This thread serves to facilitate signups for both players and moderators of
Mini Theme Games
. Mini Theme Games are played in the Coney Island subforum and are moved here once completed. Mini Themes are mafia games with nine to thirteen players that meet at least one of the following criteria to be considered "Themed":
The game is non-Normal via either game mechanics and/or roles.
Flavor is a major component of the game.
The game is experimental in design or has not been reviewed for normalcy.
In order to keep the queue organized, please keep posts relevant to the game queue and refrain from making off-topic posts in this thread. If you have any questions or concerns, you can always contact me via PM or message me on Discord (Lilith#3307).
Up to two games will be available for signups at a time. Any additional games will wait in the queue in the order of moderator signup. Once a game in signups has either been filled or removed from the queue, the next game in the queue will enter signups.
Games may be removed from the queue if any of the following occur:
The game has been in signups for three weeks without filling
The game has been in signups for two weeks and has not filled halfway
The game has been in signups for 72 hours and the game moderator has not confirmed their game slot
The game moderator is banned from mafia games when the game goes into signups or while the game is in signups
The game moderator has abandoned an ongoing game while the game is in signups
Other situations on a case by case basis
If a game is removed from the queue, it can be immediately re-entered at the back of the queue.
Queue updates:
Any games currently in signups will be listed in periodic queue update posts, along with the current playerlists. The most up-to-date queue will always be listed in these update posts. The queue in the post below is not guaranteed to be up to date. You can check the linked post against the most recent page to confirm whether this post is up to date.
By default, there are no requirements for players joining Mini Theme Games. However, game moderators are allowed to specify additional requirements, such as a minimum amount of experience or a minimum number of games played. You can check the game description to confirm whether you are eligible to join the game.
If you're new to mafia, we generally recommend playing a Newbie game first.
Joining games:
Only games that are currently in signups can be joined immediately. To join one of the games currently in signups, you need to post "/in for game name" or "/in for game moderator's name" in this thread. Posting "/in" without specifying a game in some way will be ignored. Posting "/in" from a hydra without also confirming from all main accounts will be ignored.
If a game is not currently in signups, you cannot sign up for it yet, but you are encouraged to PM the moderator to "pre-in" for the game, which reserves a slot for you when it reaches signups.
Game limits:
Each player can be active in a total of only four Mini games (Normal and/or Theme) at a time. Hydras and alt accounts count toward this limit. While it's helpful to keep track of this yourself, the Mini Normal/Theme List Moderators have a list, and we can let you know. If a player dies in an ongoing game, that player is considered released and is free to sign up for another.
Player priority:
Players can directly contact the game moderator before a game goes into signups to request a reserved slot ("pre-in"). Games are allowed to have up to half of its slots, rounded down, reserved for pre-ins. Once the game goes into signups, anyone who reserved a pre-in slot must post in the queue thread to confirm their slot within 72 hours.
All other player slots are first come, first serve. Players who sign up for a game but then decide to change their status to a hydra will be treated as if they /outed a game and then signed back up, even if doing so would bump that player from the game. This is to prevent players from being able to jump the line in a full or nearly full game.
Game moderators can reject signups from players for any reason, referred to as "Wisdom of the Mod" (WOTM). Although player blacklists will not be enforced at a listmod level, players may contact a game moderator if they have issues with other players signing up for a game. It is ultimately up to the game moderator whether they will reject signups from other players based on this information.
Hydra accounts:
A
hydra
is an account that two or more people play from but that is treated as one player slot in the game ("one body, multiple heads").
By default, hydras can enter any game entered in the Mini Theme Queue, and must publicly declare themselves as hydras and reveal the identities of their main accounts when signing up for a game. However, game moderators can choose to change the restrictions on hydras for their game, including:
completely prohibiting hydras
setting a maximum number of hydras allowed in the game
setting a maximum number of hydra heads allowed in the game (either per account or collectively)
allowing hydras to keep the identities of their main accounts hidden from the player list and/or game moderator (note that hydras may still be required to reveal their identities at the game moderator's request later on, i.e. if a rule infraction occurs)
A signup from a hydra isn't complete and valid until it complies with the queue rules and game moderator's rules, including confirming the hydra signup from all main accounts. Please check the game description for any additional requirements listed by the game moderator. Note that you will always be required to declare your account as a hydra and may never join as a hydra masquerading as an individual account, as this violates site rules.
Alt accounts:
Any account other than a player's main account is considered an alternate or
alt
account.
Alts are not required to declare themselves or reveal the identity of their main account when signing up for a game. However, you may be requested to reveal the identity of your main account later on, i.e. if a rule infraction occurs.
Post-game surveys:
Players may be contacted after a Mini Theme game has ended for their feedback regarding the game and the moderator(s). Participation is voluntary, and only summary data will be made available to game moderators. If you wish to opt out of all surveys, please PM me.
To moderate a Mini Theme, you must have successfully moderated one Mini Normal or Open Game. You must also have been active on this site for at least three months and have completed at least one Mafia game.
If joining the moderation queue could cause you to be moderating multiple games at once, you need at least as many games of moderating experience as the number of simultaneous games you might be moderating.
If you have experience moderating offsite games, you may request these games to be considered as equivalent experience. It is up to the Listmod's discretion whether they will qualify.
Backup/co-moderator requirements:
A backup or co-mod will be required for all Mini Theme Games unless it is the only game you are running across all queues. If this is the only game you are running across all queues, a backup/co-mod is strongly recommended but not required. Backup mods/co-mods must also meet the modding requirements for the Mini Theme queue on their own.
Thread access: You must make a moderator private topic in the Private Topics subforum that fully describes your setup and contains the list of roles assigned to players. If you have a backup/co-mod, you should give them access to this and all PTs you make for the game. If you don't have a backup/co-mod, you must give access to the Listmod.
Setup requirements:
Mini Themes can have nine to thirteen players, must be mafia games, and must meet at least one of the following criteria to be considered "Themed":
The game is non-Normal via either game mechanics and/or roles.
Flavor is a major component of the game.
The game is experimental in design or has not been reviewed for normalcy.
Review requirements:
All closed games are required to be reviewed. Review is still strongly recommended for open games, but not required. Game Moderators who wish to utilize the private topic feature in order to facilitate a setup review can contact me to set one up. When advertising, moderators should only cite reviewers who have explicitly approved the final version of the setup.
Queue/game limitations:
Game moderators cannot enter the Mini Theme Queue if they are currently moderating or in a queue to run any closed game with ten or more players. Game moderators must wait until such games are run to completion before they can enter the Mini Theme Queue.
Queue responsibilities:
Players can directly contact the game moderator before a game goes into signups to request a reserved slot ("pre-in"). Games are allowed to have up to half of its slots, rounded down, reserved for pre-ins.
Once a game has entered signups, the game moderator has 72 hours to confirm their game slot and list any pre-ins in the queue thread. It is the game moderator's responsibility to make sure that players with pre-in slots confirm them in time.
Game moderators can reject signups from players for any reason, referred to as "Wisdom of the Mod" (WOTM).
Moderation activity expectations:
Moderators should create their game thread within 72 hours of receiving their playerlist, Coney Island access, and game number, and start the game within 10 days. If they fail to do so, the game will be considered abandoned. Moderators should update their games at least as often as the prod timer for their game, and if they fail to update it after triple the prod timer for their game, I may have someone else take over moderation for the game (and there will be other penalties if this happens.) You should treat moderating a game as a commitment. Note that backup moderators and co-moderators are an excellent way to avoid these scenarios. Backup/co-mods should be prepared to run the game to completion if the game moderator is unable to do so.
Helpful links
:
Upcoming Game Advertisements - A thread where moderators can post advertisements for their games. Backup Mods Wanted! - A thread where moderators can search for backup/co-moderators. Theme Test Market - A thread in Mafia Discussion where moderators can check interest in a particular theme. Setup Review Thread - A thread in Mafia Discussion where moderators can request reviewers to check their games for balance and playability. Replacement Request Thread - A thread for moderators to advertise for needed replacements. Mini Theme Archive (not up to date)
Changes from the previous Mini Theme Queue Thread (some of these items may have already been in effect, but I have chosen to make them more visible):
More specific conditions under which games may be removed from the queue.
Games may be removed from the queue after two weeks if they have not filled halfway.
By default, hydras are allowed in all games in this queue, are required to declare themselves as hydras, and must reveal the identities of their main accounts. Game moderators can modify these requirements up to a point (hydras must always declare themselves as hydras).
If joining the moderation queue could cause a game moderator to be moderating multiple games at once, they need at least as many games of moderating experience as the number of simultaneous games they might be moderating.
Backup mods/co-mods will be required for all Mini Theme Games unless it is the only game that the game moderator is running across all queues.
Mod PTs are required for all Mini Theme Games.
Moderators are required to give their backup/co-mod access to all game-related PTs. If you do not have one, you must give me access.
All closed games are required to be reviewed.
Restrictions on running games concurrently have been changed. Game moderators cannot enter the Mini Theme Queue if they are currently moderating or in a queue to run any other closed game with ten or more players. Game moderators can now run a Mini Theme concurrently with any Open games.
Form for signing up to moderate has been updated to include a question about exceptions to the new rules effective March 1st, 2022, and a question about prod timers.
In post 7, lilith2013 wrote:Thestatusquo's The Neighborhood enters signups. Pre-ins have (expired on 2021-09-25 12:30:00) to confirm their slot in thread.
"1 thing I will give you Dk, I think you are very good at manipulating. I don't mean that in a bad way, I just think you [have] this way with yourself. You know what to say and when to say [it]." ~VFP
"Koba doesn't really have a scumrange/townrange, Koba will kill your pet cat to win a game" ~Pooky
Yes my Lord, but questions are dangerous, for they have answers.
11 heads and counting now, plurality is adaptive. If our experience might help you, click here.
If you wish to speak to one of us, we are Niamh, Rhiannon, Rhea, Aisling, Saoirse, Selene, Aoife, Fírinne, Aurélie, Lyra and Airna.
Soar on wings of retribution and set the world ablaze
"I can't even look at the game anymore.
That evil teddy bear has got everyone twirling by his thumb.
It's like witnessing an slow but unavoidable train crash you can't stop."
-Norwee
"Please refrain from diverting our sleuths out there Pooky."
~Maple
