Game Etiquette

So I'll go ahead and type up an answer to this.

In general I think we shouldn't be swearing at each other but past that...

In some instances it does help to be able to go hard on other players and I do think we tend to do decent jobs of not being total jerks to each other. Would anyone disagree?

I agree with Stella- swearing at each other is definitely a big no no. I mean if I had it my way, curse words wouldn’t exist, but we definitely shouldn’t be swearing at each other. That would be extremely rude. If you’re feeling that angry with a player, you need to step away from the keyboard. It’s one thing to sus someone hard or nitpick their gameplay, but it’s another entirely to insult them on a personal level. Like Stella said, I don’t think we as active players have a big problem with this. I think our group does a pretty awesome job of treating each other kindly and respectfully 

You should also be as active as you can be, I love the post-once-a-day rule, it's great at making sure you don't have inactive players, even if we are a small community

Re: insults, sometimes I go hard on players in order to trip them up and gauge their reactions. From my side, it's purely strategy; the goal is not to degrade them on a personal level, and I obviously know that there are limits. However, I understand that I go harder than most sometimes, and that many people can be uncomfortable with it. If I ever lapse into the routine in future games and it makes you genuinely uncomfortable feel free to give me a hard no, either directly or via the DM.

On other topic: attendance. One post a day is no longer enough when it contributes literally nothing. Strictly following the rule alone, you can simply post "I got nothing" and then move on. Remaining obscure is certainly a playstyle, but one that has consistently earned the ire of other players and the DM alike. Have some couth if you signed into a game and show the fuck up.

I want to take a Hot Second and highlight the active player part of the question first!! As someone who is actively participating in a game there definitely needs to be effort made when it comes to participation. And while posting at least once a day is the absolute bare minimum, there Has to be substance behind that post you know? Empty posts devoid of any real speculation and input simply aren't kind to other active players, as it begins to feel like there's already someone gone without actually being killed/lynched.

As far as behavior, well that all seems self explanatory. Be kind and respectful, and make sure to keep in mind people's boundaries while discussing/debating! And also, a player should Never feel like they're being attacked by another player. Even when grilling others, there needs to be a level of self restraint when it comes to playing aggressively. If your posts sound like they're mocking someone, making them out to be dull, ect, you should edit it so that it doesn't sound as such. Obviously you aren't expected to just smile at someone you Know is maf, but you don't have to tear them to shreds either.

Also something else I feel is important is the separation between self and game. Sometimes people get legitimately upset over a game, and that's okay! But I feel like the actual game thread is not the proper place to voice those frustrations, as the game is the game and its hard for others to distinguish what's part of the game and what's actually You. I think a wiser choice would be telling the GM, "Hey so-and-so is making me feel upset/uncomfortable/ect, can you please talk to them?" or "Hey, can you please make a general post in regards to x thing that's making this game unenjoyable for me?" That way we can avoid people's feelings becoming invalidated because others can't tell what's play and what's real.

Just wanted to drop in to say I think the points made about playing actively and Mom’s about separation between self and game are great and I completely agree.

I think Mom's completely correct that troubles ought to be sorted through the GM and discussed outside of the game thread: I think part of creating a healthy game environment is having a space that is, essentially, purely fiction--i.e., the mafia game thread is only a game, anything said there should not be personal or taken as personal, everyone is performing a character and role because it's a social deduction game built on the conceit of deceit, etc. etc.

Naturally, if anyone feels that lines are ever being crossed, that's important to mention to the GM. But strictly keeping the game space a play space is best for everyone--and not that I would expect anyone to fib, but it also means no-one's going to be tempted to play up an issue when stuck in a tight corner as a distraction tactic, which sometimes can happen in high tension games like these. 

On a different but related note, I think eventually some discussion around the expectations of a social deduction game might also be worthwhile? Sort of a caveat of what kind/intensity of close analysis is considered acceptable, and what's just harping on, you know? I don't necessarily think that's an etiquette issue only--it's sort of a mechanics one too--but it's maybe worth talking through at some point, since this game is about discovery through textual clues in each other's writing and, for some, that might be a sensitive topic. 

While we're still on the topic of things getting personal, I personally find tearjerk excuses to be dirtier than harsh language. Shit like "sorry, I couldn't be on thread yesterday because I was dealing with personal issues" need to go to the GM, not on the game thread. In my opinion, the moment you put something, anything on thread, it is fair subject to scrutiny. If you don't want people to think you're maf faking, take it to the GM and have them confirm it on thread. It should go without saying that you Do Not Lie To Your GM.

Speaking of GMs, I was gonna say a whole thing about GM etiquette when I noticed the question narrows the thread title down. Another time.

Just bouncing off what Steex said but additionally: the same as absence. Fake claims of being absent is sort of the lowest, most evasive form of playing, and if there's an expectation for daily activity, I think it should be included that significant absences--at least, the kind you could try to use for cover in the game--should be GM-verified.

Hard agree about active players needing to be active. It causes a lot of problems when people are allowed to be inactive for days at a time.

Oh boy this is a good discussion. I think mainly there are a few things:

1) Comment vs personal insult (Remember it’s a game!)

Like, there’s a differed between ‘I don’t like how you seem to be sheeping popular opinions’ and ‘your sheepy playstyle is **** and hurting town’. I think it’s good to remember that there’s a person with feelings behind the screen, try not to go too personal/insulting on them? Also if you have some negative veiws about someone, at least try to give some Improvemet ideas if the person comes asking.
((For example, I have this little pet peeve where I don’t like it when ppl try to pick irl/personal things as a scumhunting point. The game stays in the game, try not to say bc XXX has been busy irl, they must be mafia slipping under radar!1!1 or sth like that)

Also, what happens in the game stays in the game. That doesn’t limit to being rude only. Sometimes drama breaks out in game, i’ve Seen ppl over react to it and..it didn’t go well. I think like, every mafia player before playing, should always always be taught/know that it’s just a game

I really like the tell the GM if too aggro idea though. Definitely applicable and helpful.

2) Inactivity

I also like the inactivity rule above. Maybe if players doesn’t reach post requirement, they have say, one night phase to pm the GM and make it up? Otherwise they get kicked. I do agree inactivity has been a bit of a problem since first game (Borris lol)

3) Deleting posts

It hasn’t really been an issue yet, but i’mm afraid if we ever get back to playing on Dv site more ppl will join these games, deleting posts can be....an easy exploit. I’ve seen games on other sites ruined bc some lynched player was a bit too angry at being lynched. Or a mafia trying to troll everyone. It’s so easy to just delete one’s mistake/ slip up by deleting a post, so it’ll seem as it it never existed?

Not a major problem, but I just someone I observed before and praying it wouldn’t happen here.

Re: Deleting posts. I feel like that would be an instant kick from the game, and possible ban from future games. No one should /ever/ delete posts. Editing is already done very strictly (having to clearly state what you edited in/out) that deleting posts simply won't fly. You double posted by accident? Edit the second post to convey such. You said something you shouldn't have? Next time be more careful. Deleting posts simply isn't a good thing to get into, as it can cause a slew of confusion and unfair deception.

Also re Samson's what's an exceptable amount of analysis: Everyone has different playstyles, so this is a bit hard to define. I, for example, prefer to only give input when it's needed/insightful, while others prefer to post whenever an idea pops into their head. Neither playstyle is bad or lesser, but they are markedly different. I feel that the best gauge is effort, which is often very easy to see and judge. A vanilla townie has little to contribute as far as info, but if they make an effort to give input on other people's info, even if that input isn't exceedingly insightful, then things are ok. But on the other hand, if you have someone that just sort of goes with the flow, never says anything that hasn't already been said before, ect, that's a problem. Because that person isn't really contributing, and can be viewed as dead weight. Therefore, people should always try to dig deep and attempt to add to discussion, whether it's through providing analysis, new information, sharing susses, even just throwing out questions for other players to speculate upon.
Basically a player should always be trying to work towards their goal. They should never just be parroting others and posting a single sentence about their night and think that's a good enough effort.