# Forbidden Thread: Mafia V **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 26, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509 "2007-06-26T19:02:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/101 "2007-07-18T15:24:42Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] Agreed…I greatly preferred the “Forbidden Thread” in the off-board M4. Since it was password-protected, there was no worry about info leaking out. A “secret board” could always be made for these games, but the trouble there is there would be much less participation. For the record, I really, _really_ wish there was a secure place for these discussions, 'cause I feel like I’m going to pop with the dirt I wanna dish out. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Well, there’s always PM. I’d be very interested to hear what you’ve learned. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/102 "2007-07-18T16:17:45Z")
[QUOTE=storyteller0910] Well, there’s always PM. I’d be very interested to hear what you’ve learned. [/QUOTE] Heading your way shortly…anyone else want to hear me rant? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/103 "2007-07-18T16:18:35Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] Heading your way shortly…anyone else want to hear me rant? [/QUOTE] Ooooh, meeee meee meeee!!! ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/104 "2007-07-18T16:20:38Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] Heading your way shortly…anyone else want to hear me rant? [/QUOTE] Even though I’ve been really bad about keeping up with this game, include me on the PM too. I’m certainly not going to be subbing in…I’ll have to wait for the next version, once I’m not so goshdarn busy! ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/105 "2007-07-18T16:21:44Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] Heading your way shortly…anyone else want to hear me rant? [/QUOTE] Yep, and in exchange I’ll forward you **storyteller0910’s** funny story. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/106 "2007-07-18T16:42:59Z")
[QUOTE=Blaster Master] WOW. I just gotta say, things are looking REALLY bad for the town right now. The sad thing is, if a couple of the decisions had gone slightly differently, it would be the other way around. Maybe that means it’s well balanced…? I hope. [/QUOTE] Two things to keep in mind here. The apprentice just got the “Oracle Death Benefit” effective as of last night’s investigation. So the Apprentice is now a 70% accurate(with fails reading as blanks, so no false positives) Oracle. The investigative arm of the town is hurt, but not dead by any means. Secondly, the Doctors are still both alive and they can swing a game with good play. Depending on the ratio of Cultists to Town, it’s either neck and neck right now or slightly favors the Cultists. I’d say they have two Day/Night cycles to get another Cultist or they’re almost certainly screwed(barring brilliant play by the Apprentice and Doctors). Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/107 "2007-07-18T16:47:07Z")
[QUOTE=Mtgman] Yep, and in exchange I’ll forward you **storyteller0910’s** funny story. [/QUOTE] \ Good one, **storyteller**. 🙂 PMs are away! ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/108 "2007-07-18T16:52:29Z")
Whoops…to those who were PM’d, refresh that page. I had one player’s name in a spot where I meant a different player’s. ---
**Author:** ![Clockwork\_Jackal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Clockwork\_Jackal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clockwork_Jackal)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/109 "2007-07-18T17:17:05Z")
[QUOTE=storyteller0910] You know, having read **Hal’s** incredibly cryptic post, above, and all the rest of the contributions, I’m wondering about the whole Forbidden Thread concept. What, really, is the point of _having_ this thread if those of us who are out of the game can’t share anything about the way we played? I think if there was a bit more open discussion, it might make this thread more interesting and active. Right now, it’s basically an extension of the game thread, with everyone holding onto their secrets. But since none of us is still in the game, we’re not going to do the extensive post history research and analysis that we might if we were still alive. Absent the ability to talk about developments in light of the information we possess, there’s relatively little to discuss. Just putting it out there. [/QUOTE] I feel the same way. I’d love to talk strategy more, but I don’t want to give anything I might know and influence the game somehow. ☹ We need a REAL forbidden thread. 🙂 Oh, and you all have to post all your funny stories, instead of PMing them, when all this is over! ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/110 "2007-07-18T17:44:11Z")
[QUOTE=Blaster Master] WOW. I just gotta say, things are looking REALLY bad for the town right now. The sad thing is, if a couple of the decisions had gone slightly differently, it would be the other way around. Maybe that means it’s well balanced…? I hope. [/QUOTE] The only real concern I have with the game as it’s been executed so far doesn’t have to do with balance, it has to do with timing. With the Day ending on weekends it’s too easy for the informed minority(who are planning on doping on the weekend anyway because that’s when Night happens) to sway lynches. Many players are away for the weekend and bandwagons go off the rails at the 11th hour. Not enough players are around to see things like **Hockey Monkey’s** Alchemist role claim and muster the collective brainpower to determine if it’s credible or not. My own bandwagon was largely weekend-based. 11th hour roleclaims are part of the game, and I don’t suggest trying to change that, but changing the timing of when Night falls to get the last hours of the Day visible to the most people evens it out a bit. Having the uninformed majority(townies) be offline at this critical time gives an advantage to the informed minority(scum). Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/111 "2007-07-18T17:50:47Z")
Cripes…the more I read that thread, the more I feel like Sam Wheat… ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/112 "2007-07-18T20:34:54Z")
Might I just add – damn, do I hope **MadTheSwine** really is scum. It was really just a snowballing twinge of suspicion that led me to vote for him, and now everyone is going crazy with it. Hopefully he floats, and my death will have been at least a _little_ bit worthwhile. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/113 "2007-07-18T20:45:49Z")
[QUOTE=Scuba\_Ben] Welcome to the after-party, **Hal**. Have some nachos. If I hadn’t freaked out as I did, my intent was to provide covering fire by dropping random breadcrumbs. Was this a good idea in theory? If it doesn’t affect the game, I’d be interested in hearing why **Blaster Master** chose to have scum ID as nonbeliever. [/QUOTE] There were actually a few convoluted reasons why I chose to do this. First, I did want to include two investigative roles, but I figured if they had pretty much 100% certainty on when they’d encountered scum, it would be a little game breaking. I also figured that, based on the theme, it would be a neat little twist to explain with how the roles work. I thought it would really make role claims, especially of a role like the Alchemist, very interesting, because it is 100% unprovable, so it doesn’t come down to an investigation result, but in fact how well it’s played. Some secondary motivations included my motivations behind the Psychopath and the Crusader. That is, unlike the rest of the town, the Crusader absolutely wanted all Non-Believers dead, no matter what so he didn’t care; OTOH, the Psychopath wants them alive at the expense of Believers. I was hoping to see some of the Non-Believers, not sure which of them is the Psychopath, possibly play a little bit anti-town and protect Non-Believers, even if they were more likely to be scum. ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/114 "2007-07-18T21:27:49Z")
I think I will hold off on getting any inside info and stories, If only because I would like to keeping trying to guess myself and post conjecture without anyone being able to read it and take it as fact. I will still be horribly wrong though. I think it could do with another thread where those who have played the game can go and talk about it, swop stories. Why not ask **Idle Thoughts** if he will create a special board for you to comment in with all the knowledge you have, password protected and off site. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/115 "2007-07-18T22:33:07Z")
Just had an interesting thought: If **Hockey Monkey** is lying about being the Alchemist, the best move for the real Alchemist right now would be _not_ to counter-claim. By staying silent, the Alchemist really loses nothing - (s)he basically has a scum in hand for the rest of the game, one that can be quickly and easily lynched at any moment, or when the real Alchemist is offed. But more importantly, if **Hockey Monkey** is lying, than the real Alchemist knows of at least one definite scum - which means the real Alchemist _now has someone to block every night_. Leave her alive for the rest of the game, and you now have a nonzero chance of preventing a kill every single night from here on out, a chance that gets larger each time you catch a different scum. Of course, this is moot if **Hockey Monkey** is telling the truth. But what think? ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/116 "2007-07-18T22:50:52Z")
Want the answer? Check that link I sent out earlier… ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/117 "2007-07-18T23:20:51Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] Want the answer? Check that link I sent out earlier… [/QUOTE] \ I forgot about that. In like three hours, I forgot about it. Jeez, I need to sleep more. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/118 "2007-07-19T00:17:03Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] Heading your way shortly…anyone else want to hear me rant? [/QUOTE] I’d love to hear it, especially since I never got to hear the funny story. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/119 "2007-07-19T00:40:55Z")
I’m ok with you hearing the funny story, since you can’t sub back in(or is that in doubt?) I don’t think it could damage the game. If **Blaster Master** confirms your non-sub status I’m ok with forwarding it(or **storyteller0910** can). Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509/120 "2007-07-19T13:29:33Z")
[QUOTE=Mtgman] I’m ok with you hearing the funny story, since you can’t sub back in(or is that in doubt?) I don’t think it could damage the game. If **Blaster Master** confirms your non-sub status I’m ok with forwarding it(or **storyteller0910** can). Enjoy, Steven [/QUOTE] Umm… yeah, Kat can’t sub in, because it would break the game. If she subbed in as anything other than a Cultist, she could out them all. And if she subbed in as a Cultist, the rest of the town would wonder why she wasn’t outting them all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forbidden-thread-mafia-v/409509.md?page=7)