User:Agon/Assistants

So, uh, you guys. :)

This is just a summary and some quick tips as to how to run your boats. You may have noticed that I have an extremely laissez-faire management style, and almost all of this is negotiable, but since people keep asking, here it is, centrally-located.

Days/Weeks Before the Event

If you're using your main pirate to help

If you're helping us on your main, then you don't need to do anything until the morning of the event. You're welcome to join the event crew a few days in advance to make things simpler on the day-of; just discuss that with me.

If you're creating an alt

If you're creating a roleplaying alt to help with promotion and resource-gathering, then you'll probably want to create a Rho-alt! Blonde, well-tanned, and properly-named. You may create a boy Rhodin if you'd be more comfortable; I suggest dreadlocks, but use whatever you like the most.

Day of the Event

Prep & Check-ins

Agon will be avaliable from the crack of dawn. Assistants can show up at any time, but need to be around for 10:50 AM PST. (I highly recommend aiming for 10:45) Just log on, check your first ship to make sure there's stock and a chart, and then go do whatever you like, as long as you stay on the pirate you'll be using for the event. If you will be using your main to help, see Agon about getting crewed and officered up at this point.

Also at this point, physically check to make sure your logs are functional. Go to the actual file, and make sure that the words appearing in your game are also appearing in your logs. The only assistant who forgot to do this last time was also the only assistant who didn't have working logs, so this is very important and also very karmic. Just do it.

Checking in players is simple. You'll have a manifest of the people you need to check in, and they'll be looking for you. When they find you or /tell you, /job them. Once they're jobbed into the crew, check them off your list. After 11:00, you may want to start actively /whoing and looking for any names you're missing. Make sure everyone on your list is on your boat for 11:30.

At a certain point (Likely 11:45 or thereabouts), Agon will ask about missing people. Just tell him how many you're missing, and Agon will use that information to collapse ships and reassign people as necessary.

You will find a chart on your first ship's charting table. Take it with you!

Round 1

When round 1 begins, chart, deport, and set sail on Agon's command, then engage any other event crew ship you like. (KEEP AN EYE ON MIGHT RINGS! Do NOT get yourself blackshipped!)

Once you're in PVP, you need to somehow get the 16 guns loaded. I suggest involving the participants in this: let them do "practice rounds". Once they're loaded, fire all 16 guns (remember, you can fire off both sides of the ship simultaneously) to "dirty" them for the first competitor.

You will need an order of competitors. I suggest alphabetical or reverse-alphabetical, but as long as there's a method to the madness I'm happy. Give a gunning order to the first person on your list and call their name. They'll say "Up the Revolution!", then enter the puzzle (they must wait until they've said it before entering.)

They will load all 16 guns. They will leave the puzzle one final time. They will say "Fire!". You fire. Rinse, repeat.

While this is going on, do your best to keep the ship quiet. Participants should not be talking on /vessel while someone's competing, although they can gather below deck or wherever and talk in /speak if they want to chat. This is just because of fairness; the amount of conversation will never be perfectly equal from competitor to competitor, and it's unfair to have one competitor inundated with mindless, distracting noise while someone else gets a silent go at it.

Round 1 Scoring & Resolution

When all 8 competitors are finished, DO NOT DISENGAGE. Instead, work out who the assistant on your boat you've PVP'd is, and determine when you're BOTH finished and ready to disengage. THEN disengage.

Once you've disengaged, start calculating the times. Just subtract the time the player said Up the Revolution! from the final "player has abandoned a puzzle" message before they said Fire. That's their time.

You can either announce the times to the vessel, or grab your winners in /tell. Either way, make sure the winners know where to join you for the second round (Which GF you're assigned to) and that the losers know the Loser Lounge is open for their pleasure.

Before you leave the ship, take the chart with you.

Round 2

Same deal as Round 1, more or less. More guns, fewer competitors.

Round 2 Scoring & Resolution

This time, tabulate the times as you did in Round 1, but forward them along to Agon, who will be determining the top two competitors overall. Agon will contact the winners directly and in /tell.

Afterwards

Afterwards... play it by ear and we'll figure it out. :)

Round 3

If you're assigned to the ship with the losers

• Herd the players onto the ship
• Prevent the players from gunning (other than the finalist!) or carpenting (Don't give !!any!! gunning orders, and /plank anyone you see carpenting on sight.)
• Follow any additional instructions given by the commander

Players may want to full-join the event crew for injuries. This is perfectly fine, but should be resolved BEFORE you deport.

If you're assigned to the ship without the losers

• Follow Agon's instructions and be ready to take over if he disconnects or stuff otherwise goes wrong.

Tarting

You do not have to tolerate tarting. There is a strict no-tarting policy in effect for this event: anyone who thinks they've been mistreated, cheated, or otherwise had their experience compromised should discuss it privately with Agon. If someone gets tarty, refer them to Agon, politely and quickly no matter how tarty they are. If they persist, /plank them.

Do not stick your foot in it. It doesn't matter what they say, your answer should be "I'm sorry, you'll have to discuss that with Agon" or something to that end. Don't get tarty in return, that will only make the situation worse. (Additionally, if it turns out they're right, you look like an ogre. In the extremely likely event they're wrong, then it makes it easier to get the event back on track afterwards.) Like Nemo says, "Don't defend yourself". Let Agon take care of it.