Discriminating the Status of the PbP campaigns

[Vargr1105]

I have a suggestion. Since some games on The Unseen Servant are dead, or on a hiatus, or GM missing or something, I think it would be useful to change their title so it could be seen on the "Play-by-Post" section of the forums's main page.

Just add a [DISCONTINUED], [ON HIATUS] or something after the title. It would give the forumites and visitors a better idea of what is going on.

If some campaign has finished because the adventure was completed or a TPK happened just put [ENDED] or [COMPLETED] after the title.

Come to think of it, putting [FULL] or [RECRUITING - N SLOTS] or [RECRUITING - PC TAKEOVER], etc after the titles of ongoing campaigns could be useful to.


What say ye?

[Alethan]

Well, a campaign that has ended or is on an undetermined hiatus or suspension (where there is no indication of when it might come back) can be moved into the Archived Games section.

I think "Tavern Tales" and "TOEE And Friends (1st Edition)" should both be moved there at this point, per GM inactivity for the former and GM indications for the latter.

Come to think of it, putting [FULL] or [RECRUITING - N SLOTS] or [RECRUITING - PC TAKEOVER], etc after the titles of ongoing campaigns could be useful to.

This would be entirely up to the GM running that game. Certainly it could be updated by an Admin, but I don't think an Admin should have to closely monitor all games to see which ones are full or recruiting.

It is a great idea, though.

[Vargr1105]

Well, a campaign that has ended or is on an undetermined hiatus or suspension (where there is no indication of when it might come back) can be moved into the Archived Games section.

Ignore what I said about dead games. I had not realized we had an Archived Games section.

This would be entirely up to the GM running that game. Certainly it could be updated by an Admin, but I don't think an Admin should have to closely monitor all games to see which ones are full or recruiting.

I did not meant the Admin should monitor anything about ongoing games. I am suggesting that a certain common nomenclature be adopted by the GMs. It would save trouble to visitors or lurkers if they could see on the home page which games are open to new players, looking for replacements, etc; rather than skimming trough all, sending PMs or posting "Anything open?" threads.


All this reminds me. As any campaign played on the US forum so far ever ended because the adventure was actually finished?

[Alethan]

I did not meant the Admin should monitor anything about ongoing games. I am suggesting that a certain common nomenclature be adopted by the GMs. It would save trouble to visitors or lurkers if they could see on the home page which games are open to new players, looking for replacements, etc; rather than skimming trough all, sending PMs or posting "Anything open?" threads.

As I said, it's a good idea. I commented from the perspective of an Admin because the question was posed in the Administration section of the forum. It is certainly worth discussion/suggestion in the RPG Discussion section, under Tips for the DM.

All this reminds me. As any campaign played on the US forum so far ever ended because the adventure was actually finished?

Mortaya was completed by Solinor in January of 2011. Other than that? No, not to my knowledge.

[dmw71]

Come to think of it, putting [FULL] or [RECRUITING - N SLOTS] or [RECRUITING - PC TAKEOVER], etc after the titles of ongoing campaigns could be useful to.

As the DM of a game on the verge of launching, I agree this is a good idea. I'll be sure to add a status of some kind to my game. I'm thinking [FULL: WAITING LIST = 2] as I already have two players formally added to a waiting list for open opportunities.


Edited to add:
Unless I haven't been able to figure it out, I'm not sure the forum can be renamed by the DM, so this type of updating may need to come from ToniXX himself.

[Alethan]

Hmmm... interesting. Not sure even I can update the main topic title.

What about a common thread ("Game Status"?) each game has where the GM/DM sticky's it to the top and then uses that as the indicator to display the information?

[Vargr1105]

I commented from the perspective of an Admin because the question was posed in the Administration section of the forum. It is certainly worth discussion/suggestion in the RPG Discussion section, under Tips for the DM.

This is an Admin thread? I though it was for general suggestions, and the "RPG Discussion" for discussions about AD&D itself.

Mortaya was completed by Solinor in January of 2011. Other than that? No, not to my knowledge.

Then I would suggest to the Admins making a "Completed Campaign" forum and place games such as Mortaya there. I know some folks like to read other people's PbP and it would be nice to have a special niche for the ones that have a beginning, middle and end (even a bad one) rather than lumping them with the ones that fizzled out.

Unless I haven't been able to figure it out, I'm not sure the forum can be renamed by the DM, so this type of updating may need to come from ToniXX himself.

I think you right. Which makes my original suggestion a moot one.

What about a common thread ("Game Status"?) each game has where the GM/DM sticky's it to the top and then uses that as the indicator to display the information?

Now that sounds like good idea. Further, I would suggest placing it at the top of the "Play-by-post Campaigns" group.

[Alethan]

What about a common thread ("Game Status"?) each game has where the GM/DM sticky's it to the top and then uses that as the indicator to display the information?

Now that sounds like good idea. Further, I would suggest placing it at the top of the "Play-by-post Campaigns" group.

Sorry, I wasn't totally clear in that earlier statement. What I meant was that each GM make a thread under their campaign called "Game Status" where they can update THAT thread title (which I know you can change... just change the Subject line of the first post under that thread) with the status of the game as necessary. Then they could use the thread to offer more details about the particular need (links to the character sheet when a character needs to be taken over, for example, or an indication of what the party might need in the case of a new character being added).

I like the idea of a Completed Game section vs. an Abandoned/Derelict Game section. I'll see if we can get that done.

[Argennian]

Wow, is it true that Solinor's Mortaya pbp is the only completed one here?!




(... I guess that's my only successfully-retired PbP character then! )