(Just so we're clear, I have asked this question before and have gotten a no. I doubt there's even an interest in lowering wc when a lot of us have been used to 200 words.)

It's not so much work on the staff end to copy your words and paste it into wordcounter. It'd save work if your words were actually 200 words or more, but it isn't that much an effort to just highlight the words in your post and paste it into a word counting platform to see how many words were written. The same for checking for ai use, highlight the words and copy into copyleaks.

I'm not commenting on why we have the wc or if staff has a change of heart regarding lowering it, but I just wanted to say that I've asked this before and it's not really too much work on their end, work that may be unnecessary, maybe, but it's only unnecessary if the wc was met.

hi! got a sugggestion! like maybe, could the i-npc's get their own daily stipend?

Lauren Wong wrote: 10 Mar 2026, 14:37 hi! got a sugggestion! like maybe, could the i-npc's get their own daily stipend?

No – this was discussed when they got their own sub-accounts. But since their introduction in 2019, they didn't get stipends, so it wouldn't be fair to people who've had them for longer.

Plus, it's also just not fair in general for more accounts to equal more money. That means that you get more money just by virtue of being on the site for 6 months. Graduated adult accounts also do not receive a stipend.

If you need more money on an iNPC account, I'd recommend having a shop or doing errands.

Tes Cadell wrote: 10 Mar 2026, 05:43 Hello everyone,

I was just wondering why our RP posts had to be at least 200 words.

As much as I understand writing in details to make it feel as immersive as possible, it honestly doesn't hurt to write 150 words when there is actually nothing to say or describe so this rule just feels forced and it takes the "magic" away from RP because I'm constantly checking if I meet the word requirement thus explaining why I take some time to reply, because I know I have to write at least 200 words I'm feeling a bit lazy about it.

That's just me personally but I really don't believe that a good writing has to be 200 words, it wouldn't affect my experience on site and I don't think it would to anyone (correct me if I'm wrong people). A writing can be as detailed and interesting with much less words.

I feel like it's way too much work for the staff as well to check everyone's post like I be getting owls saying "your post is 178 words please change it" but I don't see how it bothers anyone? I just thought it was a bit riddikulus (see what I did there) that I get owled because I missed 20 words and I'm getting threatened that my post will be deleted if I don't change it in 3 days.

Again, I understand there is strict site rules but is there no way we can reduce it to maybe 150 words?
Thanks

Hello!

First, I do want to say I'm sorry it's 'taking the magic' out of the RP. It can be difficult to get used to if you're not used to it. However, 200 words, once you meet it a few times, turns out to not be too difficult.

We do literate RP on our site, not script play, although that is a valid form of RP, too. The 200 words requirement has been in place since 2018 when I first joined, and I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon.

200 words is roughly two paragraphs, sometimes closer to one or three depending on how long you make your paragraphs. This gives you the opportunity to grow as a writer, as well as more for your partner to respond to. Something the 200 word requirement taught me to do was actually describe my characters & their settings. I also think it has helped me grow immensely as a writer by forcing me to try new things.

I wouldn't say I use 200 words to 'say nothing', except maybe in sports posts, but those have a reduced word count anyway. The more you add, the more the meaning shifts. What could start as:

'Okay,' Jessamine said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Can change:



That's 223 words, so a little above our minimum, but it adds a lot of detail to the scene. If I'd left it with the first three paragraphs, it still makes sense, but the last paragraph adds more for the non-existent RP partner – visible discomfort for them to react to, Jess wanting to leave, etc.

Details – such as body language, outfit choice, even specific diction – can influence how others view your character, and it can change how they will respond to your post. It can also help you specify how you want your character to be seen.

You could argue that we could reduce the word count requirement, but once you erode a standard once, there is nothing to stop it from continuing to erode. That's why, even if someone had a RP post with 199 words, we would still ask them to update it to be 200. Once we allow 199, why not 150? If we allow 150, well, why not less? And then soon enough it wouldn't be literate RP anymore.

If you'd like some tips/tricks for meeting the 200 words, feel free to reach out! Many of us on the site have been in your shoes.

Tes Cadell wrote: 10 Mar 2026, 05:43 Hello everyone,

I was just wondering why our RP posts had to be at least 200 words.

As much as I understand writing in details to make it feel as immersive as possible, it honestly doesn't hurt to write 150 words when there is actually nothing to say or describe so this rule just feels forced and it takes the "magic" away from RP because I'm constantly checking if I meet the word requirement thus explaining why I take some time to reply, because I know I have to write at least 200 words I'm feeling a bit lazy about it.

That's just me personally but I really don't believe that a good writing has to be 200 words, it wouldn't affect my experience on site and I don't think it would to anyone (correct me if I'm wrong people). A writing can be as detailed and interesting with much less words.

I feel like it's way too much work for the staff as well to check everyone's post like I be getting owls saying "your post is 178 words please change it" but I don't see how it bothers anyone? I just thought it was a bit riddikulus (see what I did there) that I get owled because I missed 20 words and I'm getting threatened that my post will be deleted if I don't change it in 3 days.

Again, I understand there is strict site rules but is there no way we can reduce it to maybe 150 words?
Thanks

I can understand the difficulty with learning to write with a word count that you have to consistently meet. Outside of site, I do a lot of writing that has page requirements and it can be stressful. If you would like practice, I recommend doing a solo thread with yourself such as writing letters to your characters family, or letters to themselves, in the Letters forum which might help you practice with expanding how you write.

The Letters forum has a 50 word minimum which if you were to practice say two to three times a week, you might find a groove that helps you. Writing, like learning a language, a sport, or a musical piece, is something you can always practice and learn to do. Even the greatest writers were always practicing by creating drafts/manuscripts or rough editions.

If you would even like some help going back and forth between posts, I would be happy to have a small 200 word post with your character to help practice. Hope this helps!

Hello!

I personally think it would be good if an Arithmancy class also is added! It's missing

Arithmancy is a form of divination, it would be taught in Divination. I'm aware it's a whole class in Hogwarts in the books, but also, this would include (1) creating the class forum, (2) having zach add the class to the report card, (3) having to create a new staff role, hire a new staff, (4) the new staff (assuming they weren't a professor before or have not graded before/forgot how to) would need to be trained, (4) the professor would have to create a whole new curriculum dedicated to the class, likely starting at year 3 like the other electives. They would need to create (y3, y4, y5, y6, y7 = 5... 5 x 5 = 25 + 2 (NEWT and OWL)) lessons and all.(aka 27 lessons to write) (and 5) adding arithmancy newts and owls to the adult system..

This is a lot of work to put into adding a new class at this point when all other classes are finished and arithmancy is simply a section of divination, when it could easily be a single class session.

PS in addition to creating a whole staff role itself (aka creating a whole new professor role) also adds the fact that they have to join a staff team; index and validations. This really stacks up their workload by a tremendous amount.

PSS: It also took us multiple years to complete the report card and provide every lesson and class we could and to tie spells to them. There's no promise that arithmancy would be finished in less than a year, it might take multiple!

Vladislav Liam Gunther wrote: 14 Mar 2026, 15:34 Arithmancy is a form of divination, it would be taught in Divination. I'm aware it's a whole class in Hogwarts in the books, but also, this would include (1) creating the class forum, (2) having zach add the class to the report card, (3) having to create a new staff role, hire a new staff, (4) the new staff (assuming they weren't a professor before or have not graded before/forgot how to) would need to be trained, (4) the professor would have to create a whole new curriculum dedicated to the class, likely starting at year 3 like the other electives. They would need to create (y3, y4, y5, y6, y7 = 5... 5 x 5 = 25 + 2 (NEWT and OWL)) lessons and all.(aka 27 lessons to write) (and 5) adding arithmancy newts and owls to the adult system..

This is a lot of work to put into adding a new class at this point when all other classes are finished and arithmancy is simply a section of divination, when it could easily be a single class session.

PS in addition to creating a whole staff role itself (aka creating a whole new professor role) also adds the fact that they have to join a staff team; index and validations. This really stacks up their workload by a tremendous amount.

PSS: It also took us multiple years to complete the report card and provide every lesson and class we could and to tie spells to them. There's no promise that arithmancy would be finished in less than a year, it might take multiple!

As well as this it would mean having to moderate a entire new forum which adds more work

Sorry for double posting but why can’t you do open ended questions in the surveys because lots of the time I don’t like and I struggle to create multiple choice answers

Nick Jameson wrote: 15 Mar 2026, 07:51 Sorry for double posting but why can’t you do open ended questions in the surveys because lots of the time I don’t like and I struggle to create multiple choice answers

hi Nick, I suppose you can simply give a question in the post and ask users to reply with an answer if you want to hear their own opinions that way there will be no need for extra coding work!