The Werewolf Game: Basic Guide and Official Rules

[BlackDragonSlayer]

In response to Bird:
1: Within reason; if it's just a few days, I think it should be allowed, but if it's a few weeks...?

2: It should be up to the host to decide. As TWG Link stated in one of his recent posts, though, screenshots aren't exactly the best evidence if you can easily edit them!!! It depends on the situation (e.g. in manhunts, screenshots sometimes don't prove much).

3: Again, it depends on the situation.

[MaestroUGC]

1. I think a game should start within 5 days of any ongoing game's completion. Since there's no consistency between game length, especially with the end-game, a number of variables can extend the game "expected" end date.

2. I think screenshots are valuable pieces of evidence, however not every player will know how (for lack of a Google search) to edit photos, twisting evidence in their favor. It should ultimately be up to the host, since he's the one who controls the flow of the game and will have their own ideas of what counts as "cheating" for their given game. Maybe pics should be screened before being allowed to be posted, but this would only work for hosts who are literally online all the time, constantly checking their inbox.

3. Phase extensions are never beneficial to the wolves, because a wolf would never have a need for longer day phases, since that's when they're most at risk of dying. Night phase extensions just aren't a thing, so they're not an issue. Usually whenever a Host suggest a phase extension (or just outright does it) it's because they won't be available to end the phase in a timely fashion. Players should never have a reason to ask for phase extensions, barring extreme cases where most of the players will not be able to play for X amount of time. Asking for phase extensions is rather unfair to the wolves as it not only gives the humans a free pass for not being active enough to get things done within 48 hours, but it also throws off the timing and rhythm of the game. Phase extensions should only be allowed whenever a large amount of the players will be inactive for a large portion of the phase. Otherwise play should continue as normal.

If a Host knows he's going to miss a phase update then he should alert players of the change in Update time, but not change the phase Ending time. This way players aren't left in the lurch with no idea as to what's going on, and effectively bringing the game to a halt.

[Yugi]

3. Maybe make a cost to the phase extension? Like making the night phase longer as well?

[MaestroUGC]

3. Maybe make a cost to the phase extension? Like making the night phase longer as well?

Extending the night phase isn't really useful, since the only things that happen are wolfings/guardings/etc. And most of that is dealt within the first half of the phase, with little to no action in the thread. In the end it'd just serve to make the game longer for no reason.

There are some games where this might be a good compromise if there is heavy night activity, but games like these are far from the norm.

[davy]

1. There should definately be rules for it, so that potential hosts know what to expect. I think the maximum amount of time a game should have to fill up is two weeks.

2. Technical skills are already part of TWG, because you have an advantage if you know how to use the BCC, private chat or who's online. Of course, screenshot editing is of a different level, but I don't think it should be forbidden unless the host says it in player sign-ups.

3. I disagree that phase extensions only benefit humans. In TWG XL I asked a phase extension so that I could discuss things with my alliance and my infiltrated alliance. In other games I was also troubled by the 24 hours night phase as a wolf. Okay, that could just be because I live in a different time zone, but I think due to the quite high number of non-American TWG players, that should be excuse enough why nightly phase extensions would be quite benificial for the wolves. Day extensions on the other hand, probably don't benefit the wolves at all (or at least, I can't think of an example). However, day extensions are usually requested when humans have no clue at all and that it would benefit the game if the extension is granted. I think that in such cases, having a fun game should be more important than wanting to give no advantages to a team, not in the last place because the game might be unballanced. I think it should be the hosts decision if he wants to grant the phase extension or not.

4. Something I want to bring up myself is changing the defenition of manhunts or at least add menhunts in the Other Mechanics and Vocabulary section. The purpose of that section should be that players that are new to TWG understeand the terms used by the players. If the term does not match the explanation in the Other Mechanics and Vocabulary section, it will only become more confusing for them.

[Yugi]

4. Something I want to bring up myself is changing the defenition of manhunts or at least add menhunts in the Other Mechanics and Vocabulary section. The purpose of that section should be that players that are new to TWG understeand the terms used by the players. If the term does not match the explanation in the Other Mechanics and Vocabulary section, it will only become more confusing for them.

[Toby]

1. If a host is going to be busy then he/she should have waited till the next host signups. A week should be the maximum time.

2. Just ban screenshots. They can be used to prove you were part of the human alliance and they can used to prove your role too.

3. As Davy said phase extentions can help wolves too. What if you're a wolf and getting lynched randomly in the last hour of the game, so you fake claim this powerful role but not man people will see your claim because there is only an hour left?
Same would go with humans in the same sinario but with obvious changes.
Despite that, I'd say no to phase extentions unless a wolf and 1/3 of humans asked for one. (Wolf being through pm of course).

[Yugi]

But there are rules against screenshoting your Role PM?

[Toby]

Yeah but say I was alliance leader and you claimed to me seer and no one else claimed seer. If you died and wanted to take over from me you could screenshot our whole conversation with me saying, "could you seer [username]" or with you saying "yeah, okay, I'll seer [username].

[Bird]

1. Yeah, I think a rule is necessary, just so we don't have to arbitrate things on a case-by-case basis (which could make somebody mad if they feel they're being treated unfairly). And I think the simplest rule we could put in place would be the one Maestro suggested (start within 5 days of the last game ending). I can't see any major problems with it, and five days is plenty of time for a host to fill his game, especially since he'll probably have much more than that as the sign-ups go up before the previous game ended a lot of the time.

2. I used to be kind of in favor of screenshots, but I've been changing my mind recently. verm challenged me to name an instance where screenshots would add value to the game, and I couldn't really think of anything! @Yugi: Yeah, but this new rule would eliminate other sorts of screenshots. @Davy: The difference between screenshot forgeries and things like BCC and who's online is that we can't stop people from using those features. Maybe it should fall to the host, but I think it might be best if the default were changed to "no screenshots at all."

3. I honestly don't think any changes need to be implemented regarding the phase extensions, I just wanted to call attention to the problems of trying to determine whether one should be implemented by asking the players. Since most of the players will say yes. Besides, phase extensions really annoy me!

4. I think this is a good idea. I'll add it in a few minutes.

[vermilionvermin]

1.  5 days after the end of the last game sounds fine so long as there's something provided in the rule if the host isn't selected until after the previous game ends.

2.  I'm against screenshots.  They seem really abusable.  Examples of this include:
      a.  Telling people to screenshot their PM inbox immediately to prove they haven't been having wolf conversations.  This means that wolves have to delete all their PM's automatically (which detracts from the game) or not join chats (also detracts from the game).
      b.  Telling people to screenshot or post a picture of anything they've been doing that isn't TWG-related.
      c.  Telling people to screenshot chatlogs in order to prove they haven't been edited.  (Only works for people who have chat clients that automatically save chats, but it still hurts the game).
      d.  People screenshotting a claim PM they sent to prove they sent it.

And much more I couldn't think of off the top of my head.  All of the above examples take TWG away from what it's all about--deceit and discussion.  Wolves should absolutely be able to lie about any part of their game should they choose to.  It's impossible to forge screenshots given a small timeframe, so even if you allow forgeries, there are going to be situations in which the screenshots are indisputable evidence.  And do you really want to play a game where you look at screenshots to find inconsistencies in them?  tl;dr:  Screenshots allow for ticky-tack ways for humans to find wolves and prevent people from actually playing the game.  It's like Who's Online Stalking but with pictures.

3.  I think phase extensions should be used sparingly.  If it's during a widely-recognized holiday, there absolutely should be a phase extension.  Inactivity isn't a good reason to extend the phase.  If the host sets a phase end time, the phase should end then, and anything that occurs after then shouldn't be counted.  The game should not be affected at all by the host's ability to update on time.

[Bird]

Another change we need to discuss is the punishment for editing a post. With phantoms changed, we don't have a small penalty anymore for editing posts. I think we should have a 3-strikes system, where the first two edits are warnings (which we'll have to keep track of (ugh)) and the final one as well as any infraction after that being a 3-game ban. 3 games sounds kind of harsh, but single game ban isn't really a punishment, since they may have wanted to sit out of the next game anyway!

[Toby]

Hmm. Also maybe make it if you are going to edit a post you have to screenshot the original and send it to the host?

[Bird]

Actually that reminds me... There's a bunch of stuff I want to talk about when it comes to editing posts!

• Should post editing be allowed at night?
• Should post editing be allowed if, like Toby said, a screenshot of the PM is sent to the host?
• Should a host allow post editing if somebody requests to edit a typo/revealed information out of their post?

Man, so many rules to make and discuss. It's a bureaucratic wonderland!!!

[MaestroUGC]

No edits, period, even if it is to fix a typo.

People would abuse the power and there's no way to guarantee that people would screen-shot their posts before editing.

If a player makes a mistake they have to deal with it, it's all part of the game.