Dangling Threads
From Age of Intrigue Wiki
Dangling threads are threads were nobody has posted for several days and it is unclear when posting will start again. Dangling threads will start to slip under the radar and in general cause the general excitement of the game to slow down, especially if they become the majority of threads. A game that is not active looses its appeal.
Remember that in general we expect everybody (mods and players) to be able to post once or twice a week at the very least. So if this is not happening, or a single thread out of several is being ignored, something is up.
There are different types of dangling threads, with different solutions.
Contents |
Threads that do not receive moderator attention
You posted something to be moderated and the mods either did not determine which of them was to pick it up, or missed it. Some times several of us play the same NPC. Some times, we aren't sure which NPC is being sought by the player.
Solution
Post in your player compendium that you are awaiting moderation and indicate which mod or npc you are expecting. A link to the thread would be appreciated.
Threads that are waiting for a single player
One player is holding up a thread. It happens. Hopefully, it is just that the player has forgotten about the thread (it happens a lot in big threads). Some times a player has posted an away message, so we know to expect a delay in a response. The worst scenario, of course, is when you are waiting on a player that just disappears from the game for more than a week or so. This is rude, especially when other players cannot move forward until that player has posted. It causes the excitement of the thread to wither and die.
Solution
We mods will start posting reminders to the player. If we do not hear anything from the player for one week real time, we will reserve the right to post something for the player. Again, this is only where a player is holding up other players without notice. If it is a solo thread with a player and a mod, we don't care. We are content to wait until you return. But, destroying the fun of a story for other players is not cool.
We will moderate the effected PC to remove himself or herself, as much as possible, from the thread. Maybe they will go in search of a drink, after apologizing. Maybe they get a message from their servant. Maybe, they have a sudden urge to visit the privy. We'll try not to do anything dramatic. The key is to remove the impediment from the thread so that the other players (who are still motivated to write) can carry on the story.
Threads that are waiting.. for just about everybody
The thread has become boring. Usually big threads die of their own weight. Balls, church service, parties, and the like, become boring after a time. Players stop posting because they aren't sure what to write. It happens. Yet, it can happen in small threads too, especially social threads. It is no indictment of the thread's creator or sponsor.
Solution
The mod will call for a summary post. If no one responds, we will simply archive the thread. There are dozens of other threads in which players can write, so there is no reason to keep a thread on life support.
