Blitz Queue Trial (Closed)

[Postie]

and I couldn't use my plan of faking a cop guilty on my partner

</3
To think I was cheering for you after I got killed!

[Firebringer]

I mean, i wish we had a official response on if its coming back?
I wouldn't mind doing moderation work for the queue.
Meh

[Firebringer]

Mods can run Blitz games in other queues (Micro, Mini and Large Themes) too.

I think the problem is that people in those queus don't join a game because they are planning to play a fast paced game.

Like, that isn't the purpose of those queues.

I have run a blitz in the Mini Theme, a huge issue I had was that HALF the player list didn't understand that it was a blitz when they signed up for it, even though it was clearly stated multiple times in my description of the game. If you put in a specific section for a specific time scale games, players interested in those, will go to those games.

Blitz games are not for everyone. I think also the pace of other queues makes it difficult to even want to host a blitz? I don't know. A game that might last a week can be in the queue for a few months.

[Frozen Angel]

I can help anyhow is needed as well. I like to see this section in MS

[T-Bone]

I wasn't speaking on behalf of the Mod team, if that wasn't clear.

[Equinox]

I mean, i wish we had a official response on if its coming back?

It is in limbo. There was discussion about it that was interrupted by list moderator turnover. It is not being ignored specifically; I am just not sure how much I can say given that I am speaking out of turn.

This is not an official statement, either.

[zoraster]

The Blitz Queue decision is on ice at the moment. I understand we have a number of players who are excited about Blitz games.

[Randomnamechange]

and I couldn't use my plan of faking a cop guilty on my partner

</3
To think I was cheering for you after I got killed!

You would've done the same

[lane0168]

Maybe there's more to it than I think, but what exactly is the problem? There's want for blitz queue. A willing list mod. What more is there? Seems like a no Brainer. Open it up and let's go

[itlepip]

Maybe there's more to it than I think, but what exactly is the problem? There's want for blitz queue. A willing list mod. What more is there? Seems like a no Brainer. Open it up and let's go

toots supports this.

[McMenno]

Maybe there's more to it than I think, but what exactly is the problem? There's want for blitz queue. A willing list mod. What more is there? Seems like a no Brainer. Open it up and let's go

toots supports this.

aren't we all

[zoraster]

Maybe there's more to it than I think, but what exactly is the problem? There's want for blitz queue. A willing list mod. What more is there? Seems like a no Brainer. Open it up and let's go

One of the major problems is that it total player slots site wide decreased while the Blitz experiment was run. Slots went from

502

before the Blitz Queue opened to

442

a month after it had been opened to

394

two months after it had been opened. These things are complicated and perhaps there's a seasonal explanation for that, but it fits with what I believed was a risk.

One of the biggest problems we face as a site right now is getting mods. This is often a surprise for older members, but a lack of mods keeps participation down. The blitz queue, by running games that are over quickly, only exacerbates that problem. The mod supply dropped off pretty sharply during the trial. There was at least one period where there was no mod supply at all. If the queue became a permanent part of the site, I expect it would routinely run dry.



Furthermore, from what we've seen it actually decreased the number of mod sign ups across the site, though with the caveat this trend continued after the trial was run.

26 games were run in the Blitz trial over 95 days. Comparatively, on the launch of the Micro Queue, 73 games were run in the same time period. The site was in a different place 2015/2016 vs. 2012, but given Blitz games run faster than Micros on the whole, this isn't exactly something that commends it.

On the other hand, there were some bright spots for the queue. The replacement rate was (predictably) lower than normal, which I can attribute to the shorter games. There was a better variety of games than we thought there might be. Quality of games, as indicated by player surveys, was lower than other game types, but player opinions of mod performance tended to be slightly better.

The biggest thing Blitz games have going for them is that some players want them. I'm sympathetic to that, and obviously encourage any mod to run a blitz game within the theme or micro queues. But at the moment, the reason this is on ice is because while we haven't come to a solid conclusion on what to do, it's not likely to join our site as a permanent solitary queue. I think even the trial did damage to our site, and I'm not excited to further harm it.

[zoraster]

By the way, I should really cite Equinox on the above for everything other than the player slot count. That's an executive summary to the detailed, rigorous work she did in examining how the Blitz Queue trial went.

[hiplop]

What are signups like now?

I feel like people would be nore willing to mod a game with a reliable blitz queue.

I think the trial had lots of people learn it wasnt good for them, and a bunch learn it was the kind of game they wish all games were. I think that artificially changes the reception of the games. Obviously, its a trial so people were experimenting with what worked/didnt work. I personally was more excited for blitz than non blitz games, and i think represents a sort of tonal shift in the site at large.

Most people dont have the time to properly mod a large theme that takes 4 months. Lots do for a game that takes a few weeks at the very most

[Zachrulez]

Most people dont have the time to properly mod a large theme that takes 4 months. Lots do for a game that takes a few weeks at the very most

There's absolutely nothing stopping mods from running a blitz game now, yet most choose to run longer games.

[zoraster]

What are signups like now?

I feel like people would be nore willing to mod a game with a reliable blitz queue.

I think the trial had lots of people learn it wasnt good for them, and a bunch learn it was the kind of game they wish all games were. I think that artificially changes the reception of the games. Obviously, its a trial so people were experimenting with what worked/didnt work. I personally was more excited for blitz than non blitz games, and i think represents a sort of tonal shift in the site at large.

Most people dont have the time to properly mod a large theme that takes 4 months. Lots do for a game that takes a few weeks at the very most

What do you mean what are sign ups like now? Do you mean player slots? Or mod sign ups?

The problem with what you're saying is that you might be right, but if that's true and a lot figured out it wasn't for them then we don't have enough to sustain a separate queue. If we really have a "tonal shift" toward blitz games, which I'm not sure I buy, I'd like to see mods accommodate that within the existing queue system as is allowed.

I think one thing people have a hard time with is that separating queues isn't costless. My general preference is toward consolidation of queues, not the creation of new ones. That doesn't mean I won't consider the creation of new ones, but it's unlikely.

[Firebringer]

Most people dont have the time to properly mod a large theme that takes 4 months. Lots do for a game that takes a few weeks at the very most

There's absolutely nothing stopping mods from running a blitz game now, yet most choose to run longer games.

I feel like I cited a problem with running shorter deadlines in the existing queues, when I did run a game half the players were shocked it was a blitz when the game started, even though it was placed in 3 different areas that the game would run blitz deadlines. Half the players didn't get the message.

[zoraster]

I think that's a legitimate concern. Lots of players sign up without much thought to the individual mechanics of a game and assume it'll be similar to other games.

I'd probably make players acknowledge the short time limit before confirming their in. (or have them "/in. I acknowledge the short deadlines")

[hiplop]

What do you mean what are sign ups like now? Do you mean player slots? Or mod sign ups?

Yea. If they are down now too, I don't think you can say the blitz queue hurt them

like and also if more mods want to do blitz games, why is that a bad thing??? I'm not sure people are like "Gee, am I going to mod a large theme...or a blitz".

[itlepip]

Why not have blitz be part of another queue? Like have a blitz rotation as well as a mini blah or whatever?

[Zachrulez]

Most people dont have the time to properly mod a large theme that takes 4 months. Lots do for a game that takes a few weeks at the very most

There's absolutely nothing stopping mods from running a blitz game now, yet most choose to run longer games.

I feel like I cited a problem with running shorter deadlines in the existing queues, when I did run a game half the players were shocked it was a blitz when the game started, even though it was placed in 3 different areas that the game would run blitz deadlines. Half the players didn't get the message.

I never ran into this problem, but my game was literally named mafia with the quickness.

[zoraster]

What do you mean what are sign ups like now? Do you mean player slots? Or mod sign ups?

Yea. If they are down now too, I don't think you can say the blitz queue hurt them

like and also if more mods want to do blitz games, why is that a bad thing??? I'm not sure people are like "Gee, am I going to mod a large theme...or a blitz".

I'll do another census soon to tell you. Last I checked they were up from that lowest point.

Blitz games are shorter. For a mod to cover the same amount of time with players he or she would need to mod several games for each mini and probably 5-6 for your average large. I do think mods substitute. Whether that's large or mini or micro or blitz, I think a mod's desire to mod can be sated.

[callforjudgement]

I normally mod very rarely –

unless

there's a shortage of mods, in which case I mod whenever I have the time to.

(Of course, some queues are better for emergency modding than others. I've never modded a Theme yet, for example. This isn't so much due to lack of desire, but due to the fact that I spend months to years designing them.)

[zoraster]

What do you mean what are sign ups like now? Do you mean player slots? Or mod sign ups?

Yea. If they are down now too, I don't think you can say the blitz queue hurt them

like and also if more mods want to do blitz games, why is that a bad thing??? I'm not sure people are like "Gee, am I going to mod a large theme...or a blitz".

I'll do another census soon to tell you. Last I checked they were up from that lowest point.

Blitz games are shorter. For a mod to cover the same amount of time with players he or she would need to mod several games for each mini and probably 5-6 for your average large. I do think mods substitute. Whether that's large or mini or micro or blitz, I think a mod's desire to mod can be sated.

There are currently 557 player slots on Mafiascum right now. This is up significantly from the low 394 as well as the 442 and 420 counts we got during the Blitz trial.

We're having sort of a resurgence of Mini Themes and Large Themes right now. Both are at 3 year highs.

[itlepip]

How many unique player slots are there?