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Game Mastering Help

In order to game master, your account has to have GM privilages enabled. You must have played at least one game on the system first and your commitment must be greater than 90 before you will be allowed to game master. In addition, you should have experience playing diplomacy. If you would like to be a game master, send an e-mail including your username to bounced@dipbounced.com.

Overview

Later sections discuss how to start a game and how to run a game. Once the game has started, your job is to keep it running smoothly and fairly. This requires prompt action at times and a good understanding of diplomacy and BOUNCED. It is important to not undermine the diplomacy of your players. They are relying on you to run a fair game. In general, staying out of their way is a good idea. However, there are a few duities of a good game master:

Creating a Game

At the bottom of the main center, you will find two links: "game request statistics," and "start a new game" (if your GM bit is set). The first lists the number of players who have set each of the buttons on the game request page. No details of which pairs of other combinations have been set is currently available. However, it should give you some indication of how popular a given game might be. The requests are not binding, so do not take them too literally.

Before deciding to create a new game be sure you have enough time to make the commitment! (I'd put this in blinking letters if that weren't so annoying). There are no replacement game masters. Think carefully about this decision; the players will be counting on you. If this is your first game as GM, please only GM one game at a time. On the whole, game mastering takes less time than playing a press game. However, if there is a problem in the game, it can take more time. It also requires more careful consideration to insure a fair game for all players.

Following the "start a new game" link will present a large form of options. Before diving in and explaining them all, first the deadline calculation needs to be explained. When a turn passes, a base time is picked (usually either the old deadline or the time at which the orders were processed). To this base time, the turn length of the next turn is added. If this time is valid, it is used as the next deadline. If it is not, the deadline is moved ahead first to a specified hour (if such an option is set) and then to midnight (if such an option is set) and then repeatedly by 24 hour increments. The first valid time is used as the next deadline.

Okay on to the options:

GM Interface

The interface to the game looks just like the interface for a power except that the "orders" panel has been replaced with a "gm options" panel. That panel has 12 selections. Selecting any of them will not change the game but bring up a new panel that can change the game. When adjusting the game (especially advancing or reversing the turns) BE SURE you are doing the right thing!

ALL actions taken by the GM are recorded in a log. This log is only available to the administrator but can be used to review the actions of the GM. Please use the interface to GM a smooth game. It is supplied to help you. The logs are only checked if their is a complaint about the game mastering. The GM's options are:

When I have a chance, I will include the ability to e-mail the administrator. However, until that time, if you have any questions, send me e-mail at
bounced@dipbounced.com.


(c)1999-2020. Christian R. Shelton. All rights reserved.