The Syndicate

Yes, they can. We are going to make an effort to be more active and more publicly visible in the games going forward.

Very well put Epi, and exactly what we want. MP calls it using them as your own personal punching bag. Trust me I have called people I adore here names I am embarrassed to recall, privately to the mod before. Thank god I didn't do it in thread because once I calmed down I realized it wasn't the way it seemed. We have awesome players here, mafia just gets really tense. It is the nature of the game.

And gamerguy, it is not often we preemptively reach out to someone, because it usually doesn't need it, but there have been occasions we did.

I just want to say that I recognize my shortcomings as a mod in the past. I've had a couple times I have lost my cool in the thread when I should have taken a step back and let myself calm down before posting. And I have not always been active and present enough as mod myself. I am fully committed to this process in the future.

I get what you are saying gamer guy. I will say this, I would prefer someone freak out on our mods behind the scenes than lose their cool in thread. But as a mod I won't approach you unless needed.

Greetings Syndicate members! Lately there has been a great deal of discussion among both the Administration team and the Ambassadors as to the Moderator on Duty function. I'm here to clarify this position and its purpose as well as to open it to discussion of the forum members for input.

First off it should be said that The Syndicate was founded on the idea that we needed an active moderation team. In the past, we had experiences where there were problems, but mods were not able to become involved until an actual report of abuse was filed. And then it was approached as whether or not to punish one of the parties. Let's be honest with ourselves, players are not likely to use a reporting function. Often, they are more likely to just quit than to do what might be perceived as "tattling" in their mind. We saw that this passive method was not an effective manner of running a mafia site. Instead we developed the idea of what we call active moderation. The intention is for a Mod on Duty to be assigned to each game and to be following along a game in the same manner as a player. When signs of trouble emerge, it is the duty of the Mod to reach out to the player(s) involved and check in with them, make sure they are ok and see if there is any further action required. We all know mafia can become an intense game. We all get involved in the game and we are accused of being liars, scum, baddies, etc. Then we lose our cool and get frustrated. It is the Mod's job to watch for these signs and help intercede before it gets out of control and we blow up in thread. Let me be clear, we are not in the business of censoring. Even punishment is reserved for the most severe cases. We allow as much freedom as we can on this site, with only certain obvious restrictions.

Now, for this to work it still requires players to utilize it to the fullest. When in game, we need players to use that Mod as their vent. When they are emotionally charged up about something they can PM the Mod on Duty and tell them what they are upset about and why. The Mod will listen, discuss it and if needed they will arbitrate between the involved players. Sometimes it will require removing it from the game context and helping both sides to simply see where the other is coming from. It is our belief that most disagreements between players are born out of miscommunication and misunderstanding. So it may in the more difficult cases fall to the Mod to help facilitate understanding between players. The more often we have emotional outbursts in game, the more enjoyment gets sucked out of the game for all players involved. When there is personal conflict, we should keep it out of the thread as a whole and take it to a Mod. That is why we have them. This is not so that someone can be punished, but so that we can actually resolve conflict and promote a stronger community by understanding each other better and ultimately having more respect for each other when the day is done. So we would ask, in those moments when you are so pissed about what someone has said or done, PM the Mod before you post anything else. Don't bring it into the game thread. Bad emotions spread like wildfire, and they tear a community apart. People start taking sides and it becomes a huge mess. Instead, take it to a mod with the purpose of getting it resolved. They will do whatever they can to help, I promise you that.

Also, don't be surprised or offended if you get a PM at some point from a Mod, "just checking in." This probably is because what they saw in thread made them concerned that you might be getting upset on a personal level and they want to be sure there that everything is ok and to see if there was anything they could do to help. This is not any kind of slap on the wrist or what have you, this is just a Mod being active in their duties to ensure everyone is still having fun and that there are no problems. Punishment is never the purpose of the Mod on Duty. Or of our Admin team as a whole to be honest with you.

Not only can the Mod serve to arbitrate between two players, they can also serve as a support structure for our hosts. Hosts spend a great deal of time creating their games in hopes of providing the players with an enjoyable experience. While in the midst of running the game, they tend to receive the most complaints too. This can be a very discouraging thing. I have been a host and inevitably at some point in the game I always find myself asking why I am even doing this, because the voices of those who are unhappy about something are much louder than the voices of those who are enjoying themselves. The Mod can help deal with the dissatisfied players, freeing up the host to focus on the mechanics and writing of their game. They also can help to answer questions to the best of their knowledge. They also help hosts at the start of their games to make sure they are ready and the game's parameters have been clearly detailed so that all the players know what they are getting into and the game runs as smoothly as possible. Finally, if a dispute arises between a player and the host, the mod can serve to arbitrate those disagreements as well.

To sum it up, if you experience any of the problems these are the steps you should go through:
1) PM the Moderator on Duty.
2) Take a breather from the thread.
3) Talk to the Mod. All of them are pretty swell people.

That is the intent of the Mod on Duty function. We would ask you the members to share your thoughts on it as well to let us know if you think it is so far successful or unsuccessful. And what improvements might you suggest?