The Syndicate

Epignosis wrote:

Long Con wrote:Mafia isn't a computer game.

Then what the hell have I been playing on?

I use an abacus.

As usual, MP nails it. There's no reason why we can't play to win but also treat each other with respect. If we can do that, I think we will all have fun games.

S~V~S wrote: Linki~ YES!! I think occasional intensity is awesome, constant intensity is not. Ya gotta post some youtubes, some gifs, some OT occasionally to break the mood.

On this, we can agree.

I think we have room for a variety of styles. We have room for Vompatti and A Person, and we have room for more intense players. I tend to be intense, but sometimes I get tired of that and play a more laid back gams. I don't see any reason why everyone has to play the same way.

Golden wrote:

S~V~S wrote:Like not lynching the incapacitated, or not killing total nubs during the first cycle. Those were the norm, and done out of courtesy. Now those things seem to be seen as some sort of a weakness.

I really agree with these things.

I don't. I think it's name calling, condescending attitudes, and general hatefulness that makes games unfun, not trying to win. If you say "I won't lynch silenced players" you encourage people to fake being silenced. I don't see how that make things more fun, and I don't see why civilians should have to let baddies live out of courtesy (but not the other way around) when baddies already win a majority of games on the site.

I will also say that I feel like talking about this with the other MoDs has helped me improve a lot in this regard, as I have been known to be an offender from time to time. Dealing with it from the other side really puts things in perspective, and has helped me think before typing and let me learn when to walk away. I still have a ways to go, but I think it's important to acknowledge thta none of us is immune from outbursts and we could all do better.

This is something we in the Mod community have noticed and are trying hard to address. It's why we are encouraging greater use of the Mod on Duty function to allow players to get out their frustrations out of thread. We all get that mafia is a stressful, emotional game that involves lying and manipulation, but we're trying to strike a balance between not being overly authoritarian with our players and fostering a friendly, happy environment for people who want to play games.

I think a lot of the problem comes from misunderstandings, where people from different mafia cultures mix. Something that one group of players will find harmless can be offensive to others. Talking it out through the MoD can really help alleviate this. One thing I've been very conscious about avoiding is a situation where the first person to take offense is automatically right, but at the same time we don't want people to feel like their feelings don't matter. We have to do a better job of understanding each other, being sensitive to when we're coming on too strong, and trying to get where the other person is coming from.

I'm open to suggestions about how we can better deal with this issue, because we really want everyone to have as good a time as possible..