Post #28927
February 08, 2015, 09:32:16 PM
Hey there everyone. So in each game, different hosts will have their own set of rules for Werewolf, but the rules they post up don't reflect every single rule of Werewolf that actually exists.
There's a few unwritten rules to the game meant to preserve the integrity of the game as well, keeping things fair for both sides and making sure that players can thoroughly enjoy the game. These haven't been put up before, but the most recent game in XKI has prompted me to want to put these up for people to see.
1. The host's beginning PM to the players is strictly off limits, period. This includes the chat PMs for the various groups (seer's group, werewolf group, defender group)
That PM you get before the game starts that tells you your roles? Yeah, that's strictly for you and you alone. Normally this had just meant that you couldn't screenshot that PM and show it in the game thread to show people that you're being truthful about your role (since it's an unfair edge and game breaking mechanic and destroys that "burden" of proof). But the recent XKI Werewolf game pretty much has made me want to say that it extends to anything related to that PM. Meaning while you can't use it to prove your innocence, other players can't use it against you to prove that you're a bad guy in any shape or form. The game should be kept at a fair playing field, meaning that anything you use against a player should be from the game itself or anything they exhibit towards you. This includes the group PMs as well: Quotes from the group threads such as the Seer's group and Werewolf group are kept within the PM itself.
2. Use of chat and non-host created PMs is allowed at your own risk.
Even if hosts establish a "No rogue PM" rule, you're still within your rights to do it since they won't know that you're doing it unless the PM is posted for everyone to see. That rule just means that if you DO do it and get caught, everyone will face a penalty in some form.
Use of the chatroom to talk about the game is fine in the same capacity is fine too. Why would either of these be alright? Because it falls down to the burden of proof part of the game: A player can talk about Werewolf in the chat or a PM to someone, but the other player has to take everything they say with a grain of salt, because the player talking could be attempting to lead them on knowing full well they're one of the bad guys. Chatroom quotes could be brought into the game to use against a player, as well as PM quotes. But as these were things that the player themselves freely/openly said at their own risk, use of those statements against them is perfectly alright.
3. Keep quotes intact, it helps keep the integrity of the game intact.
As mentioned, using quotes against a player is perfectly alright since they themselves said the things they did. Manipulating quotes and changing the words to falsely implicate a person is a different story. Keep it fair, and win the game honestly. It isn't fair to manipulate a person's quoted text to say something that you know they're not going to be able to defend against. While this rule has never been outwardly stated before, it's something I've never seen happen in a game of Werewolf before, because I believe players unanimously agree that this is a tactic that should never be seen in the game. It damages the integrity of the game when someone feels like they have to resort to doing something of this nature.
These are the main three that I can think of at the moment. I'm sure there are more out there, and they'll be added if I come across them.