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How to run a mix, pug or other group
1
#1
5 Frags +

Since the NA Newbie Mix group seems inactive, I thought I'd offer a couple of ideas for future group organizers. Based on my own experience and in no particular order:

-Have a documented admin vetting process. Put down in writing, where all the group organizers can see it, your requirements of administrators and organizers. It shouldn't be too stringent, but should be a minimum set of hurdles someone must clear before being considered for an admin role.

-Document the role requirements. Want to be an admin of NA Newbie Mix? You are required to run at least one Mix per week, be fair, be courteous, and bring in pros and mentors when possible (for example). Having rules written down publicly makes it simple to remove admins from a role and replace them, since you can just point to the rules and say, "Look, you agreed to this and you're not fulfilling it."

-Have a succession plan. You're probably gung-ho about this group you've started and want it to be your baby forever. That's great, but if it's a true public service like the Mix group, it should be one that can run without you once you've set it in motion. Make sure you always have at least one admin or other person willing and ready to step up if you have other commitments and can't devote your time to the group. If you are funding servers and can no longer afford to do so, then that's a challenge for the successor as well.

Sorry for picking on NA 6v6 Newbie Mix so much in this thread - it's the one group I can think of at the moment that used to be big and now is inactive. The same points here should be applied to TF2.PUG and other groups in the TF2 community as well.

Since the NA Newbie Mix group seems inactive, I thought I'd offer a couple of ideas for future group organizers. Based on my own experience and in no particular order:

-Have a documented admin vetting process. Put down in writing, where all the group organizers can see it, your requirements of administrators and organizers. It shouldn't be too stringent, but should be a minimum set of hurdles someone must clear before being considered for an admin role.

-Document the role requirements. Want to be an admin of NA Newbie Mix? You are required to run at least one Mix per week, be fair, be courteous, and bring in pros and mentors when possible (for example). Having rules written down publicly makes it simple to remove admins from a role and replace them, since you can just point to the rules and say, "Look, you agreed to this and you're not fulfilling it."

-Have a succession plan. You're probably gung-ho about this group you've started and want it to be your baby forever. That's great, but if it's a true public service like the Mix group, it should be one that can run without you once you've set it in motion. Make sure you always have at least one admin or other person willing and ready to step up if you have other commitments and can't devote your time to the group. If you are funding servers and can no longer afford to do so, then that's a challenge for the successor as well.

Sorry for picking on NA 6v6 Newbie Mix so much in this thread - it's the one group I can think of at the moment that used to be big and now is inactive. The same points here should be applied to TF2.PUG and other groups in the TF2 community as well.
2
#2
-5 Frags +

rahmix should follow this guide

rahmix should follow this guide
3
#3
-7 Frags +

always break up circle jerks especially prem circle jerks :)

always break up circle jerks especially prem circle jerks :)
4
#4
3 Frags +
kbtorahmix should follow this guide

My admins are fine rn, and I mostly mod/admin others that are admins in other pug groups - that are well known for their good service
I think these guys had a big issue of power back then
Rn we have different problems, but this is still good advice and worth taking in still

[quote=kbto]rahmix should follow this guide[/quote]
My admins are fine rn, and I mostly mod/admin others that are admins in other pug groups - that are well known for their good service
I think these guys had a big issue of power back then
Rn we have different problems, but this is still good advice and worth taking in still
5
#5
11 Frags +

I miss Salamancer and the glory days of tf2 casting..

I miss Salamancer and the glory days of tf2 casting..
6
#6
2 Frags +

Schizo bump

Schizo bump
7
#7
3 Frags +
phobiaI miss Salamancer and the glory days of tf2 casting..

have we paid him back yet?

[quote=phobia]I miss Salamancer and the glory days of tf2 casting..[/quote]
have we paid him back yet?
8
#8
7 Frags +

Mixes are still alive for anyone actually wondering... Haven been for the 9 years since this post xd

Mixes are still alive for anyone actually wondering... Haven been for the 9 years since this post xd
9
#9
-1 Frags +

A lot of people have tried to spark up discord servers for pugging HL and 6s but most of the time the mods burn out from people messing around and they end up dominated by just advanced+ players who play more than anybody else is even able to. You really need to be dedicated to this if you wanna run pugs.

That being said, if you want to make one it will be filled with people in a few hours. People wanna pug

Hard to believe this thread is 9 years old

A lot of people have tried to spark up discord servers for pugging HL and 6s but most of the time the mods burn out from people messing around and they end up dominated by just advanced+ players who play more than anybody else is even able to. You really need to be dedicated to this if you wanna run pugs.

That being said, if you want to make one it will be filled with people in a few hours. People wanna pug

Hard to believe this thread is 9 years old
10
#10
-3 Frags +
RockoA lot of people have tried to spark up discord servers for pugging HL and 6s but most of the time the mods burn out from people messing around and they end up dominated by just advanced+ players who play more than anybody else is even able to.

I think it's because Discord is not the best format to use if you want to run pugs. The best thing they have going for them is that anyone can start it: It's an easy program to learn how to use, you don't need to pay for a server, sharing information is as easy as generating a link, and you don't need any plugins/mods/bots/etc if you just want to run a small pug group with in-house friends.

The downside is that mods are doing more than just running pugs, compared to a Mumble-based pug. They have to care when someone spams general or when players are in some e-argument. They have to individually vet and approve people, compared to a website-based pug that lets you connect to your Steam. Then you have pug running which can be incredibly tedious to do (Locking the channel, remembering who played med, rolling the dice and counting whose been picked, dealing with other runners tripping you up like dragging in that one guy in general spamming "LET ME IN" mid-picks). The PugBot made it as easy as a 20-second task, but nobody wants to learn how to use it.

It sometimes feels like people are trying to make pugs work in spite of Discord's format as a band-aid solution while people pass around the keys being in charge until they wait for that one big platform to take it from them and generate whatever new website-based pug group everyone is waiting for, whether it's gonna be RGL or FACEIT.

[quote=Rocko]A lot of people have tried to spark up discord servers for pugging HL and 6s but most of the time the mods burn out from people messing around and they end up dominated by just advanced+ players who play more than anybody else is even able to.[/quote]

I think it's because Discord is not the best format to use if you want to run pugs. The best thing they have going for them is that anyone can start it: It's an easy program to learn how to use, you don't need to pay for a server, sharing information is as easy as generating a link, and you don't need any plugins/mods/bots/etc if you just want to run a small pug group with in-house friends.

The downside is that mods are doing more than just running pugs, compared to a Mumble-based pug. They have to care when someone spams general or when players are in some e-argument. They have to individually vet and approve people, compared to a website-based pug that lets you connect to your Steam. Then you have pug running which can be incredibly tedious to do [i](Locking the channel, remembering who played med, rolling the dice and counting whose been picked, dealing with other runners tripping you up like dragging in that one guy in general spamming "LET ME IN" mid-picks). [/i]The PugBot made it as easy as a 20-second task, but nobody wants to learn how to use it.

It sometimes feels like people are trying to make pugs work in spite of Discord's format as a band-aid solution while people pass around the keys being in charge until they wait for that one big platform to take it from them and generate whatever new website-based pug group everyone is waiting for, whether it's gonna be RGL or FACEIT.
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