The Mafia Queue is Changing
After the next cycle, the mafia queue will change its structure. Instead of a full-on first come first serve basis where hosts design games as their place in the queue nears, we are moving to an
application cycle system.
We will retain the NOC-OC-NOC-Big cycle structure within reason, but now the queue will only ever be one cycle large. You have the previous cycle to post your game submissions in the Game Approvals subforum, at which point an advisor will work with you to get your game "Application Ready". You are free to approach a certain advisor if you have a preference, otherwise advisors will be assigned by availability. The current list of advisors is:
NOC: a fairy,
Blazade,
Celever,
Nuxl,
Tommy
OC: Blazade,
Nuxl,
Tommy,
UncleSam,
Yeti
A small number of hosts are able to host without advisor input. Most hosts who this applies to will be invited to become advisors; all current advisors are able to host a game without advisor approval.
The application form for the next cycle will be posted at the start of the current cycle's Big signups and will close 2 weeks later with some flexibility as appropriate. The application form will require a link to a thread in the Game Approvals subforum that has [AR 1/1] in its title. This stands for Application Ready, and your advisor will post in the thread verifying the stamp. When someone applies an Application Ready game during the application window, it will be added to a list in the Mafia Game Queue so that other hosts can see if there are any particular availabilities during that time.
This change is intended to improve the hosting experience for hosts, and will also ensure smoother operations of the game queue. We anticipate that it will be nicer for hosts to submit an application knowing that they are asking to host a game within the next 2-3 months maximum, as opposed to the current system where you apply to host a game 6-12 months later. The benefit for the running of Circus is that we will always know that the next game in the queue is ready to run when it's their time, and reduces the need for last-minute balance rushes as someone's time in the queue approaches.
Once the application ends, we will confer and produce the next cycle. Metrics used when deciding what games get into the queue each application cycle include:
- [TEMPORARY] Those whose games have been deleted from the current queue due to this change will have some priority for their next game as reparations.
- Length of time since a host has last hosted
- Advisors functioning in a wholly advisory capacity are exempt from this; this is to prevent hosts being disadvantaged due to what advisor gets assigned to their game. Advisors functioning in a hosting or co-hosting capacity are still impacted by this just as any other user is within reason to ensure games are hosted well.
- Number of cycles the game has been Application Ready.
- A good balance of games in each cycle. For example, if we receive a low power and high power NOC we would prefer that over 2 low power or 2 high power NOCs. Experimentality is also taken into account, and we will try to ensure a good smattering of standard games throughout.
The details of this new system may change following community feedback and our further assessments of it.
