Mafia Wars Game on Facebook

The Art of Social Gameplay in Social Networks

2012-02-06T11:22:00.003+01:00

When it comes to gameplay in social networks such as Facebook games, there is an art that has been forgotten. In order to GET help in your own games, you need to start the circle of good karma.

I have seen numerous players who gladly add themselves to your network, and even though they get help for the boss fights in Crime City or wars in Mafia Wars, they don't return the favor. Some even start a fight with a boss in Crime City, and don't even spend the first bullet (stamina), but expect their friends to do the entire work.

First of all, added bonus - special hardware - is earned by delivering at least 10% of the damage in Crime City. If you do more, some would say it was wasted. That is the wrong attitude, and here's the reason why this is so. If the fight ends (after 2 or 3 days) without a full win even your 10% help is wasted.

So for tougher bosses you need to go all in - and don't waste time adding several bosses to the fight list at the same time. You will only lose everything from that strategy.

But if you want some real fun, and are willing to return the favor you can get a lot of help by being social in your gameplay. Start being succesful today so you won't be considered a leech as some are in online games.

Game Design - Why Change When It Works?

2012-01-24T17:10:00.004+01:00

Today I am going to focus on a general issue which affects both Mafia Wars and Mob Wars players. That subject is Game Design.

Why is it some designers keep changing the design of their games? They have millions of active players who ENJOYED their games as they were - and yet they begin changing the whole appearance of their games?

It has long ago been established that people are annoyed by the changes made to their Facebook profiles. Recently, the so-called Timeline has been a major issue with many Facebook users. You can't go back once you have activated your Timeline.

I would agree changes are good when you fix bugs in your system.

I would also agree changes are good when you increase the speed of your applications.

But when you just make changes for the change itself - that really annoys me.

What is your stand on this?

Thanks beforehand for your feedback

Crime City Collections

2012-01-22T15:54:00.003+01:00

It never ceases to amaze me how collections gathered from laundromats in the Crime City game on Facebook are somewhat identical all the time. Just watch this:

Over 400 sweat pants - and that multi-colored t-shirt is actually the key to trading in the collection. More t-shirts certainly needed to remove this stock of incredible proportions...

Have you had similar experiences in this game - or in other games on Facebook?

About Crime City

2012-01-13T01:11:00.002+01:00

Dear readers, I want to correct myself here. I previously said Crime City was produced by Zynga. That is wrong. The company behind Crime City is Funzio.

Zynga have created Mafia Wars and Mob Wars, but they are NOT the authors behind Crime City, and I just wanted to rectify that as soon as I discovered I had made a mistake.

Have a nice weekend everyone. :-)

Now Over 18 Million Players

2012-01-01T04:29:00.002+01:00

Welcome to 2012, and welcome to over a million more players during the last few months. When I played the game just a few minutes ago, the number of users was listed at 18.008.519 players of Mafia Wars.

So beyond reaching level 588, it is safe to say that Mafia Wars is a game that is picking up quite a bit of momentum. You can join the fun, and I wish everyone a succesful 2012 with lots of fun playing Mafia Wars. :-)

Amazing Discovery

2011-12-29T04:00:00.002+01:00

One big contrast between Mafia Wars and Mob Wars is fighting. In Mob Wars you can choose the amount of force you want to use. In my case, the current mob size is just under 200, but I beat a mob of 585 members by choosing a force of 9. It's true that this costs 9 stamina points, but you get a sudden increase in experience points of nearly 1K points. A highly valuable tip you can use to reach new levels more quickly when there is about 3.6K experience points between levels once you are nearing level 600.

You must ensure proper arming of your mob both attack and defence wise, but once you have the right equipment from the Inventory tab it's now possible to achieve miracles.

I thought that was a trick worth sharing, and wish you all a Happy New Year. Stay tuned for more useful tips and ideas for all games I play, e.g. Mob Wars, Mafia Wars, Cafe World, Crime City etc. :-)

Mafia Wars Finances and Areas

2011-12-23T03:41:00.005+01:00

In Mafia Wars you need good finances to build your inventory of weapons - as I have also explained previously. To get a good solid and steady income you need to invest in buildings (by clicking the City button in the top menu). When you don't have enough money to invest in buildings, it's a good idea to put money in the bank - even though it costs you 10% to whitewash your cash deposits...

When you deposit money in the bank it can't be robbed by other mobsters. Also, joining a large mob can help you safeguard yourself from attacks in Mafia Wars. As I showed yesterday, you can click the link to join my mob, as I am looking to continue the expansion in the game - and might also join a larger mob myself. Having lots of friends joining you helps you achieve bigger attack and defense levels, so you are more than welcome to join the family. :-)

A good financial situation can be seen right here:

As regular players will already know not all areas are active anymore. The list of currently active areas to which you can travel are these:

Money you have in non-active areas can be converted into Las Vegas cash by going to your Vault (next to the cash shown at the top right), and selecting the tab Conversion. In that way you can change Cuba or Moscow cash into money you can spend developing Las Vegas in Mafia Wars.

Enjoy the game during this x-mas vacation, and stay tuned for more tips in Mafia Wars in the year ahead. :-)

Join The Fun in Mafia Wars

2011-12-22T13:59:00.002+01:00

Join the fun in Mafia Wars. Some have asked how they can join the fun, and therefore I wanted to share the link with all readers, so you can become a part of the gameplay. I have currently reached level 580, and the more the merrier in Mafia Wars. :-)

Click right here: Join the mob in Mafia Wars.

How Facebook Blocks Gameplay

2011-12-20T10:39:00.004+01:00

Today I am going to reveal to you how Facebook blocks gameplay for those who are succesful in completing missions. The last couple of weeks growth has been big for the four games I play, namely in Mafia Wars, Mob Wars and Crime City, but also in Cafe World. As I told you in previous articles being social involves helping friends in your mobs to achieve better results. The more you give to others, the more you will get back. In fact, you even have the tab "Recommended friends" where Zynga will tell you which friends give the most back.

My current achievement levels are these:

Crime City - 71

Mob Wars - 548

Mafia Wars - 578

Social media involves people requesting your friendship on Facebook since most of the games require you to be friends before you can join their mob or become neighbors, whichever fits the scenario.

The problem is then that some strange robot is monitoring the amount of friendship requests you make or receive, and suddenly tells you that you have sent requests even though this morning there were in fact 38 pending friendship requests in my inbox. I didn't make any of these requests. They were sent to me by a friend who also plays Mafia Wars, and probably even reads this blog too...

So Facebook should get their act together if they want partners to develop games for their platform. There are competitors out there, dear Facebook, so maybe you should get your team to change the settings of your robot to fit the lavel "social media."

Please share this article with whomever might need this information. We want our games to be safe places where we can have lots of fun sharing the hobbies we like and playing the games we enjoy.

Merry X-mas everyone. :-)

New Cities in Mafia Wars

2011-12-03T19:20:00.002+01:00

As you may have noticed, new cities have been added to the Mafia Wars game: Los Angeles and Washington DC. As always new challenges will increase the quality of the game, and the Zynga team are making a good effort in trying to increase the quality of the gameplay.

One annoying thing, however, are the intro screens when you log into Mafia Wars from Facebook. The constant offers for credits is quíte tedious, and when you are a frequent player that does take a bit away from an otherwise fun game to play.

So, dear Zynga, please be mindful that these intro screens are a real pain in the backside...

Mob Wars -Status Level 526

2011-11-28T21:40:00.001+01:00

As you can see things are moving very fast when you have an iPhone app at your fingertips. Seven levels with only little time spent each day. Soon moving into Los Angeles as the newest city, so certainly looking forward to share experiences with all of you.

What are your achievements in either Mob Wars, Mafia Wars or Crime City?

Don't be shy, dear fellow players. Your feedback is much appreciated.

Mob Wars - Status 519

2011-11-23T13:43:00.001+01:00

As I mentioned in a previous article about the Mob Wars app, it has been an amazing experience to test the game on my iPhone. Moved from level 504 to level 519 in no time - and now the game is just seconds away when you go to the bathroom or sit in a bus.

I really hope Zynga develops an app for Mafia Wars too, and even a paid app could become a success since you are no longer required to start up your computer to squeeze in a few minutes of fun...

Crime City App for iPhone

2011-11-18T02:02:00.004+01:00

In continuation of my article about the Mob Wars App for iPhone, I have found that now you can also play Crime City on your iPhone.

Games are truly becoming the thing here in the 21st century. Just imagine that a couple of decades ago, a 80286 was running at 12Mhz, the CPU speed of an iPhone is more than 50 times bigger and the complexity of instructions far bigger running on ARM class CPUs...

Handheld cellphones, in other words, are becoming the way to perform complex tasks - and you almost don't need a real computer anymore. People who have bought iPads have similar experiences, and now that televisions are also beginning to run WiFi and infrared transfer possibilities, you can quite literally play YouTube videos on your television screen without connecting any cables.

Have a nice weekend, and enjoy your gameplay everyone. :-)

Mob Wars App For iPhone

2011-11-11T13:23:00.001+01:00

If you like crime games, it might be useful to know that Mob Wars is now also available as an app for your iPhone.

I have found this rather useful because now you can play the game when you are in the train or in a bus on your way to either work or school.

I have attained level 504 in Mob Wars - and some of the game play is rather fun now that you can attack bosses without having to attack fellow players. Each boss has a prerequisite of beating a former level boss minimum ten times before the next boss is unlocked.

Excellent game, as I am sure you already know... :-)

Mafia Wars - Status 570

2011-10-30T23:56:00.001+01:00

The city of Chicago is well underway, and my current status is now level 570. As you may all have guessed, the game is getting better and better, and I am looking to create new hubpages for people coming into the game.

I need your feedback on this, please.

What was the most difficult for you when you started playing Mafia Wars?

What would you have liked to know more about?

What is the single best part of the game, for you?

Thanks beforehand for any feedback you may offer on this.

Mafia Wars - Mass Add to Get You Started

2011-10-29T05:33:00.001+02:00

When playing Mafia Wars the use of mass add can be a good way to grow your mafia. When you search for the term "Mafia Wars" on Facebook you can easily find sources for more people in your mob.

But it is also important to remember that you need funds to make good use of this function. Each mob member must have a weapon in fights and when fighting in championships (boxing) in Las Vegas.

Have fun :-)

Mafia Wars - Status 551

2011-08-27T14:56:00.003+02:00

Today my level in the Mafia Wars game has reached 551, and I have two very special tips for you today which many may have forgotten as they enter this game.

Gifts sent will earn you back benefits

Remember to collect your money in all districts

Gifts Sent Earn You Back Many Benefits
When you send free gifts to others, you profile yourself as a good Mafia Wars player, and you will find that the number of gifts you will also receive will GROW as you show yourself a good player. Being social involves bringing gifts, and that is the best way to ensure a good, and positive, profile of yourself.

Remember to Collect Your Money In All Districts
If you don't log in frequently you end up leaving money on the table. Zynga, developers of the Mafia Wars game, have already improved your possibility of collecting effectively.

You no longer need to log in to each area, but can collect directly from the front page of the Mafia Wars game as you log on.

Have a nice weekend everyone - and remember to play regularly. :-)

Today's Status - Level 542

2011-08-16T21:44:00.002+02:00

In continuation of following exactly the advice I have already given on this blog, I can now report that my level is now at 542. One very important aspect - which many players forget - is the social aspect in this game.

You MUST share gifts, and send things to others in order to benefit yourself. You can hold 5 energy packs, which ensure full energy + 25%. In order to keep a steady flow of energy packs it's a good idea to send energy packs to others as this is more likely to get you some energy packs for your own endeavors.

So, whenever you get rollin' in Mafia Wars it's a good idea to remember the social aspect. Good luck & remember you're welcome to join my Mafia Wars mob anythime.

Don't Buy the Mafia Wars Cheat Guide

2011-08-16T19:16:00.003+02:00

You may have been tempted by the Mafia Wars Cheat Guide priced at $27. The PDF is promised to gain you access through levels at much higher pace than if you played the "normal" way, and offers shortcuts that simply are not there once you have bought this guide.

I was so unfortunate as to read reviews AFTER I had bought the product because I was very disappointed with the quality of this guide. I found it rather surprising that these reviews weren't visible when I was considering the purchase - but I could have asked for a full refund if only I had reacted sooner. My mistake, and I will survive the purchase anyway.

But you will get more help FOR FREE by following this blog, so don't waste $27 on a worthless guide. My advice is much better, and is available to all of you for free.

Status - Level 538

2011-08-12T15:25:00.001+02:00

Today's status is that I have reached level 538. I want to announce that I will be reviewing the Mafia Wars Cheat Guide I originally promised during the weekend, so stay tuned for more about this cheat guide at the very latest monday morning.

Have fun, and remember that Mafia Wars should be played daily if you want to become a real master - and that you will be getting lots of more tips and ideas.

If you have special challenges, I welcome your comments. :-)

Status - Level 533

2011-08-03T14:54:00.003+02:00

Today, my status update is having reached level 533. See below:

The levels are getting more and more fun as you climb the stairs of different levels. As you unlock each level, new secret operations appear - and when you complete these there is both a bonus for yourself and for friends who assist you in completing.

So much as in real life, it pays to be a social person who helps his friends.

Stay tuned for more updates, trick and ideas. :-)

Status - Level 522

2011-07-18T15:32:00.002+02:00

Dear Friends, and fellow players of Mafia Wars on Facebook. Come join the fun on Mafia Wars. You can do so by clicking this link: http://apps.facebook.com/inthemafia/profile.php?id=%7B%22user%22%3A%22cHwxOTk1NzMz%22%7D.

Today's status is that I have reached level 522. You could do the same, and today's tip of the day is to remember to use your skill points correctly. I have already covered this in previous blog posts.

Please read the previous articles and stay tuned for more information about playing Mafia Wars on Facebook.

Love Graphics In Mafia Wars

2011-07-14T14:11:00.005+02:00

You should pay attention to the creativity in the graphics when playing Mafia Wars on Facebook. It is rather fun to see because some of these things are rather dramatic in their formats. Try watching this one:

When you have watched Scarface (starring Al Pacino), you can truly just imagine that hot iron being used in much the same way as the mafiosis using the chain saw in that movie.

Just plain fun, of course, but Zynga deserves credit for being just that extra bit better than many similar Facebook games. You should try Mafia Wars. If you haven't started yet, read through this blog, and start building your own mafia. It's real fun. :-)

PS: I have reached level 517 - and you are welcome to join the gang any day...

More Games on Facebook Worth Looking At

2011-07-07T07:31:00.001+02:00

I got a question from a friend on Facebook asking whether there were other games I could recommend on Facebook where crime was the main theme, and the answer is: yes, there certainly are.

My personal favorites - besides, of course, Mafia Wars - are these:

Mob Wars

Crime City

Mobsters 2 Vendetta

I have created two HubPages about the Mob Wars game, and if you want to look at these you can find them right here:

Mob Wars on Facebook

Mob Wars for Experienced Users

Have fun, and stay tuned. :-)

Status: Level 513

2011-07-06T18:08:00.004+02:00

Today's status was a big jump. I had saved numerous articles that released some Reward Points, and you can do the same. Use your stockpiles to save lots of boosts, and suddenly you can cash in all that stash to get a tremendous boost in your level achievements.

Mafia Wars is about wise stewardship. Maintain a good source of steady income, perform jobs and move ahead with your mafia. Use your income to build a strong weaponry so you can perform robbings in New York, do fights in Las Vegas, and convert your income from Moscow (which was locked out a few months ago), so you continually get extra benefit from performing jobs in new areas.

The Difficult Aspect: New Areas
The difficult aspect for many is the arrival of new areas. What should you focus upon? Well, the answer is simple. Once you have achieved a good level in one city, built income in new areas (Italy,Brazil,Las Vegas), you can begin moving in with performing jobs.

Don't leave it to just earning money. Put money earned in the bank. The payment of 10% when depositing funds is cheap - especially compared with losing a lot more from robbings from other, and bigger, mafia groups.

Once you have a casino you begin attracting a lot of attention from other Mafia Wars players. They want to earn some quick cash - and the few who have achieved almost world star status are harrassing more serious players by showing muscles.

At the end of the week I will tell you more about a Mafia Wars Cheat Guide you should stay away from. It's a worthless document - but stay tuned for my review of that guide so you can spend that 27$ on something far better. Might even be flowers for your wife when you enjoy the fun of Mafia Wars during long nights. :-)

Status: Level 510 in Mafia Wars

2011-07-05T19:46:00.003+02:00

Today's status: I am at the end of level 510 in Mafia Wars. One war won with lots of helpful people joining the fun - and earning a bonus reward in Mafia Wars.

Come join the fun in Mafia Wars. :-)

Status: Level 509

2011-07-04T14:56:00.003+02:00

Today's status: I am now at the end of level 509, and you may join my Mafia and you are more than welcome to make comments.

Have fun - play Mafia Wars. :-)

Today: Collecting, Jobs Done & Promotion

2011-07-04T04:01:00.000+02:00

Today, the theme on the subject of the Mafia Wars game is collecting money from your investments, getting jobs done and how to proceed when facing promotion. Consider these short articles as reference points for doubts about the game - and feel free to use the archive for a complete overview of the game as I continue to add content about the Mafia Wars game.

Collecting Returns on Your Investment
Collecting is something that happens on an hourly basis in Mafia Wars. In New York $195 million per hour is being accumulated. In Moscow, it's 2,8 million rubles. The only problem with Moscow is that it has been locked out, along with Cuba. The only way to get your accumulated funds out of Moscow is to convert from your casino in Las Vegas. A slow process, but rather welcome when you need money for that new city in Mafia Wars.

An Overview of Finances - at Level 507
You can see the total figures just below. I am currently at level 507, and growing. Currently established with 136 Mafia Wars member players, and weapons for all, and then some... :-)

Getting Jobs Done
Getting jobs done is an important aspect in earning skill points to increase your skills and abilities in Mafia Wars. Getting jobs done increases your income potential as you move past smaller jobs and get into the fun parts with lots of money and experience points involved.

Facing Promotion - Decision Time for You
Now is the time to go back to the first article on this blog because promotion is the time when you can divide skill points between Attack, Defence, Health, Energy and Stamina.

Now you are better equipped - and remember: your feedback is welcome. :-)

Welcome to Mafia Wars

2011-07-03T01:52:00.003+02:00

Mafia Wars is a game enjoyed by over 17 million people on Facebook - and whether you are a newbie or an expert, you will no doubt benefit from this blog. I will try to give you some shortcuts that can help you enjoy the game further. Don't expect cheat sheets such as cheat codes we all enjoyed in Wolfenstein 3D on our PC... :-)

On the other hand you CAN benefit greatly from listening to others, and therefore I will offer you a strategy that helps you build a strong mafia with lots of beneficial mafia wars members that can give you hours of fun in this world of virtual crime. Mafia Wars will be one of your favorite games once you get to know this game.

I will be honest with you. Originally, I preferred Mob Wars, equally a game on Facebook. But once I had come through all challenges there were limits to Mob Wars that caused me to invest more time (and fun) in the game of Mafia Wars. [My hubpage entitled "Mob Wars for Experienced Users" can tell you more about advanced strategies for Mob Wars, if you want background information.]

Basic Principles
As you complete each level you are offered a number of skill points. These can be divided into the following areas:

Attack

Defence

Health

Energy

Stamina

Getting your priorities right will be important in determining how to spend your skill points. Completing a level is one way to get skill points. Finishing a job to a full 100% will also earn you skill points.

Attack Skills
Attack points should not be your main focus - unless you plan to live dangerously when you are a newbie. Get a substantial mafia (70+ members) before focusing on attack skills. Since you will need to have AT LEAST one weapon per mafia member, you will similarly be quite dependent upon economy to get the money necessary to create a good combat team before focusing on attacking other Mafia Wars mafia bosses.

Defence Skills
On the other hand, you WILL need defence skills to handle attacks from other Mafia Wars players. Getting defence skills will improve your combat situation when others decide to attack you.

Health Points
Having a good level of health is similarly important when you are indeed attacked. If your health is low, you run the risk of being killed - which will cost you experience points, and thus cause you to wait longer before reaching the next level.

Energy Skills
Energy skills will be important to finish jobs to finish and complete levels and jobs. Energy should be spent before you make use of the gift of Energy Packs. An energy pack will cause you to get 25% on top of a full energy refill. Spending an energy pack before you have depleted your entire energy will cause you to lose a lot of energy - just as spending an energy pack would be foolish if you are close to reaching a new level. You will already get a full energy refill by completing a level, so spending an energy pack in that situation would be somewhat foolish...

Furthermore, please be aware that you can only have a stock of five unused energy packs, so keep energy packs for when you REALLY need them. Sending energy packs to others (which is free) augments chances of you getting one back, so being generous can greatly benefit yourself. Important strategy to consider when you want to have a steady source of energy packs for future missions.

Stamina Skills
Stamina won't be all that necessary´in the beginning. Building a good sized mafia will be more important than starting to build a lot of stamina for fighting others in attacks. Furthermore, robbing other Mafia Wars players will be difficult until you have a proper sized mafia with the right equipment to handle the assignment you choose.

Stay Tuned
Stay tuned for more information about the Mafia Wars game on Facebook. I look forward to sharing lots of information, screen dumps etc with all of you, and welcome your active participation - either by joining my Mafia or by making comments on this blog.

You are welcome to join my Mafia by clicking right here: http://apps.facebook.com/inthemafia/profile.php?id=%7B%22user%22%3A%22cHwxOTk1NzMz%22%7D