VARSOON'S GUIDE TO MODDING

[Venmar]

This is an A+ thread.

[Venmar]

I think an active mod is very important as well; being around and making a votecount every day or every few pages is very important. I think a good rule of thumb or goal for every mod is to go through a game without a player prodding you for a votecount.

I want to say that I have adhered to everything in the OP as a mod, and I can't echo certain sentiments enough, such as being very clear with your actions and wording, being impartial to the gamestate, etc. I'd echo the need of a public mechanic the most; most of my theme games have had a public mechanic that the playerbase could take a part of and I think it's been a success. Giving people ways to contribute to the game-state is critical as far as I am concerned, whether it by voting for lynches or participating in something entirely else and wacky. Of course, mechanics aren't needed and aren't a precursor to having fun or a prerequisite for a good setup, but they can help, especially the larger the game is.

Giving information to the playerbase I think is also king and pivotal to keeping the playerbase invested; people arguing and scumhunting will do most of this for you, but, obviously, stuff like kills, clears, lynches, concise flips, etc, all add to the information and flow of a game (also why roles like Janitor are the worst there are).