# Random Mafia **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 18, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942 "2010-03-18T21:47:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/121 "2010-03-19T21:12:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > On the other hand, if we do have exactly one claimed name that looks consistent with Doctor, and exactly one claimed name that looks consistent with Detective, then the Scum will have a field day with their Night-kills. One suggestion I’ve seen (I think it was in Lost) was that the real Doctor should be encouraged to come up with a generic-looking fake claim: That way, the still-hidden Doctor could protect the presumably-outed Detective. That’s not a bad idea; it was a terrible idea in LOST, but there was a much more limited name-space and greater chance of a collision in that game. > [@](#): > > Eh, if all the names are people with Wikipedia articles, it wouldn’t be all that hard to look up what the person’s profession is, anyway. I don’t see that that makes much difference. In most cases the profession will be obvious; in others it might be a bit uncertain. I’m worried that it would give an extra clue to Sach’s thinking for role-fishers, without really giving Town much help. OTOH, I guess NAF is right that more information generally favors Town. ---
**Author:** ![special\_ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@special\_ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/special_ed)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/122 "2010-03-19T21:44:29Z")
> [@peekercpa](#): > > i’ve just got to vote a strong player on the chance that they are scum or not. **bitchslap peeker** ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/123 "2010-03-19T21:47:11Z")
I’d be for a mass claim. Plus mine’s not exactly a profession…it’s more of a…um, race? ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/124 "2010-03-19T21:53:48Z")
Confirming. Looks like I’m already behind in reading. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/125 "2010-03-19T22:07:39Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > This. Like I said on the spoiled board Meeko, I thought you played fairly well in the early game, but your play went badly downhill once you got frustrated. If you play badly in mafia, you have to expect to be criticised, it’s not personal. > > The game becomes far less enjoyable for everone when players get frustrated or annoyed with each other. > > **@One and Only Wanderers** - I take it BW = Bolton Wanderers? Oh yeah. Come on you whites! ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/126 "2010-03-19T22:13:47Z")
OK from what I have read so far my pm seems to fit the picture. I have a name and a…description. I wouldn’t quite say it’s a profession. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/127 "2010-03-19T22:20:41Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I’d be for a mass claim. Plus mine’s not exactly a profession…it’s more of a…um, race? Well, I already said that mine was a religion, so I don’t think it’s all that weird that yours is a race. Also, just to bring up other topics of conversation, Tom has talked about fishing a lot so far this game. I figure I should bring this up now since it’s been a while since I have played over here. Scum don’t need to fish. Scum, if they are any good, won’t actively fish. Scum will be told everything they need to know about other roles by townies doing their damnedest to prevent scum from learning anything, because scum know what to look for. Holding back information for fear of helping scum is, 90 times out of 100, a bad idea for town. It’s a good idea the other 10% of the time, and I trust that everyone in the game is capable of deciding if it is a good idea on their own in any given situation. But remember to weigh how potentially useful the information could be against how potentially damaging it could be. I have seen towns repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot by being to secretive. I have hardly ever seen town give anything away by being too open. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/128 "2010-03-19T22:26:43Z")
Well, I actually have a name, then a race in parentheses and then a description that I really can’t…describe, without giving it away. Anyway. I do agree that if we’re going to mass claim, we’d better do it toDay. Possibly this weekend? ---
**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:** [March 19, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/129 "2010-03-19T22:28:28Z")
I can’t this weekend, but I am happy to wait another hour and a half before telling you all who I am. ---
**Author:** ![special\_ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@special\_ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/special_ed)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/130 "2010-03-19T22:30:05Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Scum don’t need to fish. Scum, if they are any good, won’t actively fish. Scum will be told everything they need to know about other roles by townies doing their damnedest to prevent scum from learning anything, because scum know what to look for. Holding back information for fear of helping scum is, 90 times out of 100, a bad idea for town. It’s a good idea the other 10% of the time, and I trust that everyone in the game is capable of deciding if it is a good idea on their own in any given situation. But remember to weigh how potentially useful the information could be against how potentially damaging it could be. I have seen towns repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot by being to secretive. I have hardly ever seen town give anything away by being too open. I disagree with this. I can recall a few instances of Scum actively fishing. Now, it may be unwise for them to do so, but sometimes they’ll do it anyway, thinking they are being clever. I will not give apparent fishing attempts a pass. But, that said, I also won’t condemn someone because of it. It all depends on the circumstances ---
**Author:** ![special\_ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@special\_ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/special_ed)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/131 "2010-03-19T22:31:05Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > I can’t this weekend, but I am happy to wait another hour and a half before telling you all who I am. I’m willing to name claim just to get the discussion over with and get on with the actual game. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/132 "2010-03-19T22:34:30Z")
If we’re going to mass name claim, how do we set up the order? ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/133 "2010-03-19T22:34:50Z")
> [@sachertorte](#): > > By the way, in case you hadn’t pieced it together yourself, the roles were assigned randomly. > [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Not sure what to think about name-claiming. For one thing, if the names were picked out at random from wikipedia, how do we even know if the names correspond to alignments? My name is kind of vaguely Town, but that’s only one datapoint, and one that is only available to me. > > On the other hand, I remember LOST mafia, where if Town had jumped straight to a name-claim we probably would have broken the game wide open. Sach, I’m glad you told us it was random. I wasn’t too sure. Tom: Some of us in that game did break it wide open. In the spirit of claiming, and in the spirit of my role : \*_I am a surrealist Artist_. \*\* So lets see what we can do with that piece first. \*And If the player playing him isn’t surreal as well, I don’t know what to tell you guys. \*\* Are our roles that random, or should we pay attention to DOB and Date of Death, etc? Do we have anyone still alive? \*\* ---
**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:** [March 19, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/134 "2010-03-19T22:35:06Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > This is not as bad as some tiebreaking mechanisms I’ve seen (cf. LOST mafia). Ties are still bad, but not as bad as they might be. Hey, I liked that LOST mafia tiebreaker. I think it was creative and eloquently implemented. 😉 Oh, and I got my PM. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/135 "2010-03-19T22:39:12Z")
NETA: Location of Birth / Death ? As race, apparently is mentioned. Mod-WIFOM on why we were given certain pieces and not others. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/136 "2010-03-19T22:41:56Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > If we’re going to mass name claim, how do we set up the order? We use [random.org](http://random.org)’s [incredibly handy list randomizer](http://www.random.org/lists/?mode=advanced). ---
**Author:** ![special\_ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@special\_ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/special_ed)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/137 "2010-03-19T22:42:34Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > NETA: Location of Birth / Death ? As race, apparently is mentioned. Mod-WIFOM on why we were given certain pieces and not others. If I had to guess, he picked articles at random from Wikipedia and assigned them to us as names. I would also assume he assigned roles in a separate random fashion. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/138 "2010-03-19T22:43:15Z")
> [@special\_ed](#): > > I disagree with this. I can recall a few instances of Scum actively fishing. Now, it may be unwise for them to do so, but sometimes they’ll do it anyway, thinking they are being clever. I will not give apparent fishing attempts a pass. But, that said, I also won’t condemn someone because of it. It all depends on the circumstances So you don’t actually disagree, you just felt like being disagreeable? :dubious: I don’t think we have opposing points of view based on what you said, and the meat of my argument was to not hold back information that is potentially useful to town because it might also be potentially useful to scum. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/139 "2010-03-19T22:44:10Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > If we’re going to mass name claim, how do we set up the order? Given the time constraints I’d suggest using Sach’s random list for role distrobution. I’d be willing to go forward with the claims before the weekend otherwise people are going to keep giving out their roles piecemeal. ---
**Author:** ![special\_ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@special\_ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/special_ed)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942/140 "2010-03-19T22:45:20Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > We use [random.org](http://random.org)’s [incredibly handy list randomizer](http://www.random.org/lists/?mode=advanced). or we just claim, like this: > [@sachertorte](#): > > You are Guy de Maupassant (Writer). You win with the Town. > [Guy de Maupassant - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_de_Maupassant) [URL=“[Guy de Maupassant - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_de_Maupassant)”] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-mafia/532942.md?page=8)