# Screamers Mafia **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 21, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938 "2009-09-21T13:16:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**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:** [September 24, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/101 "2009-09-24T04:58:55Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > Confirming PM. I would also like to suggest that our chosen leader be someone who is available to start the End of Day count down at a time which is reasonable for the majority of the players (ie not some Brit who is awake and voting at 4am EST!) No one wants the day to end in the wee hours. I’ll second that. It’s a good call. I’m assuming we’re mostly in the U.S., so it would make sense to have an American leader. ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/102 "2009-09-24T05:06:41Z")
> [@peekercpa](#): > > now would be a good time to talk about not holding grudges over from previous games. especially very current ones where someone got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Pish-posh. The only grudge I hold from game to game is the one against **CatinaSuit**. And snark won’t get you anywhere, young man. ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/103 "2009-09-24T05:11:53Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > Confirming PM. I would also like to suggest that our chosen leader be someone who is available to start the End of Day count down at a time which is reasonable for the majority of the players (ie not some Brit who is awake and voting at 4am EST!) No one wants the day to end in the wee hours. That’s not a bad point, and might disqualify Walker, as I believe he’s from Sydney, and his nights are his days, and summers: winters. I also agree that it should be an experienced player. We don’t want to get in a situation where an inexperienced Governor makes some horrendous mistake that we have to write off to inexperience. Given the necessity of an American, experienced player, I’m game to be Governor, and feel confident in the experience qualifications of Nookie, Drain Bead, peekercpa or you. ---
**Author:** ![AllWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@AllWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllWalker)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/104 "2009-09-24T07:23:53Z")
PM received and understood. Aw, you guys like me! _blush_ There is merit in electing a US citizen, but voting for me would not be the end of the world - I would start the countdown in the early morning EST, which is late at night here. But I do agree we need a player who is experienced and capable of leadership - ending the Day prematurely could undermine a potentially good case, for example. **Are people allowed to try to elect themselves?** Even if they are allowed, I propose that self-voting be discouraged. The leader should be determined by the rest of the group. ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/105 "2009-09-24T07:35:03Z")
PM received. Giving the role to an experienced player is not a bad idea. Given that it does control when the countdown starts, could I suggest instead that we just set a time when the vote leader has to vote, so we know when the end of Day is going to be. For example, saying they should place a vote next Tuesday at 5pm GMT, Noon EST ends the day the following day at a time which should be acceptable to more than most and gives us a enough days for Day 1. Giving it to an experienced player should also mean an understanding of whether to move the deadline up or down depending on the discussion going on. ---
**Author:** ![AllWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@AllWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllWalker)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/106 "2009-09-24T07:42:57Z")
Just to clarify… If needed, I could easily cast a vote around 10pm-1am local time, which is 8am-11am EST. For me at least, timezones don’t really matter - I’m so far out of sync that I’m in a useful rythm. Also, I have played around 7 or 8 games. ---
**Author:** ![Gryff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Gryff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gryff)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/107 "2009-09-24T08:29:17Z")
Confirming receipt of role pm. BTW **pedescribe** , your mailbox is full. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/108 "2009-09-24T08:51:15Z")
PM received. I like the idea of the leader having to vote at a set time; I’m sure we can co-ordinate that without too much difficulty. Voting for experience is much better than trying to get confirm someone on Day One. That said - if we play well, the leader will \*\*never \*\*use their casting vote. Ties are still to be avoided. In the worst case scenario, we’ll be handing control of the lynch to scum. In the best, there’ll only be one person accountable for the lynch. It’s in scum’s interest to create ties, so that whatever the result they can hide behind the leader. It’s town’s responsibillity to actually make decisions. Oh, and this is my sixth game. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/109 "2009-09-24T08:52:23Z")
Get confirm? Oh, Edit button, how you tempt me. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/110 "2009-09-24T08:54:26Z")
Argee leader role should go to an experienced player and that they should give plenty of notice before placing their vote. A provisional deadline of a week would be good, but the leader shouldn’t be afraid to extend if there are lines of enquiry that need following up. Deadline setting needs to be a balance between information gathering and enjoyable gameplay. Do people think the leader dynamics help town or scum? How might scum exploit it? I’m in the UK, so on GMT. I’ve played a couple games of mafia (one until I was NK’ed, one which I subbed out of), and read several others. ---
**Author:** ![ColdPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@ColdPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/111 "2009-09-24T08:59:17Z")
Got my pm. ---
**Author:** ![ColdPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@ColdPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/112 "2009-09-24T09:12:48Z")
> [@peekercpa](#): > > my two cents on the leader would be someone who is going to be consistent with their presence. too much potential for shennanigans otherwise. Agree with this and the experience point. > [@USCDiver](#): > > Confirming PM. I would also like to suggest that our chosen leader be someone who is available to start the End of Day count down at a time which is reasonable for the majority of the players (ie not some Brit who is awake and voting at 4am EST!) No one wants the day to end in the wee hours. Boo from London!! 😉 > [@peekercpa](#): > > now would be a good time to talk about not holding grudges over from previous games. especially very current ones where someone got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Something amusing happen in the Wild West game? It moved so fast I didn’t have time to follow it when I wasn’t playing. > [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > leader role should … give plenty of notice before placing their vote. A provisional deadline of a week would be good, but the leader shouldn’t be afraid to extend if there are lines of enquiry that need following up. Nah, I think these games move slowly enough. If we have a week’s notice before each day end the game’ll last forever! I’ve played one complete game and am towards the end of my second. Town in both. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/113 "2009-09-24T10:01:42Z")
Something to get a bit of discussion going… In my last game (Weird Wild West), I got an ambiguous role PM with the following line: > [@](#): > > Sometimes, though, you feel odd. No way to explain it, though. You feel “marked” in some way, but you don’t know why or if it means anything. Turns out I was the Miller. If we have a Miller in this game, should they claim on day 1? ---
**Author:** ![ColdPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@ColdPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/114 "2009-09-24T10:10:44Z")
What do you think that would achieve? ---
**Author:** ![ColdPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@ColdPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/115 "2009-09-24T10:32:28Z")
After rereading, I hope my last post didn’t come across as snarky. 🙂 It was a genuine question. ---
**Author:** ![AllWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@AllWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllWalker)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/116 "2009-09-24T10:57:39Z")
Someone claiming Miller could very easily just be a Scum trying to pre-empt any investigations against them. I don’t know about others, but I would see a Miller claim as potentially suspicious. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/117 "2009-09-24T11:21:43Z")
No problem. I’m thinking a Miller is almost certain to be lynched if they claim after an investigation comes up (as happened in Weird Wild West). On the other hand, an early claim is going to be treated with suspicion, so it might not achieve much. Pros: - Special roles don’t waste a night action on them. Improves chance of successful investigation, protect, watch or track for town slightly. - Reduces chance of wasting a mis-lynch. - If a cop suspects sanity issues, gives them a target to check against (regardless of whether Miller claim is genuine). - More information for town, to help work out the game setup. Cons: - Very difficult to confirm the claim. - Scum are unlikely to NK a claimed Miller (which would probably the best outcome for town). - Reduces the pool of targets for the scum by 1, so they have a better chance of hitting a power role. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/118 "2009-09-24T11:56:05Z")
> [@AllWalker](#): > > PM received and understood. > > Aw, you guys like me! _blush_ There is merit in electing a US citizen, but voting for me would not be the end of the world - I would start the countdown in the early morning EST, which is late at night here. > > But I do agree we need a player who is experienced and capable of leadership - ending the Day prematurely could undermine a potentially good case, for example. > > **Are people allowed to try to elect themselves?** Even if they are allowed, I propose that self-voting be discouraged. The leader should be determined by the rest of the group. Yes. > [@Gryff](#): > > Confirming receipt of role pm. BTW **pedescribe** , your mailbox is full. Fixed. **For future reference, if my mailbox is full, send the PM to Mahaloth.** ---
**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:** [September 24, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/119 "2009-09-24T12:09:10Z")
> [@AllWalker](#): > > **Are people allowed to try to elect themselves?** Even if they are allowed, I propose that self-voting be discouraged. The leader should be determined by the rest of the group. Yes, you can vote yourself for leader. ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/120 "2009-09-24T12:10:05Z")
The good news is that at least the mods are giving the same answer so far 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938.md?page=7)