# Mystery Mafia -- Game Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 17, 2011, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025 "2011-08-17T14:03:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![LightFoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LightFoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LightFoot)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/261 "2011-08-17T20:08:40Z")
BTW I was not trying to sound snarky. The discussion on some of the mechanics here will be helpful to prevent our guests from making egregious errors (for here) and being incorrectly targeted. ---
**Author:** ![Episkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Episkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Episkey)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/262 "2011-08-17T20:09:28Z")
> [@Dancecat](#): > > \ > I’m overjoyed to report that it has, and I finally get to be a villager again. I mean has it been broken before this game? I was randed scum two big games in a row last month and it was exhausting. When the next game came around and I was town again I was thrilled and really excited/eager to player and it showed. I know you’re scum situation was much longer than mine and it worries me that you’re not nearly as excited as I’ve envisioned you being when the streak broke. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/263 "2011-08-17T20:10:28Z")
> [@Episkey](#): > > Curiosity: I assume the answer is yes, but you guys still considered cop the most important town role yes? Mmm, yes, but there’s a strong emphasis on power roles not being the heavy lifters in a game. If town loses and the consensus is that it was because the cop got NKed N1, well then town was slacking. I’ve played in a few mini-mafias with no power roles and town did win because they’re able to compare discrepancies in talk and action and evaluate the likelihood of a player being scum based on their words and not an investigation result. Over here, we’ve decided that the negatives of giving townies permission to mislead Town outweigh the positives of creating a minefield for scum cop NKs. It’s not like town is consistently losing games over here. ---
**Author:** ![Dancecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Dancecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancecat)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/264 "2011-08-17T20:10:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Who Posted? > Total Posts: 261 > User Name Posts > Dancecat 27 > Gadarene 22 > NAF1138 22 > MykBot 21 > LightFoot 20 > Zeriel 18 > TimeLady 18 > Idle Thoughts 17 > lilflower 15 > Episkey 12 > Krayz 11 > Normal Phase 11 > crackedquads 8 > Scuba\_Ben 5 > Giraffe 5 > special ed 4 > Suburban Plankton 4 > peekercpa 4 > bufftabby 4 > brewha 3 > TexCat 2 > SisterCoyote 2 > Drain Bead 1 > Hirka T’Bawa 1 > sachertorte 1 > Scathach 1 > GuiriEnEspaña 1 > Astral Rejection 1 I have the most posts out of anyone in the game, and have actively participated in important strat discussions, yet Giraffe thinks I’m trying to “blend in” and it’s scummy. wtfingf. ---
**Author:** ![Episkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Episkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Episkey)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/265 "2011-08-17T20:11:19Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Interesting. While it’s almost too obvious, this fits my pattern of typical scum on Day one (following the action but staying quieter than usual, trying not to ruffle feathers) so well that I think it’s worth a vote at this point. > > **vote Dancecat** My question was less about this specific game and more along the lines of “you’re always scum, same old same old?” ---
**Author:** ![Dancecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Dancecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancecat)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/266 "2011-08-17T20:11:57Z")
> [@Episkey](#): > > I mean has it been broken before this game? > I was randed scum two big games in a row last month and it was exhausting. When the next game came around and I was town again I was thrilled and really excited/eager to player and it showed. > > I know you’re scum situation was much longer than mine and it worries me that you’re not nearly as excited as I’ve envisioned you being when the streak broke. Yeah it was like 9 games or something. I subbed in as a villager in donkx4’s game that ran last week or the week before or something, so this isn’t my first non-scum game in months. ---
**Author:** ![Episkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Episkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Episkey)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/267 "2011-08-17T20:13:31Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Mmm, yes, but there’s a strong emphasis on power roles not being the heavy lifters in a game. If town loses and the consensus is that it was because the cop got NKed N1, well then town was slacking. I’ve played in a few mini-mafias with no power roles and town did win because they’re able to compare discrepancies in talk and action and evaluate the likelihood of a player being scum based on their words and not an investigation result. Over here, we’ve decided that the negatives of giving townies permission to mislead Town outweigh the positives of creating a minefield for scum cop NKs. It’s not like town is consistently losing games over here. Cool. I was just wondering since the cop play is drastically different I didn’t know if it was still valued equally. Agree with the main point though: Cop dying N1 is no excuse for town to lose ---
**Author:** ![LightFoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LightFoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LightFoot)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/268 "2011-08-17T20:13:58Z")
> [@Episkey](#): > > ```auto > > [bleached"]This is pretty much exactly how we handle it, though we also go a step further and try not to lynch anyone claimed to be investigated since we don't know which cop is truthful > > ``` That would make for a lot of places for Scum/Wolves to hide. I’m not sure how I would play with those mechanics. To each his own of course. Our land is foreign to you as well ---
**Author:** ![Dancecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Dancecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancecat)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/269 "2011-08-17T20:14:15Z")
Can anyone tell me anything about Giraffe’s level of experience playing mafia? ---
**Author:** ![Episkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Episkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Episkey)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/270 "2011-08-17T20:14:34Z")
> [@Dancecat](#): > > Yeah it was like 9 games or something. I subbed in as a villager in donkx4’s game that ran last week or the week before or something, so this isn’t my first non-scum game in months. Alright, I can put my skeptical face back in the drawer then ---
**Author:** ![Episkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Episkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Episkey)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/271 "2011-08-17T20:15:49Z")
> [@LightFoot](#): > > That would make for a lot of places for Scum/Wolves to hide. > I’m not sure how I would play with those mechanics. > To each his own of course. Our land is foreign to you as well It’d definitely be interesting to swap after this game and have some of you play a game over there. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/272 "2011-08-17T20:16:11Z")
> [@Dancecat](#): > > Um, I’ve been pretty loud and opinionated thus far. Not sure why you think I’m purposefully trying to blend in; I’m merely trying to keep my personal style of playing in check since it can be VERY abrasive and I’m new to this board. Fair enough, I should have said “playing differently than usual” rather than “staying quieter than usual.” Still, reading back through your early posts, I’m not hating my vote. If a brash player were to find themselves Wolf on an unfamiliar board, this is kind of the by-the-book style I’d expect: post a lot, but about strategy and other safe topics, throw an early vote on someone for an anti-Town proposal. I’m sure someone will come along who is scummier than you, but I think this is a good place to leave my vote for now. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/273 "2011-08-17T20:17:03Z")
One other minor thing about this board’s game culture/terminology. We capitalize Day and Night to refer to gamedays and gamenights, to not confuse them with regular days of the week. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/274 "2011-08-17T20:17:10Z")
> [@Episkey](#): > > It’d definitely be interesting to swap after this game and have some of you play a game over there. I approve of this idea. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/275 "2011-08-17T20:17:28Z")
> [@Dancecat](#): > > Can anyone tell me anything about Giraffe’s level of experience playing mafia? I’m looking forward to seeing how this gets answered. ---
**Author:** ![Dancecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Dancecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancecat)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/276 "2011-08-17T20:18:11Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Fair enough, I should have said “playing differently than usual” rather than “staying quieter than usual.” Still, reading back through your early posts, I’m not hating my vote. If a brash player were to find themselves Wolf on an unfamiliar board, this is kind of the by-the-book style I’d expect: post a lot, but about strategy and other safe topics, throw an early vote on someone for an anti-Town proposal. > > I’m sure someone will come along who is scummier than you, but I think this is a good place to leave my vote for now. Could you please give me a ballpark estimate of the number of mafia games you’ve played on here? ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/277 "2011-08-17T20:19:26Z")
> [@Dancecat](#): > > Can anyone tell me anything about Giraffe’s level of experience playing mafia? Relative beginner. Recently got caught as scum for posting in a way similar to yours. I think he misunderstands why it was he got caught out. It’s neither here nor there for me, but honestly has me leaning toward him being town trying to learn from him most recent scum mistake and making a misstep.See my post directed at him back on page 2 I think (if you pull up the post count page and then click the link that is the poster name you get just their posts in the thread. Handy tool.) ---
**Author:** ![lilflower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@lilflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilflower)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/278 "2011-08-17T20:19:28Z")
> [@Dancecat](#): > > I have the most posts out of anyone in the game, and have actively participated in important strat discussions, yet Giraffe thinks I’m trying to “blend in” and it’s scummy. wtfingf. Blending in doesn’t mean not posting anything. Not posting much at all would be lurking (which can also get you votes). I think what \*\*Giraffe \*\*is saying is that you seem to be actively trying not to draw attention to yourself, i.e., not posting anything controversial but still looking like an active participant. So a scum who doesn’t want to be called out for lurking but also doesn’t want to draw much attention would post a lot of fairly neutral comments. ---
**Author:** ![LightFoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LightFoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LightFoot)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/279 "2011-08-17T20:19:39Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I’m looking forward to seeing how this gets answered. \*\*biting tongue ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025/280 "2011-08-17T20:20:54Z")
> [@Dancecat](#): > > Could you please give me a ballpark estimate of the number of mafia games you’ve played on here? On this board: one. (Town, and I think I got lynched the first Day.) On my board: maybe six? The last one I got lynched the first Day (as scum), in large part because I loudly and dramatically bemoaned how terrible I am at Mafia. So I’m definitely not going to do that, but don’t get too riled up by my vote because I really am fairly terrible at this game. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-mafia-game-thread/593025.md?page=15)