First up, great fucking post Freedom.
On zemanjaski:
I have many, many mixed thoughts. Obviously, he's opening his mouth the most out of all of us. Some of this seems like it could be legitimate discussion and that he's just trying to get a read on everyone, but a lot of it seems like he's just talking to keep the thread active and speed the game up.
I am trying to speed the game up (I have said as much in the thread). I feel that the random feeling out stage (referred to by many in this thread as "RVS") benefits scum. In this phase, people randomly vote for each other, until someone starts making accusations. The thing is that the longer we wait before starting actual discourse, the more scum benefit by being able to blend in
(acting in the same way as actual town). By jolting the game to a start and forcing reactions, especially in such a direct way, I believe it is harder for scum to blend in; it is hard enough to respond to the gambit when you're legitimate town; as scum you now need to try and imagine how legitimate town would respond, I would like to think it isn't easy!
Continued thoughts. Keep in mind that this is coming from a first-time player, and the following paragraph is completely unorganized, so some sentences might not seem to follow the last one. Actually, it's probably best just to use bullet points.
-Z seems really good at this. He's definitely putting a lot of thought into every post. I'm being John Madden right now and telling you things that you can already plainly see.
-Z is usually a man of few words. Like, I've been expecting him to make a post where the only words are "scum post is scum." The only time I've ever seen him pick apart posts like he's doing
right now is back in the MTGS RDW primer when he'd get into some very in-depth arguments as to why certain cards were bad. Possible reasons as to why he's doing this:
1. The game just calls for this type of post (most likely)
2. He's bored at work, and wants to get the game really interesting very quickly (likely that this is true, but it isn't enough of an incentive for him to be so talkative)
3. He wants to completely run this game. He didn't get to play the entirety of his first game, so he wants to make up for it with this one.
I think you have the makings of a great analyst tbh. Point three is mostly correct, I was really enjoying my first game and was then killed off just as I was starting to feel more comfortable. I am not similarly constrained this game, I have a much better feel for how games play out (after following along for that game and reading through a bunch more). I also just like the idea of being aggressive - maybe it will backfire and I will be a day 1
mislynch; but even then there will be so much info for the townies to use.
I do think you're very wrong about saying that I don't make substantive posts though. Maybe not in the clan thread where I just mess around, but I would submit that
every article I have ever written is pretty thoughtful and reflective.
-It seems like he's trying to learn everything about everyone. The "bored at work" reason explains how he's able to do this, but I think I might have a possible "why": he has a power role. It's probably a pretty important one (although he's claimed that he isn't a cop, and so have other people, and this is fucking confusing, since I don't want to completely trust him, yet he obviously knows the most of anyone about what he is), and he wants to be able to play it right. This would make even more sense if he was scum, since, by initiating the scumhunt, he's getting everyone else to talk and
potentially learning what they are. He's also made it very apparent that he was the one who started the scumhunt, so that could be his cover, but I believe that he is a much better bluffer than to directly state his (fake) intentions.
-He could also be vanilla, and just be trying to make the most of it and make the game really interesting. He's been criticizing people for not doing things for the town, which, when taken directly, makes it seem like he's town. However, nothing seems to be direct in this game. He's definitely pulling some kind of bluff, even if the bluff is that he's bluffing. Z, you're probably loving every word of this, and you have me so confounded. I guess just voicing my thoughts is good for my growth as a player, but I should probably stop now before I say something that gets me killed.
I find it interesting that you think I have a power role. My gut tells me that you think so because you may have one. We don't really know how high powered the game is (
how many power roles there are on either side).
Why would attracting attention to myself mean "I am playing the role right"? Playing like this is going to get me killed quickly; either through mislynch or through mafia night kill. It doesn't benefit town for me to die early when I have an important role. Please elaborate as I am sure you have more to say.
Why are you afraid of dying? It doesn't matter if you die as town, just that we kill all the scum. What's the town win condition again?