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[Phalla University] Design/Mechanics, Meta, Theory, and Etiquette
ObiFett
Use the ForceAs You WishRegistered User regular
Use the ForceAs You WishRegistered User regular
Welcome to Phalla University
First and foremost, THIS IS NOT A CHAT THREAD
This is a place to discuss various SPECIFIC aspects of the Critical Failures game of Phalla. If you are unfamiliar with Phalla, here is a description of the game from Dr. Bandwagon, our current Dean of Faculty.
What is Phalla?
Phalla is the Penny-Arcade Forums' version of the party game Mafia.
The Basic Rules
The "village" consists of all players in the game. Included in the village are a small number of bad guys, commonly known as the "mafia". Normally, the mafia members all know one another at the beginning of the game, but nobody else knows anything about anyone other than themselves.
Each day (normally a 24-hour period) the village discusses and publically votes for one person to be executed that night. At the same time, the bad guys choose one person to kill each night and PM the name to the narrator. In larger games, the bad guys might get two kills per night or other abilities to use.
The good side wins if all of the bad guys die. The bad side wins if the number of good guys is less than or equal to the number of bad guys (on the assumption that at that point, they control the vote plus get their kill, so it's inevitable). Large games generally take between a week and two weeks. Small games usually last a week or less.
Usually, there will be one or more "special" roles among the good guys (and occasionally among the bad guys). Exactly who holds each role is only known to that person, and it may not even be known which or how many specials will be in any given game.
Each night, the narrator gives the details of who died, and normally whether they were a bad guy. Some games also include clues or outright statements if someone who died was a good special.
Living players may not communicate regarding the game with dead players and vice versa, unless there is some specific mechanic in place to do so. In that case, communication normally goes through the narrator. If you are dead and the moderator allows a "goodbye" post, make sure it includes absolutely no information about the game, even if you think the information is obvious. If you receive a PM or see a post breaking this rule, notify the person running the game immediately.
You may not use any anonymous method of communication to discuss the game. Forum-based PMs, external IMs, e-mails and other message boards (like proboards) are allowed as long as the person you are talking to knows who you are. You may not use screencaps to "prove" anything to anyone. Do not speak in code.
Along similar lines, don't use the "Add to conversation" feature. Phalla requires a certain amount of uncertainty, and since adding a person to a conversation allows them to see the entire thread, it can serve as a form of verification along the same lines of screen captures. If you wish to communicate something from a PM/conversation to a new player, then start up a new conversation with that individual.
Play nice. It's okay to argue, but don't get too hostile. If it's getting to the point where you're asking other people to quit the game, you're going too far. We're all here to have fun, so take it easy and keep as level a head as possible. Respect others and they'll respect you.
Common Variations
Many larger games contain multiple groups of bad guys working at cross-purposes (a Mafia vs. Werewolves game). Other games may put all players into different factions with each faction’s goal of eliminating a certain subset of the other factions - there may or may not be a common Mafia-style faction that all groups will need to eliminate to achieve victory.
Additional voting or other mechanics can also be used. At least one game has included a council or single person elected every other night who is able to use a power publically. For example, one game had an elected council able to shift the execution vote to the second person. Another had an elected emperor able to choose a person to kill.
In a small game, the typical size for a group of bad guys is 15-20%; the player population, although an individual game may lean toward the high end, particularly if there is only one group of bad guys in a larger game.
Often, everyone gets a "flavor" role in the game. Bad guys and good specials usually get a normal "villager" role in addition to their special role. This keeps people from using their initial PM to verify someone else's role. The two most common ways to do this are to (a) use the exact same message to everyone, or (b) give everyone a unique villager role.
Special Roles
Roles will have different names depending on the theme of the game. Listed below are the usual "generic" terms for each role. Normally, specials exercise their power by communicating with the narrator via PM. The core roles present in some form in most games are:
- Seer - once per night can "investigate" a particular person and find out from the narrator if they are a bad guy. Variations of seers may be able to determine a good special as well, although they may be unable to distinguish them from a bad guy.
- Vigilante - once per night can kill a person of their choosing.
- Guardian - once per night can protect someone from any death other than execution by the village. Whether they can protect against multiple attacks on one person in the same night is up to the narrator.
- Masons - a group of two or three good guys who start the game knowing each other and knowing that they are all good.
There are many, many other roles that can be present. The following is a list of some of them:
- Miller - a villager who appears to be evil when seered. A Death Miller appears to be evil when seered or upon death.
- Thrall - an evil person who appears to be good when seered. Sometimes revealed to be evil upon death.
- Bus Driver - once per night chooses two targets. Any powers targeting one instead targets the other, and vice versa.
- Role Blocker - once per night chooses a target. The powers of that person do not work for the night.
- Tracker - once per night may "investigate" someone. Unlike the seer, only finds out if their target used a power that night. Some variations finds out if their target was targeted by someone else, or who their target targeted.
- Spy - in a game with multiple groups, is a member of two groups. Usually he is really only aligned with one of the groups.
- Messenger - allowed to send messages to the narrator, which will then be relayed to a single person or during the narration.
- Jester (Village Idiot)- wins if he is voted out, but loses if he dies for any other reason or if he survives to the end. Rarely used.
- Survivor - wins if he survives until the end. Usually paired with some other power to make survival easier. Roles which require the player to survive until the end are usually called "neutral."
- Serial Killer - basically an evil group with one person in it. The SK has a nightly kill and has to kill every single other person, or every other person but one. Often has other powers to make survival easier.
- Conditional Invincibility (Athan) - a (usually evil) person who is invincible until something happens. The role Athan from the Phalliad is the best known example.
- Vote Manipulator - a person whose vote counts more than once, less than once, or who affects the vote in some way.
- Reverse Seer (Befriender, Child) - chooses a target once per night. The person chosen discovers which side the reverse seer is on.
- Paranoid, Naive, or Insane Seer - a paranoid seer always seers targets as being on the other side. A naive seer always seers targets as being on their side. An insane seer always seers good targets as bad and bad targets as good.
- Converter - chooses someone to convert to their side.
Phalla University offers two types of learning: FACTS/HISTORY/CONCRETE DATA found in Chapters/Books and OPINIONS/IDEAS/THOUGHTS found in Classes/Majors. Our school is open enrollment and open faculty, meaning when contributing to our university you can perform the following actions:
REQUEST INFORMATION: If you want information on a topic, post a topic title in the appropriate color the type of information you are looking for (limegreen for facts/history/concrete data and/or dodgerblue for opinion/ideas/thoughts). Give a brief description of what you are looking for in the chapter/class. A new book/major will then be created in the appropriate Library/School and other people will then, hopefully, contribute and give you the information you need. Please use the following form when requesting information:
REQUEST FORM wrote:Type(s) of Information Needed (Choose one or more): Facts | Historical | Concrete Data | Opinions | Ideas | Thoughts
Suggested Title of the Book/Major (will be used if an original request):
Description of the Information Requested:
CONTRIBUTE INFORMATION: If you want to contribute information on a topic. You can either contribute to currently requested topics, marked in bold red if content is needed, add to already created topics, OR you can submit your own REQUEST INFORMATION form and then contribute information to that same topic. Submitted information will be assigned to the book or major for which it was submitted. A link to your post containing the information will then be listed under the appropriate section in the library/school listing. Please use the following form when contributing information:
CONTRIBUTION FORM wrote:What are you contributing to? (choose one): Book | Major
Title of Book/Major to which you are contributing:
Suggested Title of your Chapter/Class:
Content:
The Libraries are where the more factual, historical and concrete data is found and where all books (made up of chapters) will be listed.
Our Schools are where people can find opinions, ideas, and thoughts are taught and are organized into classes that make up majors.
Both Libraries and Schools are broken up into FOUR main categories. They are listed below.
TOPICS
DESIGN and MECHANICS
Because we play this crazy game on a forum, there is a much larger design space when setting up games. Inherently there are PMs, private boards, the ability to get a record of everything everyone has ever said in the game (including votes), and anything else that makes our version of the game different than the standard "sit in one room and talk" mafia party game.
In addition to those basic twists on the game, hosts also have the ability to add any number of mechanics that can only be done on forums. Statblocks, maps, evolutions, detailed starship zombie survival horror, and much much more have been done on this forum. Literally anything you can think up can be done. Imagination is clearly not a problem within our community. The problem is balancing these mechanics in such a way that the game is fun to play for all factions/villagers/mafia/neutrals. If one side is too powerful (either perceived or in actuality) then the other side becomes frustrated. Use this thread to discuss mechanics and design that have worked, need work, or need help working.
META
The phalla community ebbs and flows causing the general feeling and perceptions towards the game to shift constantly. Even the population itself shrinks and grows like the breath of a living being. As such, hosts and players need to keep one hand on the pulse of the community. Some players love vanilla games, others will only play battle games. Some players get burnt out due to games requiring too much time, while others leave due to individual players. Use this thread to discuss current trends in players/hosts/games and what you like or dislike about them.
THEORY
Phalla Theory is usually described as the theories and practices behind actually playing the game. Questions like, "If I seer a mafia on the first day, what should I do?", "Should I listen to that outed mafia?", and "Should the village hold their fire in a HP game in order to draw the game out and give them more time to find the mafia?" fall directly under Phalla Theory. Discussions about specific players do not fit into this category. Think general situations and how villagers and mafia should act in those situations. Use this thread to discuss optimal plays and to question situational choices in phalla.
ETIQUETTE
Another thing that goes with playing on a forum, especially on Penny Arcade, is that there is a level of general and specific etiquette that goes along with playing in our little community. General etiquette includes guidelines such as "Don't be a goose", "Remember its a game", and "No seriously, don't be a goose." While more specific etiquette includes guidelines such as "Don't awesome or agree posts after you die", "Thank the host for taking the time to run the game", and "Thank the players for dealing with your hosting mistakes". Use this thread to discuss phalla etiquette and things you wish players did more often or less.
____________________________________________________
Help me fill out the Libraries and Schools list listed below.
ObiFett on
+7
Posts
Library of Design and Mechanics
Kill Balancing: 1 Chapter
Chapters:
Faction Phalla Design: EMPTY
Chapters: NEEDS CONTENT/AUTHORS
Meta Library
Inside Joke Retrospective: EMPTY
Chapters: NEEDS CONTENT/AUTHORS
Library of Theory
To Vig or Not To Vig?: EMPTY
Chapters:NEEDS CONTENT/AUTHORS
Etiquette Library
Book Title:
Chapters:
Design and Mechanics Engineering
- Game Duration: 1 Class
Classes:
- Non-Standard Phalla Types: EMPTY
Classes:NEEDS CONTENT/TEACHERS
Meta Sociology
- Viewpoints on Classic Roles: 1 Class
Classes:
Phalla Theory and Philosophy
- Village Studies: 2 Classes
Classes:
The Basics of Being Special by @CesareB
-Mafia Studies: 1 Class
Classes:
Etiquette and Community Health
- Major:
Classes:
Does it need to be? It has clearly defined goals and is a place to discuss the creation, design, etc. of a game found primarily in Critical Failures.
I'll go ask if you think I should.
Just sent Echo a PM. Here's to hoping I don't die. I really didn't think this would be that big of a deal considering the tight constraints I have on the thread.
I think its been almost a week, I've been advised to give him at least one more before I bug him again.
REBUFFED, I tells ya!
Hope this lives.
PS - I miss Dani...
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
My inclination is to just start using the thread as intended. We've made a sincere, good faith effort to get mod approval and have had no response; it'd be one thing if we'd been denied, but we're simply trying to create a useful thread with well-defined limits and haven't heard anything at all. As long as we aggressively self-moderate I don't see any issues arising.
That said, this isn't my decision to make unilaterally. What say you?
It's best to wait.
3DS: 1289-8447-4695
That being said, I would still prefer to wait for mod approval because I really want this idea to work and would hate for it to get shut down prematurely because we couldn't be a little patient.
Switch Friend Code: SW-1406-1275-7906
I got tired of sending the same stuff to him so I started getting... creative:
Day 41
Another day of successful phalla. I got killed in multiple games and people are starting to forget the debacle of the last phalla I ran. The community has gotten weaker as evidenced by the lack of signups in Munkus Beaver's current main. I fear the community is shrinking.
Echo still hasn't responded to any of my requests. Part of me wonders if the mods read my requests in their secret forum and laugh at my vain attempts to secure approval. The other part of me holds out hope that I will live to see Phalla University launched in all its splendor and glory.
I am heading out to search for new mechanics and will be cultivating my writing field in hopes it produces narration for the coming winter of phalla. When I return, like always, I will check my inbox in hopes that the infamous Echo will has responded. I will never lose hope.
-ObiFett
and
Day 48
There was a lull. Signups trickled in for a single main and no games were being played in the meantime. For a moment the world paused and everything was forgotten. It was nice for a bit. No deceptions, no deaths. Just peace. Happiness. Emptiness.
And then in quick succession Munkus started his game and signups for a mini went up. It all came rushing back and the games started anew. Back to the deceptions. Back to the lying. Back to backstabbing.
Back to remembering
Remembering that it had been almost two months since I sent the initial request to Echo. I still hold out hope that he will tell me to finally open Phalla University's doors to the public, burn it to the ground, or at least give me a list of things to change so it can be opened at some point.
I still haven't lost hope that he will respond. My faith remains unshaken.
Back to phalla.
-ObiFett
Are just some examples
If you think (like myself and Obi) that Phalla University is a worthwhile endeavor, take a moment and send a message to Echo. Knowing that there's general and broad interest in this makes it much more likely to be approved.
You should spam Tube!
(Don't do this.)
Is there perhaps another mod that could could CC a message to along with echo, Obi? Not to go over his head or anything, but just that he may be too busy to give this the consideration it needs or whatnot
Edit: also apparently he's the only CF mod so this may not be a real option
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
Specifically, Phalla has pretty strict limits as to the number of threads/games we can have going at once, and this could be seen as breaking that. Even old games that had a lot of post-game chatter have occasionally been warned that they were going to be closed because it was breaking the limit.
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
I told you, Obi. I told you about mods.
You don't know how things work around these here parts.
Just as in the days of old, the people of Israel were tested in the wilderness, so have the Phalla players been sent into a land of silence from The Mod Of (Phalla) Hosts! Thus sayeth the Lord thy Mod:
I have seen your suffering, your patience. Be still but a bit longer, hold fast to my laws as they have been handed down to you. Verily, then will I open up the houses of blessing, and pour out such a measure unto you as you will not be able to contain.
Then shall I lock the thread -- but gently, and without snark, for you have prostrated yourselves in obedience to me.
And all Mod's people said... kime.
I still hold out hope that they are either:
1) REALLY REALLY busy
2) Their discussions are more Entmoot-like.
See Of Dice and [Chat]
Echo,
Its been over two months. Any word yet on the approval status of Phalla University?
ObiFettObiFett April 10
Hey Echo!
Just dropping in to remind you and hopefully get a response to the approval or disapproval of the Phalla University thread. Is there anything I can do to speed up the process?
Thanks,
Obi
ObiFettObiFett April 17
Hey Echo,
Just another friendly reminder that I'm still waiting on a response to that thread I've linked a couple times in this PM chain. Please let me know if its approved or not and if its not approved what I can do to fix it, if possible.
Thanks again,
Obi
ObiFettObiFett April 22
Sup Echo,
Just got finished watching Game of Thrones and for some reason it reminded me that I hadn't sent you a reminder PM this week. Again, if you could please let me know if the thread is approved or not and/or what I could do to help it get approved, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks again,
Obi
ObiFettObiFett April 30
Echo
Will you please look at the thread I have been waiting for you to approve and let me know if its approved?
please?
Obi
ObiFettObiFett 1:35PM
Echo
I know you are busy, so this is just your weekly reminder. I'm hoping you have time this week to look at the thread in Critical Failures that I posted and approve it (or tell me what is wrong with it that can get it approved). Please respond as soon as your time permits.
Thanks in advance
Obi
If anyone else has more experience offering up pleas to mods that were successful, will you send me a PM explaining to me what you think I should and shouldn't say to Echo to actually produce some results?
I think it would look nice at the top of the OP. Send me any creations in PM and I will add the best one to the OP.
The content is just for Obi's sanity I think :P
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
and the rate is just to make sure he doesn't forget.
If he was going to deny my request for approval, would he just ignore me? Is this the way mod's deny approval?
Switch Friend Code: SW-1406-1275-7906
I wasn't saying you were saying that. I was just asking a question because you seem knowledgeable about this.
Nintendo ID: Pastalonius
Smite\LoL:Gremlidin \ WoW & Overwatch & Hots: Gremlidin#1734
3ds: 3282-2248-0453