Custom Game Lobby Format

[Swash]

Hello everyone, this is Swash and I'm tired of seeing boring lobby formats. They are usually just, hey yeah I'm playing custom lets DO THIS. Well no more! I have made a basic lobby format for people to use! Anyone can feel free to use this format as it's a great format for beginners in my opinion. I know I'm using one similar to this. Be professional and you'll get more players! Feel free to ask for help on the banner.​

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Description​

Hello everyone this is (username) and today we are going to be playing (type of lobby). I would like to welcome all of you to my lobby. All you have to do is obey some simple rules and enjoy your stay. We are going to play the best custom games the community has to offer in this lobby. (Add additional info if needed here)​

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Directions​

RSVP to this lobby.​

Send (Gamertag) a message on Xbox Live saying (What you wish for them to say)​

Be on 5 minutes before the lobby starts.​

Come back here and rate and share a comment below.​

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The games we play are​

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Rules​

(Add at least 3-5 rules the lobby needs to follow here)​

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Additional Info​

(This is where the additional info goes. It could be non-lobby related or lobby related. As an example: VIP, Links, ect.)​

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Here is my lobby, for an example.
http://halocustoms.com/threads/dec-...ames-clue-is-swash-swash983.14569/#post-82197

 

[ShockBolt21]

I think rules are pointless. They all say basically the same thing: "don't be an asshole," and that can go without saying. Rules just create, in my opinion, a more strict atmosphere. When I'm reading a well written write-up, it ruins it for me when I see the rules at the end, which basically just take very simple, self explanatory statements and turn them into very harsh and direct commands that stand in stark contrast to the laid back tone in the rest of the description. It's like those user agreements- the rules are usually quite lenient and easy to follow, though they look harsh and intimidating when written down just by the way that they're stated.

Here's an example of a lobby write-up that's like this by Jesus in Malibu and Sam the Great. The list of rules makes him seem like a harsh, unwelcoming nazi, and it makes me feel like the lobby will be strict and rigid. Note how he doesn't even offer any mitigation, and the word "please" is omitted.

However, if you do want to state rules, check out this thread. It would be much easier for the host to just copy and paste a link to this thread (or sections from it) in the description.

 

[Swash]

I think rules are pointless. They all say basically the same thing: "don't be an asshole," and that can go without saying.

Rules aren't pointless. People are usually just like, don't be an asshole or no rules. With rules it seems the lobby gets more people and it's easier to follow along with the host.

 

[Oasis Hurler]

I'm going to try it next week, because this week I got no rsvps,
I usually get twelve players but they're from my friends list.

Here it is.

 

[EmbarkingZeus]

Glad to see more people wanting others to put some/more effort into custom lobby write-ups.

 

[Swash]

I would do anything to help the community WhiteWolfLegend. I've been helped a lot to. Time to return some favors.

 

[RogerDodger]

Clean, straight-forward, simple, and demands for all the right stuff. I like it.

This should be implemented somehow as a link (while creating a lobby) or sticky to the custom game's thread.

 

[Psychoduck]

I do agree with Shockbolt somewhat regarding the rules. As someone who's been hosting lobbies in Halo for years, it's odd to see how some of you newer guys are doing it. We used to just invite people off our friends lists, and off of silver accounts if we had them. People would come, we'd play. We'd try to encourage people to be friendly, work with their team, etc. If people were assholes, we kicked them. The ability to plan out custom games on a website is great, but it's come with a few oddities. Now there are all of these attempts to create rules, to make everything follow some formula. Worse yet, there's all of this hoo-haw over Gold Hosts, with people thinking that they're suddenly the best person ever to host customs because of how many positive ratings they've received. This site is a great supplementary resource to hosting, but people should keep in mind that the hosting is what happens on Xbox Live.

I'm not saying that there shouldn't be structure to lobbies, there absolutely should be. We all need to just keep in mind that being a good host isn't measured in terms of positive ratings. This thread is a great resource for hosts to use, but lobby threads should be kept fairly straightforward. Dumping unnecessary rules into the post isn't helping anyone. Again, if someone is a nuisance, you can boot them. The other gripe I have with the way that many people format their lobbies is the inclusion of colored text. Using random colors to visually spice up your lobby is a surefire way to make it look unprofessional. These colors make text difficult to read, and contribute nothing positive to the threads. Long story short, keep it simple yet informative. Keep it professional, yet fun. Don't use colored text. Most importantly, remember that the hosting really starts on Xbox Live, not on the forums.

Anyways, I think that's enough of a rant from me. Carry on.

 

[Dax]

Hmmm. I do agree (to an extent) that lobby rules sometimes go a bit overboard. Overall though, this can definitely be a useful tool to the newer members around the forums. Sure, making a lobby thread too lengthy and complicated isn't a good idea, but the vast majority of members would prefer an organized lobby thread of this format (and would be more willing to rsvp) as opposed to a lobby thread that consists of "playing minigames msg me 4 invite."

Duck, you also have to remember that a good number of people simply don't have enough XBL friends playing Halo anymore, so it's near impossible to start up customs on a whim. So in this stage of Halo 4's lifespan, creating an appealing lobby thread on the forums is their only chance to get a decent-sized lobby going. And if you go look through the lobby threads on the site, you'll see that the ones consistently getting a lot of RSVPs and having successful customs are those that are detailed and organized.

So again, I don't think Swash is suggesting that everyone must follow this template; he's just offering it as a service to those who need it. If you already have something that works, great! Use that. But if you aren't getting many RSVPs, it can't hurt to give this a try. So in that respect, I think this template was a great idea.

 

[Mr Rogers4]

I've noticed with the current custom game lobbies that there is no date or time when the lobby is supposed to take place. I say it would be a wonderful idea to put in when the lobbies are going to take place.