Golden Newbie

From SA Mafia Wiki

Origins

The Legend of the Golden Newbie is a prophecy, almost forgotten now, that has been handed down across mafia generations; long before even the age of the God of Evil Cows and the King of Cobwebs. It foretells that one day, a new player will emerge who can wield terrible powers, powers that can corrupt the setups of even the most veteran mods: incorporating Mason Cult recruiters with no balance issues, using Death Millers in exactly the right way, and even allowing full OoT communication.

Many make claims, but the prophecy has yet to come to pass.

Popular Interpretations

Outside of a breakaway sect of merkian fundamentalists, few players believe in the literal interpretation of the Golden Newbie myth. It is generally considered a tale of warning to newer players who typically tend to overreach in terms of setup complexity.

The Moral of the Story

It is generally recommended that despite your burning desire to include Death Millers and Serial Killer Cults and Binary Cops in your 11-person game, you should run a fairly simple setup for your first few games until you get a practical understanding of exactly how different mechanics tend to play out. You may learn that a certain mechanic makes it overly easy for town players to confirm themselves, or that another may lead to an unacceptable number of town deaths on a single night. This is all part of the learning process, and in a few games you should have a good handle on balance. Even then, it is a good idea to be conservative with powers because the more moving parts a game has, the easier it is for it to spin out of control. You should consider consulting an older mod with a good reputation to look over your setup.