Large Theme Moderator Signups and Design Primer

For archiving signup threads after their corresponding games are complete.
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Large Theme Moderator Signups and Design Primer

Post Post #0 (ISO) » Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:03 am

Post by T-Bone »

THIS IS THE LARGE THEME MODERATOR SIGNUP THREAD


The purpose of this thread is for moderators to post applications for their games. After approval, moderators will create individual threads for game signups. You will post there. This thread is does not contain player signups for games.
Player posts will be deleted from this thread.
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Post Post #1 (ISO) » Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:05 am

Post by T-Bone »

So, you want to run a Large Theme...


That's fantastic! I'm T-Bone, the moderator of the Large Theme Queue. The purpose of this and the next several posts is to explain the process of moderating a game, from start to finish. My goal is to have several straightforward posts that any moderator, new or old, can reference to help them with any questions that arise during the planning or execution stages of moderating a Large Theme game.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Intro
1. Moderator Requirements
2. Making a signup thread.
3. Designing a game.
4. How to write a role PM.
5. Running your game.

Let's get some basic definitions out of the way:


- What is a Large Theme? On this site, a Large Theme game is a game with more than 13 players that has a strong emphasis on flavor and/or deviations from normal mafia in mechanics or roles. There is a list of Normal rules that can be found on the mafiascum wiki. If you want to design and run a game that does not adhere to those rules and has 14+ players, you're in the right place!

- What is the purpose of the List Mod?

My job (as it pertains to mods) includes:
- approving game signups
- give permission to mods to create threads in the Large Theme forum
- capricious abuses of power
- providing feedback and support for game moderators for anything that arises during creating and running a setup

With that out of the way, let's get to how you're going to get your game in signups.
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Post Post #2 (ISO) » Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:06 am

Post by Untrod Tripod »

1. MODERATOR REQUIREMENTS


So, you've run a couple of smaller games and you have some really cool ideas for how you can run a mafia game based around your favorite anime. This is a regrettable life choice, but I'm not here to judge. Let's go through the checklist of what you need to inflict your vision upon others.

Checklist for Moderators:
  1. Have you been onsite for
    six
    months?
  2. Have you moderated two games on mafiascum.net in the Mini-Normal, Open, Mini-Theme, Micro, or Large Normal Queues?
  3. Have you played in any Large Theme games?
  4. Have you been a problem child in the past? I might
    capriciously and unfairly
    impose restrictions on your game, such as you having a co-mod, if I deem this necessary. This will be on a case-by-case basis and discussed in private. If you are not a problem child then this does not apply to you.
  5. Do you have a reviewer? If your setup is open, then you do not require one. When I mod games I have someone review it. I'm going to make you get a reviewer.
  6. Do you have a backup mod? You need a backup mod.
If we've gone through the checklist then we are good to go to the next step, which is GETTING YOUR GAME IN SIGNUPS. But wait, you say! I have questions. Of course you do, I respond. Let's try to preempt them.

Q: Why do I need a reviewer?
A: Because I said so.

Q: How do I make a signup thread?
A: Great question! We'll get there. You're not ready to do that yet.

Q: Is the queue the optimal place to air my grievances about other players and stir up drama?
A: No. Don't be a jerk.

Q: Who is qualified to be a reviewer, backup mod, and co-mod?
A: They have to be qualified to moderate a Large Theme on their own.

Q: I've moderated eleventy billion games on MafiaIsTheBestGame.biz and therefore I request you waiving the experience requirement.
A: PM me.

Q: My game is a uPick, so it can't be designed until after signups.
A: A uPick (a game where players submit flavor/roles to the mod and the mod makes a game based on those choices) is a category of game where you are explicitly allowed to not have a game designed when signing up. However, make sure you give your players a realistic and reasonable estimate for when the game will begin.

Q: My setup isn't designed yet, but I think I can get away with lying to you about it in the signup application. Should I just go ahead and start signups without a game designed?
A: Since I don't have to sign off on the setups myself, it's definitely possible for you to get away with this. However, rushing the design or taking forever getting the game going will likely result in a. angry PMs from your players to me and/or b. a badly designed game. Do the right thing.

Any other questions? No? Great, let's move on to getting your game in signups.
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Post Post #3 (ISO) » Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:06 am

Post by Untrod Tripod »

2. MAKING A SIGNUP THREAD


Okay, so you're qualified to moderate and you have a fresh new take on the game of mafia. Awesome. Let's get this puppy in signups.

1. If you're ready to start sign-ups, make a post in this thread using the following application:
  1. Game name
    -
  2. Flavor
    -
  3. Number of players
    -
  4. Are hydras allowed (Yes/No)
    -
  5. Your modding experience
    -
  6. Current modding commitments
    -
  7. Reviewers
    -
  8. Reviewers agreed to FINAL version? (Yes/No)
    -
  9. Backup or co-mod
    -
  10. Backup or co-mod's experience
    -
  11. Backup or co-mod's commitments
    -
  12. Is it possible your game has any of the following: cults, mid-game alignment changes, moderator lies that cannot be reasonably anticipated (for example, Godfather, Tailor, Miller, Ninja, and mechanics like that are generally fine. Telling someone they are a reflexive doctor when they're actually a PGO is not), secret win conditions, un-divulged non-randomness in player role/alignment generation, direct moderator influence during the game? (Yes/No)
    -
Spoiler: Copy/Paste from this

Code: Select all

[list=1][*][b]Game name[/b] -
[*][b]Flavor[/b] -
[*][b]Number of players[/b] - 
[*][b]Are hydras allowed (Yes/No)[/b] -
[*][b]Your modding experience[/b] - 
[*][b]Current modding commitments[/b] - 
[*][b]Reviewers[/b] - 
[*][b]Reviewers agreed to FINAL version? (Yes/No)[/b] - 
[*][b]Backup or co-mod[/b] - 
[*][b]Backup or co-mod's experience[/b] - 
[*][b]Backup or co-mod's commitments[/b] -
[*][b]Is it possible your game has any of the following: cults, mid-game alignment changes, moderator lies that cannot be reasonably anticipated (for example, Godfather, Tailor, Miller, Ninja, and mechanics like that are generally fine. Telling someone they are a reflexive doctor when they're actually a PGO is not), secret win conditions, un-divulged non-randomness in player role/alignment generation, direct moderator influence during the game? (Yes/No)[/b] -[/list]

If the listmod tells you that your application is missing something or need to fix something, you are expected to fix the error and re-submit.

2. After your application is accepted, you will be given permission to create threads in the Queue forum and the Large Theme forum.
You will post a separate thread for signups.


3. Create a signup thread. Include all of the information from your application and any flavor stuff you want to add. Keep personal drama out of your signup thread. Any issues you have with another player, keep it contained to PMs. Creating a toxic environment in the queue repeatedly will result in List Mod action. If you have pre-ins for your game, all of your players should confirm their interest in actually joining the game in the signup thread. You are allowed to have up to half of the player slots filled by pre-ins. If there's an odd number of players you can round up. In the event that you want to run an invitational game, PM me to get permission to have 100% pre ins.

4. Is your game already designed and reviewed? Great! Once the game is full, send out role PMs and make a game thread in the Large Theme Queue!

I bet you are just bursting with questions. Let's talk about some things that have come up in the past.

Q: Am I allowed to recruit players to play in my game?
A: Yes! You are encouraged to do so. When I was doing some of my first big games, before the signups I would always send out a mass PM to a bunch of people I'd played with or respected. I think this is a fantastic way to generate buzz for your game and create a sense of community.

Q: What are WOTC and WOTM?
A: Wisdom of the Crowd (WOTC) allows players to privately (the private part is important) contact the moderator to say they are not okay with a person who joined the game after them being in the game. The moderator can make a determination on a case-by-case basis as to whether or not the player will be allowed to stay in. Wisdom of the Mod (WOTM) is a "I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" type of policy. If WOTC is in effect (this must be in your signup rules), then try your best to respect player wishes. If WOTM is in effect, use it as sparingly as possible and only for the purpose of creating the best game environment for everyone.

Q: Do I have to respect player blacklists?
A: No. Player blacklists are neither sanctioned by the administration nor enforced by game mods. If a player tries to pressure you into enforcing their blacklist and you don't want to, get in touch with the List Mods.
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Post Post #4 (ISO) » Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:06 am

Post by Untrod Tripod »

3. DESIGNING A GAME


So you understand all the stuff up to this point, but there's an issue. You have all kinds of great ideas for a game, and you just know everyone is wrong about how powerful a regular cop is and that vigs are actually cops when you think about it and etc, but you just don't know how to get all of your great ideas into a game. Don't worry! I'm here to help. Hopefully, this primer on my design philosophy will inspire you. If you are running a large theme, you have already designed and run multiple games, so these are LT specific considerations. We are bypassing the part of design philosophy where we learn "well, what *is* mafia" (an informed minority against an uninformed majority, duh) and getting to the good stuff.

Theme vs flavor vs mechanics

Let's get some definitions out of the way first

Theme -
When I say theme, what I am talking about is the setting of the game. Almost without exception, games in this queue are based on source material or an idea that is not just "mafia". Theme can affect the game in many ways that we will cover in this primer.

Flavor -
When I say flavor, I am talking about theme material that is aesthetic only and does not in any way change how mafia usually functions. For example, calling a vigilante a "Teddy Bear" does not change how the role functions mechanically, so it is merely a flavor change. Typically in a theme game, roles will be based on specific characters or ideas from the source material. Flavor can, and often should,
influence
the design of the game. When I show you example role PMs, I can show this more fully.

Mechanics -
This is how the game actually functions. Changes to how Normal Mafia works usually manifest as changes to the mechanics of the game or how typical roles function. If you change how eliminations happen, for example, you are making a mechanical change.

Overall Design Philosophy

The most important consideration as a game designer and moderator is that your players should have fun. It is a game, after all. Players will not have fun if they feel that their actions did not affect the outcome of the game. In your design, ensure that every player can change the game.
In vanilla mafia, the most powerful ability the town has is their vote, and the most powerful ability the mafia has is knowing who the mafia is.


Mafia is a game where an informed minority is playing against an uninformed majority
. The minority uses the means at their disposal to decrease the number of the majority without them realizing who is doing so. The majority uses the means at their disposal to become informed. The information is who is what alignment. The minority does what they can to obscure this information. The whole game votes on who they think is the minority once per day phase and the minority has the ability to remove one player from the majority each night phase. This is vanilla mafia. All deviations from this basic form should bear in mind what the game is at its core.

When designing a mafia game, I think I have succeeded when I put every player in the position to affect the outcome of the game through their actions in the game. Power roles and mechanical changes serve the function of providing new ways for the minority and majority parties to achieve their goals. If power roles warp the way the game functions to the point where it is difference from informedmin/uninformedmaj you should consider either further warping the mechanics to complement these roles or changing the setup.

For example, a vigilante gives one player the ability to unilaterally get rid of someone that they can't otherwise get voted out. Realize that, while it is very satisfying for a town player to successfully kill a mafia member with a vigilante shot, an unlimited vigilante role with no counter allows one person in the town to win the game for their faction despite the mafia hoodwinking literally every other town player and never having a mafia member voted out. If you have a situation where a faction can lose despite outplaying the other faction(s), it is a flaw in the game's design. Try to avoid these types of situations.
Typically, the town should win by voting to remove mafia members and figuring out alignments based on behavior and voting patterns
. Power roles should help the town plan their votes, or help the mafia fool the town. A game of mafia should not be won or lost by power roles.

Size

When considering the size of the game, realize three things. First, larger game sizes do not necessarily require more complex setups. Second, the more players you have in a game, the less agency an individual player will feel that they have. As an addition to the second point, also realize that large numbers of players posting will often cause chaos in the thread while simultaneously causing players to lose interest in the game. This is not to say that there is a magic number after which games are too large, just realize that with each additional slot you add to your game you will exacerbate the issues I listed. Third, larger games will likely last for more nights and therefore will give more opportunities for players to use power roles. When considering the size of the game, realize that power roles affect the game more when they can be used more. Design accordingly.

Balancing power roles

I like the following strategies for balancing power roles in my games:

Providing direct counters -
When you give information roles to the town, I like to provide ways for the mafia to play around them. For example, when the town is given trackers and watchers, I like to give the Mafia a limited-shot Ninja (untrackable/unwatchable). This serves the dual purpose of giving the Mafia the ability to create plausible deniability around the information provided to town and tells them to be wary of information roles when using their regular night kill. In order for the town to successfully catch the killer, they only have to succeed once. The mafia has to succeed every time in order to not get caught. The direct counter gives them another tool to play around information roles. Additionally, if the town knows that their information roles can sometimes be fooled, it places an onus on members of the town to pay attention to behavioral tells. It also blunts the ability of power roles to shape the game to their will. They are given ammunition to strengthen their arguments rather than a trump card to any opposing view.

Additionally, direct counters can prevent either side from being put in unwinnable situations due to power roles. A Godfather role (always investigates as Town) can prevent an alignment cop from single-handedly wrecking a mafia team.

Limited shots -
Another way of balancing powerful roles, such as alignment cop, is to limit the number of times it can be used in a game. Forcing a player to make choices about who to target while also accounting for the possibility of being night killed or eliminated, benefits the game as a whole. For example, a player who has unlimited shots of an alignment cop might try to lay low and hoard moderator-provided information until the endgame while a player who has only two or three chances will be motivated to take an active role in the game as a regular member of the town. The further into a game you get, the greater a chance for an information role to get helpful information. A player who saves their shots until the end of the game is making a high-risk/high-reward decision.

Indirect information -
The most powerful information you can give the town is direct moderator confirmation of a player's alignment. To balance information roles, you can make the information less direct. For example, Watcher (who visited target player) and Tracker (who target player visited) can give strong indications about who performed a kill and can help catch a player in a claim-related lie without actually confirming alignment. You can weaken Watcher/Trackers by having a multitude of targeted abilities each night, giving the Mafia a Ninja ability, giving the Mafia a roleblocker, etc. When you include information roles in your games, consider how strong the information is by how close it comes to the information being alignment.

Active vs. Passive Powers -
An active ability requires the player to do something to make it happen. For example, a vigilante requires you to chose a player to target. A normal passive ability requires no skill to operate. For example, a bulletproof (cannot be nightkilled) can serve as a direct counter to a killing ability but does not require a player to be good at using it for it to be powerful. Consider this when using them in your game. Having activated abilities (you can become bulletproof for one night) or either/or passives (you can choose to be a PGO or a bulletproof) to create a skill component in passive roles.
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Post Post #5 (ISO) » Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:06 am

Post by Untrod Tripod »

4. HOW TO WRITE A ROLE PM


Your role PMs should do the following:
1. Give the name of the role.
2. Give the win condition of the player.
3. Clearly describe any active or passive abilities the player has.

Mods will often add a picture and flavor text to support the theme of the game.

Spoiler: As an example, a role PM from a past game of mine.
PeregrineV
Drug Dealer

Image

Town


Active Powers:

1. At night, you may target another player to give them drugs. That player cannot use these drugs until the next night. You have one dose of each drug. You may not target yourself.

Amphetamine - Player can use an active ability twice that night.
Epinephrine - If the player is targeted with a killing ability, that ability will fail. If the player is not targeted by a killing ability, the player will die.
Hallucinogenics - All non-killing actions targeting the player will fail
Overclock: Poison (Fake drugs) - Poison will vanillize a player after one night. That player will be told that they received Painkillers.

2. Voting

Passive Powers:

1. None

You win when every player who does not share a town win condition is not on the living player list.


Let's first look at this role PM through the lenses of Theme, Flavor, and Mechanics.

Theme
- The setting for this game was Cyberpunk. A feature of cyberpunk literature is that characters operate on the margins of society, consorting with criminals and outcasts. Drug dealers in these dystopian societies function both as entertainment and black market pharmacies. Therefore, I felt that Drug Dealer would be a good fit, thematically, for an Inventor. The theme affects both the flavor and the mechanics of the role.

Flavor
- The names of the drugs are immaterial, in fact I could have used entirely made-up names for the drugs. I decided, instead, to use names that made some sort of sense for the abilities I wanted the inventor to give out. I determined I would have a double-shot, a CPR doc, an ascetic, and a vanillaizer and applied names from there. The poison ability is reference to the novel Neuromancer, where the main character loses his ability to connect to cyberspace due to being poisoned. The flavor adds to the player's intuitive understanding of the role by giving the abilities names.
Flavor can be used in this way to help players understand their role and the game from a design standpoint by connecting abstract mechanical ideas to concepts familiar to the player.


Mechanics
- This is a modified Inventor role (a role that gives abilities to other players). The inventions given out are thematically appropriate to the setting. In cyberpunk literature, characters might take uppers in order to be able to get more work done or be more resilient. Epinephrine is the sort of thing that a black market pharmacy might sell, and it is the sort of self-medication than outside-the-law types might use in lieu of going to a hospital. Since epinephrine is used to restart a stopped heart, it would make sense thematically for this drug to be a CPR doc. Effective if you need it; deadly if you don't. Hallucinogenics seem obvious for a drug dealer, and rendering a character immune to anything that doesn't kill them makes sense because they're not really absorbing our reality. In the Flavor section, I covered the inspiration for the Poison. You can see from this how the theme and flavor serve to inspire and describe the function of the role without being the role themselves.

The Overclock ability from this game was an optional ability that most players had which allowed them to use a more-powerful version of their regular abilities at the cost of losing multiple shots of an x-shot, or losing their active or passive ability altogether. The idea that I had that led to this unique role-related mechanic was the concept of cybernetically altered humans "overclocking" their biomechanical enhancements to become temporarily powerful at the cost of ruining the parts. This sort of desperate action fits thematically and makes the game unique for the players in a way that reflects the source material.
Spoiler: From the game-specific rules for that game
1. Many roles have active or passive abilities with an Overclock version. The Overclock version of an ability is only usable in two ways. One, by using TWO (unless otherwise indicated in your role PM) shots of the regular ability that applies to overclock. Two, by removing an unlimited active or passive ability that applies to overclock.

Spoiler: Longer explanation
So let's say that your role had two active abilities

1. 2-shot RB (Overclock: Jailkeeper)
2. Fruit Vendor

So you can use both shots of your RB to use the Overclock ability. It doesn't affect the fruit vendor because the JK is the overclock version of your RB. You cannot use the Overclock unless you have two shots of the RB to spend on it.

Now, let's say that your role has the following passive abilities
1. Ascetic (overclock: Untargetable)

At any night, you can "turn on" your overclock for the night to become absolute bulletproof for that night. You would lose your ascetic ability in exchange for one night of that more powerful ability.

In this case, the mechanical change from a regular inventor was in giving the player a negative utility invention at the cost of losing their ability to give out two of their positive utility inventions. This works both flavor-wise and thematically because if a drug dealer were to knowingly poison a client, they probably aren't going to be in business much longer!

Next, let's examine some general points of how roles are written and explained:


1. Even if it is a common role, you should explain what the role does. Two examples:
"You are a vig."
"Each night, you may target another player. That player will die that night."
In the second example, you are told who you can target, when you can target them, and what will happen. This is a simple example, but you should strive for the greatest clarity possible in what the role actually does no matter how complicated the role is. Do not let your desire for poetic flourish get in the way of a player understanding their role. Let the player's challenge be using the role to its fullest potential rather than puzzling out what you are trying to tell them in the role PM.

2. In my example, I list passive and active abilities. This allows for clarity of understanding, especially in setups with complicated roles.

3. Use short sentences and the active voice whenever possible. Think through what edge cases might exist that players will try to exploit for their gain. For example, in my role PM above I stated explicitly that the Drug Dealer may not target itself. Don't rely on "common knowledge" or "this is in the wiki". Put it in your role PM.

4. For information roles, it is a good idea to let them know if they will receive a specific result for an unsuccessful (roleblocked, for example) use of the ability. This will prevent shenanigans. If you are explicitly not doing this, tell your players. If it is a mystery, tell your players that it is a mystery.
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Post Post #6 (ISO) » Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:07 am

Post by Untrod Tripod »

5. HOW TO RUN A GAME

You've sent your role PMs out and you're ready to start your game. Now what?

1. Make a thread in the Large Theme forum.

1a. PM me to get your backup mod privileges in the game thread.

2. Write your rules post.


Rules should
1. Establish what your players can expect from you.
2. Establish what you expect from your players.
3. Establish any mod-confirmed information that you want your players to have.

I will use two examples from rules posts I have used in games I've run. They show discrete boundaries for how the game is to be run and played. The suggestions I make are based on how I want my games to run. If you have a strong mechanical or philosophical reason for doing things differently, by all means do that! The important thing is that you have thought about it.

Spoiler: Cyberpunk rules
Basic Ruleset:
1. I am the Lord your Mod. Thou shall have no other mods before me.
2. Thou shalt not create images of mod communications. Any communication between thee and thine Mod is sacred.
3. Thou shalt not insult thine Mod. Thou shalt not use thine Mod's
color
in game posting.
4. Remember the Night, and keep it holy. After elimination has been reached, talking must cease.
5. Honor thine father and mother by playing to thine win condition.
6. Thou shalt not post with any account other than the one in the playerlist. All posts made by other accounts will be deleted.
7. Thou shalt not communicate outside of thread unless allowed.
8. Thou shalt vote in thread in this form
vote Untrod Tripod
or
vote UT
.
9. Thou shalt not be an asshole*.
10. Thou shalt participate. Not posting for 72 hours will result in a prod. Upon receipt of three prods, thine position in the game is forfeit.

Nuts and Bolts:
1. All days will last for fourteen RL days.
2. Nights will last 72 hours.
3. Elimination happens upon simple majority. If there is not a majority at deadline, there will be no elimination.
4. I reserve the right to force-replace anyone for egregious violations of the above ruleset.

*If you have to ask "hmm...am I being an asshole here?" you probably should just hit ctrl+a and then backspace.
In post 1, Untrod Tripod wrote:GAME SPECIFIC RULES:

1. Many roles have active or passive abilities with an Overclock version. The Overclock version of an ability is only usable in two ways. One, by using TWO (unless otherwise indicated in your role PM) shots of the regular ability that applies to overclock. Two, by removing an unlimited active or passive ability that applies to overclock.

Spoiler: Longer explanation
So let's say that your role had two active abilities

1. 2-shot RB (Overclock: Jailkeeper)
2. Fruit Vendor

So you can use both shots of your RB to use the Overclock ability. It doesn't affect the fruit vendor because the JK is the overclock version of your RB. You cannot use the Overclock unless you have two shots of the RB to spend on it.

Now, let's say that your role has the following passive abilities
1. Ascetic (overclock: Untargetable)

At any night, you can "turn on" your overclock for the night to become absolute bulletproof for that night. You would lose your ascetic ability in exchange for one night of that more powerful ability.

2. These are what various wincons might look like if they exist in the game (NOT ALL OF THESE WINCONS ARE GUARANTEED TO EXIST IN THIS GAME):

MafiaYou win when your faction has majority or nothing can prevent that from occurring.

TownYou win when every player who does not share a town win condition is not on the living player list.

Serial KillerYou win when you are the last player alive or nothing can prevent that from happening.

SurvivorYou win if you are still alive when a wincon has been achieved that causes the game to end.

ModeratorYou win if your players had fun.


3. The mafia is provided with flavor claims.
Spoiler: My Little Pony rules
In post 2, Untrod Tripod wrote:Basic Ruleset:
1. Okay, so like, I'm the mod! It's so exciting! I'm in charge of this game and if you have anyyyyyyyy questions at all about the game or your role or anything please PM me about it! Also don't impersonate me or whatever!
2. When I send you a PM it's a special letter between me and you! If you want to be a good friend to the mod you shouldn't ever quote or post anything I send you via PM!
3. We're all friends here and having fun! You're allowed to talk any time the thread is open!
4. Have fun! Play to your win condition!
5. You're the one in this game! If you post with an account not on the playerlist I'll send you a sassy PM and delete the posts.
6. The game's in this thread! All the fun is here! Don't talk about the game anywhere else unless specifically allowed by your role PM.
7. Tell people you love them like this:
vote Untrod Tripod
or
vote UT
!
8. Don't be a meanie-head!*.
9. Be in the game! Have fun with us! If you don't post at least once every 72 hours you'll get a prod. After three prods I might have to find someone who is more into the game than you are.

Nuts and Bolts:
1. All days will last for fourteen RL days.
2. Nights will last 72 hours.
3. Elimination happens upon simple majority. If there is not a majority at deadline, there will be no elimination.
4. I reserve the right to force-replace anyone for egregious violations of the above ruleset.
5. When someone requests replacement, they automatically unvote and the slot is not allowed to vote until a new player occupies the slot.

*If you have to ask "hmm...am I being a meanie-head here?" you probably should just hit ctrl+a and then backspace.
In post 3, Untrod Tripod wrote:
FAQ:


Every game, some variation on the questions below is usually asked of the mod, explicitly or implicitly. I'll answer them here preemptively because everypony deserves to not have their time wasted!

Q: If I have an x-shot ability and my ability was not successful. Was my shot used up?
A: Yes.

Q: I used an investigative role and got "No results", what does that mean?
A: It means the ability failed for some reason. A successful resolution of an information role will give you some kind of information.

Q: Is this game breakable by flavor?
A: No. Flavor and abilities were randomized.

Q: Did any anti-town players get fake claims from the mod?
A: No.

Q: Should I try to outguess the mod?
A: No.

Q: Is it a good idea for me to be a toxic piece of shit in this game for the purpose of "aggressive mind games"?
A: No. Bad pony.

Q: Should I replace out for tactical purposes?
A: No. Finish what you started.

Q: How frequently will we get votecounts?
A: I will do a votecount at least once per RL day if there has been more than one page generated and the votecount is different from the last one.

Q: If I'm unclear about something in my role PM, should I construct an elaborate fantasy world based the least likely possibility for what the mod could have meant and then get really mad when I was wrong?
A: No. PM me if you have a question about your role.

Q: If I want to get the moderator's attention, should I post something in the thread and get mad when the moderator didn't see it?
A: No. If you need something from the moderator, send a PM.

Q: Help! The moderator is bad at votecounts and miscounted a vote! Should I post my complaint in the thread in hopes the moderator will see it and also clutter the thread with dumb posts?
A: No. PM the mod and it'll get fixed and not clutter the thread with dumb posts.

In both games, all of the bases are covered. In the basic rules players are given an easy reference to any reasonable question they could have about the game. I like to write the rules post in a fun way so that players have more of an incentive to read it at the beginning of the game. In Cyberpunk it's written in the familiar format of the 10 Commandments, in MLP it is written in the voice of a character from the show. This sort of basic tone-setting will help differentiate your game from others and help to establish a different atmosphere than you would get from a non-theme game.

In Cyberpunk, I wrote win conditions for every unique wincon that could possibly be in the game. This establishes to the players that trying the meta-strategy of having a player regurgitate a different win condition than their own is not going to work. I also establish that mafia players have been provided with flavor claims, so as to prevent the players from attempting to mass claim to break the game. As a mod, I think it is important to encourage players to actually play the game as you intended rather than attempting to break the game via meta strategies.

In My Little Pony, I use an FAQ section to cover some basic behavior and information role things that I want everyone to be on the same page about. This FAQ serves the purpose of eliminating meta-game arguments (mechanical and out-of-game) and establishing that I will be very strict about toxic behavior. Using your rules post to establish moderator tone is far more productive that trying to intervene in game. Anything you can do to avoid having to interfere with the game is a good thing. It also gives you a paper trail to point to if you do have to intervene.

3. Start your game.

After this point, keep a light hand and be helpful to players when needed. Keep your first post updated with the current player list and the information given about the dead players. It is imperative that you collate this information for your players. Make it easy for your players to find the information that you want them to know.

One of your biggest duties as a moderator is to provide votecounts. Give players, within reason, frequent votecounts. Make them easy to read and provide the information players need. A votecount should show at a glance:
1. How many votes are on each player.
2. What order players voted for the players with votes.
3. The current deadline. (this is the best way to do it as it shows a running countdown to when time is up)

Code: Select all

[countdown]2020-01-01 22:22:22 -5.00[/countdown]

If players have trouble finding any of this information, your votecount format needs to be changed.
It is tempting to do cute things like ordering players by number of votes, showing the entire player list rather than just the players receiving votes, providing a link to each vote, etc. As a general rule simplicity is the best policy. Don't make reading your votecount an impediment to playing the game, and don't add unnecessary complications that will impede your ability to deliver accurate and timely votecounts.

FAQ:

Q: I have a big toxic mess in my game. What do I do?
A: You are in charge of your game, and you are allowed to have stricter rules regarding behavior than general site rules as long as players are informed. Dealing with player drama generally starts with either an in-thread mod message (hey guys, chill out) or a private message.
If problems persist report offending posts to the List Mods
.

Q: I told players to stop being toxic and they didn't listen, should I modkill?
A: No! Modkills are reserved as a last resort for when the slot is compromised due to the player revealing alignment information in some way. Do not modkill unless you have to. It is almost always a better option to replace another player into the slot if the issue is interpersonal issues between players or a player flaking out of the game.

Q: A player PM'd another player their role PM. Now can I modkill?
A: Not necessarily. Unless you have a reasonable suspicion that the slot is compromised to the rest of the game, the right move is probably to force-replace both players.

Q: What if I really lust after the thrill of capriciously modkilling slots in my game?
A: Submit an application to be a List Mod the next time it comes up. That sort of bloodlust and high-handedness is a quality we look for in applicants. Seriously though, don't modkill unless it is to protect the integrity of the game.

Q: The day ended but I don't have time to write the 10,000 words of flavor that I like to do every time a day ends. Is it cool if I just leave my thread locked for five days while I break out of writers block?
A: No. Keeping your game running smoothly is the prime directive of a game mod. Theme game doesn't mean flavor comes before player experience. If we receive complaints from your players about this sort of thing you're going to get an angry PM from me.

Q: Oh no! I made a mod error! What do I do?
A: PM me. Lock your thread. We will figure it out together.
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Post Post #7 (ISO) » Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:39 am

Post by Patrick »

  1. Game name
    -UK Eastermeet Invitational
  2. Flavor
    -Light UK Scummers meet flavour, nothing more.
  3. Number of players
    -14
  4. Are hydras allowed (Yes/No)
    -No
  5. Your modding experience
    - 15 or so games at a guess, mixture of newbies, larges, themes, normals. Example here: viewtopic.php?f=83&t=62129
  6. Current modding commitments
    -None
  7. Reviewers
    -None
  8. Reviewers agreed to FINAL version? (Yes/No)
    -N/A
  9. Backup or co-mod
    -Shanba
  10. Backup or co-mod's experience
    - around 4 games, one example: viewtopic.php?f=53&t=5505
  11. Backup or co-mod's commitments
    -None
  12. Is it possible your game has any of the following: cults, mid-game alignment changes, moderator lies that cannot be reasonably anticipated (for example, Godfather, Tailor, Miller, Ninja, and mechanics like that are generally fine. Telling someone they are a reflexive doctor when they're actually a PGO is not), secret win conditions, un-divulged non-randomness in player role/alignment generation, direct moderator influence during the game?
    - No, and the setup is fully open.
Primpod 11:13 pm
chamber can you please come to ukmeet
i would love to finally touch your face
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Post Post #8 (ISO) » Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:59 am

Post by Untrod Tripod »

Patrick's game may begin signups.
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Post Post #9 (ISO) » Wed Apr 24, 2019 4:11 pm

Post by northsidegal »

Fire on the Mountain has ended with...

Spoiler:
an
Arsonist
victory!
wiki | modded | Newbie NewD3 Stats | scripts

things fall apart
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Post Post #10 (ISO) » Thu Apr 25, 2019 4:04 pm

Post by Boonskiies »

BooneyToonz X: Boonin’ It In The Slums has ended with a Town (Boon Babe) Victory!
"Let it be known that almost everything Boonskiies said is either hilarious or annoying." - Shinobi

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Boonskiies
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Post Post #11 (ISO) » Thu Apr 25, 2019 4:07 pm

Post by Boonskiies »

  1. Game name
    - BooneyToonz XI: The Sorcerer’s ABoontice
  2. Flavor
    - Classic BooneyToonz Game with an Arcanists/Different Dimension Wizards flavor.
  3. Number of players
    - 17
  4. Are hydras allowed (Yes/No)
    - Yes.
  5. Your modding experience
    - All the other BooneyToonz.
  6. Current modding commitments
    - None.
  7. Reviewers
    - Something_Smart
  8. Reviewers agreed to FINAL version? (Yes/No)
    - yes
  9. Backup or co-mod
    - Something_Smart
  10. Backup or co-mod's experience
    - Multiple back up mod experience.
  11. Backup or co-mod's commitments
    - Backup modding another game
  12. Is it possible your game has any of the following: cults, mid-game alignment changes, moderator lies that cannot be reasonably anticipated (for example, Godfather, Tailor, Miller, Ninja, and mechanics like that are generally fine. Telling someone they are a reflexive doctor when they're actually a PGO is not), secret win conditions, un-divulged non-randomness in player role/alignment generation, direct moderator influence during the game? (Yes/No)
    -
Everything in the game can be expected from the BooneyToonz Guidelines.
"Let it be known that almost everything Boonskiies said is either hilarious or annoying." - Shinobi

Yes, I'm
Flavor Leaf
. That's my main; I just mod on
Boonskiies
.
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Post Post #12 (ISO) » Thu Apr 25, 2019 6:26 pm

Post by Untrod Tripod »

Boonskiies game may begin signups
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Post Post #13 (ISO) » Mon Apr 29, 2019 1:28 pm

Post by implosion »

New Queue New Me
  1. Game name
    - :(){ :|:& };: Mafia, a.k.a. Forkbomb Mafia
  2. Flavor
    - Possibly some light computer hackery themed stuff, maybe nothing, we'll see
  3. Number of players
    SEVENTEEN unless i change my mind on numbers before it fills lol
  4. Are hydras allowed (Yes/No)
    Eh sure why not i guess it won't really matter anyway max 2 heads though and i reserve rights etc
  5. Your modding experience
    exactly one game in each kwee
  6. Current modding commitments
    nah
  7. Reviewers
    the april open setup design thread
  8. Reviewers agreed to FINAL version? (Yes/No)
    - eh at least one of them rated it decently highly so far and it's open, i'm sure it'll be fiiiine
  9. Backup or co-mod
    - schadd_?
  10. Backup or co-mod's experience
    - uhhhhh he modded some stuff in my kwee
  11. Backup or co-mod's commitments
    - a large normal, a micro, an open in signups, maybe more idk ask him
  12. Is it possible your game has any of the following: cults, mid-game alignment changes, moderator lies that cannot be reasonably anticipated (for example, Godfather, Tailor, Miller, Ninja, and mechanics like that are generally fine. Telling someone they are a reflexive doctor when they're actually a PGO is not), secret win conditions, un-divulged non-randomness in player role/alignment generation, direct moderator influence during the game?
    - Open setup, no.
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Post Post #14 (ISO) » Tue Apr 30, 2019 5:39 am

Post by Untrod Tripod »

implosions game may begin setups
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Post Post #15 (ISO) » Fri May 03, 2019 11:04 am

Post by Morality »

  1. Game name
    - Death Note 1: The Task Force
  2. Flavor
    - Death Note Flavor with a Resistance-like Mafia fusion game mechanics.
  3. Number of players
    - 9 (we’ve been messaging, I have all 9 slots filled prior to coming.)
  4. Are hydras allowed (Yes/No)
    - Yes. Some of my players are hydras.
  5. Your modding experience
    - all the BooneyToonz
  6. Current modding commitments
    - BooneyToonz XI
  7. Reviewers
    - N/A, I’ve showed people, but the Resistance like mechanics make it kind of different.
  8. Reviewers agreed to FINAL version? (Yes/No)
    - N/A
  9. Backup or co-mod
    - N/A. It’s a 9 player.
  10. Backup or co-mod's experience
    -
  11. Backup or co-mod's commitments
    -
  12. Is it possible your game has any of the following: cults, mid-game alignment changes, moderator lies that cannot be reasonably anticipated (for example, Godfather, Tailor, Miller, Ninja, and mechanics like that are generally fine. Telling someone they are a reflexive doctor when they're actually a PGO is not), secret win conditions, un-divulged non-randomness in player role/alignment generation, direct moderator influence during the game? (Yes/No)
    -
The game is essentially an Open game with Resistance-like mechanics. It’s still Mafia because of the Informed Minority vs the Uninformed Majority.
“DON’T GET BOGGED DOWN IN HIS SWAMP OF WIFOM!” - Chip Butty to guiltied Scum Morality. Spoiler, they sunk.

FL

Modding - A Death Note Series -
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Post Post #16 (ISO) » Sat May 04, 2019 5:46 am

Post by vonflare »

Game name - One Night Ultimate Ultimate Werewolf
Flavor - werewolves
Number of players - 82
Are hydras allowed (Yes/No) - Yes
Your modding experience - Lots
Current modding commitments - None
Reviewers - Annadog40
Reviewers agreed to FINAL version? (Yes/No) - Yes
Co-mod - Annadog40
Is it possible your game has any bastard elements - Yes

current pre-ins: 4
pre-in now!
THIS POST IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
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Post Post #17 (ISO) » Sun May 05, 2019 12:39 pm

Post by Untrod Tripod »

Morality's game may begin signups
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Post Post #18 (ISO) » Sun May 05, 2019 2:24 pm

Post by Untrod Tripod »

vonflare's game may begin signups, with the caveat that it cannot indefinitely be in signups
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Post Post #19 (ISO) » Tue May 14, 2019 11:01 am

Post by RadiantCowbells »

Undertale Mafia ends in a Mercy (Town) win.
2019 stats: Town WR 76.7%, overall WR 81.667%, 1 scum defeat involving a major mod error in lylo vs 8 scum wins.
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Post Post #20 (ISO) » Tue May 14, 2019 3:33 pm

Post by Something_Smart »

  1. Game name
    - BooneyToonz XII: Corporate Boontrigue
  2. Flavor
    - Classic BooneyToonz game with a Big Business flavor.
  3. Number of players
    - 15
  4. Are hydras allowed (Yes/No)
    - No.
  5. Your modding experience
    - Terror in the City, XP Mafia, numerous micros
  6. Current modding commitments
    - Backup modding two games
  7. Reviewers
    - the worst
  8. Reviewers agreed to FINAL version? (Yes/No)
    - Yes
  9. Backup or co-mod
    - the worst
  10. Backup or co-mod's experience
    - bunch of opens and newbies here's a few
  11. Backup or co-mod's commitments
    - Backup modding another game
  12. Is it possible your game has any of the following: cults, mid-game alignment changes, moderator lies that cannot be reasonably anticipated (for example, Godfather, Tailor, Miller, Ninja, and mechanics like that are generally fine. Telling someone they are a reflexive doctor when they're actually a PGO is not), secret win conditions, un-divulged non-randomness in player role/alignment generation, direct moderator influence during the game? (Yes/No)
    - No. Everything in the game can be expected from the BooneyToonz Guidelines.
It's always the same. When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die. You don't know whose children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they're always going to have to do from the very beginning... SIT DOWN AND TALK!
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Post Post #21 (ISO) » Wed May 15, 2019 6:17 am

Post by Untrod Tripod »

SomethingSmart's game may enter signups
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Post Post #22 (ISO) » Thu May 16, 2019 9:21 am

Post by Krazy »

Starcraft Mafia: Legacy of the Void ends in a
Spoiler:
town victory!
vote conspiracy
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Post Post #23 (ISO) » Fri May 17, 2019 11:50 am

Post by Krazy »

]I'm holding off on this until I hear from Frozen Angel when she planned to launch her GoT themed game[
Last edited by Krazy on Fri May 17, 2019 3:02 pm, edited 2 times in total.
vote conspiracy
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Post Post #24 (ISO) » Fri May 17, 2019 12:31 pm

Post by Flavor Leaf »

Sorcerer’s ABoontice ends with a...

Spoiler:
Necromance <Mafia> Victory
Locked

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