What Makes a Good FCF Host?

I feel very strongly that a significant contributor to the success we had with Far Cry Friday back in the Instincts days was a set of guiding principles I tried to follow as the FCF host. Assuming that Far Cry 2 has been implemented well for online multi-player, it is my expectation that we are going to quickly build a sizable FCF community. Before too long, one host will not be sufficient. So here are the guidelines that I try to follow when hosting.

1. Keep it fun!
   
   Our #1 reason for doing FCF is to have fun. Just like the host of a party, an FCF host is responsible for making sure the event goes off well and is fun. You are literally throwing an online party and should approach it that way. You are supplying the entertainment, keeping the conversation going, and bouncing the drunks. Food and drink are BYO, though.
   
   
2. If a map isn't working, drop it for the night and move on to another one.
   
   This follows in the footsteps of rule #1. While we don't want to devastate the creator of a map that just isn't working, we also don't want to bore our community with a low-quality map. Admit that the map isn't working, dump the map session if necessary, and move on to another map. Moderate the post-game discussion, guiding the criticism to issues of why the map doesn't work and what could be done to make it better. As a help, we will soon be publishing a guide to making playable Far Cry maps.
   
   Whatever you do, don't get into an argument with a map maker on the merits of her map. If she gets defensive, politely let her know that not everyone sees things the same way and that the map isn't working within the dynamics of the current group.
   
   
3. Don't force your own maps to be played, no matter how good you think they are.
   
   It's only natural to want to share something you are proud of and put some effort into, but we need to consider Rule #1: Keep it fun! It's no fun for the other map creators to see their maps being shunned because of your hubris. And if your map isn't working you need to suck it up and move on to another map. (See Rule #2.)
   
   
4. Keep the party lively and moving.
   
   If people aren't talking, then its your job to move the conversation. It's also your job to get the next map running in the rotation as soon as everyone is happily debriefed.
   
   Part of this is organizing yourself prior to the party. Know ahead of time which maps you will be playing and in what order. Avoid spending time searching through lists of maps for "that perfect map" while the room languishes.
   
   Eliminate any environmental distractions when you are hosting. Family, house guests, pets, secondary TVs, radio, phone calls, custom soundtracks... these are all things that can distract a host and cause the quality of the party to go south. When you are hosting, your focus is on the people in your party and you are directly responsible for making their FCF experience an enjoyable one.
   
   
5. Schedule your breaks
   
   Humans have needs and not all of them can sit for six hours straight playing Far Cry without taking a break for a drink or a visit to the toilet. I keep an oven timer next to me and set it to go off every hour.
   
   Your community will come to trust that you are looking out for their animal and hygiene needs if you regularly provide for them, and you will be less likely to have people getting antsy about how much Mountain Dew they've consumed.
   
   
6. Constantly evaluate your Internet Connection
   
   If your connection as host is sub-par, then the FCF experience will suffer. A good host will recognize this and yield hosting duties to a secondary designated host with a better connection.
   
   I recommend direct-connecting to the Internet when hosting -- that way you can guarantee that no other devices on your home LAN are leeching off bandwidth from the party.
   
   
7. Don't be afraid to enforce the Code of Conduct
   
   The Far Cry Friday Code of Conduct exists for one purpose: to keep our FCF parties fun. If someone is violating the CoC, inform them immediately that they are in violation and kick them out of the room on the second offense. I refuse to let one person's conduct ruin the spirit of what we are trying to build here -- and I hope that all our other hosts will have that same vision.
   
   Yeah, it's not fun being the disciplinarian, but that is part of your responsibility as host -- to make the hard decision, make it quickly and then execute it. Let the room know why a person was kicked and let them know that they are not to be invited in for the remainder of that night's party.
   
   Also, be flexible. For example, someone may let an F-bomb slip. Evaluate their attitude. If it really was an "accident", and they seem contrite, then let it slide. Just make sure that it doesn't become habitual. Our main goal from the disciplinary angle is to eliminate intentional bad behavior or habitual bad behavior. Habitual is harder deal with, because sometimes that's just the way a person is. But if someone is a habitual jerk, it still ruins the game for everybody else. So give 'em the boot!