# Rules, Guidelines and Helpful Information



## Dragon D. Luffy (Aug 13, 2016)

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Hello and welcome to the NF Mafia Section! If this is your first visit, we strongly suggest that you browse through this thread as much as you can before signing up for a game. To help navigate this thread, we've provided an Index:



*Index*​



  Welcome, Index, and Introduction
I -
II -
III -
IV -








*Introduction*​
These rules apply to all Mafia games, unless a host says specifically otherwise. This means if there's a discrepancy between the host's ruling and the Mafia Section's ruling, you are to accept the host's ruling.

It is important for you to note that even if you disagree with some of these rules, you are still bound by them. Furthermore, ignorance of the rules will not constitute a defense, though leeway and guidance will be given to new players.

The hosts of each individual game are the first line of authority when it comes to our rules, their rules, and players willfully breaking them. Bending or breaking rules can result in the host, or even the Section Moderators taking one or more of the following actions:


Forced removal from the game by the host, which will mean mod-kill or replacement
Official warnings from Section Moderators, usually but not necessarily, at the request of the host
If a player is deliberately trying to ruin a game for those still playing it, they can be restricted from posting by a Section Moderator
If a player's actions and intent are severe enough, a Section ban or even a site ban can be handed out

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## Dragon D. Luffy (Aug 13, 2016)

*I.

Mafia Section Game Rules*

These are the recommended default rules for hosts to use in their games. It is up to each individual host to keep or change and enforce the rules they want in their game. If a host says nothing, a rule will be assumed to be in play.​

*1. One Game, One Account*

Naruto Forums has a site-wide restriction on duplicate accounts, so don't make them. Breaking this rule skips the host's level of authority, and may result in an immediate ban. It's simple, you are only allowed to use one account. If you are abandoning an account and adopting a new one, you _must_ inform your Section Moderators.




*2. Play To Win*

You are expected to play to your win condition(s). Intentionally undermining your team is not allowed. Joining a game with sole intent to troll is not allowed. This doesn't mean you must always make the optimal choice, nor does it mean you are barred from doing things differently from the norm. However, deliberate and pre-meditated efforts to sabotage your win-condition, or those of the faction/group you are in are prohibited. If you sign up for a game, be prepared to play as any role, not just your preferred one.




*3. Do Not Directly Quote or Screenshot PMs Relating to the Game*

You may not screen-capture or directly quote or specifically refer to any private correspondence with the host or other players. You may however, paraphrase in a way that leaves room for reasonable doubt. (Rather than copy and pasting an entire investigative result directly from the host, you could say: "I investigated Law, he's the Belligerent Sleepwalker, and doesn't realize he makes a nightly kill.")

You may not ask other players questions with intent to make them break these rules. ("What color was the word "Town" in your Role PM?" "How did the host specifically word your failed attempt?" Are not permitted.)

_Fake_ screenshots, correspondence, and quotes will be treated the same as _genuine_ ones.




*4. Do Not Exploit Loopholes*

You are expected to abide by the spirit of the rules, not _merely_ the letter. If you are misusing the rules in bad faith then action _will_ be taken. Consequently, if we believe a player broke the letter but not the spirit of the rules, we will likely be more lenient. Mistakes happen, but deliberately trying to find loopholes is premeditated.




*5. Do Not Discuss Ongoing Games Outside the Game*

As long as a game is ongoing, you may talk about that game only where the host gives you explicit permission.

Simply mentioning ongoing games without elaboration ("I'm playing in Game Q") is potentially dangerous. You can severely compromise a game's integrity by adding a new and unwanted source of information to the game. Discussing a topic brought up in the game, while not specifically referencing the game itself, can also reveal too much information about those involved in the conversation. Just wait until the game is over to talk about it.




*6. Do Not Make or Utilize Ciphers*

All information in a game thread needs to be accessible to all players. Secret codes requiring keys are thus banned. Videos of yourself commenting on the game are banned, as not all players can watch such videos. (Note that leaving gentle clues that anyone can piece together, is allowed. Links to videos and images made in good fun are allowed. We're a meme-addict community, after all.)




*7. Beware Flaking*

Signing up for a game is a commitment.

It is unfair to the host and the other players if not everyone signs up able to meet this commitment. You are expected to meet your host's definition of sufficient activity. If an emergency prevents you from being able to play the game, then you should contact the host and request to be replaced. There are many reasons why a player might sub out of a game, or fail to show up during it. Some are legit, and some are not. Real life comes first, but if you aren't sure you'll be able to play, don't sign up in the first place.

Hosts absolutely have the power to deny a player from signing up for a game if they have a history of flaking on games for any reason.




*8. Do Not Edit or Delete Posts*

You are not allowed to edit or delete your in-game posts, even if you believe it to be an innocent action (fixing a typo, for example). Post edits and deletions can be used to send unauthorized private messages and cheat. (Also avoid links to Google Drive, Dropbox or other dynamic content, given that documents uploaded here are "live" and can be edited at any time.) As a host, if you suspect players have deleted posts, ask one of the mafia section moderators to verify.




*9. Do Not Post After You've Died*

You're dead, _act like it_. Your momentary annoyance is not worth compromising the integrity of the game. Wait until it's over to cuss out whomever killed you, or to say "I told you so!"




*10. In-Game Posts Have No Enforceability Elsewhere*

Bets made within a game are not enforceable outside a game(we are not going to make someone change their avatar just because they made a deal with you in the game and lost). A concession is not valid unless sent to a host privately. All posts made within a game are assumed to be part of the game. Note however, that this doesn't give players permission to break basic Forum Rules and the Code of Conduct. It may be 'part of the game', but if you break a site-wide rule, it's broken.




*11. Do Not Bash Other Communities*

It is completely unacceptable to bash other communities or other players based on how they usually play where they are from. You can disagree with a playstyle and you can even be upset with it, but you are under no circumstances allowed to insult a whole community or in any way make another person feel unwelcome because of cultural differences. If you want another person to adapt to a new environment, try a gentle and friendly approach.




*12. You Are Not The Enforcer Of Rules*

If you see someone break a rule in a game, your first choice of action is to PM the game's host about it, rather than confronting the individual in the thread. If that doesn't work for whatever reason, you should PM a Section Moderator (Law or Marco) rather than confront the offending player while the game is ongoing.




*13. Respect The Host*

Hosts volunteer their time to entertain you. The amount of time and effort that go into consistently creating fun games to play should not be underestimated. Hostility and aggression towards a host will not be tolerated. If you have a problem with something the host has done, or with their game in general, hold your tongue until after the game has finished. Do not undermine a host in the thread other players are still playing in, and do not flood their Inbox with your frustrations while they are still focused on those who are having fun.​

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## Dragon D. Luffy (Aug 13, 2016)

*II.

Code of Conduct*​




In order to foster a healthy community, we must all agree that participation is both voluntary and a privilege, and that we must establish a standard of behavior which is friendly and respectful to all. Our goal is to create a community welcoming and fun to all people who want to be a part of it. All users and staff adhere to these, and if you do, you'll steer clear of any moderating in the future. Some selections in this list overlap with the Mafia Section Rules...they're just that important! Please note this Code of Conduct is for the entire Mafia Section, and includes post-game commentary, as well as any other thread in the section...not just the games themselves.

You must also become familiar with the .



1) *Treating others as you would like to be treated is sometimes not enough. Do more.* Lowering your own standards does not grant you the right to mistreat others. Treat others as _they_ wish to be treated.


2) *Forum mafia is a game between friends*. Not all players wish to be competitive, and no one is required to be excellent at the game; that is an individual's right. Do not degrade your fellow guests and fellow players by calling them stupid or bad. In particular, we have a very low tolerance for flaming or personally insulting other players. _Attack the post, not the poster._ Failure to understand this basic principle will attract the most attention from Section Moderators.


3) *Remember that while you are playing for fun, others take the game seriously*. Please do not play in a manner which is deliberately harmful to your faction. When a host states they require 'X' posts of activity from you, they don't mean 'X' music videos, 'X' pictures of cats, or any other completely irrelevant 'shit-posting'. Have fun, but also play the game you signed up for.


4) *Show Visitors Why They Should Play Mafia on Naruto Forums.* Do not spam, troll, sabotage, or be passive-aggressive. Do not threaten or otherwise provoke people. Read the rules of games before signing up to them. Read the forum rules and adhere to moderator's instructions. Make our community welcoming. Be the reason people come back. Welcome new players in discussions. It's the job of staff to decide if a new account is a duplicate or not, you don't need to investigate for us.


5) *Play with a sportsmanlike attitude.* It is unsportsmanlike to mock another person's win/loss record, their performance within a game, or to attempt to circumvent the rules and cheat. Refer to the Mafia Section Game Rules and each individual game's rules for definitions of what constitutes cheating. Once a game is over, refrain from engaging in pointless debates about why what someone did during the game was "stupid". Don't be a sore loser, or a sore winner.


6) *If you are warned or spoken to in a PM by a Section Moderator, or temporarily removed from a thread*, it is not a punishment, and it is not an attempt to publicly or even privately shame you. It is our way of guiding you toward our expectations for the health of the community. We want you to feel welcome here, and you always will be if you make an honest attempt to follow the rules.


7) *If you attempt to host a game,* or embark on any other project which invites others to participate, please attempt to keep your commitments to the best of your abilities. Hosts are just as responsible for not flaking as the players are. If you have the creativity to create games, but not the time nor the patience to actually host them-- act accordingly. Make the games, and seek others to host them in your place, utilizing the Tool Shed & Warehouse section in this thread.


8) *You may receive infractions or bans based on a series of objectionable posts even if none of them are individually egregious*. Rude and obnoxious posts may not individually merit moderator intervention, but they are not tolerated as a pattern of behavior. If you are frequently involved in unpleasant encounters, the moderators will have a lower threshold for intervention. This section is unique throughout the forum, and we the Section Moderators will treat it as such. If we feel that a user should not have access to our section, we have the right to make that decision, even if a forum-wide ban-worthy offense has not been committed.

*9) Someone else's actions don't justify yours.* It's simple. If you flame or bait someone-- you did that thing. It is irrelevant who started it, or what someone else did. You _choose_ to respond. You. Not someone else.

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## Dragon D. Luffy (Aug 13, 2016)

*III.

New Mafia Player Guide and Helpful Advice*​


So you're new to forum mafia? Even if you've played before, you may be new to _NF Mafia_. Unless you consider yourself a veteran to the game, this should be beneficial to you.


*What is Mafia?*​Mafia originated as a party game but is now playable with a bunch of strangers from all across the world thanks to the mysterious invention we all call the Internet. There are two teams - Town and Mafia - who have to eliminate the other to win. What differentiates the two teams is that the mafia know the identity of their teammates and can communicate in private, whereas a town player will only know his own identity and must communicate with everyone (town and mafia) in public. Mafia's information advantage is countered by town's significantly larger numbers. Oftentimes, there is a third faction - Independents - who win by meeting specific conditions.

The game is composed of a day phase and a night phase. In a day phase, you are allowed to post in the thread and talk with other players to decide on who to lynch. If a person receives enough votes, a lynch will happen once the day phase ends. The player who is lynched is removed from the game and their identity if revealed to everyone.

In the night phase no talking is allowed. This basically serves as a break from the game so that the moderators do not get tired out from all the actions. Most actions in the night phase occur simultaneously. In the basic vanilla mafia game, the mafia make their faction kill and the cop will investigate in this phase. Sometimes a game cannot continue until everyone sends in their actions.

This whole process repeats itself until town or mafia (or independents) have won.

From the identities that are revealed upon lynching and based upon what people say (and sometimes with the help of the power roles and role revealing) people try to outsmart each other and hopefully do so before their side loses.


*What Are 'Roles'?
*​Before a game starts, each player is assigned a role to play. Its size, contents, and complexity are based upon what kind of game you're playing. For this guide, we'll stick to the basics!

*Generic Townie/Vanilla Townie/Villager* It has a few different names, but we primarily use the term 'Generic Townie' to describe the players who have no abilities to use aside from their vote and intelligence to help Town win. Your basic vanilla or generic themed game will have at least a few of these.

*Bulletproof *This is a role that can survive an attack. Sometimes it's only once in the game, and other times it's the entire game. Usually a Town ability, mafia have been known to put on a bulletproof vest from time to time.

*Vigilante* Works for town and can kill players. Sometimes during the day, sometimes at night.

*Doctor *Can protect players at night from being killed. Sometimes they're able to protect themselves, but not always.

*Cop/Detective/Investigator *Various information-gathering roles that can choose a player and learn if they're mafia or town. Sometimes, they can see the target's full role.

*Role-blocker* Can prevent players from using their abilities.

*Godfather* The leader of the mafia. They often fool investigators into believing they're town, and sometimes they're Bulletproof. Generally, the Godfather is the only mafia player who PMs the host with their group's actions.

*Janitor* When he is alive, the kills of the mafia faction are hidden. Meaning their identities are not revealed to players in the thread.

*Jester* He wins the game if he gets himself lynched.

*Serial Killer* He can kill players at night, and wins when everyone else is dead.

*Nexus* Majority of actions will be randomized among all valid targets.

*Beloved Princess* If killed a phase will be skipped entirely. Which one, is up to the host at the time of creation. Sometimes, it's "if killed, the next night phase is skipped", or "if lynched, the next day phase is skipped", etc.

*Bus-driver* Can select two players. Any action that targets player (A) will hit player (B) instead and vice versa.

Of course, mafia is extremely flexible and the only limits to the potential themes and abilities are the minds of the creators/hosts themselves.


*Glossary of Terms
*​*Win-condition* What you must achieve in order for you and/or your faction to win the game. For example, town must eliminate the mafia in order to win. That's the condition.

*Town *A player whose win-condition is to eliminate the mafia or any threats to town.

*Mafia* A player whose win-condition is to eliminate town and/or any other players.

*Independent *A player whose win-condition is independent of town or mafia. It will generally be a specific condition, eg: Kill everyone else, Survive till the end, Get lynched, etc.
*
Scum* A casual term for mafia-aligned players. But in recent years, it is generally used to refer to any anti-town entity.

*Faction* The group you are in. Can mean mean alignment - Town, Mafia, Independent - or even groups (or independent individuals) within alignments - multiple mafia groups and independent players.

*Vanilla* A game with no theme. Just the bare-bones, traditional mafia or werewolf. No gimmicks, no frills.

*Generic* A player with no abilities outside their vote and their wit.

*Role-Madness* A term to describe the more explosive and complex games of mafia where all or nearly all roles are very powerful.

*Werewolf* A game style using Werewolves instead of mafia, and an Alpha Wolf instead of a Godfather. Can still be Vanilla. Werewolf actually predates mafia as a party game, but is far less common now.

*Phase* Day is a phase. Night is a phase. Generally, these are 24 hours long.

*Cycle* One day and one night. Two phases in succession equals a cycle.

*Action *The term used for the usage of abilities that various roles possess. Eg: Cop sends in (to the Host) the action to investigate someone, Godfather sends in (to the Host) the actions of his team, etc.

*Moderator *Another term for the Game Host. He is your God (in game) and you must follow his every whim. Do not confuse with Forum Moderators.

*Mod-kill* When a Host forcibly removes you from their game, revealing them as having been killed by the host. Generally, this only happens when someone doesn't show up for the game, or deliberately breaks rules after being warned not to.

*Mis-lynch* When a townie is lynched. It is also used to refer to the number of mislynches (town lynches) possible before mafia gains majority over votes.

*Wagon* An "endearing" term for multiple votes on a single person. It's a wagon made up of the players voting for him/her.

*Bandwagon* An "endearing" term for a person joining a wagon with minimal (or none) independent thoughts.

*Claim* The act of claiming your alignment (town/mafia/independent) or role (generic/cop/doctor/etc).

*False-claim* The act of falsely claiming your alignment and/or role.

*Counter-claim *The act of claiming a role that has already been claimed.

*Hypo-claim* The act of hypothetically claiming a role to leave cover for the actual role.

*Pro-town* A blanket term for anything that aids town. It can be used to refer to roles, players, behavior, etc.

*Anti-town* A blanket term for anything that harms town. It can be used to refer to roles, players, behavior, etc.

*Vote-silence* Your vote is null.

*Role-crush* A player is forcibly made generic by an ability.

*Mod-block *A player is role-blocked (or role-crushed) by the host for not meeting activity and/or voting requirements.

*Flip *The reveal of a player's role upon death.

*Faction-kill *The mafia's one-kill-per-night.

*Flavor* A term to describe the theme of a game - Naruto, Breaking Bad, etc.

*Scumhunting* The term for reading your fellow players and figuring out who is scum.

*Bus*"Throw Under the Bus". A term used to describe a common mafia strategy of distancing themselves from their teammates by voting for / arguing with / pressuring / etc their teammates.

*Meta* A term referring to a player's posting or playing style. Can be used from past games to deduce what faction a player may be.

*Spite* Going after someone for emotional reasons, or because they went after you. Could be from the same game, or from a previous game.

*Troll* Deliberately disrupting the serious nature of the game by doing whatever you can not to participate...and loudly. Generally, this behavior is premeditated, and will often just be called Fluff or Shit-posting, anyway.

*Fluff* Posting things that aren't relevant to the game, joking around to start a game, voting for someone as a joke or acting cutesy and not really participating with the game itself.

*Shit-posting* For the most part, see Fluff. However, this also carries with it a more negative approach and often deliberately disrupts the game.

*NL* No-Lynch. When nobody is lynched at the end of a day phase.

*LyLo* Lynch-or-Lose. A dayphase where town loses unless they lynch scum.

*MyLo* Mislynch-and-Lose. A dayphase where town loses if they mislynch. That means no-lynching is possible.

*OMGUS* _Oh My God You Suck. A_ term to describe when someone votes a player for no other reason than because that player voted for them.

*WIFOM* _Wine In Front Of Me. _An homage to the movie 'The Princess Bride' with Cary Elwes. _A term used to describe a circular reasoning, where a player tries to deduce the choices of someone who already knew his actions would be put under scrutiny. _Rather than writing what could be an essay, I will simply .

*FOS / IGMEOY* _Finger of Suspicion / I Got My Eye On You._ Might be said to you to let you know that even though they may not be voting for you at the moment, they still suspect you of something.

*EBWOP* Edit By Way Of Posting. Since editing is not allowed in majority of games, people use this term to indicate that they're posting something a second time with things edited.

*QT*_ QuickTopic._ It is the program we use here for mafia to communicate outside the forum.

*ISO *Isolation. Refers to reading a specific player's posts in isolation.

*PoE* Process of Elimination.

*PoV* Point of View.

*RVS* Random Voting Stage. Usually referring to Day 1, where the game has just begun and no one really has any idea who is scum.

*PR* Power Role. Term used to refer to roles that are crucial or important to their faction.

*AtE* Appeal to Emotion.



*Tips And Advice
*​*Don't Be Afraid Of Being Mafia* It's natural to be a little nervous when you roll mafia and are new to the game. Hell, a lot of veteran players still can't handle the pressure. But it's just a game, one of many, and there's no reason for you to be worried about it. Ask your teammates plenty of questions, especially if there's someone there in your QT who you know is a veteran player. Mafia is a game of honesty and deception. Get comfortable with both, and make sure your deception is coherent.

*Have Fun, But Know When To Get Serious* When a game starts, a lot of people just fluff and joke around with one another. It's a feeling out process, and if you're not used to it-- you may find yourself transitioning from joking to serious very awkwardly. This is especially true for newer players who are mafia. It's tempting to just be funny and weird the whole game, to "troll", or not be very helpful when you're overwhelmed-- but that behavior will make you a popular target in that and subsequent games.

*Read Before Posting* Many veterans are guilty of this as well, but it's bad practice to start mindlessly posting and throwing around your opinions before even reading the posts before yours. Nine times out of ten, your posts will be worthless at that point.

*Think Very Hard About A Gambit* If your role is important to your faction, don't just stumble your way into an early grave because of a half-cocked idea to draw attention to yourself for the wrong reasons. For example, if you're town's Doctor, refrain from pointlessly lying and claiming something different-- because even your own faction's Vigilante may think you're just full of it, and shoot you.

*Play Hard And Never Give Up* You're going to get killed in this game, and that's ok. You still win if your faction wins, so don't hide in the shadows just so you don't draw attention to yourself. There's no glory in being alive at the end of a losing cause. Go out swinging, and never simply stop trying because you don't think there's a point. If the game was already 100% decided, the host would end it. Getting lynched? Fight it. Someone say they scanned you? Deny it until the very end. If you're that person who scanned someone else and they deny it-- don't doubt yourself. No matter what faction you're in, be confident about your ability to win that game.

*Experience Is The Best Teacher* So get in there and play as many games as you can. Everyone was a newb at some point. Make mistakes and instead of being embarrassed about them, just learn from them. And know that there isn't just one 'best' way to play this game. Find what works for you, and keep improving yourself every game you play.

*Approach The Game Rationally* Mafia is a game of deceit and manipulation and this can sometimes lead to excessive tension between players and stress. This can make it hard to separate emotion from reason, often resulting in mistakes. It is crucial that you do your best to keep emotions checked and approach every situation logically. It helps if you try to empathize with any argument that is contradictory to yours. Try to imagine yourself in their shoes and if you'd act like them.

*Think Critically* Never get personally invested in any argument/strategy/narrative/etc you come up with. Approach everything objectively and you will avoid getting blindsided. Tunnel vision - where you have already convinced yourself of someone's alignment and nothing they do or say is going to change that - is almost never going to help you. Divorcing your arguments from your ego will also prevent you from feeling embarrassed about expressing your stupidest thoughts, which can sometimes be strokes of genius.

*Town-Reading Is Important Too* As Town, every person you read as town is one less for you to choose scum from. It's one less person you want to lynch and as you town-read more and more players, you'll narrow down your scum candidates via POE. That doesn't mean you forget the "Think Critically" rule, though. Just because you town-read someone doesn't mean you shouldn't continuously reevaluate your read of him/her.

*Vote-Tracking Is Key* The oldest and most reliable tool in a townie's toolbox. As the days go on and you have a fair amount of vote histories to work with, you can discern patterns in most players' votes. Just as important as the tally, though, is the actual history of who voted when. If you know a dead scum was about to be lynched 2 days ago and was saved by a last minute vote-change by Player X, you can be fairly confident that Player X is also scum. This is just a simple example and it can also be used to town-read player. Bear in mind good players can play around this, but it's still a very handy tool.

*Distance Is Key* A mafia team that is too fraternal in public (due to votes/behavior/etc) is going to tumble like a house of cards at the first sign of a casualty. It is imperative, as mafia, to be able to distance yourself from your team. Sometimes it's not worth buying another day for your teammate if it exposes you. Sometimes it's not worth publicly town-reading your teammate as either of your deaths could implicate the other. Try to distribute your team in packs, gaining trust and influence over different pockets of townies, while also pushing on each other. In this way, you implicate innocent players and gain more influence over the majority.

*Being Convincing >= Being Right* A large part of the game revolves around mafia trying to misdirect, confuse, mislead, and generally manipulate the majority of players. Because of this it's just as important (if not more) to be able to convince people of your thoughts/beliefs/etc as it is to actually come to the right conclusions. A lot of arguments will turn into competing narratives, so being able to sway others is a crucial tool.




Here are some personal tips from current veteran players:



  "Analyze everything and always play with confidence."


  "Follow your instincts and always post your rationale."


  "Deceive and detect; perceive and perfect."


  "Know when to speak up and lead, and when to shut up and follow."


  "Know your prey, for some will hide away if you pounce too early."

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## Dragon D. Luffy (Aug 13, 2016)

*IV.

New Host's Guide*

So you want to host a mafia game? Have you hosted before? If not, we encourage you to read on. If you're comfortable with hosting, but want to take advantage of the helpful information and resources further down the page, just skip to Host's Tool Shed & Warehouse.

​By now, you obviously know what a mafia game is, and creating/hosting one can actually be just as fun as playing. For some, ideas for games come to them constantly, and hosting is not so much an if-- but a when. So let's dive right into the types of games we see on NF:



*Open Set-Up* Where all roles are made public to each player in the thread. Everyone will know the names and abilities in play.

*Closed Set-Up* Where all roles are completely hidden. No one knows who will be in the game, and what abilities are in play until they start to happen.

*Semi-Open Set-Up* Where some or all roles are made public, but most or all other information is hidden. Everyone has most of the information, but _something_ is still hidden.

*Troll/Bastard Set-Up* Where you can never fully trust what's happening at any given time, and the host will mess with the players at their whim. Generally, you will know this when you sign up. Things can get pretty random and wild in these games.

|
Set-Up
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Structure
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*Vanilla* Your basic, traditional and no-frills mafia or werewolf game. Usually 10-25 players.

*Themed Generic* Any game that has a theme, but still uses some Generic Townies. Any size.

*Role-Madness* A game with no Generic Townies, where every single player has abilities at their disposal. Usually 25+ players.

_(Friendly challenge to anyone who thinks they have a mafia game that doesn't belong on this list. If we agree, we will alter the list)_




*Balance*​
Balancing your game is important for the players who are playing in it. However, no game is perfect, and luck has a lot to do with it. Also, not everyone agrees on what makes a game well-balanced. There are, however, some fairly agreed upon building blocks to start from.

In a 20 player game with one mafia faction, there should be 4 or 5 mafia. No less and no more. This comes to a 20-25% mafia to town ratio, depending on whether there is an Independent role in the game as well. This is not a hard rule, but it's a good place to start.

Refrain from including too many Independent roles in small and medium sized games. It's a lot of fun to design Indies...but if you go overboard, it throws the dynamic of the game into disarray. Games like Favorites, and wild mash-ups with 50+ players are usually an exception to this.

However, don't be too discouraged if players complain about balance to you in private or after the game is over. Every host experiences this sometimes. As long as each faction had the opportunity to win as the game started if things went their way...then it's not a completely broken game. If you created an unbeatable machine without realizing it that the opposing faction had no chance to ever beat...then you failed at balancing. Give a brief apology and try again...it's just a game, after all.




*Host's Tool Shed & Warehouse*

Host resources are past this point. Volunteers to help with balancing and second opinions, those who are willing to be co-hosts for those creative minds who don't have the time to host their own games, as well as a bunch of other community-driven helpfulness.

*Mission Statement*

While we (Law and Marco) are the Section Moderators, and will be watching over this thread and helping when we can, this is still a community-driven project to help hosts and others around us. This thread will not have open discussions, so we strongly encourage YOU to voice your thoughts, concerns and suggestions for this new 'Warehouse', and to spark up discussions about it, and what it might be able to accomplish in the Discussion thread. The only thing that needs to go through Law & Marco is the act of adding a name to a list. This will start out looking fairly barren, by design. It is up to the community to flesh it out.




*Help With Balance*​Unsure if your game is balanced properly, and it's important to you to get a second opinion? Great idea.

Here I will post a list of veteran players and hosts who are willing to volunteer to be PM'd your game to get a second opinion on its roles and balance. Everyone on this list may give different insight, so feel free to PM more than one.

1. Law
2. Marco
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.+

If you are reading this, and would like to volunteer to have your name added, please PM Law or Marco, and it will be.



*Have Game, Need Co-Host?*​Sometimes a host will create a game and know that in order to host it, they will need some help. Sometimes a user will have creative thoughts constantly, and make a lot of very interesting games-- but haven't the time to commit to hosting them.

Here we will list volunteers who are willing to help you host, or to host your games for you.

1. Melodie
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.+

If you are reading this, and would like to volunteer to have your name added, please PM Law or Marco, and it will be.


*Miscellaneous Volunteers*​Do you want to volunteer your time and/or talents for the community in a way that isn't currently described in this thread? Be it helping create games, making banners, volunteering to help a host send out phase PMs, or anything you can think of, please PM @Santí or @Iwandesu , and you will be added to this section.

_Big thanks to Aries/CR for the awesome, and official, Mafia Section banner at the top of the thread._



*Reading Is Too Hard*

1. Alwaysmind


Old threads:

Reactions: Like 4 | Funny 3


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