Mafia Wars on Facebook

[Sedai]

This thread is for general gabbery, chatting and strategizing in regards to Facebook's ridiculously addicting game, Mafia Wars!

[rice1245]

Woohoo i love that game i'm level 150 something now you should join my mafia

[Sedai]

In the early game:

-It seems like a strong strategy is to dump most skill points into Energy in order to get a decent leveling engine going.

- Alternate buying a piece of Special Loot and a Mafia Mikes Property with each Mafia member added. These items are EXTREMELY important. Mafia Mikes are by far the best money source in the early game, and they cost almost nothing. Pile them up fast. The special loot items are the best items in the game for fighting (most of them are, anyway, more on that below).

- Make sure each Mafia member has the best items you can afford to support in the early game. You eventually want Chain Guns for everyone that doesn't have a piece of special loot, but you certainly can't support them when you are making 50k per hour, so upgrade your items for all mafia when you can afford to, but not before.

- Do not EVER gift away your special job items. Stuff like Untraceable Cell Phones, Concealable Cameras, and Illegal Documents cannot be bought, and they cost energy to get. You will find yourself having to roll back your jobs in the mid-game in order to get more phones, then having to go back up the ladder to spend them. The extra energy this requires can't be gotten around, so don't give these away! You will have to spend energy getting these no matter what. Make each one count.

- Keep an eye out for Special Loot that isn't so special. Before the tattoo was available (which rocks, btw), they had a silly nightstick that was 15/15. Not a good item. This wastes special loot slots, which could be taken up by better loot. Make sure it's at least an 18/18 item, hopefully something like 18/25 or 23/18.

-Try to balance economy with Mafia strength. One must constantly be adding properties to get more many, as the later items cost more to support etc. When buying properties, try to get as many properties at one level until it becomes more economical to step up to the next structure. For instance, buy structures that earn you 10k until the price gets to the point at which the 50k structure becomes cheaper than buying 5 of the 10k structures. Always factor in sub-lots into these calculations.

- Buy properties in lots of 10. This saves a ton of cash, and the price increases with each SALE, regardless of how many you buy. If the property is 1 million, you can buy 10 at 1 million each, or one at a time for 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 million etc...

[Sedai]

Let's join up Rice!

I am just level 85 but have over 250 mafia so far... Still adding!

[rice1245]

Holy crap, i only have about 60 people in my mafia because i don't like adding too many people i don't know even though i did to get up to sixty haha. Just look up Leslie Houghtaling on facebook :yup:

[Sedai]

I add the people then delete them from friends immediately! ;) Not you, of course!

[rice1245]

Haha good :) i didn't even know you could do that!

And do you have an extra Snake Sculpture? or Nine of hearts? or Agate Cufflinks? I only need one each of those to vault that collection >.<

[Sedai]

Not the cufflinks, as I am working on those as well...I think I have the statue tho! :D

[rice1245]

Yay! do you need anything?

[mikeython1]

I want in Sedai. I have never played but have been asked multiple times.

[rice1245]

Its really fun and addicting, especially the first couple of weeks but i'm gonna nap, be back on later :) and if anyone asks to be my friend, make sure you tell me your username here so i know who you are :yup:

WE CAN CHALLENGE EACH OTHER TO MOVIE QUIZES NOW TOO! FUN!

[Sedai]

I had both of those - Sent!

I need - Jasper Cufflinks, Heavy Bag, Hand Tape, One Ball

[Sexy Celebrity]

I need - Jasper Cufflinks, Heavy Bag, Hand Tape, One Ball

How can a bag be heavy with just one ball?

[Austruck]

SC, LOL!

Okay, rice and Seds and mikeython, find me on Facebook and invite me to your mafia: I'm Linda M Au in FB. (Don't leave out the "M" or you'll get a ton of women in Hong Kong. ;) )

I'm very new (like, errr, three days in), so I am still getting the hang of this. I am at level 14, with only 10 mafia members right now. I just joined one of those "add mafia" lists so we'll see if I get more that way. Question: A few of the folks I have in my mafia must have signed up but really don't seem to play. Are they dragging me down in fights?

Here's a question: At first, as I was doing the street thug jobs, every time I completed all of them, I'd move up to Skilled Street Thug and the jobs would start all over. Then it was Master Street Thug ... and now the bars on Jobs stay blue and I don't seem to have a chance to move up to anything else. I'm still doing and redoing the same jobs, though, in order to get those experience points up. (The one that costs 7 energy is the only one right now that gives me back more experience points than I spent in energy, so I'm trying to do that one more.) That, and the two jobs that have the possibility of getting added loot.

I also keep losing money in fights with other unknown people. I'm starting to bank money now (thanks, Seds, for the advice), but I don't know how much to keep in cash -- enough to buy stuff, I assume. My stats are fairly low (hey, THREE DAYS IN!), so I keep thinking I also need to bump up the Health number to keep from dying in fights so much. (Fights I didn't start, I mean.)

Oh, and WHY WHY WHY do I keep having to confront Don Morillo? That seems to be going nowhere. I don't "get" why that's still an option when I've done it about 10-15 times or more. Does that eventually change?

I have a ton more questions, but this is already too many so early on. :)

Friend me! Invite me! :)

[Austruck]

Oh duh! My main question and I forgot it: Is there ANY way around waiting about five minutes for each point of energy? Does upping the stamina shorten that process? What makes that faster?

[mikeython1]

I dont know if I can request any more mafia members today. You might have to reguest me.

[mikeython1]

Austuck I am going to promote you to something. Take a look and see what you want to be promoted to. Each diffrent promtion gives you a diffrent advantage. You have to have a vehicle to be a wheel man. If you can promote me to your safecracker.

[Austruck]

I've got several vehicles. And Wheelman is what I'd pick anyway. It seems to take forever to get more energy points....

[Austruck]

You're promoted. Safecracker it is, Mikey! :)

[mikeython1]

It will not let me promote you to wheel man or button man, so what else do you want to be?

[Austruck]

Well, I'm SO new at this that anything is better than nothing. Whatever it'll let you do works for me!

And wow, Seds is right about that Mafia Mike's thing. I just added two and my hourly income soared. Nice.

[TheDOMINATOR]

This is frighteningly weird, how much of a coincidence this is, seeing this thread being created today. I just started playing and getting into Mafia Wars yesterday, and was going to create a thread similar to this one when I logged on here tonight. :cool:

I only have a Mafia family of 3, so if any of you guys would like to PM me, I'll PM you back with my Facebook profile so we can add each other. I'd appreciate it. :)

[Sedai]

Austruck, after Street Thug maxes out, you should be able to step up to the next tier of jobs, which is Associate. Look for tabs across the top of the job area.

Oh, and did you get those gifts I sent over earlier? Some weapons?

Mikey - Only certain classes can do certain jobs. Try to promote the highest level person possible that is eligible for any given position.

[Austruck]

Yes, I got the gifts! Thanks!

Oh, and I never noticed any tabs. DUH. :)

[Austruck]

Wow, what wasted time -- I've been redoing the same jobs for two days. Geez. LOL

But, I did get the experience points, money, and loot---just not the job mastery percentages. Argh...

Thanks for setting me straight. Hey look -- a new boss to fight. :D

[TheDOMINATOR]

I've fought and beat the first boss about four times now. How many times do you have to kill bosses before they go down for good? Or...do they?

By the way, Austruck, I sent you an invite. :cool:

[B-card]

LoL Mafia Wars seriously, I am the biggest addict there is except those with 501 mafia members but still. Add me I am 161lvl with a 59 members mafia(It's weak I know only I play the game among my friends and some random people that I don't know but simply hide them). Sasho Kislyakov(that is my actual name) look me up and lets play some Mafia Wars

[Austruck]

Am I hurting lesser people in their group fights by being a noob in their mafias? I don't want anyone to feel compelled to add me if it burdens them in some way. (I'm not entirely clear on all that stuff -- learning a lot with this thread already, though.)

[B-card]

Haha good :) i didn't even know you could do that!

And do you have an extra Snake Sculpture? or Nine of hearts? or Agate Cufflinks? I only need one each of those to vault that collection >.<
No worries I have cufflinks though 9 of heath is missing.Are you the one from Apple valley something?

Not the cufflinks, as I am working on those as well...I think I have the statue tho! :D
I have Cufflinks for you to :) just add me couse I don't know your FB name

Oh and someone needs the horse collection I have it 5 times so it's good to have it, gives +7 Energy (man I am such a nerd sometimes :D )

[mikeython1]

I want in My face book profile name is Mike Thon and my pick is Dave Chapelle. Rice I have the statue and the card you want.

[Austruck]

Back to my one big question: Is there ANY way to speed up how long it takes for each energy point to recharge? One every five minutes is torture. :)

[B-card]

If you want to add members to your mafia you can Join this group (http://www.facebook.com/s.php?q=Mike+Thon&init=q&sid=44f0c9dd5bff695b827d55882a4f0652#/group.php?gid=57062084067&ref=ts)

[Austruck]

B-card, ohhhh, too many typos in that guy's group description for me. I cannot in good conscience join a group with such bad spelling. ;)

[B-card]

B-card, ohhhh, too many typos in that guy's group description for me. I cannot in good conscience join a group with such bad spelling. ;)


Just type in Add me in one of the threads and at least 10-20 people will request you ;) and don't bother reading it at all Sedai says it all in his second post ;)

[Austruck]

Does it matter that I'm a noob? Will experienced players then get miffed that I'm in their mafia? (Or doesn't that matter?)

[Austruck]

B-card...Do you want to be my mastermind or wheelman?

[TheUsualSuspect]

I use to play Gang Wars over at Fark.com

Then it asked for payment, so I stopped. For some reason I never got into Mafia Wars on facebook.

[mack]

buddy in another forum got me hooked a week or so ago. the game is so addictive. soooooo addictive. but it wanes after awhile when you get accustomed to the timeframe for the turnover of Energy points.

in other news. is it wrong that I created like 3 throwaway FB profiles to play with in addition to my regular one? :p Like Sedai, I delete extraneous unknown FB additions from my reg FB profile, but keep them on my throwaway profiles, because one cannot respond to a "request for help" unless you are actually that person's FB friend.

And responding to help gets you all kinds of special items, XP and money. ;)

here's my thing. in order to take that first leap into the millionaire status you almost HAVE to complete a HIT on someone. Do it. Do it for the money!!! ;)

bank the money. fast, and often. heal first, though and make all purchases.

[B-card]

B-card...Do you want to be my mastermind or wheelman?

Promote me as whatever you like the bonus goes for you it depends what you want to spend less energy on jobs(wheelman) or score more experience(mastermind),the choice is yours

[Sedai]

Ok folks, we all need to get added up and exchange whatever vault items we can to get ahead.

I am Mike Rogers on FB - My profile pic is a Technics Turntable with a yellow and black slip mat...

[Austruck]

I think most of you have found me, but if not, I'm Linda M Au on Facebook (NOT any of the Linda Aus in Hong Kong, though -- use the "M"). Profile pic is a wedding couple kissing. *blush*

And, as for exchanging items, I will lend a hand however I can, but please do NOT feel obligated to give me gifts, guys! (A bunch of you already have, and I feel bad that I don't have anything much to share *yet*.)

Seds, your advice on buying Mafia Mike's has helped me a lot. The money's starting to pour in -- but I realized I have to also buy them in groups, as you said, before the mafia requirement goes up each time!

[Austruck]

Promote me as whatever you like the bonus goes for you it depends what you want to spend less energy on jobs(wheelman) or score more experience(mastermind),the choice is yours

Wait, I assumed the benefits went to YOU guys! Do you get any benefit at all?

[Sedai]

It's stuff we can't use anymore, so I am glad to give you anything you need.

Like say...a couple more hints!

I tend to run just enough stamina to fight through my Health points twice, as you can just heal once ever few minutes. I fight until my health drops below 20, heal, then fight the rest of my stamina away. If you are set up correctly item-wise, you should be able to win 85% of your fights. You will lose some to luck/critical hits no matter how strong you are, so you will never win all the time.

To analyze fight efficiency, do a fight, then study the results to make sure no inferior items are being used.

For example:

Your Mafia of 282 fought against Spike Dahnke (http://apps.facebook.com/inthemafia/remote/html_server.php?xw_time=1242145112&xw_exp_sig=ef7bb0800efce79d3b3132819bb74005&xw_controller=stats&xw_action=view&user=1652599115) with 23 Bushmaster ACRs, 14 Napalms, a Bloody Webby, 16 RPG Launchers, a Weighted Knuckle Gloves , 225 Chain Guns, 2 .50 Caliber Rifles, 41 I <3 Mom Tattoos, 17 Bodyguards, 5 Night Vision Goggles, 219 Body Armors, 2 Porsche 911s, 9 Harley Davidson "Fat Boy" Motorcycles, 15 Armored Cars, 210 Town Cars, 41 '35 Cabriolets, and 5 Luxury Yachts.

Spike Dahnke (http://apps.facebook.com/inthemafia/remote/html_server.php?xw_time=1242145112&xw_exp_sig=ef7bb0800efce79d3b3132819bb74005&xw_controller=stats&xw_action=view&user=1652599115)'s Mafia of 163 fought with a Samurai Sword, 17 Easter Egg Bombs, 29 Bushmaster ACRs, 11 AA-12 Auto Shotguns, 6 Napalms, 2 Gold Desert Eagles, a Bloody Webby, an Axe, 6 RPG Launchers, a Weighted Knuckle Gloves , a Kunai, 15 Chain Guns, a Trench Knife, 12 .50 Caliber Rifles, 3 Sergeant Murphy's Coshes, 10 Grenade Launchers, 10 Tommy Guns, 8 Semi-Automatic Shotguns, 10 Automatic Rifles, 7 Machine Pistols, 11 Grenades, 14 I <3 Mom Tattoos, a Samurai Helmet, 6 Bodyguards, 5 Night Vision Goggles, 107 Body Armors, 7 Bullet Proof Vests, 20 Stab-Proof Vests, 3 Lucky Shamrock Medallions, 2 Harley Davidson "Fat Boy" Motorcycles, 4 Armored Cars, a Stolen Mail Truck, 6 Town Cars, 4 '35 Cabriolets, 12 Getaway Cruisers, 2 Prop planes, 3 Sedans, 20 Armored Sedans, 18 Armored Trucks, 2 Delivery Trucks, and 4 Motorcycles.



So, My Mafia in the top section is running about as efficiently as my level will allow at the moment. The current best weapon available to buy for me in the Chain Gun. So all the weapons that appear before the Chains in the list are better/special items I have gained through special loot or fighting, while lesser items appear after - this is the same for armor and vehicles. The only reason I have 2 .50 Caliber rifles is because they are required for a job I am doing currently.

The chap I am fighting has some chafe items equipped to his mafia, so he is losing. Notice all the sub-optimal weapons in his results. This loses you fights. Same goes for the pieces of armor that fall below Body Armor. Delivery Trucks and Motorcycles are bottom of the barrel, as well.

So, keep this guideline in mind when buying and equipping your mafia.

The caveat - Notice the Cabriolets listed AFTER Town Cars, which are the best car you can buy at my level. Using the above guidelines, you might think it's time to get rid of them and stock some more town cars. This is not the case! The Cabriolet is a better vehicle, big time. Some of the special items list in an odd spot sometimes, so just make sure to check your items carefully to make sure you are getting the best math possible in fights.

[Austruck]

Wow, Seds, you are way ahead of where I am. Most of what you wrote makes sense on an intellectual level but has no bearing on what I'm doing at this point, which is boss fights, jobs, purchasing "stuff," and not really much outside, real-player fighting yet.

Remember, I'm still around level 17... got a ways to go yet. (FUN, though.) :)

[mikeython1]

Sedai we should make an "add me" thread on MoFo somewhere. What do you think?

[B-card]

Wait, I assumed the benefits went to YOU guys! Do you get any benefit at all?

Yeah when we promote people from our mafia: The higher the lvl the higher the bonus

[Sedai]

Well, I can run a list at the start if this thread, if you like. Each person post your add link, and I will collect them in the first post next to each members name, then delete the other posts after I collect the links.

[Sedai]

Aus - This stuff still applies to you if you are going to fight early at all (I fought from level 1 on). The Attack/Defense stats aren't as important in the early levels from what I read, so you can still fight as long as you are outfitted with the right items for each person. Worked fine for me, even though I was putting almost all of my points into energy at first.

[mikeython1]

Does anyone have any good gifts to give me? I will give you whatever I have to give, but I doubt you need it.

[Sedai]

I am currently looking for a couple cufflinks and a few paintings...

[mikeython1]

I do not have any of those. I just started yesterday. My mafia is size 17 and skill level 11.

[B-card]

I am currently looking for a couple cufflinks and a few paintings...

Which cufflinks and paintings I have all of the paintings several times except Warhol

[Austruck]

Seds, you had mentioned buying a bunch of properties at one time (with the drop-down menu). And I really wanted to do that with Mafia Mike's since the mafia requirement goes up each time you buy one.

However, it doesn't let me buy more than one at a time. I don't suppose there's any way around that with this one property, is there?

I am learning to keep almost nothing in cash in hand so that it doesn't get taken in fights I lose. I'm still losing most of them. I don't start many (yet) -- busy doing jobs and catching up.

I HATE waking up in the morning and checking Mafia Wars ... only to find out that someone has attacked me multiple times overnight (while my money was accruing and not being deposited) and taken a LOT of my money. I don't suppose there's much I can do about that except, ha ha, stay up late...?

[Sedai]

Right on all counts. Mafia Mike's and special loot alternate as you add members. You have to buy each one at a time. For all other purchases on properties, buy in stacks.

I am at a point during which I can't really fight a lot right now, as I am almost to level 100, a point at which new weapons open up. When I try to fight, all the opponents are above level 100, and I just can't compete. I need 7 more levels! I am going into pure energy for the next few levels.

[mikeython1]

Sorry if I am pissing you guys off with all the gifts but I am trying to get the achievement for 501 gifts.

[Austruck]

Oh ha ha haaaa...Yeah, you're really pissing me off by giving me free stuff. :rolleyes:

You go for it, buddy! I just wish the energy could recharge faster than every five minutes per POINT. (sigh)

[Austruck]

Well, some moron just robbed me blind and damaged a bunch of my properties while I was minding my own business. I mean, hit after hit after hit. And since it was the first time it happened to me, I had no clue it was happening until I noticed my health had gone down to, like, 1 (!!) ... so I checked the Home news page.

I didn't know what to do, so I cleaned out my available bank account money to repair the properties and then protect them again. (How does protection work if this guy could ruin them so fast?) Had almost no cash on hand left.

Then, within a few more minutes, he turned around and did it again! I was stunned, so I waited on the repair/protect thing to see if he was done, but he kept going. Got both properties down to 70% damaged (ugh)... and since I now didn't even have enough to fix them, I put him on my hitlist instead, with a small bounty. (Couldn't afford much.)

Well, as soon as I did that, HE put out a bounty on ME, and suddenly I was being attacked by three or four of HIS people and getting pummeled again, killed, and now I'm trying to get my health to creep back up without me getting robbed again.

What the heck is going to happen overnight when I am not here to mind the store (so to speak)?

This one guy really pissed me off ... but then I saw by his stats that he does FAR more fighting than jobs, and has died and been robbed far more often than I've done any of that stuff. So this is how he plays the game, I guess.

I learned a few things today.... I just didn't like 'em. :(

[Austruck]

Arrrgh, he did it THREE MORE TIMES while I was writing that post.... and I've totally left him alone!

What can I do now???

[mikeython1]

That happened to me also. What I did is left my properties not protected and my health low for the day and they finally left me alone. What you can do also if the problem continues is pay the godfather to change your name. I have just started robbing other people myself and the only people I rob are people with the best properties. So having the best properties makes you a target. My solution for this is to have a lot of smaller properties instead of big properties.

[Austruck]

Yeah, I had just bought that casino too.... And I can't afford to fix anything now. Down to under a million dollars! So I just wait it out, I guess and see what happens by morning. (If he's in an earlier time zone, I'm screwed. LOL)

Glad to see you survived it. It seems almost vindictive. I mean, I have fought and robbed folks, but I probably only hit someone three times before I stop pushing my luck and move on. (Then again, I'm busier doing jobs and doing less fighting anyway.)

Thanks for the advice ... and the response. I was beginning to think I was a total idiot.

[Austruck]

Okay, I just made myself feel better: I imagined this player as some pimply-faced 14-year-old nerd. :)

[Sedai]

This has happened to me a couple of times...Try shelling out the cash to repair 45 Mega-Casinos...

Just leave them alone... Leave your buildings hurt and they will eventually head on out and bother someone else. I never protect my buildings. Seems like a waste. Also, keep up on buying the Mafia Mike's, as they can't be robbed.

How goes the Mafia adding?

I am currently:

Level 106
375 Mafia

[Austruck]

I guess that is part of my confusion. What does the protection actually do if he could get through like that? Good advice, I think. I definitely had enough income stream to do stuff before I bought the casino and office building. They're both at 70% damaged this morning, and that guy seems to have gone off to bother someone else.

It's been about a week and a half for me. I'm at level 36, I think, with 56 mafia. Not bad for not really trying much to add mafia..... :) And the bank account is slowly creeping back up. It had been barely touched overnight, so that's good.

[Sexy Celebrity]

I played it a little bit the other day and got up to level 4. I'm "Mr. Sexy" on there. It's fun, but I haven't become addicted.

[TheDOMINATOR]

I've been playing for about a week, maybe two, and I'm a Soilder at Level 30 (I believe), with a rather pathetic mafia family of 14...and this is after I bought three additional family members from the Godfather for 20 reward points. *sigh* I need a bigger mafia.

So, if anyone would like to add me (or for me to add them), just PM me and we'll exchange facebook profiles. :) I need two more members to fight that next boss. :cool:

[mikeython1]

Mafia-33 Level-33


Dom I should be able to toss a couple mafia members your way today or tommorrow. So if some people friend you, you don't know, they are my friends.

[Sedai]

Ouch!!! Never spend Godfather points on Mafia! It takes about 5 minutes to get perhaps 10 more Mafia on the lists. GPs are tough to get and Mafia is the worst use of them by far, from what I have heard.

Meanwhile:

Ok folks, I have worked at getting my Top Mafia slots maxed out with the best possible people that would put the bonus up to max level allowed. I will list the users and you folks can search them out using the friend finder and get them into your top mafia. Just search out their names, and in the case of the more common named people, just look for the person that you share a friend with and that should be the right person.

Heeeeeeeere we go!

Mastermind (Max 11%) - Kent Nelson
Wheelman (Max 11%) - TJ Gorder
Button Man (Max 11%) - Zilvinas Simoncikas
Bodyguard (Max 11%) - Ferbrian Maradona
Safecracker (Max 15%) - Brian Bamberger (13%)
Bagman (Max 15%) - Steven Joseph (This cat is level 600!!!!!!)


The only one I need to find a replacement for eventually is Safecracker, but I just can't find anyone bettere than Brian at this time. I used a special scanning tool and some networking on FB to tracvk these people down.

[Sedai]

An absolute MUST READ for all players. This sheds light on exactly how combat works.

Combat Formula Explained (http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?id=148432115314)


I also added a very cool little tool that helps analyze your character during combat. the tool is at the bottom of the following linked page. I am linking the whole page, as there is some other stuff worth reading/using.

Heartrate Tools (http://heartrate.se/)

[Austruck]

That's pretty helpful, Seds. Thanks for posting. Even I kinda "get" the gist of what he's saying there. I'm at about level 42 now and starting to think about dumping more skill points into attack and defense anyway. I'd been instinctively putting a few skill points into those two all along, and keeping them about equal.

[Sedai]

Yeah, once you hit level 50, more points should get dumped into attack/defense. I still think the early levels should be mostly Energy, in order to build a good base for jobs. Have you added those top Mafia folks I listed above? Max out those bonuses early!

[TheDOMINATOR]

Hey, I recently achieved Level 44 and, upon doing so, was awarded a "St. Simons," or something like that. Its picture was of a brown horse. Afterwards, I went to look for it in my profile/inventory, but it's nowhere to be found.

Anyone know what this is?

[Austruck]

Yup. If you click on Inventory and then on Collections and Vault. You are trying to collect complete sets of "stuff" (it's obvious once you see that page). Once you get a complete set, you can "vault" it, giving you extra points for things like defense, stamina, energy, etc.

The horsey thing you're talking about is one of the collections closer to the bottom of the page at your level -- the Consigliere tier, I think. It's race horses, I believe.

[TheDOMINATOR]

Ah, thanks, Austruck. Since I received it upon advancing a level, I thought it was something special, but I suppose it's just part of a collection.

[Sedai]

I would think you got it for a gift arond the same time you hit a level-up, as it isn't possible to get vault items during level-up. The gift message would have been right under the level-up message, and can definitely appear at the same time.

That said, if you need any of the horses, I have about 10 of each, and I can send them along to whomever needs them. It's weird, as I haven't stacked up a lot of surplus on many other vaults, but for some reason I constantly picked up horses while doing jobs.

I am currently toiling away at the Underboss stuff, which requires a lot of backtracking through the earlier job tiers to collect various rare items needed to complete the jobs.

Level - 121
Mafia - 512

Here are a couple of useful tools I happened into recently, used for crunching stats in MW:

Property Calculator (http://app.ninjaandy.com/apps/propcalc/mafiawars.php)

Combat Analyzer (http://helgo.net/cgi-bin/simon/mafia/fight.py)

[Austruck]

I seem to be in need of things like night goggles and concealable camera. I cannot move to capo jobs without more of those.

Is there any way to find out which looting jobs are more likely to drop those things, or is it entirely random?

I've got them on my wishlist (after figuring out you can't put a special loot item like this on your wishlist unless you actually have one to click on!), but nobody's biting, probably because we all need them around my level! :)

ADDICTING, I tell ya!

I am going to be away for the weekend, and yes, I actually wondered if the place has WiFi so that I can get on there and at LEAST bank my money periodically to keep it from being nabbed. Sheesh....

[Sedai]

Just hover your cursor over the icon next to the words "chance to loot". It's a little yellow icon with a money bag and a question mark on it. :)

The cameras come from an Enforcer job, if memory serves. That same job drops phones as well, which are very important. Don't give any of these loot items away, trust me.

[Austruck]

Oh duh, that makes sense. (In the meantime, I just waited till I got one and then immediately added it to my wishlist before it was gone. But sadly, they are all gone ... again.)

Yeah, I quickly figured out not to give away special loot and stuff like that due to upcoming jobs. I figure it's okay to give away already vaulted items from collections but that's about it. And energy packs! Love my energy packs! :)

[Sedai]

Indeed. Sending packs is a good habit to get into!

[Austruck]

I do it every evening. And at least of my mafia family seems to do the same thing. Every evening I get an energy pack from Jane Li -- one of those "friends" I don't even know. :)

[mikeython1]

What this Fly to Cuba option all about? Should I be doing this?

[Sedai]

Check it out! Seems pretty cool... It's good for people at my level that are perpetually stuck on Underboss levels 2-3, constantly looking for cameras, phones, and records...

Oh and by the by, that SWAT truck is bad loot - Don't buy it.

[Austruck]

Fly to Cuba? What am I missing? Doesn't sound familiar....

[mikeython1]

It is on the top of the Home screen. Its is an Icon that says Fly To Cuba.

[moviefan87]

is this like Drug Wars, which i used to play on my TI-83 calculator in high school?

[birdygyrl]

I can't believe I just found this thread. I have been playing MW for about 3 weeks now. I've gotten to a level 20 and have 82 people in my mafia. I joined a few of the Add Me groups and started clicking away. Seds, thanks for all the great pointers. I am going to reread them when its not 2:30am. I can use all the help I can get. Right now, all I have to offer is an opal ring, a monkey sculpture, the sky and gold cigars and a Cezanne. I didn't know you could delete somebody as a friend and still have them in your mafia. Sweet. There is this one guy who thinks that being befriended means you can hit on the person. Not good. I am also birdygyrl on FB. My real pic is posted...the one I posted here. Hope we can all get together. :)

[birdygyrl]

I got my a$$ kicked today by a level 1030. I swear. I had to look twice. I guess you really have to be careful who you pick on.:(