Lying about external circumstances

[Mgm]

There seems to be some sort of fallacy here that lurking is wise for scum. If personal circumstances force people out of the game for long enough to undermine the game, they should be replaced, whether they're lying or not. If they later turn out to be lying, then they deserve to be put on the Quitters list in the Queue forum. If they're just doing it for a week or something, then they ought to have to make up for that later.

What's the problem here - the lying, or the non-participation?

I agree with this one fully.

[Cubsfan4ever]

Getting away with lying about external circumstances should be commended as great play. If you can get away with lurking and have nobody on your tail than more power to you. It's the town's fault if they buy into your lies.

[Mastermind of Sin]

Tbh, I despise people who lie about external circumstances in a game. No matter what my role is I will

never

lie about an external circumstance. It just seems unethical to me and not in the spirit of the game. Inside the game I may lie as much as I need to, but if I refer to RL in that game, I will not make up a problem just to get off the hook or get sympathy.

[mith]

What he said. I'm not one to avoid posting anyway. I usually try not to mention RL stuff unless it's something that would be observable if we were playing face-to-face (or, to take it further, actually in some podunk town trying to lynch each other); such as: "I just had my tonsils out and am all drugged up, duuudusde." I definitely frown on taking advantage of the fact that we are hundreds/thousands of miles apart and can't check on RL details.

[Einsteinmonkey]

I've been thinking about this thread for some time now...when I found out I have cancer, I realized I had the ultimate mafia excuse (well, almost...)

[MonkeyMan576]

My grandmother actually died over the summer:(

[charter]

HOLY NECROPOSTING BATMAN!

[Cyberbob]

[popsofctown]

My opinion is that lying about out-of-game circumstances certainly breaks the spirit of the game and is certainly the stuff of jerks.

However, it's not 100% enforceable. If you are only alive in one game at the moment, and you actually stay off the site and any other forums for a week, there is no way at all to catch you.

You shouldn't ever make a rule you can't enforce. The good people will obey the rule, the bad people will disobey the rule, obtain an advantage (we aren't looking at a massive advantage right here) and win. Thus, we have evil=success, no environment should be created that way. It's better to define the practice as legal if you get away with it, so that good people and bad people are on a level playing field.

That said, I am a good person. If the mod ever says that he does not approve of lying about external circumstances for his game, i will not do so.

[The Fonz]

, I will not make up a problem just to get off the hook or get sympathy.

Agreed. Making up an untrue RL reason to get off of deserved criticism is beyond the pale, and fuck the quitters' list, anyone found to have done so should be suspended.

[Vi]

, I will not make up a problem just to get off the hook or get sympathy.

Agreed. Making up an untrue RL reason to get off of deserved criticism is beyond the pale, and fuck the quitters' list, anyone found to have done so should be suspended.

I endorse this draconian policy and encourage others to do the same.
Even if you're Mafia, you shouldn't be scum.

[CarnCarn]

, I will not make up a problem just to get off the hook or get sympathy.

Agreed. Making up an untrue RL reason to get off of deserved criticism is beyond the pale, and fuck the quitters' list, anyone found to have done so should be suspended.

I endorse this draconian policy and encourage others to do the same.
Even if you're Mafia, you shouldn't be scum.

[kuribo]

, I will not make up a problem just to get off the hook or get sympathy.

Agreed. Making up an untrue RL reason to get off of deserved criticism is beyond the pale, and fuck the quitters' list, anyone found to have done so should be suspended.

Yeah, but no one would ever be suspended by this rule--- how do YOU know, I mean REALLY know, what's an untrue reason?

I once complained that I had little time to participate in Mafia because I had "personal stuff" going on. No one believed me, but that didn't change the fact that my oldest brother had had a heart attack and I was travelling 30 miles a day to go visit him, dealing with his finances, and handling his lawyers.

[kuribo]

besides, nowadays if you wanna get away with lurking, just tell people you're emulating MafiaSSK's and K7's playstyles and that you're going to lurk every game forever

[The Fonz]

besides, nowadays if you wanna get away with lurking, just tell people you're emulating MafiaSSK's and K7's playstyles and that you're going to lurk every game forever

And get policy-lynched in every game like SSK does?

[Xylthixlm]

While I agree with the idea that people shouldn't lie about out-of-game stuff, it's impossible to really enforce. Borderline cases ("Well, I won't have internet access much, but I will occasionally - should I use that as an excuse?") will always be resolved in the way that helps the player in-game. That's just human nature.

[destructor]

It's as hard to enforce as making sure players don't talk out of thread. It's part of the honour system. Playing Mafia doesn't make dishonesty IRL any more acceptable.

[Xylthixlm]

Talking out of thread is a bright line. Lying, unfortunately, isn't. In the right circumstances, the human mind is remarkably good at decieving itself into thinking that it's telling the truth even when it isn't...

[Alduskkel]

As other people have said, lying about external circumstances isn't ethical, and I think it might have something to do with the fact that the lie can't ever be disproved. I'd like to discuss this more, but my Third Cousin Twice Removed just died.

No, not really.

[ShadowGirl]

No matter what my role is I will

never

lie about an external circumstance. It just seems unethical to me and not in the spirit of the game. Inside the game I may lie as much as I need to, but if I refer to RL in that game, I will not make up a problem just to get off the hook or get sympathy.

This. If I lose because I was a lurky scum then so be it, it's a lesson for next time. I play mafia for fun, not because I want to manipulate people or purposely lie.

[Cyberbob]

I'm just glad there doesn't seem to be any of those "I don't lie because I'm Christian" types around anymore.

[SensFan]

I would have said that I don't lie because I'm Christian, but my dad, mom, brother, sister, dog, cat, and mouse all died yesterday.

[kuribo]

besides, nowadays if you wanna get away with lurking, just tell people you're emulating MafiaSSK's and K7's playstyles and that you're going to lurk every game forever

And get policy-lynched in every game like SSK does?

I dunno, I've played in games where people don't want to lynch him the first day because they assume he's just being a jerk and is gonna pop town.

[Darox]

I would have said that I don't lie because I'm Christian, but my dad, mom, brother, sister, dog, cat, and mouse all died yesterday.

Freak Monopoly accident?

Despite being a procrastinator of Olympic standard, I wouldn't ever lie and say I'm having personal issues just to get out posting.

[Zilla]

You can frown on them all you want, but if they're willing to stake their reputation on it, let them.