The Micro Queue, One Month Later

[zoraster]

seems to be working well, but I think the next month or two will be more critical since pent up demand and novelty were behind at least part of the burst. how much is to be seen.

But we got 12 Micros within 4 days. It took another 26 days to get the next 12. If I had to guess, 8-15 is probably the range we're likely to see long term, depending on time of year and quality of games being put out. I think number of games launched is relevant, but so is number of players.

Last, I think it'll be important to see how much repeat playing we see.

For what it's worth, I've enjoyed running the Cult game.

[Timeater]

thank you zor sorry i was a crap cl

[Oversoul]

I was really hoping you would choose me (not that I knew it was you).

I am sorry to the players of my game! My thought of balance leaned too heavily on play and not on roles. >_>

[Mehdi2277]

Tim you played fine imo (and much better then me as scum there considering I got lynched right after you).

Anyways I've definitely enjoyed the micro queue (already have 3 finished games there). So far though I was expecting a bit less opens and seeing what the spread of games is now that people likely plan more for it (and seeing some complex mechanic games would be nice too).

[PMysterious]

Micros are really fun. They really have the feel for Minis in tinier forms. Hope to see more of it.

[petapan]

Not necessary, ICE.

TBF @cfj: I wouldn't actually object to that setup as much if you just called it as it is.

You are the Dictator. At any time before deadline you may remove a player from the game. (This will cause a new deadline to be set.) You will be modkilled if you do not remove someone before deadline.

You win if both Mafia are removed from the game before both Townies are removed from the game.

You are a Townie. This is a game of MAFIA. Are you a man or a mouse? And when you answer, squeak up!

You win if both Mafia are removed from the game before both Townies are removed from the game.

You are in the Mafia. That's an initialism for Making A Fatal Insurgence Abroad.

You win as soon as both Townies are removed from the game or if the Dictator does not make their decision before deadline.

Yes this cuts out some corner cases pertaining to the Dictator not choosing before deadline, but no big loss.

Also, "Mafia" actually

is

an initialism; just not that.

this is basically a game of epicmafia, fyi

[callforjudgement]

@Vi: I'm not convinced the dictator variant plays at all the same. Sure, the other players can't lynch anyone without the dictator's vote; but the dictator also can't lynch anyone without the other players' votes. So it's pretty much a case of everyone having a lot of power over the lynch vote, with one confirmed townie.

[Vi]

@Vi: I'm not convinced the dictator variant plays at all the same. Sure, the other players can't lynch anyone without the dictator's vote; but the dictator also can't lynch anyone without the other players' votes. So it's pretty much a case of everyone having a lot of power over the lynch vote, with one confirmed townie.

I think you have a point, actually. In a straight up-down vote, yes, the doublevoter is a dictator. But all of the votes in Mafia are not cast at once.

[Zachrulez]

Well it seems to be working pretty good so far and I hope it sticks around. It's a great alternative to a mini theme or normal game in that it requires much less of a time investment to play a micro game. (I think with current deadlines it's like at most a month or two investment.)

[zoraster]

I haven't checked other games, but I used a week long deadline in my game. So most games should finish within a month or so using that.

[Mehdi2277]

I think other games tended to go with 2 weeks or so for day 1 with 1 week - 10 days for future days in general.

[saulres]

I've got Precinct Madness planned for two-week days; is that too long?

[Mehdi2277]

Two weeks is fine and useful for day 1. I prefer for it to be around a week on later days (really for any micro). In precinct day 2 will reveal a lot of cop reports (followed by trying to use PoE on who is town by reports similar to dethy but more complicated and a lot less broken) followed by quicker lynches since you already have the info and reads from day 1.

edit: That's my personal preference. Seeing a thread for micro deadlines might be nice.

[saulres]

One thing I don't understand is why modding a micro doesn't count towards the modding requirements. One clear example is 5-player Vengeful, which counts if you mod it in the Open Queue but not in the Micro Queue.

When Precinct Madness runs I'm going to have to deal with scum QT, dead QTs, and processing actions from almost every single player every night, which is more complicated than several of the Open games. I'm resigned to not getting credit for it, I'm just wondering

why

I'm not getting credit for it.

[zoraster]

Because all games in the micro queue are 9 players or less. only some open queue games are. We could make up a fancy rule there about how many players it needs to be to get credit or whatever, but a bright line rule is easier. And now I'd imagine Hoopla will run a lot fewer of those small games. It was always a source of irritation. Plus, Hoopla made those who ran vengefuls run multiple in a row to get credit.

The one interesting thing is that if the micro queue bleeds away a large portion of the playing population (rather than just increases it -- stay tuned for a new census count shortly), it's going to make it progressively longer for people to get up to Large Theme levels unless the modding queues grow shorter.

[saulres]

Maybe games which go through the Open Queue should be disallowed from the Micro Queue then?

[zoraster]

why?

[saulres]

To make the line more clear-cut. If you run a game, it should either count for modding experience, or not count for modding experience, no matter which queue it's run in.

[zoraster]

Well, in the open queue it is, correct me if i'm wrong, run 2 or 3 times in a row (with the same players), so it's not 1:1. But anyway, while it resolves some seeming theoretical inconsistency, I'm not sure it actually provides any real benefit. And there'd be some cost as Hoopla would have to list a number of setups that can't be run in the micro queue. Furthermore, the micro queue was envisioned by some as an OPPORTUNITY for those very setups you want removed to be played more often.

[quadz08]

The reasoning for not getting credit is not based on number of players; rather, it's to ensure that Micro Games don't become a home for new mods looking for a quick modding credit to allow them to run their really exciting 35-player Large Theme. Small games are much more difficult to balance than medium-sized ones. (The Open queue gets modding credit, despite its typically smaller games, because the setups are pre-made and/or vetted by Hoopla.

[GreyICE]

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.

Don't sweat the details, am serious.

[Vi]

Open games should be allowed in every queue. Whether you get credit for it is irrelevant.

[zoraster]

Vi has a good point. You can run open games in the theme or normal queues as well, though few people do in the case of normals.

[The Fonz]

Can I throw my hat in the ring to run (ie reserve) Tree Stump Mafia: Bonsai edition for the Micro Queue once American Rev is done?

Setup would be 8p, 6 (bonsai) trees two lumberjacks (or rather, pruners). This is to retain the ratio of scum lynches needed to win to stumpings/town lynches needed to lose from the 12p original.

[Super Smash Bros. Fan]

I am seriously all for a Tree Stump game. Played one on Smashboards and I am more than ready for another one. Whenever or not I do join it depends on if there isn't anything else that catches my eyes more.