# 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:** 94
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1861 "2009-10-22T14:05:09Z")
> [@Normal\_Phase](#): > > The comments about my SK case on **Chronos** brought something to mind: for those who are voting or have voted **Chronos** because you think he’s Scum – I’m thinking **Tom** here for one, though I know he’s addressed this before, just can’t remember what he said – how do you account for the Lie Detector thing he brought up? I can’t, not easily anyway, which is why his behavior has always read as 3rd party to me rather than Scum. > > If he turns up Town, or with a verifiable Town claim, some clarification on that point might prove useful. From my WoW: > [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > The Lie Detector thing was pro-Town, but low probability; I could see gambling on that for Townie cred. ---
**Author:** ![Normal\_Phase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Normal\_Phase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Normal_Phase)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1862 "2009-10-22T14:31:33Z")
What I’m thinking is that whatever small risk there is, **Chronos** would be multiplying it considerably if he has Scum teammates to worry about. That doesn’t apply if he’s playing for himself; in fact it almost works in reverse in that case, since any hypothetical Lie Detector would probably not jump to the conclusion that the very person who empowered them would have anything to hide. Not for a while, anyway. If he’s PFK, it’s Town Cred at virtually zero risk. If he’s Scum, it’s not that simple. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1863 "2009-10-22T16:08:47Z")
That’s assuming there’s a Lie Detector in-game. If there isn’t, **Chronos** got a lot of Townie cred with absolutely no drawback. If there is, his plan may have been to say he was Town-aligned and maybe a handful of people would also bother to participate. I’m not sure he realized how the whole thing would eventually play out. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1864 "2009-10-22T16:22:53Z")
I think that what happened to **Freudian Slit** hurts us, in two ways. First of all, we’re denied information, which can be a critical blow against Town. Ordinarily, when a player is out of the game, we learn their role, but here we didn’t. In fact, it was just that sort of lost information (not knowing the alignment of a dead player) which led to the faulty reasoning that lost us the Lost game. Second, assuming that rule is applied consistently to all inactive players, a Scum player could exploit it by deliberately lurking and going comatose, then only coming back and waking back up when needed. Such a player would be guaranteed to not have been lynched, vigged, investigated, or anything else until the endgame where they made a critical difference. Of course, it’s possible that **Freudian** is Scum, and is doing just that. For that reason, I think that if she ever does show up again, it’s absolutely mandatory that we kill her immediately, by whatever means is quickest. And likewise for anyone else who goes comatose and comes back. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1865 "2009-10-22T16:25:24Z")
Vote Count: Gryff (1) Chronos(8): Oredigger, USCDiver, Tiltawhirl, Gryff, DaphneBlack, DB, CatInASuit, OaOW Scuba Ben (1): Guiri Tom Scud (1) : Chronos Drain Bead(2) : Tom Scud, Normalphase ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1866 "2009-10-22T17:22:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Second, assuming that rule is applied consistently to all inactive players, a Scum player could exploit it by deliberately lurking and going comatose, then only coming back and waking back up when needed. Such a player would be guaranteed to not have been lynched, vigged, investigated, or anything else until the endgame where they made a critical difference. Which is why I don’t think the mods would have boxed a Town player. Of course, it could really come back to bite them in the ass if they don’t treat other players similarly in the future, meaning that our Scum could all later decide to lurk about and let us talk ourselves into killing one another. But I don’t think they would have done this for a player who wasn’t Town-aligned–it really removes Town’s ability to get rid of them. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1867 "2009-10-22T17:34:57Z")
> [@Normal\_Phase](#): > > What I’m thinking is that whatever small risk there is, **Chronos** would be multiplying it considerably if he has Scum teammates to worry about. Ok, I understand your reasoning now. Personally, I read little into the whole lie-detector thing. The risk would be minimal, even for a scum team, as we probably don’t have such a role. > [@Chronos](#): > > I think that what happened to **Freudian Slit** hurts us, in two ways. First of all, we’re denied information, which can be a critical blow against Town. Ordinarily, when a player is out of the game, we learn their role, but here we didn’t. QFT. No votes yet from Boozahol, Scuba Ben and AllWalker. Of the two bandwagons that may realistically end in a lynch, I’d prefer to go for Drain Bead. The knowledge she’s pulled a ‘lynch me’ gambit as scum swings it for me. **Vote Drain Bead** That’s a **leader vote** and a **countdown**. _“Now my advice for those who die Declare the pennies on your eyes”_ ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1868 "2009-10-22T17:44:28Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > Right now I would be OK with lynching DB or Chronos. I think that the Chronos lynch gives us more information. I’m interested in why you think that. I haven’t thought about this issue much, but off the top of my head it seems like a **DB** lynch would clarify the Day One bandwagons a bit more, while I can’t think of anything comparable wrt **Chronos**. But as I said that’s off the top of my head. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1869 "2009-10-22T18:15:00Z")
So we’re 8-3, with only 3 active players left not voting, correct? Even if all 3 voted for me, we’re still 8-6. I think it’s time for **Chronos** to claim, sooner rather than later, so that those who have yet to vote can make a choice, and those who have already voted can potentially switch. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1870 "2009-10-22T18:30:24Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > I’m interested in why you think that. > > I haven’t thought about this issue much, but off the top of my head it seems like a **DB** lynch would clarify the Day One bandwagons a bit more, while I can’t think of anything comparable wrt **Chronos**. But as I said that’s off the top of my head. I as thinking of your impassioned defence of him particularly. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1871 "2009-10-22T18:31:39Z")
Vote Count: Gryff (1) Chronos(8): Oredigger, USCDiver, Tiltawhirl, Gryff, DaphneBlack, DB, CatInASuit, OaOW Scuba Ben (1): Guiri Tom Scud (1) : Chronos Drain Bead(3) : Tom Scud, Normalphase, Alka(leader) Day ends at 1:34 PM Eastern tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![GuiriEnEspana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc79bd/32.png) [@GuiriEnEspana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuiriEnEspana)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1872 "2009-10-22T19:09:10Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > So we’re 8-3, with only 3 active players left not voting, correct? > > Even if all 3 voted for me, we’re still 8-6. I think it’s time for **Chronos** to claim, sooner rather than later, so that those who have yet to vote can make a choice, and those who have already voted can potentially switch. I thought yours was a “by invitation only” lynch and limited to **Gryff** , **Boozy** , **Daphne** and Alka. You already have Alka’s vote so unless you open your invitation to a slighlty larger select group, you’ll have to quote a PM, edit a post and insult someone to be sure to get what you want. Oh, you may also get your vote bought by our local Democrat. Out of curiosity, could you fill us in on your previous experience with the “lynch me” plea? In games when you were scum, what was your motivation? And when you were town, had you also claimed VT? ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1873 "2009-10-22T19:27:53Z")
> [@GuiriEnEspana](#): > > I thought yours was a “by invitation only” lynch and limited to **Gryff** , **Boozy** , **Daphne** and Alka. You already have Alka’s vote so unless you open your invitation to a slighlty larger select group, you’ll have to quote a PM, edit a post and insult someone to be sure to get what you want. Oh, you may also get your vote bought by our local Democrat. It’s pretty clear that what I want isn’t going to happen, so I’m dealing with reality here. I suppose in the end it would be 8-7 at best, since I wasn’t counting **Chronos** switching his vote to me, which he said he would do if it came down to it. And I guess my vote could be bought, which would push it over the edge. Having never been in a game with a Politician before, I don’t know if that is a one-time-only power or not. > [@](#): > > Out of curiosity, could you fill us in on your previous experience with the “lynch me” plea? In games when you were scum, what was your motivation? And when you were town, had you also claimed VT? To be perfectly honest with you, I don’t remember at this point–it’s been about a year and a half since the last time I played. And I don’t recall coming up with concrete plans to be lynched in any meaningful way before now. I have avoided calling out **Boozy** on this because I really don’t remember, so I don’t know if he’s right or not. Not counting a game I subbed into (I was a Cop in that one), I have only been Town once, and was VT in that game too. I can’t remember how the eventual death went down in that game at all. I think that was the last game I played in and I was pregnant and sick and didn’t really participate to the level I should have, but I could even be wrong about that. In every other game, I was scum. I was scum a LOT over on Idle’s board. At least four times, I think. I was a scum roleblocker twice…in a ROW. I was the scum in the Batman game that started the whole “gastard” joke. Which means I was lynched quite a bit. I’ve actually never been NKed in a game that I recall. Usually my MO was to defend myself, but when that didn’t work, I’d pretty much just give up–I can only repeat myself so many times. The only times as scum I went down swinging were manufactured scumfights to give another person townie cred, and I only remember that happening once. For the most part once I got myself in hot water, my scumbuddies would mostly try to distance themselves from me, with maybe one or two voting for me in the middle of the pack, but nobody actively fighting with me or taking me on. In fact, the scumfight game was a game in which scum could day-strategize. Which probably doesn’t help me any in anyone’s eyes, but it’s amusing nonetheless, and a data point to consider–no doubt somewhere in this game will be a manufactured scumfight. I still think a lot of info can be gained from my death, but I’m not willing to go against the express wishes of the rest of the Town to do it. Which makes for a pretty frustrating game experience for me, as I watch people consistently bark up the wrong tree. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1874 "2009-10-22T19:36:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Even if all 3 voted for me, we’re still 8-6. I think it’s time for Chronos to claim, sooner rather than later, so that those who have yet to vote can make a choice, and those who have already voted can potentially switch. Yeah, you’re probably right. Drumroll, please? I am… A vanilla Town. Yeah, I’ll bet none of you want to risk losing me now! 😃 And it’s unlikely to do any good, but I’ll also **Unvote Tom Scud Vote Drain Bead** out of self-defense. And yes, before anyone objects, this is what could be called a strategic vote. The difference between this and **Thing Fish** yesterDay is that I didn’t know that he was Town, but I do know that I am. Worst case scenario, if **Drain Bead** gets lynched instead of me, we’ve lost one vanilla instead of another. Best case, we nab a Scum. ---
**Author:** ![GuiriEnEspana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc79bd/32.png) [@GuiriEnEspana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuiriEnEspana)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1875 "2009-10-22T19:51:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Drumroll, please? > > I am… > > A vanilla Town. /snipped Phew! I really couldn’t stomach yet another power role claim. Go Town! @ **Drain** Thanks for your honest and detailed response, useful info for a noob like me. ---
**Author:** ![Normal\_Phase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Normal\_Phase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Normal_Phase)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1876 "2009-10-22T19:54:29Z")
I have to admit I like the “drumroll … vanilla”. That has style. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1877 "2009-10-22T20:38:51Z")
Vanilla drumroll sounds a bit like a dessert. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1878 "2009-10-22T20:47:51Z")
Mmm…vanilla drumroll Vote Count: Gryff (1) Chronos(8): Oredigger, USCDiver, Tiltawhirl, Gryff, DaphneBlack, DB, CatInASuit, OaOW Scuba Ben (1): Guiri Drain Bead(4) : Tom Scud, Normalphase, Alka(leader), Chronos Day ends at 1:34 PM Eastern tomorrow. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1879 "2009-10-22T21:06:47Z")
So while I still feel NormalPhase or Scuddy i sperhaps our best lynch choice, I can go along with a Chronos lynch. vote: Chronos ---
**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:** [October 22, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938/1880 "2009-10-22T21:46:18Z")
> [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](#): > > So while I still feel NormalPhase or Scuddy i sperhaps our best lynch choice, I can go along with a Chronos lynch. > vote: Chronos **Tom Scum** I can see, but because I’m curious, why **Normal Phase**? Even though **Normal** has been on my ass all game, he’s never pinged me as Scum. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938.md?page=93) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screamers-mafia/510938.md?page=95)