RULES: NEW War Room Rules and Etiquette 2.0 (Updated 8/8/17)

In The War Room, you will be able to participate in games that involve strategy and thinking, such as mafia games and mystery games. The subforum also welcomes discussions regarding such games.

In addition the Forum Rules and Fun & Games Rules, the following rules apply in The War Room.

1. Do not add or remove information from your posts in the thread of an ongoing game in which you are a player
- Edits solely for spelling, grammatical, or formatting purposes are permitted.
- Multiposting, as long as each post adds something new to the game, is permitted.

2. Do not interfere with an ongoing game.
- Do not post or like posts in an ongoing game's thread if you are dead or not playing.
- Do not bring up discussions related to an ongoing game anywhere other than the respective game's thread and any other chats designated by the host.
-Keep personal issues out of public threads. Resolve them with relevant parties, and do not bring them into games.

3. Do not show poor sportsmanship, being rude to hosts and/or players.
- Do not continuously or deliberately violate a game's rules with the intent of being modkilled.
- Whatever happened in mafia games, should be resolved within that game and end there.
- Keep arguments tolerable. Posts that discourage other players from posting, for any reason, will not be tolerated. This applies especially if the host has requested that the players keep debates friendly.

4. As a host, do not add roles or mechanics in a game that encourage players to violate Forum Rules.

The following posts will explain common courtesies in TWR as a player and a host, how to host a game (Mafia or Non-Mafia), introduce some standard mafia game rules, and explain other official threads that staff have created in this subforum.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the moderators of The War Room: @DarthWolf, @Elementar, @Elieson, @Lone_Garurumon, @Midorikawa, @SoaringDylan & @Rainbow Cloud

 

Re: War Room Rules

Playing and hosting a mafia game is a fun experience. However, there are times when things can get tricky. Here is a set of guidelines to help you when making decisions on how to act as a fair host or respectable player. These are not mandatory, but strongly recommended to make the game as enjoyable as possible, both for yourself and the players.

Hosting

• Neutrality

This is an important point to respect when hosting.

When assigning roles to players, using a Random Number Generator is recommended because it is the fairest method. Please try to remain as neutral as possible and avoid giving players certain roles or assigning all roles arbitrarily.

Make sure that you treat all of your players equally and fairly; this means that you should not favor a faction over another and never intervene with the players unless it is to enforce the rules. It is imperative that you abstain from giving away information or tip the players in a direction they might have not seen had you not intervened. This also means that you should post as little as possible while hosting, since it can be distracting to the players.

Keep in mind that you may only enforce the rules of your game. If a player breaks one of Bulbagarden's rules, it is best to report the offending posts or PM the Moderator on Duty, and let the staff take care of it.

• Consistency

There might come a time where you will need to change an element of the game to avoid a game-breaking scenario. However, keeping this as a last resort is a good idea if you want your players to enjoy the game fully. This means that you should not change the rules, roles, winning conditions, or other elements once the game has started unless absolutely necessary, especially to favor one faction over another.

This also applies to your update time. It's a given that real-life events may alter your access to the internet, but do try to stay consistent with the time at which you update your game, as it can get confusing and inconvenient for the players otherwise. If necessary, the Moderator on Duty can and will act as a back-up host, should you be unable to update at your usual time or a reasonable facsimile thereof. This means that the MoD must be privy to all of the behind the scenes information of your game.

• Responsibility

Sometimes you will make mistakes, which may end up changing the game in some way. This is always regrettable, but take the blame and be straightforward about it if this happens. Do not punish or blame the players for your mistakes.

• Cordiality

Answer all the questions your players may have to the best of your abilities. However, be certain that you are not giving away any information to prying eyes while doing so; if a player has a question regarding their role, it is best to contact them privately to sort things out.

For a full guide on hosting mafia games from start to finish, check this thread.

Playing

• Read the rules

In addition to the rules of the game, forum-wide rules and War Room-specific rules must be followed.

Before you join a game, please be sure to read the rules. If you have any issues with a host's rules or need clarification, you should discuss them with the host before you enter the game. Consistently breaking game rules may have consequences up to and including a limitation on playing games or a ban from The War Room.

• Respectfulness

As always with the heated nature of mafia games, especially ones with multiple different and sometimes conflicting community cultures, tensions can run high throughout the game. We'd just like to remind everyone to respect their fellow players as well as the game host throughout the course of the game. Taking issue with a player's gameplay is one thing, but please also remember that every player in the game is a person. While debates may become heated, it's important to only dispute ideas and opinions. Additionally, the hosts put a lot of work into developing the game setup and writing the role PMs and flavor text, so you should avoid unnecessary insults and the like to keep this a friendly and competitive environment. Insults or rudeness toward users may result in a warning or infraction for Flaming & Baiting. This especially applies to actions directed at new players.
Having respect for your fellow members is paramount for having a cohesive, and fun, community, and the primary reason we are all here is to have fun. Remember, being aggressive does not mean that you have to be rude or insulting.

• Sportsmanship

It is expected that when taking part in any game, up to and including a victory or loss (individual or factional), players will remain sportive and polite. Gloating over a win, blaming others for a loss, discouraging others from posting, etc fall under this guideline. Additionally, do not drag issues related to other games or personal drama into a game - please resolve these outside of The War Room.

• Activity

When you join a game, it is expected that you will remain active and contribute to the game reasonably often. This includes using your role, posting in-thread (and in PM conversations, QuickTopics or other outside chats if applicable), and responding to other players when possible and practical. If you cannot keep up with the game or will be away for a while, please inform the host so that you may be subbed out if necessary. Posting in-thread to inform other players of your absence is also recommended.

For a full guide on strategy suggestions, check out this thread.

 

Hosting a Mafia Game

The War Room Game Schedule/Queue lists the games in 'Ongoing Games', 'Signups', 'Small Games', 'Large Games', 'Non-Mafia Games' and ‘Special Events.'

Games listed as 'Signups' are accepting players necessary to run the game. Once a game gains enough players, and the host begins the game, the game will join 'Ongoing Games' list.

Here is the simple process regarding hosting a mafia game:

1. Creating a mafia game requires preparing the game’s rules and roles in general.
2. When the game's rules and roles are ready, you are free to request that your game be listed in the appropriate queue out of 'Small Games', 'Large Games' or 'Non-Mafia Games'. Once all the games above it are removed and there is enough space for it to be moved in 'Signups' you can post the thread! This is because we have a limit on how many games from each queue can be in signups at once, based on the subforum's amount of activity.
3. Hosts can request co-hosts in the Queue thread or the Situation Room. Alternatively, they can have their mafia game checked by a willing Moderator (who will be the game's MoD as explained below). Those in charge of checking a game should ask for the rules, roles, and other necessary information. If you are a host and would like some help, don't be afraid to ask for any sort of help.
4. You may request in the Queue thread that your game gets sorted under 'Special Events'. This is only for games that should be hosted at a specific time period (example: Winter Holiday-themed games) or are commemorating some special event in some other way (examples: the release of a Pokemon game, the end of a TWR season). Games that are placed in the 'Special Events' section take precedence over the games in the other queues when the correct time for them to be hosted comes up. 'Special Events' games also include games which require player involvement in setup design. Games under 'Special Events' do not count towards signup or active game totals.

Each game has to be supervised by a War Room staff member that will not be a player in the game, called 'Moderator on Duty' (MoD). In games already hosted by a War Room staff member, said staff member will double as that respective game's MoD. In the other games, the MoD will be specified at the beginning of the game. The MoD will be in charge of enforcing order in the game if need be, although sometimes other staff members may step up so that situations are handled as quickly as possible.

Mafia game threads must have the ‘Mafia:’ thread tag, which can be posted/edited in through the "Thread Tools" option in the beginning of the thread. Also, all thread titles must include the date of the last update and the phase the game is in provided by the host.

In the event that a host is unable to update their game in a timely manner, the Moderator on Duty will act a a back up host to keep the game running smoothly and in a timely manner. As such, the MoD must be a fully informed observer, including access to role PMs, actions, and all action results.
If the host has not begun that game within 72 hours after sending the first role PM, and the MoD does not have enough information to update the game, the MoD will send a PM to the game host. If a further 72 hours elapse without a response, the MoD has the right to cancel the game. The host may then have their game added back to the end of the appropriate queue.

In addition to the MoD, you may choose to allow non-playing users the opportunity to be informed observers. All informed observers are strictly prohibited from sharing information with the players or otherwise making it difficult for the game to run. For informed observers violating this policy, a Pointless Post infraction will be given without any warning, and further punishment such as being banned from the subforum can follow.

 

Regarding Rights as a Host

Hosts can modkill or sub players from their game without consulting the Moderator on Duty or any War Room staff members. However, if hosts are unsure whether to modkill or sub a player, they may ask the Moderator on Duty for opinions regarding a player's action. If a situation arises the requires imminent attention, and the MoD is not online, another War Room staff member may be consulted.

If hosts find a player problematic for valid reasons, they have the right to refuse them from signing up in their future games.

Valid reasons may include:

• Inactivity
  
• Poor Sportsmanship, such as making rude comments (both in the game thread and private communications)
• Violating game's rules continuously
• Playing against win condition
• Otherwise being uncooperative as a player

 

Regarding conduct.

1. Keep personal issues out of public threads. Resolve them with relevant parties, and do not bring them into games.

2. Whatever happened in mafia games, should be resolved within that game and end there.

3. Keep arguments tolerable. Posts that discourage other players from posting, for any reason, will not be tolerated. This applies especially if the host has requested that the players keep debates friendly.

4. Even if a War Room moderator is playing a game, they can and will speak up if they find the public situation in a mafia game unsuitable. If they need to get information they should not have as a player in order to enforce order in a game, they may sub out. While the new Moderator on Duty system will help prevent this from needing to occur in most instances, should a situation occur that requires immediate attention and the MoD is offline, another War Room staff member may step in, as necessary.

5. Please REPORT anything you find unacceptable. Use the report button or send a PM to the MoD. If you’ve been insulted offsite (in QT, Skype, Discord, or elsewhere), report the incident to the MoD.

6. The War Room has a zero tolerance policy on bullying. If bullying occurs, there will be consequences up to and including infractions, thread bans, or a ban from the War Room. We will not hesitate to close down games. The staff will take whatever actions we deem necessary whenever we deem it necessary to ensure that TWR remains a positive and friendly environment.

 

Re: Miscellaneous

The War Room also welcomes discussing topics related to strategy games. Below are descriptions of non-game threads in this section.
Please note that discussing a mafia game that is currently running, in any aspect, is strictly forbidden. This includes commenting on a player’s actions, the roles revealed, or the flavor text. This can encourage discussion related to the mafia games happening outside the game thread. Please take the negotiations, comments, and discussions to their respective game threads.

The Situation Room

The Situation Room serves as a general chat thread. You can also discuss future games and gaming ideas, or give advice on a user’s activity as a player and/or host. This thread also serves as a general chat thread for The War Room regulars. You can talk about anything you want that doesn't necessarily relate to the War Room itself and interact with each other on different subjects.

Accumulating violations in The Situation Room can warrant a ban from the thread for a given period.

Mafia Philosophy

In the Mafia Philosophy thread, users are encouraged to discuss, debate, and share ideas about mafia games, as well as sharing their personal viewpoints on various game-related subjects. Discussions about strategies as a player or about hosting methods and fun game mechanics are also welcome. This thread is also home to the Question of the Week, which will feature a weekly question regarding mafia mechanics.
Note that unlike The Situation Room, you cannot use this thread to discuss general matters and can only use it to discuss meta aspects of mafia games.

The Round Table

In this thread, users can provide feedback to The War Room staff that may influence future changes in the rules or policies of The War Room. Additionally, if you have any questions about how the staff members manage the subforum, feel free to ask in this thread and one of the staff members will answer it.

War Room Players Contact List

In this thread you may list yourself alongside your timezone, and if applicable, your usernames in any Instant Messaging (IM) services and QuickTopic (QT) in order to facilitate your communications with other players during the games. Additionally, in this thread, you may make your own "user bio," in the theme of a mafia game Role PM. War Room Staff Bios can be found in the OP.

The War Room Discord Chat

We have a Discord chat setup located here. You may advertise your offsite mafia games to TWR community there.

The Off-Site Mafia Events Thread

In this thread you are allowed to advertise mafia games that will be played on other websites. Invitations and planning for cross-over mafia games or other related events and discussion about them are also welcome here.