If you keep playing Mafia (and play elsewhere on LJ, where it isn't just an HP game), you'll find that RP plays into it less. Some people really love the RP aspect (I definitely do), but when you get to the strategy bit of playing Mafia, RP has to sort of go out the window. Because RP relationships don't matter in terms of the game. And people will sign up as characters who are fun to RP but hard to actually play the game with in character.

Which is hopefully not me saying anything about an ongoing game that I'm also part of. >_>