Professor Alessandra Devries |
Yeah, I'm going to expand on the rules and background sections for the actual recruiting thread to make it a bit more friendly for anyone who is new to this sort of game. I was still under the edit window so I went ahead and bolded the part about a deleted program's roles.
I'd prefer discussion happen on the other thread so we don't clutter things for those who are focusing on the current game.
Taraz the Wastrel |
But I need 16+ hours! It's too fast...how am I supposed to play in these conditions? This is ridiculous. The pressure to perform at the drop of a helium balloon, I don't even understand how this could be fun for anybody. You're just ruining everything! All my plans and strategems and plots and Meowselsworth petting and drinking beer with Ingilstadt, there is no way I can do it all with these kind of limitations! Who can really send a PM that quickly? I need an hour per word headstart! I am sure this is all Alessandra's doing, isn't it? She has always been out to get Taraz, and another thing...[even smaller]
DougFungus |
But I need 16+ hours! It's too fast...how am I supposed to play in these conditions? This is ridiculous. The pressure to perform at the drop of a helium balloon, I don't even understand how this could be fun for anybody. You're just ruining everything! All my plans and strategems and plots and Meowselsworth petting and drinking beer with Ingilstadt, there is no way I can do it all with these kind of limitations! Who can really send a PM that quickly? I need an hour per word headstart! I am sure this is all Alessandra's doing, isn't it? She has always been out to get Taraz, and another thing...[even smaller]
You're fired
Ingilstadt |
The assassins are deadlocked and cannot strike, because their chief has opted to live past this night with the one they love.
This right here is why the lovers role should not be included in these games. Game balance was destroyed from the beginning, made even worse by the head assassin neutralizing the other two players with the role of assassin.
Smashtag |
I'm pretty much of the opinion that Lover and Head shouldn't be in the same game. Granted, it's up to chance for the Head to be a Lover, but as we've seen, it's game-breaking when it happens. Without the Head, I actually kind of like the Lover role, as it introduces a third faction and another layer of uncertainty to the game.
Taraz the Wastrel |
As I was discussing with Bombadil (Ingilstadt), the unbelievable improbability of the way things fell out in this game will probably never be repeated based on statistical chance....however, I agree that the coincidence that occurred here was definitely game-breaking in a way.
As it stands...are we in a situation that completing this game is less than desirable? I could probably RP Taraz at a party ad infinitum, but I realize it's the accusations and risk of death that adds suspension for some. Now that the results are "almost" guaranteed, is there anyone who does not want to play it out?
I certainly don't want to force anyone to drag this out if it would be easier to just "fast-forward" and have a few finishing posts before recruitment break and next game rules discussion with loimprevisto. Thoughts?
Taraz the Wastrel |
My cyber friend...I respectfully disagree the game went wrong. Just a lot of very unlikely things all culminating into this truly total victory for the aristocrats. Unless you believe that there was something in particular that occurred behind the scenes to which I am unaware, I certainly don't believe the game "went wrong" just extraordinarily improbable.
I think you did a great job, and I enjoyed the semi-evil presence of the Eichorn von Ryuko
Ingilstadt |
As an aristocrat, I don't feel like it was a victory at all.
How about this approach to the end of the game, everybody post their own version of how it finished?
Does anyone remember the movie "Clue" from 1985, there were multiple versions, each with a different ending, and it was fun seeing how they all took the same story to start and then wrapped up in a different manner.
Cassie DuSollier |
I'll post up my pm's. But the problem is it's always hard as an Aristocrat, they have to take a pro-active role as they have no information. They rely upon investigators investigating them and bringing them into the fold. Whilst in this game :O
Aristocrats also can use lynching as a method of identifying assassins. As no-one voted to lynch in the first round, information was scarce.
Ingilstadt |
Simon was an aristocrat in the wolves game and I didn't have a single PM until the very last round, and that game was infinitely better in terms of gameplay. Please don't mistake that with the RP aspect, which I always enjoy with this group and it was great in this game, but the actual gameplay of a Murder Mystery Tour felt completely absent this time around and it was for half of us because the assassins essentially didn't exist. It was like putting a video game on the easy setting and plowing through the realm, sure you dominate, but was that really satisfying?
Professor Alessandra Devries |
Even without any investigators or baners, with the collusion of the head assassin a win for the aristocrats would have been almost certain. With a mason vouching for him the group would have been very unlikely to vote for Jin without a good reason.
I do wish the lovers hand hadn't been tipped quite so soon though... I think I might have been able to steer things toward a true lover's victory if Jin hadn't been a little too ambitious on the third hour ;)
So, now I guess it's time to dig up the PMs and let everyone see what was happening outside of the gameplay thread... and why I decided not to allow PMs in the next game!
Vorian Ritter |
With everything said and done, I could say that I believe the Lovers' alternate win condition was the problem rather than the role itself. As it played out this time around, it never really felt like they were their own team, so to speak.
In other words, the Lovers' ability to just defect to either faction at will seemed to break things.
Professor Alessandra Devries |
@Vorian: I believe the lack of PMs will fix that. If it hadn't been for the chats and PMs in round 3, Jin would almost certainly have been voted out when Cassie revealed his identity publicly- or round 4 at the latest if I was very persuasive in casting doubt on her. I think that in most games the lovers will be a very difficult role, we just ran into a 'perfect storm' this time around.
Ingilstadt |
In preparation for the next, here is my alternative ending to this one...
Unbeknownst to the party goes, as Ingilstadt performed the ‘life saving’ work on Taraz, it also provided the opportunity to infiltrate the serv-bot master control system. The virus.blackhat code was inserted, the access passwords changed to time synchronized OTA with M86 hashing algorithms, and the logic bomb set to detonate before the end of the next hour.
In the moments before the ‘event’, Wowbagger and Ingilstadt hastily gather up the Star Wars chess set and flee the party, the pilfered keys to the space yacht in Ingilstadt’s pocket. Laughing manically, they pile into the stolen ship and blast off the island like the Millennium Falcon out of Mos Eisley.
As the logic bomb detonates, the serv-bots all stop their activities, a glowing red beacon of light wells up inside them, and they turn on their masters. Operating under the new code snipet, assassinate.aristocrats(all), the blood bath is awful and Baron Von Ryuko cackles in glee.
Meanwhile, aboard the space yacht, Wowbagger instructs his new student, the apprentice assassin Ingilstadt, in the finer points of assassination. ”Now, insult them to death if possible, this is the cleanest method, but if that doesn’t work...”
Wowbagger tIP |
Thanks Ingilstadt for that alternative ending.
Alternative lover victory conditions: The lovers and lovers alone win if there ever four or less and two of them are lovers. If the game ends with five or more, the lovers are exposed and do not win as the tragic nature of their love goes unappreciated.
That would guarantee they work to preserve the balance rather than upset the balance.
Wowbagger tIP |
As I trolled in this thread I apologize in this discussion thread. Wowbagger being abrasive can be roleplaying in the gameplay thread, but comments in the discussion thread are poor sportsmanship. I am not normally a troll.
My apologies as this game was exceedingly frustrating. Honestly, when I coach kids soccer I never once have yelled at the referees. I have wanted to, but I keep my mouth closed. I should have here.