feel like the outsider? It's not really either side's fault and there's only so much that can be done about it.
It's also like Zhavi said, the initial approach is the hardest for shyer people. I have to fight that battle constantly and I often lose. Plenty of people, myself included, are perfectly fine after enough of that ice is broken. There will always be a few lost causes though and really I can't blame anyone for not wanting to coddle the shyer RPers. It can feel like such a sisyphean task to drag us out of our shells.