# Spectators' thread for Shakespeare Mafia (no active players, please) **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 12, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790 "2025-07-12T15:21:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![AngeloftheNorth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelofthenorth/32/19559_2.png) [@AngeloftheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngeloftheNorth)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/81 "2025-07-26T22:50:54Z")
No worries, my friend. All is fair in love and war, and our game is a war of sorts, at least while we’re playing it. ---
**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:** [July 26, 2025, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/82 "2025-07-26T23:11:14Z")
Oh, and I’m disappointed that, apparently, nobody in either this thread nor the game read the entire post at the start of Act II. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/83 "2025-07-27T19:28:46Z")
My suspicions are **glee** and **Dizzimrslizzy** now, trending towards the latter. What will Town do, how can Scum react? What powers are still in play? I read the post you mention, @Chronos, several times: I don’t get what you are pointing to. Something is rotten in the town of Verona (or is it Athens now?). ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/84 "2025-07-27T19:48:56Z")
On a meta-level, is Hamlet really a good guy, though? He’s at least partially responsible for 7 deaths. And while some are justifiable, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were his friends and had no idea what missive they were carrying. You can argue that the missive came from an illegitimate ruler, but R & G weren’t really of a station that could just deny a King’s orders and for them to break the seal of the letter would have been treasonous. And then there’s Ophelia. Really no justifying that one at all. ---
**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:** [July 27, 2025, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/85 "2025-07-27T23:15:04Z")
Ophelia was a suicide, though. I mean, you can argue that he drove her to suicide, but you can also argue that she was just plain mentally unstable to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![raspberry\_hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@raspberry\_hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raspberry_hunter)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2025, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/86 "2025-07-28T00:16:33Z")
Ahahahaha, I had to read it twice more before I saw what you’d slipped in. I think my brain just kept auto-filling with what I know the correct quote is! ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2025, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/87 "2025-07-28T04:00:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Ophelia was a suicide, though. I mean, you can argue that he drove her to suicide, but you can also argue that she was just plain mentally unstable to begin with. It’s been a while since I read it, but I don’t recall any indication of Ophelia being unstable until Hamlet started jerking her around after having sex with her and then accusing her of being essentially a slut that isn’t worth anyone marrying. Even in Shakespeare’s time, it’s a dick move. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2025, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/88 "2025-07-28T16:26:27Z")
But why a squid? ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2025, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/89 "2025-07-28T16:28:14Z")
Biotop, someday I want to be scum with you in a vanilla game. Our plan would have worked if it hadn’t been for those meddling power roles! ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2025, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/90 "2025-07-28T17:26:31Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > But why a squid? Just to see if we were paying attention? Usually all I look at on the dawn messages is the name(s) and other info about the overnight victims. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2025, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/91 "2025-07-28T17:44:45Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > > [@Thing.Fish](#): > > > > But why a squid? > > Just to see if we were paying attention? Ah, now I see it too. Don’t understand it, but at least see it. I think **Chronos** has thought of something clever and revealing with this squid game. No idea what, but he was disappointed enough about nobody noticing or understanding that he pointed it out again here. And I still don’t get it. ---
**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:** [July 28, 2025, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/92 "2025-07-28T17:45:29Z")
Well, we try to use protection in our initiation rituals, but, well, you know, nothing’s ever 100%… (and no, no significance beyond that squids often feature in SDMB in-jokes) ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/93 "2025-07-29T01:34:35Z")
I thought it was a reference to SDMB member Boozahol Squid, P.I. who used to play in some mafia games back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/94 "2025-07-29T03:48:14Z")
> [@Shakespeare Mafia -- Act III](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakespeare-mafia-act-iii/1021358/61): > > Screw up your courage to the sticking place! I wonder if that was an intentional bastardization of the real quote or an accident. ---
**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:** [July 29, 2025, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/95 "2025-07-29T13:32:41Z")
You think he might have screwed up? ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/96 "2025-07-29T14:29:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > but, well, you know, nothing’s ever 100% **[Yeah, well, you know, this is just, like, your opinion, man…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j95kNwZw8YY)** _My_ opinion? **glee** and **Dizzimrslizzy** or **Prof.Pepperwinkle**. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2025, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/97 "2025-07-31T15:26:18Z")
Lots of juicy vote-switching and jockeying happening now as we approach end of day. Assuming the game continues, there should be a decent volume of actions to analyze after the fact, if someone wants to put in the work. ---
**Author:** ![knoodler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ccd318/32.png) [@knoodler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knoodler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/98 "2025-07-31T16:44:48Z")
I don’t want to sound like a … paranoid gun owner… but by my count that’s two players who are banished and have raised the issue of familiarity among the players. There’s no instance of collusion that I can tell within the game. Just a level of chuminess among the non-newbie players. When I raised the issue earlier it was based on personal experiences, like when I last participated as a new player I immediately noticed chatter among others as if it were a reunion of sorts. I see now it’s another means of conversation, which is always helpful to town on D1. I don’t see a way to make it less intimidating to new players and hope that they will enjoy the thrill of the hunt as I have, and keep signing up. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2025, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/99 "2025-07-31T20:20:55Z")
glee, You may have had people who felt a little too friendly towards old friends, and not quite felt able to be on equal footing on them. But at least you didn’t have people _intentionally_ being annoying. as far as I can tell. The one and only mafia game I every played, there were a couple of people who thought being obnoxious was a winning strategy. I don’t remember who actually won the game, and my primary reason for never playing again was that trying to guess who I should vote for was stressful and not fun. But the players who were being annoying on purpose ( I don’t remember what they were doing, just that it was obnoxious, and I wasn’t the only one who thought so). I believe the game in question was one of Storytellers, I know I was one of three witches, who could talk at night and protect one player overnight. One of the other witches claimed witch on both his and my behalf, Day One. I refused to let the Witches protect me at night ( I was NOT having enough fun to want to prolong my involvement), but I stayed around for a couple days anyway. So, I guess, I want to encourage you to try again, assuming you want to. I have enjoyed watching Mafia games, but didn’t actually enjoy playing in one. People assured me at the time that I should try again, probably a simpler version (too many potential power roles in the one I played in), but I don’t regret not doing so. Still, I have read more than enough Mafia games over the years to know that while there can be some significant similarities between games, there can also be a lot of differences. Some caused by different flavors (colors), some caused by different dynamics as different players come and go. Some by the phase of the moon or other things outside the control of people on a message board. So if some parts were fun, or seemed like they could be fun, if someone starts a new game soon, consider joining in. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790/100 "2025-07-31T20:33:12Z")
Dunt, dunt, dunt, another one bites the dust. 😎 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectators-thread-for-shakespeare-mafia-no-active-players-please/1020790.md?page=6)