User blog:YoshiPerson/How to run a successful camp!

OK, I have seen some camps move WAY too fast for people's likings, people show up five minutes late for a challenge and already it is over and they miss it. I came up with a system to keep people from being unfairly elliminated.

Can my contestants make it?
Once your sign-ups are closed, please ask on the talk page when your contestants can make it on certain days. If someone says they have something (Like I have band on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00- 4:30) on their schedule and they can't make it, either excuse them from the challenge, or, if so many people say they can't do it, mave the date to another day where everyone is flexible.

How long should my challenge run?
This is a frequently asked question by many young users, who are getting used to the system here. I've seen challenges that last for a very short time, and end right before some players can make it online. It is very annoying, and it could make their fellow players think they missed the challenge delibritally, and vote them off. Try making challenges last from two days, to a week. Any shorter, it could trigger unhappy players, too long, and people might lose interest with the camp, and move on. Also, tell people how long your challenge will last, and amke extensions when needed.

Who should I let return, and should I do so?
It is common in a camp for someone to let a previously elliminated contestant back into the game. But, sometimes the return of contestants can be done in a wrong way. You can have a contestant return too early, or too late, both of which will convince your players that you are trying to be unfair. Make sure that someone returns as close to the middle of the camp as possible, so that he/she can still have a fair chance to be elliminated before the finale.

Choosing who to bring back can also be difficult. That player could be from a user who isn't active, which can lead to problems. Try picking somone who was: Also, don't have too many people return, this could turn into a war between the returned contestants, and the ones not elliminated yet. Try having one to three people return, depending on the size of your camp.
 * 1) Unfairly elliminated
 * 2) Made your camp interesting
 * 3) The user who controls is very active
 * 4) Asked first

How should I do a final three challenge?
I have always found the final three to be the most difficult to deal with. Votes can be off, or the challenge could be continuous. If you are completely stumped, try to do a loser vote. Writers block can easily be escaped by having those elliminated vote for the guy in third place. Or, you could have a trivia challenge on what had happened in the camp in the past. Don't try to mimic TDI's final three challenge, as that could be a godplaying goldmine, because it isn't people in the flesh doing the challenge, it won't be embarassing. Be creative, think out your challenge before posting it.

I hope this helps all of you out. I will start an advice series answering questions on how to run camps. Comment, rank and ask! Thank you!