Editing Notes for the Scribe

: "He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past." -- George Orwell

This page needs to be updated.

== Responsibilities ==

=== Minutes ===
* Take minutes at the main Guild meetings. (And maybe any others, too.)
* Send them out to the list.
* File copies <s>in the locker</s> on the Wiki: [[Meeting Minutes]].
* Try hard to make minutes entertaining so people will bother reading them.
* Beat your predecessor until you get the minutes of the meeting at which you were elected.

=== Email ===
* Send/answer all general email regarding the Guild.
* Maintain the mailing list and make sure people are added and removed in a timely fashion.
* Keep stock answers to send to people about what the Guild is (the discuss archive is a useful tool for this one, though there are a few in the Scribe directory).
** These need to be migrated to the Wiki.
* Remember to send recent applications to people being added to the list. (I haven't been doing this lately, but I should be.)
* Make sure that GMs get links to all of the resources they need, and get the phone numbers for the High Council.

=== Paper Mail ===
We don’t get too much of this, but it should be showing up in the ASA office.

=== High Council's scheduling ===
Make sure that the High Council as a whole does the things it needs to when it needs to. Scheduling meetings and games is the big one here to keep an eye on. If your predecessor hasn’t scheduled Summer, get on that.

=== Web Site ===
* Maintain and update the contents of the public wiki-slash-website.
* Make sure that the wiki software is functioning properly and not running anything too outdated or vulnerable.
* Deal with any spam posted to the wiki.

Things to maintain include:
* The lists of [[High Council|current]] and [[Past High Councils|past]] High Council members
* The [[Scheduled Games|list of upcoming games]]
* The [[Past Games|list of past games]]

=== Google Calendar ===
Maintain and update the contents of the Guild's Google Calendar, and make sure that members are aware of it.

=== Mailing List Reminder ===
Sometime in early Spring, you should send out a reminder mail to the Guild about the assorted mailing lists that the Guild maintains. Sample email template:

 To: assassins-guild@mit.edu
 Subject: Mailing Lists + Slack Invite + Resources Reminder
 
 Hi everyone!
 
 Now that it's the new semester, and everyone has hopefully recovered
 from the 10-day, you may wish to take a moment to review the other
 mailing lists, communication platforms, and resources that you might
 want to take advantage of:
 
 https://assassin.mit.edu/web/Mailing_Lists_and_Communication
 
 In particular, here's a fresh invite to the Guild's Slack:
 
 <NEW SLACK INVITE>
 
 Any questions? Email high-council@mit.edu or reply to me directly.
 
 <YOUR NAME>
 Guild Scribe

=== Sanity Checking ===
Though not specifically the job of the Scribe, all members of the High Council should keep an eye out to make sure that the High Council doesn’t make any stupid decisions. Precedent doesn’t matter nearly as much as common sense.

== Game Scheduling Timeline ==

There are four Seasons in the Guild: Spring, Summer, Fall, and IAP. These correspond to the MIT academic calendar.

The first weekend slot in a season is the first weekend that occurs after the first day of classes, or the second weekend after Spring finals for the Summer season. This is the slot for the Rush game during the Fall season. The last weekend slot is the weekend before the last day of classes.

To figure out when to send out the Call for Games for a season, you work backwards from the first weekend slot.

* The final schedule should be sent out at the latest one weekend before the first slot. We'll call this Weekend Zero.
* Moving from a draft schedule to a final schedule usually takes about a week, so give yourself a week. This means that the draft schedule should be sent out during Weekend Negative One.
* You should try to turn around a draft schedule as soon as the (possibly extended) bidding period closes, but usually stragglers take a few extra days. So you should have the extended due date be the Wednesday before Weekend Negative One.
* Because you may need to extend the due date by a few days if there aren't enough games, the original due date should be the end of Weekend Negative Two.
* The bidding period should last two weeks, so it should be released on Weekend Negative Four.
* For the IAP schedule only, the final schedule should be released two weeks earlier than usual, to handle winter break better, so shift all the dates except the first weekend of games back by two weeks.

Sample calculation, for Summer 2019:

* The last day of Spring finals is May 24th, so Weekend One is June 1st.
* This means the final schedule should be sent out on Weekend Zero, the weekend of May 25th, right after Spring finals.
* This means the draft schedule should be sent out on Weekend Negative One, the weekend of May 18th.
* This means the original due date for the bid should be Weekend Negative Two, the weekend of May 11th.
* This means that the bid should be sent out on Weekend Negative Four, the weekend of April 27th.

Sample calculation, for Fall 2019:

* September 4th is the first day of classes, so the first game slot is the weekend of September 7th.
* So the schedule should be out on August 31st.
* So the draft schedule should be out on August 24th
* So the original due date should be on August 17th.
* So the bid should be sent out on August 3rd.

Sample calculation, for IAP 2019: (remember that IAP dates are shifted back by two weeks)

* January 6th is the first day of classes, so the first game slot is the weekend of January 11th.
* So the schedule should be out on December 21st.
* So the draft schedule should be out on December 14th.
* So the original due date should be on December 7th.
* So the bid should be sent out on November 23rd.

Sample calculation, for Spring 2020:

* February 3rd is the first day of classes, so the first game slot is the weekend of February 8th.
* So the schedule should be out on February 1st.
* So the draft schedule should be out on January 25th.
* So the original due date should be on January 18th.
* So the bid should be sent out on January 4th.

Sample calculation, for Summer 2020:

* The last day of Spring finals is May 20th, so Weekend One is May 30th.
* This means the final schedule should be sent out on Weekend Zero, the weekend of May 23rd, right after Spring finals.
* This means the draft schedule should be sent out on Weekend Negative One, the weekend of May 16th.
* This means the original due date for the bid should be Weekend Negative Two, the weekend of May 9th.
* This means that the bid should be sent out on Weekend Negative Four, the weekend of April 25th.

=== Template Emails ===

Nowadays, we send four emails at the start of each bidding period:

* The actual bidding email, with a Google form for bidding and a Google form for Zampolit reports
* The runtime GM email, with a Google form
* The gamewriting update email, with a Google form

Note that all of these should have the same deadline, as calculated above. All of these polls should be placed in the "Scribe" folder and named in accordance with the last set of polls.

Make sure that you:
 * Place the new polls in the Scribe folder.
 * Name them in accordance with the established pattern within that folder.
 * Ensure that you updated the date at the top of each poll.
 * Ensure that you updated the season in the poll's title and at the top.
 * Ensure that you updated the weekend lists in the Call for Games and Call for Runtime GMs polls.
 * Re-enabled responses to all polls if necessary.
 * Turned on email notifications for the forms getting filled out.
 * Ensured that responses are closed for last season's polls.

Template for bid email:

 To: assassins-guild@mit.edu
 Subject: Call for INSERT_SEASON_HERE Games
 
 The MIT Assassins' Guild is accepting bids for games to run this
 INSERT_SEASON_HERE!
 
 If there's a game you want to run in the Guild, please fill out the
 following form by 11:59 PM on INSERT_DUE_DATE_HERE. We also need a
 report from your zampolit (see below) on the state of your game by the
 same time.
 
 INSERT_GOOGLE_FORMS_LINK_HERE
 
 ========================================================================
 
 If you are a Zampolit, please submit your report either to
 high-council@mit.edu or via the following form. This is due at 11:59 PM
 on INSERT_DUE_DATE_HERE.
 
 INSERT_GOOGLE_FORMS_LINK_HERE
 
 If you have any questions, please either email me at
 guild-scribe@mit.edu or the High Council at high-council@mit.edu.
 
 ~ INSERT_YOUR_NAME_HERE
 Scribe of the High Council

Template for Runtime GM email:

 To: assassins-guild@mit.edu
 Subject: Call for Runtime GMs
 
 The MIT Assassins' Guild is accepting applications for extra runtime
 GMs during the INSERT_SEASON_HERE!
 
 No previous GM experience is necessary -- in fact, if you don't have
 any, this would be a great way to get some.
 
 If you'd like to make yourself available as an additional runtime GM for
 the coming INSERT_SEASON_HERE, return the following by 11:59 PM on
 INSERT_DUE_DATE_HERE. The list of responses will be shared with the
 bidding GMs, and they will reach out to you on their own schedule if
 they so choose.
 
 INSERT_GOOGLE_FORMS_LINK_HERE
 
 ========================================================================
 
 If you have any questions, please either email me at
 guild-scribe@mit.edu or the High Council at high-council@mit.edu.
 
 ~ INSERT_YOUR_NAME_HERE
 Scribe of the High Council

Template for GM check-in email:

 To: assassins-guild@mit.edu
 Subject: Call for INSERT_SEASON_HERE GM Check-Ins
 
 Are you writing a game, but aren't planning to bid for the
 INSERT_SEASON_HERE? Let us know how it's going, so we can keep our eyes
 on how future semesters are likely to pan out!
 
 We'd love to get this by 11:59 PM on INSERT_DUE_DATE_HERE, but unlike
 the other forms, there's no real urgency to this. We'll probably close
 submissions eventually, though.
 
 If you've stopped writing a game, please also fill out this form, just
 for the sake of letting us know that it won't be happening.
 
 INSERT_GOOGLE_FORMS_LINK_HERE
 
 ========================================================================
 
 If you have any questions, please either email me at
 guild-scribe@mit.edu or the High Council at high-council@mit.edu.
 
 ~ INSERT_YOUR_NAME_HERE
 Scribe of the High Council

== Creating the Draft Schedule ==

To build a draft schedule, you're incorporating a few different data sources: the bids, the zampolit reports, and the "things to schedule around" list on this page.

Steps:

# Close the bidding form, and tell bidders to email you directly, so that you won't get surprised by extra bids.
# Create a new mailing list, [season]-gms-[year]@mit.edu using [https://listmaker.mit.edu/lc/moira listmaker]. For example, this might be iap-gms-2019@mit.edu. Make this owned by high-council@.
# Add all of the GMs who bid AND the zampolits AND the high-council@ mailing list to this list. Do this early, so that Moira has enough hours to propagate everything and let your emails go through.
# Create the "Games of [Season] [Year]" wiki page based on the template for the current scheduled games at [[Scheduled Games]]. Incorporate the information from all of the bids, but leave the weekends as "Unknown."
# Add the "{ {:Draft Schedule Notice} }" (without the spaces) stanza to the top of the file, so that the instructions for the GMs are included.
# Incorporate the current Zampolit statuses into the wiki page, while it still acts as a draft page. Follow the notation described in the draft schedule notice, which should look like "Zampolit status: EXEMPT" before the GM list in each entry.
# Add preliminary current weekend confirmation statuses into the wiki page, which should look like "Weekend confirmed? NO" before the GM list in each entry.
# Create a new Google Spreadsheet, titled "[Year] [Season] Game Bids" in the "Scribe" folder on Google Drive. (Remember: do not include a drive link in any public place under any circumstances, especially not this wiki.)
# Look up the exact dates for everything in the "Things to schedule around" section and enter them into the spreadsheet if they fall within the season. Mark rows as excluded or dispreferred as necessary.
# Construct a matrix of "game" and "weekend" in that spreadsheet, importing all of the relevant scheduling information from the bid form.
# Make sure that you include the Fall or Spring Guild Meeting, if applicable.
# Make sure that you've incorporated any follow-up messages or emails received from the GM teams.
# Assign tentative dates to each game in accordance with their scheduling requests and your common sense.
# Adjust the wiki page for the season to include the dates you've assigned, and reorder the entries to match.
# Send out an email according to the template below to the GM list you created earlier, asking them to review the draft schedule. Incorporate information as required by the template.
# Plan to follow up repeatedly until every weekend is confirmed, and every game is either exempt from needing a zampolit or has a zampolit report.
# Then, remove the draft schedule notice stanza from the top, remove the "Weekend confirmed?" and "Zampolit status:" lines from each entry, and check everything over for errors.
# Send out the final schedule, according to the template below.
# Update the "Scheduled Games" redirect to point to the new page for this semester.
# Update the Google Calendar.

=== Draft schedule template email to GMs ===

TODO: incorporate note about runtime GMs into this.

 SUBJECT: ACTION REQUIRED: Draft schedule for [Season]
 
 Hi GMs,
 
 The draft schedule for the [SEASON] is out. Please navigate to
 https://assassin.mit.edu/web/Games_of_[SEASON]_[YEAR] and follow the GM
 instructions on the page.
 
 You should be taking some of the following actions:
  - Confirming the weekend assigned to you
  - Finalizing your Zampolit report, if marked as necessary
  - Checking your entry for errors
 
 Please let me know if the instructions on that page are confusing, or
 if you have any questions.
 
 ~ INSERT_YOUR_NAME_HERE
 Scribe of the High Council

=== Final schedule template email to the Guild ===

 SUBJECT: [SEASON] Games Schedule
 TO: assassins-guild@mit.edu
 
 The schedule of games being run this [SEASON] under the auspices of the
 MIT Assassins' Guild is now available. Please visit the Wiki at [LINK TO THE Games of [SEASON] [YEAR] page]
 for the full list of games, along with their blurbs.
 
 Weekend: Title
 [WEEKEND]: [TITLE]
   ....
 [WEEKEND]: [TITLE]
 
 This calendar of events, including bidding deadlines as they become
 known, will become available on the Assassins' Guild Google Calendar:
 https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=rmhkoldtu15o723fpr40dir6pg%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America%2FNew_York
 
 ~ INSERT_YOUR_NAME_HERE
 Scribe of the High Council

=== New to the Guild template email ===

''MAKE SURE TO ADJUST THIS TO INCLUDE THE CORRECT FIRST GAME''

 SUBJECT: Welcome to the MIT Assassins' Guild!
 TO: assassins-guild@mit.edu
 
 ** ENTER A NEW WORLD **
 
 In our games, every player becomes a character in a real-time,
 real-space, game of schemes, trickery, and death, lasting anywhere from
 a few hours to ten days. Come with us and experience the ancient past,
 the distant future, or both at the same time. Travel to a different
 star system as a desperate captain willing to do anything to stay
 alive. Become a mage and work a ritual to cast the most powerful spell
 ever. Become the ultimate super-spy and defeat the menacing agents of
 SWORD before they have the whole world under the control of their
 orbital mind-control lasers. 
 
 ** PLAY THE GAME **
 
 Who are you? How do you think? What are your opinions? There's more to
 it than acting. Every character has goals to accomplish and they're
 never simple. Rule the world. Save the king. Destroy the enemy
 starcruiser. Whatever your plan, you're going to have to think fast if
 you want to stay on top of things. Make friends, influence people, and
 eliminate enemies. Every move you make could bring you one step closer
 to victory -- or total defeat. 
 
 ** LIE, CHEAT, STEAL... MURDER? **
 
 You can be sure that someone is doing their best to see everything
 you've done collapse. Protected by a web of deceit, they plot against
 you. Can you find your way through their lies before they find their
 way through yours? If you think you know who's against you, eliminate
 them, but watch your back. Plastic guns and foam daggers won't hurt you
 but the wrong move could cost your character's life.
 
 ** NOT ENOUGH YET? **
 
 For those of you who aren't interested in conspiracies (or just like
 your adrenaline rushes closer together), Patrol runs every other
 Saturday night, and a building on campus turns into a war zone. Dying
 doesn't mean much here, though. All you have to do is go up a few
 floors and you're back in the game. We also periodically run Society
 for Interactive Killing (SIK) games -- tactical combat games which let
 you shoot, fireball, stab, and/or blow up your enemies, just for the
 fun of it. 
 
 ** IT'S NOT WHETHER YOU WIN OR LOSE... **
 
 It's how you play the game. Bombastic outbursts. Glorious Revenge.
 Noble Sacrifices. Win, lose, or draw, breathe life into your characters
 and you'll remember them fondly for years to come.
 
 ************************************
 
 The first game of the semester is PERSEPHONE'S GIFT, running during
 this coming weekend. This is a fantastic game for first-time Guild
 players, and comes highly recommended. You should have gotten an email
 titled "Persephone's Gift - weekend of 9/7" from the Game Master,
 Kendra Beckler. This email contains an overview of the game, and
 instructions for applying to play.
 
 Key information you should know about the Guild:
 
  * We have a website at https://assassin.mit.edu/ that contains
    extensive information on what we do.
 
  * The schedule of games was just sent out to this list,
    assassins-guild, to signal the start of the semester, and is also
    available at https://assassin.mit.edu/web/Scheduled_Games.
 
  * We have a Google Calendar at
    https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=rmhkoldtu15o723fpr40dir6pg%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America%2FNew_York
    that you should add to your own calendar.
 
  * Patrol, our drop-in-drop-out Nerf gun combat game, runs about every other
    Saturday in 36-1 from 8pm to 11pm. You can show up any time in that range,
    and leave whenever. An email is sent to patrol-players@ and
    assassins-guild@ whenever this will be happening.
 
  * If you have any questions about the Guild at all, email the High
    Council at high-council@mit.edu.
 
 ~ Cel Skeggs
 Scribe of the High Council

== Other Notes ==

=== Things to check before releasing the schedule ===

* Are the dates correct in the top section?
* Do the dates in the body of the email match the dates in the top section?
* Are all of the names spelled correctly, and without any typos? (Extra commas, etc?)
* Is there any weird spacing in the copied blurbs?

=== Things to schedule around ===

As of 2014ish or 2019ish, try to schedule around:

* Palantir Puzzle Hunt (actually VERY important!)
* Mystery Hunt! (this is critical)
* Arisia
* Intercon (spring)
* MIT's academic schedule: finals, parents weekend, CPW, rush, breaks
* East Side Fair (R.I.P. steer roast)
* Splash (November.  eats a bunch of rooms; plus, there's Splash patrol)
* Spark (March, afternoon to early evening)
* CPW

Also be aware of:
* [http://witchwoodroleplaying.com Witchwood]
* [http://www.talesofvalor.com/ Tales of Valor] (especially for SIK games)
* [http://future-imperfect.com Future Imperfect] (especially for SIK games)
* Firefly (4th of July weekend)
* Easter (mostly relevant for the spring guild meeting)
* Passover (mostly first 3ish days)
* Wildfire

== See Also ==

The original [https://web.mit.edu/assassin/HighCouncil/Greensheets/scribe.pdf Greensheet].