Game Mod Helplist

Digital Solitude

I'm procrastinating because I'm sick at looking at Calculus, so I said I'd throw up a thread for helping new game mods out with tips and stuff we picked up. Also I want to do this on facebook so thanks for helping me out guys.

First off is don't get in over your head, if you are stuck for time in the morning or evening, then ask for a co-mod to help you out. I would have been swamped if I hadn't Jayop to help me in the third game, and when RL took over for him I was able to keep the games final day or two running, win-win for both of us.

Second, use Google forms for the lynch votes, it's so much easier than counting PM's and using tally sheets etc. Give each player a password, doesn't have to be anything complex, just so that you can't fake a vote for someone else.

Thirdly, for game balancing I tend to try to make about 50% of the players NRVs, 20% Wolves and 30% role'd villagers (I know role'd isn't a word). If the wolves have a few special roles, then give more villagers roles and vice versa. Obviously no game can be balanced perfectly as it's primarily down to player skill but I find that a nice base point for figuring the bones of it out.

Games tend to get quiet on weekends, I think it's only been done once so far but we sped a game up on a Saturday so that their was a lynch or munch every 6 hours instead of 12, this could be cut to 3 or 4 depending on how quickly you want to wrap the game up. It ramped the discussion up again and meant for a tense endgame, as opposed to 50 posts across 3 days like we had been looking at.

Feel free to add your own.

crosstownk

I'm due to mod a game with mahama early in the new year. I haven't modded one before so any help is gratefully accepted.

Good idea for a thread, DS.

Digital Solitude

Cheers CTK, a few of them would have saved me hassle in the few games I've modded, learning from each others mistakes can't hurt.

Pre-write a couple of the kill stories, I brainstormed about 20 of them and wrote them all down, was easy to expand on them and change them around a little at short notice. In other games, I didn't preplan, and while the first few are okay after making up 20 under pressure to write quickly you find the beauty in having a few at hand! And don't be afraid to steal older kill stories, at the end of the day it's to say who died, no one cares if it's ultimately unoriginal or unpoetic.

We should have a thread for our favourite kill stories too.

The_Valeyard

I'll help in the new year when things settle down for me

quickbeam

Keep organised with spreadsheets. Spreadsheets rule!!

Use it for players, roles etc. Also really useful for doing up a timetable of sorts so you can remember what events happen when, ie lynchs, munches, peaks, etc.

Give yourself plenty of time to familiarise yourself with the back room and all the proper visibility settings.

Ensure all players are set to invisible in the back room.

Get the players' correct username down to the last character so that you send out roles to the right boards user.

Know your own game rules inside out and try to work through as many scenarios as possible, eg what if X is munched but protected by Y who was also munched by a different team.

Lynch and munch times are busy. Ensure you have time to do all you have to do, eg count votes, check for last minute changes, posting results, changing access rights to the back room, answering peak requests, notifying Priest of dead roles, etc.

Enjoy it!!! It's great fun being the one in the know for once when everyone else is scratching their heads.

Digital Solitude

quickbeam wrote: »

Know your own game rules inside out and try to work through as many scenarios as possible, eg what if X is munched but protected by Y who was also munched by a different team.

For this, try to let as much stuff happen as you possibly can, if someone interprets a rule differently but fairly and correctly, let them at it.

quickbeam

Digital Solitude wrote: »

For this, try to let as much stuff happen as you possibly can, if someone interprets a rule differently but fairly and correctly, let them at it.

True, but if a rule is unambiguous and a player still gets it wrong, don't rush in to correct them. Unless they specifically ask for clarification.

#Imabítchlikethat

Mollyb60

quickbeam wrote: »

Keep organised with spreadsheets. Spreadsheets rule!!

Use it for players, roles etc. Also really useful for doing up a timetable of sorts so you can remember what events happen when, ie lynchs, munches, peaks, etc.

Give yourself plenty of time to familiarise yourself with the back room and all the proper visibility settings.

Ensure all players are set to invisible in the back room.

Get the players' correct username down to the last character so that you send out roles to the right boards user.

Know your own game rules inside out and try to work through as many scenarios as possible, eg what if X is munched but protected by Y who was also munched by a different team.

Lynch and munch times are busy. Ensure you have time to do all you have to do, eg count votes, check for last minute changes, posting results, changing access rights to the back room, answering peak requests, notifying Priest of dead roles, etc.

Enjoy it!!! It's great fun being the one in the know for once when everyone else is scratching their heads.

How people find the time to mod these games is beyond me. It sounds like a SERIOUS amount of work.

Special bualadh bos and thanks to all the game mods.

quickbeam

Mollyb60 wrote: »

How people find the time to mod these games is beyond me. It sounds like a SERIOUS amount of work.

Special bualadh bos and thanks to all the game mods.

Actually, didn't take any more time than playing it. Both are lots of fun in their own ways.

Jayop

Modding takes less time than playing for me anyway.

suffering golfer

My biggest tip is to use the deadroom, if in doubt as they can be of massive help.

I had a couple of very sticky patches in game two and found the dead room to be a lifesaver to ensure I am being fair with the rules.

But yeah found it very time consuming. Really enjoyed it though.

mahamageehad

So, some tips after last game!

Very important - learn from the mistakes others have made! Here's one - if you're going to have a game where everyone has a character or role, you can't mention them all in the OP.

Rules needed to be reviewed, triple reviewed and quadruple reviewed, ideally by multiple people. I know it's been mentioned here already but try and work through every scenario possible (e.g. what happens if a SK gets lynched, do they get their kill or what happens if both teams target a player that can be turned). Assume NO prior knowledge or that players will understand X usually happens after Y, be explicit.

Game modding is draining. I dunno how others here have said it takes them the same amount of time as playing, it took over my life for the week that it was on. For the love of jebus, get a co-mod. Not only does it split the work, it's also great to have someone to bounce ideas off and to man the panic stations if a disaster happens. Also, +1 to what's been mentioned here about the deadroom- use them!

Try and have balancing elements like a player that doesn't get their role til X day or functionality to kick goodies in shared backrooms out. This is much more preferable to changing the rules mid-game (such as "finding" extra bullets etc.), players can be pretty upset when you move the goalposts mid-game (myself included! ) Even if a game starts taking a direction you hadn't anticipated or don't like, avoid interfering as much as possible. The game you've made is the game you've made, let it play out.

Subs are super important. Ideally you'd want to have 2 - 3 dedicated subs that are also following along with the game thread. Even if the players that sign up are super dedicated, there can always be a reason they'll need to drop. As bad as no-shows can be, be wary of low-shows. These can be really difficult to manage, especially if they have an important role. These are players who vote, but aren't very active. Low posting is a valid strategy, but at some point it becomes problematic and a real disadvantage to the game.

Everyone will have their own modding style, and will react to situations differently. If the shít hits the fan, step away from the game and clear the head before making a decision. At the end of the day, it's only a game. That's my 2c anyways.

crosstownk

mahamageehad wrote: »

That's my 2c anyways.

LOL, Kent!

quickbeam

crosstownk wrote: »

LOL, Kent!

Oh yeah!!!!

suffering golfer

mahamageehad wrote: »

So, some tips after last game!

Very important - learn from the mistakes others have made! Here's one - if you're going to have a game where everyone has a character or role, you can't mention them all in the OP.

Rules needed to be reviewed, triple reviewed and quadruple reviewed, ideally by multiple people. I know it's been mentioned here already but try and work through every scenario possible (e.g. what happens if a SK gets lynched, do they get their kill or what happens if both teams target a player that can be turned). Assume NO prior knowledge or that players will understand X usually happens after Y, be explicit.

Game modding is draining. I dunno how others here have said it takes them the same amount of time as playing, it took over my life for the week that it was on. For the love of jebus, get a co-mod. Not only does it split the work, it's also great to have someone to bounce ideas off and to man the panic stations if a disaster happens. Also, +1 to what's been mentioned here about the deadroom- use them!

Try and have balancing elements like a player that doesn't get their role til X day or functionality to kick goodies in shared backrooms out. This is much more preferable to changing the rules mid-game (such as "finding" extra bullets etc.), players can be pretty upset when you move the goalposts mid-game (myself included! ) Even if a game starts taking a direction you hadn't anticipated or don't like, avoid interfering as much as possible. The game you've made is the game you've made, let it play out.

Subs are super important. Ideally you'd want to have 2 - 3 dedicated subs that are also following along with the game thread. Even if the players that sign up are super dedicated, there can always be a reason they'll need to drop. As bad as no-shows can be, be wary of low-shows. These can be really difficult to manage, especially if they have an important role. These are players who vote, but aren't very active. Low posting is a valid strategy, but at some point it becomes problematic and a real disadvantage to the game.

Everyone will have their own modding style, and will react to situations differently. If the shít hits the fan, step away from the game and clear the head before making a decision. At the end of the day, it's only a game. That's my 2c anyways.

sound like you had a crazy game? Similar to my 1st.

I like the bolded part, reminded me of the 2nd one that I helped out one. I remember I only "helped" with one morning day open, and that turned out to be the one day that the skin-changer got targeted, opt to skin change and got protected at the same time, three in one... was bizarre and I hadn't a breeze about what the role rules were :cool: or the order the game actions were supposed to go.

mahamageehad

suffering golfer wrote: »

sound like you had a crazy game? Similar to my 1st.

I like the bolded part, reminded me of the 2nd one that I helped out one. I remember I only "helped" with one morning day open, and that turned out to be the one day that the skin-changer got targeted, opt to skin change and got protected at the same time, three in one... was bizarre and I hadn't a breeze about what the role rules were :cool: or the order the game actions were supposed to go.

Yeah it was an experience, some of which we maybe could have foreseen based on the rules, and some of which we couldn't have planned for. I worked through some scenarios but not nearly enough.

Here is an instruction video I found for what its like to Mod a game of WW