HOW'S THE GAME?

[paradisamods]

It's time for another round of Game Discussion, also known as

HOW'S THE GAME?

Here we come together to discuss the game, its plots, the settings, and just about anything we can think of that we'd like to talk about, expand upon, improve, change, etc.

This is not an HMD for players and their characters; this should be about the game's function as a whole and not the people in it. If there is something you feel is absolutely necessary to address that involves a specific person, please IM a mod first to discuss it. We can be reached at valawie (Valerie), fan of todd (TF), or never die ftw (Ashley).

Anonymous will be left off for this round. Sock journals are allowed, but you will have to request comm access to post with them.

This round will be an OPEN FORUM. Please feel free to bring up any game-related topic you'd like to discuss. All topics will be linked in the main post.

➜ HOW'S THE STAFF
➜ MANDATORY PERSONAL HMD POSTS
➜ PLOTTING 101
➜ ACTIVITY CHECK ACCOUNTABILITY
➜ WORLD OF PARADISA

Comments

Activity Check Accountability

[valerie]

I feel that it should be the sole responsibility of the player to present their additional threads to the additional threads activity check post every month.

If a player is made responsible for providing their own links

1. The player will get direct feedback on their provided links.
Sometimes when friends band together to provide links for another player, it's just not enough. They might include one-tag links, or dropped threads, etc. This way, I can reply to the player directly and tell them that this isn't enough. I won't always say this to friends helping out because it shouldn't be their responsibility to go look for more threads.

2. This prevents squatters from being carried over the next month.
It's entirely possible that a player makes their activity via tagging out in the first part of the month, but then loses interest in the game and decides to idle out. This has actually happened before, which is why it's worth mentioning. If the player is made to provide their links, it will show that they still have interest in the game. If they don't provide their links, it shows they have no interest in sticking around, and the character can be made available to someone else who might want to apply.

3. All links are in one comment on the entry.
Sometimes when helping out, a handful of players will provide links in different comments throughout the entry. They're scattered, and it makes it a hassle to try and track down those links and make sure duplicates aren't submitted.


Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that others want to help their friends stay in the game! If they want to contact that player with the links they've found, or maybe provide them after the player has personally checked in, they're more than welcome to.

But barring any emergencies, hiatuses or computer/health issues, I think the player should be the one posting their activity.

Edit: This is for the additional threads post! Not replacing activity check entirely. Just thought I could clarify! :B

[ino]

I kind of agree with this idea and I kind of don't. While I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with the links being posted by other people, I think that person definitely needs to check in, too.

Maybe some kind of compromise saying that the player themselves must check in/comment to the threads if some have already been posted? I suppose that doesn't really help the third point you've made, though ... :(

[spongetastic]

I've always liked how our players look out for each other. I think PMing a person saying "Hey you're on the AC list and I have some threads for you" sounds like a good way for us to still help while letting the other person check in.

And that also helps them if they miss the AC post for whatever reason.

[wield]

I dunno if this question has been asked or brought up before so I apologize, but have we ever thought about tagging entries that people have commented in? I've seen it done other places and think it's kind of neat and might make things easier on you guys, but like I said, I dunno if it's been discussed before.

[rogueofheart]

It's been brought up before! IIRC there was a slight divide on the matter, but I wouldn't mind bringing it up in a poll to see if we all agree. It'd take some time to rename the current tags, but it's doable.

[wield]

Yeah, neither would I~ As far as AC goes it would definitely make it a lot less chaotic as well as creating less threads that would ultimately get posted onto the AC check if people forgot to tag themselves in. The only problem I can see with that is people just one commenting into a lot of things and not actually threading, or if they do they are small threads. So it would take a lot of you guys going through and actually making sure people weren't just slipping their way in.

[rogueofheart]

I think using special tags for entries you've commented on would mostly just be for convenience to the player when rounding up their AC. As a mod, I'd still only check for the entries, and the player would be the one to present the threads on the AC post. From there I go through and click each thread to make sure there aren't any single-tag threads, etc.

[ftssusstgsetfwe]

EXCUSE MY BUTTING IN BUT I think this sounds really good. It'll make it easier for players to find their own AC on their own, without making that an extra stress for the mods.

[spongetastic]

I'm +1ing this. I'm in games that have separate tags for commenting, and it is so~ much easier to find yourself that way for AC purposes. Especially if you're a frequent tagger and can't otherwise remember everywhere you went that month.

[foolreversed]

The only problem with an extra set of tags to use is that it can make things pretty cluttered and also means you might run out of tags faster (idk what dw's limit is on that if they have a limit at all)

I know Para's not as big as it once was, and the new comm meant there wasn't already like 5 years of tags already used so it could not be a big deal at all here, but it might still be something worth taking into account.

[valerie]

Running out of tags has honestly been my reserve about it in previous HTGs. There's always the option of cleaning out older tags, but I'd hate to have to resort to that.

[foolreversed]

Yeah precisely. I wouldn't want to see older tags get cleaned out: someone could rejoin with that character or maybe someone wants to go back and look at an older plot's/character's posts?

[valerie]

As of right now we have 516 tags in use out of 1500 available, and 17 of those are plot/misc tags. We probably have closer to 200 characters in the game at the moment, so we might actually be safe for a while re: tags!

[onlyanapple]

There is of course always the option of just keeping the regular tags we have now, and have people tag with them. We'd still be looking at entries made by that particular character, so maybe we DON'T need separate tags for if a character is commenting as opposed to just posting.

[ino]

^^^

I don't think we necessarily need to differentiate between comments and posts in the tags, especially if space is an issue. It's pretty evident which posts are actually posted by the character, for the sake of AC.

[valerie]

My only slight concern with this is that people may assume that because they're tagged in it with the regular tag, they'll assume it counts for a post for the month.

[ino]

That's a possibility, for sure. I think that could hopefully be cleared up with some clarification in the rules, though!

[valerie]

Then yeah, I could be down with that. It'd be best if it worked that way across both communities, meaning that 1 log post tag =/= one entry anymore. (Which was another point I was going to bring up.)

[hellshaped]

What about when it's a closed log? X and Y want to do a log together, but X made the post. X and Y are both tagged.

Similarly, what about when it's a "joint post" (over the journals)? Say X and Y have a discussion planned, but they don't want to have the whole conversation in the body of the post; instead, they want to have it in a comment thread. X made the post but they're both tagged, as well as other people who have commented.

Would these examples only count towards X's AC, and Y would have to provide the links to AC check? The first one would be simple to check obviously, but if we change it to all tags across the board, Y would lose something that would have made them AC before.

[ftssusstgsetfwe]

I find this to be a reasonable request, and if it would save the mods some time/energy/whatever, it sounds like the best move to make.

Re: Activity Check Accountability

[dontpatr0nizeme]

I'm fine with requiring the player to post. It's fair. Makes more sense. But at the same time? The helping each other thing really makes Para what it is...

Maybe set it up so that there's a thread for people to do the helping give threads if the player is having trouble finding theirs, at least for the first few months if there's a change. To help transition at least. We're creatures of habit, and we've been doing that for a long time.

Well, either a thread for the people to help in or a thread for people on the list to use to check in... A check in thread for us to put our links in to make it more compact would do the same thing.

But really, make it so you need both the individual player check in and the activity to pass.

Edit: Also, the idea about tags above would be another option. I'd like that too.

[valerie]

See, I don't mind too much when someone makes a thread for that character and everyone replies to it. It's more when there are three or four different comments scattered about with a thread here and a thread there that make it unorganized.

If someone starts a thread for a character, then I'm cool with all the links going in there. But I still think that player should have to at the very least check in to show they still want to stick around, you know?

[dontpatr0nizeme]

True. Very true.

Yea. That's why I said the player should need activity and a check in themself to pass. ;) Too easy to keep someone who intended to idle out otherwise

[payback]

Maybe it would be simpler all around to just request that players check to see if someone has started collecting threads already, and ask that all players post collected threads under the same parent comment.

[bustered]

I know several people actually enjoy AC time, because they enjoy hunting up threads for others -- it's also a catch-up time, to see what threads may have been finished while you weren't looking. I know my AC has been made by others a few times not because I'm not paying attention, but because the post when up while I was at work, and others jumped on it before I even got home. Then we have things like hurricanes and someone who made AC several times over just might not be able to post it.

That being said, I know when someone else makes my AC I try to jump in and thank them with a comment on the post. Making something like that a requirement sounds like a really great idea -- similar to how other games run apps, where a friend can post for you but you have to check in yourself to "authorize" it in 24 hours, something like that. It still keeps the camaraderie of friends helping friends, but it reinforces interest of the player himself on staying in the game.

And I'd put a note in the AC itself: one comment thread per character, all links in that one thread. Just reinforce to people that keeping things all together makes life easier for everyone.