Utility How To Run a Game

Gandalf Parker · #1 July 11th, 2008, 02:45 PM

Create a thread, or a post to a multi-thread. This is to announce your game and let you get people interested in joining it. Usually the person doing that is considered to be the person running the game. The Game Master, the arbitrator, the decider of arguments, the judge, the final say on "OK its been decided and this is what we are going with". Also its generally accepted to be the official person who is expected to contact the Host letting them know of the game settings and any changes in those later on (please dont expect all the hosts to read all the threads if they arent in the game that is being played).

Make the subject say that its a game starting. As the person who created the thread you can edit the subject later to say game has begun and the name of the game. The first post in the thread (yours) should be used for the basic game information. So if you dont have any of that yet then make the first post a placeholder. Or fill it in with what you want the game to be like in short details. Then the following posts are for longer explanations and discussions of game settings. That is of course IF you want discussion on game settings but keep in mind that YOU are the person that is running the game that YOU want to run. There are plenty of options for other games with other settings so dont feel pressured to change the game to something else that you might bail out on early. If you do quit the game then quitting the game is not as big a problem as dropping it. PLEASE be honorable enough to pass the torch of running the game to someone else if you quit.

Here are some things you might decide for the game you want to run, or allow the players to debate, or a mix of both. You should probably state right off in the first or second post which things you feel are pre-decided and which you are allowing to be open for discussion.

PbEM (Play by EMail)? Direct Connect (TCPIP)? Both?
Player hosted? Neutrally hosted? What host are you hoping for? Backups?
How often should it host? Quickturn (as soon as all player files are turned in)? 24 hours? Both? (all files or 24 hours)? host set for specific day or time? automatic pause day (hosting time paused on Suday)?

What era? any nations not allowed?
How many players? How long will you wait for joiners? Uploadtime auto-enforced by the host?
Hall of Fame 15? Renaming on?
Simple Victory (there can only be one)?
Scenario? (one example would be having one of the expert players or the IRC group role-play a common enemy)

Money (gold) turned down? turned up? default?
Supplies (food) turned down? turned up? default?
Resources (production) turned down? turned up? default?
Magic (research) slower? faster? default?
Magic Sites? 40 (default)? more? less? maximum? none?
Independents Strength? low? high? chaotic? none?
Number of starting provinces to speed up start (but can break balances). 1? 3? 5?

Map Victory (take VP locations)?
Info on nations available in game (graphs)? Scoreboard visible (html)? Stats file visible?
Will you demand email addresses? Demand passwords?

MODs? No MODs? (keep in mind that mods can make it harder to get hosting)
Certain spells removed? CBM? Heroes Mod?

Rules on NAPs? Rules on missed turns?

AIs? (computer players at the start? maybe filling in any unfilled nations)
AIs that are not part of the game (MOD'd nations as AIs for more challenge)?
AIs as a major opponent?

Map and map size: Discussion of how many provinces per player? 5? 10? 20?
A map that came with the game and everyone has it?
A map created and made available here in the forum?
A Random-Generated map so that no one has seen it before?
A Random-Generated map that has been checked by a 3rd party for balance, reasonable start sites, etc?
Wrap-Map?
No-Independents Map? Chaotic Independents map? Semi-Randomized map?

Gandalf Parker · #2 July 11th, 2008, 02:48 PM

Im considering this for a sticky. Or maybe adding it to some other sticky
Comments?

Aezeal · #3 July 11th, 2008, 02:56 PM

it seems complete.. but I'm not experienced enough if something is missing.. a lot of things here I had to make up while players where joining and asking so if pplz used this to start with it could bypass a lot of questions and get the game started quicker

DonCorazon · #4 July 11th, 2008, 03:05 PM

Looks good and useful. May be worth calling out specific spells that players might considered banning like "Mists of Deception / retreat" so new players setting up games have a heads up. This suggestion is based on a scar from the Capuchin MP noob game, which blew up from this particular thing.

llamabeast · #5 July 11th, 2008, 03:25 PM

To my mind it looks rather more complicated than it need be. Mine would be something like:

1) Contact a potential host to host the game - lch, llamabeast or Gandalf spring to mind at present.
2) Make a thread asking for players. On the thread list the age, map, number of players wanted, any mods being used, and any non-default game settings. Also specify any exploits or spells you want to ban. The first post will remain important for listing all the settings, and as slots fill up you should edit it to keep a complete list of players there.
3) Wait for all slots to fill up. Then arrange for your host to accept their pretenders.
4) Once all pretenders are in, ask your host to start the game.
5) You will be responsible for sorting out any requests for postponing hostings or other things throughout the game. Please do not stop doing this if you get knocked out without asking someone else to do it for you. Generally someone else will be happy to take over as it's an easy job.

All the other stuff you say is useful, and should probably be included below, but is to my mind somewhat daunting and for an average game most of it is not important.

Aezeal · #6 July 11th, 2008, 04:26 PM

For shame Gandalf, couldn't even wait 5 minutes for someone else to nominate it first.

--> agree

I also agree to add Llama's points.. but if you make a sticky of it his list is rather short and I'd let gandalfs thingie in there too..

JimMorrison · #7 July 11th, 2008, 04:26 PM

But Llama, if someone forgets any of those things, they'll be harassed by the players who are joining.

One of the games I'm in now, there must have been 2 pages of relentless questions "are we using mods?", "are indies at 5?", "is it normal research?". A newer host may not even think of these things at first, and may not be resilient to the interrogation after they were too cursory in their initial post.

Gandalf Parker · #8 July 11th, 2008, 04:48 PM

Quote:

llamabeast said:
To my mind it looks rather more complicated than it need be. Mine would be something like:

I often type an answer in forums then before hitting send I go to the top and edit it into "short answer" and then "longer answer". Maybe I should do that with this. Make yours the short answer then for those who are interested offer a longer answer.

JimMorrison · #9 July 11th, 2008, 02:58 PM

For shame Gandalf, couldn't even wait 5 minutes for someone else to nominate it first.

<3

I like it, good mini-guide for new hosts. Also a good checklist for those who haven't done it much, and don't want to forget anything.

Gandalf Parker · #10 August 26th, 2008, 02:01 PM

Added comment:
I have discovered that in games of more than just a few people, when its going to run for awhile, the 24 hour setting can be a problem. Everytime someone wants the game stopped and restarted with some change then the counter starts counting at 24 again. People have asked "it was at 7 hours, can you change it to that" but then after it hosts at 7 hours the host has to stop it again and reset it to 24 hours. (this is for tcpip direct-connect games and not pbem games)

A setting of specific days and times can be easier to manage. Please consider something like "daily at 2am eastern" or "Mon, Wed, Fri"

Gandalf Parker