21.8 DESIGN REVIEWS
"How Does Reviewing Designs in Lusternia Work?"
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When a trademaster submits a design for review, it enters a large design queue available to the panel of mortal reviewers and the Charites, Administrators of the Crafts. Most designs are overseen by mortal reviewers directly, and no design can pass or be rejected by a single reviewer's word alone.
All designs are submitted anonymously. Mortal reviewers have no way of knowing which design is submitted by which cartel or which designer to allow for utmost impartiality.
When a reviewer rejects a design, it will not reappear in their queue when the design is next resubmitted. This is to help avoid instances of bias from other players. Likewise, mortal reviewers cannot review their own designs, nor those submitted from their own cartels.
Reviewers are paid the same regardless of if they approve or reject a design. They are rewarded for consistency and accuracy alone.
"Who are Mortal Reviewers?"
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Mortal reviewers have a great deal of responsibility and are expected to be familiar with the design process, fully aware of the rules and conveniences that are imposed therein, and have a keen, discerning eye for errors. Owing to the level of commitment involved in being a mortal reviewer, they are compensated with credits for their work.
The panel of mortal reviewers for crafting in Lusternia follows two main guidelines: be consistent and be accurate.
The more accurate a reviewer is (rejecting designs that other reviewers also catch errors in, approving designs that other reviewers likewise approve), the higher their "trust" grows.
It takes a minimum amount of trust for a design to be rejected or to be approved. The higher trust a reviewer has earned, the more impact that reviewer can have on design rulings. Even those reviewers with max trust, however, cannot singlehandedly rule on a design by themselves.
Anyone who wants to be a mortal reviewer can apply to become one using the guidelines explained in HELP MORTALREVIEWERS.
"Why is My Design Still in Queue?"
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There are many reasons a design might take longer than you'd like to be reviewed by the panel.
Sometimes this is due to an unusually large queue, such as during the Beauty Seal event, where many designs are submitted at once. Other times, it is because reviewers are simply logging in less than usual, such as during holidays.
If your design has already been rejected multiple times, the pool of mortal reviewers that can review that design becomes much smaller, often forcing the design to wait until the Charites check the queue for any outstanding designs.
Should reviewers disagree on whether or not your design is ready to be approved or rejected, the design can struggle to achieve the necessary amount of trust to be rejected or approved. As above, the Charites must often step in to be the deciding vote in these rare instances.
Finally, your design might be flagged for Divine Review, which requires the Charites to review it personally. Reasons for that are listed below.
"Why Was My Design Flagged for Divine Review?"
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If a design involves something that requires a new design ruling ("Do we allow cereal to be submitted as a soup pattern in Lusternia?") or clarification ("Is this considered too strong a magical effect for lightessence?"), then mortal reviewers must flag the design for the Charites' review.
Mortal reviewers must flag a design if it includes Divine likenesses or symbols. In the instance that a Divine's likeness or symbol has been used, the Charites will have to get approval from the specific admin being referenced, and will then unflag the design if approval is granted. The design will then be reviewed as usual.
Should a trademaster appeal a previous design ruling in the comments during resubmission, then the design must also be flagged for Charites' review, as the matter involves interpreting the design guidelines themselves.
A flagged design cannot be reviewed by mortal reviewers until the Charites have made their decision. The Charites will internally discuss the flagged design among themselves if necessary, then come to a consensus for their ruling. This can sometimes take time.
Reviewers are then informed afterwards of what that decision was to help prepare them for future designs with similar considerations. If necessary, the Charites might update helpfiles to make their stance on specific rulings clearer.
"Why Was My Design Rejected?"
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There are many reasons why a design might not be approved. When a design is rejected, these individual reasons should always be listed for the designer to adjust and fix accordingly.
Crafting rules can be frustrating to learn as a newcomer to Lusternia. There are many types of writing that simply do not work within the confines of Lusternia designing. Without reviewing existing helpfiles, it can be difficult to know what is worthy of rejection and what isn't.
Therefore, the best way you can be aware of potential problems is to take the time to read the following helpfiles in full:
* HELP DESIGNS - This is overall the best primer for understanding the design rules in full.
* HELP HOWTODESIGN - This is the best place to begin as a brand new designer, taking you step-by-step through each designing field.
* HELP DESIGN COMMS - This helpfile will explain what base commodities are and the rules that go with them.
* HELP SPECIALCOMMS - This helpfile will help you navigate the special effects you can achieve in a design, as well as existing precedent for alternative commodities.
* HELP PLAGIARISM - This helpfile will explain Lusternia's plagiarism policies.
If you have read the helpfiles and still are unsure about a potential issue regarding a design, you are encouraged to MESSAGE CHARITES with your question. They will respond to you as soon as they are able.
"How Do I Contest a Design Rejection?"
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If you disagree with a rejection your design has received, you may either MESSAGE CHARITES with your concern, or resubmit the design with comments indicating your reasons for contesting the ruling.
If there is precedent of a previous design allowing something which is now being rejected, please state the example so that it can be referenced during the Charites' review.
Remember that mortal reviewers and the Charites are volunteers, and volunteers are human. Though measures are taken to be consistent and clear in design decisions, there are times when mistakes can occur. Be polite and patient, and the Charites will respond as quickly as they are able.
Be advised that berating or mocking mortal reviewers or the Charites for their rulings in these requests is strictly against Lusternia harassment policies and will not be tolerated.
