So far, every Mafia game ever played on The Syndicate has had one core feature -- forum text as the primary content. This time we're going to finally change that. We'll give our fingers a break and instead use our mouths to play the game of Mafia. This game will be played in spoken recordings. Vocaroo is a simple recording service which makes this process quite simple. I promise I am in no way affiliated with that website and have no intention to advertise.
Important note: Vocaroo is simply the best recording option I am aware of; it is not required for players to record their posts this specific way. If you are aware of an alternative and would like to use that instead, please let me know so I can check it out. If it works in a forum post it'll probably be fine with me. We played a couple of these games back on RYM and some people preferred to use YouTube, for example.
So how will this work?
~ Every single post in this game will feature a recording of some kind. The vast majority of game content will be recorded, and it will be against the rules to use a lot of text.
~ Text will still exist in the game thread in a limited capacity. Since it's difficult to review a game thread or post histories filled with recording links, a small amount of text will be allowed to describe the contents of a recording. That text can accompany the link or be the link. I will establish an official limitation in the game thread; it will probably be about 3-4 text words per recording.
~ Voting will be vocalized within recordings, but there'll still be a poll in the thread to keep things simple.
~ The mafia team will still have BTSC, and they won't be required to use recordings there -- it's not practical. However, they will have less time during night phases to operate with to help maintain a fair balance.
Game details:
~ Game cycles will elapse 72 hours, however they will not be the standard 48/24. They will instead be 60/12: 60 hour day phases (2.5 real-time days) and 12 hour night phases. The purpose of this is to allow players a little more time to work with since it can be more difficult to make recorded posts than text posts within whatever time constraints.
~ The game thread will not be locked during night phases. The mafia team will be allowed to communicate privately during day phases.
~ Standard heist guidelines will apply -- no more than three non-vanilla roles with legal infodumping and roleclaiming.
~ The actual setup will be open, but it'll depend upon how many people participate. I am willing to devise a game for 13, 14, or 15 players. I'll decide where to cap it depending upon the progression of sign-ups.
If you sign up, it will be a good idea for you to verify that you'll have the technical means necessary to participate. Please verify in this sign-up thread that Vocaroo (or whatever other recording option you prefer) functions properly for you by posting an example of some kind here. I will check you off as being ready to roll after that.
If anyone has questions or concerns about anything related to this game, please let me know.
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
If necessary, I'll delay the start of this game until after Christmas. Please let me know how big an issue the holidays are for you when it comes to playing in a Mafia game (particularly one like this) and I will try to accomodate y'all.
Obviously playing the game respectfully is always important. In this game it will be a major point of focus though, because it will put a little more on the shoulders of the Moderator on Duty. I don't expect that person to click on and listen to every single recording posted in the game thread. That means the players will need to ensure they are as respectful as possible -- and it's just jarring to feel like someone was rude to you in spoken word. Just imagine! I don't expect this to be an issue, I just wanted to emphasize the importance of it.
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
I think this'll be once of those games I sit back and watch. It's an amazing concept, though.
Lunalee wrote: ↑Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:13 amQuin's ISO is full of posts that are actually trying to be helpful to the game. This doesn't look like town Quin.
TheFloyd73 wrote:Triple J, how did you come up with this concept?
A few years ago in the now-defunct RYM Off Topic forum someone started a thread where people would post recordings of whatever, just to expose each other to their voices for the first time. A few of us wanted to try that in a Mafia game, and when we did it turned out to be a lot of fun. Truly the game wasn't that different -- it's still the same sleuthing and deception as any text-based Mafia game. It's a sort of mid-point between the original live format of the party game Dmitri Davidoff created in the '80s and the forum game we've all come to know.
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
Quick tips for cleaner audio recording (the kids these days call these things "hacks," which is really stupid):
1. The most important thing I can tell you is to lower your input volume. If your mic is too hot, then the quality of your recording is going to suffer. That nasty distortion you hear on playback is called clipping. All you have to do is dial back on the volume of your recording device (for Windows 7, go into the Control Panel / Sound and click the "Recording Tab," double click the mic you are using, and then you can adjust the level). Don't worry if you think the signal is a tad low- people can always turn up their speakers. It's better than clipping.
2. Eliminate as much background noise as possible.
3. I'm not suggesting you get one if all you're doing is playing a mafia game, but if you use your microphone with any frequency, it is worth it to purchase a pop filter. That will reduce the effect of the plosive noises inherent in the repressive and guttural sounds of the English language.
4. Keep a few inches of space (4-7) between your mouth and the microphone- it's not your girlfriend.
5. Keep your mic safe. Don't let Kanye West anywhere near it.
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
Well this is an interesting idea!! I don't know if I want to participate, I think it would be incredibly embarrassing But it's a cool concept. Sociolinguistically.
May I recommend that anyone else who feels the same way try a short recording here in the sign-up thread? I know it's a little awkward to put your voice into the website, especially if you haven't spoken with most of the folks around here before. Breaking the ice before the game is a great way to mingle. :P
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
If this isn't filled up by about the 8th, I'm going to have to push it back so that G-Man's politics game can occur near to the date of the presidential inauguration. This isn't a complaint or anything, just an FYI.
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
Vocaroo doesn't function on mobile, but there may be an alternative option that does. I've looked around a bit for something to no avail, but I'll continue doing so.
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
Okay that appears to work. I recorded it with the SpeakPipe app on my phone, which I downloaded free from the Apple store. It requires you to email yourself the recording and then copy the link into a forum post, which is a bit more work than the computer people will need with Vocaroo. But it does work, as long as that link works for all of you who are not me.
The good thing is that the app saves the email information so you only have to enter it the first time. So long as you keep your email window open on your phone, you'd have an easier time getting the link quickly to The Syndicate.
Anyone who might go this direction though, I recommend you try it first in this sign-up thread. I also don't know how/if it'd work for non-Apple phones.
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
This is a super fun idea, but I mainly play at work so it's just not practical for me. Can't wait to see how it goes!
Epignosis wrote:If llama is good, it means we exist in a universe in which multitasking llama can call out the first of two mafia while simultaneously calling out two civilians.
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
The people in that video were remarkably slow to adapt to changing conditions. They would not survive in the wild.
Epignosis wrote:If llama is good, it means we exist in a universe in which multitasking llama can call out the first of two mafia while simultaneously calling out two civilians.
JaggedJimmyJay wrote:If this isn't filled up by about the 8th, I'm going to have to push it back so that G-Man's politics game can occur near to the date of the presidential inauguration. This isn't a complaint or anything, just an FYI.
Let's make this happen soon!
If we don't fill by the 8th, is there any way we can run this game with a smaller number, then we can always try it again later? Or would you prefer to keep the 13-15 player setup in tact?
I suppose it can be managed at a smaller number if all of the players would still be interested in that. I'd need 9 at a bare minimum though to get a reasonable alignment ratio.
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
JaggedJimmyJay wrote:I suppose it can be managed at a smaller number if all of the players would still be interested in that. I'd need 9 at a bare minimum though to get a reasonable alignment ratio.
That'd be completely fine with me, although obviously it'd be preferable to stick to your original number constraints.
I just wonder if seeing it progress a first time around might make it easier for any players who are hesitant to jump on board due to the vocal concept to do so a second time around. Maybe I'm wrong though.
I don't think you're wrong. While for some there are understandable time constraints that make a game like this tough to manage, I do think the embarrassment factor plays a big role. I wouldn't expect this to get sign ups any faster after G-Man's game.
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
JaggedJimmyJay wrote:I don't think you're wrong. While for some there are understandable time constraints that make a game like this tough to manage, I do think the embarrassment factor plays a big role. I wouldn't expect this to get sign ups any faster after G-Man's game.
I hate hearing and recording my own voice, so I was a bit hesitant myself, but hell, it'll be fun.
Best Townie, Maffies 4, 8 and 9 Best Scum, Maffies 3 Best Moderator, Maffies 8 and 9 Most Valuable Player, Maffies 7 and 9 Best Roleplay, Maffies 4 and 6 Spirit Award, Maffies 9 Hall of Fame inductee, Maffies 4
Mafia Universe
Mafia Championship Finalist, 2015 and 2020 Best Town Player, 2020
Oh what the heck. Might as well consider throwing myself in a game one last time this year. A nine-player format gives me bad-memory vibes on the odds of civilians getting a good lynch within a two-phase margin, but que sera, sera.
Awaiting G-Man's confirmation on whether he is able to play or not, I can then be the ninth player, should the answer be "not".