Mafia Wars Family Battle General FAQ

Q:  What is the Family Battle all about?
A:  This feature will allow your Family to engage in battle with other Families to earn rewards in pursuit of proving which Family has the most muscle.

Q:  Who can start a Family Battle?
A:  The Family Battle can only be started by the Godmother/father or Underboss.

Q:  How do we select a Family to go to battle with?
A:  You will be able to select from Families who have similar rank or ice count.

Q:  Is there a limit on the number of Battles that we can be engaged in at the same time?
A:  Your Family can only be engaged in one Battle at a time.

Q:  How are the results of our Battles displayed?
A:  Up to 5 previous Battle results will be displayed and will show the winner/loser, ice count, and score.

Q:  How is the progress for our Family Battle measured?
A:  The mastery bar is increased for each Family after each Battle that has been engaged.  Wins will result in higher mastery, however, the Family will still earn some mastery even if they incur a loss.

Q:  What is the Family icon and what does it mean?
A:  Mastery Badges are awarded to Families at each mastery level.  Every Family will start at level 1.

Q:  What is the maximum mastery level that can be earned?
A:  Initially there are 15 mastery levels/badges that a Family can earn.  This number may be increased over the lifetime of this feature.

Q:  Will our Family be able to brag about reaching a new mastery level?
A:  Yes!  Each time that you reach a new level you will have the option of posting a brag feed to your profile.

Q:  Are there different types of Battles?
A:  Each Family will be able to engage in two types of Battle.  When the Godmother/father decides to engage in Battle with another Family they will have the option of selecting between a 4 hour battle or a 48 hour battle.

Q:  What happens after our Family has chosen another Family to do Battle with?
A:  After making your selection for Battle an email will be sent to the opposing Family.  They will have the option to decline the battle or engage your challenge.  Should the Battle be rejected you will receive a notification that they have declined.

Q:  How many active requests to engage a Battle can my Family have?
A:  Each Family can have up to 10 active Battle requests at any time.

Q:  Is there an expiration for the Battle requests that have been sent?
A:  Each request will expire after 5 days.

Q:  What will happen if we are engaged in a Battle and one of our other requests is accepted?
A:  That Family will receive a notification that you are currently engage in another Battle.

Q:  Are there timers for the Battles?
A:  There will be two distinct timers for each Battle.  The first timer is a countdown timer that will let you know when the Battle begins.  Any activity during this countdown will not count towards to the Battle.  The Battle Timer (4 or 48 hour) will start when the countdown timer concludes.  You will have until this timer runs out to defeat your opponent.

Q:  How will we know who is winning the Battle?
A:  There is a Battle Status Meter which will show you the current score and the time remaining in the Battle.

Q:  How do I participate in the Family Battle?
A:  On the Family page you will need to click the Battle tab.  It will show your active battle and generate a list of participants. You can engage each opposing Family member individually, or if there are not any currently available you can attack the Family directly.

Q:  What will determine who wins the Battle?
A:  Each Family member can earn points towards winning the Battle by icing, killing, and attacking the opposing teams safehouse. If the timer runs out before the Battle has been finished the Family with the highest score will win.  When the Battle has been completed a pop-up will show a summary of the Battle.

Q:  What is the safehouse?
A:  The safehouse is a way to attack the Family directly if there are no live targets in the opposing Families fight list.  The safehouse attack button is only available when there are no live targets and will not be visible if there are players in the fight list for the opposing Family.

Q:  What do we receive for taking part in a Family Battle?
A:  Each fight action taken will earn individual fight experience along with fight loot.  Your Family will also receive Family Battle mastery points for both wins, and losses.

via zynga forums

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Group Sales: There's (More) Strength In Numbers

Group Sales prove there's (more) strength in numbers, now in Mafia Wars.

Here's how they work:

An item is made available in the marketplace with a starting price and starting stats (100/56 in the case of our first Group Sale item, the Onyx 50). Then, as more of the item are sold, its stats are upgraded. When the stats improve, the price increases too, but only for any new purchases of the item. Pre-upgrade purchases get the better stats for free! The level of stats everyone ends up receiving depends on the sales tier achieved by the end of the Group Sale (note the timer in the image, which is counting down to an end time of 2am PDT on 8/26 for the Onyx 50).

via Official MW blog

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Family Boss Fight: Jeff The Knife

Jeff The Knife thinks he can cut you down to size. Use the collaborative strength of your family to show him that he's not as sharp as he thinks he is!
Family Boss Fights pit your entire family against an epic boss. In the case of Jeff The Knife, you'll have 7 days to beat him. (You may have more or less time to take out future Family Bosses.) Whenever the timer runs out on a Family Boss Fight, the boss' health resets and you will have another chance to prove your family is in charge.

via Official MW blog

Step 1: Choose A Role
When you first join a Family Boss Fight, you will elect to participate in one of three roles, each possessing a different special ability. Bruisers enable fellow family members to deal double damage, Arsonists reduce a Family Boss' rage, which would otherwise prevent attacks from dealing full damage, and Racketeers reduce the fatigue of fellow family members, helping them to continue to fight. You will have the role you choose for the duration of the Family Boss Fight and will only be able to choose a new one when you decide to participate in another round after a timer reset.




Step 2: Attack!
There are two ways to inflict damage upon a Family Boss: 1) Use stamina to deal an amount of damage determined by your attack skill and the Family Boss' current level of rage, and 2) Use Family Boss Fight ammos:

	Crowbar Swings drop from robbing. They deal 70 damage.
	Backstabs drop from jobs. They deal 80-110 damage.
	Sucker Punches drop from fighting. They deal 90-100 damage.
	Rifle Rounds can be sent/received. They deal 100-130 damage.

Step 3: Rally to Win
Request role-specific buffs from your family to help defeat the Family Boss. As explained earlier, participating family members select a role when they enter the fight, each of which can send a different type of buff to other family members (in other words, you can't use a buff on yourself). You can ask for a buff via the Buff Request Bar across the top of the Family Boss Fight window:

When a family member is in need of the type of buff you can provide, you'll see a Buff Request icon appear over their score in the leaderboard. Clicking that icon sends a buff to them. You begin with 5 of the buffs of your chosen role, after which you'll have to wait for them to regenerate at a rate of 1 every 30 minutes:



Family Member Leaderboard & Loot
No matter your role, your dedication can earn you a spot at the top of the leaderboard, which shows how much each of your participating family members are contributing in the fight. And there's good reason to try to be at the top, as the awesomeness of the loot you will receive if your family defeats a Family Boss depends on the degree to which you participate in the fight. Put in an OK amount of effort and the loot you could receive will range from OK to Great, but, do more to help in the fight and your loot will range from Great to Epic! On top of that, you can collect the 4 top loot items to land an achievement!


The Boss Rage Bar
As alluded to earlier, a Family Boss has a rage bar, which fills up a little bit more each time the they are attacked. As a Family Boss' rage grows, attacks become less effective and the amount of damage they receive is reduced. Be sure to ask your family Arsonists to cool the boss down so your attacks will inflict the maximum damage possible. Also, ask your family Bruisers to 2x your attack and show the Family Boss who's really in charge!


The Fatigue Bar
Mobsters in every role can attack a Family Boss, but it costs stamina to do so. Exactly how much stamina your next attack will cost depends on your level of fatigue. The more fatigued you are, the more stamina it costs to attack, and therefore the fewer attacks you can make with the stamina you have, so be sure to ask your family Racketeers to reduce your fatigue to keep you fighting longer. And then ask your family Bruisers to 2x your attack so they count that much more!

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Secret District: Smuggler's Haven Balance Tuning

One of the things that makes Mafia Wars so much fun is that it is a living, evolving game. We work hard to release a lot of exciting content and extensively test every feature and event prior to release, but sometimes imbalances don’t become apparent until those features are in use by millions of players. Unfortunately, the XP/energy ratios of the Smuggler’s Haven Secret District is one of those cases and we have determined that they need to be adjusted again this afternoon to preserve the balance that keeps Mafia Wars fun for everyone. The ratios will be closer to those found throughout the rest of Brazil. We want to apologize for the inconvenience, so as a consolation, we will be increasing the stats of the loot received in Smuggler’s Haven. We hope you enjoy the better loot!


via Official MW Blog

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New Mission Event: To Smuggle A Mockingbird + Secret District: Smuggler's Haven

You are hired to smuggle a rare bird to a rich client, but getting it will be a chore. Keep it secret, keep it quiet to receive the Kookaburra bird (85/154) from this mission set in Smuggler's Haven! Note: You must by level 25+ to see this mission.

If you are level 25 or above, you should now be able to travel to Smuggler's Haven! This timed Secret District in Brazil contains 9 new jobs to complete before 4pm on 8/30.

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Mafia Wars Family Progression General FAQ

Family Progression has been available to 100% of families for about a week now, so we thought it a good time to answer a few frequently asked questions:

Q: What is Family Progression?
A: Family Progression is a feature that allows families to earn levels in a way similar to individuals. For each level, the family is awarded special perks that benefit all of the family’s members. Experience towards family level progression is gained by family members performing actions in the game. Many of the same core actions that help you level as an individual will also help your family progress!

Q: Is this a permanent feature to the game?
A: Yes! This is a new feature that you can expect to enjoy for awhile.

Q: Do I need to be in a family in order to participate?
A: Yes, you will need to join or create a family in order to participate in this feature.


Q: How do I join or create a Family so that I can participate in this feature?
A: Instructions on how to join or create a family can be found here.

Q: How do the timers work?
A: The timer in the top right corner of the window lets you know when the current period ends and the next period begins. You have until then to maximize your contribution to your family's collective experience. Currently, some families are on a 24-hour timer, which allows one to contribute smaller chunks of family experience more frequently, while others are on a weekly timer, which allows one to contribute larger chunks of family experience less frequently. In both cases, you can earn a maximum of 16,800 family experience for your family each week. After a week or two, we’ll switch all families to the one timer we determine to be best for the game.

Q: What happens if I don't collect the family experience and bonus individual experience before the timer runs out?
A: If you do not click the "Collect" button prior to the clock running down, your family will not be awarded the experience you earned for them, nor will you receive the bonus individual experience you earned for being such an active family member.

Q: How do I help my family out?
A: You can contribute to your family’s progress by earning family experience points for in-game activities that you already do every day.

		Q: What are the in-game activities that apply to Family Progression? A: There are four areas in which activities earn family experience:
	1. Helper: Family experience is earned for the following activities that demonstrate your loyalty and dedication to your mob family:
	2. Jobs: Doing Jobs in any city has always earned you experience. Now it earns your family experience as well!
	3. Ices: Icing other players will add to the family experience you contribute to your family's progression. To ice an opponent, attack them until their health falls below 20.
	4. Property: You can earn family experience by crafting weapons, armor, vehicles, and animals in New York City. The higher your property upgrades, the more experience you can collect for your family.

Q: Are there Mastery levels for these activities?
A: Yes! There are Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels.

Q: How is the feature tracked?
A: Visit your family tab to find the progress bar. This will show you which level your family is on as well as your mastery for the current period. This will also show the leaderboard for each of the four contributing activity types.

Q: How many family levels are there?
A: There are 10 family levels through which your family can progress.

Q: How much family experience is required to attain each level?
A:

Level	Family Experience Required
1	0
2	50,000
3	50,000
4	125,000
5	275,000
6	500,000
7	1,250,000
8	2,750,000
9	5,000,000
10	12,500,000

Q: What is the Leaderboard?
A: The leaderboard will show the top member of your family who contributes the most in each of the four categories of activities.

Q: What are Family Perks?
A: There are 10 perks associated with Family Progression - one for each level:


Q: How do I know which perks my Family has earned?
A: This information can be reviewed by clicking the “Perks” button on your family page.

Q: What happens to my Family Perks if I change families?
A: The perks are linked to the family and only affect its current members. If you decide to leave a family, the perks they have earned will no longer be granted to you.

Q: What happens when I join a new family, will I get the perks they have already earned?
A: Yes. If you join a new family, the perks they already have will be applied to you as well.

[image and source credit:  Official Mafia Wars Blog]

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Crack the Safe 411 & FAQ

Got this on Zynga Support Page!   Here is your chance your build your Mafia and add some valuable loot to your arsenal by completing the Crack the Safe challenge.  This challenge is easier than you might think.  In order to to start this challenge you will need to make sure that all of the following are completed for your account.    Make sure that you have the Mafia Wars game installed  ‘Like’ Mafia Wars on Facebook  Allow Mafia Wars to publish to your news stream If you have met these three conditions then you are on your way cracking the safe.  Now, to claim your reward you are going to need to invite Five friends to join your crew.  Remember, you must adhere to the Facebook Statement of Rights and Responsibilities when adding friends.       Each time you have successfully added five friends you will receive a random drop of one of the five mastery items.           Q:  When did this event begin A:  This challenge was slowly rolled out to a limited number of players starting on 4/7/11. Q:  How come my friends can see this event but I can't? A:  As with all of our previous events and challenges, this will be a gradual release to ensure stability within the game.  (Not all players will have initial access to this challenge.) Q:  Can I be added to this challenge manually? A:  Not at this time.  This is a beta feature that is being tested on a limited number of accounts, and was released to a very limited number of players.  Agents do not have the ability to add this feature to a players account. Q:  When will the event end? A:  There is currently not a date scheduled for this event to end as it is still in the limited release stage. Q:  How many times will I be able to complete this challenge? A:  There is a limit of 100 times that this challenge can be completed.  If you reach this level your Mafia is sure to rule supreme. Q:  Can I purchase these items from the Marketplace? A:  No.  These are limited edition items and they are currently only available by completing this challenge. Q:  Where can I find more information regarding the Facebook Terms of Service? A:  You can visit the following link to review the Facebook terms:  https://na4.salesforce.com/articles/Standard/All-Games-Facebook-s-Terms-of-Service?popup=true

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New Mafia Wars Feature: Mission

Mafia Wars new Feature -  Mission has started rolling out to some Mafia Wars accounts.  If you're with it already, you'll see this one:

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Set Up Secret Drops For Your Mafia

A new feature had been found in Mafia Wars called "Secret Drops." Just like the Secret Stash, it allows players to send random, rare items and bonuses to their friends after finding a secret drop location through random activities.

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Mafia Wars Armory Collection

Now Mafia Wars players will have the chance to make their own armors through the newest New York property. The Armory.  Check below the list of armors you can build.

List of Armors that can be crafted on Mafia Wars Armory property:

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Mafia Wars: Fight Mastery Level

Keep fighting in Mafia Wars to increase your Fight Master Level.  With each fights, you earn Victory Tokens, which can be traded in for special Fight Club Loots available at the Marketplace.  Check my old post on this new feature:  Mafia Wars Fight Club.

Check the table below to see how many fight wins are required in order to level up your Mafia Wars Fight Mastery.

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How To Get More Bollywood Film Reel In Mafia Wars

 

5 BOLLYWOOD FILM REEL EVERY 24 HOURS

Make sure you visit Mafia Wars Mumbai every 24 hours to collect the 5 Bollywood Film Reel normally given.  It's round the clock so don't let the time pass. 

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Mafia Wars Las Vegas Complete Guide

MAFIA WARS is taking over Las Vegas, Sin City, the Entertainment Capital of the World!

Las Vegas is Mafia War’s 5th official location (after New York City, Cuba, Moscow, and Bangkok) and it’s a whole new gaming and visual experience!

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Spin The Wheel To Receive Your Bonus

For those who haven't tried clicking the BONUS icon on top of the Lucky Stash Online Casino in Mafia Wars, you are missing free RPs or bonus loot.

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Mafia Wars Las Vegas, You're In!

Finally I was able to unlock Mafia Wars Las Vegas!  I only have 15 Racks of Chips and I was able to get the VIP access.  Here are screen shots of the Las Vegas travel!

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Mafia Wars Bangkok: Triad or Yakuza

This post is for Mafia Wars players who are still undecided on what faction to choose on Bangkok, Triad or Yakuza. 

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Where To Get Flux Compressor In Mafia Wars

I just got one link on how to get flux compressor in mafia wars.  From WikiAnswer, a contributor answered:

"I earned two flux compressors by completing the loot job "Ransom a Bussiness Mans Kid" in the Consigliere job tier. Good luck!!"

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Problems On Mafia Wars Achievement

I have received an email asking me why she cannot earn the Cuban Achievement "Next" even she had mastered all the Cuban Job Tiers.

If you have the same problem too, here is the answer of Zynga for Mafia Wars Achievements Issues which I’ve got on their forum page:
 

There are 3 possible reasons why you might not have gotten an achievement and we'll walk you through the steps to take depending on which reason.

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Where To Get Mafia Wars Loot Items, Part 6

RA-92 (Cuba)
You can get the RA-92 in the El Soldado Tier by completing the 'Establish Contact With The FRG' job.

RPG Launcher
You can loot the RPG Launcher in Mafia Wars in the Hitman Tier by completing the 'Sell Guns to the Russian Mob' job.

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Where To Get Mafia Wars Loot Items, Part 5

Montaine 320 (Cuba)
You can loot the Montaine 320 in the El Jefe Tier by completing the 'Shake Down A Hotel Owner' job.

Napalm
You can get Napalm in the Hitman Tier by completing the 'Exterminate a Rival Family' job.

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