(06-24-2015, 08:32 PM)Faye Wrote: especially without a very long and detailed application process that likely neither officer nor applicant would want to deal with.I would suggest, as a mere matter of personal experience, not dismissing a lengthy, intrusive, and detailed application process out of hand.
When I played EVE I joined and stuck with a single corporation: it was called EVE University and it was one of the largest and most famous corporations in the entire game. It catered explicitly to new players and functioned with the express purpose of teaching people how to play the game.
If you ever talk to anyone who has joined and been a part of the Uni in the past they'll likely tell you about how long and elaborate the application process was. At best you could expect to be in within a week of applying and doing an interview. But in the busier seasons when a lot of new players were coming into the game and being referred to the Uni there were wait times that could last for one or even two months before the mods who handled applications got to you. This long application wait time wound up becoming a sort of rite of passage and cultural landmark unique to the corporation. Something for members old, new, and aspiring to commiserate and bond over together.
Of course that long wait didn't exist in a vacuum; the Uni frequently hosted events open to those outside of its immediate membership (which some FCs like yours already do to an extent) and also had a chat channel open to use by members and non-members alike. Thus it was easy for anyone to be involved with the corporation, but it was a testament to patience and desire for someone to actually join.
And to tie back in to my original point, I think there's something to be said for only recruiting those people willing to jump through the hoops and wait out the application periods; because just by making that effort you know those people not only want to join you but are already invested in being a part of your community.
This approach doesn't work for everyone but I believe that it played a significant factor in creating one of the tightest, well-behaved, and most loyal online communities I've ever seen.
V'aleera's Wiki - https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/pages...eera_Lhuil
V'aleera's Tumblr - valeeralhuil.tumblr.com
V'aleera's Tumblr - valeeralhuil.tumblr.com
