In post 103, Thestatusquo wrote:I think the issue with the normal queue is we have made the requirements for running a normal game so stringent and constraining that almost no mods want to run them after they get their mod rights. I think that could be a whole thread in and of itself but I think the normal requirements as currently written are very very stifling for mods. Right now that queue basically serves as a newbie mod queue, which isn't particularly exciting to players either in addition to the rules being so stifling that mods can't really make games that are that interesting there.
To be honest, as someone who likes the concepts of normal games, the true issue here is a bit of a software one. TLDR: Vote counts suck.
If there was a software overlay (like the awesome chat) that posted the current vote totals when you viewed a game thread, then moding a mini normal would be a great experience. Man, I dunno, I'm hardly some code guru, but even if you had to use Vote tags, even if you had to use full and exact name (or have the moderators add nicknames manually), anything has got to beat the goddamn VC procedure.
Like how long does it take to design a good normal and review it? An hour, hour and a half? Another hour for opening post, then end of day stuff? It's being shackled to the thread constantly skimming for votes that makes the entire thing insanity inducing. Nevermind when someone buries their vote in the middle of a wall of text and uses bold tags everywhere, then complains that you missed it. Or just types 'unvote' in a random sentence and expects it to be caught.
Now I know this is saying "Volunteer 80 hours of free coding time to MafiaScum then expect everyone to chew your ass when it inevitably bugs out" but Jesus Christ I'd run 5 mini normals at once if I didn't have to VC them.
(the issue that in my six years here gameplay quality in the Normal Queue has degraded from 'decent, occasionally exceptional, usually quite fine' to 'disproof of the concept of a loving god' is separate)
