After some thought, espevially with Rolands post above, I would like to point out Restricted Spells. I have Restricted DADA for Dusana, my adult character, and in the old process I had to write a 400 word roleplay of how she learnt the spell. It was one of my favourites to write and learn. It actually felt like she was learning, instead of it being so ooc. The new process hoewver, is just buying the spell. There is no writing, no roleplay option, at all. At least for these restricted spells, or spells from a higher year that must be bought, that there is some writing option given. Restore the old system for restricted please!

This discussion is probably stale now, but I'd still like to add my piece.

As a new player, I actually don't mind the homework to spells pipeline. It anchors me in this being a 'school' for my character as there are currently no other ways to really feel like Poppy isn't just spending every day taking pictures and chronically being introduced to new people. It would be nice to just let us RP our characters in the class but anonymity makes it harder.

I actually loved the charms homework; it got me into her headspace for her first-ever class and how she'd have felt even if I couldn't say it was her. So I don't mind the RP prompts; I mind having to pretend to be some random character, sometimes an adult, completely unrelated to the character I came here to write.

I like the gaming aspect, if it can be called that, where you complete prerequisites in order to earn rewards (spells/potions). If everyone just gets them for existing, I stop seeing the point, but I do get what's meant about wanting more RP and less ooc obligation.

It is time consuming, but it's also optional. You get what you do. That said, not everyone will want to, and spells are expensive. That is the aspect I think could be lowered, but then why would anyone do homework if everything is on a shelf for say...1 knut? What's the point, again? I think there needs to be some balance; I just don't know what that balance is. Like I said, I love collecting the spells and feeling like I'm making progress. If it weren't the case, I could check out, come back every summer to 'graduate' and still be exactly where every character is. There wouldn't be any differentiation.

If everyone has all the same spells, duelling is just who gets to cast the spell first. Sports teams become, "Everyone has these spells, so we all do the same things". I think it undermines the system and makes it all less rewarding.

My real gripe is the way waitlists and sports currently are. The people on the teams seldom leave; the waitlists are so long, and some people may join one just to be active while they wait for one they really like, but getting on that other team means you're removed from the list you actually wanted.

You might say, well only sign up for the one you want. Sure, but then you sit on THAT list indefinitely, unable to potentially earn stats or be part of a team and experience more of the site because everyone on that team happened to make one post a month. With the waiting lists so long, what's so wrong with being on a team until a spot where you want opens up and you switch? There are a million people waiting to take your place; the team won't suffer, and someone else will get to move up once you make the switch.