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Not everyone who posts here posts at the other forums, so maybe you haven't heard we're trying to get another mafia game going. It's over at GalacticCactus, and the theme is a writers' conference, like a Clarion-type deal. Except, of course, for the fact that people keep dying. And I am modding.
I know a lot of you who used to play mafia haven't participated in a while. So how about it? zgator? Rakeesh? other people?
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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I honestly do not know if I should at all commit. School starts again soon and I'm probably going to be distracted elsewhere...
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
I'm going to be very sad if the first mafia game I signed up for doesn't pan out . And it's a cool scenario!
Come on people, join the fun!
--Mel
EDIT: Hey, Icky, do you mind if I announce it at one of my writing group forums? We might get a bite or two from them, and they're all cool people.
Posts: 1269 | Registered: Jun 2005
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I'd just be happy to see the game make, but you might want to ask Jon Boy, since it's his forum.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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I'd think about it, since the last time I tried to join a game it never got off the ground, but working 60 hours a week isn't very conducive to having a real life, so an internet life is right out.
posted
It's tempting, Ic -- but I would be afraid to commit and then get overwhelmed with things going on work and homewise . . . rats.
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Ic, saw your post on the Flash Fiction thread...sorry, no time right now for such fun and frivolity...i have to be a serious college student now
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Not at all, dear, I'm sorry! I just meant it was one extra thing I needed to put on my to-do list, that's all.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I'd be interested in playing but I need to know how much time is being commited as well as the house rules required for online play? What medium do we use?
Am I too late to sign up?
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Online mafia game is a gussied up version of the classic party game.
Mafia is a game in which a number of players (9 to 15 seems to be about the size we have been running for the last several years) role play a little and scheme a lot in order to make their "side" be the last side standing at the end. About a third of the group belongs to the mafia, and their objective is to "kill" all the townies. The rest are the townies, and their object is to remain alive long enough to identify and "lynch" the mafioso. Within each side, there are special characters, including the sheriff, the doctor, the serial killer (technically not on either side), and the godfather, who have special powers and responsibilities. Some people get into the role playing aspect more than others do, but even if you don't, what it's really about is interpreting the clues and correctly judging whom to trust.
Every "morning" in the game, I (as the moderator) will post a fictionalized scene of a mafia kill, based on whom the mafia told me the previous night they wanted to kill. (The first kill will be a non-player character, so nobody "dies" without getting to play at all.) Within that scene will be clues as to the identity of a killer, but they won't be obvious. Every "afternoon" in the game, a serial killer kill will be posted. Each "evening" the remaining players (including the mafioso, whose identities are, after all, unknown) will vote on someone to lynch on suspicion of being mafia. When all of one side is dead, the other side has one. (A day in game time takes two days to play out in real time.)
Some people put a lot of stock in the clues they glean from the narratives, and some prefer to look at the real players' behaviors to judge who they think is acting suspiciously. Things like voting patterns, accusation patterns, alleged verbal slips, etc.
There is a FAQ thread on GalacticCactus that goes into a lot more detail. For now, this is just a general overview.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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As far as how much time it takes, that's really up to you. There will be a voting deadline every other evening, so at least once every two days you should check in to read the narratives and place a vote. If you're any of the special characters, you will also need to take a moment every couple of days to communicate certain things with me, like whom you would like to kill. If you're in the mafia, the other mafioso probably want you to check in at least once every couple of days to help decide a strategy. Some people put in a lot more time than that, though, because mafia can be a funb excuse to socialize, IM/PM, and strategize. I like to talk to a lot of people via PM and IM to get a sense of who is mafia. Sometimes I "share" information with them that turns out to be false to see what they do with it. I like to get into it. But you can certainly get away with doing less.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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A final caution for newbies and oldbies. Even though we start with an NPC, sooner or later someone just has to die. It sucks, but you may be the first to go. If it is you, I promise you it's not personal; people want to win, and sacrificing strategy to pettiness would only make winning less likely. So don't get huffy or hurt or go away if you happen to die first. Stick around and play up the role-playing side of things (as a ghost, of course) and crack jokes and make fun of people--just so long as you do not share information or get involved in analyzing clues!
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Joe, you should perhaps provide a link to Galactic Cactus for our newer members who might not be familiar with all the fora.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Oh, what the heck. Who cares if I'm busy. It's just work busy, and heaven knows I need to do something to relieve the angst.
Are you patient with the newbie players, Joe? *grin*
What do I do next? How soon do we start? Not during Labor Day weekend, I hope. I'll be in the back of beyond away from even so much as modem access.
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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What medium do we use to communicate? GalacticCactus Forum? Or do you use something else?
How do town people and mafia members communicate? Is it all by voting, or is there instant messaging that takes place between people?
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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There's a private messaging system on the GC forum. You can also use instant messaging, e-mail, whatever. I think most people use the PM system.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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When I play, I use both PM and AIM. If you follow the link I posted, you can see how we communicate, in terms of where the narratives will be posted and where people vote and stuff. If you look near the bottom of the screen, there is an option to choose how old the threads that are shown are. If you change that to show older threads, you can read through one or more of our previous games.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Hey, Teshi, just link to a wiki entry and we'll all vote you out the first day. What could go wrong... besides you being the sherriff or doctor.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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