A Syndicate Mafia Culture of Respect

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Five Levels of Respect on The Syndicate

These are not "rules" as much as they are a unified Syndicate philosophy. This is a mission statement, a manifesto, and a vision. This is where we want to be, and where we have been before. We will be posting a more comprehensive and specific set of community rules in the near future. The rules provide the framework by which we can achieve this vision. As of right now, 5:30 PM EDT on the 19th July, 2021, we are not there.

Respect other players and users.

Any functional message board forum must operate primarily on principles of respect. This can go without saying in most areas of the Internet, but bears a special importance and a special challenge in the context of Mafia. Ours is a game that is designed to create and encourage conflict, to pit person against person in psychological warfare, and to facilitate accusations both true and false. In this environment it can be easy to forget about respect, and sometimes when our emotions are activated enough we might not even care about respect. And yet, we still must have it -- respect is not optional. Friendship is optional, camaraderie is optional, and even good will is optional. Respect is not optional. No matter what situations arise within a Mafia game, we must respect one another at all times. Treat those you suspect with humanity. Treat those who wrongly suspect you with humanity. Treat those you seek to manipulate with humanity. Every single player in any game we ever run has at least one trait in common: they are all human beings. Treat them as human beings should be treated. Be competitive. Be provocative if you so desire. But always have respect.

Respect the host and the staff.

The host of a Mafia game has almost invariably committed themself to a considerable workload. Even the simplest of setups is still run manually by hosts on The Syndicate, which means at the very least they are dedicating themselves to your game at specific times every day throughout the week for deadlines, questions, and oversight. Consider then how much more work yet a game might require of a host who is also concerned with mechanical complexities and design quirks whenever relevant. A host has a vision for the game and will want to see that vision realized somehow by the players within the boundaries they have established. So do not breach those boundaries. Respect the hosts' rules at all times. Likewise, do not engage in searches for loopholes just because something isn't explicitly stated in the rules. Do not engage in angleshooting. The host has a spirit in mind for the game, and to play outside that spirit on purpose is to disrespect the host. We mustn't do that. Similarly, the site staff maintains consistent oversight of games to the best of its ability primarily by way of the Moderator on Duty (MoD). Respect the role of the MoD by interacting with them directly when frustrations rise; allow them to do what they're meant to do. Instead of encouraging a game to become toxic and miserable beyond the confines of respect, contact the MoD and give them the chance to listen to you.

Respect the game of Mafia itself.

Play to win the game. If you have signed up to play Mafia on The Syndicate, then you commit yourself to trying to emerge a winner in each game you play. This does not mean that you cannot take risks, or play dangerous, or that you cannot do things that other players may believe to be "suboptimal". Instead, it means that you cannot try to lose a game on purpose. Respect the environment of competition and the institution of Mafia that has been built on The Syndicate over the last decade. Play your own way, and respect others' rights to play their own way. Anyone is free to do anything within a game within the rules and spirit, so long as they truly believe that it can help them win. To be more clear: fake cop checks are not game throwing. Deliberately telling everyone in the game who your mafia teammates are and then seeking a modkill on purpose is game throwing. Wild plays are perfectly okay. Risks that backfire are not game throwing.

Respect the community.

Maintaining an environment of respect within a game thread is pivotal for the health of this website and community, but it extends to all arenas of discourse. Respect must also be shared in the off-topic forums, in all Discord servers, and in personal messages. The Syndicate has long been reputed as one of the most welcoming and amicable Mafia environments on the Internet, and we are proud of that reputation. Every single one of us shares a portion of the responsibility to live up to that calling by exhibiting and upholding our standards of respect. This doesn't mean you have to like everyone else, but it does mean you have to respect everyone else. Whenever you feel like you cannot manage respect for any other user, you must relay your concerns to the staff and never air disrespect in any public arena.

Respect yourself.

Finally, all of your efforts to exhibit these standards of respect should apply just the same to your treatment of yourself. This we cannot quite "police", and nor are we entirely qualified even if we wanted to. We can encourage self-respect though, because if you're a Syndicate user then you deserve nothing less. Did you just play a bad game of Mafia and contribute mistakenly to a loss? Oh well, keep your head held high and learn from it. We've all had those games, and we understand. Respect yourself. Did you just have a great game and do something that you feel truly proud of? Celebrate that, and give yourself the pat on the back you earned. Share in that achievement with your teammates and fellow users. This extends way beyond the game of Mafia, and we hope that you can find a way to respect yourself in all walks of life. Most of all we hope this community helps foster an environment where you can respect yourself. If it ever feels otherwise, don't hesitate to contact the staff so we can sort out why that might be.