The Syndicate

If Mafia is defined exclusively by a core structure:

Informed minority versus uninformed majority

then most of our games deviate from that structure the moment independents are introduced. Only heists consistently apply. A new rule then needs to be generated that must be, by necessity, ambiguous. Independents are highly inconsistent in their style, design, and win conditions.

Informed minority versus uninformed majority with the possible inclusion of independent persons who may or may not be invested somehow in that conflict and always pursue unique goals

However, I don’t think most folks truly view the game that way. It’s a norm, or it’s a prototype, but in the end the game is truly defined case-by-case by the hosts who create games. Can those games be generalized with some consistent descriptive definition or rule? Perhaps they can, but I think that definition would have be very general — so general that the subjectivity of the matter renders it less appropriate. If no two people have a conception of Mafia that is truly the same, then it begs the question:

Is my conception of Mafia based upon a structural expectation alone, or is there a general structure adapted in my cognition by my own experiences with the game? Does my conception change with time?

My answer to the latter question is definitely “yes”. As such, I don’t think I can select the first poll option. I can consider the second poll option, but it demands that I discard any notion of structural expectation. I can’t do that either, even if my conception of the structure is ambiguous and ever evolving.

TonyStarkPrime wrote: ↑Mon Mar 01, 2021 3:56 am I don't think in practicality the one that everyone is voting for is accurate to how we play games

Do you think we play within a consistent game structure?

#5 is “I like turtles”

To be more general:

Someone who chooses option 1 may not have “mountainous” in mind necessarily. They may have some other or broader definition for What Is Mafia (which could include roles, most commonly cop, doctor, etc). However, anything that deviates from that definition is then Not Mafia. It doesn’t matter what a host envisions the game to be within the chosen theme — if it doesn’t adhere strictly to the definition, it isn’t Mafia.

Someone choosing option 2 has no strict definition for What Is Mafia. They have an ambiguous idea of the general concepts of the game and then build a precise game around that ambiguous conception in accordance with their personal vision.

Option 3 would then be a blend, or something “in between”. Perhaps Mafia does have a strict definition, but it is a very broad one. A host has a lot of room to be creative without leaving the boundaries of What Is Mafia.

I dunno what #4 is, but I like to include “other”,

What I mean for the first option to convey is:
“Mafia is a game with clear boundaries that do not change regardless of the host or manager. If the boundaries change then the game is no longer Mafia.”

It's all in the poll. I'll spare you a big wordy post and just let you take it away, gang.