Moderation Update Thread

[T-Bone]

This thread serves as a channel for the moderation team to provide updates on changes in our moderation approach, policies, and general status of site moderation.

[lilith2013]

The creation of this thread

As a result of staff discussions regarding the "Moderation Transparency and Accountability" thread, we are creating a staff update thread, which we hope will serve to keep users more in the loop regarding site changes and staff decisions. We have decided not to commit to a specific cadence for update posts, but will make a dedicated post for each update item as the change is implemented. This means there will be few to no “we have no updates” posts.

[lilith2013]

Petition-style bans

We have begun to implement a new style of ban based on some user feedback that we received after a recent ban related to prohibited viewpoints. If someone has been banned for problematic viewpoints or behavior which actively harms the site, harm prevention then becomes a significant factor in a ban, and a set timeframe for a ban does not guarantee that the banned user's harmful behavior will stop when they return. When harm prevention is a significant factor in a ban, we are starting to consider "petition-style bans" which are longer than one month and have a minimum time of less than a year, and now require a petition to the relevant mod team in order for the ban to be lifted. The banned user will need to acknowledge that they broke the rules and agree to refrain from that behavior in the future. Hopefully the new focus on harm prevention will help to better protect our users.

Very generically, the ban message would include something like the following:

In order for your ban to be lifted after the minimum timeframe of [ban length], you will need to send the Discussion mod team:

1. An acknowledgment of breaking the rules, including a description of what happened, and
   
2. An agreement to stop doing that behavior in the future. The ban will be lifted at this point as long as your message accurately describes the events and seems sincere.

You can send your petition to a

Discussion mod

at any time. If you would like to appeal this ban due to what you believe is "Moderation Error" as described in the Appeals instructions, you can reach out to zoraster at any time. You can also send an appeal to zoraster after [ban length] has passed if you believe you qualify under the Commutation section of the Appeals instructions.

The goal for both the moderators and the user is to have the ban lifted while setting the user up so that further action isn't needed. It is not necessary to agree with the policy that resulted in the ban so long as the user wants to avoid violating the policy. Users are welcome to voice their disagreement with the policy as long as doing so doesn't violate the rules to begin with (for example, prohibited viewpoints). But our hope is to make sure that those who are receiving these longer bans understand their bans and at least will try to avoid getting banned in the future. On the whole, we do not want to see users banned, and we're hopeful that we can avoid escalation in punishments that end with users indefinitely banned.

These bans are still appealable to zoraster if the user believes the ban is incorrect (i.e. "Moderator Error" section of the Appeals instructions), or if the minimum ban length has passed, the user can choose to send a Commutation appeal to zoraster. Note that appeals to zoraster for bans will generally have a higher standard for a user's return than the conditions for petition-style bans.

In response to some of the feedback we have received regarding this new style of ban, the banned user can send their petition to the relevant mod team at any time after their ban has been enacted. The mod team will discuss petitions upon receiving them, which can reduce lag time between the end of the minimum ban length and the ban being lifted. However, the minimum ban length will still be served regardless of the outcome of any discussion based on petitions received before the minimum ban length has passed.

[lilith2013]

feedback for bans thread

Based on the feedback we have received regarding the Feedback for Bans thread, we have removed the restrictions on posting in this thread. Please see this post for more details.

[zoraster]

Site Ideas Permission Change

There was an oversight where the discussion ban group didn't cover Site Ideas. That's been corrected.

[xofelf]

Large Social Games Renaming

To further match up with how they're referred to everywhere else but MS, the subforum has been renamed to ORGs and Large Social Games. Because most places call these sorts of games Online Reality Games (ORGs), the hope is to make it clearer what LSGs and Large Social Games are to potential new players.

[AniX]

In order to allow users to better understand what is and isn't prohibited conduct, the moderation team will test out a policy of publicly including mention of warnings that result from Discussion posts within the posts themselves. Please note that not all warnings result directly from posts and moderators may still exercise discretion in the case of warnings resulting from issues that are private or personal.

Warnings resulting from Non-Discussion posts are not affected by this policy change.

[AniX]

After due reflection, the discussion mod team has determined it is in the best interest of the site to revise the rule against "baiting", which previously read as follows:

"In line with our aim to prevent a hostile environment, Mafiascum will not allow ideological purity tests, "witch hunts", or any form of baiting users into defending a prohibited viewpoint. Attempts to weaponize Mafiascum rules or policies in order to get a user banned will result in action being taken against you. It is the moderators' responsibility to regulate behavior. Vigilantism will not be tolerated."

The moderation team believes this version is ineffective and overbroad in addressing the behavior it was written to stop. In particular, there was concern that the rule as written inadvertently prevents or appears to prevent users acting in good faith and with the specific intent to assess whether a user holds a viewpoint harmful to them from doing so. It has been therefore restructured as such:

"In line with our aim to prevent a hostile environment, users should not attempt to weaponize Mafiascum rules or policies in order to get a user banned. It is the moderators' responsibility to regulate behavior. Vigilantism will not be tolerated. Examples of prohibited conduct might include but is not limited to: shadowing another user across threads, demanding a user engage about a certain topic or leave a thread, or coordinated efforts where multiple users engage in behavior that would violate this rule if done by a single user."

Update: This rule has subsequently been removed completely.

[zoraster]

Added a new pronoun field that allows users to enter text. The old one will be phased out. You can find the new pronoun field in your User CP.

[lilith2013]

MAFIA RULES UPDATE

The Listmod team has reviewed and updated the mafia-specific rules, as follows:

• The rules specific to players in the Forum Rules/Guidelines have been updated to reflect our current standards of conduct, remove outdated language, and reflect the updated content of the announcement threads (updates to which are listed below). (Language update to #10 was made on February 25th, 2022.)
  
• We have created an announcement thread on Out-of-Game Influence clarifying the definition of out-of-game influence and in which scenarios we will take action. (A language clarification was made to #4 on February 21st, 2022.)
  
• We have updated the rule on quoting private communications and created an announcement thread on Proving Private Communications describing the change.
  
• We have updated the rule on discussion of ongoing games, and updated the announcement thread on Discussion of Ongoing Games with a description of the change and examples of the types of statements now covered by the rule. ("Discussion of activity" exception was removed on February 21st, 2022.)
  
• Finally, we have created a specific section of rules for mafia game moderators.

To give everyone some time to digest the updates before they go into effect, these changes have been posted but will be effective as of

March 1st, 2022.

We are going to be sending warnings on infractions that have occurred before March 1st to make players aware of where their conduct would be actionable under the updated guidelines and rules.

Given the number and magnitude of the changes we are making, we understand that there might be questions or uncertainty on some of these changes. You can ask any questions about or comment on these changes in this thread, or reach out to any Listmod privately.

In addition to the above rule changes, we are considering implementing a size limit on Large games, and invite feedback on this change (link will be added once the details are posted).

[AniX]

Users subject to Mafia and Mish Mash bans will now be disallowed from commenting on their own ban within the Ban Feedback thread during the terms of their ban. This rule change is due to the purpose of the Feedback thread being to solicit third party perspectives from the userbase and is not an appropriate venue for the user themself to re-litigate or appeal. It also brings Feedback Thread access parity between ban types, as Discussion bans already prevent access to Site Ideas.

[AniX]

Petition bans that include discussion will now be considered "long term" and will involve loss of Speakeasy access for their duration. This change is to correct an oversight and create uniformity amongst ban lengths, as normal bans of one month or longer already remove access to the Speakeasy and petition bans have a minimum length of one month.

[zoraster]

The new Pronoun field has been fully switched over to a fillable one and the old drop-down box has been removed. If you would like to display your pronoun(s) and have not already done so, you can find the new field in the User Control Panel>Profile section.

[AniX]

The Mafiascum Moderation Team has concluded a review of usernames to make sure they are still appropriate for the rules and standards of the site and have edited or removed the ones that no longer are. While releasing the full list of names changed would not be productive, name change reasons include: removing all instances of "88" and "HH", removing the term Lynch and variants, removing usernames that appear to be an alt of a user but aren't, sexually explicit names, racist, anti-lgbt+, or otherwise bigoted names, and names that contain overt advertisements or contact information.

Nearly all the usernames impacted by this belong to members no longer active on the site. When possible, usernames have been minimally edited to make them conform to the rules. However, in some cases the entire username needed to be removed and a placeholder put in. Users impacted by this change have all been contacted and may message a moderator with a new name and we will be happy to substitute it in.

In addition to this overhaul, usernames that contain non-alphanumeric characters may be subject to minor name changes when applying for mafia games due to the incompatibility between some non-alphanumeric characters and access to game-related PT threads.

There was a lot of names and it is not only possible but probable some may have been overlooked.As always, users are encouraged to contact moderation if they see any username, signature, profile picture, or title that seems inappropriate, offensive, or harmful.

NOTE: You will receive an email notifying you of our PM but it will display the NEW NAME of the account, not the old one. Please do not be confused if you receive notice about an account you do not remember creating (although obviously, if it seems suspicious still, please let us know!)

[Isis]

Updates to the discord for plural users

Based on user input and an assessment of new ways we can meet the needs of our users, PluralKit is being added to the discord for its use by the members of plural systems. Pluralkit is a bot that deletes messages from users and replaces them with a message with a different name and avatar for the author, so that in doing so it may use two or more different replacement author names, which allows people who share a discord account because they share a body to be represented by different names. It has other features as well.

Where and who uses Pluralkit

Because discord does not allow users to block the changed-author messages of PluralKit, PluralKit will not be installed in channels of the mafiascum discord server that cannot be exited by dropping the role that grants access to that channel. It will be available in every other channel.
PluralKit should only be used for plurality, not for roleplay. We want to avoid a handful of singlet users using the tool for roleplay and causing the back-to-back message bug when other users are using the tool. Roleplay usage also has a weaker justification for nullifying the block feature. Most commands work as DMs to Pluralkit, but "system server tag" is a notable exception. There will also be a new botspam channel.

Expectations for users using PluralKit

Code: Select all

pk;system servertag <string>

should be used to give the mafiascum discord, and only the mafia scum discord, an appended tag that associates the message with a mafiascum forum account, in accordance with longstanding rule that is usually implemented by "Change Nickname" instead. Examples are

Code: Select all

pk;system servertag {Forumname or a headmate}

or

Code: Select all

pk;system servertag |Blyn System| login:Forumname

which are selected here to illustrate there is no prominence requirement.
It is helpful if Pluralkit users remember to provide as much information as is necessary about the pronouns of their alters.

Expectations for all users

Be respectful to other users. Be careful not to make statements that make false equivalences between different members of a system, or characteristics of the system as opposed to one of its members. Make sure to use the correct pronouns even though they are being presented in a new way.
There are a couple commands that are relevant to you even if you are not using Pluralkit, they are both emote reactions to messages. can tell you more about who sent a message. will ping the user who sent a message.

Closing Remark

We were unable to make changes to mafiascum.net but we are excited about positive benefits from introducing Pluralkit to the discord. Although we extensively discussed this with the community, we are still listening to feedback you may have. As a reminder, you can DM the Modmail bot on the discord to share a message with staff, in addition other manners of communicating with us.

[AniX]

Alt accounts for all users and accounts for system members of users already admitted will now be permitted access to the Speakeasy and Get to Know A Scummer forums. All other requirements for an account to gain Speakeasy Access apply, including at least one account used by the user or system having 100 or more in-game posts and an account user being at least 18 years old. Reminder that Speakeasy access also grants GTKAS access and users applying for Speakeasy access need not also apply for GTKAS access.

Alongside this reform, both the Speakeasy and GTKAS forums will now have a stickied thread listing all users who have access to that specific forum. It will include a separate list of all alternate accounts and accounts for system members of users already in those forums. Plural users are free to disclose their plural status but are under no obligation to. Plural users are also encouraged to inform site staff as to whether they wish to be marked as a plural account on the Masterlist and whether they want a system name, if any, included.

Please note that hydra accounts will remain unable to access these forums. If an account has more than one user, all such users must belong to the same system.

[AniX]

PluralKit will now be available for use in all channels of the Discord server, including General Discussion. In doing so, we are trusting PK users to act responsibly and with respect to the needs of other users who might wish to avoid conversation on certain topics or with certain users. However, we will not impose any particular policy or rule regarding blocking of PK users at this time.

In addition, while we always appreciate feedback from users on policy changes, due to the very personal nature of PluralKit use, please privately message the mods with any concerns or questions you might have about this new policy and we will be glad to address them for you.

[Isis]

Going forward, The Mafiascum Discussion Mod team will be periodically remaking as a new thread certain "megathreads" that have reached an age and/or post count where in our judgement the thread might benefit from a refresh, with no set concrete parameters for post count or age and with an eye towards avoiding remaking support and other threads that benefit from a single, continuous thread of content. The old threads will be locked, with the final post of the old thread being a link to the new thread and the first post in the new thread linking to the old thread. The threads we will be rebooting at this time are as follows:

U.S. Politics
Relationships
League of Legends: The New Thread
Face with a name

As always, users are invited to contact any Discussion mod for questions and clarifications as well as if they feel another thread merits looking into.

Update: This policy is no longer in effect.

[AniX]

A new opt-in subforum, Tapper's, has been added to General Discussion. Similarly to The Speakeasy, this forum is designed to allow for private and personal discussion users might wish to have benefit from the additional safeguards mod access approval (and the requirement of 100 posts to receive said approval) provides. However, unlike The Speakeasy, Tapper's is open to users of all ages to join and has the same rules as GD prohibiting explicit or otherwise 18+ discussions.

As posts in Speakeasy were made with the understanding that only adults would be viewing them, no posts have been moved from the Speakeasy over to Tapper's, even if they might otherwise fit the criteria. However, users are welcome and encouraged to recreate appropriate threads if they so choose.

Users who already have Speakeasy Access (or who gain Speakeasy Access later in time) have received access to Tapper's automatically and do not need to take any additional action. Tapper's has its own separate usergroup for membership, which grants access to Tapper's and Tapper's alone. As with The Speakeasy and Get to Know A Scummer, a Masterlist pinned post has been created listing every user with access to the subforum.

As always, if there are any questions, clarifications, or concerns, users are encouraged to reach out to the Mafiascum Discussion moderation team either via PM or through the Feedback thread.

[Isis]

Due to technical bugs, some users who should have access to Tapper's cannot see the subforum in General Discussion. Some or all of these users can still use direct links. We are working to make the subforum visible more consistently.
Here is a link, for those that may benefit.
Tapper's

[AniX]

As per discussion in this thread, there will be a few changes to how the Discussion forums function:

- General Discussion will be re-indexed. That means that, going forward, all posts in GD will be viewable by any visitor to the site, regardless of whether they are a member or not. Mafia games and Mafia Discussion are already indexed and will have no changes made. Mods do not have the technical access to re-index on our own, but re-indexing will occur ASAP and users should post with the understanding everything posted in GD going forward after this post will be visible to all visitors to the site.

- All threads where the latest post was prior to November 22nd, 2020 will remain in GD, the date GD was last an indexed forum.

- All threads with the latest post subsequent to November 22nd, 2020 (there are no threads where the latest post is on the 22nd) will be moved to Tapper's.

- The Arcade remained indexed when GD was unindexed and, as such, will undergo no change.

- Speakeasy and Tapper's will remain opt-in areas of the site that will remain unindexed and both will require 100 game posts and mod approval for entry. The Speakeasy will continue to also require users be at least 18 years of age. Users are encouraged but not required to direct all non-personal, non-private joke or meme posts to GD in order to keep the Speakeasy and Tapper's focused and improved GD's post count and SEO results.

- SEO keywords will be re-implemented as technical staff's time allows.

Update: General Discussion is now public and indexed.

[AniX]

A general statement about interacting with plural systems in games: Recently, there have been a few cases of posters in mafia games implying or arguing that alters within a system are equivalent to alts of one another, such that reads, arguments, or assumptions one has about one alter can be applied to all alters in the system. That is not necessarily the case. While it is understandable to perhaps be confused by something you haven’t encountered before, such behavior can create an unsafe environment for plural users.

While not all plural systems use the term "alters", many do. And for those that do, alters within that plural system can and often are completely separate and distinct from one another, with different accounts, personalities, and identities who just happen to share the same body and should be treated as such, both in game and outside it, unless a system specifically states there is greater inter-connectivity between alters (for example, a statement that multiple alters use the same account). Please note that, as with misgendering, we understand genuine mistakes can happen and users will be given the opportunity to correct mistakes before incurring sanctions. However, just like with misgendering, willful refusal to correct and learn from mistakes as well as malicious intent will not be tolerated.

For those in want of more information about what plural systems are and how to respectfully engage with them, there is a extensive primer on the topic here, which I have quoted below for the benefit of users who are not in the Speakeasy:

Spoiler: Shared with Permission from Silverclaw

>> What’s the purpose of this thread?

This thread primarily exists as a safe space to share experiences and provide support for those that identify with multiplicity/being plural. Secondarily, this is a thread to ask and answer questions for those that are either curious of what plurality is, or for those that are questioning their identity.

(Exclusionary practices against the experiences of any one user is expressly prohibited. Please be kind.)

>> What is plurality/multiplicity?

Plurality

(or

multiplicity

; this FAQ and OP will typically use the former term) is essentially

"the experience of many in one body"

. Plurality can be a preferred term for those suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) or Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD), as well as a broad umbrella term for anyone who mentally identifies as

"more than one"

beyond the DSM's criteria for specific disorders (which you can find here).

Studies show that at least 1-3% of the population may be affected by DID. This does not include OSDD/DDNOS (another 4-7%), or other forms of plurality. But to give a sense of scale, red-haired people are about 2% of the population. So if you know a red-haired person, you've probably met a plural person!

>> How does plurality start or form?

The most common theory as to how plurality can form is the Theory of Structural Dissociation.
Essentially, the theory assumes that as infants, we all have different personality states that eventually integrate into one cohesive personality at a young age. Traumatic events before this supposed integration can cause these states to become unable to properly merge, and trauma

after

this integration can still cause disconnections of the personality as well.

However

, this theory is primarily directed towards the origins of one

specific

plurality type, of which there are multiple, and not every system of that type may adhere to this.

Here are some of the most common types of plurality:

• Traumagenic plurality
  is plurality formed through a trauma response; they may be diagnosed with DID or OSDD, or prefer to identify their origins in trauma without seeking out a particular diagnosis.

• Endogenic plurality
  is plurality formed without relevant trauma, or in some cases, where trauma isn't the only or most prominent factor. There are several subtypes, including:
  • Parogenic
    or
    willogenic
    - plurality formed by an act of free will / intentionally.
    
  • Parotraumagenic
    - plurality formed intentionally in order to cope with trauma.
    
    
  • Protogenic
    - plurality formed around birth, or as far back as the system can remember, with no noticeable singlet phase.
    
  • Neurogenic
    - plurality formed to handle a mental disorder (or other disability) that is
    not
    DID/OSDD-1.
    
  • Quoigenic
    - plurality of unknown, indeterminate, or unspecified origin; they may not know, care about, or want to disclose their origins, or think it's irrelevant or the wrong question to ask.
  
  
• Mixed Origins
  is plurality of multiple different origins (for example, a system with both traumagenic and parogenic system members).

Regardless of the reason behind someone's plurality,

their experiences are valid

. Similar to asking about other types of personal details, asking about the reasons behind someone's plurality unprompted, is typically considered very personal and/or rude.
In addition, there is no set "amount" or "degree" of trauma required to develop a disorder related to traumagenic plurality. Different people can have different outcomes from similar situations. Even systems that form without trauma at all, are still members of the plural community.

All experiences are valid here.

>> So how do I address plural individ-... people?

The most common term for plurals/multiples is

system

. The common term for those that are

not

plural/multiple is

singlet

.
Many systems will have a system name (e.g. The ___ System) which usually differs from the Body Name. When referring to the system as a whole, terms such as

"you&"

can be used in place of singular terms (unless the system has a different preference - e.g. y'all, singular pronoun, etc.).
The individual members of a system are typically referred to as

alters

,

systemmates

, or

headmates

, among other terms.

Most

alters prefer to be addressed by their chosen/given names and pronouns, although this may vary from alter-to-alter and system-to-system. Some headmates may not wish for their names or pronouns to be known.

Remember to respect each system member's individuality. Even if you've previously known this system by the name of a specific alter (or the body's name), other headmates in the system may not always enjoy being referred to by that name when

they're

the one you're talking to at the moment (known as

fronting

- or

co-conscious

if there are multiple members controlling the body).
If you know a system, it's never wrong to just ask them how they would prefer to be addressed. There may be situations where a system's multiplicity is not public knowledge, and it may be wise to use the Body Name/Pronouns (or a specific alter's) for the system's safety, as opposed to using multiple names or pronouns.

System members may wish to identify themselves in different ways to make referring to them easier. Over the internet, some headmates may sign their posts with emoji or initials, while some systems use tools such as PluralKit on Discord to show who is currently in control of the body. In real life, systems may choose to dress or carry themselves differently based off of the alter who is "fronting", or by displaying subtle indicators such as buttons or bracelets.

>> What makes plurality different from acting or roleplaying?

Roleplay and acting involve one person taking on the mask of a character and acting as them for a period of time; it requires an active, concentrated effort. Plurality is multiple people sharing space within a body, and is simply how certain brains work for some bodies. Although it can seem to an outside observer that it's one person taking masks and acting in a different manner, the difference is that when someone “shifts” in this manner, either someone else has taken over entirely or there is a second person who is now sharing space with them.

The effect of roleplaying out more than one person would mean having to be “on” at all times and being ready for anything that could come your way, lest you break the mask. This, for many reasons, is something out of scope for most people.

Switching between system members can also result in psychophysiological changes, such as in visual function (including blindness), responses to medication, and dominant handedness. These changes generally do not occur during roleplaying or acting.

>> How do I tell if someone is faking being plural?

Just as with any other form of identity - you don't.

You are not in their mind or their therapist.

Their experiences are valid if the words they use are what they believe are the closest to what goes on in their brain.

Telling a system that they are faking ("fakeclaiming") because they don't meet your own expectations of what a system "looks" like or how a system should behave

is not okay and is harmful to the plural community as a whole

.
Often this is the result of misconceptions from popular media. At other times, as is unfortunately a well-established phenomenon within marginalised groups, it can be the result of certain people within the community trying to distance themselves from others they believe "make them look bad" to those outside the community. Frequently the target of fakeclaiming accusations are younger systems who might not be able to express themselves as well as older systems, are still figuring out their identity, or are engaging in subversive behaviours that result in people considering them acceptable targets. Please be kind, and ask questions instead of jumping to conclusions.

>> Is there anything else I should know?

There's many different ways that plurality can manifest itself. Some systems have alters whose appearances, inner voice and such are based off of existing fictional characters (fictives), while others can have headmates based off of actual individuals (factives). Some systems may have all human members, while others may have non-humans in their system.

Some systems have "inner worlds" they can access mentally, while others find it difficult to do so or don't have an "inner world" at all. Some systems have alters that identify with a different age than the body's age, and others can have alters whose ages can change depending on their mental state. Some systems may eventually want to pursue an integration or "fusion" of their parts, while others may seek a route of healthy/functional multiplicity and learn to co-operate with their system after discovery.

Overall, just like singlets, each system is different. If you have a question for a specific system or alter, just ask them (but be nice about it!).

And if you have any other general questions, then this is the thread to ask them in!

>> How can I tell if I'm plural?

The original poster went on to wonder, when sie would hear a voice inside yelling at hir for crying, or yelling the things sie wished sie could be yelling,

    i don't know if this voice is my own, or another. i don't know how to tell.

Well, one way I tell, kind of, is to give these voices a chance to speak aloud or in writing, to us in dialog or, preferably, to others. When other parts say things that we weren't really aware of thinking or feeling, I figure that's a pretty good clue that it is another part. (And this happens

often

.)
But... you know, "real" doesn't really matter. What matters is "works". Does it

work

if you treat those voices as other parts, or alters? Does it work if you listen to what they have to say, treat them respectfully as "valid" points of view? Does it work to let those voices out to tell their own story in their own words, to feel their feelings? Does it work to slowly begin to reparent them, to create an inner sense of safety?

If it works, you get to do it.

I spent a lot of time saying that to myself, believe me. I would go through phases of feeling like I was making it all up, that I was overdramatizing, that what I was doing was silly, that I was just being influenced by my friends, etc etc etc. And I kept coming back to, "If it works, I get to do it."

Plurality, like many other things, exists on a spectrum. Everyone who experiences plurality will experience it differently, and there’s no definitive source on who gets to be plural. “Every therapist may draw the line that says "Multiple" in a different place” because of the sheer variety of experiences.
Are you experiencing some of the things that we talk about in this thread? Well, put on the label and try it for a while. You’ll never know until you try.

>> Saved Posts

This post about alter roles
This post with a series of videos about systemhood. Recommended listening for anyone with questions.

[T-Bone]

Planned Queue Overhaul

As part of continued updates to MafiaScum we are planning on some changes to the queue structure to streamline the mafia experience. In short here are the following changes we are planning.

1. Sunsetting of the Newbie Queue. The Newbie Queue is a longstanding feature of MafiaScum but in recent years we feel that the Newbie Queue doesn't offer an experience that prepares players for other games on the site. The Newbie Queue is the only place on site where semi-open set-ups are regularly featured. Newbies are not exposed to the types of concepts they would see in most queues. Additionally the style of game and presence of SEs while newbie friendly in a way aren't representative of the game experience on the rest of the site. Finally, Newbie games are slow to fill thanks to the requirement of having a certain amount of newbies and volunteers to play with them. Instead we are going to fold the function of the Newbie Queue into the Open and Mini Normal Queues and direct newbies to play their first game there. We will encourage existing players to remember to treat newbies in the friendly manner we typically expected from the newbie queue. Along with this will come a new MafiaScum guide for newbies and updates to various communications that go out to newbies.

2. Sunsetting of the Mirco Queue. The Micro Queue was introduced a number of years ago to meet the demand of smaller games players were looking for. As part of our overhaul of the queue structure we plan to fold in micro games into the normal and themed queues with a dedicated slot into each queue.

3. Combining the Theme Queues. Many years ago the Normal Queue was combined into one for mini and large normal games. As part of the overhaul we plan to do the same with the theme queues. Mods will be able to sign-up for micro, mini, and large themed games. Players will be able to sign-up for micro and minis in the new theme queue thread. Large Theme moderators will continue to make their own sign-up threads in the queue forum once they are given permission. We're also considering a name change to better reflect what theme games are (because mechanic heavy games are considered themes)

4. Replacement Queue. For years the replacement queue has been overseen by a volunteer and unregulated by the Listmods. With the sunsetting of a few queues the Listmods will take control of the replacement queue both on the forum and discord. We do want to thank Morning Tweet and all previous volunteers for their tireless work on this queue.

5. Staff changes. Once the queue changes are complete as well as the new newbie guides, PenguinPower will be stepping down as Listmod. Something_Smart will remain the Open Queue Listmod, Implosion will remain the Normal Queue Listmod. SirCakez will take over the Theme Queue as Listmod for Micro and Mini Theme games. T-Bone will continue to be the Large Theme Listmod though the moderator queue will be managed in the Theme Queue.Lilith2013 will handle the replacement queue on the forum and discord. T-Bone will backup all queues. All Listmods will continue to handle mafia reports as normal.

We hope these changes will make it easier than ever for players new and veteran alike to get into games as quickly as possible. Further details about each change will be discussed as we finalize the details. We have created a discussion thread located HERE if you want to discuss or leave feedback on these changes.

Thank you,
Implosion, Lilith2013, PenguinPower, SirCakez, Something_Smart, T-Bone

[AniX]

We have just posted a new thread for Mafiascum Forum Rules and Guidelines. Please note that at this time, no new rules have been created. Rather, this post merely reorganizes existing rules for increased clarity, combines multiple separate rule and guideline threads into a single definitive one, and incorporates rules that were announced elsewhere but may not have been updated into the main thread. An amount of minor Housekeeping was also performed, fixing minor grammar and spelling mistakes, deleting redundant or outdated references & links, and updating Mod contact information.

[Isis]

We have noticed some users share their pronouns.page pages, so we have made pronouns.page a fillable field in the contact section. Use this thread for any questions.