Post by Mandoli on Jun 16, 2013 18:07:40 GMT -5
(This was posted on the GSN boards back on March 9. Yes, by me.)
Going to ask for this thread to be stickied, because I think this would be helpful for those of you who are new to the CG hosting world. And for those of you who have been around the block before - this would also be helpful in case you need a refresher course. Here are the DOs and DON’Ts about CG hosting. If you’d like, take notes. There won’t be a pop quiz afterwards, but it would help to keep notes nearby.
DO...
DON'T...
I hope this was a little help. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Someone will always be there to help if you really need it.
Going to ask for this thread to be stickied, because I think this would be helpful for those of you who are new to the CG hosting world. And for those of you who have been around the block before - this would also be helpful in case you need a refresher course. Here are the DOs and DON’Ts about CG hosting. If you’d like, take notes. There won’t be a pop quiz afterwards, but it would help to keep notes nearby.
DO...
- Make the title of your post something short and simple. If it’s “(your name’s) Weakest Link”, then that would be appropriate. Something like “(your name’s) Price is Right” followed by roughly ten other words may confuse other people. Short, sweet, and to the point. (EDIT: If you want to add something like "[THIRD ROUND - PAGE 15!] after the title, go to the first page, edit your post, then do the advanced edit. You can add information in the title.)
- Take advantage of the fact that in your first post, you can add additional information about your game. Describe what’s going on in your version. Add your own rules to give it a little spin. This is where people will either join your game or not. If it’s just something like “I need two people” with nothing after that, nobody will join.
- Make sure that you have sign-ups with reserve players. If someone doesn’t show up within the allotted time period (to be mentioned next), you may give them another chance. If they keep missing deadlines, you’re allowed to bring someone on your reserve list into the game.
- Give your players plenty of time to respond to posts. I’ve seen some people (on the old board) give players a deadline of a half-hour, and those games turned into chaos. Make sure that everyone knows how much time they have to respond to any given set of directions, and reiterate the deadline as it comes closer. Saying something like “(name of player) and (name of player) still need to submit an answer - (number of hours) left until the deadline ends”, then everyone will know who has and hasn’t sent in an answer yet. Make sure you also give a time zone as part of your deadline. Putting in ET or PT will help.
DON'T...
- Start a game by adding fluff into your starter post. Fluff is something that’s not needed. If your post has rules AND borders the board’s character limit in any particular post, you may use another post if necessary - as long as you have TBC after it.
- Run a CG and then call upon a player who doesn’t even know that they’re going to participate. This is why I’ve mentioned that you DO use sign-ups in order to run a smoother game. And if someone asks you to use sign-ups in your next game after you didn’t do it the last time, don’t get upset. Take their idea and run with it. People who don’t take criticism easily may take offense. Don’t take offense to someone’s suggestion. Politely deny it if possible.
- Stir up trouble in your game. If you’re going to use your game to take advantage of one or a collective group of players, then why are you running it in the first place? Keep the peace in your game if it gets a little hotheaded. Players may get under someone else’s skin. Use penalty points, strikes, or something else if you see something occurring like this. And don’t hesitate to get someone off of your reserve list to jump in if need be.
- Run a live game if you know that not everyone’ll be on at the same time. Live games are just that. It’s when the host and players are all on at the same time, and the game can end quicker. Some people will just take offense to this. GSN’s pretty much been a non-live board, with the exception of a few hosts at various points in time. If you think you can handle the idea of a live game, don’t hesitate to start one. If you can’t, it’s okay. Nobody else does these things, anyway.
- Start a game and not run it properly. This includes not spelling the majority of your words correctly in whatever game you’re hosting, not using the “/” symbol to separate words in a Wheel of Fortune or Alphabucks game in a Playmania/Quiznation type game, or having people blind answer in any given game. Always be clear with your answers, and please make sure that you don’t confuse people in the process.
I hope this was a little help. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Someone will always be there to help if you really need it.