# \[Mafia game\] The Realm of Phere **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 1, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480 "2012-04-01T15:04:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 56
**Author:** ![Visorslash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ee59a6/32.png) [@Visorslash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Visorslash)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1101 "2012-04-14T01:07:20Z")
> [@choie](#): > > To quote Bette Davis in _All About Eve_, that’s what I said, bub. Would you rather read one sentence explaining exactly what you meant precisely? Or a whole lot of them which is just useless. Be concise. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1102 "2012-04-14T01:11:46Z")
> [@Gadarene](#): > > Tanaer is awesome with the iambs, and is probably town as well. 😕 Huh? I’m not sure there’s enough data about **Tanaer** to warrant calling her Town. [oog] **Mahaloth** , congratulations! It sounds like you are going to have your hands full! [/oog] ---
**Author:** ![LightFoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LightFoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LightFoot)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1103 "2012-04-14T01:18:31Z")
> [@GuiriEnEspana](#): > > I don’t see why you would lie about this, but according to the rules, you’re not supposed to be able to both gain a level and change class in the same Day: “Any round where you place a vote during the day, and do not switch character classes, you are awarded one experience level. You do not have to successfully lynch a mafioso or use a special ability.” You said you were vanilla? I’ve voted and been attacked (\* what was that about?\* \* ) and I have not recieved a PM regarding any changes to my character. I do find it interesting that \*\* Astral \*\* claims more information from the Mod.. Paired with the vote shenannigans it gives me pause.. interesting… - PizzaMod’s colour about my comment after recieving damage was just about what I said when I read it \*\* home computer fixed ( AND I GET to work Saturday hooray) ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1104 "2012-04-14T01:24:08Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > 😕 Huh? > > I’m not sure there’s enough data about **Tanaer** to warrant calling her Town. Why not? ---
**Author:** ![LightFoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LightFoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LightFoot)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1105 "2012-04-14T01:27:38Z")
> [@choie](#): > > That makes sense. I didn’t know of that, since I think our roles are all slightly different, which may be why we’re all so wary of each other (even more than usual). I don’t think there’s a standard PM, one-size-fits-all for Townies. Obviously we shouldn’t go into any further details, but I think **pizzaguy** made certain handshaking was not only against the rules, it’s almost impossible because there’s nothing identical to handshake. I think that’s why it takes so long for him to send out all the PMs and updates and whatnot.[spoiler] > > Anyway, that’s why I really didn’t focus on your seemingly would-be martyr behavior afterwards, especially as the game wore on and the… shall we say, eccentricity?.. of this game’s rules was made more apparent to me. Old habits (well, as old as they can get after two games) die hard, and I simply wasn’t used to people risking themselves on strangers without knowing (or at least strongly suspecting) they’re a power role. Since **Inner** didn’t turn out to have a power role, and I didn’t recall any clues earlier indicating why you’d have thought so, I did find it mystifying – unless you were trying to make yourself look good. > > But really that’s backwards thinking, because even a newbie Mafia player would know that knowing too much about another player’s alignment makes you look bad. And you ain’t no newbie. Honestly I didn’t suspect you at all since that time until you started going after me just now, and I remembered that whole defense thing. I think that defense tactics turning into offense tactics is natural but really, not helpful. Sorry about that. > > Yeah, I think the whole misunderstanding was just a time zone thing. You’re what, five hours ahead of me? (I’m in NY, US.) So you’d’ve been sleeping while I was naturally still awake, and even when I _should’ve_ been sleeping, I was still awake. So as I said, the time stretched like a big stretchy thing. > > Anyway, the dialogue.. it was related to what “Guiri” had said in the color narrative courtesy of our puppetmaster playwright. “I’ll protect you, Inner!” – and twice, I believe. That’s the Mighty Mouse thing. 🙂 [/spoiler] RE: Handshaking… I don’t recall it being against the rules. I mean we can PM anyone anytime or chat anywhere ..I may hve missed that bit of course ---
**Author:** ![LightFoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LightFoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LightFoot)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1106 "2012-04-14T01:29:06Z")
NETA l00k I messed that up too ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1107 "2012-04-14T01:45:45Z")
> [@Gadarene](#): > > Why not? **Tanaer’s** posts: #16 - She’s busy and needs to plan. #223 - Bad Internet access, comment on **choie** talking about the number of scum. She’s busy and has to dash. #599 - Confirms that soldiers are aligned with elemental types. #1096 - The first post of any substance, but not a whole lot of that, and she only puts forth a few theories. So, yeah, I’m not sure she has given enough information to make someone lean Town. She admits to being a newbie (no harm there, we all have to start somewhere). However, I am getting a ping that she may be out of her comfort zone and is hiding behind being busy. A nice strategy for a Scum newbie. ---
**Author:** ![gnarlycharlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5f9b8f/32.png) [@gnarlycharlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarlycharlie)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1108 "2012-04-14T01:46:45Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I’ve requested to be subbed out, folks. > > Korea trip + new Mahalothbaby + return home + crazy cool mafia game = too much for me. > > Sorry, folks. > > If subs aren’t allowed, I’ll give it my best shot. congratulations! enjoy your child. we’ll be here when you get back. > [@Normal\_Phase](#): > > Then vig him if you must, Silver Jan, he’s already got a ton of damage. Lynching him is a waste of effort under the circumstances even if he is scum, and his behavior is making the votes against him almost impossible to read. i agree with this. vote for who you think is most suspicious not abrasive. > [@MHaye](#): > > I’m catching up after a laggy couple of days. Need to read and reread about 8 pages, so don’t hold your breath. But…So you’re Lawful. Got it. > > That means Phere should be a _ **Devil** _ - they’re the LE fiends. Not a Demon at all. someone’s into D&D. 😃 > [@Gadarene](#): > > I don’t understand the Weedy wagon. what wagon? it’s just two votes. > [@choie](#): > > Vote Count: > > I hope I did this correctly. I have to say that _many_ of you who should know better having played in several SDMB games (glaring at **Silver Jan, Normal Phase** ) are not bleaching earlier votes, or are using blue for unvoting, etc. I know **Askthepizzaguy** didn’t give it as a rule, but this kinda stuff made things much harder for vote tracking. > > Anyway: > > **Astral Rejection** (4) - **Askthepizzaguy, Askthepizzaguy, Askthepizzaguy** (1027), **Normal Phase** (1035) > > **Gadarene** (3) - **Suburban Plankton** (813), **Visorslash** (824), **fubbleskag** (967) > > **fubbleskag** (2) - **choie** (811), **ToeJam** (977) > > **MHaye** (2) - **Astral Rejection** (814), **Normal Phase** (825, [del]838[/del], 904, [del]1035[/del]), **Weedy** (1040) > > **Weedy** (2) - Red Skeezix (995), **gnarlycharlie** (1041) > > **Visorslash** (2) - **Gadarene** (1052), **Silver Jan** (1071) > > Abstain (1) - **NAF1138** (844) > > Present (1) - **septimus** (870) > > **PetW** (0) - **Normal Phase** (838, [del]838[/del]), **Gadarene** (871, [del]1052[/del]), **gnarlycharlie** (886, [del]1024[/del]), **Silver Jan** (902, [del]1038[/del]), **Red Skeezix** (964, [del]995[/del]) > > **septimus** (0) - **ToeJam** (932, [del]977[/del]) > > **GuiriEnEspana** (0) - **Askthepizzaguy, Askthepizzaguy, Askthepizzaguy** (955, [del]1027[/del]) > Note: I didn’t include anyone who never had a vote on him/her. > > * * * > > Whew. If someone beats me to this I’m gonna cry. ☹ is there any reason why **Red Skeezix** isn’t in bold? > [@choie](#): > > Also, **Normal** ’s vote record cracked me up. Pick a horse, lady! 🙂 she’s known for that. coincidentally, her avatar in another board is a horse head. > [@Tanaer](#): > > [OOC] > This thing from Normal is as far as I’ve gotten in read-through. I wish the game had started earlier when I had more time. Now school is sucking up my life, and my attention - I’m finding it hard to retain impressions. No doubt my newbness doesn’t help. (I suppose I could read backward but then so many references would man next to nothing.) I think perhaps me not being able to get a vote in speaks a bit to my busy-ness. Probably I will get lynched for it at some point. Oh well. I wish I had time to play effectively - I love this game, RP possibilities, figuring out the game as well as the scum. > > I have the following things to say (as of post 93-something) > > Gad: I sympathise with the frustration with the voting. I spent an entire game double- and triple- thinking suspicions on you because everyone said how well you played scum. This time I’m just going on impressions, and you may well get a protect from me at the end of the day if things go as they are. That said, I know Weedy has played with you a lot. > > I can confirm that my item matches my element. Some interesting possibilities: > a) the items may be damaging to players of a different element, or debuff, or just debuff an opposing element. > b) some items may not be compatible with each other > > Regarding tally-affecting powers - > These might not be simple extra votes. Eg > make your vote count twice > double the vote on a player (ok that’s extreme) > protect a player - move x votes to the next player down the tally, or more. > make someone else’s vote count twice > > I’m guessing there’s more than one. > > Anyway I’m sick of being OOC now. I probably can’t get back online for at least 10, maybe 13 hours. [/OOC] > > Adventurers who say with such import > that old Lord Phere should never be attacked > are thinking with a mind quite limited > in how he has his influences stacked - > Perhaps were I to take to him with sword > And others of you fight him in your way, > his influence might be a trifle less > and he may hurt us less this coming day. i hope you can come back and comment on more game-related issues. ktnxbye. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1109 "2012-04-14T01:49:11Z")
I thought **Normal Phase’s** avatar on that other board was a mule. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1110 "2012-04-14T02:02:25Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > **Tanaer’s** posts: > > #16 - She’s busy and needs to plan. > > #223 - Bad Internet access, comment on **choie** talking about the number of scum. She’s busy and has to dash. > > #599 - Confirms that soldiers are aligned with elemental types. > > #1096 - The first post of any substance, but not a whole lot of that, and she only puts forth a few theories. > > So, yeah, I’m not sure she has given enough information to make someone lean Town. > > She admits to being a newbie (no harm there, we all have to start somewhere). However, I am getting a ping that she may be out of her comfort zone and is hiding behind being busy. A nice strategy for a Scum newbie. I liked #1096 a lot. ---
**Author:** ![gnarlycharlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5f9b8f/32.png) [@gnarlycharlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarlycharlie)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1111 "2012-04-14T02:05:51Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > I thought **Normal Phase’s** avatar on that other board was a mule. i always thought it was a horse. images of Godfather. or maybe she’s an ass. she can be quite stubborn. 😃 _runs and hides before Normal gets back_ ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1112 "2012-04-14T02:15:21Z")
**Gad** , care to share what you find so compelling about **Tanaer’s** #1096? I mean, besides the poem. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1113 "2012-04-14T02:36:20Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > **Gad** , care to share what you find so compelling about **Tanaer’s** #1096? I mean, besides the poem. “Compelling” is a loaded term. I liked the thought process. I liked that it seemed like she was thinking about the game. I’m sorry she’s overwhelmed, but I like the fact that she’s candid about it. I liked the level of thought that went into her strategy about Lord Phere in her verse. Look, I said she was probably town. Guess what? Everyone of us starts out as probably town in a vacuum. I think she’s slightly \>rand to be town. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1114 "2012-04-14T03:03:40Z")
> [@Visorslash](#): > > Would you rather read one sentence explaining exactly what you meant precisely? Or a whole lot of them which is just useless. Be concise. Just because your reading and writing skills are quite clearly at about 4th grade level doesn’t mean the rest of the class has to be held to your remedial standards. Sweet zombie Jesus, do you have anything _anything_, _ **anything** _, to contribute that’s worthwhile? Seriously. I know abrasive =/ scum, but non-helpful might as well = scum, as far as I’m concerned. Eh, forget it. Not worth engaging with you. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1115 "2012-04-14T03:08:51Z")
> [@gnarlycharlie](#): > > is there any reason why **Red Skeezix** isn’t in bold? No, just crappy coding. I bolded him the second time he’s mentioned, as you’ll see further down the list. I only noticed I’d left him unbolded after clicking “Submit” and obviously I couldn’t edit it to fix it, so I figured, no big deal. As I said this was a pretty difficult list to put together since so many people didn’t bleach votes when they quoted them, and some didn’t use the red = unvote, blue = vote standard that I’m used to, and so on. In other words, don’t read into it, because frankly I’m surprised that’s the only mistake I made. (Assuming it is. Watch, now someone’s sure to find something else I screwed up.) ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1116 "2012-04-14T03:11:39Z")
> [@Gadarene](#): > > she’s slightly \>rand to be town. Greater than Ayn Rand? How does libertarianism fit into this? 😃 But seriously. I’ve seen this before in the thread; what does it mean? Greater than random, I would assume, but that doesn’t quite seem to parse correction in this context: “she’s slightly greater than random to be town.” ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1117 "2012-04-14T03:22:20Z")
Alas, I don’t know what you were trying to keep spoilered, **LightFoot**. > [@LightFoot](#): > > RE: Handshaking… I don’t recall it being against the rules. I mean we can PM anyone anytime or chat anywhere ..I may hve missed that bit of course Yep, the rules say no quoting of PMs, no “the first lettter of the second word” stuff. Obviously he can’t police this, so it’s on the honor system. Ah, here it is, first post of the thread: > [@Askthepizzaguy](#): > > \*\*4. You may not quote your role PM. \*\*You may claim a character class, or alignment, or element, or claim a special power, or just make things up. But you cannot reveal your role via copy and pasting any part of it. In other words, use natural language to discuss who you are, don’t discuss your role in a **severely out of character** way, such as: > > “The first line of my role PM says…” > Even if you’re paraphrasing. > > “The third letter of the fourth line is…” > No. Don’t do this. > > What’s acceptable? > “I’m a level 3 fire mage”. > That’s fine. > [/COLOR] > [ul] > [li][COLOR=Green] **Still not sure? Ask me privately. Discussing this matter publicly is too OOC and I will ignore any such questions in-thread.** [/li][/COLOR] > [/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1118 "2012-04-14T03:24:42Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Greater than Ayn Rand? How does libertarianism fit into this? 😃 > > But seriously. I’ve seen this before in the thread; what does it mean? Greater than random, I would assume, but that doesn’t quite seem to parse correction in this context: “she’s slightly greater than random to be town.” Let’s say there are 20 players, of which 15 are town and 5 are scum. Before roles are randomly assigned, everyone has a 75 percent chance of being given a town role and a 25 percent chance of being given a scum role. This is the baseline; anyone who you don’t have strong feelings about one way or the other under that setup would be = rand to be town, or be town 75 percent of the time in your mind. If you think someone is \>rand to be town in that setup, that means you think they have a greater than 75 percent chance of flipping town. Similarly, if you think someone is \>rand to be scum in that setup, that means you think they have a greater than 25 percent chance of flipping scum. This is how you can have a scum lean on someone while still thinking that they’ll flip town more than half the time. :eek: Obviously, here we don’t know what percentage of scum and town there are, so it’s just a handy way to think about and look at things. Basically, when I say someone is \>rand to be town, that means that I think they have a greater than random chance of being town, and vice versa. Someone who is \>rand to be scum still might be town, obviously – Mafia is a probabilistic game. It’s just a way of acknowledging that it isn’t a 50-50 proposition: everyone starts out more likely to be town. As you develop leans on someone, that likelihood just diminishes or grows from the original baseline. I hope that helps and wasn’t too confusing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1119 "2012-04-14T03:29:57Z")
> [@Gadarene](#): > > Let’s say there are 20 players, of which 15 are town and 5 are scum. Before roles are randomly assigned, everyone has a 75 percent chance of being given a town role and a 25 percent chance of being given a scum role. This is the baseline; anyone who you don’t have strong feelings about one way or the other under that setup would be = rand to be town, or be town 75 percent of the time in your mind. > > (snipples) > > I hope that helps and wasn’t too confusing. 🙂 No, I think I got it. Unfortunately math was the reason I didn’t get a 1400 on my SATs (yes, I’m that old, it was out of 1600 in those days _shut up_) but you went nice and slowly. Thank you very much! ---
**Author:** ![Astral\_Rejection](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@Astral\_Rejection](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astral_Rejection)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480/1120 "2012-04-14T04:27:13Z")
> [@GuiriEnEspana](#): > > I don’t see why you would lie about this, but according to the rules, you’re not supposed to be able to both gain a level and change class in the same Day: “Any round where you place a vote during the day, and do not switch character classes, you are awarded one experience level. You do not have to successfully lynch a mafioso or use a special ability.” You said you were vanilla? I sent Pizza a pm saying u wanted to change from a basic soldier to an archer, which had a +1 in front of it. Since I’m now an archer, I assumed that meant I went up a level. I suspect the confusion comes from our use of “changing class.” You were using it in the sense of “changing from soldier to Mage”? Regardless, I had forgotten that it was the vote that enabled leveling up. That’s the answer to your question, then! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480.md?page=55) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-game-the-realm-of-phere/617480.md?page=57)