(IS it just me or has Garfield references seem to pop up more to my attention than they used to? XD )
This was a good game. The best part of the game was definitely the focus on the game-play rather than power-roles. This is how playing mafia is done folks.
I'm very impressed with Brad as GM as he was a very efficient host. He did a good job of moving the game along and leaving things simple for the write-ups. The write-ups, I always say are not what the game is about. They shouldn't give too much information, or it becomes a game about analyzing write-ups. So that was a strong positive there. The game was also quite balanced. The fact that there were vanilla townies/goons on each faction made the game more enjoyable for me in some ways.
My two snippets of advice for improvement here is only 2 things: Day phases should always have deadlines, or else it may give the town an advantage, as mafia can't do their basic, although lame, 'lurking/stalling' tactic, until the lynch - which can still be caught by smart townies if they see it happening. It's why usually day phases are longer in other places (2 weeks being the norm).
The one week deadline was quite nice here, as it gave a fair amount of time, but also didn't take too long - as on this forum we tend to have quite speedy poster, who'd probably get bored if things take too long, which is understandable.
The second piece of advice, is to remain completely impartial... so I understand when watching you'll want to comment on the exciting parts of the game here and there, but as a host, it might hint a little at what's happening in the game, as there is a reason why the host excited about something and people might get an impression on what it is, which could influence the game. So remember as host, to keep your running commentaries out of the thread, and perhaps just talk about it through Pm with someone who isn't in it or can't play anymore, such as an eliminated mafia player or me (Cause most of the time I won't be playing, but I'll definitely talk to folks about it. =P )
Overall, those are minor things - this game was run really well and the smaller size/focus on game play/more 'vanilla roles' => was a breath of fresh air.
Yeah...the hating cats was a bad move!
I was soo freakin' close to winning it for mafia. All we needed was 4 votes, and I had me and Waffel on the vote for Mr. B.......where in the heck was knailsic and Ritt? We could have won this game! All you had two had to do was vote and that was it!
Actually, piling the vote on like that for a quick lynch, is not a good idea and very suspect. A smart townie would have noticed and unvoted right away, before getting dangerously close to a lynch (like how J unvoted), if there's not enough strong info or anything like that. Though it can be good on final days, if the mafia are /really/ quick, but then that's taking a chance, as you're not sure if your mafia partner will be as quick as the town. Just an observation.
I think what would of been a good strategy would of been if the mafia members voted for each other like in Day 4 if knailsic had voted for VaderTime when it was obvious VaderTime was going to be lynched I think it would of took the suspicions away from him for the final day phase and Waffel might of voted Lodi instead of knailsic who knows.
I recently saw the movie Suburban Commando, one of those Hulk Hogan movies, and there was a good piece of advice from that movie sometimes you got to lose to win, having a mafia member cause the lynch to a fellow mafia member would of looked like a loss but in the end it could of ended up being a big win if it played out right.
I actually thought I posted this earlier but I guess I didn't so I'll post it now
This is actually a pretty common strategy. Basically townies should learn that just because someone voted for someone to lynch or not doesn't confirm them as either townie or scum. So be very, very, very careful.
I think SnS actually did this very thing to Herr Hund in one mafia game (World Cup), which was the reason I backed off of Herr Hund for the lynch. I pegged both as mafia, but SnS more than Herr Hund. My strategy was to lynch Herr Hund, because he felt like an easier lynch - and kill SnS during the night phase with my SK powers.
Once SnS banded up together with the town/myself against Herr Hund, I was confused, and figured that Herr Hund probably wasn't mafia after all, because SnS was tickling my scum radar more than Hund. At that time (being sorta fresh to this game), I didn't even think the mafia would bus their own team members, hahaha. So that was actually a pretty sweet game move there.
Same goes for 'protecting' someone. If one scum protected/defended someone it doesn't mean that the person on the receiving end is scum, all the time. Some crafty scum might purposely defend a townie, to make themselves look innocent and also to possibly make that person look guilty if they flip scum when they're eliminated.
I really feel that with most the people here being experienced in the mafia game(I think the only first timer is B Natural?), that they would be very careful in revealing their character if they were mafia, for fear that it could come back to work against them like in the last couple games. That said, I feel that those who have revealed who they are are less likely to be mafia than those that have not revealed who they are.
That is not an attempt to make people say who they are, just stating the facts of what has been presented to us. While I hate roleclaims, I would be foolhardy not to use the information that was given to me.
So with everything thus far, I believe your mafia are going to be within the following list.
2. knailsic
4. ritt
8. itsvadertime565
9. J
and maybe 3. Mr. B Natural (for being new and not realizing that revealing his role could come back to haunt him)
I know that does not help alot, but narrows the suspect pool by nearly half.
Bam. Even though it was a calculated guess... I nailed it right on the head on day 2. I knew Ritt was mafia on my way out. And from that, you could tell that vader was with him... due to how defensive he got to me going after ritt earlier. Knailsic was the only one that was still not confirmed mafia to me at that point.
At one point I even thought I may have been wrong with my post above and that waffle was actually mafia, but once ritt was voted out, there should have been no question who the 4 town people were.
That day was turning point.
Good job town. And mafia too. It came down to one vote... nothing to be ashamed of, for sure.
SnS used some real good logic about the character claiming, here when I read the thread. I was shocked that it ended with it backfiring on him.
Also on the role of the hider - It did slip my mind, that there are many different variations on roles. Brad could have definitely used it as he had it, though in the end I think it might have worked out for the better, in game balance.
I think it might have been a bit too powerful for a small game of this size, if not for the 'target dies instead' modifier. As then, the hider may work as a combination of a second 'investigator' and a second 'protection' role along with the cop and the doctor. Cause then, the mafia would definitely have a much tougher time, due to the balance being in favor of the town.... The hider would also be immune to the roleblocker, due to hiding you see - thus the mafia doesn't really get a chance to counter it, unless they're really lucky.
I think the fact that the hider role could have protected themselves completely at the expense of another, worked for the game's balance - as then the hider could still protect themselves and confirm someone as a townie, but also doesn't completely prevent the mafia from having their kill - which is what the doctor is for. This way, the mafia still were able to get a kill, but it wasn't their intended victim and still screws them up. This was especially useful, under the hand of a strong player like SnS.
Though, this was rendered all moot, due to the hider being lynched instead. >_>
Anyway that's all.
Please join my HBO's True Blood Mafia Game guys ==> officialfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=forumgames&action=display&thread=440914&page=1There's still alot of room. Hopefully we may get former players from the last games since the WWE Theme returning to play once again.
(Please? =P)