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==Notes on Reading This Page==
===Types of Consequences===
Violating these rules will have consequences. The various actions the moderator may take are listed below.
<ul>
<li><i>Thread Notices</i> are messages posted by the moderator in the game thread. Thread notices are general reminders to all players, and no individual players are directly penalized by a thread notice. The moderator reserves the right to issue moderator notices and warnings to individual players in addition to issuing a general thread notice.</li>
<li><i>Thread Locking</i> is when the moderator locks the thread for a non-mechanical reason. This is typically used when the moderator is consulting with a list moderator about a potential rule violation.</li>
<li><i>Moderator Notices</i> are private messages that are meant to bring to your attention behaviors that are potentially problematic. You do not gain any penalty stars from moderator notices (see the next section).</li>
<li><i>Moderator Warnings</i> are private messages that indicate you have broken a rule. You do gain penalty stars from moderator warnings (see the next section).</li>
<li><i>Force Replacement</i> means that you are no longer allowed to play in the game. You can be force replaced without receive a warning first if the moderator judges that is the appropriate action to take.</li>
<li><i>Modkill</i> are reserved for the most egregious violations. Not only are you no longer allowed to play, you also automatically lose. The moderator must receive list moderator approval before executing a modkill.</li>
<li><i>Referral to List Moderators</i> is used when a rule you broke is also a site rule. This ensures that appropriate site consequences are administered in addition to any in-game consequences.</li>
</ul>
===The Star System===
<ul>
<li>Throughout this wiki page are stars (&#x2605;).</li>
<li>When they appear at the beginning of a rule, they indicate the number of stars accumulated when you receive a warning related to that rule.</li>
<li><strong>If you accumulate five or more penalty stars, you will be force-replaced.</strong> This ensures consistency on the moderator's part.
<li>You may still be force-replaced even if you break a rule that has less than five stars. The star system only prescribes a minimum punishment, not a maximum punishment.</li>
</ul>
==General Rules==
==General Rules==
This ruleset is meant to be comprehensive and cover almost all situations. Hence, they are very long. If you are short on time, please go to the recap section for a TL;DR version.
This ruleset is meant to be comprehensive and cover almost all situations. Hence, they are very long. If you are short on time, please go to the recap section for a TL;DR version.
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<ol>
<ol>
<li>Follow the golden rule: '''"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."'''
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; Follow the golden rule: <strong><strong><strong>"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."</strong></strong></strong>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>Personal attacks and derogatory language directed towards others or oneself will not be tolerated.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; Personal attacks, harassment, racism, sexism, and other forms of abuse directed towards others or oneself will not be tolerated.</li>
<li>Other forms of toxic behavior that promotes an unpleasant environment will also be dealt with as needed.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; Other forms of toxic behavior that promotes an unpleasant environment are also not allowed.</li>
<li>'''Please assume good faith of all players that request replacements.''' Discussing the reasons behind replacements brings an outside influence into the game, and it is the moderator's job to determine whether a replacement request is tactical in nature. It is also rude and disrespectful to the player who requested replacement.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Please assume good faith of all players who request replacement.</strong> Discussing the reasons behind replacements brings an outside influence into the game, and it is the moderator's job to determine whether a replacement request is tactical in nature. It is also rude and disrespectful to the player who requested replacement.</li>
<li>'''Avoid bringing up real life events in the game thread. If a player brings up a real-life event in the game thread, do not attempt to guess the player's motives for doing so.''' It is best to let real life stay out of this thread, but when it affects your ability to play, others should not resort to the unethical practice of assigning ulterior motives to it.</li>
<li>&#x2605; <strong>Avoid bringing personal life events into the game thread. If a player does bring up a personal personal life event, do not attempt to guess the player's motives for doing so.</strong> It is best to let real life stay out of the thread as it can be an outside influence on the game. When it does come up, it is unethical to assign ulterior motives to the player bringing it up.</li>
<li>'''Do not suggest other players be banned or force-replaced in-thread.''' If you think a player has broken the rules, you have two options. Your first option is to report the post if it breaks the site's rules. Your other option is to ''privately'' pm me the post alongside a description of why the post breaks my rules or the site's rules.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Do not suggest other players be banned or force-replaced in thread. Do not accuse others of breaking the rules.</strong> See [https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=88683 this link] (rule 2d) for the rationale. If you think a player has broken the rules, you should pm the moderator with a description of why the post(s) in question break the site rules or the moderator's rules. If the player also broke site rules, you should use the report button to refer them to site moderators.</li>
<li>'''You are expected to respect pronouns to the best of your ability.''' While mistakes do occur, any refusal to respect pronouns is grounds for immediate force-replacement. Think of it this way: how would you feel if someone purposely misgendered you?</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>You are expected to respect pronouns to the best of your ability.</strong> While mistakes do sometimes occur, they should not become a habit as that is an indication of sloppiness and lack of respect. Any refusal to respect pronouns is grounds for immediate force-replacement.</li>
</ol></li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Others being toxic does not give you license to be toxic yourself.</strong> The number one rule is still to treat others as you would like to be treated. If someone else is being toxic and making the game unpleasant for you, please let the moderator know. The moderator will handle the situation, but please be aware that there may not be a direct visible effect from any actions the moderator takes.</li>
<li>'''The use of the "L"-word is strongly discouraged.''' Please adopt alternatives such as "eliminate", "fade", "launch", etc.</li>
</ol>
<li>'''Avoid using the plain spoiler (blackout) tag. Use spoiler= instead.''' This rule exists because the content hidden within a blackout tag is not easily accessed on mobile devices and many players (including the moderator) access and play mafia on mobile devices.
</li>
<ul>
<li>&#x2605; <strong>The use of the "L"-word is strongly discouraged.</strong> Please adopt alternatives such as "eliminate", "fade", "launch", etc.
<li>[spoiler]This is wrong and will be edited by the moderator.[/spoiler]</li>
<li><strong>Avoid using the plain spoiler (blackout) tag. Use spoiler= instead.</strong> This rule exists because the content hidden within a blackout tag is not easily accessed on mobile devices, and many players access and play mafia on mobile devices.
<li>[spoiler][color=red]You can use the spoiler tag if you use a different color alongside it.[/color][/spoiler]</li>
<ul>
<li>[spoiler=]This is the preferred way to do it.[/spoiler]</li>
<li>[spoiler]This is wrong and will be edited by the moderator.[/spoiler]</li>
</ul></li>
<li>[spoiler][color=red]You can use the spoiler tag if you use a different color alongside it.[/color][/spoiler]</li>
 
<li>[spoiler=]This is the preferred way to do it.[/spoiler]</li>
<li>'''Please spoiler animated GIFs, videos, and multiple large images.''' This rule exists for those with slower Internet connections. It also reduces the vertical length of pages and is more pleasing to the eye, especially on mobile devices.</li>
</ul>
<li>'''Do not spam the thread with constant and persistent off-topic posts.''' Mafia is a social game, so it is okay to occassionally talk about things that are not directly relevent to the game at hand. That said, excessive off-topic posting results in increased filler and makes it hard for other players to find game-relevant content.</li>
</li>
<li>'''Play the game and play to win.''' By not playing the game, you ruin the experience of other players.
<li><strong>Please use spoilers in posts containing at least two videos or large images.</strong> Large here is relative to the size of a phone screen. This rule exists for users with slower internet connections. It also helps reduce the vertical length of pages which is especially important on mobile devices.</li>
<ol list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>&#x2605; <strong>Do not spam the thread with constant and persistent off-topic posts.</strong> While the occasional tangent is acceptable, excessive off-topic posting makes it harder for other players to find game-relevant content.</li>
<li>Do not use the dice tag or other forms of provable randomness.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Play the game and play to win.</strong> By not playing the game, you ruin the experience of other players.
<li>'''You ''must'' read your role pm. Do not claim otherwise.''' If the moderator failed to send you a role pm, please notify the moderator '''privately'''. I will force-replace any players that violate this rule, ''no warnings''. People have been banned for this in the past because it breaks the entire premise of mafia.</li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>Claiming scum by yourself or with other players is fine provided that it is clear to the moderator you are not attempting to throw the game.</li>
<li>&#x2605; Do not use the dice tag or other forms of provable randomness. It is okay to claim to have used randomness so long as you do not attempt to prove it.</li>
<li>Scum may attempt to kill their teammates at night provided that 1) all living team members agree and 2) there is clear evidence to the moderator that such a move is not heavily detrimental to the team's win condition. In all cases, the moderator must ''explicitly'' approve of the move for it to be counted.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong><strong><strong>You <em><em>must</em></em> read your role pm! Do not claim otherwise!</strong></strong></strong> If the moderator failed to send you a role pm, please notify the moderator <em>privately</em>. You <em>will</em> be force-replaced without warning if you violate this rule. This rule exists because you cannot possibly play to win without knowing your objective.</li>
<li>Players may self-vote at any time and for any reason unless it is a hammer.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong><strong>Avoid posting in the main thread until after the moderator acknowledges that you have successfully confirmed your role.</strong></strong> During pre-game, wait at least ten minutes after the moderator picks up your response. If the moderator does not respond, then you may post. If you are a replacement, wait until the moderator announces your replacement in the game thread. This rule is related to the above rule.</li>
<li>Town-aligned players should only self-hammer in exceptional circumstances. A similar ruling applies for scum-aligned players.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; Claiming scum by yourself is always okay as long as it is clear to the moderator you are not attempting to throw the game. <strong>Claiming scum with other players is fine <em>only</em> on Day 1 provided it is clear to the moderator you are not attempting to throw the game.</strong> The Day 1 restriction on claiming scum with others was added to to limit the likelihood the moderator gives away information by acting or not acting in certain situations.</li>
</ol></li>
<li>Scum may attempt to kill their teammates at night provided that 1) all living team members agree and 2) there is clear evidence to the moderator that such a move is potentially beneficial and not game-throwing. In all cases, the moderator must <em><em>explicitly</em></em> approve of the move for it to be counted.</li>
<li>'''Please request replacement if you do not have enough time to play the game.''' Nothing is inherently wrong with replacing out of a game, and you are doing more harm to the game by staying in than you would if you replaced out.
<li>Players may self-vote at any time and for any reason unless it is a hammer.</li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; Players should only self-hammer in exceptional circumstances.</li>
<li>For games with very long threads (more than fifty pages), please think twice before replacing out as it is hard to find replacements for those games. An alternative to replacing out in many circumstances is to declare V/LA instead.</li>
</ol>
</ol></li>
</li>
<li><strong>Please request replacement if you do not have enough time to play the game.</strong> Nothing is inherently wrong with replacing out of a game, and you are doing more harm to the game by staying in than you would if you replaced out. For games with long threads (more than seventy-five pages), please think twice before replacing out as it is hard to find replacements for those games.</li>
</ol>
</ol>


===Honour===
===Honor===
 
<ol>
<ol>
<li>'''Discussion of ongoing games at any time, through any means, and regardless of content, is prohibited as per site rules.''' See below for more information on this very important rule. ''I am somewhat stricter about this rule than most moderators. You are forewarned.''
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong><strong>Discussion of ongoing games at any time, through any means, and regardless of content, is prohibited as per site rules.</strong></strong> See below for clarifications on this important rule.
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>You are free to communicate with the moderator, backup moderators, and/or co-moderators about this game at any time for any reason. You may also contact list moderators and admins who are not players of this game if an issue arises. ''Note: It is preferable for you to contact the game moderator first about an issue before escalating to site staff.''</li>
<li>You are free to communicate with the moderator, backup moderators, and co-moderators about the game at any time for any reason. You may also contact list moderators and administrators who are not players of the game if an issue arises.</li>
<li>'''You may discuss players' activities in other games in a general sense provided that you do not mention anything of substance.''' It is up to moderator discretion as to what constitutes a statement of substance. Please see [https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?p=5232406#p5232406 this post] by Untrod Tripod for more details.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Do not discuss players' activities in other games.</strong></li>
<li>'''Do not use {redacted} and similar phrasing to bypass the rule against ongoing games.''' Micc does a really good job explaining what is and is not acceptable [https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?p=10572188#p10572188 here]. The key takeaway is it is better to say you cannot discuss something because of ongoing games instead of substituting {redacted} for what you cannot say.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong><strong>Do not reference ongoing games as a reason for a read. Do not hint or imply that ongoing games are a reason for a read.</strong></strong> Please refer to [https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?p=13243663#p13243663 here] for a more detailed explanation. While you are allowed to use ongoing games a reason to read a player, you cannot use it as justification in the thread.</li>
<li>'''Alt-slips and hydra slips must be quoted by your main account as soon as possible.''' Failure to do so in a reasonable time frame will result in the moderator believing the slip to be a discussion of ongoing games and taking the appropriate action.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Alt-slips and hydra slips must be quoted by your main account as soon as possible.</strong> The moderator cannot and will not attempt to guess whether a post made by a player not in the game is from alt or by someone breaking the ongoing games discussion rule.</li>
<li>'''Do not quote or reference any post or statement made in this game in your signature and/or your wiki page while the game is ongoing.''' Signatures are shown on every post and wiki pages are publicly accessible and sometimes referenced in other games.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Do not quote or reference any post or statement made in this game in your signature, in your avatar, or on your wiki page while the game is ongoing.</strong> Signatures are shown on every post, and wiki pages are publicly accessible.</li>
<li>'''You are allowed a single contentless "Bah!" post after you die.''' Further posts and/or posts with content are breaches of the discussion of ongoing games rule.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>You are allowed a single contentless "Bah!" post after you die.</strong> Further posts and posts with content are violations of the discussion of ongoing games rule.</li>
<li>Once the moderator formally states in the game thread that a player is being replaced, that player should cease any and all posting in the game thread.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; Once the moderator formally states in the game thread that a player is being replaced, that player should cease any and all posting in the game thread.</li>
<li>If your role specifically allows you to communicate about this game outside the game-thread, then you may do so in the way dictated by your role.</li>
<li>If your role specifically allows you to communicate about the game outside the game thread, then you may do so in the way dictated by your role.</li>
<li>In general, you are allowed to discuss this game in private topics related to the game.</li>
<li>In general, you are allowed to discuss the game in private topics related to the game.</li>
<li>If you have questions about this rule, please contact the game moderator (preferable) or a list moderator not in this game.</li>
<li>If you have questions about this rule, please contact the game moderator or a list moderator not the this game.</li>
</ol></li>
</ol>
<li>'''[[Trust tells]] and other forms of outside influences are prohibited.'''
</li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>[[Trust tells]] and other forms of outside influences are prohibited.</strong>
<li>'''Do not replace out in such a manner as to confirm your alignment.'''</li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>'''Do not threaten to replace out. Do not demand others to replace out.''' If you believe a player should be force-replaced, please contact the moderator. In addition, all replacement-related communication should be conducted privately with the game moderator.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Do not replace out in such a manner as to confirm your alignment.</strong></li>
                <li>'''Do not threaten to break a rule.'''</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Do not threaten to replace out. Do not demand others to replace out.</strong> If you believe a player should be force-replaced, contact the moderator. All replacement-related communication should be conducted privately with the moderator.</li>
<li>Bets of any kind relating to this game (including avatar bets) should be avoided.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Do not threaten to break a rule.</strong></li>
<li>'''The moderator will only respond to the following requests in-thread: 1) votecount-related questions and corrections 2) V/LAs 3) formatting fixing requests 4) questions about public mechanics and 5) the roles or abilities of flipped players. All other questions including speculative questions should be asked by pm.''' Statements to the effect of "I asked the moderator {question} and they responded with {answer}." are generally fine provided the answer part is paraphrased.</li>
<li>&#x2605; Bets of any kind including avatar bets that relate to the game should be avoided.</li>
<li>Do not discuss actions taken by the moderator while the game is still ongoing. Please save that discussion for post-game. You may privately contact the moderator if you have questions about such actions.</li>
<li><strong>The moderator will only respond to the following requests in-thread: 1) vote count-related questions and corrections 2) V/LAs 3) formatting fixing requests 4) questions about public mechanics and 5) the roles or abilities of flipped players. All other questions including speculative questions should be asked privately.</strong> Statements to the effect of "I asked the moderator {question} and they responded with {answer}." are generally fine provided the answer part is paraphrased.</li>
</ol></li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; Do not discuss actions taken by the moderator while the game is still ongoing. Please save that discussion for post-game. You may privately contact the moderator if you have questions about such actions or disagree with them.</li>
<li>'''Cryptography and other forms of codes are generally not allowed.''' Breadcrumbs are generally okay.
<li>See [https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=88683 this thread] for more details.</li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
</ol>
<li>Do not attempt to use BBCode to hide messages.</li>
</li>
<li>'''All text should be at least size 75.''' ''Exception: Text in ooc tags does not have to be resized from the default.''</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Cryptography and other forms of codes are not allowed.</strong> Breadcrumbs are generally okay.
</ol></li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>'''The direct quoting and/or copy-pasting of private communication is prohibited except as noted below.''' Violations of this rule can lead to modkills.
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; Do not attempt to use BBCode to hide messages.</li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li><strong>All text should be at least <span style="font-size: 75%;">size 75</span>.</strong> Text within ooc tags do noes not have to be resized from the default.</li>
<li>'''The following may be ''copied'' (but ''not'' quoted) verbatim from role pms: 1) alignment 2) flip role/flavor name (generally second line of the role pm) and 3) effective role.''' Again, do ''not'' quote any of the preceding.</li>
</ol>
<li>Investigatives and other power roles may '''directly copy (''not quote'') unflavored results''' they receive. These are generally bolded.</li>
</li>
<li>Mafia, masons, and other players with private topics known to consist solely of a single alignment may freely copy and/or quote role pms and result pms into the private topic. They may also submit night actions as a collective there as well by bolding. ''(Please be aware that in games like Grand Idea Mafia, masonries are not guaranteed to consist of solely one alignment, so this rule does not apply to those groups in those kinds of games.)''</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong><strong>All private communications should be paraphrased except as noted below.</strong></strong> It does not matter how small the snippet is, it must be paraphrased unless an exception is listed below.
<li>'''Other forms of moderator communication should neither be directly copied nor quoted in the game-thread or anywhere else in this game.'''</li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>'''Do not reference timestamps, read statuses, private topic access numbers, and similar forms of metadata in the game thread.''' If you have a question about whether something is allowed, please ask.</li>
<li><strong>The following may be copied (but not quoted) verbatim from role pms: alignment, flavor name (second line of role pm), flip role (second line of role pm), effective role (normally near the bottom before the win condition), and flavored ability names/</strong></li>
<li>Do not link to private topics for any ongoing game into the main game thread. '''Do not quote posts from private topics from any ongoing game into the main thread.'''</li> ''That includes this game.''
<li>Investigatives and other power roles may <strong>directly copy (not quote) unflavored results</strong> they receive. These are generally bolded.
<li>'''You may paraphrase anything not otherwise covered by these rules (unless otherwise specified); however, please be careful.''' Also, regardless of whether something is a direct quote or not, '''surrounding it in quotation marks (") is not acceptable.''' The moderator will automatically assume that anything that came from another thread that is surrounded in quotation marks is in fact a direct copy-paste and will take action as necessary.</li>
<li>Mafia, masons, and other players with private topics known to consist solely of a single alignment may freely copy and/or quote role pms and result pms into the private topic. They may also submit night actions as a collective there as well by bolding. <strong><small style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">(Please be aware that in games like Grand Idea Mafia, masonries are not guaranteed to consist of solely one alignment, so this rule does not apply to those groups in those kinds of games.)</small></strong></li>
</ol></li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Other forms of moderator communication should neither be directly copied nor quoted in the game thread or anywhere else.</strong></li>
<li>'''Do not attempt to impersonate the game moderator, backup moderators, co-moderators, or site staff in any fashion.'''
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Do not reference timestamps, read statuses, private topic access numbers, post numbers from private topics, or other similar forms of metadata in the game thread.</strong> If you have a question about whether or not something is allowed, please ask. See [https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=88682 this thread] for an explanation.</li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; Do not link to private topics for any ongoing game into the main game thread. <strong>Do not quote posts from private topics from any ongoing game into the main thread.</strong> <em>That includes the game this ruleset applies to.</em> Please see [https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=88682 this thread] for an explanation.</li>
<li><span style="color: purple;">Purple</span> is the moderator's color in the main thread, and <span style="color: #33AA99;">#33AA99</span> is the moderator's color in private topics. '''You may use either color as you please provided that it is clear you are not trying to impersonate me by doing so.'''</li>
<li>&#x2605; <strong>You may paraphrase anything not covered by these rules unless otherwise specified, but please be careful. <strong>Regardless of whether something is actually a direct quote, surrounding it with quotation marks (") to give the impression that it is a direct quote is not acceptable.</strong></strong> The moderator will automatically presume that anything that comes from another thread that is surrounded in quotation marks is in fact a direct copy-paste and will take the appropriate action.</li>
<li>'''Player-provided votecounts should be explicitly marked as "Unofficial" and should not use the same format as official ones.'''</li>
</ol>
</ol></li>
</li>
<li>'''Do not edit or delete your posts.'''
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Do not attempt to impersonate the game moderator, backup moderators, co-moderators, or site staff in any fashion.</strong>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>The moderator will not delete any posts for any reason including in private topics.</li>
<li><span style="color: purple;">Purple</span> is the moderator's color in the main thread, and <span style="color: #33AA99;">#33AA99</span> is the moderator's color in private topics. <strong>You may use either color as you please provided it is clear you are not trying to impersonate the moderator by doing so.</strong></li>
<li>For private topics, you are allowed up to 24 hours after the game concludes to request redactions of your posts. '''This does not apply in the dead/spectator PT.'''</li>
<li>&#x2605; <strong>Player-provided vote counts should be explicitly marked as "Unofficial" and should not use the exact same format as official ones.</strong></li>
<li>Posts edited by the moderator will be signed by the moderator and include the reason for the edit. <span style="color: purple;">Edit: Here is an example. ~Ircher</span></li>
</ol>
</ol></li>
</li>
<li>Do not cheat and attempt to play the game under multiple accounts.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Do not edit or delete your posts.</strong>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>The moderator will not delete any posts for any reason including in private topics.</li>
<li>For private topics, you are allowed up to 24 hours after the game's conclusion to request redactions of your posts. The moderator will pm you at the end of the game. <strong style="font-style: italic;">This does not apply in the dead/spectator PT.</strong></li>
<li>Posts edited by the moderator will be signed by the moderator and include the reason for the edit. Edit: Here is an example. ~Ircher</li>
<li>The moderator will only edit player posts for the following reasons: 1) spoilering large posts on request 2) spoilering images and videos in posts that violate rule Respect$4 3) converting spoiler tags to spoiler= in posts that violate rule Respect$3 4) fixing minor formatting issues on request 5) changing the font size of posts that violate rule Honor$3b and 6) editing votes to cooperate with the automatic vote counter.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; Do not cheat and attempt to play the game under multiple accounts.</li>
</ol>
</ol>


===Miscellaneous===
===Miscellaneous===
<ol>
<ol>
<li>'''Follow the spirit of the rules.'''
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Follow the spirit of the rules in addition to the letter of the rules.</strong>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>Do not attempt to find loopholes in the ruleset.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; Do not attempt to find loopholes in the ruleset.</li>
<li>While the moderator generally assumes good faith, inadvertent rule breaks may also be punished if deemed necessary.</li>
<li>While the moderator generally assumes good faith, inadvertent rule breaks are still actionable.</li>
</ol></li>
</ol>
<li>'''Do not pretend to break the rules.''' Please do not make my job harder than it needs to be.
</li>
<li>'''A player is allowed to replace back into their slot''' if the slot has to be replaced multiple times ''provided that'' 1) the player was not force-replaced due to inactivity or a rule violation and 2) the player did not join the dead/spectator thread or otherwise receive information that would compromise the game.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Do not pretend to break the rules.</strong> Please do not make my job harder than it needs to be.</li>
<li>'''Players may rescind their replacement requests privately''' as long as they have not received any information that compromises their slot and replacements have not already been found.</li>
<li>Once a replacement has been found, a player cannot replace back into the game after replacing out. Any deviation from this would requires list moderator approval and is not worth the overhead. Please keep this in mind before replacing out.</li>
<li>Penalties for breaking these rules include moderator notices, moderator warnings, force-replacement, referral to list moderators, and modkilling. (These are listed in increasing order of severity.)</li>
<li><strong>Players may rescind their replacement requests <em>privately</em></strong> as long as they have not received any information that compromises their slot and replacements have not already been found. <strong>Do not post in the game thread.</strong></li>
<li>'''The moderator reserves the right to update this ruleset as necessary.''' <u>New items will be underlined</u>, and <s>deleted items will be striked through.</s> ''(Note: The markup on this line is an example.)''</li>
<li>Hydras are not required to sign, but they are encouraged to as some rules may apply per head rather than per slot.</li>
<li><strong>The moderator reserves the right to update this ruleset as necessary with notice.</strong> <u role="presentation">New items will be underlined</u>, and <s role="presentation">deleted items will be striked through</s>. (Note: The markup on this line is an example.)</li>
</ol>
</ol>


===Recap of Primary Rules===
===Recap of General Rules===
* Follow the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
<ol>
* Follow all site rules especially the ones against discussing ongoing games and threatening/demanding to replace out.
<li>Follow the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."</li>
* Do not discuss replacements, both in terms of the incoming and outgoing players.
<li>Follow all site rules including the ones against discussing ongoing games, threatening to replace out, declaring intent to replace out in-thread, and proving private communication.</li>
* Do not use the plain spoiler (blackout tag) by itself; use the spoiler= tag instead or combine it with colored text.
<li>Do not discuss the reasons behind a player replacing out.</li>
* Be mindful of other users. In particular, try to spoiler animated GIFs, videos, and posts with multiple images.
<li>Do not use the plain spoiler tag; use spoiler= instead. Be mindful of other users and try to spoiler posts with multiple large images or videos.</li>
* Play to win the game and do not use provable randomness.
<li>Play to win the game. This includes reading your role pm and confirming your role to the moderator's satisfaction. Do not claim to have done otherwise.</li>
* Be sure to read your role pm. Do not claim to have done otherwise; if you did not receive a role pm, please PM the moderator. This also includes reading who your teammates (as mafia or other groupscum) are if that was sent in a separate pm.
<li>Respect pronouns, and do not use the L-word.</li>
* '''Please respect pronouns and avoid using the L-word.'''
<li>Follow both the letter and spirit of the rules.</li>
* Follow the spirit of the rules, not the letter.
<li>If you disagree with an action the moderator takes, please bring it up privately or wait until post-game. Do not discuss moderator actions in-thread.</li>
* The moderator reserves the right to update this ruleset as necessary.
<li>The moderator may update the ruleset as necessary with notice.</li>
* This summary is not (and cannot) be all-inclusive. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the entire ruleset when you get the chance; things that are in bold are particularly important.
<li>This summary is not and cannot be all-inclusive. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the entire ruleset when you get the chance.</li>
</ol>


==Activity and Deadline Rules==
==Activity and Deadline Rules==
Line 124: Line 156:
===Standard Activity and Deadline Rules===
===Standard Activity and Deadline Rules===
<ol>
<ol>
<li>'''Day 1 lasts 14 days. Day 2 lasts 10 days. All other days last 7 days. Nights last 48 hours.'''
<li><strong>Day 1 lasts 14 days. Day 2 lasts ten days. All other days last seven days. Nights last two days.</strong>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>'''Night actions must be submitted at least fifteen (15) minutes before the deadline.''' This gives the moderator time to resolve actions and promptly start the next phase on time.</li>
<li><strong>Night actions must be submitted at least twenty (20) minutes before the deadline.</strong> This gives the moderator time to resolve actions and promptly start the next phase on time.</li>
</ol></li>
<li>Fast night is a possibility if all living players explicitly agree to it. Players must explicitly resubmit their desire for fast night each night regardless of their role.</li>
<li>'''Day extensions are rare and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.'''
</ol>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
</li>
<li>A minimum of 24 hours will be alloted to any player who replaces in. (More time may be granted if the thread is long.)</li>
<li><strong>Day extensions are <em>rare</em> and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.</strong>
<li>Extensions for holidays (especially American holidays) will generally be accepted or announced in advance.</li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>Extensions for site down-time will be made as appropriate.</li>
<li>A minimum of 24 hours will be granted to any player who replaces in. More time may be granted if the thread is long.</li>
<li>'''Other extension requests are likely to be rejected.'''
<li>Extensions for holidays (especially American holidays) will be announced in advance. You may request an extension for a holiday that has not been announced in advance.</li>
</ol></li>
<li>Extensions for site downtime will be granted as appropriate.</li>
<li><strong>Other extension requests are likely to be rejected.</strong></li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>Nights may be extended if a replacement is needed. A minimum of 24 hours will be granted for night actions after a replacement is found.</li>
<li>Nights may be extended if a replacement is needed. A minimum of 24 hours will be granted for night actions after a replacement is found.</li>
<li>You must post at least once '''every 32 hours'''. The moderator will prod you if you do not. ''Note: Traditionally, I have relaxed activity requirements on weekends; however, in practice, this leads to the game stalling and causes more harm than it helps (as I learned in a survey response). Declaring V/LA on weekends is still acceptable if you have limited availability during the weekends.''
<li><strong><strong>You are expected to post at least once each day.</strong></strong> The specific time you post each day does not matter; you can post in the morning one day and the evening the next day without penalty. <strong>The moderator will prod you if you have not posted within the last 30 hours when the moderator checks the thread overview. This check occurs twice each day: once at night around 9:00 PM CDT/CST and once in the morning between 6:00 AM CDT/CST and 9:00 AM CDT/CST.</strong></li>
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li><strong>When you are prodded and the thread is unlocked, you must post in-thread within two prod checks</strong> (as defined in the above rule), or you will be force-replaced for inactivity. If the thread is locked, you should pm the moderator within two prod checks.</li>
<li>Unless the thread is locked, '''all prods must be responded to in-thread.''' All prods must be responded to '''within 32 hours''' of when the prod was issued.</li>
<li><strong>You can prod dodge, but two (2) prod dodges are equivalent to a single prod.</strong> If you are prodded again from prod dodging, you may not prod dodge. While a subjective rule, prod dodges are defined as posts containing little or no content related to the game. Minimum content is not defined to mitigate abuse, but the moderator tries to apply this rule as objectively as possible.</li>
</ol></li>
<li><strong>Announce vacation or limited access (V/LA) status in-thread and not by pm.</strong> The moderator will not decline a request sent by pm, but your fellow players would like to know when you are gone. <strong>You should set V/LA status in the user cp to ensure that the moderator does not forget.</strong> Setting the status in the user cp makes it easy for the moderator (and other players) to see who is V/LA and who is not.</li>
<li>'''You can prod dodge, but two (2) prod dodges are equivalent to a single prod.''' If you are prodded again from prod-dodging, you may not prod dodge. While a subjective rule, prod dodges are objectively defined as posts that contain little or no content related to the game. Minimum content is not defined here as to mitigate abuse but do realize that this rule is applied as objectively as possible.</li>
<li><strong>If you have regular weekend V/LA, it is your responsibility to inform the moderator at the end of each week or to set V/LA status.</strong></li>
<li>'''V/LAs should be announced in-thread, not by pm.''' The moderator will not decline a request sent by pm, but your fellow players would like to know that you are gone as well. '''You should set V/LA tags in the User CP to ensure I do not forget.''' Setting them in the User CP makes it very easy for the moderator to see who is V/LA and not.</li>
<li>V/LA players must post at least once every 120 hours (5 days). Players declaring long V/LAs (14 days or longer) may have stricter requirements imposed on them.</li>
<li>If you have '''regular weekend V/LA''', it is '''your responsibility''' to inform me at the end of '''each week''' or to set V/LA status.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; Your activity will be closely monitored. <strong>The moderator will warn and replace players who are exploiting loopholes in the activity rules.</strong></li>
<li>V/LA players '''must post at least once every 96 hours (4 days)'''. Excessively long V/LAs ('''14 days or longer''') may have stricter requirements imposed on them.</li>
<li>To be clear, <strong>you are expected to post more than the bare minimum dictated by the prodding rules.</strong></li>
<li>Your activity will be closely monitored. '''I reserve the right to warn and replace players whom I believe are exploiting loopholes in the activity rules.'''</li>
<li>&#x2605; <strong>You may double-post, but further posting in a row is heavily discouraged.</strong> This rule is intended to cut down on things that needlessly clutter the thread such as spamming one liner quotes when catching up. Such actions clutter the thread and makes it harder to refer back to older posts due to paging. With the advent of phones, this has become a popular and <i>easy</i> method to catch up. On phones, you can use the draft feature in your mail app or use a notes app to combine smaller posts into larger ones. This rule is not meant to be prevent you from posting. If you have something important to say even after posting twice in a row, go ahead and post it. Just try to be conscious of how that affects the thread, and do not make it a habit. For hydras, this restriction is per head as long as the hydras are signing their post.</li>
<li>To be clear, '''you are expected to post more than the bare minimum''' dictated by the prodding rules.</li>
</ol>
</ol>


===Experimental Activity and Deadline Rules===
===Experimental Activity and Deadline Rules===
These experimental rules are intended to encourage more balanced activity. In today's meta, posting too little is less of a concern as compared to posting too much. A large portion of this is devoted to explaining my viewpoint on the issue; if you are skimming, focus on the first sentence and the stuff in bold.
These experimental rules are intended to encourage more balanced activity. In today's meta, posting too much is as much a problem as posting too little. A large portion of this section is devoted to explain the moderator's viewpoint on the issue. If you are skimming, focus on the first sentence of each rule and anything that is bolded. None of these rules apply in private topics.


<ol>
<ol>
<li>Unless one of the following rules conflict with a previous rule, '''all of the rules under the standard activity and deadline rules section apply.'''</li>
<li>All standard activity and deadline rules still apply unless they conflict with one of the rules below. In the case of a conflict, only the conflicting portion is void; the remainder of the rule still holds.</li>
<li>'''Day 1 has a minimum deadline of three (3) days. All future days have a minimum deadline of one (1) day. Votes will still count during this time period.''' This minimum deadline is waived if there are five (5) or fewer living players. If a hammer occurs before the time limit expires, the game will enter a twilight phase where all players may continue to talk. The moderator will keep a countdown to indicate the earliest time the day may end. This rule may also be waived by unanimous consent of all living players including the recently hammered player. The intention behind this rule is to give everyone a chance to speak. It also encourages players not to spam everything at once but to take their time to formulate their thoughts.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Players that have twice the median number of posts after the first 48 hours of the game will be asked to limit their posts to five posts per 24 hours until their post count is less than twice the median number of posts. An additional two naked vote changes per 24 hours will also be allowed.</strong> This rule does not apply when five or fewer players remain. This rule was suggested in a player survey. The intent here is a rule that compromises between hard caps on post counts while also keeping the number of posts to manageable numbers.</li>
<li>'''You may double-post, but further posting in a row is heavily discouraged.''' More specifically, this rule is intended to cut down on things that needlessly clutter the thread such as spamming one liner quotes when catching up. This needlessly clutters the thread and takes up vertical space. It also makes it harder to refer back to older posts due to paging. With the advent of phones, this is a popular and "easy" method to catch up, but there are ways, even on phones, to combine smaller posts into larger ones. Try using the draft feature in gmail (or another email client of yours) or the notes app (on iPhones) to compose your thoughts in one post rather than as a burst of several posts. If you have something really important to say, do not let this discourage you from posting, but please try to be a bit more restrained.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>During the first 48 hours of the game, players should limit their posting to no more than 50 posts per 24 hours.</strong> This translates to two pages per day which should be more than enough in most circumstances. The moderator will not track the exact amount of posts made each day by each player, but the moderator will notify any player whose cumulative number of posts breaks this rule.</li>
<li>'''Players are expected not to excessively spam the thread. While no formal rules apply, there will be penalties for violating this rule.''' Remember, not everyone can be online all the time. Be sure to give your fellow players a chance to speak rather than drowning out the thread with posts. Furthermore, spamming the thread is inconsiderate to players who are behind. They will become further behind even though they may in reality be posting at a reasonable rate. Please remember to be considerate of your fellow players at all times.</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>After the first 48 hours of the game, players should limit their posting to no more than 25 posts per 24 hours.</strong> While one page per player per day may not seem that much, it adds up when everyone is posting that much. The moderator will not track the exact amount of posts made each day by each player, but the moderator will notify any player whose cumulative number of posts breaks this rule.</li>
<li>Penalties for violating the rules against posting too much include notices, warnings, and force-replacement (in escalating order of severity).</li>
<li>&#x2605;&#x2605; <strong>Players are expected to not excessively spam the thread.</strong> This rule is mostly covered by the three preceding ones, but it is still here for emphasis. Remember that not everyone can be online all the time. Be sure to give your fellow players a chance to speak rather than drowning out the thread with posts. Spamming the thread is very inconsiderate to players who are behind. They will become further behind. Please remember to be considerate of your fellow players at all times.</li>
</ol>
</ol>


==Setup-Specific Rules==
==Setup-Specific Rules==
These rules may be overridden by the particular setup's rules, but they should give a good baseline of what to expect.
These rules may be overridden by a particular setup's rules, but they give a good baseline of what to expect.


===Voting, Fading, and Twilight Rules===
===Voting, Fading, and Twilight Rules===
These rules apply to most games. Main exceptions are games where voting is a central mechanic and some grand idea style games.
<ol>
<ol>
<li>To vote, use bold ('''Vote: Player''') or the vote tags. The latter is highly recommended to ensure your vote is not missed. The usage of bold is an antiquated way of doing it back before vote tags existed.</li>
<li>To vote, use bold (<b>Vote: Player</b>) or the vote tags. The latter is highly recommended to ensure your vote is not missed. Using bold is an antiquated way of voting before vote tags existed.</li>
<li>To unvote, use bold ('''Unvote: Player''') or the unvote tags. The latter is again preferred and highly recommended.</li>
<li>To unvote, use bold (<b>Unvote: Player</b>) or the unvote tags. Hint: As a shortcut, you can use [v]Player[/v] and [uv]Player[/uv] to vote and unvote.</li>
<li>You do not have to unvote to change votes. '''Furthermore, I will only track the last *valid* vote in your post.'''</li>
<li>You do <em>not</em> have to unvote to change votes. <strong>Furthermore, the moderator will only track the last <em>valid</em> vote in your post.</strong></li>
<li>Player abbreviations are allowed provided the moderator can reasonably determine whom the player is referring to.</li>
<li>Player abbreviations are allowed so long as the moderator can reasonably determine the intended player.</li>
<li>Invalid or ambiguous votes will not be counted. The moderator will note such instances. ''Exceptions to this rule (for invalid votes) may be made in LimLo situations to prevent voting shenanigans.''
<li>Invalid and ambiguous votes will not be counted. The moderator will note such instances. <strong style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">Exceptions to this rule may be made for invalid votes during LimLo situations to prevent voting shenanigans.</strong></li>
<li>Hammer occurs when half of all living players (rounded down) plus one cast a vote against the same player (or No Fade). All votes after a hammer will not be counted, and the hammered player is the one who will flip. The time following a hammer is Twilight, and all players may continue talking. ''This rule may be superseded by setup-specific rules or by the experimental activity and deadline rules. Please check the particular ruleset of the game you are in.''</li>
<li>Hammer occurs when half of all living players (rounded down) plus one cast a vote against the same player (or No Fade). All votes after a hammer will not be counted, and the hammered player is the one who will flip. The time following a hammer is <i>twilight</i>. All players may continue talking during twilight. <small style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">This rule may be superceded by setup-specific rules or by the experimental activity and deadline rules. Please check the particular ruleset of the game you are in.</small></li>
<li>Simple majority rules apply unless otherwise specified: no fade will occur if deadline is reached without a hammer.</li>
<li><em>To be absolutely clear, the same rules for hammers are used for both No Fade and typical eliminations, specifically 50% (rounded down) + 1 votes are required.</em></li>
<li>''To be absolutely clear, the same rules for hammers are used for No Fade as is used for normal hammers, specifically 50% (rounded down) + 1 votes are required.''</li>
<li>Players should cease talking as soon as twilight ends. <strong>Twilight exists for the moderator not the players. Do not rely too heavily upon it.</strong></li>
<li>Players should cease talking as soon as twilight ends (i.e.: when the moderator posts). '''Twilight exists mainly for the moderator, not the players. Do not rely too heavily upon it.'''</li>
</ol>
</ol>


===Typical Setup Rules for Normal Games===
===Typical Setup Rules for Normal Games===
These rules apply to most explicitly normal games I run. Please remember that a specific game may override these rules as appropriate.
These rules to most explicitly normal games the moderator runs. Please remember that a specific game may override these rules as appropriate.


<ol>
<ol>
<li>All private topics possess daytalk.</li>
<li>All private topics possess daytalk.</li>
<li>Unless otherwise specified, mafia may ''not'' perform a kill and use an active ability at the same time.</li>
<li>Unless otherwise specified, mafia may <em>not</em> perform a kill and use an active ability at the same time.</li>
<li>If this is a micro, the game begins with 7 town and 2 scum. If this is a mini, the game begins with 10 town and 3 scum. Player ratios in large normals vary; please check the specific game's ruleset.</li>
<li>If this is a micro, the game begins with 7 town and 2 scum. If this is a mini, the game begins with 10 town and 3 scum. Player ratios in large normals vary; please check the specific game's ruleset.</li>
<li>This setup was approved for normalcy and balance as governed by the [[Normal Guidelines]].</li>
<li>This setup was approved for normalcy and balance as governed by the [[Normal Guidelines]].</li>
Line 190: Line 224:
<br />
<br />
You win when all threats to the town are eliminated, and at least one townie is still alive.<br />
You win when all threats to the town are eliminated, and at least one townie is still alive.<br />
'''Confirm by pm'ing me your alignment, role name, and any partners you may have.'''</code>
<b>Confirm by pm'ing me your alignment and role name.</b></code>
</li>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>

Latest revision as of 23:02, 24 September 2022

Notes on Reading This Page

Types of Consequences

Violating these rules will have consequences. The various actions the moderator may take are listed below.

  • Thread Notices are messages posted by the moderator in the game thread. Thread notices are general reminders to all players, and no individual players are directly penalized by a thread notice. The moderator reserves the right to issue moderator notices and warnings to individual players in addition to issuing a general thread notice.
  • Thread Locking is when the moderator locks the thread for a non-mechanical reason. This is typically used when the moderator is consulting with a list moderator about a potential rule violation.
  • Moderator Notices are private messages that are meant to bring to your attention behaviors that are potentially problematic. You do not gain any penalty stars from moderator notices (see the next section).
  • Moderator Warnings are private messages that indicate you have broken a rule. You do gain penalty stars from moderator warnings (see the next section).
  • Force Replacement means that you are no longer allowed to play in the game. You can be force replaced without receive a warning first if the moderator judges that is the appropriate action to take.
  • Modkill are reserved for the most egregious violations. Not only are you no longer allowed to play, you also automatically lose. The moderator must receive list moderator approval before executing a modkill.
  • Referral to List Moderators is used when a rule you broke is also a site rule. This ensures that appropriate site consequences are administered in addition to any in-game consequences.

The Star System

  • Throughout this wiki page are stars (★).
  • When they appear at the beginning of a rule, they indicate the number of stars accumulated when you receive a warning related to that rule.
  • If you accumulate five or more penalty stars, you will be force-replaced. This ensures consistency on the moderator's part.
  • You may still be force-replaced even if you break a rule that has less than five stars. The star system only prescribes a minimum punishment, not a maximum punishment.

General Rules

This ruleset is meant to be comprehensive and cover almost all situations. Hence, they are very long. If you are short on time, please go to the recap section for a TL;DR version.

Respect

  1. ★★★ Follow the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
    1. ★★★★★ Personal attacks, harassment, racism, sexism, and other forms of abuse directed towards others or oneself will not be tolerated.
    2. ★★★ Other forms of toxic behavior that promotes an unpleasant environment are also not allowed.
    3. ★★ Please assume good faith of all players who request replacement. Discussing the reasons behind replacements brings an outside influence into the game, and it is the moderator's job to determine whether a replacement request is tactical in nature. It is also rude and disrespectful to the player who requested replacement.
    4. Avoid bringing personal life events into the game thread. If a player does bring up a personal personal life event, do not attempt to guess the player's motives for doing so. It is best to let real life stay out of the thread as it can be an outside influence on the game. When it does come up, it is unethical to assign ulterior motives to the player bringing it up.
    5. ★★ Do not suggest other players be banned or force-replaced in thread. Do not accuse others of breaking the rules. See this link (rule 2d) for the rationale. If you think a player has broken the rules, you should pm the moderator with a description of why the post(s) in question break the site rules or the moderator's rules. If the player also broke site rules, you should use the report button to refer them to site moderators.
    6. ★★ You are expected to respect pronouns to the best of your ability. While mistakes do sometimes occur, they should not become a habit as that is an indication of sloppiness and lack of respect. Any refusal to respect pronouns is grounds for immediate force-replacement.
    7. ★★★ Others being toxic does not give you license to be toxic yourself. The number one rule is still to treat others as you would like to be treated. If someone else is being toxic and making the game unpleasant for you, please let the moderator know. The moderator will handle the situation, but please be aware that there may not be a direct visible effect from any actions the moderator takes.
  2. The use of the "L"-word is strongly discouraged. Please adopt alternatives such as "eliminate", "fade", "launch", etc.
  3. Avoid using the plain spoiler (blackout) tag. Use spoiler= instead. This rule exists because the content hidden within a blackout tag is not easily accessed on mobile devices, and many players access and play mafia on mobile devices.
    • [spoiler]This is wrong and will be edited by the moderator.[/spoiler]
    • [spoiler][color=red]You can use the spoiler tag if you use a different color alongside it.[/color][/spoiler]
    • [spoiler=]This is the preferred way to do it.[/spoiler]
  4. Please use spoilers in posts containing at least two videos or large images. Large here is relative to the size of a phone screen. This rule exists for users with slower internet connections. It also helps reduce the vertical length of pages which is especially important on mobile devices.
  5. Do not spam the thread with constant and persistent off-topic posts. While the occasional tangent is acceptable, excessive off-topic posting makes it harder for other players to find game-relevant content.
  6. ★★ Play the game and play to win. By not playing the game, you ruin the experience of other players.
    1. ★ Do not use the dice tag or other forms of provable randomness. It is okay to claim to have used randomness so long as you do not attempt to prove it.
    2. ★★★★★ You must read your role pm! Do not claim otherwise! If the moderator failed to send you a role pm, please notify the moderator privately. You will be force-replaced without warning if you violate this rule. This rule exists because you cannot possibly play to win without knowing your objective.
    3. ★★★ Avoid posting in the main thread until after the moderator acknowledges that you have successfully confirmed your role. During pre-game, wait at least ten minutes after the moderator picks up your response. If the moderator does not respond, then you may post. If you are a replacement, wait until the moderator announces your replacement in the game thread. This rule is related to the above rule.
    4. ★★★★★ Claiming scum by yourself is always okay as long as it is clear to the moderator you are not attempting to throw the game. Claiming scum with other players is fine only on Day 1 provided it is clear to the moderator you are not attempting to throw the game. The Day 1 restriction on claiming scum with others was added to to limit the likelihood the moderator gives away information by acting or not acting in certain situations.
    5. Scum may attempt to kill their teammates at night provided that 1) all living team members agree and 2) there is clear evidence to the moderator that such a move is potentially beneficial and not game-throwing. In all cases, the moderator must explicitly approve of the move for it to be counted.
    6. Players may self-vote at any time and for any reason unless it is a hammer.
    7. ★★ Players should only self-hammer in exceptional circumstances.
  7. Please request replacement if you do not have enough time to play the game. Nothing is inherently wrong with replacing out of a game, and you are doing more harm to the game by staying in than you would if you replaced out. For games with long threads (more than seventy-five pages), please think twice before replacing out as it is hard to find replacements for those games.

Honor

  1. ★★★★★ Discussion of ongoing games at any time, through any means, and regardless of content, is prohibited as per site rules. See below for clarifications on this important rule.
    1. You are free to communicate with the moderator, backup moderators, and co-moderators about the game at any time for any reason. You may also contact list moderators and administrators who are not players of the game if an issue arises.
    2. ★★★★ Do not discuss players' activities in other games.
    3. ★★★★ Do not reference ongoing games as a reason for a read. Do not hint or imply that ongoing games are a reason for a read. Please refer to here for a more detailed explanation. While you are allowed to use ongoing games a reason to read a player, you cannot use it as justification in the thread.
    4. ★★ Alt-slips and hydra slips must be quoted by your main account as soon as possible. The moderator cannot and will not attempt to guess whether a post made by a player not in the game is from alt or by someone breaking the ongoing games discussion rule.
    5. ★★★ Do not quote or reference any post or statement made in this game in your signature, in your avatar, or on your wiki page while the game is ongoing. Signatures are shown on every post, and wiki pages are publicly accessible.
    6. ★★★★★ You are allowed a single contentless "Bah!" post after you die. Further posts and posts with content are violations of the discussion of ongoing games rule.
    7. ★★★★★ Once the moderator formally states in the game thread that a player is being replaced, that player should cease any and all posting in the game thread.
    8. If your role specifically allows you to communicate about the game outside the game thread, then you may do so in the way dictated by your role.
    9. In general, you are allowed to discuss the game in private topics related to the game.
    10. If you have questions about this rule, please contact the game moderator or a list moderator not the this game.
  2. ★★★ Trust tells and other forms of outside influences are prohibited.
    1. ★★★ Do not replace out in such a manner as to confirm your alignment.
    2. ★★★ Do not threaten to replace out. Do not demand others to replace out. If you believe a player should be force-replaced, contact the moderator. All replacement-related communication should be conducted privately with the moderator.
    3. ★★★★ Do not threaten to break a rule.
    4. ★ Bets of any kind including avatar bets that relate to the game should be avoided.
    5. The moderator will only respond to the following requests in-thread: 1) vote count-related questions and corrections 2) V/LAs 3) formatting fixing requests 4) questions about public mechanics and 5) the roles or abilities of flipped players. All other questions including speculative questions should be asked privately. Statements to the effect of "I asked the moderator {question} and they responded with {answer}." are generally fine provided the answer part is paraphrased.
    6. ★★★ Do not discuss actions taken by the moderator while the game is still ongoing. Please save that discussion for post-game. You may privately contact the moderator if you have questions about such actions or disagree with them.
    7. See this thread for more details.
  3. ★★★ Cryptography and other forms of codes are not allowed. Breadcrumbs are generally okay.
    1. ★★ Do not attempt to use BBCode to hide messages.
    2. All text should be at least size 75. Text within ooc tags do noes not have to be resized from the default.
  4. ★★★★ All private communications should be paraphrased except as noted below. It does not matter how small the snippet is, it must be paraphrased unless an exception is listed below.
    1. The following may be copied (but not quoted) verbatim from role pms: alignment, flavor name (second line of role pm), flip role (second line of role pm), effective role (normally near the bottom before the win condition), and flavored ability names/
    2. Investigatives and other power roles may directly copy (not quote) unflavored results they receive. These are generally bolded.
    3. Mafia, masons, and other players with private topics known to consist solely of a single alignment may freely copy and/or quote role pms and result pms into the private topic. They may also submit night actions as a collective there as well by bolding. (Please be aware that in games like Grand Idea Mafia, masonries are not guaranteed to consist of solely one alignment, so this rule does not apply to those groups in those kinds of games.)
    4. ★★★★ Other forms of moderator communication should neither be directly copied nor quoted in the game thread or anywhere else.
    5. ★★★ Do not reference timestamps, read statuses, private topic access numbers, post numbers from private topics, or other similar forms of metadata in the game thread. If you have a question about whether or not something is allowed, please ask. See this thread for an explanation.
    6. ★★★★ Do not link to private topics for any ongoing game into the main game thread. Do not quote posts from private topics from any ongoing game into the main thread. That includes the game this ruleset applies to. Please see this thread for an explanation.
    7. You may paraphrase anything not covered by these rules unless otherwise specified, but please be careful. Regardless of whether something is actually a direct quote, surrounding it with quotation marks (") to give the impression that it is a direct quote is not acceptable. The moderator will automatically presume that anything that comes from another thread that is surrounded in quotation marks is in fact a direct copy-paste and will take the appropriate action.
  5. ★★★ Do not attempt to impersonate the game moderator, backup moderators, co-moderators, or site staff in any fashion.
    1. Purple is the moderator's color in the main thread, and #33AA99 is the moderator's color in private topics. You may use either color as you please provided it is clear you are not trying to impersonate the moderator by doing so.
    2. Player-provided vote counts should be explicitly marked as "Unofficial" and should not use the exact same format as official ones.
  6. ★★★ Do not edit or delete your posts.
    1. The moderator will not delete any posts for any reason including in private topics.
    2. For private topics, you are allowed up to 24 hours after the game's conclusion to request redactions of your posts. The moderator will pm you at the end of the game. This does not apply in the dead/spectator PT.
    3. Posts edited by the moderator will be signed by the moderator and include the reason for the edit. Edit: Here is an example. ~Ircher
    4. The moderator will only edit player posts for the following reasons: 1) spoilering large posts on request 2) spoilering images and videos in posts that violate rule Respect$4 3) converting spoiler tags to spoiler= in posts that violate rule Respect$3 4) fixing minor formatting issues on request 5) changing the font size of posts that violate rule Honor$3b and 6) editing votes to cooperate with the automatic vote counter.
  7. ★★★★★ Do not cheat and attempt to play the game under multiple accounts.

Miscellaneous

  1. ★★ Follow the spirit of the rules in addition to the letter of the rules.
    1. ★★★★ Do not attempt to find loopholes in the ruleset.
    2. While the moderator generally assumes good faith, inadvertent rule breaks are still actionable.
  2. ★★★★ Do not pretend to break the rules. Please do not make my job harder than it needs to be.
  3. Once a replacement has been found, a player cannot replace back into the game after replacing out. Any deviation from this would requires list moderator approval and is not worth the overhead. Please keep this in mind before replacing out.
  4. Players may rescind their replacement requests privately as long as they have not received any information that compromises their slot and replacements have not already been found. Do not post in the game thread.
  5. Hydras are not required to sign, but they are encouraged to as some rules may apply per head rather than per slot.
  6. The moderator reserves the right to update this ruleset as necessary with notice. New items will be underlined, and deleted items will be striked through. (Note: The markup on this line is an example.)

Recap of General Rules

  1. Follow the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
  2. Follow all site rules including the ones against discussing ongoing games, threatening to replace out, declaring intent to replace out in-thread, and proving private communication.
  3. Do not discuss the reasons behind a player replacing out.
  4. Do not use the plain spoiler tag; use spoiler= instead. Be mindful of other users and try to spoiler posts with multiple large images or videos.
  5. Play to win the game. This includes reading your role pm and confirming your role to the moderator's satisfaction. Do not claim to have done otherwise.
  6. Respect pronouns, and do not use the L-word.
  7. Follow both the letter and spirit of the rules.
  8. If you disagree with an action the moderator takes, please bring it up privately or wait until post-game. Do not discuss moderator actions in-thread.
  9. The moderator may update the ruleset as necessary with notice.
  10. This summary is not and cannot be all-inclusive. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the entire ruleset when you get the chance.

Activity and Deadline Rules

Standard Activity and Deadline Rules

  1. Day 1 lasts 14 days. Day 2 lasts ten days. All other days last seven days. Nights last two days.
    1. Night actions must be submitted at least twenty (20) minutes before the deadline. This gives the moderator time to resolve actions and promptly start the next phase on time.
    2. Fast night is a possibility if all living players explicitly agree to it. Players must explicitly resubmit their desire for fast night each night regardless of their role.
  2. Day extensions are rare and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
    1. A minimum of 24 hours will be granted to any player who replaces in. More time may be granted if the thread is long.
    2. Extensions for holidays (especially American holidays) will be announced in advance. You may request an extension for a holiday that has not been announced in advance.
    3. Extensions for site downtime will be granted as appropriate.
    4. Other extension requests are likely to be rejected.
  3. Nights may be extended if a replacement is needed. A minimum of 24 hours will be granted for night actions after a replacement is found.
  4. You are expected to post at least once each day. The specific time you post each day does not matter; you can post in the morning one day and the evening the next day without penalty. The moderator will prod you if you have not posted within the last 30 hours when the moderator checks the thread overview. This check occurs twice each day: once at night around 9:00 PM CDT/CST and once in the morning between 6:00 AM CDT/CST and 9:00 AM CDT/CST.
  5. When you are prodded and the thread is unlocked, you must post in-thread within two prod checks (as defined in the above rule), or you will be force-replaced for inactivity. If the thread is locked, you should pm the moderator within two prod checks.
  6. You can prod dodge, but two (2) prod dodges are equivalent to a single prod. If you are prodded again from prod dodging, you may not prod dodge. While a subjective rule, prod dodges are defined as posts containing little or no content related to the game. Minimum content is not defined to mitigate abuse, but the moderator tries to apply this rule as objectively as possible.
  7. Announce vacation or limited access (V/LA) status in-thread and not by pm. The moderator will not decline a request sent by pm, but your fellow players would like to know when you are gone. You should set V/LA status in the user cp to ensure that the moderator does not forget. Setting the status in the user cp makes it easy for the moderator (and other players) to see who is V/LA and who is not.
  8. If you have regular weekend V/LA, it is your responsibility to inform the moderator at the end of each week or to set V/LA status.
  9. V/LA players must post at least once every 120 hours (5 days). Players declaring long V/LAs (14 days or longer) may have stricter requirements imposed on them.
  10. ★★ Your activity will be closely monitored. The moderator will warn and replace players who are exploiting loopholes in the activity rules.
  11. To be clear, you are expected to post more than the bare minimum dictated by the prodding rules.
  12. You may double-post, but further posting in a row is heavily discouraged. This rule is intended to cut down on things that needlessly clutter the thread such as spamming one liner quotes when catching up. Such actions clutter the thread and makes it harder to refer back to older posts due to paging. With the advent of phones, this has become a popular and easy method to catch up. On phones, you can use the draft feature in your mail app or use a notes app to combine smaller posts into larger ones. This rule is not meant to be prevent you from posting. If you have something important to say even after posting twice in a row, go ahead and post it. Just try to be conscious of how that affects the thread, and do not make it a habit. For hydras, this restriction is per head as long as the hydras are signing their post.

Experimental Activity and Deadline Rules

These experimental rules are intended to encourage more balanced activity. In today's meta, posting too much is as much a problem as posting too little. A large portion of this section is devoted to explain the moderator's viewpoint on the issue. If you are skimming, focus on the first sentence of each rule and anything that is bolded. None of these rules apply in private topics.

  1. All standard activity and deadline rules still apply unless they conflict with one of the rules below. In the case of a conflict, only the conflicting portion is void; the remainder of the rule still holds.
  2. ★★ Players that have twice the median number of posts after the first 48 hours of the game will be asked to limit their posts to five posts per 24 hours until their post count is less than twice the median number of posts. An additional two naked vote changes per 24 hours will also be allowed. This rule does not apply when five or fewer players remain. This rule was suggested in a player survey. The intent here is a rule that compromises between hard caps on post counts while also keeping the number of posts to manageable numbers.
  3. ★★ During the first 48 hours of the game, players should limit their posting to no more than 50 posts per 24 hours. This translates to two pages per day which should be more than enough in most circumstances. The moderator will not track the exact amount of posts made each day by each player, but the moderator will notify any player whose cumulative number of posts breaks this rule.
  4. ★★ After the first 48 hours of the game, players should limit their posting to no more than 25 posts per 24 hours. While one page per player per day may not seem that much, it adds up when everyone is posting that much. The moderator will not track the exact amount of posts made each day by each player, but the moderator will notify any player whose cumulative number of posts breaks this rule.
  5. ★★ Players are expected to not excessively spam the thread. This rule is mostly covered by the three preceding ones, but it is still here for emphasis. Remember that not everyone can be online all the time. Be sure to give your fellow players a chance to speak rather than drowning out the thread with posts. Spamming the thread is very inconsiderate to players who are behind. They will become further behind. Please remember to be considerate of your fellow players at all times.

Setup-Specific Rules

These rules may be overridden by a particular setup's rules, but they give a good baseline of what to expect.

Voting, Fading, and Twilight Rules

These rules apply to most games. Main exceptions are games where voting is a central mechanic and some grand idea style games.

  1. To vote, use bold (Vote: Player) or the vote tags. The latter is highly recommended to ensure your vote is not missed. Using bold is an antiquated way of voting before vote tags existed.
  2. To unvote, use bold (Unvote: Player) or the unvote tags. Hint: As a shortcut, you can use [v]Player[/v] and [uv]Player[/uv] to vote and unvote.
  3. You do not have to unvote to change votes. Furthermore, the moderator will only track the last valid vote in your post.
  4. Player abbreviations are allowed so long as the moderator can reasonably determine the intended player.
  5. Invalid and ambiguous votes will not be counted. The moderator will note such instances. Exceptions to this rule may be made for invalid votes during LimLo situations to prevent voting shenanigans.
  6. Hammer occurs when half of all living players (rounded down) plus one cast a vote against the same player (or No Fade). All votes after a hammer will not be counted, and the hammered player is the one who will flip. The time following a hammer is twilight. All players may continue talking during twilight. This rule may be superceded by setup-specific rules or by the experimental activity and deadline rules. Please check the particular ruleset of the game you are in.
  7. To be absolutely clear, the same rules for hammers are used for both No Fade and typical eliminations, specifically 50% (rounded down) + 1 votes are required.
  8. Players should cease talking as soon as twilight ends. Twilight exists for the moderator not the players. Do not rely too heavily upon it.

Typical Setup Rules for Normal Games

These rules to most explicitly normal games the moderator runs. Please remember that a specific game may override these rules as appropriate.

  1. All private topics possess daytalk.
  2. Unless otherwise specified, mafia may not perform a kill and use an active ability at the same time.
  3. If this is a micro, the game begins with 7 town and 2 scum. If this is a mini, the game begins with 10 town and 3 scum. Player ratios in large normals vary; please check the specific game's ruleset.
  4. This setup was approved for normalcy and balance as governed by the Normal Guidelines.
  5. Here is a sample role PM (it's very possible the moderator is lazy and does not edit the number or title): Welcome to {Size} Normal {#}: {Title}.
    You are a Vanilla Townie.

    You possess no special abilities other than your vote and your voice.

    You win when all threats to the town are eliminated, and at least one townie is still alive.
    Confirm by pm'ing me your alignment and role name.