The Mafia Discussion Thread

[Plubby]

I don't even want it myself, I just thought you knew better

[Pesci]

Pesci gets a new joke in '08.

I did.

...that was it. Unlucky.

[Sousa]

Sousa will do anything for TGC

Not anymore I won't. I've broken up the band.

Also meet my girlfriend.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Yeah, but we're putting the band back together. And we need you man, we need your horn. 'Murph and the Magictones'? That's not you. You were part of the greatest rhythm and blues extravaganza of the face of the planet.

[R.W.]

So what have we learned recently during this latest Mafia fad?

That people have more interest in creating games than playing them?

That people are running games that far, far too big for them?

That people who don't get "power" roles immediately lose interest and stop playing?

All of the above, or something else?

After a brief discussion with TEOL, I'm considering making some changes round here again, but let's see what the populace thinks first.

[NobBe Nobbs]

I learned that Rabid Wolverine bought his moderating position through Nigerian e-mail scams.

It's true you know.

[Sousa]

That people have more interest in creating games than playing them?

This is pretty much the biggest problem I see. People have been interested in putting their names on the enormous list without considering the fact that writing up roles, sending out roles, typing updates, and so forth is a ton of work. It's like getting an idea late at night, then realizing the next morning it's not really that good an idea in the first place--I'm sure creative types like me understand this problem in a big way.

That people are running games that far, far too big for them?

And this is big problem #2. Ross, I liked your game, but there was no need to expand that shit to 30+ roles just because that many people were interested. Eventually, you've got to make cuts. Getting the town to a 15-person lynch can be like herding cats, especially using a canon like Futurama where, to create that many roles, you're eventually going to have to give a part to those two cops, the crazy cat lady, and, presumably, Mr. and Mrs. Wong.

That people who don't get "power" roles immediately lose interest and stop playing?

Not really--a player really interested in Mafia will participate regardless of his role. I just don't think this is a big problem. I've had some hardcore vanilla townie roles, but that hasn't lessened my interest in helping out. Mafia is, at its best, a game of intrigue, deception, and maneuvering, and I don't think getting a shit role bears too much into this.

Unless that shit role has a gimmick-posting requirement.

I'm officially done with gimmick-posting requirements for everything other than laugh track roles.

That's my feeling. We need some way to gauge how genuinely engaged people are in the process of creating and running games, and I think that we as a whole need to run smaller games.

[TheRossWalker]

Whenever you donate, the money goes to RW's Blackburn season ticket fund for 09/10.

EDIT: Ugh, Sousa broke it.

Also, the size of Futurama is something I'm really going to have to address at the end of the game, since it appears to be coming up so much in recent discussions.

Edited November 18, 2008 by TheRossWalker

[Mr Evil Guy]

It's because I stopped playing mafia, guys.

Seriously though, the solution to all of your problems is Recess Mafia. Make it happen asap. Or Sousa's. Or TEOL's. Or Steebs, maybe.

Yeah.

[The Mask of Norro]

That people have more interest in creating games than playing them?

That people are running games that far, far too big for them?

I hope my mafia's not on that list. Only reason it's going the way it is is because of all the other crap going on for me outside of it. It's still going fairly strong despite it though, I think >_>

Edited November 18, 2008 by The Mask of Norro

[Sousa]

Norro, I think you're the exception because people typically know what they're getting into with your games.

[Matt]

I'd say too big but not necessarily because of the writers but because it takes far too long for a million people to vote for someone and there's that many people you can't remember who's said what. Best mafia I've played in since I got back was -A-'s because there weren't to many people who needed to vote and you could remember what most players have done/said.

[Gongsun Zan]

Why don't we try asking the people who quit?

[Ruki]

It's because I stopped playing mafia, guys.

Seriously though, the solution to all of your problems is Recess Mafia. Make it happen asap. Or Sousa's. Or TEOL's. Or Steebs, maybe.

Yeah.

Or mine

And be warned, Final Fantasy Mafia is a 30 player game. No more, no less. Yes, I like big games. They are easy to balance. But I would be for smaller games.

[FireDoughnut]

CHIKARA Mafia 2 has roughly 16 people... I think.

[Mr Evil Guy]

You know what else usually has 16 people? Survivor.

Not that I'm hinting anything.

[FireDoughnut]

When I get home from work! :@

[Pesci]

So what have we learned recently during this latest Mafia fad?

That people have more interest in creating games than playing them?

I don't think that's a problem at all. Where did that come from?

That people are running games that far, far too big for them?

Yes. This is a pretty big problem from what I've seen. I suggest limiting first-time games to about 20 sign-ups. Having 30+ roles is just going to make games drag on more often than not. People definitely need to master the art of keeping smaller games interesting first.

That people who don't get "power" roles immediately lose interest and stop playing?

Biggest problem by far, and there's nothing you can do about it. To go along with this there are people who seem inactive no matter what role they get. Maybe it's just the reluctance of game runners to give people like Evafreak and SRR the bigger roles, thus I've never seen what they're like when they've got something to play with. It all just comes from the majority of people here not having a clue how to play. They bandwagon during the day and use their abilities on whoever they might fancy at night. No ability means they have no reason to check the thread to see when it's night time, which means they barely read anything at all and don't really get involved.

All of the above, or something else?

Slow-running games. DCDM and Mythology Mafia are taking the piss a bit. I know there's probably all kinds of circumstances in both cases, but if I'm playing a game that doesn't matter to me. And by that I don't mean that I can't appreciate somebody's reasons for being irregular with updates - I just mean that the slow pace is likely to kill my interest. DCDM is near the end so it can be forgiven. I'm not saying that these games should be killed off for being slow, but maybe others should be allowed to run alongside them.

And for the hundredth time, get rid of the waiting list. We have to wait for ages to see if the next person in line is even ready and that disrupts the flow. Keep the game limit, but once a spot is open let the first person capable of opening a sign-up thread have a go. Just because Person A is 25th in the waiting list, it doesn't make them any less eager than Person B (who's 3rd in the list) to run a game. It just means that he registered the idea later. In a perfect world everybody would take the same length of time to think of 25 roles and write them out, but things just don't work like that and that's why the waiting list fails.

Edited November 18, 2008 by Pesci

[The Mask of Norro]

To be fair though, even if I had a well-maintained schedule and the game was running smoothly, Mythology Mafia would still take ages due to the player count. That being said, it wouldn't take as long as it's taking now, but you get the idea.

Sucks because I'd had a fairly good idea with how I wanted it to go and it wound up getting a bit torn up thanks to all the crap I've got to get done first. Today being an example, I'm almost out the door to drive up to Tampa for class registration. Probably won't be back home until later tonight, so there's that. I'll get the update when I get home later, but yeah... between all this and then work for classes and whatnot, you get me.

Doesn't make things better or anything, but it at least says why I've not gotten things done like I wanted to

[9 to 5]

It's because I stopped playing mafia, guys.

Seriously though, the solution to all of your problems is Recess Mafia. Make it happen asap. Or Sousa's. Or TEOL's. Or Steebs, maybe.

Yeah.