Mafiascum.net

Several people have mentioned using a spreadsheet of some kind to track information on their games. My questions are: What kind of info do you track? Why use a spreadsheet?(isn't that for number crunching) Whats the layout of your sheet look like?

I have a notebook beside the computer that I scratch down important events (who's dead) and statements, vote patterns and claims on. Very disorganized, hardly exhaustive, often wrong. Would appreciate some direction here.

[Disclaimer] The above post refers only to myself as a player. As a mod I'm on top of it. So go sign up for my regular mini. [/disclaimer]

I really only use a spreadsheet when I'm modding, or if I want to work out some probability of something (say, of Mafia family 1 winning if they have two members and Family 2 has 3...) and I'm too lazy to write a program for it...

I remember a the players using them in Mini 2 (standard dethy^2*), in order to keep track of which combinations of roles fit with all the claims people made.

*For those who don't know standard dethy mafia, it's a five player game with 1 mafia, 4 cops of different sanities. Mini 2 had three mafia, and 9 cops of different sanities.

I only kept a spreadsheet once and that was a mafia game where clues were send out to each townie.
Just used it as a quick glance who's clues looked made-up or who didnt reveal their clues at all.

I track role claims, voting patterns, random notes, posting dates...I couldn't mod without one but would feel lost even just as a player without it. I don't know if you're @ all interested, but I could email you the way one of mine looks mid-game.

And as "why the spreadsheet" -- because it has cells of information, you can have a row for each player and even through a long game, the info stays all together (just clicking the pointer on a cell displays the entire contents therein without taking up all the screen space for everything).

Maybe I should try something like that. It takes awhile to re-read the whole thread if a new player seems suspect. Especially helpful near end-game when you need to figure out who is together, and who isn't.

Now I am curious, MeMe. Mind sending me one? I'd like to see how the pros do it.

I definitely need a spreadsheet for modding (especially with all the night choices in the Blinvitational...sheesh!), but for playing, I just keep a straight text file with notes on everyone...you know, social security number, credit card info, mother's maiden name, embarassing incidents, etc.

Cam

only for modding, as a player, i try to remember stuff

That was basically my strategy until Intrigue Mafia hit....

Cam

Hahaaha.

That's all i gotto say to that...

I've tried to keep a spreadsheet as a player, but I end up abandoning it pretty quickly and relying on rereading and "Hey, wait a minute..." moments. I always feel like there's too much to record, or I'm not recording the right stuff. MeMe, I'd like to see your example if possible.

I want to see MeMe's exaple too.

As a player, I like to remember stuff, I enjoy the game more... well, I never tried to do spreadsheet... To the h*ll with it, I'm just too lazy! Now, for modding, I'll have to make a document for it.

Heh, I'd like to see you keep a spreadsheet on Antrax's Mixed theme.

I do it all from memory except where I compile a list of things like rumours claimed in rumours.

After seeing one of MeMe's spreadsheets months ago, I started doing the same. Now, I cannot imagine how I'd play without one. As many have said, it's practically impossible to mod without it. But when you're a player, it's great to have all the game info and your thoughts handy, especially to glance at before composing a post.

I'd love to see your spreadsheet, MeMe. I use one when modding... I'd like to see how you have yours formatted. A Players' Sheet would be interesting to see also.

I've been been experimenting with playing with and without a spreadsheet, and I find that when I have the spreadsheet, I frequently mark things down that turn out to mean nothing later on, or I mark them unclearly and don't know what I was thinking when I wrote it. It's nice to have though to not have to back through the thread every time you want to remember a detail. I found that without the sheet I was more inclined to read the thread several times, which is good practice with or without the sheet, as there's no way you'll mark everything that turns out to be important. So I figure I'm gonna have to strike some happy medium. Just remember that it's dangerous to trust your notes implicitly, as you can make mistakes on them.

I have mine count my votes and tell me who's lynched and stuff. Saves time (except the time to make it) and it was fun to make.

I think you must have the lowest positive "average posts/day" on the site.

Welcome back!

Cam

Did Samadhi....say McDonalds?:P

Anyways, I don't need a spreadsheet, because I'm all too organised. All I use is a notepad with everyhing I would ever want on it. If you wanna know how I do it, PM me and I'll send you what is needed to show.

I would love to see MeMe's example as well.

I used a spreadsheet when I modded and only for immensely complicated games (read: any game > 12 players) when I'm not mafia. And if its really complicated, I end up with 2 spreadsheets and 1 word document. Usually I get bored and dump it though.

Rereading also helps. More so than a spreadsheet. It's a matter of personal preference really.

I have a gut feeling that keeping spreadsheets and notepads are usually going to lead you into dead-ends since context is so relevant to Mafia - then again, I don't really keep any notes as a player (as a mod, everything goes down in a big word doc) and, much to my shame, I'm a hideously unobservant player

Part of the problem is that I divide my time between home and work so I can't really keep documents updated that easily... I should try experimenting with notes to see how it goes.

I would like to see one of MeMe's sheets as well, but I can understand that she maybe doesn't want to send it to everyone.

I use a spreadsheet myself as well. 2 rows per player. 7 fixed columns and 4 'daily' columns, giving me 14 fixed cells and 4 cells for each day per player, with each cell a specific category(some categories need 2 cells). I mark down role claims, votes, vote counts, interesting posts, count of 'no content' posts, total posts, suspicious postnumbers(I would really like to see postnumbers get back in the threads, making this more easy), townie posts (hard to get), association and disassociaton with other players, and a few other categories that I'd like to keep to myself .

I love Excel...I use it to keep track of who's suspicious, role claims, last post date, basically exactly everything MeMe said.

If I ever modded, I would probably use a Word Document instead to keep track of roles and make sure I have a space inbetween each role

I play by memory (Since I'm only in a few games at a time), and mod with a long text file with just about everything I've ever sent, received, posted, or might post. Maybe I should try to make something when I'm playing along the lines of the summary I made in London, to sort of ease into it.

This is an example of the info I keep on a spreadsheet. I haven't finished a game using this yet, but when I do, I'll show you it.

I've only played a few mafia games and am now (for the first time) trying to keep info in a spreadsheet. What I now have is digests of posts, so when the game drags on I can easily get a summary of posts. In addition I have a separate page with roleclaims.

I'm still not sure what the ideal is (although I feel a database thing would be better than a spreadsheet). If anyone else wants to post their spreadsheets, please do. I want to improve mine