Frequently Asked Questions: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 04:09, 3 July 2020

This section provides answers to some common questions about playing Mafia, in general and on this site. If your question is not answered here, you're welcome to register the site and ask in Mafia Discussion, or if you like, PM an established scummer who you think would be helpful.

Do not publicly ask questions about ongoing games, even if they are not being run on mafiascum.net! If you are playing in a Newbie Game and have a question, ask one of the experienced players. If you are moderating a game, ask an experienced moderator who is not otherwise related to your game. In any other case, you're on your own - not knowing what to do is a part of the game, and we can't play for you.

General Gameplay Questions

What does <INSERT UNFAMILIAR TERM HERE> mean?

There are a couple of possibilities.

It's a Mafia-specific term. Look in Category:Glossary and see if you find it. If you don't, try searching for it on this wiki using the search box on the left pane.
It's an abbreviation of a Mafia-specific term. See Commonly used abbreviations or see 1 above.
It's an abbreviation of a player's name. In that case, just look around a little - you'll figure out who's being talked to pretty easily.
If it still isn't clear, ask the person who said it in the first place.

If you're going to search the wiki, don't forget that spelling counts!

General Mafia Etiquette

I was just killed. Can I tell everyone what I know now?

No! Never reveal information after you are dead. Just watch the game, and wait for it to end.

Can I post messages from the Game Moderator to prove my innocence?

No! Never quote private messages (to include your Role PM) without explicit permission from the Game Moderator. In most games, it is allowed (and encouraged) to reveal your role at certain points in the game (for example, if you are a Cop and have found the last Mafia, you can reveal your role to get that player eliminated). However, you may not actually quote anything from the Game Moderator; even though it could (sometimes) easily be faked. The point of the game is to prove yourself through your actions and voting, not through outside information.

Can I post information during the night?

No, it is against the rules in almost all games to post game-related information during the night. Most Moderators will lock the thread at Night to avoid accidents.

I feel the Game Moderator was unfair in a decision. What should I do?

If you are dead at the time or if your complaint stems from something that should not be known to the Town, what you should not do is make your sentiment public, either in the game thread or elsewhere. Instead, feel free to contact the Moderator about it via PM. Keep in mind that moderating can be a lot of work, and if you are griping about something that is completely within the rules of the game (or that the moderator is unwilling to take action on), you will probably just annoy the Moderator.

Can I ask for help about what I should do in a game in a Discussion forum?

No. Games are meant to be self-contained, and you are expected to do your own best at any given time. Aside from that, what you say in your out-of-thread post may be revealing of your alignment, making the game much nastier to fairly moderate.

I'm in the Mafia, but I really don't like my family/being a criminal. Can I just get them all eliminated?

Technically, this is perfectly possible. However, the goal of the Mafia family is to kill all non-mafia players. Getting your own allies eliminated as a joke or because you don't like them is against the spirit of the game, and will likely earn you the lasting distrust of other players. However attacking your partners is a legitimate (and common) tactic, but it should be done strategically, not spitefully (see below).

Someone in my family just voted for me! What should I do?

One of the common Mafia strategies is to have some of the family voting against each other, so that if one member gets eliminated, the others will look more innocent. This is a natural part of the game, and is sometimes called distancing or bussing. As for what you should do... that's up to you.

Can I talk to someone at night or outside of the thread?

It is almost always against the rules to discuss anything with anyone at night unless you are in the Mafia or a Mason lodge. It is also usually against the rules to contact someone during the day privately.

Moderator Questions

(see also Category:How to Mod)

How should I decide who should get what roles in the Mafia game I am running?

The most common and recommended way is randomly. This is the fairest way to assign roles.

You can use the Sequence Generator at random.org.
1. Assign each role a number.
2. Run the generator.
3. Match the role number to your player list.

Some group of night actions caused a paradox (such as two Role blockers blocking each other) or could be interpreted multiple ways (such as the Mafia killing an SK who killed someone else). What do I do?

Ideally, you should haveve thought of any possible circumstances along these lines before the game began. One possible policy that deals with some of these situations is that actions always succeed unless they are blocked (so in the second scenario, both the SK and the SK's victim would die.). If you didn't, figure out what would be best for the game and/or make the most sense, but be consistent!

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-This section provides answers to some common questions about playing Mafia, in general and on this site. If you have additional questions, email [[mith]] or ask in the Forums.
+This section provides answers to some common questions about playing Mafia, in general and on this site. If your question is not answered here, you're welcome to register the site and ask in [http://mafiascum.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 Mafia Discussion], or if you like, PM an established scummer who you think would be helpful.
-==Forum Specific Questions==
+'''Do not publicly ask questions about ongoing games, even if they are not being run on mafiascum.net!''' If you are playing in a [[Newbie Game]] and have a question, ask one of the experienced players.  If you are moderating a game, ask an experienced moderator who is not otherwise related to your game.  In any other case, you're on your own - not knowing what to do is a part of the game, and we can't play for you.
-;Forum? What forum?
-We have a [http://www.mafiascum.net/forum/ Discussion Forum] (phpbb2) for users to play [[online Mafia]] here. Since this site is devoted to the online version of Mafia, it would be kinda pointless if we didn't, really. ;)
-;How do I ______?
-If you have a question regarding the use of phpbb2, it is probably answered in the http://mafiascum.net/forum/faq.php Forum FAQ]. If that doesn't answer your question, use the {{tl|AnswerMe}} tag to get some info.
-;Ok, I'm registered on your Forum. How do I play/moderate?
-Check the [http://www.mafiascum.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=4 Queue Forum] to see if there are any ongoing signups. There are five basic types of games: [[Normal Game]], [[Theme Game]], [[Mini Game]], [[Open Game]], and [[Newbie Game]].
-To sign up in the Minis, Open, or Newbie Games, post in the queue thread that you wish to play in the next possible game, or, in the case of Mini Theme Games and Open Games, which game you would like to play, ("/in for Famous Women" is an example Mini Theme post) and as soon as the game is full, it will start. Remember that you can only be in a total of 4 Mini Games at once.
-To sign up for Large Normal or Large Theme games, simply post in the dedicated signup thread for that game in the Queue subforum, and it will start once it is full. However, Large games may have some restrictions on who can signup, so check before signing up.
-Once a game starts, the [[Game Moderator]] will send you your [[role]] by [[PM]]. If you don't understand something, you can always ask questions. Make sure you read the Game Moderator's posted [[rules]] before the game starts, as they are not always exactly the same from game to game.
-If you want to moderate, post in one of the threads labelled "Moderators". New moderators must be active on the site for 3 months before being eligible to moderate, and can start by moderating a game in the Mini Normal or Open queues. To moderate a Mini Normal, you must devise the setup yourself, but you can choose what type of game to run. On the other hand, if you moderate an Open game, the setup will already be made for you. You must have moderated one game to sign up to mod a Mini Theme or Normal game, and you must have moderated two games before you can moderate a Newbie or Large Theme game.
-If you sign up to moderate a Mini, Open or Newbie game, just check the queue thread; players will sign up there, so as soon as your game is at the top of the list and full, you can start. If you sign up to moderate a Large game, wait until you are at the top of the Waiting List. When it is appropriate, the [[List Mod]] will give you permission to open the signup thread.
-When your game is full, you will be given the rights to open your game thread, and you can begin to moderate.
 ==General Gameplay Questions==
-;What does x mean?
+;What does <INSERT UNFAMILIAR TERM HERE> mean?
 There are a couple of possibilities.
-# It's a specialized term.  To see the meaning just type it into the '''Search box''' below and see what you get.  If you get nothing, type <tt>{{tl|AnswerMe}}</tt> on the page and someone will get on it soon.
+# It's a Mafia-specific term.  Look in [[:Category:Glossary]] and see if you find it.  If you don't, try searching for it on this wiki using the search box on the left pane.
-# It's an abbreviation of a specialized term.  See [[Commonly used abbreviations]] or see 1 above.
+# It's an abbreviation of a Mafia-specific term.  See [[Commonly used abbreviations]] or see 1 above.
-# It's an abbreviation of a player's name.  In that case, just look around a little, you'll figure out who's being talked to pretty easily.
+# It's an abbreviation of a player's name.  In that case, just look around a little - you'll figure out who's being talked to pretty easily.
 # If it still isn't clear, ask the person who said it in the first place.
+If you're going to search the wiki, don't forget that spelling counts!
 ==General Mafia Etiquette==
@@ Line 43: / Line 21: @@
 No! Never reveal information after you are dead. Just watch the game, and wait for it to end.
-;Can I post emails/messages from the Game Moderator to prove my innocence?
+;Can I post messages from the Game Moderator to prove my innocence?
-No! Never quote emails or private messages without explicit permission from the [[Game Moderator]]. In most games, it is allowed (and encouraged) to reveal your role at certain points in the game (for example, if you are a [[Cop]] and have found the last [[Mafia]], you can reveal your role to get that player [[lynch]]ed). However, you may not actually ''quote'' anything from the GameModerator; even though it could easily be faked, the point of the game is to prove yourself through your actions and voting, not through outside information.
+No! Never quote private messages (to include your Role PM) without explicit permission from the [[Game Moderator]]. In most games, it is allowed (and encouraged) to reveal your role at certain points in the game (for example, if you are a [[Cop]] and have found the last [[Mafia]], you can reveal your role to get that player [[elimination|eliminated]]). However, you may not actually ''quote'' anything from the Game Moderator; even though it could (sometimes) easily be faked.  The point of the game is to prove yourself through your actions and voting, not through outside information.
 ;Can I post information during the night?
-No, it is against the rules in almost all games to post information during the night. Most Moderators will lock the thread at [[Night]] to avoid accidents.
+No, it is against the rules in almost all games to post game-related information during the night. Most Moderators will lock the thread at [[Night]] to avoid accidents.
 ;I feel the Game Moderator was unfair in a decision. What should I do?
-Never question the Game Moderator in the thread if the decision has anything to do with something that shouldn't be known to the Town. However, feel free to contact the Moderator about it. Keep in mind that moderating can be a lot of work, and if you are griping about something that is completely within the rules of the game, you will probably just annoy the Moderator.
+If you are dead at the time or if your complaint stems from something that should not be known to the Town, what you should ''not'' do is make your sentiment public, either in the game thread or elsewhere.  Instead, feel free to contact the Moderator about it via [[PM]]. Keep in mind that moderating can be a lot of work, and if you are griping about something that is completely within the rules of the game (or that the moderator is unwilling to take action on), you will probably just annoy the Moderator.
+;Can I ask for help about what I should do in a game in a Discussion forum?
+No.  Games are meant to be self-contained, and you are expected to do your own best at any given time.  Aside from that, what you say in your out-of-thread post may be revealing of your alignment, making the game much nastier to fairly moderate.
-;I'm in the [[Mafia]], but I really don't like my family/being a criminal. Can I just get them all lynched?
+;I'm in the [[Mafia]], but I really don't like my family/being a criminal. Can I just get them all eliminated?
-''Technically'', this is perfectly possible. However, the goal of the Mafia family is to kill all non-mafia players. Getting your own allies lynched as a joke or because you don't like them is against the spirit of the game, and will likely earn you the lasting distrust of other players. However attacking your partners is a legitimate (and common) tactic, but it should be done strategically, not spitefully (see below).
+''Technically'', this is perfectly possible. However, the goal of the Mafia family is to kill all non-mafia players. Getting your own allies eliminated as a joke or because you don't like them is against the spirit of the game, and will likely earn you the lasting distrust of other players. However attacking your partners is a legitimate (and common) tactic, but it should be done strategically, not spitefully (see below).
 ;Someone in my family just voted for me! What should I do?
-One of the common Mafia strategies is to have some of the family voting against each other, so that if one member gets lynched, the others will look more innocent. This is a natural part of the game, and is sometimes called [[distancing]] or [[bussing]].
+One of the common Mafia strategies is to have some of the family voting against each other, so that if one member gets eliminated, the others will look more innocent. This is a natural part of the game, and is sometimes called [[distancing]] or [[bussing]].  As for what you should do... that's up to you.
 ;Can I talk to someone at night or outside of the thread?
-It is generally against the rules to discuss anything with anyone at night unless you are in the Mafia or a [[Mason]] lodge. It is also usually against the rules to contact someone during the day privately. Check with the Moderator's posted rules, or ask him or her directly by private message or e-mail.
+It is almost always against the rules to discuss anything with anyone at night unless you are in the Mafia or a [[Mason]] lodge. It is also usually against the rules to contact someone during the day privately.
 ==Moderator Questions==
@@ Line 72: / Line 54: @@
 ;How should I decide who should get what roles in the Mafia game I am running?
-The most common and recommended way is randomly. I use an Excel spreadsheet to do this. I list the players in one column, the roles in another column, and in each cell of a third column I put "=RAND()". This generates a random number in each cell. Then the players or the roles can be randomly sorted by the generated numbers. This is the fairest way to assign roles. You can also just choose who you want to be [[Mafia]], [[Cop]]s, etc., but this is generally considered unfair.
+The most common and recommended way is randomly. This is the fairest way to assign roles.
+#You can use the [http://www.random.org/sequences/ Sequence Generator] at [http://www.random.org random.org].
+##Assign each role a number.
+##Run the generator.
+##Match the role number to your player list.
 ;Some group of night actions caused a paradox (such as two [[Role blocker]]s blocking each other) or could be interpreted multiple ways (such as the [[Mafia]] killing an [[SK]] who killed someone else). What do I do?
-Ideally, you should've thought of any possible circumstances along these lines before the game began. One possible policy that deals with some of these situations is that actions always succeed unless they are blocked (So in the second scenario, both the SK and the SK's victim would die.). If you didn't, figure out what'd be best for the game and/or make the most sense.
+Ideally, you should haveve thought of any possible circumstances along these lines before the game began. One possible policy that deals with some of these situations is that actions always succeed unless they are blocked (so in the second scenario, both the SK and the SK's victim would die.). If you didn't, figure out what would be best for the game and/or make the most sense, but '''be consistent'''!
+See also [[Natural Action Resolution]].
-==Search==
+[[Category:Help]]
-To search the wiki for an answer not found here, enter your term into the Search box to the left. Remember that spelling counts!

Frequently Asked Questions: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 04:09, 3 July 2020

General Gameplay Questions

General Mafia Etiquette

Moderator Questions

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