Getting players to signup to games.

by **rishaed** on Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:45 pm

I'm relatively new to this mod'ing of a game in forums at least. It sort of surprising, but why do most of the active players, sign up for games that are made by people relatively experienced on the site, and not those who enter'd just recently but are starting a game for the first time/second time? How do we as new players/mods on this site "Market" our game, helpful tips tricks and hints wanted

by **new guy1** on Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:38 pm

You have to come up with a crafty appealing game, or a simple game nobody has seen in a while. Ive only modded one game, so obviously Im not a master at it, but it took my game a while to fill up. Its mostly because of a small community and alot of choices in games is leaving some by the wayside. Wait for some games to end, and yours should fill just fine

.

by **DoomYoshi** on Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:51 pm

New mods generally have a harder time filling up.

by **jak111** on Fri Jan 11, 2013 10:54 pm

Yeah, even mine fill up slowly and I'm on my 3rd mafia game modding XD It's fun though.

One thing you need to keep in mind though, especially lately, mods and players seem to just bugger off and not come back especially newer mods because it's too much effort and work for them when they think it's simpler than it is.

I've probably been in 3-4 games so far that have fallen apart because the mod will not finish what they started. So do not take it personally if you take a while to fill up compared to other games, it's because you need to prove to people that you can stick with it. People put hours into her both modding and playing games and they do not like when a game is disbanded in the middle without a conclusion.

That's just respect and trust that you'll earn over time here and has nothing to do with anything you can change.

I'd join your game but I've got a busy schedule between my own game coming up which I will have to put in days of work for and writing the story beside it.

As far as advertising goes, " No Handlebars Mafia [6/11] Need 5 players! " Try changing it to "No Handlebars [6/11] *5 more players*" The *'s catch people's attention that the game is in need of players and taking the Mafia part out just makes it shorter but you don't need to do either if you do not wish to.

Also you could do something like I did where you make a picture. People wont admit it because it affects their inner thoughts. It's like tv advertisement, they don't know they want it yet their brain tells them they do when they're near it, pictures and media draws attention to the brain. (Okay, I'm gonna stop here with my whole psychology lesson because I would be going on for pages worth XD)

But basically you can make your own or photoshop pictures and make a collage to fit your game and attract players. Think of it like a product you're trying to sell out, people gotta be interested to buy(join) it.

But besides all of that.. yeah, we're not as prosperous as we were last year as a community, more have left than have joined and many are busy with school and upcoming exams and term papers. So free time is something to take into consideration when you realize that most of us are ranging from junior high to university kids.

by **edocsil** on Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:02 pm

Reputation.

/ makes a game, you know it's going to be a mind bender one way or another. Saf makes a game, Strike makes a game, it's a well balanced, solid game. If com9 ever cam back to make a game it would have some of the best scenes in the forum. If I make a game, I'll finish it. Scenes might be later than I promise, but the roles will be creative and for the most part powerful.

New guys tend to have yet to learn the hard way about balance. My first game I had 4 scum and 8 town, and the GF was ino AND bulletproof. Other times I've seen like 3+ roleblockers in 12 man games. What a mess for night actions.

by **TA1LGUNN3R** on Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:43 am

I usually pick games from mods who were around before me or are coeval in our mafia age (peeps I've played with for a while now); nothing personal, but as I'm pretty much always busy I like having that guarantee that it's a solid and/or fun game. I don't really want to mess around with new mods cutting their teeth. I like established names (like edoc said; reputation).

Take that as you will. Maybe it's a bit hypocritical because my activity continually is on the fritz, but whatev.

Also, grammar and syntax.

-Tails

by **aage** on Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:08 am

edocsil wrote:Reputation.

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:Also, grammar and syntax.

I am very picky in what games I play because I don't want to overburden myself. Therefore I either have to go for trusted quality or expected quality. If I don't know what to expect, I will likely not sign up for your game. And even if I do expect something, it most likely means I will not sign up. (e.g. I didn't sign up for Lovecraft or Ranking/Bass despite the likelihood of a good quality game.)

by **jonty125** on Sat Jan 12, 2013 8:20 am

[quote="edocsil"Other times I've seen like 3+ roleblockers in 12 man games. What a mess for night actions.[/quote]

That wouldn't be my Beach Mafia would it :lol:

by **strike wolf** on Sat Jan 12, 2013 10:57 am

Start with smaller games. even if you have a good idea for a larger game, small games are easier to fill and once you've completed one, you'll have a better understanding of what it takes to host a big game and people Will feel more comfortable about joining your game if you prove to be a decent mod. other than that, reputation as edoc says. the more games you've played the more recognized you are by the general public.

by **thechuck51** on Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:03 pm

strike wolf wrote:Start with smaller games. even if you have a good idea for a larger game, small games are easier to fill and once you've completed one, you'll have a better understanding of what it takes to host a big game and people Will feel more comfortable about joining your game if you prove to be a decent mod. other than that, reputation as edoc says. the more games you've played the more recognized you are by the general public.

I agree with strike, I would do a small open setup game first so people know what they are getting into. then once they see you can handle the basic responsibilities of modding (accurate vote counts, timely scenes, proper night actions) they would be more likely to join your future games.

its not a guarantee, i think samgrossy did a fine job with his periodic table game but his sequel seems destined for the archives before it can ever start.

by **Gustaf Wasa** on Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:15 pm

Here is someone who knows his stuff:

jak111 wrote:As far as advertising goes, " No Handlebars Mafia [6/11] Need 5 players! " Try changing it to "No Handlebars [6/11] *5 more players*" The *'s catch people's attention that the game is in need of players and taking the Mafia part out just makes it shorter but you don't need to do either if you do not wish to.

Also you could do something like I did where you make a picture. People wont admit it because it affects their inner thoughts. It's like tv advertisement, they don't know they want it yet their brain tells them they do when they're near it, pictures and media draws attention to the brain.

I would add: Make sure there is a person in the picture. And if possible, a person who looks at the viewer. When it comes to magazine covers, these are known to attract more readers.

by **rishaed** on Sat Jan 12, 2013 8:37 pm

just a question is posting on the Wall an acceptable way to try and recruit players to a game. Especially for ppl who have been away for awhile, such as (Mandolorian, Fir, and everyone else i haven't played but keep popping up in various threads im reading). I'm sorta jealous, and want to play them/ have them in a game I mod.

by **aage** on Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:14 am

rishaed wrote:just a question is posting on the Wall an acceptable way to try and recruit players to a game. Especially for ppl who have been away for awhile, such as (Mandolorian, Fir, and everyone else i haven't played but keep popping up in various threads im reading). I'm sorta jealous, and want to play them/ have them in a game I mod.

Whenever people do this with me it annoys me to the extent of not wanting to join their game any more, dunno why. Same goes for Jak's "star"-method, actually, the connotations I have with them are of overeager green boys(/girls).

Also, how would you feel if you haven't played in a year and some random new guy comes up to you and says "hey join my game"?

by **Gustaf Wasa** on Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:51 am

rishaed wrote:just a question is posting on the Wall an acceptable way to try and recruit players to a game. Especially for ppl who have been away for awhile, such as (Mandolorian, Fir, and everyone else i haven't played but keep popping up in various threads im reading). I'm sorta jealous, and want to play them/ have them in a game I mod.

Perhaps send a PM instead? Maybe it is because I just don't like writing on walls for all to see, but I think PMs are friendlier. That way you can have a conversation.

by **edocsil** on Sun Jan 13, 2013 9:12 am

jonty125 wrote:[quote="edocsil"Other times I've seen like 3+ roleblockers in 12 man games. What a mess for night actions.

That wouldn't be my Beach Mafia would it :lol:

[/quote]

yes it was, The balance was horrid, and you kinda told us who was who in the final scene. If the pirates and the ninjas never claimed who they were as blockers the game would have been almost impossible for the town, but as it is they kinda goofed it. That being said, the game was well run and we all had fun doing it.

by **soundman** on Sun Jan 13, 2013 3:29 pm

Don't post giant walls of text! (Not that you do). People want to know everything in as few words as possible. If you need to write more then give a summary of the game type in the first paragraph. Then you can post all the other stuff after that. If people are interested then they'll join and read the fine print. I won't even open Jak's game thread because I know there is going to be a giant wall of text that I don't want to read.

by **aage** on Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:30 pm

soundman wrote:Don't post giant walls of text! (Not that you do). People want to know everything in as few words as possible. If you need to write more then give a summary of the game type in the first paragraph. Then you can post all the other stuff after that. If people are interested then they'll join and read the fine print. I won't even open Jak's game thread because I know there is going to be a giant wall of text that I don't want to read.

Oh. I think the good thing about Jak's walls is that you know which paragraphs are skippable at a glance, which makes it a lot better. Besides, I like to have information before I go in. Your point is valid, though not for the "special" games like the one Jak made. :p

by **jak111** on Sun Jan 13, 2013 8:15 pm

soundman wrote:I won't even open Jak's game thread because I know there is going to be a giant wall of text that I don't want to read.

Hey now

If you're a good little boy you can read from the set-up down and not worry about the rules. The main part I made in bold blue ^^

by **MoB Deadly** on Tue Jan 15, 2013 10:18 am

I didn't read the responses, sorry if I have duplicates

Have an interesting theme that will draw attention
Have a clear set of rules
Show everyone that you know what you are doing.

If that is not enough, get a co-mod to help you out that does have a reputation and can vouch for you.