First off, please actually use the "RBIRL" acronym, I and other mods us CTRL+F and 'RBIRL' to see who is not around, if you want to fill in some info, say 'semi-RBIRL' etc it's fine, just so long as the title of a message about you being gone has RBIRL in the title, otherwise it's going to be hit and miss for me knowing, and I'm guessing a lot of other players view it that way too.

Regarding how RBIRL and inactive players count towards votes, I am going to to utilize the 'suspended count' rule I've discussed in the past and I think used in game 8, where players who aren't talking simply don't count toward the necessary votes for a lynch or other vote during that time. I think since the in-site search engine let's me check 72 and 120 hours for activity that I'll probably use that, obviously when people return from RBIRL or inactive status their vote and their influence on the vote tally for lynch would return. I believe this will relieve much of the pressure to actually modkill people, something I and most mods have had to do at some point and none of us enjoy doing. Though I will add now that I will modkill anyone for protracted absences without advance warning. By it's very nature it is anti-game not to post much.

By the way, for those who didn't catch that, we currently have 18 players, so a lynch to go off a majority must vote for it (barring vote effecting things) but that would be 10 at the moment, since 9 is merely 50%, not 50+1. For our purposes we will refer to this figure from this point on as VNTL = Votes needed to lynch

The VNTL for the remainder of the game is not half plus 1 of surviving players, but half plus one of effective players, that is, all surviving players who are not on prolonged RBIRL or inactive status. This at the moment would be 9, as we have one inactive, RBIRL not kicking in till 72 hours in and being immediately removed on return. This status will automatically reset at dawn, you are not discounted from VNTL five minutes after the sunrise simply because you haven't posted in 72 hours.

As a result of this, players who have voted may lose their vote if they go silent for prolonged periods, I believe this to be fair as the nature of voting is very dynamic and shifting. Their vote will be removed simultaneously to their count in the VNTL, for gameplay purposes. This is not a penalty, merely reflects the need to avoid situations where a very quiet player might be strongly effecting the remainder from lynching, no lynching, etc.

Special exceptions may be made on a case by case basis for those who post RBIRL, and only RBIRL not inactive, obviously in the hypothetical case that a cop investigated someone guilty and votes for them while revealing this to others then has to go RBIRL for five days is not going to get their vote removed, but I find this an unlikely scenario, at least in terms of having a practical effect on gameplay. Where this would most likely hurt would be in say a LyLo (lynch right or lose case) if a townie went inactive, in which case the nominal bad guys (we are speaking generally, not specifically about this game) might suddenly have a majority, in such a case they would have to vote, as I'd not consider the outcome 'inevitable' until after the lynch had occured.

As with previous rulings circa game 8, this ruling goes into effect immediately but is under a 48 hour provisional 'discussion period' in which players are welcome on the board or via NB to challenge it, or suggest alterations, at the end of which time if unaltered it will become the formal ruling.

I will shortly (tonight probably) be posting a few new things under 'general info from Mod' heading, and the 'lunch interlude' will likely appear late tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks -
Isaac, Moderator

PS: Current VNTL is 9, with 17 of 18 active players.