I think that Adoptions centers are okay, it's the Mate centers that I have a real problem with. And that is because they are (in my opinion) fundamentally broken and warped in the sense of finding a significant other within the game.
It's hard to find a place to start when talking about my dislike of Mating Centers, but I think primarily they are a failure because you normally get a mate depending on how you look. You are asked to walk into the center and if people like /the look of your character/ you'll get picked. Otherwise it's tough luck. This is the worst way possible to go about getting a mate. I know that Mate Centers were designed for people to get a mate quickly, but I doubt that any pairings that are made from them last longer than a few hours at most. That is because people have no idea about what they are getting apart from looks. I think this problem mostly stems from the Users who make Mate Center Characters. They are (from my observations) usually illiterate and often obnoxiousness while trying to make themselves heard among the rabble of Bonfire. They are unorganized, and each User has a different way of partnering mates so everyone is often confused about what to do when they tentatively approach one of those infamous circles.
I think, that if Mate Centers were to ever work properly, a set of defined rules would have to be set down, and there would have to be more time and effort put into making /good/ matches. For example, the person who starts up a Mate Center character should create a Party once everyone who wishes to find a mate arrives. That way it would be far easier for people to hear one another. Secondly, the person in the center should be given a chance to say something about themselves, not only describing their personality, but also showing off their level of literacy in one fell swoop. They might also be given a chance during this time to talk about weather they want a mate for OOC or Role Play purposes, so people would know what they are getting into. They could even say what /they/ want in a mate, to help narrow down the field. I know it would take more time, and I know it wouldn't be 'easy' but I bet it would get far better matches that are being made on a whim based on how a character looks or what their name is.
I think that Mate Centers would also need to be re-evaluated by the Feral Heart public. Today, they are seen as something to the point of desperation, you are unable to get a mate within an RP or otherwise, and therefore must stoop to the low level of going to a Mate Center to get hitched. This I think (for some people anyways) draws forth a sense of shame or reluctance to go in and join the circle, even if you really do want to try your hand at getting that 'special someone'. If we could re-engineer mating centers to be more mature and include players of all literacies, I think that would help negate that effect.
There is also a big problem (again from what I have seen) of an uneven spread of genders. There are almost /always/ way more females than males, so more often then naught you can go through more than one mate center and never get a mate. I would imagine that would severely harm ones self confidence in that regard, and unfortunately there isn't really a way to negate this effect.
In conclusion, if we could streamline Mating Centers, perhaps slap a more conservative name onto the gathering, make it more appealing to players of all literacy levels, and give people a chance to talk a bit about themselves and tell everyone what they're looking for, I think Mating Centers might turn out to be a good thing.
However, as of today, they are disorganized, polluted with illiterate players who pick one another based on looks alone, and therefore have no real weight in terms of finding someone who will actually be right for you. It's a one in a million chance, and it's not one I think anyone should bother with. It will always turn out in disappointment. If you're looking for a mate, join a role play and get one the old fashioned way: by falling in love.
