Hosting Playlists - Help

[zmurko 7,622]

I've got a few questions to help improve the experience (for the host and especially for the participants) when hosting a PL, that might help other hosts as well, not just me.

 

 

1. How do you get the countdown timer in bottom right corner to appear between jobs?

Even when I hit the 'Auto Invite and Play' during jobs, I only get the message 'Inviting...' and the rotating circle. I have asked others in the lobby and they didnt see the timer either. I know there's always a timer in rev's playlists. Am I missing something?

 

2. Whats the general rule of thumb as to how long do you wait/pause between jobs? This is my biggest concern.

I personally don't mind either, immediately starting the next job or having a minute or two break between each job. I guess this problem goes away if I could get that timer to appear though.

 

3. How long do you usually wait for someone with problems connecting before you give up and start the job?

More of an issue when starting the playlist than between jobs.

 

 

Any other guidelines playlist hosts should follow? How do you deal with drop outs, etc.  I always feel I have unhappy participants when hosting a playlist. 

 

I know It's also a bit more convenient and user friendly when host has a mic as he can explain any delays and what not.

 

 

I thought this might not only help me, but other playlist hosts too, especially since we're getting new weekly playlists and hosts.

 

I'd also like to take this opportunity and apologize to anyone unhappy during any of my playlists, I'm still not comfortable hosting them, yet I have absolutely no issues when others do, no matter how they do it.

Edited July 30, 2014 by zmurko76
spelling

[Pb76 3,952]

I haven't hosted a lot, so I'm not an expert.

I don't think I've noticed a timer before, between jobs I usually do a quick 'invite crew' but try to keep waiting to a minimum, I don't think you should wait too long for folks with connection issues as they can always join the pl midway if they wish. It may sound harsh leaving people behind, but you may have 14 other people patiently waiting. I'd also say don't take other peoples unhappiness personally (unless you've picked some really shitty jobs )

Having said all that, i do feel uncomfortable hosting and uncomfortable using my mic.

[revbouncer 1,431]

i think if you load a PL from a closed crew lobby, there's no timer. I usually just load my PLs from a freemode lobby so i get a timer. But that works against you if people drop out as there's only max min and a half between jobs with the timer.

 

Not sure what others think, but hosts can sort of set the mood of the lobby. If the host is quiet, then the lobby usually is too. If the hosts talks, it encourages others to talk. I think hosts need a mic.

 

Hope that helps

[zmurko 7,622]

Cheers, all good stuff so far. Just trying to improve gaming experience for everyone.

 

And I agree that it's much better if hosts have a mic. Silence makes it even more uncomfortable as you can't tell if people are enjoying themselves or having a miserable time.

 

 

Btw, I would appreciate any advice and feedback from experienced hosts with popular reoccuring playlists. How do you do it, what "guidelines" do you follow during the playlist?

Edited July 30, 2014 by zmurko76

[Casey 1,680]

I had the opposite question Z, how not to get the timer. Jobs always auto launch for me but from what rev says thats probably because I usually hit every invite choice avaliable to me just to get anyone to join!

I'm hoping this doesn't happen using invite only and from closed crew sessions. Can you confirm that this is the case for both options rev?

As far as waiting times go, I agree with pb a bit as I've been on playlists that have waited an age for people to join and it kinda spoils the mood a bit sometimes. Everyone in this crew has remarkable patience and composure between jobs which is commendable but I would agree that waiting time should be kept to a reasonable minimum. We always have the shout box available to let each other know what's going on regarding drop outs and connection issues.

Mics are helpful certainly and lift the mood of those involved although after a few weeks folk will probably be wishing I didn't have one!! :-D

Edited July 30, 2014 by Casey

[Danielle 3,007]

1 - I have no idea about this one, personally, I would rather it didn't show. I always host my playlist from a closed crew session (never invite only as people won't be able to join / get back in midway)

 

2 - I don't pause between jobs unless one of the unvetted members has dropped out or I hear someone saying they are going for a drink / toilet etc. - harsh but it's very hard to get people back in to a playlist so I'd rather they tried to join themselves (unless they ask for an invite, I always have the shoutbox open). Also I find that the longer you wait on the job screen the higher the risk of someone else dropping out.

 

3 - I'm guessing you mean before the first job of the playlist? This is the point I will spend the longest time trying to get someone in, I can't really give you an amount of time for this, there just comes a time where you realize they aint getting in

 

I'm the quietest you can get but I find if there's something I need to say I put it in the shoutbox and Xyon/Ronny/Casey/anyone else checking the shoutbox will announce it.

 

One of the main things for me is not using the same jobs 2 weeks in a row, it can get tedious and there's plenty of jobs to choose from in the crew creator forum.

 

You shouldn't worry so much what others are thinking, like pb said don't take their unhappiness personally. Ronny is constantly moaning at the races I pick but he's back for more every week

[zmurko 7,622]

Yeah, timer can definitely complicate things, but it also helps set the pace and rhytm, especially in a racing only PL. Sometimes a minute goes by in a flash and sometimes just 30sec feel like an eternity.

 

I know how to operate the timer when hosting an individual job (stop it and restart it etc), just not sure what combo triggers it in a playlist.

I'm just guessing it must be at least 2 things that trigger the timer, Matchmaking set to Open on 1st job (this options is gone on following jobs, therefore you can't stop the timer in a PL) and hitting the 'Auto Invite and Play'. Whether it needs to be launched from a public lobby or not is still a mystery I guess.

 

 

Job selection is another matter that makes or breaks a PL, I completely agree, but I had the actual running of the PL in mind when opening a topic.

 

And someone moaning during a race is usually a good sign, at least it cheers me up 

[LN-MLB 2,583]

I can never get the timer to stop between jobs.  I know the way to eliminate it before the start of the first job is to keep matchmaking closed, but it seems that whether I launch it from a public or closed crew lobby, once the first job has passed, I am always racing against the timer (plus one time extension) to get more people into the PL or those who have disconnected.  I always start in a closed crew session, but I do direct invites as opposed to inviting everyone to the free roam lobby before the start of the PL.

 

I'd like to be able to give people a two minute break every now and then between jobs, but agree that it shouldn't be held up too long.  When starting the PL, I will generally give a five minute or so window for everyone to get connected before I launch the first job.

 

I try to wait for those who have expressed specific interest in attending, but do not generally keep a full lobby waiting for an extended period of time.  If you wait too long, there's always a better chance that more people will either disconnect before the job launches or simply get tired of waiting (which doesn't happen very often, but still...).

 

Every now and then, I will ask which class of cars the lobby wants to race, and try to make it a little more personable.  When picking jobs, I often take requests in the posting thread, but if none are given, I simply pick random jobs from my bookmarks list that will hold enough players.  I try not to host the same job twice in a row each week, but there are some that I have picked several times since hosting.  I admit that I don't use R* content very often, but I will often find random jobs that I have played from non-crew friends or other creators just to add some variety to the selections.

 

What Rev said is true--I too have noticed that whether or not the host talks has a direct influence on whether or not most in the lobby talk.  I always talk when hosting, and I love to joke around and BS with the others while waiting for the start of the first job or during the break between jobs.  Too much talking can be distracting, but most of us here are really good about knowing when it's too much or when it's time to let someone else say something.  If you ever join random jobs, you know how painful it can be when people do not know how to use their mics properly.

 

Overall, you won't be able to please everyone no matter what you do.  However, that's just the nature of the humanity.  I've always believed that if someone is kind enough to host an event, they should have the final say.  Granted, you are bound to pick a job every now and then that people hate--I've picked jobs for my own PL that I didn't like, but don't let that discourage you.  Most people have a great time, and as long as you don't play the same thing over and over again or set extremely long timers on specific jobs, I don't think you will have much to worry about.

 

You're a good host, Zmurko, and I always enjoy your hosting sessions.

[Casey 1,680]

This has been a helpful topic Z and good advice from everyone.

Cheers :-)

[Ronny 1,061]

As an user I think it's good if the Host / Hostess get the information out why we are waiting etc, by using a Mic this gets easier, but it should never be a rule that the host / hostes should have a mic, then we would probably lose some good hosts.

I think both Dani an Zmurko does this well by using the shoutbox, and I know that not everybody looks at the shoutbox while playing, that's why I try to keep an eye open on the shoutbox and help out and convey the information to the other players.

And to be honest, I don't think it is the host job alone to entertain the lobby, of course if the the host is a chatty and funny person that could make it more interesting, but there is almost every PL someone that makes it more fun to wait between the battles in the Lobby.

So in my mind, this isn't the hosts job, we are like approx 16 "adult" people in the lobby who could make the experience better for everyone

 

Now I feel I need to explain myself here 

Jupp Dani is correct    I bitch and complain almost every race, but hopefully you all know it's not about the track it self, as I said before I got some issues with the racing in this game, and it's just my own skills  Don't take me wrong, I enjoy racing I just don't like the driver

I have big respect for the creators in this crew because I know how much time there is put into every creation, so if anybody thinks I'm unfair or rude PLEASE let me know, I hope some of you are starting to "know" me, and than you probably know that I'm for the mostly joking around, If I really get pissed off, I shut off my mic   

 

You are all doing a great job guys, so keep going.

Now I'm looking forward to do some PL withe Phaves and Casey as well, that I think is two other fantastic candidates for hosting.

And hopefully I*ll get my own *Race free* play list in the future   

[Lann 10,846]

I also think that if the host doesn't have a mic, the shoutbox works good along with participants who can help communicate if necessary.

In general some chatter improves the mood.

Edited July 30, 2014 by lann3fors

[zmurko 7,622]

This has been a helpful topic Z and good advice from everyone.

Cheers :-)

 

+1

[DavidCore89 7,404]

1. What Rev said.

 

2. I don't mind waiting between jobs, but if the wait exceeds 5 minutes then that is too much for me.

   A playlist of 8 jobs with 5 mins break on each job is 40 minutes of sat there doing fuck all (getting stoned), not good (well, quite good for me ).

   I always invite between jobs but if it's the same people invited each time and they do not accept, what's the point of even waiting?

   Everyone wants to move on to the next job, unless someone says they are taking a smoke break or requests a break then I will give it the standard 90 seconds until we start the next job.

   I have joined some playlists where the wait is almost 10 mins each after job, you are extending the event beyond the requirements (like the H2H last night), people WILL quit and time out upon launching the next job.

 

3. I'll wait for them to try and get back in, as soon as they go offline again, post in the shoutbox saying they can't get in or take more than 5 minutes (unless H2H) - that is when I will continue the playlist.

   Waiting for one person with a terrible connection when you already have 12 people in the lobby who will be getting restless or kicked themselves just seems pointless.

   As a host, I am looking out for the crew members already in the playlist lobby - not those with poor connection and are likely to not get in at all.

   If I wait an age for that person to get back in, will the rest of my lobby stick around?

   Will the next job launch correctly?

   Plenty of things to think about.

 

What I will say is this, when you are hosting please pay attention to the settings and do NOT invite until you have changed the race settings, if you do send invites first then the race settings cannot be changed, people will be unhappy and/or complaining.

 

Know the standard settings which this crew uses in jobs such as TDM, capture and LTS

 

Some hosts who seem to be in a complete daydream between jobs will see their regular playlist fail sooner or later, I've seen that for myself here.

 

Mix the jobs up, have something for everyone (not just the jobs which you are good at, not just jobs made by your friends for added brownie points and not just your own jobs), using same jobs repeatedly will see people avoid the playlist for that reason.

 

From my experience, nobody ever uses the new verified content in crew playlists, I use some every Sunday because some are fun and the crew won't get used to them until we play them, you can sort jobs by date on RSC and get the newly added verified content right there to see.

 

I also use the verified jobs in my playlists because we use them in H2H matches, a prime example of this is last night H2H - we knew the verified jobs and the other crew didn't. 

Edited July 30, 2014 by DavidCore89

[Casey 1,680]

Oooooh there's something I need to know!

Forgive my ignorance but what are the std crew settings for TDM's, captures etc.? Just noticed mention of them in the shoutbox for races too, please enlighten me before I make a tit of myself! :-)

[Danielle 3,007]

Oooooh there's something I need to know!

Forgive my ignorance but what are the std crew settings for TDM's, captures etc.? Just noticed mention of them in the shoutbox for races too, please enlighten me before I make a tit of myself! :-)

 

For TDM's I usually put 10 minutes no target score, forced weapons + pickups

 

Captures I don't know what all the different settings mean but I just leave it on time limit, forced weapons + pickups

 

Races don't matter so much if they're non-contact but contact races I would turn catch up and slip stream off

[Casey 1,680]

Cheers Dani, nothing unusual then :-)

[DavidCore89 7,404]

For TDM's I usually put 10 minutes no target score, forced weapons + pickups

 

Captures I don't know what all the different settings mean but I just leave it on time limit, forced weapons + pickups

 

Races don't matter so much if they're non-contact but contact races I would turn catch up and slip stream off

Yeah this.

 

Some people use sudden death on captures, so basically the next team to deliver the objective after the time limit is up wins, but this also could never end, I've been in a sudden death situation which lasted over 30 minutes before.

Edited July 30, 2014 by DavidCore89

[Danielle 3,007]

I've been stuck on a never ending capture before, not fun. I always used to leave catch up on because I had no idea what it was until I was 1st one day and my car slowed right down, slip stream is good sometimes but I mostly find it annoying.

[Casey 1,680]

Ok, just been posting on the shout box a problem that I always have when selecting jobs and creating playlists.

 

When I try to choose a bookmarked job, the first time I open the page I get the early alphabet jobs but as soon as I choose a job or change the page, that's them gone.  I can only subsequently choose jobs from the latter part of the alphabet.  The left and right on the D pad just don't work for me.  I can come in and go out of the jobs section as much as I like, they just never work again.  I get once chance at it if I change sessions then that's it gone again.

 

Am I a doofus? What am I doing wrong or is this a problem other people get?

 

(Saturdays playlist was a struggle to create, luckily all jobs I had chosen were latter alphabet bar one!)

[Danielle 3,007]

Nah that happens to me too (you're still a doofus). I usually just save the playlist then go back in and edit it and I'll get the earlier ones back.

[Casey 1,680]

Nah that happens to me too (you're still a doofus). I usually just save the playlist then go back in and edit it and I'll get the earlier ones back.

 

Again, I lost a bit tea!!