(December) Forum Mafia 2023: Year in Review
Mar 5, 2024 22:20:08 GMT
Snaq ◢ ◤, Prodigu, and 1 more like this
Post by ForgotToFlush on Mar 5, 2024 22:20:08 GMT
Forum Mafia 2023: Year in Review
By ForgotToFlush
2023 has come to a close, so it's only fitting that we go through all of the great games we've had on the forum. 2023 has proved to be a strong year for forums, with a resurgence in activity taking the community to new heights. There's a lot to cover, so without further ado:
Beginning of the Year
The year kicked off with Espionage (x) by Snaq ◢ ◤ . This was a brand new Social Game setup, showing off a great concept with a lot of promise for the future.
Otherwise, the forums weren't at the best place at the start of 2023. With no queue of any sort, iavh saw the opportunity and took it, running a modest Eyes Game for his first host (x). This game wasn't particularly notable, but it showed that the spark was still alive and the community still appreciated forum games.
These early showings of renewed interest coincided with the upcoming Championships season, so the next move seemed logical: a Scouting Game (x). The added incentive of potentially representing the community at the highest level created a fiercely competitive and fervently active game. The result? A game that'll be remembered for the years to come.
With the community suddenly invigorated, where do we go from here? Well, a trio of smaller, more casual games to keep activity going with the hopes of delivering something big after:
- First, Fire and Ice (x) by Fenrir . A bit on the slower side, but features several notable debuts of future regular players.
- The Ex-Staff Popcorn Game (x), hosted by yours truly. Somehow a popcorn game of all things became incredibly active, but it should have been expected with the all-star lineup of players.
- and Snaq ◢ ◤ 's Snaq's Idea. Screwy Idea shenanigans inbound.
Three great games which perfectly lead into....
Summer Circuit
Yes the aforementioned "something big": the Summer Circuit! For those unfamiliar, the Summer Circuit is the biggest event the forums have to offer. They're a series of games that are scored via points, and the cumulative leader at the end of the event is announced the winner. So let's see how this one panned out:
To fire everything off, we had mymemoryisbad hosting Knight's Errant (x). A strong early showing for the Circuit, with great activity and gameplay alike. Clouds earned the MVP honours while leading town to victory.
Right after came the year's second and last Social Game, Mafia Colosseum (x) by spiderz . Like Espionage, this was also unorthodox compared to previously hosted Social Games, as it played out like a stripped down game of EiMM. The eventual victors were holocryptid, MyanMario, and MVP Edjeanerations.
After that we had another NOC with micromorphic bringing back Traitor vs Trackers (x). MyanMario was undeniable here, leading the Mafia to victory while collecting MVP honours.
Snaq ◢ ◤ followed up with yet another experimental setup, the OC CS Nordkapp (x). This game was fully nightless, with actions all resolving within day phases. Additionally, votes were secretly submitted and tallied, adding an entirely new dimension of strategy. Clouds collected another MVP here, for exceptional organization for Town amidst the fog of the setup.
The final event of the Summer Circuit was another returning classic: Countdown 5 (x). This game is incredibly notable for the night actions, as seven whole players managed to die on night one. This unprecedented massacre blasted the door wide open for a Mafia win, where Clouds grabbed his third MVP and the crown of overall Summer Circuit 2023 winner.
Wrapping Up the Year
The Summer Circuit created a ton of hype and momentum for the forums, and the community refused to let any of that die as we closed out the year. We followed up this enthusiasm with the Ex-Staff Trials Game (x), the sequel to the Popcorn game that ended up being even more active! This turned out to be a grueling test of endurance, with some of the room's best players locked in a brutal struggle to win.
To give everyone time to relax, we followed up with the Mentor Game (x), where less experienced players were able to play in a low pressure environment while receiving coaching and advice from more experienced players, including some from outside of the community.
Then came Tropicana 17 (x), a new fruit themed OC role madness setup. This game marked the arrival of Fame, who went on a crazy tear to lead the Cranberry Mafia to victory, by being innovative with mechanics and manipulating town and deepwolfing all the way through.
The final 3 games of the year were gigantic in terms of activity:
First, Classic (x) by Alexander489 , where the werewolf slaughtered 3/4 of the Mafia team to take the game home.
Then, perhaps the game of the year, Mafia Advent (x) by Alexander489 and Snaq ◢ ◤ . This was the first event game on the forums, where the winners and MVP would receive new profile awards. The added bonus proved to be great motivation, as it ended up passing by Countdown 4 to become to most active game ever on the site. This game was also notable for the career performance by frogo, who put the entire Mafia team on his back and won in F4.
And finally, Broadway Mafia CS (x) by Fenrir , where we got a clinical town performance to end the year. Despite the multiple large games preceding it, this one held its own and proved to be quite active in the end.
Takeaways
The year ended with 5 total Town wins and a staggering 9 Scum wins. It's up to the community to try and cut into that disparity for 2024. Otherwise, we've had a great mix of game types throughout the year, between NOC, OC and Social, as well as OS, CS, experimental, orthodox, so on, so forth. Hopefully we can continue to create new and exciting gameplay experiences for the new year. If you're interested in being a part of this, then feel free to suggest a proposal and get on the host queue!
With the introduction of Event games, the strong activity, and the overall resurgence of community interest in forums, I hope you're all as excited as I am for what's next.
By ForgotToFlush
2023 has come to a close, so it's only fitting that we go through all of the great games we've had on the forum. 2023 has proved to be a strong year for forums, with a resurgence in activity taking the community to new heights. There's a lot to cover, so without further ado:
Beginning of the Year
The year kicked off with Espionage (x) by Snaq ◢ ◤ . This was a brand new Social Game setup, showing off a great concept with a lot of promise for the future.
Otherwise, the forums weren't at the best place at the start of 2023. With no queue of any sort, iavh saw the opportunity and took it, running a modest Eyes Game for his first host (x). This game wasn't particularly notable, but it showed that the spark was still alive and the community still appreciated forum games.
These early showings of renewed interest coincided with the upcoming Championships season, so the next move seemed logical: a Scouting Game (x). The added incentive of potentially representing the community at the highest level created a fiercely competitive and fervently active game. The result? A game that'll be remembered for the years to come.
With the community suddenly invigorated, where do we go from here? Well, a trio of smaller, more casual games to keep activity going with the hopes of delivering something big after:
- First, Fire and Ice (x) by Fenrir . A bit on the slower side, but features several notable debuts of future regular players.
- The Ex-Staff Popcorn Game (x), hosted by yours truly. Somehow a popcorn game of all things became incredibly active, but it should have been expected with the all-star lineup of players.
- and Snaq ◢ ◤ 's Snaq's Idea. Screwy Idea shenanigans inbound.
Three great games which perfectly lead into....
Summer Circuit
Yes the aforementioned "something big": the Summer Circuit! For those unfamiliar, the Summer Circuit is the biggest event the forums have to offer. They're a series of games that are scored via points, and the cumulative leader at the end of the event is announced the winner. So let's see how this one panned out:
To fire everything off, we had mymemoryisbad hosting Knight's Errant (x). A strong early showing for the Circuit, with great activity and gameplay alike. Clouds earned the MVP honours while leading town to victory.
Right after came the year's second and last Social Game, Mafia Colosseum (x) by spiderz . Like Espionage, this was also unorthodox compared to previously hosted Social Games, as it played out like a stripped down game of EiMM. The eventual victors were holocryptid, MyanMario, and MVP Edjeanerations.
After that we had another NOC with micromorphic bringing back Traitor vs Trackers (x). MyanMario was undeniable here, leading the Mafia to victory while collecting MVP honours.
Snaq ◢ ◤ followed up with yet another experimental setup, the OC CS Nordkapp (x). This game was fully nightless, with actions all resolving within day phases. Additionally, votes were secretly submitted and tallied, adding an entirely new dimension of strategy. Clouds collected another MVP here, for exceptional organization for Town amidst the fog of the setup.
The final event of the Summer Circuit was another returning classic: Countdown 5 (x). This game is incredibly notable for the night actions, as seven whole players managed to die on night one. This unprecedented massacre blasted the door wide open for a Mafia win, where Clouds grabbed his third MVP and the crown of overall Summer Circuit 2023 winner.
Wrapping Up the Year
The Summer Circuit created a ton of hype and momentum for the forums, and the community refused to let any of that die as we closed out the year. We followed up this enthusiasm with the Ex-Staff Trials Game (x), the sequel to the Popcorn game that ended up being even more active! This turned out to be a grueling test of endurance, with some of the room's best players locked in a brutal struggle to win.
To give everyone time to relax, we followed up with the Mentor Game (x), where less experienced players were able to play in a low pressure environment while receiving coaching and advice from more experienced players, including some from outside of the community.
Then came Tropicana 17 (x), a new fruit themed OC role madness setup. This game marked the arrival of Fame, who went on a crazy tear to lead the Cranberry Mafia to victory, by being innovative with mechanics and manipulating town and deepwolfing all the way through.
The final 3 games of the year were gigantic in terms of activity:
First, Classic (x) by Alexander489 , where the werewolf slaughtered 3/4 of the Mafia team to take the game home.
Then, perhaps the game of the year, Mafia Advent (x) by Alexander489 and Snaq ◢ ◤ . This was the first event game on the forums, where the winners and MVP would receive new profile awards. The added bonus proved to be great motivation, as it ended up passing by Countdown 4 to become to most active game ever on the site. This game was also notable for the career performance by frogo, who put the entire Mafia team on his back and won in F4.
And finally, Broadway Mafia CS (x) by Fenrir , where we got a clinical town performance to end the year. Despite the multiple large games preceding it, this one held its own and proved to be quite active in the end.
Takeaways
The year ended with 5 total Town wins and a staggering 9 Scum wins. It's up to the community to try and cut into that disparity for 2024. Otherwise, we've had a great mix of game types throughout the year, between NOC, OC and Social, as well as OS, CS, experimental, orthodox, so on, so forth. Hopefully we can continue to create new and exciting gameplay experiences for the new year. If you're interested in being a part of this, then feel free to suggest a proposal and get on the host queue!
With the introduction of Event games, the strong activity, and the overall resurgence of community interest in forums, I hope you're all as excited as I am for what's next.