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Differences between MS.net and other sites
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History
Original Publication: July 24, 2013 by Mastin2
Introduction
This brief article is meant to help teach newbies to more easily grow accustomed to mafiascum.net, and how our site works compared to what they're used to.
In General
Mafiascum.net is more focused on analysis and logic than on most sites. We prefer to take our time and think things through, rather than rushing in.
Day length
Deadlines on MS.net are typically two weeks--not two days. Generally, we use almost every single day we're allotted, talking to others and analyzing what we know to form a conclusion. You have that much time, so don't rush to get an elimination early.
Posting rate/length
While it will take longer for posts to appear (see above), when they do, they'll probably either be in the form of longer posts (walls), or many short bursts of posts ("spamposting"). While I discourage making walls be too long (generally, I recommend no longer than one screenlength), and generally discourage too many posts in a row, know that both are present in abundance.
In particular, posting rates have begun to climb in the current site meta. By how much depends on your game size (9 players will have less posts than 19 players), but in general, you can expect at least one new page a day, especially during the earlier phases of the game.
RVS
Most sites have random voting, so this is almost certainly not something new. However, note that it stands for "Random Voting Stage", not "Random Voting Day". It's a stage of the day, not the entirety of the day. It typically lasts a page or two at most, and generally is no longer than 2-3 real-life days.
LElimination
This is not EpicMafia. We do eliminate on day one. This is because unlike on other sites, we cannot rely on power roles to give us additional information. The only information we have available is the alignment of the eliminated and nightkilled players, along with the content inside the thread. Especially in a smaller game, the info from the elimination is actually more important than the info from the nightkill.
Wagoning
On most sites, if you're wagoned, you're eliminated. Not so on mafiascum.net. This ties into the concept of having a longer deadline. Wagons form and collapse on a regular basis. This is particularly important to know if you're being wagoned. Trust me, you can talk your way out of it, and it's not the end of the world.
Flavor
MS.net does not allow for moderators to give hints to players in their flavor. It can be done in Theme games, but even then, that's rare. Generally, the only information you'll have to analyze is the content of other players' posts.
Flavor's presence
Yes, I know, flavor makes the game more fun, but it's an entirely optional thing for a moderator. Some will give deeply-rich flavor, others won't have any flavor at all. In general, I recommend going in with the expectation of having no (or minimal) flavor, so that anything above and beyond that is a pleasant surprise. Do note the above, though; flavor is just flavor, there for your enjoyment--not for your analysis.
Roles
Mafiascum.net is, generally, not heavy on power role usage. This is once again because we focus more on analyzing the content of play during the day, rather than letting night interactions dictate the result of games. We try to teach you to win without relying on roles to save you. In essence, mafiascum.net is focused on day play, whereas most sites focus more on night play.
For those used to face-to-face mafia
Generally, face-to-face mafia relies on body language. Many players I've seen have had trouble adjusting to online mafia, because they think that those tells are absent. They're actually still present, just in different forms.
Emotions become represented by tone present in posts (albeit a bit subjectively). Body language can be translated into posting habits, such as activity or lack thereof. The way things are worded is another easily-translatable skill from this.
For those treating the wiki as a bible
Know that the site meta is constantly evolving. Certain articles are timeless, never losing their value, while others have fallen completely out of favor. You can learn from the wiki, but do not rely on it, least of all by using wiki-tells.
There's a(n MD) thread for that
Mafiascum.net is advertised as being the largest/best site devoted to the game of mafia. This is no joke; mafiascum.net is at the forefront of mafia theory. You can learn a lot by browsing around recent MD threads, which I highly encourage. The theory behind the game is just as important as the game itself, and a large part of an IC's job is to help get you accustomed to mafiascum theory. Keep the above in mind, though--theory changes as the site meta does; the game is ever-evolving as new players come in. You might be the next big name worthy of being called Professor Mafia, but to do so, you first need some familiarity with the site.
Closing word
Recognize that every game will be different, and what works in one game may not work in another. And just as every game you'll play will be different, each section of the site will play out differently. There's a huge difference between newbie games, opens, micros, minis, larges, themes, and normals. Recognize that nothing is universal, and you'll be a fair step ahead already.
See Also:
On Handling Multiple Games And Gametypes, an article where I go more into depth about different game types.