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| - Q: Are there any restrictions as to what I can say in the thread? A: There are no restrictions. Unless you have a speech handicap ability or are frozen or trapped for the current cycle, there is no limit to what you can say on the thread - other than the basic Forum rules and the basic Mafia Rules. Always ask the host of the current game if you are allowed to say something in particular, out yourself or reveal a secret ability or secret WinCon. That does not mean you that you SHOULD say everything that comes to mind. Be careful about what you say and even how you word it (see Basic Strategy Tips). Also remember that many games have a rolekiller (RID kill), so be careful about revealing information about yourself or another teammate (strong hinting or outing). A: Here's a short list:
* BTSC - Behind the Scenes Contact
* win condition - abbreviated wincon - the goal required for a faction to win
* baddie - part of the "informed minority" faction - they usually have BTSC and have to eliminate the goodies.
* goodie - part of the "uninformed majority" faction - they do not have contact outside the game, but are greater in numbers.
* indy - independent role.
* nightkill (NK) usually a group ability of a faction with BTSC - the ability to eliminate a player during the night cycle.
* bandwagoning - the action of going with an unstable (not founded on much evidence) yet seemingly popular movement toward one victim, who may or may not be an actual baddie
* bandwagon - used to describe the block of votes that someone is "jumping" onto when they "jump onto the bandwagon"
* flip-flop - when someone switches around voting in a short time period, displaying indecision and uncertainty
* reciprocal voting - the behavior where someone immediately votes for the person that voted for them
* RID - Role Identification - Being able to identify a player's role
* WiFoM - "Wine in Front of Me" - occurs when two opposing parties are caught in a whirlwind of inconclusive circular logic.
* PM - (usually) Private Message - a form of contact between players and host, usually provided inside the forum.
* IRL - in real life (yes a real, non-mafia world does exist ;D)
* QA, GR, etc - Usually longer role names and names with two words are abbreviated into quick two-letter acronyms. E.g. QA = Quark Agent. Be familiar with the roles and the acronyms that unofficially emerge to represent roles (or in some cases persons)
* lynch - essentially "execute", it's used to describe the crowd-based killing of one unlucky player every day
* mob - NOT referring to the "Mafia" mob but rather a group of people, psychologically (such as 'mob mentality') A: It may seem intimidating, but in reality it's not. It's easy to play - a Mafia game either has a Sign-up topic (read the whole the topic first then post, signing yourself up and usually re-posting the updated roster) or the sign-up is in the same place as the starting topic. Some hosts have either sent out invite PMs or have announcements in their signatures and other places around the forum, such as various topics to PM them if you are interested in joining their game. If you have any questions about current & upcoming games, consult the current queue on that forum and feel free to PM current players/hosts or someone else that can help you out. Q: What defines inactivity, and what is expected of an 'active' player? A: When you join a game, you are expected to actively participate in the game, from voting to discussing to using your role actions strategically (i.e. if you don't use a role ability, it should be because you chose not to, not because you were inactive - in this case at least tell the host that you are choosing to not act). Many players think it's okay to just come on, vote, and log back off. It is not - an active player gives reasons for their vote, listens to others, and is more in tune with what's going on in the game; this gives you more leverage and power as a player as well. You don't have to be on the game thread at every waking moment, but checking the topic a few times a day is recommended at minimum. Also, if you are a player that has BTSC with others, you should be taking advantage of that excellent ability. Again, you don't have to sell your soul to the game, but it should be a prominent focus and you should be as active as you can be, enhancing both the game and your own skills and potential of victory. Only sign up for the game if you know that you'll be able to play the game fully in spite of other complications IRL (work, school, vacations, other mafia games, etc). See the rules regarding inactivity first. Note that in some Mafia forums, a special person - Manfred - will be invoked to remove and punish an inactive player. A: Hehehe... there are a lot of answers to that question. From "Because" to "Why not?" - but the real answer is, Mafia is amazing. And fun. You just have to experience it for yourself... and basing off the fact that you've just read a good portion of this guide (or at least the very end), I know you're about to. So join a game and see what it's all about! A: Don't take it personally: Mafia is a game of betrayal, deceit, danger, lies, death and destruction. In the history of Mafia, there have been very few incidents where an action was taken because someone had a vague dislike for someone else. Out of hundreds and hundreds of actions. So really, don't take it personally. If anything, take it as a compliment if you are targeted by a lot of different factions, including the baddies. It means they recognize you as either an ample threat or a helpful ally. __NOEDITSECTION__
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