r/Playdate FAQ Draft
NOTE: As of December 2011, this FAQ is outdated. Until we put up a more up-to-date FAQ, please consult the moderators if you have any questions on how this subreddit operates. THANKS! NOTE2: As of February/March 2012, this FAQ is receiving ongoing updates. Upon completion, it will contain everything you need to know. Please do not create your own edits as we have great plans for this FAQ, but please have patience. Thank you!
Last Updated: March 19, 2012 13:46 EDT
List of stuff to add:
* Posting guidelines (with emphasis on promotional posts from third parties)
* List of moderators/officers and their purposes (with application info)
* Table with complete schedule
* Voting/nomination guidelines
* Giveaway guidelines
* List of previously played games
* Links to external social content such as Playdate Youtube, Facebook, etc.
* Terminology: Focus Time, Playdate, etc.
three games/week, purpose
General FAQ
Q: Why was this subreddit created?
A: Reddit User Schnevets was tired of playing fun games with dead communities. He posted a rage comic to /r/gaming proposing the concept of a subreddit dedicated to playing dead or inactive games, and the response was huge. The /r/Playdate subreddit was created by anr0b.
Since its inception in early August, Playdate has gone through numerous iterations in an attempt to develop a desirable, working system. We're still changing and experimenting all the time, so chances are if you haven't visited in a month, some features have been removed and added. Why the need for so many changes? Well, consider what we're trying to do --
We're working to create a community in which thousands of gamers can collectively nominate and play all kinds of games in every genre, and we want a system that is organized and unique. Furthermore, we want to have a constant cycle of new games being selected. Currently, we run on a weekly system (more on that later), so every week new games are nominated, selected, and played. Playdate has a busy schedule.
Q: So who decides what games get played? Is it Santa?
A: You do! Every week a voting thread is initiated where you can nominate or vote to play your favorite games. The more popularity a game receives (in terms of points/comments/discussions), the better chance it has of being selected. That being said, trolls should not get any ideas to trick the system by mass upvoting Barbie Petz 3, as the moderators have the final say. Don't worry though, nine times out of ten we'll choose what's being encouraged and will only choose otherwise to make sure we're catering to as many people as possible. For example, if the top voted games are all Windows and priced at $60+, we'll probably keep two of those games and choose one other that is cross-platform and cheaper, so more people can play and there's a better chance of a successful playdate.
Your vote matters, but to increase the odds of us choosing your favorite game, convince us! Comment and let us know how much this game means to you and why you think it'll make for an awesome playdate.
There are a couple of other ways you can increase the chances of success in the voting threads. First, tell like-minded Redditors about your endeavors to get this great game selected. Then, organize small unofficial playdates to get people talking about it. Finally, write an enticing nomination early on in the weekly voting process that includes plenty of details and installation instructions. If nothing else, be repetitive. Keep nominating, we do take notice!
Q: So, we might not be playing Barbie Petz 3 but we’ll be playing TF2 and CODBLOPS everyday then, right? Those are the most popular...
A: Playdate was created out of a desire to play games with inactive or dead communities, and that's still the way it is. Occasionally popular games such as TF2 or CODBLOPS are nominated and selected, but what's wrong with playing a popular game every once in a while. Remember: you control the menu here, so if you don't want to see a particular game be played nominate/vote for an awesome, more deserving game.
Q: I think Obscurotron 2000: Nostalgia Factor X would be a perfect game, and no one plays it anymore! I can never get enough upvotes in the voting thread'''
A: The official playdates are only half the fun! Organize your own unofficial playdate by submitting a new thread! The Mods will NEVER shut down an unofficial playdate (assuming it's SFW/SFL), and probably even encourage it! Instead of posting “We should play Game X someday” post “Alternate Playdate: Game X on Tuesday!” As for being selected for an official playdate, we've provided some practical tips above, or just have a little patience. I bet we’ll get to your game as an official playdate soon!
Q: Alright, I’m on board. I want to make the most of this subreddit. What's the schedule like and how can I participate?
A: Playdate runs on a weekly schedule, which means that every week new games are nominated, selected, and played. And at the end of every week the system is reset. This means that there's a lot of content posted right around a couple of days. This system is by no means perfect! Voice your opinions over on /r/PlaydateDev. :)
Note: Schedules are run on USA Eastern Time. Also, due to conflicts in personal schedules, stuff runs a little late sometimes. All we ask is that you have a little patience.
Sunday Late Night: Weekly wrap-up posted. Monday Afternoon/Evening: Games and focus times announced with the posting of the Games Overview thread, the Server Planning thread and individual discussion threads for each game are also posted. Monday - Friday Game on! Friday Evening at 8:00 PM Focus time for Game 1 begins. Saturday Morning/Early Afternoon: Voting thread for next week's games is posted. Saturday Evening at 8:00 PM Focus time for Game 2 begins. Sunday Evening at 8:00 PM Focus time for Game 3 begins. Sunday Late Night The week officially ends when the weekly wrap-up is posted. The hours between then and the announcing of the games is a state of limbo, so you should probably do your work then. ;)
Q: Weekly... wrap-up? Focus times? WAT
Let's provide some terminology, shall we?
Playdate: The name of this subreddit, and it also refers to a time scheduled to play games with fellow Redditors. This should not be confused with focus time. Official playdates last a week, as described above, while unofficial playdates probably only last a few hours. Focus Time: A focus time is a pre-determined get-together time designed to maximize participation -- if only brief -- which tries to ensure that every officially selected game gets at least a little exposure, if it's not played during the week. The idea of this was spawned out of frustration that an official game was receiving a little attention, but at random times, so people would never truly get to enjoy the game. Focus Times try to solve that problem by coordinating the community to show up at a specific time and rock on. Granted, not all focus times are successful, but we try anyway. There is one dedicated focus time for each game, and focus times usually occur on weekend nights (Fri, Sat, Sun) at 8:00 PM Eastern. Learn more about how focus times work. Weekly Wrap-Up Thread These are threads created every week, generally late on Sunday, with the purpose of discussing the activities and events of the previous week. Weekly Wrap-up threads are great for determining if something went wrong that previous week, and how to fix it. There's no minimum or maximum on what you can post, and you are encouraged to post video/pictures as well! Server Planning Thread
Q: You guy’s know I’m poor right? And where's the love for the Mac/Linux users?
A: We try to pick at least one free game and at least one cross-platform game wherever possible (not mutually exclusive). Obviously whether or not this is possible will depend on what's nominated that week, and we won't sift through a bunch of good nominations and pick a bad nomination solely because it's Linux-compatible (no offense).
incomplete, some outdated content below:
Q: This is a mostly good subreddit, but that one rule about the one thing is totally bullshit and is going to kill this community. I can’t believe you're doing that.
A: Everyone is going to have their opinion on how this should work, and want only their favorite games to be picked. Playdate is still an infant with plenty of time to grow and change. With these rules, we’re trying to be as inclusive as possible, while maintaining the original goal, without being overly authoritative. It’s a tough plate to balance. And of course, we want to know what you think would help make the community better. Send us a message in modmail, or check out /r/PlaydateDev and create a suggestion thread. We are always willing and eager to hear new ideas!
Q: Considering I live half-way across the world, gaming with you guys would be untimely and the ping would be unfathomable. How do I play?
A: Luckily for you European gamers, there is a subreddit designed specifically for that -- /r/PlaydateEU. Good bunch of people, so don't hesitate to check them out!==
List of Previous Games
As of September 2011, when games are announced they are put into a thread tagged with the [GOTW] bracket. This makes searching for past games a breeze, just type [GOTW] into the search box or http://www.reddit.com/r/Playdate/search?q=[gotw&restrict_sr=on click here!] To find games played prior to September 2011, you'll have to employ search-fu techniques.
For space considerations, we've only listed the ten most recent weeks.
Week of 02/20/12 - Age of Chivalry, Killing Floor, Trackmania 2: Canyon
Week of 02/20/12 - Age of Chivalry, Killing Floor, Trackmania 2: Canyon