Policy Discussion: Newbie Games

[Raffles]

I don't think it's any problem for newb to read mikeburnfire's flash and jump straight into a mini normal game.

I got my friend here and made him read the flash, and discussed a few tactics with him. I thought it was bit risky but signed him up for a standard 21 player game (closed) anyway. Few mishaps at the beginning, but he's playing fine now.

I brought over another friend, and made him sign up to mini normal, after telling him to read a one newb game. I'll tell you how this goes once it get's going.

[Raffles]

The games here lasts way, way, longer than either of the turbo games or long games. However, if you feel confident enough then feel free to join a mini.


One problem I find with a newbie game is it is so

dry

. I find it stripped down to bare compnents and there is not much excitement to play it. The first day especially can be very sterile.

I don't think it takes much to spice it up. If newbie games had a cop head-first, (since C9 is so favourable to the scum side anyway) then the town side has some information to start with. The flip side is that newbie cops might claim on the first day. Another one might be to add a town mason pair. Some ICs here might complain this is too complicated.

I don't agree with having 9 players. A C9 doesn't hold the same level of excitement as minis or normal. In retrospect, it is probably one of the hardest setting to play in because it is favoured so much to the scum side, and so heavily relied on communication. Some might argue this is a good training, and I whole-heartedly agree. But to newbies, this is probably feels like being dropped in a deep end. Newbies find this too much, and drop out of the game altogether.

I think it might be a good idea to drop 2scum:5townie setting. Have at least one power-role for the town.

[Raffles]

I'm not really concerned with the win rate, as far as newbie game is concerned. The whole point of a newbie game is to teach, not strictly to win. It doesn't matter if you lose so long as you've learnt and has been armed with enough know-how to play a mini normal. I'm saying the newbie games might need a spark of interest.

[Raffles]

Another good way is to have a mod that can write a good scene. I know Mr. Flay sets the theme ery well with writing very good night-scenes, introductions, etc. And have the mod diligent enough to write vote count at the top of every page, etc.

[Raffles]

One problem I see with ICs being in the game is the scum ICs misleading newbie town. If we get 2:5 and both ICs are scums, then for example they may persuade the town into no lynch on the first day. Whilst haing three ICs might solve this to some extent, it's not foolproof. The town IC maybe ridiculed in the face of two more experienced IC scums.

[Raffles]

Yah, that was an extreme example, but I can see it happening with many other stuffs. I was more trying to convey the unfair amount of influence over the newbies. Newbies will naturally think ICs know better. This can lead to few problems, as there is no "standard model" for IC. Every IC has different opinions, some more extreme than others. Take me for example, I believe that most of the scum-tells don't actually work.

[Raffles]

To solve the IC problem, maybe lift the restriction on number of games ICs can participate? Instead of being one, maybe three? I'm in one game as a newbie atm, and I'll be an IC soon. I'd love to help out but as I understand it, I'm only allowed to participate in one newbie game altogether.

Also, I see shortage of Mods in newbie games too, but an excessively large queue for mini normal. Maybe the requirement for newbie game mods should be lowered to same level as mini normal mods.

I don't think these two would involve too much risk.

[Raffles]

ICs can already play in multiple games..

What's the max number of IC games?

[Raffles]

What does everyone think of bringing modding requirements down to equal requirement with mini normal?

[Raffles]

Same could be said for mini game.

[Raffles]

Isn't with less players and bare bones roles, shorter game time, a newbie game a easier game to run?

There is a ma-houussive mod queue in mini normal. There is no queue for newbie. This is because mini normal is the only gateway for the new mods, creating a bottle-neck. Surely this resource can be put to a better use?

[Raffles]

Reading through, I think Zindy has the most practical suggestion. I highly doubt raising the player numbers by couple has much negative effect on the quality of teaching. If at all, it would probably increase it due to prolonged game length.

Concerning with being taught how to LyLo, there's a nifty chance that would still happen with 9 players, especially with town side not being particularly terrific. Besides, LyLo isn't the most important part of the game. Scumhunting is. If you can scumhunt, I guess LyLo would be naturally easier to manage.

[Raffles]

^I think that's worth a test run. But I think definite godfather is bad, because then what happens is cop claims guilty=>lynch=>cop knows now he is uselss. So that should be optional (just like the protown power roles on C9 is).

[Raffles]

We should be careful to sticking to bare bones roles though. I think godfather is as far as I'm willing to put in.