=>[INFO]Crit Guidelines

[Hivestuck]

STAFF CRIT GUIDELINES
DO YOU WANT TO BE SUPER PREPARED FOR STAFF CRIT? GO THROUGH THIS LIST AND CHECK THINGS OUT ON YOUR OWN! ALSO IF YOU WANT TO CRIT OTHER USERS THREADS, HERE'S HOW WE DO IT!

Pre-Crit
This is what we check before we even read over the quest.
1) Is everything layed out properly?

For users who have never done a troll quest before, one easy way to check is to look at recent accepted quests. For people who have, this usually is a non-issue.

2) Is everything filled in?

Does each strength/flaw have a little explanation? Are there no empty sub-sections to the form? If the troll should have a power, is one taken?

3) Are there non-form additions?

If there are, they need to be taken out and placed in a separate post below. We will not read/crit things that are not part of the base form, unless they super-need to be addressed (ie violating site rules).

First Crit Level: ALPHA 9000
These are the most vital issues that we look for in a profile. This stuff /needs/ to be fixed before trolls are allowed in.
1) Are there contradictions?

If your troll is 'shy' yet also 'outgoing', both points cancel each other out and become an issue. Strong character traits reinforce the other ones, rather than detract from them.

2) Does your troll follow shop canon?

If your troll can sleep without supor slime, does not know about the Hemospectrum, or otherwise fails to meet basic requirements for what a troll /should/ know and do, then we will have to address this.

3) Can your troll interact with other trolls?

If it takes death threats to get your character out of the house, or your character constantly screams and chases other trolls away, then you might run into heavy difficulty finding other users to rp with/reasons for your trolls to participate in metas. We try and n** this potential issue in the bud as quickly as possible.

4) Does your troll's relationship with their lusus make sense?

If your lusus's parenting style and your troll's personality don't seem to match up, we'll prod you to explain things in detail or reconsider. Remember all creatures are a product of their upbringing, at least as children!

5) Do their strengths and flaws make sense?

Each strength and flaw must, for the most part, carry the same 'weight' in their daily life. Make sure that each of these is something that effects them on a daily basis, is clearly and wholly a positive or negative thing, and connects/makes logical sense with their personality and or hobbies and interests. This can be hard to judge, so we have more tips on refining them below.

6) Is your troll a Gamzee?

This vague, all-encompassing term is to make sure that you do not have a clinically insane troll. We heavily discourage trolls that have violent breaks, consume mind-altering substances, enjoy murder and death, or generally fall into any of the trappings displayed by this cannon character. While all trolls should be more acclimatized to violence, there is a difference between being used to/psychotically enjoying something.

7) Is your troll a Damara?

This covers trolls that are based/themed off a real-world ethnicity or culture. While this is ok, we do want to make sure that cultures are represented appropriately. If you don't want to do any research into the culture, or if your troll looks like it would fit into a Disney movie in terms of accurate representation, there will be a problem that we need to address.

Second Crit Level: OMEGA BEANPOLE
Once the basic structure of your character has no important issues, we check to make sure that none of these need fixing.
1) Does your profile have hobbies, a daily schedule, or some sort of glimpse into their life?

Having these really helps other users get an idea of your troll, and how theirs could potentially meet/spend time with yours. Again, these should 'make sense' with your troll's personality.

2) Does your profile contain your troll's view on the Hemospectrum?

While your troll does not have to be ultra political, it's important to know how the deal with such an integral part of troll society.

3) Are your trolls at a skill level appropriate for their age?

While trolls can be exceptionally talented in an area, remember that all troll start off as children, and age always has an advantage over natural brilliance. Your character should not be running a business/reaching employable skill levels until they become a teenager, and should only become pioneers in their field at adult stage.

Third Crit Level: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO
After the above sections have all been checked off/smoothed out, there should be no remaining issues with your troll! If they somehow have parts that fall outside of the above lists, that needs to be resolved, this is where we do any fixing of that.  

[Hivestuck]

STRENGTH AND FLAW WRITING
BECOME THE VERY BEST THAT EVER WAS AT LINKING CHARACTER TRAITS TOGETHER TO FORM A COHESIVE PICTURE AND REALISTIC PERSONALITY

To be honest, this lovely post in ITNoTM covers things perfectly.
Update: they've merged a few things together, so what we're referencing starts in the fourth paragraph up to the form.

YEAH JUST READ THAT, OK? OK!

Also remember to take into account your troll's blood colour, and with it, what society expects from them. A lowblood with the docile strength works, as they'll probably get bossed around a fair bit in their life and be expected to take it. A highblood should have docile as a flaw, since society expects them to be the leaders and commanders - and this will cause them to struggle with that!

In addition, troll society is hard and harsh. A generous and openhearted troll will most likely be taken advantage of, especially if they are a lowblood. Therefore, 'kind' traits should be considered carefully before being placed as strengths. Will your redblood really be helped by their willingness to give away their last beetle to an ungrateful stranger, or will that result in them going hungry? Your blueblood's empathy might end up as a flaw, if they try to champion the cause of lowbloods and get snubbed by their peers.


LUSUS WRITING
BECOME THE VERY BEST THAT EVER WAS AT MAKING A TWELVE HEADED MOOSE

As outlined in the lusus thread, there are several responsibilities that each lusus should feel an instinctive imperative to impart on their troll. They should all protect their charge from physical danger (and be capable of doing so), teach them the basics of Alternian culture, including the hemospectrum, and ensure that they have the necessary supplies to survive (clothing, shelter, food, supor slime, etc).

When creating a Lusus for your child, you should make sure that your troll's thoughts and hobbies and upbringing are shaped, if not heavily, then at least strongly by how their Lusus chose to raise them. As there are no mandatory public education centres, your troll's worldview and philosophy would have been, if no wholly, heavily dependant on their parent's teaching.

If a troll is written with an incredibly absent/negligent lusus, we will need a clear and compelling explanation as to how they managed to survive up until childhood. To clarify how hard this would be: The combat structure in Hivestuck lets each troll do a minimum of 1 point of damage, and up to over 20 points of damage, when their attacks hit. A child without a lusus guarding it has, at maximum, 1 hit point of health.