GMs helping GMs

[wbcreighton]

Although it is still a few days away, I'm noticing on the schedule that there are some game sessions that may not get off the ground due to lack of player sign ups.

I also notice that there are overlapping sessions in which neither session has enough players. I was wondering if the GMs whose games do not get off the ground might want to sign up for the overlapping session so that at least one of the games has enough players.

It would be a shame for a session that has some players, but not quite enough to get cancelled.

[wbcreighton]

There has been a little bit mentioned about the potential of players not showing up for a session and the idea of having a waiting list. It seems important to maintain communication with whoever has signed up and have a way to contact them other than these forums.

One topic that hasn't been broached here is what happens if a GM doesn't show. It will be a real disappointment to new people to FG to have their session vanish. RL events can easily cause a GM to not show up.

It might be good to have someone who isn't GMing or playing to be present in the Teamspeak lounge (or room, channel whatever they are called) to help guide players and help them figure things out. If a GM cancels a game at the last minute, would other GMs be willing to take on players as lurkers or observers ?

I can hangout on Friday in the forums and on Teamspeak to help guide new people around. I wouldn't mind lurking just to get a taste of how GMs run their own games.

One problem with our sign up system is that if you aren't signed up to a game you can't see the conversation that is happening on the session calendar entry. It might be good to have some con organizers with the ability to read all conversations and be able to respond to them. We don't really know how much discussion is actually taking place.

I think that the schedule spreadsheet should be added and highlighted in a few more threads. I see the potential for lots of mix ups on the weekend.

Just a few things to consider.

[Trenloe]

These are definitely items of concern and things we'll need to cover and come up with simple solutions for.

Contacting players - I plan to PM everyone who has signed up for my games 2 days before to confirm they are playing and point them to a couple of posts on the forum for them to check. Unfortunately, PMs on here aren't obvious so this is not an ideal communication method - especially when there are quite a few new players around who might not realise they have a PM.

Today, I have been putting the channels together in the Teamspeak server, we have (I can't remember the exact names):

General chat
Game muster
Q&A
Game Rooms

I have set users up to be able to add temporary channels for their games (preferably as a subchannel to the "Game Rooms" channel. These temporary channels will remain while there is at least 1 person in them. The original user who created the channel will be able to kick users out of the channel (not off the server) if needed.

The idea would be that a GM would come onto the site, go into the muster channel if needed, muster their players and then setup their temporary channel for their game under "Game Rooms" and the players move over to that channel.

I'm planning on spending quite a bit of time moving around the General Chat, Game Muster and Q&A channels to see if there are issues and direct players and GMs. I will also have a few quick one-shot adventures to run if needed.

But, it would definitely be cool if some of the veteran FG GMs/Players could hang around when they're not gaming and help out if needs be.

EDIT: Removed a reference to the FG IRC channel for text chat. We won't be using that - we will be using the TeamSpeak3 client text chat feature so that all our real-time communications is in one place.

Not having access to game discussions is a concern - unless I apply for all of the games! ;) I was hoping we'd have forum threads specific to each game, but that hasn't happened for more than a handful of games.

[wbcreighton]

Haven't used the IRC in a long time but it would be a central area for text chat. Didn't realize that TS doesn't do text chat. One of the reasons i use skype regularly.

I have to check out IRC for the next day.
The problem at this might be directing players there at this late stage. maybe the GMs can give players a heads up.

[Trenloe]

Didn't realize that TS doesn't do text chat.
Actually, it does - I'm still finding my way around TeamSpeak. There is a chat line right at the bottom of the TeamSpeak client and you can chat in 2 areas - the current channel you are in or the base server channel, which are shown as tabs above the chat entry and below the chat window.

So, looks like we're OK with just using chat in TeamSpeak... :)

I'll be posting a GM and Player instructions for TeamSpeak and starting/joining games tomorrow. I had hoped to get that out earlier but struggling for time.

[wbcreighton]

Oh good. Then it should be easy if everyone gets TS up and running. I should try it out tomorrow.

[wbcreighton]

A quick survey of game sessions shows 9 out of 29 sessions needs players to have enough to run. Hoping those get enough to run or the GM has an alternate plan for fewer players.

10 of the sessions with enough players to run can still accept more players into the session. ( 19 out of 29 need or will still accept players)