Is it Ethical to Replace into Your Alt?

This forum is for discussion related to the game.
Alyssa The Lamb
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Mafia Scum
Posts: 2521
Joined: March 9, 2020

Post Post #3 (isolation #0) » Sat Nov 27, 2021 9:06 am

Post by Alyssa The Lamb »

I've replaced myself in games on separate accounts plenty of times. Other than accounts being outed as me, the only real reason I replace the slot with another of my acocunts is because each of my playstyles requires a different headspace to function and there are times where I can't get myself into that headspace, so I will just switch accounts so I can actually play the game and not just be a useless lurksack all game.

There's probably plenty more reasons that are reasonable, but if it's specifically to gain an advantage, then that is bringing outside influences into the game imo
Alyssa The Lamb
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Mafia Scum
Posts: 2521
Joined: March 9, 2020

Post Post #16 (isolation #1) » Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:47 am

Post by Alyssa The Lamb »

It's not an inherent advantage to do something that allows you to play the game at all unless it directly runs into another rule or unethical usage of mechanics. If you're open about why you're replacing and are making efforts to not make it into an issue, I see no problems with it.

It's a similar thing as to why I believe self meta is valid if you are showing that behaviors other people are suggesting are not actually valid. If you are very open about the alt being yours whenever someone gets it confused and are not acting like it's a strategic replacement (like deciding on your own replacement when you're being pushed for example), then it's really on everybody else to make it into an issue It's not.

Generally, I've only ever seen it be an actual issue once, and it was from a mafia pushing an agenda.
Alyssa The Lamb
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Mafia Scum
Posts: 2521
Joined: March 9, 2020

Post Post #17 (isolation #2) » Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:48 am

Post by Alyssa The Lamb »

In post 15, Taly wrote:
In post 13, Ydrasse wrote:inherently people will still read your slot’s behavior on that alt (and will probably scumread the rep out, let’s be real here scum reps out way more) but i think in that situation you can give yourself an advantage that people not replacing into a slot wouldn’t receive, as they would have to prove/fake/etc read changes and behavior changes.
I actually only have town rep out examples comes to mind with this kind of thing LOL but I see what you mean.

:eye: Aly


I think I'm sliding to the idea of it being allowable if the alt is outed. But then I wonder if this should be a mafia site rule to be enforceable.
What?
Alyssa The Lamb
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Mafia Scum
Posts: 2521
Joined: March 9, 2020

Post Post #19 (isolation #3) » Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:00 am

Post by Alyssa The Lamb »

Which one? I've done it several times at least. I even have a game where I did it twice.
Alyssa The Lamb
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Mafia Scum
Posts: 2521
Joined: March 9, 2020

Post Post #33 (isolation #4) » Sun Dec 05, 2021 6:38 pm

Post by Alyssa The Lamb »

In post 30, Sleepless Assassin wrote:Any strategic replacing is unethical. I know this is up to interpretation, but I've always assumed anyone who replaces out is considered to have lost that game regardless of which fiction wins. So if you're one for statistics, is it really worth taking a loss on one alt to benefit another? Either way, yes, unethical. Play the game as it was started or don't play. Replacements should be for emergencies only.
I'm curious what your opinion on this is in the instance I indicated earlier, where a particular playstyle is discovered to not be viable (aka basically not playing). What is the decision that should be made in your eyes for the integrity of the game?

1. Replacing to another account with a more compatible playstyle for that particular game
2. Simply replacing out entirely
3. Flaking out of the game

I remember that being that level of inactive was considered very unethical about a decade ago and distinctly remember seeing and participating in debates about whether it's the moderator's job to replace them with a more active player or the players' jobs to remove that slot entirely.

It's a very multi-faceted problem from this angle because you could realistically argue that slots simply not playing the game at all damages the integrity of the game, but I don't see any solutions for this that doesn't become impacted by this.

As an example for a way this could realistically happen in a game, you join a playerlist with an account that requires the game to progress slowly to function. A player in the game is forced to replace out due to having to go to the hospital and is replaced by a player that makes the game go at a breakneck pace.

This isn't necessarily a callout of your opinion, more a counterpoint that it (as well as most everything) isn't that black and white.
Alyssa The Lamb
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Mafia Scum
Posts: 2521
Joined: March 9, 2020

Post Post #37 (isolation #5) » Tue Dec 21, 2021 1:09 pm

Post by Alyssa The Lamb »

That's hard to mediate since accidental altslips happen all the time
Alyssa The Lamb
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Alyssa The Lamb
Mafia Scum
Mafia Scum
Posts: 2521
Joined: March 9, 2020

Post Post #40 (isolation #6) » Tue Dec 21, 2021 1:31 pm

Post by Alyssa The Lamb »

I do think that purposely outing alts for an advantage in game is unethical

I was more saying that if someone wants to be sneaky about it, it's hard to say for sure whether it's intentional or not
Post Reply

Return to “Mafia Discussion”