☞ SILENCIO FIRST LOOK REVIEW
Initial Impression
In a word: classic. Silencio gives the impression of the quintessential Marauders Era Roleplay. The visuals are starkly simple and a bit gloomy, which of course is in line with the roleplay’s overall mood. The fact that the main’s background color is white, however, helps keep things from feeling too dark overall.
Many of the characters’ faceclaims are the tried and true choices, and the theme is actually one of the clean, classic designs that the Ministry of Roleplay recommends. I even recognize the character page as the same theme from our Roleplay Directory. You have good taste.
There are literally dozens of active Marauders Roleplays out there. Some of their premises are far from Canon. Some of their faceclaim choices are unusual (for better or for worse). Anyone nostalgic for a classic Marauders plot with classic Marauders characters will love Silencio.
Good Marks
ONE. My favorite character so far is Andromeda Black. Great faceclaim, lovely bio. I love the character connection with Molly. I’m not much for the Marauders Era myself, so I’m not sure how common a close relationship between Molly and Andromeda is, but I really like the idea of this friendship.
TWO. I like how easy it is to navigate the characters on this roleplay. I can go to the Characters page, or I can just click the link I’m looking for on the Navigation page. Very handy.
THREE. Your consistently pleasant replies and legitimate activity on the main gives this roleplay a vibrant, bustling feel. You’re not just begging for apps in the tags. You’re answering questions and posting characters and updates. You’re clear in how you manage your roleplay and what you expect of your players, but you’re not snappish or whiny. That’s the best way to show potential applicants that you are a passionate, thoughtful admin who is committed to a well-run roleplay.
Marks Off
ONE. I admit I am confused by the characters’ ages. If the roleplay is set in 1977, then characters like Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Lily Evans should still be in school. In fact, James Potter and Lily Evans were Head Boy and Girl in 1977, but you list them as being in their 20s. Even though you have established the roleplay as AU and even responded to this in an ask, if you’re adjusting Canon to age them up and out of school by 1977, then I suggest that you say so somewhere in your plot or sidebar, especially since neither James nor Lily made it to their 23rd year.
TWO. I feel that for your Traits section, the centered list of positive and negative traits looks a little wonky. I suggest putting all three positive traits on one line and all three negative traits on the line beneath that. This fix would conserve space and might look more streamlined. Here are two examples of how you might format it.
+ Compassionate \\ + Bright \\ + Serene - Conservative \\ - Gullible \\ - Ignorant
+ Compassionate, Bright, Serene - Conservative, Gullible, Ignorant
THREE. I noticed a few grammatical issues and iffy word choices on your plot page. I can point out the errors I saw and make suggestions to you privately if you like, but regardless I think it’s worth taking a second look with an editor’s eye. Also, it’s unclear to me from reading the plot if everyone is living in London at this point or where exactly the roleplay is set. What is the location of the roleplay?
