# Spectators' thread for Mafia: Goontown (no living players, please!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [September 28, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135 "2018-09-28T20:14:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [September 28, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/1 "2018-09-28T20:14:17Z")
[The current Mafia game](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=862672) Any non-players who want to watch or comment on the game can do so here. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/2 "2018-09-28T20:58:27Z")
I hope you took counter-measures against town players having shared secrets unknown by scum. For example, all town players having the same role message while not providing it to scum. It’s slightly ambiguous who wins the game if all players are dead. Not that that is very likely. I hope they lynch an experienced player on Day One. It’s disheartening for newbies to get eliminated immediately. I recommend **Biotop**. 😃 ---
**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:** [September 28, 2018, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/3 "2018-09-28T21:21:08Z")
The Town role PM is included in that post, and I C&Ped it exactly (missing parenthesis and all, since I noticed it too late. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/4 "2018-10-02T14:22:26Z")
> [@Mafia: Goontown \[Game Over\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mafia-goontown-game-over/821754/163): > > Since I have nothing better to do: > > snoe: 1 (snfaulkner) > Prof. Pepperwinkle: 2 (Knowed Out, Johnny Bravo) > snfaulkner: 1 (Stranger on a Train) > Biotop: 1 (snoe) > Knowed Out: 1 (Sunny Daze) > Stranger on a Train: 1 (Mahaloth) > Mahaloth: 1 (Prof. Pepperwinkle) Really? Focus, people, focus. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/5 "2018-10-04T05:56:46Z")
I’m never sure whether the potential benefit of lynching experienced players early (because as scum they can be very dangerous) is outweighed by the potential loss to Town of their skills if they turn out to be town. I think the post count mechanic of this game is an interesting experiment but I’m not sure I like it. The final thread is going to be loooong. If I had to vote right now I think it would be for snfaulkner. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/6 "2018-10-04T06:16:45Z")
Hmm, foolishly posted here before catching up with the last twelve hours of the game. UNVOTE snf, vote sota. With a suspicious look at snoe. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/7 "2018-10-04T14:30:23Z")
I need a substitute for a no-show player in my game on Giraffe. The substitute cannot be an already dead player, since they have too much non-public information. If anyone reading this is interested, create a sock and post in the rules thread, [Monster Manual Mafia Rules and Sign Up - The Giraffe Boards](http://www.giraffeboards.com/showthread.php?t=47323) ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/8 "2018-10-05T06:18:48Z")
Not sure why Prof. P is not getting that Night talking could be a bad idea. As I see it, it could certainly assist scum in their choice of night kill. Is it scummy or just wrong? Not sure. In a past game I seem to remember the Prof not being great at disguising his scumminess. But he’s probably played much more since then. As usual my D1 lynch choice was wrong. Maybe snoe and PP are both scum and have engineered this whole night conversation. Snf remains under my suspicion, too. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/9 "2018-10-05T10:22:15Z")
I think it is pretty obvious who the scum are. At least, I hope it is. I don’t want my sacrifice to have been in vain. Stranger ---
**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 5, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/10 "2018-10-05T20:38:37Z")
Town often worries about giving Scum too much information. These worries are almost always groundless. Scum already know the most important information in the game, who they themselves are. Town, however, is in desperate need of information, so in general, increasing information is good for Town. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/11 "2018-10-06T20:18:17Z")
What an honor to be the first one NK’d. It’s an honor I’d rather not have had, but still… ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/12 "2018-10-06T20:26:05Z")
It’s an interesting choice because I expected the scum to try to indict you in the eyes of the other townies. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/13 "2018-10-06T21:32:34Z")
I’m most suspicious of Biotop because of his last minute change to kill you. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/14 "2018-10-06T21:42:01Z")
I don’t want to name names because despite the rules someone might peak into this thread and I don’t want to pollute the game but I think everything you need to know is evident from the voting patterns. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/15 "2018-10-06T21:58:21Z")
I haven’t checked out the voting patterns but I’d be surprised if a player as good as Biotop has given himself away with D1 voting. Let’s see… ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/16 "2018-10-06T22:45:05Z")
Biotop’s argument against Mahaloth is 180 degrees from the argument he used to lynch Stranger. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/17 "2018-10-06T22:49:02Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Biotop’s argument against Mahaloth is 180 degrees from the argument he used to lynch Stranger. Ya’ think? I don’t think any of the talk-talk means much. I tried to throw out a couple of contentious statements just to see what reponses people would get bit it didn’t garner anything worthwhile. Everything I learned was from tracking votes. Stranger ---
**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 6, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/18 "2018-10-06T22:58:32Z")
I’m infamous for tracking and analyzing votes, but that’s largely just because I’m not very good at interpreting attitudes from non-vote posting. Others are better at it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/19 "2018-10-07T00:10:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m infamous for tracking and analyzing votes, but that’s largely just because I’m not very good at interpreting attitudes from non-vote posting. Others are better at it, though. Perhaps later in the game were there is in-game history to refer to, but I think all the efforts to refer to prior behavior in other games was pretty meaningless. I’m pretty convinced that at least two players have reached the same conclusions that I have, so provided that there isn’t mass confusion within the townies I’m predicting a town win at the end of Day 3. I’m actually glad to have been lynched out because now I can just check in once every few days and not have to be obsessed, and also I think my death exposed the scum even though may stategy did not include getting lynched by three of my own guys. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135/20 "2018-10-08T14:14:01Z")
Personally, I consider using information from outside the game in play (often called “meta-gaming” in the jargon) as anti-game. It discourages new players because they think they’re missing something important, when it’s not. And it becomes a crutch for experienced players who use it (see how they flounder in a sock-only game). But there’s no good way to discourage meta-gaming. Posting restrictions hamper the game in many ways and are extremely difficult for moderators to consistently enforce. It’s really up individual players not to use the tactic. It gives no advantage against good players, anyway. Vote analysis can be useful, but it won’t catch a good player. A good player’s votes will be the same whether or not they’re scum. I think the best strategy to distinguish scum from town is to intuit motivation from posts. But that is hard, and I’m certainly not very good at it. A good scum player will play as town 99% of the time, so when you catch them doing something because they are scum, you’ve got to nail them for it. Very rarely, a player will do something that scum can’t do, and then you can trust them for the rest of the game. And, of course, role powers completely change the game and how players should play. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-mafia-goontown-no-living-players-please/822135.md?page=2)