# Mafia Watch-Along Thread - NO SPOILERS! \[FORBIDDEN TO LIVE PLAYERS\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 17, 2015, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379 "2015-07-17T01:15:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![TexCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/texcat/32/9041_2.png) [@TexCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexCat)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/161 "2015-08-21T13:32:51Z")
And I’ve thought it was Biotop. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/162 "2015-08-21T16:05:39Z")
The change in demeanor from Prof. P is really bothering me. I just read this part of the game from Thing Fish: > [@MAFIA: The Game - Ideal for Beginners \[Game in Progress\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-the-game-ideal-for-beginners-game-in-progress/725099/1321): > > Hi all, about halfway through a reread and just had to quote this great piece of pro-town advice.😃 Hopefully will have something interesting to post by the end of the Day, right now I’m on my way to Wrigley Field. > > Also wanted to congratulate\*\* Prof P\*\* for his detailed post at the start of the Day. I don’t agree with his conclusion, but nobody can say that he isn’t making his own cases anymore. I have problems with this. Prof P changing behavior is not necessarily a good thing. It strikes me as scummy. Townies don’t ‘step up’ when wolves dies. Wolves do. Especially a wolf who is in position to ‘be almost certainly town.’ Anyway, it prompted me to look at Prof. P’s opening day post and I noticed this: Storyteller opens the Day with a post at 3:05PM that reveals TexCat is dead. Prof. P’s post states the following in the first few lines, posted at 3:13PM! > [@MAFIA: The Game - Ideal for Beginners \[Game in Progress\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-the-game-ideal-for-beginners-game-in-progress/725099/1283): > > Well, now, that makes a difference. We’ve steadily improved our voting with each round. From a Town Role to a Town to a Wolf to an Alpha Wolf. We’re on a roll here. > We have now 11 players left, 3 wolves and 8 town. > > Biotop, Cygnus and I voted for the Alpha Wolf. Ain’t no way we’re anything but Town in an election that close. TexCat was vindicated, and the Wolves couldn’t leave her here to fight them. That leaves 3 wolves and 5 town unaccounted for. It’s a LONG post. There is no way he designed that post in the time between storyteller’s Day Opening, which revealed TexCat as the night victim and posting it at 3:13PM… that’s eight minutes! A post that long would take me an hour easily to write up and think about. Now, he obviously wrote it during the NIGHT. The question is would a Townie do that or not? Personally, I’d wait until dawn, _because there’s always a chance I’d be dead before dawn_. Plus the dawn reveal would have relevant information. Also, Prof P’s post is completely aware that TexCat is dead. How would he know that? Prof P sees his opening. He voted for Sario first, putting what was supposed to be a meaningless off vote. But when it wound up setting up a tie, he couldn’t move it without looking super scummy. Also, he figured Sario would break the tie. When Sario dies, the wolves have much to discuss at night and acknowledge that Prof P is in a strong position to look townie due to his vote on Sario. I’m fairly certain that Prof P is a Wolf. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/163 "2015-08-21T19:08:15Z")
> [@Sario](#): > > Prof P. I’ve suspected him of it since Day 1. Well, so much for my Prof P is a wolf theory. **Sario** , this is the type of spoiler you should not be posting here. I’m super confused. How could Prof P have written that post during the night without knowing TexCat was going to be the one that died? Perplexing. ---
**Author:** ![TexCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/texcat/32/9041_2.png) [@TexCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexCat)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/164 "2015-08-21T19:16:40Z")
I wasn’t preparing any posts for dawn after the Alpha died, but I don’t see why Prof.P wouldn’t have. If I were a wolf, I would have given myself up overnight as the designated bus. I think if two of the remaining wolves were to hard bus the third, they’d have the game won. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/165 "2015-08-21T19:40:17Z")
> [@TexCat](#): > > I wasn’t preparing any posts for dawn after the Alpha died, but I don’t see why Prof.P wouldn’t have. Prepping overNight is one aspect as it seems like a waste to do such a thing when by dawn he could be dead; but also the prepped post takes into account that TexCat was dead, which he should not have known since that information was not available at Night. Also, there is the inconsistency that Prof P was relatively passive, then suddenly composes a long comprehensive post during Night? I don’t get it. I guess he’s Town per Sario, but if it weren’t for that spoiler, I’d be pretty darn convinced Prof P was a Wolf. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/166 "2015-08-21T21:40:27Z")
The prepped post assumed that she would be dead. If this assumption had proved incorrect, he would have had some rewriting to do. ---
**Author:** ![Sario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sario/32/18580_2.png) [@Sario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sario)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/167 "2015-08-21T21:59:26Z")
> [@sachertorte](#): > > Well, so much for my Prof P is a wolf theory. > **Sario** , this is the type of spoiler you should not be posting here. > > I’m super confused. How could Prof P have written that post during the night without knowing TexCat was going to be the one that died? Perplexing. And again, I get in trouble for posting without thinking. Sorry guys. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/168 "2015-08-21T23:53:49Z")
So now we have another player offering themselves up as a ritual sacrifice for the good of the Town. Yes, yes, the Town as a whole is more important than your own individual life, and if you can help Town by dying, then that’s a good trade. But the catch is that you need to be able to help Town by dying. How is getting lynched supposed to accomplish anything? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/169 "2015-08-22T00:22:08Z")
> [@Sario](#): > > I’m just waiting to see if 1st Mason is who I think it is. > [@Chronos](#): > > And now I’m waiting to see who you think it is. I am also curious who folks think it is. > [@Sario](#): > > Prof P. I’ve suspected him of it since Day 1. Interesting. Why? > [@TexCat](#): > > And I’ve thought it was Biotop. Interesting. Why? ---
**Author:** ![TexCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/texcat/32/9041_2.png) [@TexCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexCat)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/170 "2015-08-22T13:19:22Z")
Because he kept trying to come up with schemes for the first mason. And this post. > [@MAFIA: The Game - Ideal for Beginners \[Game in Progress\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-the-game-ideal-for-beginners-game-in-progress/725099/1174): > > I do have one advantage though. I think everyone knows I am Town! Well…almost everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Sario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sario/32/18580_2.png) [@Sario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sario)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/171 "2015-08-22T15:59:21Z")
Ok, this > [@MAFIA: The Game - Ideal for Beginners \[Game in Progress\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-the-game-ideal-for-beginners-game-in-progress/725099/1368): > > …and the cluster was a-fucking. is great. I’m definitely going to have to steal it for later use. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/172 "2015-08-22T21:06:31Z")
> [@MAFIA: The Game - Ideal for Beginners \[Game in Progress\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-the-game-ideal-for-beginners-game-in-progress/725099/1351): > > My best guess is that **Sario** thought he knew who the first mason was, and was confident that he’d have a vote. Actually, this is an interesting point of view which completely does not dovetail with Sario’s statement in this thread… > [@Sario](#): > > Prof P. I’ve suspected him of it since Day 1. Sario, if you suspected Prof P of being a Mason since Day One, then why would you think you would be able to break the tie? Prof P was clearly voting for you. ---
**Author:** ![Sario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sario/32/18580_2.png) [@Sario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sario)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/173 "2015-08-23T01:33:46Z")
> [@sachertorte](#): > > Actually, this is an interesting point of view which completely does not dovetail with Sario’s statement in this thread… > > Sario, if you suspected Prof P of being a Mason since Day One, then why would you think you would be able to break the tie? Prof P was clearly voting for you. I’m not sure I can answer that question without dropping some spoilers, if you want I can PM you. ---
**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:** [August 24, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/174 "2015-08-24T14:32:06Z")
I wonder what, psychologically speaking, is leading to so many ties in our games here on the Straight Dope. I remember being frustrated in many a game that town was allowing tie after tie to accumulate, leaving us open to substantial wolf control of the lynch. I think in my previous game, there was an invisible power that could add three votes to any player… and town on three nights allowed a three-way tie to proceed into the lynch, giving the 3-vote adder their choice of who died. Ties are anti-town in most situations, I would think. At least in this game, it’s somewhat mitigated by the order of tie-breaks, but it still makes me wonder why it happens so often. It especially drives me nuts when the tie occurs with a low total number of votes, and a dozen one-off votes surround it by stubborn people. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/175 "2015-08-24T14:43:32Z")
My questions were rhetorical. Sorry for being confusing. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/176 "2015-08-24T14:50:21Z")
> [@Astral\_Rejection](#): > > I wonder what, psychologically speaking, is leading to so many ties in our games here on the Straight Dope. I remember being frustrated in many a game that town was allowing tie after tie to accumulate, leaving us open to substantial wolf control of the lynch. I think in my previous game, there was an invisible power that could add three votes to any player… and town on three nights allowed a three-way tie to proceed into the lynch, giving the 3-vote adder their choice of who died. > > Ties are anti-town in most situations, I would think. At least in this game, it’s somewhat mitigated by the order of tie-breaks, but it still makes me wonder why it happens so often. It especially drives me nuts when the tie occurs with a low total number of votes, and a dozen one-off votes surround it by stubborn people. It’s hard to say for sure why there are so many ties or near ties happening. The wide spread is something we aren’t used to, but given ‘new’ players and players from different places, that might be more normal and _we’re_ the aberration. It does seem all too ripe for scum to control the lynch this way. That they did not Yesterday, is rather strange. I doubt they would make the same mistake again, but then again, they may not be able to vote at EOD. I also think the Monday EOD has some contribution. Personally, I have more time to read this kind of stuff during the week. Weekends tend to be busy. Then it’s suddenly Monday and EOD is right there. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/177 "2015-08-24T15:20:55Z")
> [@Astral\_Rejection](#): > > I wonder what, psychologically speaking, is leading to so many ties in our games here on the Straight Dope. I remember being frustrated in many a game that town was allowing tie after tie to accumulate, leaving us open to substantial wolf control of the lynch. I think in my previous game, there was an invisible power that could add three votes to any player… and town on three nights allowed a three-way tie to proceed into the lynch, giving the 3-vote adder their choice of who died. > > Ties are anti-town in most situations, I would think. At least in this game, it’s somewhat mitigated by the order of tie-breaks, but it still makes me wonder why it happens so often. It especially drives me nuts when the tie occurs with a low total number of votes, and a dozen one-off votes surround it by stubborn people. Maybe they think it means more manipulation by Scum, meaning more data to look through? I caught myself thinking that when I was trying to explain to myself why ties were anti-Town. Anyways, I just popped into to see if anyone else suspects Prof P because of this post: > [@MAFIA: The Game - Ideal for Beginners \[Game in Progress\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-the-game-ideal-for-beginners-game-in-progress/725099/1392): > > Looking over my short list, I don’t have a clear idea of who is most likely to be scum. > > However, there is one name on the list I think we’ll learn the most from whether or not he is. > > Vote PlumPudding. > > Madame P. has some relatives coming over tonight, and I have an appointment with audiologists regarding getting some hearing aids in the morning. There’s a very good chance I won’t get back before noon. Go Town! To me, that just screams him trying to give himself an out when PlumPudding shows up Town. ---
**Author:** ![TexCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/texcat/32/9041_2.png) [@TexCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexCat)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/178 "2015-08-24T15:39:47Z")
Yep. But at least Prof.P is voting his own way. I really don’t like the way that Chitwood and Cygnus waited for Biotop to vote and then piled on. Looks like their excuse will just be that they voted with the towniest player. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/179 "2015-08-24T15:49:39Z")
> [@TexCat](#): > > Yep. But at least Prof.P is voting his own way. I really don’t like the way that Chitwood and Cygnus waited for Biotop to vote and then piled on. Looks like their excuse will just be that they voted with the towniest player. Overall there is way too much last minute voting. Overall, I’m happy with the plumpudding lynch, but waiting until the last hour to do so is playing into scum’s hands. The observation that scum didn’t jump on plumpudding earlier is negated by the fact that Town doesn’t make its choice until very late. Scum would be crazy to back a lynch early in this game. Much easier to wait until Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Plumpudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Plumpudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plumpudding)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379/180 "2015-08-24T17:43:38Z")
Hi guys! To all dead players I’ve slighted, **TexCat** especially, I’m sorry for going so hard at you. I’m not happy for town loosing another member, but in a way I felt my time in the game was more or less up. There was only so much I could do to defend myself, and I felt I was painting myself more and more into a corner everytime I opened my mouth! I was so confused as to why no one jumped on my case last day, and it wasn’t something I could really defend myself against as it made me look pretty suspicious. Oh well, school is starting up again soon, so I wouldn’t have had as much time to play anyway. Hopefully town can get back to lynching wolves again tomorrow. I just skimmed through this thread, lots of interesting observations. As for the game in general, I felt participation was very uneven all along. I would have liked more players to be more active, and It felt like low participation was something not really challenged. I’ve read some of the other Mafia games here and I get the feeling lurking is somewhat of a problem? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-watch-along-thread-no-spoilers-forbidden-to-live-players/725379.md?page=10)