Mafia Game Proposal

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I've sketched out a few thoughts for a proposed game.

Overview Points:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Setting:

Fatlington, New Jersey, 1947: A Nor’Easter has blown into town, paralyzing almost all external communication and leaving the town to its own resources. The budding mafia war that has been feared for some time breaks out during this period of chaos. Can the town save itself?

Goals:

Increase interplay among players, have all roles as active

Estimated size:

Minimum 32 players (9 mafiosi, 5 Detective/Doctors, 6 Wiseguys, 12 townies)

Maximum X players (15 mafiosi, 9 Detective/Doctors, 9+ Wiseguys and 18+ Townies in a 1-2 ratio).

Gameplay Rules:

The dead may post, but not vote.

No screenshots may be used, from or to anyone, for any purpose – this includes during PMs. Feel free to quote from my PM’s to you or to fabricate as you see fit.

It is suggested that all players enable “invisible” mode so that technology is not used to trap you.

Phases:

The usual sequence of 24-hour days and 24-hour nights will be followed. Some of these phases may be extended where necessary to account for outside events/unusual situations. In no instance will the time period be decreased below 24 hours. Please note, however, the first phase of this game will be a day phase (Day One) during which no lynching will occur, only the initial Director’s selection (see roles below).

Day Phase: Each day the town may vote to lynch one suspect from among the list of players. Each townsperson save for the director can cast one vote (see below for procedure). On odd-numbered day phases, the town also votes to select a Director (see below for procedure). The game-master will write up the results of these votes and post them for general consumption, along with any juicy particulars about any executions. The game then proceeds to the next night phase.

Night Phase: Every role has something to do at night – even if your choice is to do nothing. Since every role can be active, with investigations attempted, murders, etc., all players must PM the game-master during each night phase to indicate their actions. The game-master will respond as quickly as possible, and will write up results that take effect immediately prior to the next day phase and voting.

Voting:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

There are two types, lynch voting and Director selection. Each living townie save for the director may vote to lynch one townsperson per day. On odd-numbered days, each living townie may also vote for the next director.

To lynch a suspect:

You may vote or not vote at your choice. Please be aware however, that persistently avoiding the voting process will result in your removal from play. While the game-master reserves the right to remove someone from play when/if needed at their discretion, as a “rule-of-thumb” missing 3 votes in a row or 5 overall is likely to result in your removal.

Legal vote choices include:

1. voting by name for a living fellow townie to express your preference for their lynching
2. voting “abstain” indicating you have no preference as to who is lynched
3. voting “no lynch” indicating that you want no one lynched that day

To be counted, a vote MUST be posted in bold typeface using the following format:

e.g. Vote: Seamus

To change a vote, please post the following:

e.g. Unvote: TosaInu
Vote: Seamus

To select a Director:

You may vote or not vote at your choice. You may NOT vote to leave the position unfilled.

To be counted, a vote MUST be posted in bold typeface using the following format:

e.g. Select: Seamus

To change a vote, please post the following:

e.g. Sack: TosaInu
Select: Seamus

The Roles (Usually referred to in the male singular, no disrespect intended):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Townie Roles:

Detective:

May investigate two persons per night phase. The investigation will list the individual as innocent (Townie, Don), criminal (Luca, Made not killing, Wiseguy not having killed at all, and some townies), or guilty (Luca or Made on the night of kill, Wiseguy or Townie who has killed – you either get the current kill or their whole track record as well). Acts as a Townie in other respects.

Director of the Committee of Vigilance:

On the first day phase, and then on each odd numbered day phase thereafter, the town elects the person who will direct the lynching effort. That person shall be director for the next two lynchings following their selection. [e.g. Elected Day 1, Director Day 2, Director Day 3, Elected Day 3, Director Day 4 & 5, etc.] That person will choose the lynching mode, carry out the lynching, and, in the event of a tie vote, the director will decide who among those tied for the most votes will be executed. The director can execute none, one, more, or all of those tied votees at their discretion. The Director is provided with a special goon squad to aid in the executions, and this squad also makes it impossible to kill the Director while they are in office. While directing the lynchings, the individual in question may not vote.

Doctor:

May protect one person from murder each night phase. Acts as a Townie in other respects. After 2 successful protections (attacked, did not die), the Doctor becomes an Surgeon.

FBI Detective:

May investigate two persons per night phase. Results, which parallel those of the regular detective, will not be available, however, until the beginning of the next night phase. FBI resources are slower, but will produce better and more informative results than a regular detective. May not participate in any murders and always reads as “innocent” if investigated.

Surgeon:

Functions in all respects as a Doctor, but anyone attacking the Surgeon’s protectee not only fails to kill the target, but has a 1 in 3 chance of dying in the attempt.

Townie:

You’re a townie, with no special abilities. Most Townies will appear as “innocent” if investigated by a detective, though 1 in 10 will appear “criminal” despite their innocence. If investigated by a Made, most will appear “innocent” though 2 in 10 will appear “unclear.” Townies may band together to kill one target per night phase, but must do so in groups of 4. If this strategy is chosen, you will appear “guilty/criminal” in subsequent investigations. Townies who have successfully accomplished 2 murders will all change roles to Wise Guy(Gal). Townies may also band together in groups of 3 to provide protection to one Townie (not in their group), functioning as a Doctor. 2 successful protections (attacked, did not die) allow them to select one of their group as an full Doctor.

Wise Guy/Gal:

A wise guy/gal belongs to no criminal family…yet. They may be recruited by a family and start doing “wetwork” for that family; they may “go straight” functioning as a regular townie and not getting involved in crime, or they may attempt to operate in conjunction with a group of individuals sharing the same wise guy/gal role, creating their own “family.”

If investigated by a detective, the Wiseguy will appear “criminal” if they have not been involved in a killing and “guilty” if they have…even if that killing was a while back. If investigated by a made, they will appear either as “criminal” or “unclear.”

A Wiseguy becomes a “Made gangster” after having participating in 3 killings for a family and having received consent from the family don. They may or may not be made aware of the Don’s identity, at that family’s discretion. They do assume the investigative powers of a Made gangster as well as their investigation status.

Wiseguys operating as an independent “family” have no Dons, Mades, or Lucas, and can perform only 1 killing for each 3 Wiseguys. Following their 3rd successful murder, these 3 wiseguys may choose one of their number to become a Made.

Alternatively the Wiseguy may choose to function as a regular Townie, not participating in any criminal activity. If they assume a Townie role and become one of the Townie roles, they lose Wiseguy status and turn to the "light side of the force."

Mafiosi Roles:

Don(na):

A Don is the leader of her/his crime “family.” Their objective is to eliminate all of the other dons in the game, and to have more members in their crime “family” than the total of innocent townies and opposing criminals, thus gaining control and becoming the “Capo de tutti Capi.” There will be 5(3) families: Corleone, Tataglia, Barzini, Stracci, and Cunio; bold for small game]

A Don normally cannot kill opponents during a “night” phase, and must work through others. Normally, however, they appear as “innocent” if investigated by a detective or made, so they can camouflage themselves well. Even the FBI detective is unlikely to spot them (1 chance in 3 of appearing “criminal”). If the Don has lost all the other members of her/his family, they may perform 1 kill per “night” phase. However, subsequent to any such killing they will be identified as “guilty” if investigated by a detective, and “criminal” if investigated by a made.

In addition, a Don is normally protected by their Luca, making them effectively unkillable. Should her/his Luca not be functioning in “protection” mode, the Don may be killed as would any other Townie.

Luca

A Luca is one of the two initial “Made” gangsters in a crime family. The Luca’s objective is to protect their “Don.” This protection function is always “on” unless the Luca is undertaking other duties. The Luca is automatically aware of the identity of the family don.

A Luca does not normally kill opponents during a “night” phase, but may function as a Made gangster in this regard (no recruiting investigation), participating in a killing each night. If participating in a killing that “night,” the Luca cannot provide protection for the don. A Luca appears “criminal” if investigated by a Detective or Made, but “guilty” only on the night of a killing even if they have participated in killings before.

Made Gangster

A Made is one of the two initial “Made” gangsters in a crime family. Their objective is to lead up the “wetwork” efforts on behalf of their crime family, eventually controlling the town. If investigated by a Detective or another Made, a Made gangster appears “criminal.” If investigated by a Detective during a “night” phase in which the made gangster is actively involved in a killing, they appear “guilty.” In addition, a Made gangster can conduct one “recruiting” investigation per “night” phase. This investigation will determine if the individual is “criminal,” “innocent,” or “unclear.” The initial made gangster of a family is automatically aware of the identity of the family Don.

If a family Don has been killed (or never existed), the Made may become a Don provided that:

There is at least one other Made in the family.
All the other Made Gangsters in your family agree to your becoming the Don.
You did not participate directly in the killing of the previous Don.

-- General notes for the mafia:

A mafia family may, during each “night” phase, make one killing for every two made gagsters or wise guys. It need not kill its entire quota each night. This does mean that, without recruiting, no kills can be made on the first “night” except by using the Luca as a made.

Made gangster investigations – given their lack of official resources – are a little chancy. “Innocents” may be regular Townies, Detectives, or a Don. “Criminals,” will include your potential recruits, the Wise guys/gals, but will also include the Mades or Lucas of another family. “Unclear” will usually indicate a Wise guy/gal, but a few of the regular Townies with a shadier past will be included in this label as well.

Secret Roles:

At least one, and potentially more, will be included. The particulars are….well….secret.

Comments and suggestions appreciated. Sign-up in latter half of January (est.).

[Kagemusha]

Sounds very intresting and complex game.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Niiiiiifty


Looking forward to this one.

[Kommodus]

Clever ideas, Seamus! The game sounds like a lot of fun.

The hardest issue to deal with, I think, will be the same one that's encountered in all games with a lot of roles - what to do when people don't send their instructions in on time. If you have 19+ special roles in the game, there will inevitably be some who don't participate in a timely manner - and you don't want the game to be held up because of them.

[doc_bean]

What Kommodus says is right, of course, I really like games with lots of roles, they spice things up a little.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I just wanted a game where every single person had a chance -- however slim -- to "shoot the moon."

[Peasant Phill]

Good idea but I think that it will be hard to get enough players involved when only targetting the normal mafia players. I would suggest, if you are willing to go through with it to post anouncements in the entrance hall and maybe some other places.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Good idea but I think that it will be hard to get enough players involved when only targetting the normal mafia players. I would suggest, if you are willing to go through with it to post anouncements in the entrance hall and maybe some other places.

Nice idea. Probably put up such posts after Christmas.

To field all five families and a goodly crop of townies, I'd like about 75 players, and our pool of actives and semi-actives is in the low 40s.

I'm also going to make the sign-up into "sign up and dragoon in a friend."