I've been quite impressed with how far wardening has come since I first started in with the jail server. I know there are some of you that still hold the opinion that all CTs are terrible, but I've seen a stark improvement in the quality and variety of the average warden over the past 2-3 months.
I'm not only referring to the variety of games we now see getting done on the server, which in itself is fantastic. I'm also talking about how much more relaxed the wardens and CTs seem to be when ordering the t's around. The environment is more relaxed, terrorists aren't killed for twitching (usually), and jail becomes more of a fun venture than it otherwise would be.
So. How do we continue to make it better? I believe there are two ways to do so:
Without further ado, let's get to it. What ways can we achieve these two objectives?
Theme Wardens - For those of you who jail with me often, you know that I'm a big fan of theme wardens. The way I usually do them is by asking the terrorists for ideas for a "theme", which can be emotions (sad, happy, creepy, preppy, etc.), people (robot, Stephen Hawking, Honey Boo-Boo, etc.), or accents (Russian, lisp, Chinese, etc.), and then acting that way while I give orders for the duration of the round. It's usually very entertaining for the terrorists, especially if it's a funny theme. You don't have to be a great actor to do these days (I'm certainly not, as all of you know who've seen me try this!), since it's the effort that goes into it that's most entertaining for everybody.
Member Impersonation - Credit for this one goes to Ninja Skittlez. Similar to theme wardening, but the goal for the warden is to try to act and sound like a member of the terrorist or counter-terrorist team. To avoid hurt feelings, it's a good idea to ask for volunteers who want to be impersonated (usually there are a lot of volunteers, so you can pick the one you can do the best).
Pre-Opening Games - It is usually fun for the t's to get to play a small game, for ST or just for kicks, before their cell doors open. Otherwise they're just waiting around for a minute while the CTs get ready before they're freed. Getting them to participate in quick activities before their cell doors open is not only entertaining, but it can also be a good way to pick an ST, which adds to the entertainment value. Again, for those of you who jail with me often, you know I quite enjoy telling the terrorists, "In order to help pass the time between now and your cell doors opening, anything you type into chat I will say over my microphone". It can get pretty weird sometimes, but it's quite fun. Or, even telling the terrorists a joke or two before their cell doors open can set the mood for a fun round - "Alright, terrorists, I know you're all hardened killers, so let me try to put you in a less murderous mood with a few wise-cracks. A horse and a sheep walk into a bar..." and so forth.
The goal with the pre-opening games is partially to pick STs if you so choose, but more so, the goal is to increase the entertainment value of the rounds. It's not fun to jump around a small room for a minute, so entertaining the terrorists from the get-go keeps people engaged and happy.
I've gotten the ball rolling, and I'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas, comments, etc. General methods of being an entertaining warden (which is largely what I've focused on thus far), or specific games to play - let's get brainstorming! :thumbup:
I'm not only referring to the variety of games we now see getting done on the server, which in itself is fantastic. I'm also talking about how much more relaxed the wardens and CTs seem to be when ordering the t's around. The environment is more relaxed, terrorists aren't killed for twitching (usually), and jail becomes more of a fun venture than it otherwise would be.
So. How do we continue to make it better? I believe there are two ways to do so:
- Think of new and innovative games, as we've done in the past, to play with the terrorists, so that there is constant exposure to novelty and innovation every few rounds.
- Come up with ways to make jail more entertaining through means other than just games. Ways to make the "metagame", so to speak, more fun - attitudes, actions, and so forth, that can be taken both over the mic and in chat, that are entertaining for the t's and ct's alike.
Without further ado, let's get to it. What ways can we achieve these two objectives?
Theme Wardens - For those of you who jail with me often, you know that I'm a big fan of theme wardens. The way I usually do them is by asking the terrorists for ideas for a "theme", which can be emotions (sad, happy, creepy, preppy, etc.), people (robot, Stephen Hawking, Honey Boo-Boo, etc.), or accents (Russian, lisp, Chinese, etc.), and then acting that way while I give orders for the duration of the round. It's usually very entertaining for the terrorists, especially if it's a funny theme. You don't have to be a great actor to do these days (I'm certainly not, as all of you know who've seen me try this!), since it's the effort that goes into it that's most entertaining for everybody.
Member Impersonation - Credit for this one goes to Ninja Skittlez. Similar to theme wardening, but the goal for the warden is to try to act and sound like a member of the terrorist or counter-terrorist team. To avoid hurt feelings, it's a good idea to ask for volunteers who want to be impersonated (usually there are a lot of volunteers, so you can pick the one you can do the best).
Pre-Opening Games - It is usually fun for the t's to get to play a small game, for ST or just for kicks, before their cell doors open. Otherwise they're just waiting around for a minute while the CTs get ready before they're freed. Getting them to participate in quick activities before their cell doors open is not only entertaining, but it can also be a good way to pick an ST, which adds to the entertainment value. Again, for those of you who jail with me often, you know I quite enjoy telling the terrorists, "In order to help pass the time between now and your cell doors opening, anything you type into chat I will say over my microphone". It can get pretty weird sometimes, but it's quite fun. Or, even telling the terrorists a joke or two before their cell doors open can set the mood for a fun round - "Alright, terrorists, I know you're all hardened killers, so let me try to put you in a less murderous mood with a few wise-cracks. A horse and a sheep walk into a bar..." and so forth.
The goal with the pre-opening games is partially to pick STs if you so choose, but more so, the goal is to increase the entertainment value of the rounds. It's not fun to jump around a small room for a minute, so entertaining the terrorists from the get-go keeps people engaged and happy.
I've gotten the ball rolling, and I'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas, comments, etc. General methods of being an entertaining warden (which is largely what I've focused on thus far), or specific games to play - let's get brainstorming! :thumbup:
