Normal Game Review Group

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The Normal Game Reviewers are a small group of members who are responsible for reviewing moderators' set-ups in the Mini Normal and Large Normal Queue, as well as any Normal games run in the Micro Queue. Since late 2010, it has been mandatory for all Normal Game moderators to have their games reviewed for normalcy (and optionally for balance), and since mid 2016, all games must also be reviewed for balance. The Normal Game Reviewers base their reviewing practice on the Normal Game Guidelines, which outline what is and isn't allowed within Normal Games.

The Group

N is responsible for running the group, answering questions and assigning reviewers to upcoming moderators. As of May 2016, here is the full list of members:

Aeronaut, AngryPidgeon, Antihero, borkjerfkin, callforjudgement, Cephrir, ChaosOmega, Cheery Dog, Cogito Ergo Sum, Empking, Ether, Faraday, fferyllt, Herodotus, Hoopla, JacobSavage, LlamaFluff, Marquis, mastin2, mykonian, N, Natirasha, Nexus, Papa Zito, petroleumjelly, Plessiez, quadz08, Regfan, SpyreX, Tierce, Untrod Tripod, Vi, xRECKONERx, Zar, zoraster

How the process works

Once you're lined up in the Normal Queue, waiting to mod (check these sources on How to Mod), N (the Normal Game List Mod) or Marquis (the Micro Game List Mod) will make contact with you, requesting your setup information, which includes your Opening Post, Setup/Role PMs, Rule Set and any Flavor Text you wish to use in your game. A private topic will then be opened on your behalf by the List Mod, with you receiving three pre-assigned reviewers, who will talk with you about your set-up. They take a look at the wording in your role PMs, normalcy and balance of flavor/roles/mechanics and make sure your rule-set is normal and covers all the necessary topics. Once all that has been approved, you can then start to take sign-ups!

You will not be able to mod until your set-up has passed review. Take a look at the Normal Game Guidelines to see what is defined as Normal and Non-Normal.

Why the group exists

After a sequence of poorly designed Normal Games, a gradual push in Mafia Discussion towards mandatory game reviews was sparked, with the culture of reviewing heavily entrenched in Theme Games, yet not so in Normal Games. The tendency for Normal Games to be modded by newer mods, coupled with varying opinions of what Normal really was, was enough to push it over the edge, leading to policy being put in place defining normalcy.

Though the Normal Game Guidelines attempt to be objective in many ways, there are still gray areas that are dealt with in a subjective manner. The Normal Game Guidelines are reviewed and updated on a semi-regular basis, with public discussion having a large influence on how the guidelines are structured.