SITE GAME PROPOSAL: Primetime RPG's (Draft Ruleset)

[millionaireloveruk]

The following is a draft version of the rules for a potential new site game, previously discussed in this thread. This idea for a Primetime RPG can be found on Page 2 of that thread. These are the potential rules and guidelines, should the game go ahead.

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated, but please also keep in mind that this game has not been approved by the staff yet. (Note the future tense used in the rules.) Any and all rules, and even the game  itself are all subject to change. Also bear in mind that these are the 'bare bones' of the rules. Several of them would have to be decided by the hosts of the game themselves.

NOTE: Any underlined rules have been modified in some way from the original. All original rules can be found at the end of the post. Any rule that has been struck through has been deleted. Any rule in bold are new rules.

RULES
1) Each RPG will take place for 2 weeks, with a one week break inbetween. At the start of each game, the appropriate starting sequence will be used, and at the end, the correct ending sequence. Both of these will be decided by the panel of hosts.
2) There will be (2/3/4) different hosts. Each will take it in turns to host a game. These members will also make up the Panel of Hosts, responsible for any and all changes to the game's format. The only people who can overrule them will be the staff. Out of these (2/3/4) hosts, one shall act as the Head Host, responsible for informing the site of any changes. The Head Host will be re-elected after a set period of time, or a set number of RPG's. Each Head Host may be re-elected an infinite number of times. The Panel of Hosts shall also be re-electable at Head Host's discretion, but there will be some permanent members.
3) Each RPG shall consist of (6/8/10) contestants who will have a chance to play. Fastest Finger First WILL be used, regardless of format, unless the Panel of Hosts change this format. 
4) The games format, money tree, lifelines and graphics shall all be decided by the Panel of Hosts, with a public vote being advised for any large changes to the game.
5) If a contestants run goes over the 2 week game limit, they shall return in the following RPG to conclude their game. If the contestant knows they will not be able to participate in the next RPG, they shall be given one extra week to complete their game. 
6) FFF contestants may return in the following episode if they so wish.
7) After a contestant has finished their game, they may not play for 2 RPG's after the conclusion of their game. The only exception to this rule is if there are 0 other contestants willing to play.
8) The questions shall be written by either a member signing up as question writer, or a set group of members, separate from the Panel of Hosts.
9) Lifelines such as 50:50 shall be completed by the acting host. Phone-A-Friend can be any member on the board the contestant chooses. I recommend that you ask them first though. Ask The Audience shall be completed through a poll in the thread, will all members having a vote. The Panel of Hosts may also vote, but may not be Phone-A-Friend's. The Question Writer cannot vote for ATA, or be a Phone-A-Friend. (Remember, these are just example lifelines. We could have others used.)
10) Graphics will most certainly be used, and hosts may use videos to ask questions to incorporate the music into the game. (Obviously, this will be closely monitored, and a separate set of guidelines would be available in order to make sure any music used is used correctly and 'safely'). All graphics will be made available to each host prior to their first RPG via PM.
11) All members participating in the game will have 24 HOURS to respond if it is their turn. The only exception for this rule is Phone-A-Friends, who will have 36 hours. See rule 13 for more information on this rule.
12) A host who does not respond to the game, without a good reason, will be awarded a strike. If a host receives 3 strikes in 3 of their RPG's, they may be removed from the Panel of Hosts. A host that misses 2 of their RPG's will be temporarily suspended. If they return to the boards before the start of their next RPG, they shall be reinstated if they wish. Hosts may pass an RPG to another host at any time before it begins.
13) A contestant who misses the 24 hour deadline, without good reason, will immediately be replaced. If it transpires that they had a valid reason to miss the deadline, they may either continue their run once the replacement contestant has finished, or they may start over as a contestant in the next RPG. This is the only time Rule 7 does not apply. If a Phone-A-Friend does not reply in time, that will count as the Lifeline being used.
14) The shows shall work in Series. Each episode of the game will be given it's own 'code'. For example, the first episode of the first series will be S1E1.
15) Special episodes involving pairs of contestants may be done at the discretion of the Head Host. If this happens, normal shows may be suspended, depending on the type of Special Episode, but this will be a rare occurrence. Special episodes would have (S) placed at the end of their episode code in order to signify that there is a special episode. For example, S1E1(S). 
16) Members may only apply to become a host if the Head Host advertises an opening in that role.
17) To become a host, members will have to apply, providing rule 16 is met. Each member of the Panel of Hosts, and the Staff will have a vote in who becomes a host. The vote shall be a majority rules. If there is a tie, the Head Host shall have the casting vote.
18) All other site rules will apply to these RPG's.
19) Contestants and Lifeline Result Generators will sign up in the normal way.
20) The Panel of Hosts will be advised to leave most small decisions to the whole forum. The idea is that the Hosts host what the members want to play. 
21) If the Panel of Hosts does not feel the Head Host is doing their job correctly, they can ask for them to be removed and replaced through a vote involving the whole forum.

---------------------------------------------------------------

That's it for now. I'm happy to answer any questions, and tweak any rules if I see fit. If these are received positively, I'll pass them on to the staff for their approval.

Thanks!
MLUK  


ORIGINAL RULES:
1) Each RPG will take place for 2 weeks every month. At the start of each game, the appropriate starting sequence will be used, and at the end, the correct ending sequence. Both of these will be decided by the panel of hosts.
8) The questions shall be written by either the non-hosting members of the Panel of Hosts, or by a set member/group of members dedicated to this.

13) A contestant who misses the 24 hour deadline, without good reason, will immediately be replaced. They may return to the game once, but a second time in the same RPG will result in their run being nullified. The 2 show waiting period will still apply.
15) ...If this happens, any normal show
 will be held back until the special episodes are over.
17) ...Whether this vote has to be unanimous or just a majority is yet to be decided.

[Stellex]

Although I love the idea of having another site game, this seems a bit too complicated for our forums. Making users 'apply' to play an RPG is a bit ludicrous, don't you think? And besides, we already have two site games: Daily Millionaire, which has come ridiculously popular the last few weeks, and the standard RPGs, which can go on for several weeks at a time. Despite the fact that I enjoy these site games, it doesn't really seem suitable for our environment.

But I'm only one person, and every opinion matters. Let's see what the entirety of the forum has to say about this.
~
-Stellex

[Gagamillionaire]

Okay, here's what I think:
1) Why only one two-week RPG per month?
2, 16, 17) Will the Panel of Hosts be permanent or will it be elected anew at set intervals (every three months, etc.)? It's about activity and availability. Maybe a host should be kicked from the Panel if they haven't been available for two or three consecutive RPGs.
What happens if the Panel cannot decide on a Head Host? I suggest a public vote.
5) Will a carry-over contestant from a previous RPG continue their game under the rules of the old or the new RPG? I think it would be easier to let the last contestant finish their run and then end the RPG. How about the host and the contestant get one more week after the two RPG weeks to wrap up their game? If they fail to, the contestant will be forced to walk away with whatever money they won at that point.
8, 9) If the Panel of Hosts is allowed to participate in PAF and ATA, they should not be allowed to write questions.
10) Do all the hosts of one RPG have to use the same graphics?
13) How does a contestant returning to the game work if they've already been replaced? Will they continue their run after their replacement has finished theirs? I'd say that any contestant missing the deadline should be forced to end their run immediately, unless they give a good reason beforehand. In that case, they should continue their run after the follow-up contestant has finished their game. If a contestant misses their window, but provides a valid reason afterwards, they should be allowed to return for the next RPG, but they have to start over again. Alternatively, this could be done whether a good reason is provided before or after their absence.
14) I don't see a practical reason for coding the games according to series and episodes. How do you define a series? Do all games of one series follow the same format?
15) I'm against suspending regular RPGs for special episodes. Special episodes can be organized in the weeks between regular RPGs, but they should be something like anniversary episodes. I would regard "pairs instead of single contestants" as an ordinary rule variation that can be used any time, if the Panel so wishes. Just because UK Millionaire used pairs for its special episodes doesn't mean we have to. I have no problems with more "exotic" rules for specials, though.
17) Forget the unanimous vote, that just wastes time.
What happens if two applicants for the Panel of Hosts get the same number of positive votes? I think the Head Host should be the final arbiter then.
There should be a vote for Head Host whenever a new member joins the Panel of Hosts. Optionally, a member should only be allowed to serve as Head Host for a limited amount of time, say, three RPGs. The Head Host may, however, be reelected an infinite number of times.

Overall, I think this is all way too bureaucratic. This demands much more preparation than what we have right now. Also, I don't see a huge advantage in having a Panel of Hosts. We could just instate a backup host to keep the game going in case the main host disappears. For me, your suggestions miss the point. I'd prefer to see a change in how the games are played, not how they're organized.

That all said, thank you millionaireloveruk for taking the time and working to improve the RPGs! It's easy to critize someone's ideas, but it's much harder to come up with good ideas yourself, so I really appreciate your efforts!

[millionaireloveruk]

Oct 15, 2016 7:03:05 GMT -5 Stellex said:

Although I love the idea of having another site game, this seems a bit too complicated for our forums. Making users 'apply' to play an RPG is a bit ludicrous, don't you think? And besides, we already have two site games: Daily Millionaire, which has come ridiculously popular the last few weeks, and the standard RPGs, which can go on for several weeks at a time. Despite the fact that I enjoy these site games, it doesn't really seem suitable for our environment.

But I'm only one person, and every opinion matters. Let's see what the entirety of the forum has to say about this.
~
-Stellex

Thanks for the feedback!

In response, we do already kind of have to apply to play. I should have made it clearer in the rules that the only people that have to apply are potential hosts. Contestants and Question Writers etc would sign up in the way we already do. I would disagree about Daily Millionaire's recent popularity. The game does get players, I agree, but these tend to be the same 3 or 4 for each question. I see the RPG's as having no time frame as a bit of a problem, as if the game slows down, it can become boring. A solid time when you'd have to call it quits could keep people involved throughout the duration of the game, in my opinion. 

You're right, every opinion does matter, and I'm grateful for hearing yours. Thanks!

Oct 15, 2016 8:14:54 GMT -5 Gagamillionaire said:

1) Why only one two-week RPG per month?
2, 16, 17) Will the Panel of Hosts be permanent or will it be elected anew at set intervals (every three months, etc.)? It's about activity and availability. Maybe a host should be kicked from the Panel if they haven't been available for two or three consecutive RPGs.
What happens if the Panel cannot decide on a Head Host? I suggest a public vote.
5) Will a carry-over contestant from a previous RPG continue their game under the rules of the old or the new RPG? I think it would be easier to let the last contestant finish their run and then end the RPG. How about the host and the contestant get one more week after the two RPG weeks to wrap up their game? If they fail to, the contestant will be forced to walk away with whatever money they won at that point.
8, 9) If the Panel of Hosts is allowed to participate in PAF and ATA, they should not be allowed to write questions.
10) Do all the hosts of one RPG have to use the same graphics?
13) How does a contestant returning to the game work if they've already been replaced? Will they continue their run after their replacement has finished theirs? I'd say that any contestant missing the deadline should be forced to end their run immediately, unless they give a good reason beforehand. In that case, they should continue their run after the follow-up contestant has finished their game. If a contestant misses their window, but provides a valid reason afterwards, they should be allowed to return for the next RPG, but they have to start over again. Alternatively, this could be done whether a good reason is provided before or after their absence.
14) I don't see a practical reason for coding the games according to series and episodes. How do you define a series? Do all games of one series follow the same format?
15) I'm against suspending regular RPGs for special episodes. Special episodes can be organized in the weeks between regular RPGs, but they should be something like anniversary episodes. I would regard "pairs instead of single contestants" as an ordinary rule variation that can be used any time, if the Panel so wishes. Just because UK Millionaire used pairs for its special episodes doesn't mean we have to. I have no problems with more "exotic" rules for specials, though.
17) Forget the unanimous vote, that just wastes time.
What happens if two applicants for the Panel of Hosts get the same number of positive votes? I think the Head Host should be the final arbiter then.
There should be a vote for Head Host whenever a new member joins the Panel of Hosts. Optionally, a member should only be allowed to serve as Head Host for a limited amount of time, say, three RPGs. The Head Host may, however, be reelected an infinite number of times.

Overall, I think this is all way too bureaucratic. This demands much more preparation than what we have right now. Also, I don't see a huge advantage in having a Panel of Hosts. We could just instate a backup host to keep the game going in case the main host disappears. For me, your suggestions miss the point. I'd prefer to see a change in how the games are played, not how they're organized.

That all said, thank you millionaireloveruk for taking the time and working to improve the RPGs! It's easy to critize someone's ideas, but it's much harder to come up with good ideas yourself, so I really appreciate your efforts!

Thanks for your feedback!

1) I was thinking about this, and I am going to change this rule in the top post. I think a two week RPG with only one week in between for sign up's etc would be better. The reason I didn't want the game to be continuous is so that it didn't take away from other parts of the site.
2, 16, 17) I think the Panel could have permanent members, but with some others being replaced at set intervals. I think the Head Host could be replaced through a vote every 6 or 8 months, or earlier if they want to leave the role. If the Panel was unable to elect a Head Host, then a public vote would most probably happen, yes.
5) The idea about the rules is that it doesn't change across RPG's. If there was a format change however, the current contestant would play out using the old rules. In regards to giving an extra week, that could happen if the contestant couldn't play in the next RPG. I don't like the idea of forced walk away's, personally, but that could come into play if a format change was to be instigated into the next RPG.
8, 9) Didn't realise this when I was writing the rules. This will be changed.
10) The graphics should be the same, yes. They will be made available to all hosts through a PM to use. 
13) I completely agree with this rule. I will write this in to the rules.
14) A series would contain the same format in all games, yes. A series would probably last for anywhere between 8 and 12 episodes. The coding idea was simply for a bit of housekeeping.
15) Episodes with pairs should be able to be used whenever, I agree. Special episodes actually doesn't sound as good an idea as it did earlier. I will definitely change that in some way. 
17) In hindsight, a unanimous would be a waste of time.

If there was a tie for electing a new host, the Head Host's vote would count for double, to avoid ties. If there is not a tie, the Head Host's vote would only count as one vote. I quite like the idea of a set number of RPG's. I would say that about 6 before a re-election would be fair.

I was going for a bureaucratic approach, but maybe I have gone over  the top slightly. I will be reviewing and editing the rules, certainly.

Thanks for the compliments at the end of your post, and a lot of your ideas will be going into the 'revised' version of the rules.  

[Deleted]

I'm sorry that I don't have any more ideas to suggest for your brilliant Primetime RPG suggestion, but pretty much everything have already been said, I think. But I'd just like to express my admiration to you on your Primetime RPG idea that is absolutly superb in my opinion ! As this below can testify.




P.S: Gagamillionaire's ideas are also very good and as Stellex said perfectly, every ideas, opinions are welcomed and matters.  

-Amillionaire

[millionaireloveruk]

Thanks for the kind words, @amillionaire!

[RegisFan]

Hey guys,

I hate to be a party pooper. I've always tried to be really receptive to member suggestions and a lot of really great site features have come from user feedback. However, I do have to step in this time and say that we won't be implementing this as an official site game.

In the other thread, I had expressed very clearly that the RPG has to be kept simple. The rules outlined above are extremely complicated from an administrative standpoint. The proposed game requires a large number of active users for the game to proceed normally, with several rotating hosts. It also puts a lot of power into the hands of the masses, which rarely works for projects like this.

The official RPG is a huge draw for the site because the quality control is kept high. It's an authentic, simple WWTBAM experience that anyone can take part in. But the quality control comes at a price - a lot of regulation. FinalAnswer19 and I spent a ton of time on the back end keeping those games moving forward. Most people don't realize it, and we're fine with that. But it's a ton of work managing the existing RPGs, and they only involve one host and two contestants. This proposed game just has too many moving pieces. In addition to the number of people involved, there's also a high level of mandatory graphics and videos involved. The official Fifth Anniversary RPG was the same way. It had several hosts, heavy use of graphics/videos, community decision-making, and a few other ideas that were incorporated into this proposal. The Fifth Anniversary RPG was a disaster that dragged on for a very long time. We don't need to repeat that experience.

I'm not saying that this can't be attempted as an unofficial RPG in Creativity. But for the official site RPG that the staff moderates, we're going to stick to the tried-and-true formula for the time being. This was expressed clearly in the other thread. What I was expecting in the other thread was a concerted effort to revamp Daily Millionaire, but it seems that those efforts were largely abandoned.

[millionairefan64]

I would have to agree with Regisfan in this case and I want to explain why:

I've been here long enough here now to have experience a lot of hiccups in RPG's because of the way they have been played with multiple games and hosts, lots of roles, etc.

While I did not participate in the 5th Anniversary RPG because I joined while it was already in progress, I should mention there was also RPG 7. We did RPG 7 completely video based as part of an experiment. It took a year and eight months to complete because there were originally three hosts and six games. If the format we used to use continued, I don't think we would be even close to RPG 62 right now. 

Basically, this RPG format we have now seems to be working in my opinion. If it's not broke don't fix it. 

[JCEurovision]

The two-contestant, one-host format is the real RPG format, but I am neutral about those rule changes.

[millionaireloveruk]

Oct 16, 2016 0:23:52 GMT -5 RegisFan said:

Hey guys,

I hate to be a party pooper. I've always tried to be really receptive to member suggestions and a lot of really great site features have come from user feedback. However, I do have to step in this time and say that we won't be implementing this as an official site game.

In the other thread, I had expressed very clearly that the RPG has to be kept simple. The rules outlined above are extremely complicated from an administrative standpoint. The proposed game requires a large number of active users for the game to proceed normally, with several rotating hosts. It also puts a lot of power into the hands of the masses, which rarely works for projects like this.

The official RPG is a huge draw for the site because the quality control is kept high. It's an authentic, simple WWTBAM experience that anyone can take part in. But the quality control comes at a price - a lot of regulation. FinalAnswer19 and I spent a ton of time on the back end keeping those games moving forward. Most people don't realize it, and we're fine with that. But it's a ton of work managing the existing RPGs, and they only involve one host and two contestants. This proposed game just has too many moving pieces. In addition to the number of people involved, there's also a high level of mandatory graphics and videos involved. The official Fifth Anniversary RPG was the same way. It had several hosts, heavy use of graphics/videos, community decision-making, and a few other ideas that were incorporated into this proposal. The Fifth Anniversary RPG was a disaster that dragged on for a very long time. We don't need to repeat that experience.

I'm not saying that this can't be attempted as an unofficial RPG in Creativity. But for the official site RPG that the staff moderates, we're going to stick to the tried-and-true formula for the time being. This was expressed clearly in the other thread. What I was expecting in the other thread was a concerted effort to revamp Daily Millionaire, but it seems that those efforts were largely abandoned.

Thanks for your feedback, RegisFan, and I'm sorry to hear you won't be supporting this.

After reading your comments, I can see where you're coming from. My idea is complicated, yes, but I simply wanted a bit of structure to the games, as sometimes they can be rather hard to follow. I appreciate all the work you do for the RPG's to work, and I have very few problems with them, except the one mentioned above.

I probably won't attempt this in Creativity, simply due to the scale of the game. I feel it needed Admin support to work, but since that looks like it won't be happening, maybe we should look for a way to revamp Daily Millionaire, like you suggested. Thinking about it, that would be much easier if the proposed format worked well. The 'Theme Week' idea suggested in the other thread could work, but that's another discussion entirely.

Once again, thank you for your comments.

millionairefan64 and JCEurovision, thank you for your input as well. It's much appreciated.  

[Deleted]

Well, I have to say that's a good point RegisFan made there. I didn't think about it in the first place. Don't get me wrong, I still love the Primetime RPG idea, but it's true that it could be difficult to set up for the staff as they already have a lot of work with normal RPGs. Now, millionairefan64 reminded what happenened with RPG 7 that took a YEAR and eight months to be completed just because there were a lots of roles and multiple hosts, I don't know if that's what could happen with MLUK's idea but now looking back on it, maybe.

[RegisFan]

millionaireloveruk, thank you for understanding my position and for taking my feedback in such a positive light. I really do appreciate you taking the time to think of ways to improve the site. This idea didn't work out, but that doesn't mean the next idea won't be a real game changer for the community.

[FinalAnswer19]

Little late to the party on this one but I think it's great that people are taking a role in helping to keep the site fresh! In the end, though, we've found simplification over complication works better when we have something big like RPGs that require community involvement.

Keep the thoughts coming, though!