Setting games public and private

Sometimes people like to set games to private and then add players they have chosen from request threads in the forum or elsewhere. Currently the site defaults to games being public when you create them, sometimes causing an influx of applying players that are then denied before the game creator can go into his logged games and set it to private. Is there a way to set a game ahead of time, while being created, to be public or private or is public going to be the default until changed after the fact?

I can look into adding a public/private selector during creation. The idea of public/private games came a bit later, which is why it's not in the new game section.

I'm having a problem with this too. I created a private game, but got all kinds of unsolicited applicants, which I didn't want because I was creating it only for a few of my old friends (who live far away).

What does it mean to "close" the game vs "close and retire" the game?

I've not attempted to create a game, but I thought a "private" game meant that the forums are private to the GM and players, but the game itself (details, player list, etc) is visible to everyone.

This was my understanding:

Private: Forums are not viewable to those not in the game
Public: Anyone can see the forums

Open: Accepting new players
Closed: Not accepting applicants

This is also my understanding. Forums are visible only to participants, but the Game Details Page can be viewed by any member of the site.

What would be nice is that when you create a 'private' game that notices would NOT be sent out to people that a new game has opened up. I think that's one of the reasons GMs see a lot of unsolicited applicants.

People applying to a private game is just a combination of impolite and that the site doesn't make it obvious enough that a game is private. I can stop people from applying to a game, but can't stop people from PMing unfortunately.

Closing a game just makes it so no one can apply and changes the flag, so closing a private game is more symbolic. Retiring a game closes it entirely; no one can access the game anymore. Don't do this if you're still playing. The FAQs answer this I believe; let me know if it's unclear.

Yah, I need to allow a game to be created as private, and then not send a new game mail if it is :/

All in good time, my man!

Temporarily, what might help future GMs is to put a note somewhere on the game details page that it's by invite-only. I recall seeing a couple of games with something like that and it easily told me that the game wasn't for me.

Otherwise, if I see a game with an interesting premise, I'd probably apply because I have no other indication that it's meant for specific players and not the general public.

This was what I did with the game that I'm running now. I stated in the description that the game was meant for a specific group. I did not receive a single unsolicited application. :-)

Duh! That's what I should have done!!! Thanks for the tip.