I start really broadly and then look for key words to help me narrow things down.
The first thing I decide is what "element" I want to focus on. Does the applicant want land, water, or air? That helps narrow the general field quite a bit. Then I start zeroing in one things like temperature preferences (I don't want to give someone a Siberian animal if they despise the cold!), nocturnal vs. diurnal, whether they want to be offensive or defensive, if they have a size, preference and what kind of social/pack structure they would prefer. And, of course, I eliminate any animals/attributes the applicant specifically doesn't want.
By this point, I've generally gotten a basic idea, such as "Domestic dog, large, intimidating but friendly, warm weather." At that point, I would start browsing the "large dog breeds" page on Wikipedia and comparing what I find with the list of claimed animals.
If I get *really* stuck on someone, I'll look at what animals they feel a connection with, and see if I can choose something from that list that fits with the general "vibe" I'm getting.
For people who are new to the system, the one thing I would want to stress is that there are no "wrong" answers, so don't be afraid in the beginning to just go with your gut. Even if you don't have enough information to elaborate for the full 10 points, it's excellent practice and you'll still earn at least some points! Then you can look at the post where the applicants receive their choices and see what other people chose. It's an especially good idea to check the comments on those posts, because applicants almost ALWAYS ask for help, and voters will often copy/past their entire reasons, so you can see some great examples!
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-05-03 01:23 am (UTC)The first thing I decide is what "element" I want to focus on. Does the applicant want land, water, or air? That helps narrow the general field quite a bit. Then I start zeroing in one things like temperature preferences (I don't want to give someone a Siberian animal if they despise the cold!), nocturnal vs. diurnal, whether they want to be offensive or defensive, if they have a size, preference and what kind of social/pack structure they would prefer. And, of course, I eliminate any animals/attributes the applicant specifically doesn't want.
By this point, I've generally gotten a basic idea, such as "Domestic dog, large, intimidating but friendly, warm weather." At that point, I would start browsing the "large dog breeds" page on Wikipedia and comparing what I find with the list of claimed animals.
If I get *really* stuck on someone, I'll look at what animals they feel a connection with, and see if I can choose something from that list that fits with the general "vibe" I'm getting.
For people who are new to the system, the one thing I would want to stress is that there are no "wrong" answers, so don't be afraid in the beginning to just go with your gut. Even if you don't have enough information to elaborate for the full 10 points, it's excellent practice and you'll still earn at least some points! Then you can look at the post where the applicants receive their choices and see what other people chose. It's an especially good idea to check the comments on those posts, because applicants almost ALWAYS ask for help, and voters will often copy/past their entire reasons, so you can see some great examples!
Shannon//Ravenclaw//English Shepherd