So You Think You Can Run A Game Show

[rinlee]

So you want to start up a game show.

You want it to be popular and fun, and active.

There are a few things you ought to know before you start.

This thread is still under construction! Don't be afraid to offer advice and opinions!

[rinlee]

The Basics Layout, rules, prizes, staffing, contestants?
Coming Up With Ideas And schemes/themes
Fundraising Prizes here, too.
Affiliates
FAQ

[rinlee]

Picking A Layout

Your layout is the color and setup of your thread. It is the banners, font color and size, and how your first page posts are set up.

Picking a good theme for your layout is hard. Sometimes, it's already taken. You can read "Coming Up With Ideas" for help with picking your theme.

A few things to include are:
Your first (introduction) post.
Tell us what your game is, and mention the prizes.
A navigation post.
A table of contents so people can find things quickly. This can be included as a separate post, or part of each post.
A staff and/or contestant post.
If you have a co-host or some moderators for your thread, mention them so people know who to ask for help. You can also list your contestants in this post or a separate post.
A rules post.
This is a MUST for any game thread. Rules will help things run smoothly. See an example list below for the very basics and a few good ideas.
An entry form.
If you will be picking just a few contestants, give them an entry form to post. This can be part of your first post, Contestants post, or a separate post
A list of prizes.
People want to know what they'll win. A few pointers for picking prizes are below.
A post to describe the current event.
A handy reference for people who may have missed the memo.
A FAQ post.
Frequently Asked Questions. Outline a few things that may be confusing. Answer things like "Who do I ask if..." or "What do I do when..." to help newcomers.

DO: Use plenty of influences!
DO: Use dark colors for fonts.
DO: Vary font size appropriately.
DO: Get banners made professionally.
DO: Outline everything well, to avoid confusion.
DO: Use proper grammar and spelling as well as you can.

DO NOT: Copy another thread's idea. They came up with their own, so you can too.

Setting Up Your Layout

Color
It really is up to personal preference for what your colors should be.
-Go with your theme.
-Make it bold, make it bright. Game shows are about attracting attention.
-Pale colors can seem boring and washed out. Pair them with corresponding bright shades.
-Try using two or three colors. Too many can look absurdly bad.
-Be creative. Look online for references and inspiration.

Text
Again, personal preference is key.
-Use slightly bigger fonts for very important notes.
-Use darker colors. Light colored fonts are very hard to read sometimes.
-Try bold, underlining, or italics for titles and important sections.
-Use the best spelling and grammar you can. If it doesn't look right, ask someone to check it out.

Graphics
Have some banners made by a banner artist, or try your hand at some.
-Having a good art program like PhotoShop can help. (I use PSElements 7 ;P)
-A good layout can cost 75-150K.
-Use a large graphic for the first post, medium sizes for the rest, and maybe include a divider graphic for sections within posts.
-Don't forget a 'Reserved' graphic for the rest of your posts!

A handy reference for sizes:
First post - About 700x400 or smaller.
Title cards - About 400x150.
Signature (advertising) banners - Preferences vary, but Guild size (200x40) is popular. 200x100 and 350x125 are also good sizes.
The divider is a small graphic (about 200x40) that works better as a shape instead of a rectangle.

Setup
Lay your thread out any way you want. It's your thread. These are suggestions.
-Make sure the rules are near the top.
-Mention prizes right away.
-Navigation should be second post, or tacked on to the end of every post.
-Keep a few 'Reserved' posts at the bottom. They keep the front page clean and may come in handy.

Choosing Prizes
Only offer what you can truly afford.
A good rule of thumb is to offer 1-2 million in gold or items for every month you plan to run the game show for.
If your game show is very short, offer about 100K in gold or items.

Gold is preferred.

Offer smaller prizes during your game to keep people interested. Items worth 10-50K are perfect.
If you want to find a suitable item from your inventory, check your entire worth over at tektek.org, with the 'Calculate Account Worth' tool. It will list your items with their value, letting you pick an appropriate item prize.

Staff
It is up to you to pick staff to help out.

Co-hosts are very useful for times when you may be away from the thread. Choose some trustworthy and willing friends to help you out if you'd like, and maybe think of using a mule to make managing the thread easier for everyone.
Co-hosts could get a cut of the gold afterwards, if you're getting some.

Moderators you choose for your thread can keep an eye on the thread while you're away. They should be able to answer questions and give warnings to rule breakers. Your moderators should be able to visit the thread frequently, so you may want to think of some incentives for good moderators.

Other staff might include judges, minigame hosts, and maybe an assistant or two. Don't go overboard, as staff are much harder to manage than you may think.

Contestants

There are many options for choosing contestants, but the choice is ultimately yours in the end. You can take everyone who enters, or you can take a handful of amazing people.

Have an entry form available to make your choice easier. Have them fill out who they are, 'what they would do if...', or any other question you think would make the best candidates stand out.

After the contestants are chosen, make sure you give updates regularly and keep the thread active. Letting your contest run dry will ruin the fun!

[rinlee]

Coming up with an original idea and theme for your gameshow can be a little daunting. That's okay, it was a little difficult for the rest of the successful hosts too.

There's one rule to this: DO NOT copy another thread. They came up with their own idea, so you can too.

Step 1: Take a look at other threads. Get a little inspiration, figure out what looks appealing. This is a great method to keep your thread from looking like someone else's.

Step 2: Figure out your plan.

What kind of games will you play?
Will you have them display their skills? Show off their personality? Compete in real time?

Who can play them?
Is it for the ladies? For the artistically inclined? For creative personalities?

How will the games work?
Will they submit the entries on a deadline? Will they try to gain the most popularity?

Where will it happen?
A guild? A separate thread? Towns?

When will it happen?
When will it start and end?

These are just a few ideas, and there are many, many more ideas out there. Go look!
Maybe ask for some input from friends or other users.

Step 3: Pick a theme.

What colors will you use? What overall theme do you want?

Will it be glitzy and sparkly, or maybe vivid and bold?
Whatever you choose, make it look good. Ask for opinions, and take constructive criticism.

Professional banners look best, so have some made if you don't make them already.
(Please please please don't use 'glitter graphics'. They look absurd and cheap.)

That's the basics, but if you don't come up with anything, don't fret. You'll figure it out soon enough.

[rinlee]

There are so many ways to earn gold, but coming up with a few million is a hard task for the folks who are a little tight on real money or sugar-daddies.

x-- Save, save, save! Save every piece of gold you get, it all adds up.

x-- Sell a few items you never use.

x-- Set up a donation thread for your game.

x-- Play the marketplace with items you buy with GC.

x-- Ask for an entry fee with applications.

DON'T FORGET: Never offer more than you can feasibly offer. Make sure you have the gold before you promise it!

[rinlee]

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