Mini 1000: The Brave and the Beautiful (Game Over)

[Netopalis]

Hey, folks. Woo! A few names I've played with before - in particular, shout-outs to Ythan, bv310 and SK.

[Netopalis]

Oh, right. You two as well....

[Netopalis]

Alrighty...Question time!

1) Why do you play Mafia?
2) How many licks DOES it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?
3) Can you describe your thought processes leading into this game?
4) Let's say that you win the game. What conditions lead to that win? What qualities will the game have? Will it be ordered or chaotic, logical or gut-based, fast or drawn out?
5) What is the square root of potato?
6) Can you please link me to the one game that you're most proud of on this site?
7) This is not a question.

My answers will follow everybody else posting their answers, and will be posted with the reasoning behind each question. I do this so that my answers and reasoning don't interfere with the answers generated by others, thus skewing the results.

[Netopalis]

Hey, Robo. Hope you enjoy them, as always.

[Netopalis]

*nods* I do do it regardless of alignment. If it would help, I can provide links to town and scum games where I used it?

[Netopalis]

*rolls eyes* You are getting far too scared over nothing. Every time since that first time that we've played together I've used this, and every single time you get paranoid. Relax, seriously.

[Netopalis]

He was referring to Robocopter.

[Netopalis]

Nah, you're fine. It was an easy mistake.

[Netopalis]

Which makes little sense.

[Netopalis]

Well, why don't you start now? You seem to think that there's something significant here...

[Netopalis]

Uh, it's a holiday...

[Netopalis]

And that's all you've got?

[Netopalis]

The fact that you're nervous about my scumhunting abilities. Why would you be nervous about that if you were town?

[Netopalis]

So, you acknowledge that this is my standard play, but you want to vote for me? I'm afraid that this doesn't follow...

[Netopalis]

What, exactly, about it? (This is like pulling teeth...)

[Netopalis]

That's all you have to say? Ugh?

Ugh ugh. Robo be scum, ugh. Me Netopalis, Me vote Robo.

Vote: Robocopter

[Netopalis]

No, I won't. Not yet, anyway, as I've only gotten 5 answers, which is less than half of the players in the game.

[Netopalis]

Uh, yeah, you did. I don't get why you're backing off like that. That's unlike you.

[Netopalis]

Right, meaning that you suspect all 3 of us. Don't back out so easily, make your case.

[Netopalis]

Really? Really? You're going to believe that roleclaim? Why was it a zerg rush, then? Zerg have nothing to do with Chun-Li!

[Netopalis]

Zerg Rush come from a game called Starcraft. In Starcraft, you originally play as the humans and have a character named Sarah Kerrigan. Game spoilers below.

Spoiler:

She ends up being turned to the enemy (the Zerg).

Anyway, it looks as if this was a triggered rather than activated effect, meaning that it was tripped by the number of votes. Thus, the Zerg Rush is likely related to Robocopter's role and he is actually Kerrigan instead of Chun-Li.

[Netopalis]

Then why did it happen after a wagon started on you?

[Netopalis]

Wait. This actually makes sense. Nobody vote, I need to collect my thoughts.

[Netopalis]

Alright...let's assume that Robocopter is telling the truth. If the votes to lynch is reduced by one on him, then it does explain why he survived the Zerg Rush. What if this actually is an activated ability and an anti-town player activated it when they saw that a town player was within the range to be killed by it? That seems likely. We're actually rather lucky that it failed, and I do think it actually clears Robocopter.

Unvote

.

[Netopalis]

*shrugs* They've served their purpose.


1) Why do you play Mafia? I play Mafia for a number of reasons. Obviously, I enjoy it, it's one of the few games that can combine interpersonal relationships with strategy and logic. Also, it helps me hone my debating skills on topics where people can actually be swayed to your side - since I'm a law student, this is pretty important to me as well.
2) How many licks DOES it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? "I never made it without biting! Ask Mr. Owl!"
3) Can you describe your thought processes leading into this game? Same as always - I start out by asking questions. The questions are really designed to spark discussion and the actual answers don't matter all that much. Usually, I find that a lot of people suspect or attack me due to my refusal to answer the questions - this can also be enlightening as well. I do find these calls for me to answer my own questions to be somewhat hilarious - do you honestly think that if I was scum I would write up questions that I would trip myself up by answering? But, as a measure of fairness, I do always answer them, mainly so that I can say with a straight face that I do always answer them. Really, though, the questions, the answers, they don't matter so much - what does matter is that it shifts the discussion to something more concrete than the RVS normally does. Instead of talking about dice and avatars, we talk about content and mindsets.
4) Let's say that you win the game. What conditions lead to that win? What qualities will the game have? Will it be ordered or chaotic, logical or gut-based, fast or drawn out? Most of my wins are achieved through ordered, logical play. I like breaking things down into their most simplest explanations and then working from there. I also tend to probe at one or two specific players until I get a good read on them, then shift my focus to someone who had previously been coasting by.
5) What is the square root of potato? Cucumber, duh.
6) Can you please link me to the one game that you're most proud of on this site? http://www.mafiascum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12561 - My scum game is admittedly a lot better than my town game, and since this was my best win as scum, I'll link to it. N910 was a close second, though (the game that made Robocopter paranoid about me)
7) This is not a question. This is an answer.

[Netopalis]

Doublealso, that kind of plan posits either very hardcore pregame talk or daytalk. Several players seem to be accepting this premise implicitly, which is interesting. In light of the former possibility, I wish I'd made a note of the confirm order. I sent my confirm via PM rather than posting in the thread, so the posted confirms aren't a good cipher.

Not necessarily. If the Zerg Rush is an ability which is controlled by an individual member of the scumteam, then it could have been done without conferring with the others. It could be one scumster acting alone.

[Netopalis]

No, no, I mean that if Robocopter is town. Sorry, I must have misunderstood you.

[Netopalis]

Kind of the point of a day action like that. We should probably be extremely careful about our votes.

[Netopalis]

Question, Mod: Is the Zerg Rush effect permanent or for the day only?

[Netopalis]

Of course not. What's your point?

[Netopalis]

MoI, are you

really

attacking me over the length of time involved in my thought processes? I thought I'd seen every flimsy argument in the book, but this is a new one on me. My questions were not gut based, they were very logical, as I was pointing out logical inconsistencies in Robo's claim as I originally thought about it. Admittedly, I got a bit overexcited.

[Netopalis]

I think that my conclusions were rational at the time, because I had originally believed (incorrectly) that Robo was the source of the Zerg Rush and not Player X. However, once I thought about it, Robo getting to L-1 couldn't be the trigger for the rush because that would be a useless Mafia ability. Thus, I had to assume that it was another player causing the action, probably through day targeting. But, no, I didn't initially get that far.

[Netopalis]

Scum fear death and lynches far more than town do. Fail argument. Not to mention town controls the lynch, not scum. Oh and scum have PRs too.

I'm going to go ahead and jump on this. To me, this looks like Shotty trying to throw fuel on Robo's fire in order to get him closer to that lynch so that he can use the ability. I think that may be our best lead right now, although Furcolow isn't far behind.

Vote: Shotty to the Body

[Netopalis]

OMGUS much?

[Netopalis]

You're an odd one.

[Netopalis]

"Knowing so much"? Really? What exactly do you think I know? Yes, I went after Robo, but I'm not very well going to attack myself am I? Also, my guess is that scum would be more likely to quietly nudge the wagon.

Why is Ythan's unpleasantness indicative of his alignment?

Why is Millar's grammar indicative of his alignment?

[Netopalis]

Uh, let's wait to hear from him before we put down a lot of votes. I'm still nervous about this stuff, and we don't gain anything by putting them down when he's not here anyway.

[Netopalis]

Because we've already been surprised by two crazy roles involving voting - I don't want to risk running into a third when Furcolow will realize perfectly well the position that he's in if we simply FOS.

[Netopalis]

Come again please? I'm not sure I understand what you're attempting to say.

[Netopalis]

Folks....Furcolow is making no sense. I get that. But, I'm not sure that we can say that he's scum for that. We need to figure out if he's a VI or if he's scum. To me, I can't think of a possible scum motivation for his actions as of yet, but I need to review his other games to see if he's always this nonsensical.

[Netopalis]

Of course it doesn't clear him, but it doesn't make him auto-scum either. I see nothing to point to Furcolow's alignment, just stuff to say that he's a bad player.

[Netopalis]

FLAIL PARTY!

[Netopalis]

Anyway, yeah. Shotty to the Body needs to die. Case previously posted.

[Netopalis]

I actually really like that case on Millar. Very good points there, Muffin. The deadline discussion he posted does bolster the argument too. I'd support looking into Millar...

Un-FOS, FOS: Millar

[Netopalis]

Admittedly, he threw in a lot of spurious stuff, but there are some good nuggets in there.

[Netopalis]

Kdub: My point isn't so much that he was pushing the Shotty case as it is that he jumped on as a convenience and it looked to me as if he was trying to push it forward without being the driving force so that he would later have plausible deniability after the Zerg Rush hit. It's a weaker case, but it's what I had to work with when I made it.

[Netopalis]

In regards to my Shotty case, my point is that Shotty didn't say much at all to support it. I think that his vote is more scummy for that reason, although Furcolow and Millar are close second and third. I'm really torn...Furcolow seems like a terrible VI, and I don't want to lynch just because of that, especially with the claim (Which I could believe. In C&C, the commandos are played in a sort of slow, methodical way which would make sense as a Cop, but I think that it's more likely that role would be some sort of vig. Not sure, really. )

Millar...What do you mean that there's a survivor aspect of the game?

[Netopalis]

You do realize that you win with your faction regardless of whether you are alive or not?

[Netopalis]

Well, I won't lie that I get frustrated when I get lynched, but it's more because I know that the town is taking the wrong direction or I'm losing as Mafia. I actually take NKs as a bit of a compliment at times, since it means that the scumteam was scared enough of me to kill me off. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. It helps me sleep at night.

Not the point, though. Survival is presumably not within your win condition, if you're a townsperson.

[Netopalis]

No, it should be done now, because it tells us a lot more about your motivations.

If this is your goal, why state it?

[Netopalis]

And neither of you have considered changing and/or improving your play?

[Netopalis]

Well, before we decide on that, who do you think we should lynch, Spyre?

[Netopalis]

Iec, please

never

mention Nouns Mafia again, or I may have to shiv you in your sleep. That. Game. Did. Not. Happen.

[Netopalis]

Muffin: Quite frankly, I'm fairly convinced that Shotty is scum, and since the wagon's on him....I really could care less who is on the wagon. If there's an advantage to others being on it, then by all means...

[Netopalis]

Unvote

, by the way.

[Netopalis]

There will be information. Like I said, a little trust is necessary. Got to keep the cards close, sometimes.

Can you tell us why you chose those particular players?

I have some ideas, but if I'm right, it's best not to ask him about it. I do think I know what's going on, though.

[Netopalis]

you all realize we shouldn't no lynch, right?

Nobody suggested no lynching.

[Netopalis]

Why? I've yet to see a solid case that doesn't stem from the fact that he's largely clueless.

[Netopalis]

This game has stalled. Shotty is 48 hours past the end of his V/LA and hasn't posted in 4 days.

Mod: Can we have a prod on Shotty, please, as well as a general prod check across the board?

[Netopalis]

If you don't know what it means, how do you know you didn't do it?

[Netopalis]

Would you mind saying what you mean, then? We've been waiting on that.

[Netopalis]

You to come up with a defensible position on who to lynch.

[Netopalis]

Good grief. Furcolow.....Ugh. I may have to reconsider my stance.