# "I'm Too Busy To Play This" Mafia **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 25, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978 "2012-02-25T18:02:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Scathach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Scathach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scathach)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/21 "2012-02-27T16:35:55Z")
4,5,6,7. And I’m particularly intrigued by 7 🙂 I find that players tend to stay more involved in all-power games - less lurking. Also, this might just be me, but I tend to dislike no-reveal-on-death games. ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/22 "2012-02-27T16:41:10Z")
I know folks like to gain information from the deaths of their lynch targets, and in general I like to provide that. I’m reasonably sure I can do death reveals in this game, but I retain the option to delay those reveals for a game phase or two, to allow for some ambiguity, and I also leave the option of a scum janitor on the table, though I generally dislike that role. Yeah in this game you should learn stuff from deaths. I am leaning in that direction. I might just do straight reveals on death, which is my default design element, I’m just saying since I haven’t designed it yet, I might decide to be creative with it. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/23 "2012-02-27T18:27:39Z")
**/in** Thanks for the PM invite! Any game type is cool with me, just don’t expect me to be any good 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/24 "2012-02-27T18:41:07Z")
> [@PetW](#): > > **/in** Thanks for the PM invite! Any game type is cool with me, just don’t expect me to be any good 🙂 You \*\*are \*\*good. Don’t worry about winning. [Edit: Try to win, just don’t worry about it.] Play to have fun. I tend to [rant](http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?134684-Mafia-quot-Good-quot-players) about this sort of thing, but here’s an excerpt which summarizes it. > [@](#): > > A good player is someone who signs up to your game, and makes an effort to win the game within the defined structure of the game and within the rules set forth by the game host, is gracious in victory and good humored in defeat. > … > A good player will try to inform the host if they need to drop out, and make an effort not to sign up for games they know they won’t be interested to play, or won’t have time for. And that’s all, really. I would play a hundred games with a player like that, because I enjoy the game, and that’s all that’s really “necessary”. It doesn’t matter if they’re ever right on a suspect, or ever win a game as mafia. Doesn’t matter at all. Their choices could be dead wrong, their choices could be dead right. That isn’t what makes a good player. A sporting attitude and a desire to play the game, and any attempt to win the game within the game rules, is what makes a good player. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/25 "2012-02-27T19:03:32Z")
Thanks for the invite, ATPG. Is this going to be hosted here at the dope or elsewhere? Is it mostly Ah fuck it. I just realized the answers to any of my questions don’t really matter. If I wasn’t going to play, i wouldn’t have typed this much already. 'min. ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/26 "2012-02-27T19:23:15Z")
Will be hosted right here on the Dope, probably in a new thread after the sign-up sheet is full. Also, for games of this size I like to have two threads; one for the game itself and the writeups, and another one which simply contains the updates, no player postings. That way everyone can see the vote tally for each round, what the color said, and who died, and it will be easy to reference. There will also be links involved, so players can easily find what happened on day three for example by going to the night two writeup, clicking the link, and reading from there. For we habitual re-readers, that’s useful stuff right there. ---
**Author:** ![Astral\_Rejection](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@Astral\_Rejection](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astral_Rejection)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/27 "2012-02-27T20:21:06Z")
> [@Askthepizzaguy](#): > > Also, for games of this size I like to have two threads; one for the game itself and the writeups, and another one which simply contains the updates, no player postings. Check with the mods before you open a second thread. People already complain about mafia “cluttering” up the Game Room, so I’d hate to step on any more toes. Also, re: your ideas for DND mafia… have you considered helping me design the next game? ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/28 "2012-02-28T00:22:16Z")
> [@Astral\_Rejection](#): > > Check with the mods before you open a second thread. People already complain about mafia “cluttering” up the Game Room, so I’d hate to step on any more toes. > > Also, re: your ideas for DND mafia… have you considered helping me design the next game? Solutions: 1. A new subforum underneath the gameroom for mafia only, so the main gameroomers never ever see a mafia game again, and old mafia games are easy as pie for us to find. 2. I use the signup thread itself for the updates when the game is full, so there’s only the two threads total. Answer: I considered it, yes. I think I may have even offered at one point… but I never knew when you were planning on hosting it. That said, I might need to use some of those design elements for this game, and if so, I prefer not to reveal them until after the game. Then, by all means. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/29 "2012-02-28T01:03:12Z")
7! ---
**Author:** ![Normal\_Phase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Normal\_Phase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Normal_Phase)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/30 "2012-02-28T16:56:37Z")
Most people here use a proboards account for their mafia hosting needs. Generally the spoilers and the scum thread are hosted there, with the forums for both hidden and passworded. Often a mason thread, if any, is hosted on a separate account entirely, though I’m not sure exactly why – something to do with potential ability to see who has access to or is logged in to the scum/spoiler account? I’m not sure; I’m sure there are others who could set you straight, though. However, if those issues could be resolved, then you could potentially give all players access to an open forum on your proboards account for purposes of keeping an “updates/links only” thread for people to reference. Even if the powers that be were to approve a second thread, the lack of editing ability on this site could turn into a real headache. ---
**Author:** ![gnarlycharlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5f9b8f/32.png) [@gnarlycharlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarlycharlie)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/31 "2012-02-28T17:40:29Z")
since you’ve asked so nicely, /in i prefer 7. 6 is good as well. > [@Askthepizzaguy](#): > > Solutions: > > 1. A new subforum underneath the gameroom for mafia only, so the main gameroomers never ever see a mafia game again, and old mafia games are easy as pie for us to find. i’ve asked about this. apparently the chances for a sub-forum are between slim and none. ---
**Author:** ![Astral\_Rejection](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@Astral\_Rejection](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astral_Rejection)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/32 "2012-02-28T17:49:59Z")
Maybe they could let us borrow the “boo!” subforum? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/33 "2012-02-28T19:32:39Z")
Idle Thoughts moderates the gameroom. Surely he’d be sympathetic to hijacking an unused subforum. ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/34 "2012-02-28T20:07:36Z")
Also, mayhaps I should warn folks that I’ve hosted some games that were designed for the purpose of being the most unusual thing I could think of. **Psycho Mafia I** - The main villain was the town’s only reliable, straight detective. Everyone this person scanned, died. He wins with the town, and he eventually deduced that the killer was his split personality, got himself killed off, and won the game. The game was scored as a win for everyone except the SK who died early on, and a “host” loss. Had this guy killed off everyone, I would have scored it as a host victory. \*\* The Snatcher-\*\* The main/only villain was a mind-possessing space parasite. I randomized who the parasite would control on a given round, under the rules that it would only go after folks it hadn’t attacked yet. Town wins if they simply lynch the person who is currently mind-controlled by the Snatcher. I would also send instructions to the player on that given round and tell them who to vote for. The rule was that they couldn’t reveal that they’d been mind-controlled. The Snatcher also couldn’t murder. The Snatcher was nearly lynched a couple times, but eventually escaped and the eggs laid in everyone’s brains hatched and turned into a swarm of flesh-eating insects. Snatcher wins, everyone loses. **The Golden Rule-** This was a game where 14 criminals make off with almost all of the gold in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, an even larger gold-storing facility than Fort Knox, in the greatest heist of all time. On board a stolen tanker and very close to friendly waters, where they would transfer the gold to several foreign governments in exchange for a nearly unlimited amount of funds in bank accounts all across the world, they realize that someone among them is the traitor, who wants the gold all to themselves. I, of course, told everyone that they were the traitor. The win condition was being the last one standing, or “happily ever after” where there was no lynches and no murders for 2 rounds straight. They eventually figured out they were all traitors, and even that the name of the game was a big clue as to the victory conditions, but the more skeptical among them lynched the guy who figured that out, and the two remaining traitors killed each other off. Under this scenario, I awarded \*myself \*the win and made off with some gold as the FBI agent/narrator, for “retirement” purposes, to thunderous applause from my own players. **The Dinner Party-** Billed as a mafia game about a party wherein the players play a mafia game, 2 of my players were told they are mafia. They would “kill” off my party guests. Then, I told someone he was the serial killer, who is insane and thinks the game is real. He was told he needed to murder a set number of people. He was told he could murder “for real” 2 of the murder/lynch victims every night, which would silence them and remove them from the game. The other not-dead “dead” folks in quotations could still talk. The town lynched the mafiosi, and eventually caught the SK, but not before the SK killed enough people for real to attain victory conditions. Joint town/SK victory. I have also hosted dozens and dozens of “straight” games. So, just how mad scientist-y do you want this game? I don’t do repeats, so you won’t be seeing the above setups, but if you’re picking option seven, you’re giving me creative license with your game. The twist might not be something as straightforward as messing with the win conditions, it could be something like a role with a power you’ve never seen before, all you gotta do is lynch that guy, but if you’re picking option 7, you’re picking a game setup that will have anomalous readings coming from an unexplored sector of space, and you don’t know what that will entail. Nor I, frankly, but I have no shortage of ideas. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/35 "2012-02-28T21:02:32Z")
```auto 77777 77777 7 7 77777 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 77 7 77777 77777 7 7 77777 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 77777 77777 7 77777 7 77 ``` ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/36 "2012-02-28T21:11:06Z")
> [@Askthepizzaguy](#): > > So, just how mad scientist-y do you want this game? I don’t do repeats, so you won’t be seeing the above setups, but if you’re picking option seven, you’re giving me creative license with your game. The twist might not be something as straightforward as messing with the win conditions, it could be something like a role with a power you’ve never seen before, all you gotta do is lynch that guy, but if you’re picking option 7, you’re picking a game setup that will have anomalous readings coming from an unexplored sector of space, and you don’t know what that will entail. Nor I, frankly, but I have no shortage of ideas. Do your worst, pizza man! ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/37 "2012-02-29T10:42:08Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > Do your worst, pizza man! I’m always at my best when I’m at my worst. Let’s dance. 1. Mahaloth 2. Drain Bead 3. Suburban Plankton 4. Mosier 5. Scathach 6. Fubbleskag 7. Astral Rejection 8. Gadarene 9. PetW 10. Brewha 11. gnarlycharlie septimus? ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/38 "2012-02-29T11:44:52Z")
You know what, if AND ONLY IF, you end up running scenario 7 shoot me a PM and sign me up. I make no promises as to the quality of player I will be, but in a totally insane scenario I can’t see that it will matter. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/39 "2012-02-29T12:07:18Z")
> [@Askthepizzaguy](#): > > septimus? It’s hard to turn down a personal invitation. /In (Sorry that quicktopic .com is now unavailable here in Thailand. One of you quicktopic’ers must have insulted the [del]King of Si..[/del] man who cannot be mentioned.) ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978/40 "2012-02-29T15:35:49Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > You know what, if AND ONLY IF, you end up running scenario 7 shoot me a PM and sign me up. > > I make no promises as to the quality of player I will be, but in a totally insane scenario I can’t see that it will matter. Given the basically unanimous popularity of option 7, even in spite of my “hey… it’s gonna be insane… R U SURE?” I absolutely have to do option 7 now. It’s not even an option to do others. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-busy-to-play-this-mafia/613978.md?page=3)