C Rank Exam?

This is going to be a very brief suggestion, once again containing no dubstep, and I don't think the details are necessary.

Admin wrote:D to C exams
As a D rank mage it is ENCOURAGED that you complete an exam for the sake of character development, but you are given the choice whether you move on to C rank regardless.

That's nice and all, except a C rank mage's development from a D rank one is kinda' meh. I notice that pretty much everyone skips their C rank exam for the sake of time. So... why not just give them an option they need to seriously think about?

Why not, if someone takes their C rank exam, they get a little experience point boost that helps them get to B rank? That way there's more options to weigh. Right now there's pretty much no reward in taking an exam--there's not supposed to be much of one anyway--but due to the fact that this has the option to be skipped, there's an obvious choice for many people in it. I think adding an experience point boost for taking the exam could promote a much more healthy way of ranking up, and perhaps seeing more C rank exams. Because they've pretty much died out by now.

To be fair I think it may be better that we don't have many C-Rank exams anymore. I mean its a little sad to see everyone skip, kinda cheap seeming, but practically I think it may be best. To Guild Masters C-Rank exams are like working in fast food; orders pop up all the time, people get impatient if they aren't done instantly, the quality isn't really that good and it certainly is thankless. It is just unpleasant to proctor them. With the system as it is people can reasonably get C-Rank in a single day with just a little grit and so the exams requests are fairly frequent, but don't require any real player investment. D to C is no longer a weed out process to sort the serious combatants from the people here for funsies, its just kind of there. That being the case it isn't unheard of for someone to grab C-Rank and vanish. Imagine being the Guild Master who played through a real good exam with that person just for them to go up in smoke. It is a waste of time.

As you said it is a small jump and lots of people are making it. Having skippable exams just takes a load of Guild Masters. The real beef starts with B-Rank exams, by the time someone puts in the effort for that rank up you know they are committed to the site, and at that point it is worth the time of GMs to handle them.

That all considered I believe we really shouldn't incentivize C-Rank exams. We're better without them.

In Black Rose the D to C rank exam is mandatory.
It is used for plot and determines where you 'fit' in the guild.
The reward is a thread which gives you jewels (as posting gives jewels) and its plot.

The fact that everything needs 'rewards' is kinda meh in my opinion. Do it for story, do it for plot. That's all that should be needed. Though it seems the site isn't very plot focused so 'meh'

Speed Demon Zack wrote:In Black Rose the D to C rank exam is mandatory.
It is used for plot and determines where you 'fit' in the guild.
The reward is a thread which gives you jewels (as posting gives jewels) and its plot.

The fact that everything needs 'rewards' is kinda meh in my opinion. Do it for story, do it for plot. That's all that should be needed. Though it seems the site isn't very plot focused so 'meh'

You see, this is the dumb problem here... Plots are ignored for the sake of benefit and gain. I do hate ranking systems cause it heavily harms the generation rate of plot ideas a lot. And some of those plot ideas... Are ignored. I have invited players to come to my plots and not even close to half the people I invited answered or gave a damn. We are slowly forgetting why we are called text based roleplayers.

Has the question been asked why people skip the C-rank exam? I mean to me, it's because coming into a guild C-rank and D-rank offer two different opportunities. This is what I have gathered from the descriptions from the ranks in the info. As a D-rank you are a mage trying to comprehend the basics of your magic and trying to get it down to where it can be cast easily. As a c-rank mage you are a mage that has mastered the basics of your magic that can now start trying out more complex techniques in it.

So this means that a person can have their character enter their story under these two scenarios. Either as someone who wants to know what they have and enter x guild, or they know what they have and want to continue to become better in it by entering x guild. Or they come in as guildless under these two scenarios, really the only difference between the two ranks is that one is less awkward at the beginning of their story in terms of magic skill.

So really? Just leave it as it is. Yes most people skip the C-rank exam but then again in their story or plan you don't know if they want to really start their adventure as a awkward mage or less awkward mage.

Rank system (at least to some extent) is canon. It makes sense that starter mages wouldn't be allowed on more dangerous jobs till they've proved themselves.

However, what doesn't make sense to me is that there is no way to become stronger without ranking up and that the only real way to gain exp is through jobs. I would honestly like to see the ability to gain higher ranked spells at lower ranks, though they will cost a lot, and have it so people can do threads to earn spell slots and exp.

OF course that would mean an overhaul of the health and spell system so that its balanced, but still....

As I'm currently taking the exam, I gotta say I'm simply doing it to have the chance to develop my character a little. I don't know, it seems more... legit? I like to think than advancing from D to C implies that your character's grasp on magic evolves a ton, because, can't you acquire a secondary at C-Rank?

I think that the exam should be, let's say, your character "manning up". It's the first time he's getting out of crappy D-Rank shitjobs ("Tag", anyone?) that sometimes don't even grant you jewels so you get an idea of how little they matter. But now, he is actually taking on something with a bit more of an impact; at least, after reading my exam up until now, it's the vibe I'm getting.

So, while I agree with the "do it for the plot" thing, perhaps giving C-Rank job-type rewards would do? If anyone has played Monster Hunter, when you're ready to rank up they give you an Urgent Quest. Apart from ranking up upon completion of said mission, you also get rewards which are above the rank you were before. Perhaps this approach could be used to make exams more attractive? If a Guildmaster doesn't want it to be a job, it's great, but it could still be implemented.

Let's say someone completes his C-Rank exam. Give him +50 exp and a standard C-Rank jewel reward and it's good to go. Nothing too shabby, but still an incentive. After all, while the player is taking the exam, he can't be taking C-Rank jobs, while those who skip it can (with their new spells approved, that is).