Request for Moderator Cliff Notes

[Isgrimnur]

For those of us who might want to moderate a game later on, but don't feel like we have a good handle as to the needs and requirements, could we get a brain dump of some tips and tricks to the care and feeding of a WW forum game?

[stessier]

I could have sworn we had a thread about that in here somewhere, but I can't find it. I thought it was pretty recent too (like within the last year).

What parts do you have questions about?

In terms of actual duties, you just have to send roles out to people, referee questions, track the vote, and move the Day/Night along when a consensus is reached.

If you are talking about how to design a game, that's a whole 'nother ball o'wax. Probably far more interesting as well.

[Chaosraven]

Standard WW is designed as a Three Strikes game. Even number of players starts at Night, Odd starts during the Day (you want to have an Odd number for Majority Voting). Lynch reveals nothing. So 10 people starts at Night, wolves kill. 9 players alive Day One. Wolves win at equal strength. 10 people calls for 2 wolves, that's Three Strikes for the villagers, as kills and lynches end at 2 wolves, 2 villagers. You then add abilities to each side to balance out the game. As mod, you design the game, determine the roles, and do writeups for results of Night and Day. When answering questions, you need to be careful that answers do not contain Game Knowledge that person is not entitled to.

[Mr Bubbles]

Standard WW is designed as a Three Strikes game. Even number of players starts at Night, Odd starts during the Day (you want to have an Odd number for Majority Voting). Lynch reveals nothing.

Having only moderated one game, this was my big oops. I messed up on the number for a night lynch first.

[stessier]

Standard WW is designed as a Three Strikes game. Even number of players starts at Night, Odd starts during the Day (you want to have an Odd number for Majority Voting). Lynch reveals nothing.

Having only moderated one game, this was my big oops. I messed up on the number for a night lynch first.

Honestly, it will work either way. And if there is a Protector/Hunter role out there, the numbers are likely to get screwed up at some point anyway. But it is good to know how to divide by 2 and round to figure out what the lynch requirement is.

[Lassr]

I always keep a spreadsheet. One sheet will list the players & their roles. Another sheet will have vote counts for each day (I also note the post time I took the last vote count so I can continue the vote count from where I left off). Then another sheet will contain daily and nightly activity and results. I keep everything on separate sheets because I almost posted the roles one time instead of the vote count.

Play out a lot of if/then scenarios in your head as you write the rules (if you are getting creative with the rules).

And very careful how you answer questions, and send out the same requests everyday for scans, kills etc. Don't want to forget to ask for a scan because you know the one the scanner is looking for is dead. He doesn't know that.

[Unagi]

Establish your rules, then establish the boilerplate for what you will be saying each morning, night, and perhaps how you want to track the daily vote count. There are a lot of way to 'keep track of votes' - and some moderators track all votes and show that history. But also, players will often do that too. Anyhow - when I modderated, I tended to just keep a list of who had votes put against them (and who did it), and read the thread from the point of my last update. As people added and subtracted votes, I changed my list - and moved people on and off the 'No Votes:' list...

Other than that. A spreadsheet for roles, and each nights orders and results perhaps...

Like

Code: Select all

Player     Role       Night 1 Order/Result   Day 1 Final Lynch Vote  Night 2 Order/Result  Day 2 Final Lynch Vote  etc
Joe        Seer       Scan Jack/Villager     Bill                    Scan Betty/Wolf       Betty
Bill       Villager   n/a                    Steve                   --                    --
Jack       Villager   n/a                    Bill                    n/a                   Betty
Steve      Villager   n/a                    Bill                    n/a                   Betty
Betty      Wolf       Kill Remus West/Dead   Bill                    n/a                   Joe

Forums; that's just an administrative learning curve - it's doable. (not sure if there is that shared one, but setting up a freeforum is what many have done).

Main thing is to not slip any bias into any communications and answers to questions. And not reveal anything - etc.

example: Would Joe know if Betty was the Beserker Wolf from his scan??

bad answer: "Yes."
good answer: "The seer is told the exact role."

And while the above is an obvious example (don't confirm a specific role assignment) there are a lot of times you really need to think about what you are being asked, and how your answer may reveal things.

If your game is simple enough - complex questions won't happen as much, if at all.


oh, another tip - Compose your nightly results all ahead of time - just so that you can gracefully share information with everyone in a timely way (if it applies to the rules of your game...)

[Chaosraven]

To avoid players using your own words as proof (did the villagers get PMs of their role as 'innocent' or 'villager' or 'townsfolk'?), make sure to post the Standard Message together in a Post in thread. Make a Q&A where questions asked in thread and behind the scenes can be gathered. Don't post questions from behind the scenes that include Game Knowledge. Be sure to have a standard Boilerplate of 'seer - who will you scan' etc EVEN IF that player is dead. Even if everyone is 99% sure that player is dead. Decide before the game begins if voting closes at majority, or if time limits on orders, day, night, voting etc will be enforced.

[Unagi]

Even if everyone is 100% sure that player is dead.

FTFY

[Newcastle]

Great tid bits of advice guys, very helpful to newbie mods.

[Lagom Lite]

Well I'm kind of a newbie myself, but I agree with writing everything down and keeping a timeline.

*Think before answering questions from players. Preferably answer them by quoting the rules.

* When the game is underway, don't post in the game thread unless absolutely necessary (or answering a direct question). They can "read" you as well, you know!

* Players will get annoyed at losing. Don't take it personally.

[oppot]

You then add abilities to each side to balance out the game.

[Scoop20906]

Man, we got some very professional moderators in our group.