Review
One reviewer ain't worth shit; you better have at least two or three.
Reviewers have got to sign off to your finished product, even if you're only made small changes since they last agreed it was aok. This is important!
Writing your roles and rules
Treat your players like they're stupid. Explain everything in detail.
Tell anyone with PTs you're going to release them after the game finishes; that way you don't have to wait around for a scum that was lynched day 1 to give you permission after the game is over.
Formatting your OP
Your first post should be pretty basic; just have the playerlist and lists of alive/dead (why do people have a seperate spoiler for modkills?? are you planning on modkilling people?).
Rules should go into your second post. Not only does this look neater, but it also shows players that you're not sneaky-sneaky editing the rules!
If you don't keep your OP up-to-date even after the game is over you are a bad mod, no exceptions.
Make a Mod PT
A Mod PT is to keep your backup mod informed of what's happening so if they have to take over, they don't have to contact all the players and go "uh... what actions have you done?"
You should be posting all replacements, night actions and communications with players in your mod pt. If you want to post other things too, go ahead, as long as the important things are still there!
Backup mods are different than co-mods
A co-mod is someone who is equally responsible for your game. If something goes wrong, both of you are in the shit.
A backup mod is there just in case, and will step in if you die or are otherwise unable to continue modding. Let them know what is going on.
Confirming
The point of making players confirm is to make sure they're read and understood their role. Protip: you can't do this by confirming in-thread.
Also, why do people keep track of who has confirmed in their OP? Put that in your Mod PT; no one else cares.
Votecounts
Try and put a votecount as near to the top of every page as possible, but that doesn't mean post four bumps at the bottom of the last page.
Post a votecount every page, or as often as possible; if you get online and your game is five posts from the bottom of the page and haven't posted a votecount for a few pages,
post a goddamn votecount
. If you have time to prod someone, you have time to post a votecount. It doesn't matter if no votes have changed; pages have increased and deadline has decreased.Also try to post a votecount every day, even if there's already one on that page. This is so the players know you're alive and don't come to me worried you're dead.
Prodding
Be subjective about when to replace someone for inactivity. If someone is just prod-dodging, replace them - you don't have to wait for your magical three prods or whateverthefuck. Likewise, if someone has been in the game since the start and has just gotten their third prod on Day 6, you're an idiot to replace them.
Nights
If you wish to cut a night short, you need to have explicit permission
from all players
, not just those with night actions.Finding replacements
The best way to avoid needing replacements is to vet your playerlist first. If there's someone there with a history of flaking, don't let them in.
When you do need replacements, though: don't go telling everyone why someone needs to be replaced. Your game is ongoing, genius; don't discuss it.
Mod communication
Be as brief as you can. The less you say, the less likely you are to say something you shouldn't. If you make a moderror, talk to your listmod before you do anything else.
if you're one of those mods that tries to recap everything that happened during the day in your deathscenes
what the hell is wrong with you
Don't modkill unless you absolutely have to
Modkills fuck up a game. Most of the time, players should be replaced instead of modkilled for doing dumb shit. There are some things that require a modkill, like publicly talking about the game or posting mod communication, but most things I see being modkilled for can usually be better dealt with by replacing the player.
Don't modkill if you can replace and keep game integrity.
Endgame
Don't forget to update your OP after the game finishes, or you're a bad mod no exceptions.
