The Future of the Mafia Wars Blackbook Blog
Oct/100
Recently it has been brought to my attention that some of the information that I have brought you over the last year of so is now out of date and I whole heartedly agree. Some have asked if the blog is winding down and if it will become useless to Mafia Wars players in the near future. My answer to that question is a resounding NO!
The future for the Mafia Wars Blackbook Blog is not in jeopardy at all.
Having been a Mafia Wars player since the day that the game went live, I have prided myself on the fact that other Mafia Wars players have benefited from my experience. It has always been my hope that through my trial and error and passing this information on to other players that I have helped them avoid the pitfalls that I have experienced. Don’t worry, I am not going anywhere and I it is my plan for the blog to become even stronger.
Over the next month or so I plan to completely revamp the articles that are currently on the blog to bring the information up to date with the current state of the game. Improvements include revamped articles that include screenshots that will make the message of each article much clearer.
In the future I will be starting brand new characters to show you exactly how easy it is to level and complete expansions as an energy based character and as a stamina based toon as well. Each type requires a different style of play and I will show you exactly how to zoom through levels and expansions in both styles.
Is The Mafia Wars Blackbook blog dead? Absolutely not, the future is bright for new players and veterans alike as the blog undergoes a complete update. New articles will teach both energy and stamina characters how to level as quickly as possible while building a strong mafia. Follow my antics and you will have everything that you need to become a force to be reckoned with in the Mafia Wars world.
Mafia Wars Triple Mastery
Oct/100
Zynga has opened the flood gates with Mafia Wars Triple Mastery. That’s right you can blow through the tiers of New York, Cuba, Bangkok, and Moscow.
If you have been wanting to finish off all of the old areas of Mafia Wars now is the time to do it. For many Mafia Wars players gathering consumables for the older areas of the game has always been a pain in the butt, but now that triple mastery is in place it will be a breeze. Triple mastery means that the consumable requirement is only one third of the amount that it used to be. So get crackin if you have been putting finishing up any area.
If you have always wanted to start a brand new account and fire up a new character but dreaded the tier and expansion grind now is the time to get off you butt and do it. Triple mastery will let you knock out those pesky tiers that made creating a new character something to dread. Though I do not endorse the use of 3rd party automation, coupling triple mastery with Mafia Wars Autoplayer could allow you to start a new character and knock out all of the original game plus Cuba, Bangkok, and Moscow in less than 24 hours, nearly on auto pilot.
New players will love the triple mastery but old timers like myself look at it as a “give away.” New players don’t have to suffer through the drudgery that we did and are seemingly rewarded for joining. They get triple mastery, only need 1 one third of the consumables that we had to work our butts off for.
Sorry if it sounds like I am complaining but I find it completely amazing that a company would crate a game that is monetized through the sale of Reward Points and then make it three times easier to complete zones. This, in my opinion removes the need for new players to purchase Reward Points and thus limits the income potential of the developer.
Love it or hate it, Mafia Wars Triple Mastery is now part of the game. If you have never gotten around to completing all of the tiers in New York, Cuba, Bangkok, or Moscow, now is the perfect time to do it. If you have always wanted a new character but hated the thought of the grind, you are in luck. Triple Mastery means one third of the work.
Mafia Wars Email Scam Warning
Oct/100
The gang over at Zynga have said there is a distinct possibility that there is a scam going on that is targeting Facebook users.
Blue Eyed Nate from the Official Forums said:
“There is rumor of a phishing email scam targeting facebook and game players.
If you receive any email stating there is a problem with your facebook, paypal or any other account, do not click on any links within that email.
The best action to take is to go directly to the site, i.e. type http://facebook.com directly into your address bar and log in that way. These phishers are very sneaky about mimicking legit website and grabbing your log in information to steal your account.
As an additional safety precaution, please change your password every so often.
If you feel your account has been hacked, please notify the company of that account (i.e. facebook, paypal, etc.) immediately.
Thank you,
Blue Eyed Nate”
If you receive any suspicious email of any kind, even if its not about Mafia Wars DO NOT click any links. If the email says its from a trusted source such as Zynga but just doesn’t look right, take the time to go to http://zynga.custhelp.com/app/ask and find out if the email is real.
This holds true for any email that you might get. It does not matter who it is from. If it has an attachment and it was not mentioned in the body of the message…don’t open it. If an email is from someone you don’t know and has links in it…don’t click. Use your head and protect your self.
The 10 Commandments of Anti-Phishing
- Never Trust Strangers
- When in doubt don’t Click
- Look for grammatical errors
- Always LOG OUT when you are done on sensitive sites
- Guard Your Privacy
- When in doubt CALL customer service
- Don’t use the same password everywhere
- Don’t share passwords/logins
- Don’t leave your computer unattended (especially at work)
- See Rule 1
Mafia Wars players might be the target of the latest phishing scam but you can be safe if you follow a few simple rules.
Mafia Wars Lucky Stash Slots Game
Oct/100
Zynga has once again given us a game within a game to play with the Mafia Wars lucky Stash Slots Game.
To play this game you will receive one free spin (you get one every 24 hours) and after that you will be spending Reward Points. You may wager from 1 to 3 Reward Points and spin the wheel. As with all slot machines the more credits (Reward Points) you be the bigger the win if you actually hit it.
You can win game cash but there are also some very nice items that can be won as well. In order to win items you will need to fill the bonus meter, which requires 20 spins. Once you have them you can click the bonus button for a chance to win loot or Reward Points.
When you click the bonus button a wheel will pop up on the screen. On the screen you will see loot and RP (Reward Points). When you spin the wheel you receive the item on which the wheel lands.
Here is a short list of some of the loot that you might win on the bonus screen.
|
Item |
Type |
Attack |
Defense |
| Rain Slick | Armor |
28 |
48 |
| Thermal Shielding | Armor |
57 |
30 |
| Reinforced Leather | Armor |
36 |
67 |
| Bone Carved Pistol | Weapon |
49 |
26 |
| Indian Katar | Weapon |
33 |
62 |
| Rex Fang | Weapon |
73 |
35 |
| Immelman | Vehicle |
51 |
27 |
| Magma Magnifique | Vehicle |
31 |
63 |
| Markhor | Animal |
75 |
37 |
| Harpy Eagle | Animal |
42 |
77 |
You can check the payout table by clicking “View Pay Table” on the slot machine screed for a full layout of the cash that you can win.
By playing Mafia Wars Lucky Stash Slots you can unlock a slot machine that can be posted on your Facebook page. As your friends play your own special Facebook slot machine the your chance of winning in Lucky Stash Slots increases. When you see the slot machine on the pages of your friends be sure to play to help them out as well.
Lucky Stash Slots is a game within Zynga’s Mafia Wars game where you can win sweet loot and Reward Points. Once you open up your Facebook slot machine ask friends to stop by and play so your chance of winning goes up, and don’t forget to help them out by playing theirs too.
How To Get Mafia Wars Items For Free
Oct/102
As a true Mafia Wars player you have undoubtedly come to understand that there are some very nice items available in the game. While powerful weapons, armor, and vehicles can be found while completing missions there is one aspect of the game that the average player tends to over look. That aspect is gifting.
While Mafia Wars can be played completely solo, it is much more rewarding when cooperating with other players. A feature that was built into the game that can help you out immensely is the gifting feature. Using this feature you can give your mafia members items that will help them out in their criminal endeavors and they in turn can do the same for you.
If you are starting a new character the first thing that you want to do is get yourself into the mafia of other players so they can send you gifts. This is an excellent way to get your hands on materials to build your properties and get your hands on weapons and armor quickly. Don’t be afraid to send out requests for items that you need, but don’t be obnoxious about it. Sending out requests a couple times each day is acceptable, but sending requests hourly is not.
Below you will find a list of the newest gifting items that are available in Mafia Wars.
|
Item |
Type |
Attack |
Defense |
Notes |
| Big Six | Weapon |
19 |
23 |
Las Vegas |
| Cinder Block | Casino Parts |
N/A |
N/A |
Las Vegas |
| Fat Cat | Vehicle |
15 |
24 |
Las Vegas |
| Fear and Loathing | Animal |
24 |
17 |
Las Vegas |
| Forge | Upgrade Part |
N/A |
N/A |
Weapons Depot |
| Hammer | Upgrade Part |
N/A |
N/A |
Armory |
| Mystery Animal | Mystery Reward |
??? |
??? |
|
| Mystery Bag | Mystery Reward |
??? |
??? |
New Gifts |
| Pint Of Stout | Challenge Mission |
N/A |
N/A |
Dublin |
| Rack of Chips | Las Vegas Cash |
N/A |
N/A |
Las Vegas |
| Special Part | Free Gift |
??? |
??? |
Special Item |
| Thai Baht | Cash |
N/A |
N/A |
Bangkok |
| Yo Eleven | Vehicle |
24 |
16 |
Las Vegas |
Gifts change regularly so you can get some very nice items for free by keeping in touch with your mafia. Getting gifts is great but don’t forget to send them in return. Since the number of gifts that you can send per day is limited, the best strategy is to send gifts to those who sent them to you first, then to other mafia members.
Use gifting as a method to equip your characters quickly, but always remember to keep your requests to a respectable amount.
Mafia Wars – How To Get The Most Out Of the Game With Less Work
Oct/101
I have been playing Mafia Wars since the early days and have been publishing this blog for well over a year now. With every expansion I have posted job lists that break down everything about the new jobs and tiers.
One of the most common questions I get is in regard to how I get my numbers such as cash award, experience, and energy expended. Someone always wants to know why my numbers are different from theirs. Today I am going to give you insight into how I get those numbers.
When I quote numbers they are based upon my research character, which has all of the perks thus far in Mafia Wars, and they contribute to the final number. If you want to get the most out of your time played get the items in the following list.
- Wheelman
Become a wheelman in another Top Mafia. In order to do this you must be a Fearless class character. The bonus given by this position is 10% less experience required for jobs. There is also a chance that you will complete jobs occasionally using no energy at all.
- Mastermind
Either become a Mastermind in another player’s Top Mafia or start another character and move your main character into the Mastermind spot. Mastermind gives you 10% more experience when completing jobs.
- Bagman
Find a friend to put you in the Bagman position in their Top Mafia or you can start another character of your own and do it yourself. As a Bagman you will earn 15% more cash from jobs.
- Private Island
You will need to complete the New York Underboss Tier in order to get you own island. Once you have it, you will earn 5% more experience from jobs.
If you want to earn more money at the cost of using more energy on jobs choose the Mogul character type and earn 40% more cash.
Are you the kind of Mafia Wars player that wants to get the most bang for the buck? If so, become a Wheelman, Mastermind, Bagman, and get your own Private Island.
What Features Would You Like To Have Added To Mafia Wars?
May/103
I know that many of you are like me in that you love playing Mafia Wars and have ideas that you think might improve the game. Today I am going to share some of the ideas that I think would enhance game play and I hope that you will leave comments sharing some of your ideas as well. Once we have put together a list of ideas I will be sending them to Zynga and posting them on the Mafia Wars Forums.
Here are some of the things that I personally thing could be added to the game to make it more fun and less frustrating at times.
Energy Roll Over
I think that if you reach the end of a level and do not use all of your energy it should roll over and be added to the new amount of energy you receive upon leveling up. If telephone companies can roll over minutes surely it would not be a big problem to do so in Mafia Wars.
12-Hour Stamina Packs
Stamina packs available every 12 hours would be great both for Mafia Wars players and Zynga as well. Think about this. If your business model is based on players buying Reward Points to monetize your game would it not make sense to bring them back every 12 hours instead of once per day?
Mafia Auction House
A feature that would allow players to place items up for sale not for real money but in game cash would be a wonderful addition. Nearly all MMO games have this feature and it develops a thriving player driven economy. If you want 1,000 Satellite Phones just buy them on the auction house. This feature would give players a way to equip their mafia and something to do with the billions of dollars that go to waste when an expansion is completed.
Foreign Exchange Center
When we travel to foreign lands in the real world we can simply visit an exchange center at our destination to exchange our currency for native currency. When we do this we pay a fee but have access to the common currency of the area. Why can we not do this in Mafia Wars?
Weekly Jobs
After a player has competed all of the expansions there is really nothing to do and many players become frustrated and either leave the game permanently or go into hiatus until a new expansion arrives. If Zynga wants to keep these players active and thus be able to earn income from them they need to come up with something for them to do. All they need to do is set up a special tier of missions that offer advanced rewards for loyal players. This tier or “hidden expansion” could offer special loot that does not upset the game balance but gives veteran players recognition for their loyalty.
These features would enhance the game for all. Tomorrow I will continue the list and at the end of the week I will condense all of our ideas and send them off to Zynga. If you have an idea please leave a comment or send me an email so I can get your ideas integrated into the message. Perhaps between us we can make Mafia Wars even more enjoyable.
Mafia Wars Improvements For Players
May/100
Mafia Wars is one of the most addictive social networking games out today, but like many others some aspects of the game were very “clunky” to say the least. Zynga, the developer of Mafia Wars and Facebook have been working hand in hand to make the game easier to use for players.
Being able to accept in invitations to join other players mafia from within the game itself was a big help but for the longest time it seemed that even though I accepted them they were still on my Facebook page. Everyday I had to log into Facebook, head over to Mafia Wars and accept any invitations and before logging out for awhile I had to go to Facebook and eliminate the invitations there as well.
Another feature that has improved the game tremendously is accepting gifts. Now when you start up Mafia Wars the first thing you are greeted with is a popup with all of the gifts that have arrived while you were not logged in. All you need do is click accept for the gifts and its done. You are even given the option of gifting back as soon as you accept the gift. The interface is quick and clean and makes life so much easier for the player.
What new features might we be treated to in the future? Well honestly that is something that I do not know. The best way to keep abreast of coming changes and ideas is to frequent the Mafia Wars forums. You can find developer posts that give us a peek into upcoming events, when you are having a problem in game that you believe to be a glitch or bug you can easily find reference material as well. Best of all if you have questions there are some really friendly and helpful people that have no problem steering you in the right direction.
Thank goodness Mafia Wars and Facebook have worked together to eliminate the headache. While this adaptation of the service and game is not new, I thought that I would let the newer players know how the game used to work so they could appreciate how far it has come. To keep up on what is happening or about to happen in Mafia Wars visit the forums regularly.
10 Million Fans and Counting
Mar/100
Zynga undoubtedly has one of the most popular games in the Social Networking world in their hit Mafia Wars. The company has won the loyalty of millions of players by providing a stable fun gaming environment and through timely expansions and many fan related events.
The milestone of 10 Million Fans is evidence that Mafia Wars has taken its place at the top of the social network gaming food chain. To become a fan one must complete a series of steps that give them fan status but with many game players not completing the process it is quite possible that the actual number of players may exceed 15 million or more.
In appreciation of the 10 Million-Fan milestone Zynga is showing their gratitude by offering a two-day fan appreciation holiday. On March 30 and 31 all players will enjoy the following benefits.
- Double Mastery In All Cities
If you have been slacking in finishing up New York now is the time to get it done. Double Mastery will cut your completion time in half.
- Higher Payout on Fights
All fights are giving 25% more experience. Stamina based characters should love this one.
- FREE Limited Edition Loot
All players who participate in the appreciation event receive the “Heavy Hand.” This limited loot item is a 43 attack, 23 defense weapon.
Zynga has always made gaming fun for social network gamers and it looks like the trend is not going to come to an end anytime soon.
Mobile Phone Mafia Wars
Mar/100
The folks over at Zynga are always coming up with fun new features for Mafia Wars and now they have added the ability to play the game from any mobile phone. Yes you read that correctly brand new 2-way SMS has arrived for Mafia Wars
When you sign up for mobile Mafia Wars access you can
- Fight other players
- Do jobs anywhere any time
- Get instant alerts when you are attacked
- Hand out gifts
- Help out your mafia
- Receive exclusive promotions, benefits, and content
- Linked to your Facebook account
All you have to do is enter your cell phone number and you will receive a Limited Edition item that is given to cell phone players only. The “Dead Ringer” is a 45 attack, 36 defense and is a Pistol (weapon).
If you have signed up for SMS already don’t worry you can still get the Dead Ringer and begin playing Mafia Wars by sending text messages to MAFIA (62342).
Alerts that you receive can be configured in your profile. While Zynga does not charge for the service you may want to check your text or messaging and data plan with your carrier. If you are having problems you can text HELP to 62342 or you can send email to support@zynga.com
As a final note on the service, it is only available within the United States.
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