A problem I've noticed with newcomers to the Guild

[Dervish]

Chandra, Your approach and perspective lacks compassion. Learn what this word means and employ it in your relationships with people on the forum. It will help you out in the long run. Especially since some may perceive you as a leader. You will need to provide leadership/mentorship to newbs if you want to help the community as a whole. Unless of course, you don't want to help and this is merely you bitching about the ineptitude of newbs. Give people the benefit of the doubt and provide polite guidance in order for them to make the proper adjustment. Going immediately to a bitchslap will only discourage a newb from remaining on the forums. You can add one more nemesis to the list of people who need to be throatpunched. That's never a good thing.

Take Chanda's general lack of tact and compassion with a grain of salt, he's usually very patient and respectful to people when they're new, and when he doesn't know them. It's usually when he makes fun of you that means you've reached a point where he likes you. He just doesn't beat around the bush. Chanda don't play.

[Hagazussa]

I generally value creativity and a willingness to put time and effort into a game above many other things in a roleplay and I have not seen allot of the problem you mention here. The way see it this is up to the GM to deal with, if they get a character sheet delivered that is not up to their standard they can just not approve it or tell the player to fix the problems with it before they are allowed to play, and if there is allot of one liners in the advanced or even casual game the GM can take that up with the individual player, it is not something I feel is a general problem on this site.

[VioletWhirlwind]

I am going to pointedly ignore the crudity of the language in the OP, and post my two cents, and hope I don't get chewed out for them.

First of all, being one of these "newcomers" you seem to be complaining about, I have been lurking for a while, not posting in anything other than a couple OOC's of RP's that I might have been interested in, but feel too nervous to actually join, as well as posting in the RP that I followed here from another site, which seems to have stagnated now. However, I find myself questioning my writing ability, which I used to regard highly, until certain recent events made me lose confidence in myself. While I was one of the better RP'ers at my old forum...here...I feel intimidated by just about ALL of the RP's I've looked at. They're usually already several pages long, and I don't really have time to read all that, what with life and looking for work and all, and I refuse to join something until I've read ALL of it. I don't know if I should start my own RP, or if it will just get swallowed up and forgotten due to my not being at the same level as others on this site. I feel lost and intimidated, but at the same time, I don't want to give up on RP completely.

...please don't eat me .___.

[Brovo]

I am going to pointedly ignore the crudity of the language in the OP, and post my two cents, and hope I don't get chewed out for them.

First of all, being one of these "newcomers" you seem to be complaining about, I have been lurking for a while, not posting in anything other than a couple OOC's of RP's that I might have been interested in, but feel too nervous to actually join, as well as posting in the RP that I followed here from another site, which seems to have stagnated now. However, I find myself questioning my writing ability, which I used to regard highly, until certain recent events made me lose confidence in myself. While I was one of the better RP'ers at my old forum...here...I feel intimidated by just about ALL of the RP's I've looked at. They're usually already several pages long, and I don't really have time to read all that, what with life and looking for work and all, and I refuse to join something until I've read ALL of it. I don't know if I should start my own RP, or if it will just get swallowed up and forgotten due to my not being at the same level as others on this site. I feel lost and intimidated, but at the same time, I don't want to give up on RP completely.

...please don't eat me .___.

No consumption required here, but I'll give you (and all newcomers who read this thread) a couple pieces of quick advice, as a GM who's been running an RP for almost three years.

#1: Start in Casual. It's the best midway between Free and Advanced. If you find that you tend to write more than the average bear, give Advanced a spin. Also, don't be afraid to try Advanced out for an RP or two. The most important piece of advice I can give to newcomers is don't be afraid, be persistent and learn. If you are persistent, and learn, you will quickly become better than your average role player. I should know. I'm still learning and I've been running an RP for nearly three years straight.

#2: When joining a preexisting role play with several pages of IC, don't be afraid to ask for a summary of what's happened so far. It cuts down on the workload of trying to read the entire IC and allows you to focus on the characters and players that you'll be working with. If the GM/players tell you to buzz off or can't summarize their own story that they've been writing, chances are, it... May not be a role play worth your attention.

#3: Briefly read up on the existing cast and crew of characters and then decide if you want to join. A perfectly good looking role play can be riddled with diseases known as Mary Sues and Lone Wolfs and Attention Whores and Godmoders and... I think you get the point.

#4: Relax, take it easy. Smile, be friendly, and don't be afraid to ask questions. Hell if you have any questions, you can even feel free to ask me if you like. (Just don't be dismayed if it takes me a day or two to get back to you sometimes.)

[Echoes of Old]

I think this is an interesting question. My two cents on it are:

1. Why do newcomers overestimate themselves

This can be any number of reasons, but one that many may not consider is that some, especially people coming from a System RPG background. Lets face it, your average DnD game probably doesnt rank higher than low-casual. I know this tripped me up when I first arrived on my old account, because I saw the Advanced section, and thought "Oh, Advancned. I totally belong here because I'm a good RPer, GM half the games I play, STARTED a couple RP communities (One of which is still going strong 3 years later), etc etc." Then I get there and EVERY SINGLE RP demanded SO MUCH CONTENT. I might have just been on the wrong side of town, but that gave me a clear indication that I belonged in Casual. Sure, the RP skill was a bit lower than what I would have liked, but they didn't have those obnoxious post lengths.

The TL;DR of that is that players might come thinking "Quality over quantity" rather than "Quantity over EVERYTHING." (Which is a blatant exaggeration, shush up.)

2. How can GMs deal with this?

If the player in question has bitten off more than he can chew, then your JOB as the GM is to help him chew it. Work with him, help him improve. If he's new to the concept entirely, ALL THE MORE REASON. Raise him right! If he gets to be a real problem, then take him aside and explain your reasons, and make sure he knows. If he continues, then tell him he's booted. Hell, in all my RPs, I'm EXTREMELY lenient with my rules. The only time I gave a boot warning, I SPECIFICALLY told the dude "Sorry buddy, but you have to get your post length up, SITE RULES." Again, if you can write well, hell with post length. I have a game going with a guy that can give you a mere SENTENCE, and give you OODLES of stuff to work with. Thankfully, it isnt on this site, so I don't have to warn him about post length.

Again, TL;DR, as a GM, it is your responsibility to do everything in your power to keep him in your RP before the site rules dictate you have to boot him.