I don't know how to put this really, but I'd say one of the major problems is that there isn't a really mafia community that's there at the moment. When Smogon mafia started out, there was like this core bunch of people who'd always play every game, but it wasn't just that, they'd also hang outside of mafia. They were friends outside of mafia etc as well, which is what made it more fun for them to play the game. This is before we had CM, so it was mostly the Firebot crowd, which was basically #smogon folks. It was like there was always a bunch of ~20 people who knew each other pretty well who were signing up for every game, hosting new ones, and coming up with new ideas. Eventually some of those people stopped playing, but new guys kept becoming part of the core community that was responsible for actively playing and making games with new concepts and moving mafia forward. Now the trouble is that there's been a mass exodus of sorts because of life etc. There isn't really much of a core community anymore. Sure there are people who've played some mafia and know each other, but it's more fragmented now than it used to be, and the numbers are fewer as well.
The onus is on today's CM guys to keep mafia alive. If you guys are so interested in playing mafia, then DO something about it. Make games. Garner interest. Also, PLAY. Something I've observed is that as mafia has developed, it's become a lot more organised and restricted in some ways. Village leaders bark out orders, villagers take them, and shut up. In the mafia groups as well, everything is controlled by 2-3 people who do everything, and the rest of the people just sit around sending in PMs. Play the goddamned game, take interest in it, talk to the team leaders or whatever. Don't just sit there. It's like everyone's content with being a pawn, and no one wants to have a say in what's done. No one's going to let you have any level of control until you show that you deserve it. At least try to participate in team discussions, stay updated and give suggestions. There's also an issue with people who lead teams who promote this kind of stuff. Really, if you keep people involved, they WILL get bett0er (unless it's like RODAN or someone) and that benefits the mafia community as a whole. You've got to trust your team.
Another issue is the lack of big games from the newer folks. Seriously, aside from Yeti (whose game was not exactly very well done, but her hand was forced in many ways I guess lol) I don't think anyone who started playing after 2008 or 9 has attempted to make a big game. Big games are on an entirely different level from small games. Once your team gets going, and you have a group of individuals to talk to, they're a ton of fun. If you've played a few big games, you'll understand. However, creating, balancing and hosting a big game is more challenging than making a small game. I guess that intimidates people somewhat. I'm not sure if the current CM crowd is even sufficient to sustain a big game. But big games were really the heart and soul of Smogon mafia, the form that shaped them, and the form that's been most important throughout. You guys really ought to try and host some at some point.
The main problem I guess is that there aren't as many people interested in mafia as there used to be. Otherwise more people would be taking some initiative when it comes to making games and playing them. It's unfortunate for the Circus that today's existing communities aren't interested in mafia, unlike the communities of a few years ago, when mafia was developing/at its peak. Playing mafia with your buddies is a ton more fun, just like most other games, and if you have a set of buddies big enough to sustain games by themselves, that's a pretty huge bonus. That's how it used to be. That's not how it is any longer. Ah well...
I'm done ranting, sorry if I came off as condescending or elitist at any point, I didn't mean to! I also apologise for pointing out a lot of problems without offering any real solutions. Good luck!