Dealing with Chronic Lurkers

[rajrhcpfreak]

ill try to get ahold of blue on IM and wifom

[Kelly Chen]

I don't think being enthusiastic about a game is that helpful in getting other people to be enthusiastic. I suspect it makes lurkers feel they aren't being missed.

If everyone posted I'd be happy, I don't need them to be enthusiastic. That would probably come anyway. I really can't imagine a game where everyone is contributing but no one is into it!

[Yosarian2]

I don't think being enthusiastic about a game is that helpful in getting other people to be enthusiastic. I suspect it makes lurkers feel they aren't being missed.

If everyone posted I'd be happy, I don't need them to be enthusiastic. That would probably come anyway. I really can't imagine a game where everyone is contributing but no one is into it!

Agreed.

One of the main duties of townies in any game is to keep careful track of who's contributing, who's not posting at all, and who's posting but not contributing, and to make sure everyone else knows about that. If people just paid a little more attention to that and didn't let lurkers get away with lurking for days, the games would run much better IMHO, and it would help the town as well.

In my experence, you'd be surprised how many people lurk when ignored, but then post when pressured. If you don't want people to lurk, don't let them. Lynch lurkers if needed, or get them replaced if that's an option, but very often all it'll take is some pressure and some votes and they'll show up and start playing again.

[Mr. Flay]

IAWTC.

[AniX]

Whats the court's opinion on people who pay very close attention to the game and will post if called to do so, but mostly keeps to himself until the very last section where HE BURSTS FROM THE SHADOWS AND STARTS RIPPING THE THROATS OUT OF THE MAFIA AND THE MAFIA IS ALL "MR. 11TH HOUR!" AND THE FIREWORKS GO OFF AND A PARADE IN HIS HONOR BEGINS...

Because I might know a guy like that.

sweet, I get ameliaslay.

That's the only one I can think of off the top of my head. It sounds... interesting.

Someone seems to have forgotten The Inventor of UPick. That person is you.

[Yosarian2]

Whats the court's opinion on people who pay very close attention to the game and will post if called to do so, but mostly keeps to himself until the very last section where HE BURSTS FROM THE SHADOWS AND STARTS RIPPING THE THROATS OUT OF THE MAFIA AND THE MAFIA IS ALL "MR. 11TH HOUR!" AND THE FIREWORKS GO OFF AND A PARADE IN HIS HONOR BEGINS...

Because I might know a guy like that.

I think that if...he...plays like that, he should be lynched day 1.

Any other questions?

[inHimshallibe]

And your actual scummers who lurk/flake out on a game can be redeemed/beat with sticks until they repent of their evil ways, so there's no sense kicking them to the curb.

And if they do gain a reputation as an unhelpful lurker, then the towns they're involved in should help take care of it themselves by lynching them.

darq, inhim, roland. all flakers and/or lurkers

That's me, 3-4 months and flake, rinse, repeat; every winter and summer break, I bet you can count on it like clockwork. Someone needs to hold me accountable to not starting anything past April 15 or November 30, which will also remind me to pay my taxes and buy Christmas presents, so everyone wins.

[AniX]

I think that if...he...plays like that, he should be lynched day 1.

Any other questions?

Then you would have lynched Sherlock Holmes AKA Jesus.

[Thok]

Any ways for dealing with lurking mods?

On a related comment, I'll say that lurking mods encourage lurking players. Nothing sucks the life out of a game like having to wait a week for night choices, then having to wait another couple days for the mod to actually open the thread.

[rajrhcpfreak]

ok, my breif period of lurking has ended. today i was killed in my remaining games.


all i have is the wifom league, safari mafia which is in sign ups right now, modding freaktown, and trying to figure out a way to wrap-up survivor mafia.

*this doesnt include mishmash stuff.

[M4yhem]

Shoot them.

In the game too, if necessary.

On a more serious note, maybe if the mods stipulated a minimum posting requirement in the sign-up thread, eg every two days or whatever. That way hopefully the lurkers would stay away from games that they couldn't keep up with.

And if the posting requirement was really low, the more prolific players would know in advance that they were going to have to wait for people.

Also, players need to realise that they can't just sit around waiting for something interesting to happen. Nothing will ever happen unless people post.

[Kelly Chen]

Also, players need to realise that they can't just sit around waiting for something interesting to happen. Nothing will ever happen unless people post.

Trouble is, even good guys can get themselves lynched by making noise. As long as nothing is happening the town at least isn't losing, right?

[Relyte]

I'd say Modkill, (Someones else said it too, I forget whom.)

except there are a few pros and cons to that.


Pros:
Will get lots of prods on the guy/girl, pressuring him/her into returning.

Mod doesn't have to prod the person as often, as players will do it themselves.

Cons:
Pro-Town can use this to their advantaging by letting a scummy player get modkilled.

Spammed Inboxes.

Games can be lost because of this.

[Kelly Chen]

Well, players aren't allowed to prod, so I think the mod would actually be doing more prodding (at special request).

The pro is that the player doesn't need to be replaced.

I think a deadline is the best answer (as far as what the mod can do). That should make it a harmful (to town) strategy to just do nothing indefinitely.

[Relyte]

I don't see why not. Eh.

[rajrhcpfreak]

Also, players need to realise that they can't just sit around waiting for something interesting to happen. Nothing will ever happen unless people post.

Trouble is, even good guys can get themselves lynched by making noise. As long as nothing is happening the town at least isn't losing, right?

thats right i make noise alot, or i used to before this brief lurking phase i went through, and i was killed many times. and i was town most of the times.


and deadlines are the way to go. even better, make it shotclocks like freaktown.

and give them posting mins. freaktown is 3 posts after a week, 7 posts by the deadline (2 weeks).

[Primate]

'cause a player prodding you is pro-town. Mafia wanna be unopposed.

Outside events shouldn't influence your in-game judgement.

[Mgm]

'cause a player prodding you is pro-town. Mafia wanna be unopposed.

Outside events shouldn't influence your in-game judgement.

Unless I believe a player particularly dangerous, I would happily prod inactives even when mafia. It's no fun to win of a bunch of inactive 'players'.

[Twomz]

Lol mgm... one of the main reasons I won Culteral Revolution for the mafia was that the town was lurking.... I said for the lurkers to hurry up and get active... but i was jumping for joy that they weren't getting anything done.

In my game that I modded, I allowed players to prod each other, I even promoted it in thread once I believe . They have a better understanding of who is posting and who isn't... and what could really be affected by one player telling another player to post more?

[Mr. Flay]

The problem I have with players prodding players is it inherently facilitates out-of-thread communication; even if a player doesn't mean to let something slip, they're not accountable to the rest of the players if they accidentally say "lol, get back here and post or I'm gonna vig you". Even if it's a joke/lie, it's information two players now have that no one else has, and that's not acceptable in most games/setups.

[Mr Stoofer]

The problem I have with players prodding players is it inherently facilitates out-of-thread communication; even if a player doesn't mean to let something slip, they're not accountable to the rest of the players if they accidentally say "lol, get back here and post or I'm gonna vig you". Even if it's a joke/lie, it's information two players now have that no one else has, and that's not acceptable in most games/setups.

QFT

Players discussing the game outside the thread (without the Mod's permission) gives rise to such huge scope for cheating and/or breaking the game, that t should be absolutely prohibited in all circumstances.