Poll: Your preferred mafia nomenclature

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Thread: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

  1. #1
    Illuminated Moderator Pogo Panic Champion, Graveyard Champion, Missle Attack Champion, Ninja Kid Champion, Pop-Up Killer Champion, Ratman Ralph Champion GeneralHankerchief's Avatar
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    Default Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    To fill in some time until the next game starts.

    Here's why "mafia" is objectively the better name for the antagonistic faction in these games: it makes more sense. Werewolves are, by nature, regular humans who turn into mindless, bloodthirsty beasts upon the fulfillment of certain conditions. Unless they're psychos like that one guy in Harry Potter, there is no planning, no decisive stratagems, no higher level of thinking. They do not discuss victims. They do not try to think of strategies to stay one step ahead of town investigators when doing their killings. They do not try to fabricate believable alibis. Night falls, they morph, and then they hunt. Werewolves are dominated by primitive instincts and are prisoners of their own bestial natures.

    Does this sound like the villains in Mafia to you?

    Now, take the alternative. "Mafia". Unlike werewolves, mafiosi are entirely human. They have set goals and plan and discuss with each other how best to accomplish these goals. At night, they position themselves to strike their victims and remove them from the game. There is no mess, no malice, simply intent on getting them out of the way as part of a step towards a larger success. They remain in control of themselves at all times. Furthermore, a mafioso's only goal is to kill their victim, whilst werewolves sometimes want to make other werewolves - an ability and a goal that puts wolves more in alignment with the "cult" faction of these games.

    Clearly "mafia" is the superior name for this villainous faction, and I hope you see it my way, although I suppose in the name of fair play I will allow arguments towards the alternative. However, one argument that I will not accept is the foolish "well 'wolf/wolves' is shorter to type than 'mafia/mafiosi' ". First of all, this is why the word "scum" and its variants were invented, which circumvents this problem nicely. Secondly, there seems to be a correlation with people pairing "wolf" with "villager", which completely falls apart considering the most common "good side" pair with "mafia" is the much more elegant "town". You can't simply sing the praises of wolves using this argument and then drop the horribly-mangled "villagery" while keeping a straight face.

    I eagerly await your thanks for allowing me to convert you on this most important of issues.
    "I'm going to die anyway, and therefore have nothing more to do except deliberately annoy Lemur." -Orb, in the chat
    "Lemur. Even if he's innocent, he's a pain; so kill him." -Ignoramus
    "I'm going to need to collect all of the rants about the guilty lemur, and put them in a pretty box with ponies and pink bows. Then I'm going to sprinkle sparkly magic dust on the box, and kiss it." -Lemur
    Mafia: Promoting peace and love since June 2006

    Quote Originally Posted by TosaInu
    At times I read back my own posts [...]. It's not always clear at first glance.

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  2. #2
    Facilitating Understanding Member Dp101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Werewolves transform when dead, and are thus easily identified. How can you tell a dead mafia from a dead innocent in a way that you could not use while they were alive?

  3. #3
    Illuminated Moderator Pogo Panic Champion, Graveyard Champion, Missle Attack Champion, Ninja Kid Champion, Pop-Up Killer Champion, Ratman Ralph Champion GeneralHankerchief's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dp101 View Post
    Werewolves transform when dead, and are thus easily identified. How can you tell a dead mafia from a dead innocent in a way that you could not use while they were alive?
    Well see, this is the problem inherent with games that have immediate reveals upon death, but this is an argument we'll save for another day.
    "I'm going to die anyway, and therefore have nothing more to do except deliberately annoy Lemur." -Orb, in the chat
    "Lemur. Even if he's innocent, he's a pain; so kill him." -Ignoramus
    "I'm going to need to collect all of the rants about the guilty lemur, and put them in a pretty box with ponies and pink bows. Then I'm going to sprinkle sparkly magic dust on the box, and kiss it." -Lemur
    Mafia: Promoting peace and love since June 2006

    Quote Originally Posted by TosaInu
    At times I read back my own posts [...]. It's not always clear at first glance.


  4. #4
    winston 4 champs Member Zack's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Mafia doesn't really have a good singular use so I use wolf/scumbag

    Werewolves is long to type (suck it) so I call the faction mafia/scum

    town doesn't have a good adjective form like villagery ("towny" seems wrong) or singular form (same issue for "townie")

    but I almost always use town over village (shorter)

    my system is logical and I reject your attempt to strong-arm me into your preferred nomenclature

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  5. #5
    winston 4 champs Member Zack's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    also lol at using any argument for mafia games that revolves around "realism"

  6. #6
    winston 4 champs Member Zack's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dp101 View Post
    Werewolves transform when dead, and are thus easily identified. How can you tell a dead mafia from a dead innocent in a way that you could not use while they were alive?
    in b4 this is ignored so gh can keep pushing his wolfy A G E N D A

  7. #7
    Facilitating Understanding Member Dp101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by imdone View Post
    in b4 this is ignored so gh can keep pushing his wolfy A G E N D A
    Luckily it wasn't so GH is not a wolf.

  8. #8

    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Yay, down with that vile "w/w" and "v/v" stuff.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dp101 View Post
    Werewolves transform when dead, and are thus easily identified. How can you tell a dead mafia from a dead innocent in a way that you could not use while they were alive?
    CSI and public records bureaucrats. Or, if CSI isn't available, check their wallets. It works, except for the times people don't carry wallets with IDs.

    For a more philosophical approach:

    The Game is the part of the whole that reenacts the whole as the whole. It therefore recognizes nothing outside itself, as we recognize nothing outside what we recognize.
    Vitiate Man.

    History repeats the old conceits
    The glib replies, the same defeats


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  9. #9
    Facilitating Understanding Member Dp101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Montmorency View Post
    Yay, down with that vile "w/w" and "v/v" stuff.



    CSI and public records bureaucrats. Or, if CSI isn't available, check their wallets. It works, except for the times people don't carry wallets with IDs.

    For a more philosophical approach:
    But that reasoning requires cops to be in the game, and/or jailkeepers or something.

  10. #10

    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dp101 View Post
    But that reasoning requires cops to be in the game, and/or jailkeepers or something.
    Or the host.
    Vitiate Man.

    History repeats the old conceits
    The glib replies, the same defeats


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  11. #11
    Facilitating Understanding Member Dp101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Montmorency View Post
    Or the host.
    But thematically the host rarely exists as an entity to actually examine bodies, in most writeups I see it is the townspeople who discover the identities of the dead.

  12. #12
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dp101 View Post
    But thematically the host rarely exists as an entity to actually examine bodies, in most writeups I see it is the townspeople who discover the identities of the dead.
    But who narrates the townspeople doing so, and thus cosmologically ensures that the event happens?

    CHECKMATE
    "I'm going to die anyway, and therefore have nothing more to do except deliberately annoy Lemur." -Orb, in the chat
    "Lemur. Even if he's innocent, he's a pain; so kill him." -Ignoramus
    "I'm going to need to collect all of the rants about the guilty lemur, and put them in a pretty box with ponies and pink bows. Then I'm going to sprinkle sparkly magic dust on the box, and kiss it." -Lemur
    Mafia: Promoting peace and love since June 2006

    Quote Originally Posted by TosaInu
    At times I read back my own posts [...]. It's not always clear at first glance.


  13. #13
    winston 4 champs Member Zack's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    I reject your argument on the grounds that I disagree with it.

  14. #14

    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dp101 View Post
    But thematically the host rarely exists as an entity to actually examine bodies, in most writeups I see it is the townspeople who discover the identities of the dead.
    There are always more townspeople than players. It's just an abstraction. Call it "the gods", "the authorities", some unspecified person conducting an investigation on the dead, intrinsic components of the dead body...
    Vitiate Man.

    History repeats the old conceits
    The glib replies, the same defeats


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  15. #15
    Facilitating Understanding Member Dp101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by GeneralHankerchief View Post
    But who narrates the townspeople doing so, and thus cosmologically ensures that the event happens?

    CHECKMATE
    They narrate that we discover the bodies and the identity, that does not mean they made us discover the identities. Well, this is assuming we have free will of course.

  16. #16
    Facilitating Understanding Member Dp101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Montmorency View Post
    There are always more townspeople than players. It's just an abstraction. Call it "the gods", "the authorities", some unspecified person conducting an investigation on the dead, intrinsic components of the dead body...
    But which intrinsic components? Do mafia have a badge of evil tattooed on their hearts or something?

  17. #17
    winston 4 champs Member Zack's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Therefore, by supporting "mafia" over "wolf" you consequently must also believe in a deterministic universe.

  18. #18
    winston 4 champs Member Zack's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dp101 View Post
    But which intrinsic components? Do mafia have a badge of evil tattooed on their hearts or something?
    Would that make cops peeping toms?

  19. #19
    Facilitating Understanding Member Dp101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by imdone View Post
    Therefore, by supporting "mafia" over "wolf" you consequently must also believe in a deterministic universe.
    Why? The definition of mafia vs wolf is up to the host, which is not deterministic at all. Just because something is correct doesn't mean it has to happen.
    Last edited by Dp101; 01-03-2017 at 05:03. Reason: I'm stupid

  20. #20
    winston 4 champs Member Zack's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dp101 View Post
    Well, this is assuming we have free will of course.
    ...

  21. #21

    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dp101 View Post
    They narrate that we discover the bodies and the identity, that does not mean they made us discover the identities. Well, this is assuming we have free will of course.
    They can tell us that identities have been discovered and presented to us by some source outside the immediate player group.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dp101 View Post
    But which intrinsic components? Do mafia have a badge of evil tattooed on their hearts or something?
    Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on the host and the game.

    For example, in Pizza's game, the scum - eventually just Zack - represented "terrorists" attacking the United States. The town, or the players at large, represented the electorate and the leadership of the United States. You take for granted that this flavor relates to some mechanical justification, since of course Zack running around killing one or two people per "night" - which may in fact be a year, or other long period - is not going to bring down the government of the United States.

    The Game is the part of the whole that reenacts the whole as the whole. It therefore recognizes nothing outside itself, as we recognize nothing outside what we recognize.
    Vitiate Man.

    History repeats the old conceits
    The glib replies, the same defeats


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



  22. #22
    Facilitating Understanding Member Dp101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Welp you got me there. I'm too invested in this to change my mind though, so my vote stays where it is.

  23. #23
    winston 4 champs Member Zack's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Montmorency View Post
    They can tell us that identities have been discovered and presented to us by some source outside the immediate player group.



    Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on the host and the game.

    For example, in Pizza's game, the scum - eventually just Zack - represented "terrorists" attacking the United States. The town, or the players at large, represented the electorate and the leadership of the United States. You take for granted that this flavor relates to some mechanical justification, since of course Zack running around killing one or two people per "night" - which may in fact be a year, or other long period - is not going to bring down the government of the United States.

    The Game is the part of the whole that reenacts the whole as the whole. It therefore recognizes nothing outside itself, as we recognize nothing outside what we recognize.
    But if you're bending over backwards to justify the flavor in this way, you're unknowingly revealing the flaw in the original argument that "mafia > wolf because flavor".

  24. #24
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    It's already been established that the game host is god of that particular universe - after all, this is where the term Wrath of God originates.

    Since this is the case, and since the host is always aware of the rules, roles, and actions taking place, let us further assume that the host is not merely a god but also an omnipotent one.

    Taking the above for granted, since the host is also the narrator, it can be logically reasoned that the host, in the course of his/her narrations, is also the one who is driving the action in the first place - i.e. the host is actually doing the reveals upon death and not the remaining townies. Because of all this, it can be reasonably concluded that the omnipotent host/god is making the lynched person's alignment known to the general public and thus Dp101's "what about transformation upon death" argument, while in the right place, is invalid due to divine intervention.
    "I'm going to die anyway, and therefore have nothing more to do except deliberately annoy Lemur." -Orb, in the chat
    "Lemur. Even if he's innocent, he's a pain; so kill him." -Ignoramus
    "I'm going to need to collect all of the rants about the guilty lemur, and put them in a pretty box with ponies and pink bows. Then I'm going to sprinkle sparkly magic dust on the box, and kiss it." -Lemur
    Mafia: Promoting peace and love since June 2006

    Quote Originally Posted by TosaInu
    At times I read back my own posts [...]. It's not always clear at first glance.


  25. #25
    Facilitating Understanding Member Dp101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by GeneralHankerchief View Post
    It's already been established that the game host is god of that particular universe - after all, this is where the term Wrath of God originates.

    Since this is the case, and since the host is always aware of the rules, roles, and actions taking place, let us further assume that the host is not merely a god but also an omnipotent one.

    Taking the above for granted, since the host is also the narrator, it can be logically reasoned that the host, in the course of his/her narrations, is also the one who is driving the action in the first place - i.e. the host is actually doing the reveals upon death and not the remaining townies. Because of all this, it can be reasonably concluded that the omnipotent host/god is making the lynched person's alignment known to the general public and thus Dp101's "what about transformation upon death" argument, while in the right place, is invalid due to divine intervention.
    So are you arguing that every action by an individual is just them acting as part of the will of the god of the game world?

  26. #26
    winston 4 champs Member Zack's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by GeneralHankerchief View Post
    It's already been established that the game host is god of that particular universe - after all, this is where the term Wrath of God originates.

    Since this is the case, and since the host is always aware of the rules, roles, and actions taking place, let us further assume that the host is not merely a god but also an omnipotent one.

    Taking the above for granted, since the host is also the narrator, it can be logically reasoned that the host, in the course of his/her narrations, is also the one who is driving the action in the first place - i.e. the host is actually doing the reveals upon death and not the remaining townies. Because of all this, it can be reasonably concluded that the omnipotent host/god is making the lynched person's alignment known to the general public and thus Dp101's "what about transformation upon death" argument, while in the right place, is invalid due to divine intervention.
    But that just raises the problem of evil.

  27. #27

    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by imdone View Post
    But if you're bending over backwards to justify the flavor in this way, you're unknowingly revealing the flaw in the original argument that "mafia > wolf because flavor".
    No, this is in response to DP's comment that wolves can be seen as wolves at a glance, but one can't see why a mafioso is a mafioso just by looking at him. In terms of the reveal.

    This is the same issue that enters into why we can't just recognize each other, for example in games where there are literal monsters and writeups can be like, "Suddenly the townspeople noticed Player X had fangs and red glowing eyes and they lynched him."
    Vitiate Man.

    History repeats the old conceits
    The glib replies, the same defeats


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  28. #28

    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dp101 View Post
    So are you arguing that every action by an individual is just them acting as part of the will of the god of the game world?
    Every game of Mafia is internally self-sufficient by the host's direction. This is why logical absurdities appear in terms of "realism", because the game is only realistic unto itself.
    Vitiate Man.

    History repeats the old conceits
    The glib replies, the same defeats


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  29. #29
    winston 4 champs Member Zack's Avatar
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    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by Montmorency View Post
    No, this is in response to DP's comment that wolves can be seen as wolves at a glance, but one can't see why a mafioso is a mafioso just by looking at him. In terms of the reveal.

    This is the same issue that enters into why we can't just recognize each other, for example in games where there are literal monsters and writeups can be like, "Suddenly the townspeople noticed Player X had fangs and red glowing eyes and they lynched him."
    But what you're arguing here is that the flavor doesn't really matter, because it's just a game and all made up anyways. But the original argument is that "mafia" is better because it makes more sense with flavor and realism.

    Which is it?

  30. #30

    Default Re: Terminology poll: Mafia or wolf?

    Quote Originally Posted by imdone View Post
    But what you're arguing here is that the flavor doesn't really matter, because it's just a game and all made up anyways. But the original argument is that "mafia" is better because it makes more sense with flavor and realism.

    Which is it?
    The flavor and the realism (of a given game) aren't fixed (across all games).

    So, ultimately, people use various terms and may even mix and match as you do.
    Vitiate Man.

    History repeats the old conceits
    The glib replies, the same defeats


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



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