Mahjong: Furiten rule not listed in Play Guide

[Haway]

Summary: The Play guide is missing details on the Furiten (or Sacred Discard rule), which I believe is in effect.

I've been enjoying the implementation of the Mahjong mini-game in patch 4.5 (aside from the unfair requirements to get the orchestrian roll). However, one thing has bugged me since I started playing through FFXIV. The Play Guide doesn't mention a rule used in Riichi Mahjong that might confuse newer players - the furiten rule.

What is it?
The basic rule states that if you are waiting on one or more winning tiles (regardless of whether you are in Riichi or not) and one of them is in your discards, you cannot Ron off any player, even if you have a valid yaku (you can still Tsumo the tile).

Here's an example/proof or the rule in effect:

https://imgur.com/a/UY0gMeN

I've had to chi the 6 characters due to there being barely any left to maintain a Mixed Triple Chi yaku (the same chi sequence in 3 different suits - so 678 Bamboo, 678 Characters and 678 Circles). I could not have won the hand at that point (even though the 6 characters completes my hand) as I had a 567 Bamboo at the time and therefore no yaku.

I throw out the 5 Bamboo and it gets chi'd. The player then throws an 8 Bamboo, which is what I need to complete my hand with a yaku! Except the game doesn't allow me. I know why this is since I've played Riichi Mahjong before playing it in FFXIV. Because I'm waiting on the 5 or 8 Bamboo and the 5 Bamboo is in my discards, I'm in the "furiten" state. I can only win with a Tsumo now unless I change my waiting tiles.

Why is it important?
The rule is there not only to force players to be more careful with their discards, but also for the other players. When you know the rule is in effect, you can defend against a certain player by matching a tile from their discards, safe in the knowledge that they cannot Ron off it. Of course, other players aren't affected if that tile isn't in their discards but generally you can get an idea of which hand is looking most dangerous and defend yourself against it - for example if Riichi is called or a player has 9 pons or chis of a suit or a pon of dora (3 Han).

Newer players will tend to build hands based off the basic yaku and may at some point end up in this situation without realising and make the game confusing.

I don't know if it was intended that furiten was in the mini-game, or if the devs just forgot about it, but if the rule is in effect, then it should be listed in the Play Guide and the Mahjong tutor, just as a reference and as a guide for newer players.

Hopefully I'm not wrong here. I did check it before I wrote this post . Hopefully it's of help and the devs spot it so they can explain why the rule is missing from the Play Guide.

[CodingSession]

Yeah, they should explain the rules more thoroughly.

One of the most important things that is not explained in the guide is whether a yaku requires a closed hand or not. I very rarely make pon/chi calls out of fear that they might ruin my hand. There are yaku guides on the internet, but I'm not sure if they're 100% compatible with the house rules of FFXIV mahjong.

[Haway]

I believe they are. I've not had any problems, though I tend to win with mostly the same yaku each time.

[Aeliott]

Yeah, a furiten intidcator would be nice.

I also find it strange how it shows the actual Dora tile, instead of a Dora indicator. It might be more handy for newer players because you can visibly see the bonus tiles. But as an advanced player it can throw you off, because you have to take into account the one in sequence BEFORE the Dora will have 1 fewer tile to draw from.

That and....I want to see my own character's face in ranked :x

[Kietsu]

I also find it strange how it shows the actual Dora tile, instead of a Dora indicator.

And on the topic of the ingame rules and Dora: While it's very player friendly, the game's instructions don't allude to the Dead Wall (and its pile of missing tiles) at all - not when they say there are 4 of each tile, not when they skim over Dora, not even in the section about Kan. I understand that's absolutely in the 'advanced strategy' territory, but still!

I want to see my own character's face in ranked :x

This is more important, though.
Are Lalafell vain?
I think they might be vain.

Edit! Interestingly enough, I think the little 'hint' box might actually take it into account - in a match I played recently I was waiting on a 6 or 9, but had a 9 in my discard - it suggested I throw out the 7/8.

[Betraydabear]

Can someone explain to me why I can't even tsumo under furiten? I had that happened to me 3 times.

[Kietsu]

Can someone explain to me why I can't even tsumo under furiten? I had that happened to me 3 times.

It's possible you didn't have a yaku. (Remember, Tsumo is only a yaku when your hand is closed, which makes it a 'Menzen Tsumo'!)

[Magictrix]

It's possible you didn't have a yaku. (Remember, Tsumo is only a yaku when your hand is closed, which makes it a 'Menzen Tsumo'!)

I had no indicator of Furiten until the player up top put the 4 of dots down, as soon as he discarded, then I had an indicator of Furiten.

Furiten: Prevents you from calling ron because a tile in your discard pile could have been used to complete a winning hand, or you missed the chance to call a winning hand. You may also be subject to furiten if you are in tenpai with an open hand but no guaranteed yaku.

So I had no guaranteed yaku, and I also had a closed hand. Why could I not ron the 4 of dots? I think this text doesn't actually help anything as either the conditions listed in it are wrong, or it is missing something else entirely.

[0xReki]

You're right, it mixes both temporary furiten and permament furiten into the same message.

You had a closed hand, but you didn't have a yaku.
Winning with a closed hand on self-draw is a yaku (menzen tsumo)
Winning with a closed hand on discard isn't so you cannot win on that discard.

What correctly triggered the message was the player across discarding the 4p.
Yes, you weren't allowed to ron it because you lacked a yaku.
But you still missed a chance to win on ron: temporary furiten.
Assuming you magically gained a yaku and could win on an action of player to the left you wouldn't be allowed to until it's your turn again. (Can happen with Last Tile Discard or in other constallations with Robbing a Kan)

While in furtiten, you can still win on tsumo (self draw) if you have a yaku.
In this case, you both got out of temporary furiten and got a yaku by winning on self draw.

I hope it helps.