# Trouble in Paradise (Mafia Game Thread) **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [October 23, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585 "2015-10-23T22:52:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Astral\_Rejection](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@Astral\_Rejection](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astral_Rejection)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/161 "2015-10-26T20:54:37Z")
> [@WF\_Tomba](#): > > I don’t know what exactly there is to address, **Astral**. Obviously there is a plausible innocent explanation for what you’re doing, but for a good Scum player, there always is. From my point of view, it looks like preparation for a later push against me. > > For the record, here is the theory you tried to shoot down: > It’s a suggestion that **Prof. Pepperwinkle** is guilty of “perfect information syndrome”. If this were to be accepted as a clue by other players, it would have the side effect of implying that **Biotop** and I are Town. Your casting doubt on it thus fits the pattern of Scum preparing for a future push to lynch me. There’s no theory there. I think Precambriabmollusc is flat-out wrong in what he’s saying. It has no bearing on you at all. Does anybody else see what Tomba is getting at here? Because I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/162 "2015-10-26T20:59:42Z")
I’m torn about Lynch the Lurker. In the last game, I pursued that strategy forthrightly, and it turned out in hindsight to be a decent strategy … yet the lurker I focused on the most was **Mahaloth** , who turned out to be Town. But what’s even worse is that I am myself a bit of a lurker, if you go by post counts. I just tend to be succinct, and I can’t generate the extensive verbiage that some players do. I think if you all review my posts in this game, though, you will find that I am doing my best not to hide. I still stand behind everything I have said or suggested in this thread: **Astral** and **Mahaloth** are dangerous players, **Astral** appears to be laying the groundwork for a Scum push against me, and **Dante G** ’s confusion over whether he had voted (for me!) might be scummy. I am also starting to be suspicious of **Prof. Pepperwinkle**. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/163 "2015-10-26T21:24:18Z")
I just saw there was a new post by **Johnny Bravo** in the Thread Games forum, and clicked on it thinking it was in this thread. Then I realized it was in the Forbidden Thread! I clicked back immediately, and didn’t see anything of note. He was just remarking on how he enjoys being the game moderator. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/164 "2015-10-26T21:29:38Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > I was referring to posts 96-98 specifically, where **sfaulnker** spends the majority of his contribution for the Day listing the people who have made cheese jokes. You are correct, I did apparently talk about cheese (specifically anti-cheese puns) as the basis for my votes/suspicions. But that was really I had to go on so early in the game. Things seems to be developing as the hours tick away now, so I’m starting to get some real suspicions/vibes (non cheese related). I need to reread some posts before I can amend my vote. But my current vote stands until then. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/165 "2015-10-26T21:49:53Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > No, not until Wednesday. I don’t see anyone who strikes me as scum, and I’m not into revenge votes. On Wednesday I’ll vote among the lurkers unless I need to cast a cover-my-ass vote. **Prof P.** This seems to rub me, and a few others a bit…wrong. Can you explain what you mean by casting a “cover-my-ass vote”? ---
**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 26, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/166 "2015-10-26T21:57:42Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > **Prof P.** This seems to rub me, and a few others a bit…wrong. Can you explain what you mean by casting a “cover-my-ass vote”? You may have noticed I’m running ahead in the polls. If it gets down to the wire, I can cast or change my vote so I don’t get lynched, that’s a “cover-my-ass vote”. It happens in every game, both Town and Scum alike. As far as waiting to cast my vote, we currently have 15 players and 9 of them have at least one vote on each of them. Yes, I could vote on someone to see how they’d react, but everybody else is already doing that. Astral’s good at accusing people to get reactions without actually voting. It’s a strong point. I’ve been playing for about two months straight, and have been Town the whole time. Nobody’s ever seriously voted for me before, and it’s a rough go. I’ve gotten used to being a lesser suspect, or even a not-a-suspect, so I’m not at all sure how to defend myself against the usual paranoia inherent in the game. …and now to see if I’ve put my foot back in my mouth again. ---
**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 26, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/167 "2015-10-26T22:21:34Z")
That’s quite possibly because you’re better at being town than scum… ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/168 "2015-10-26T22:25:36Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > You may have noticed I’m running ahead in the polls. If it gets down to the wire, I can cast or change my vote so I don’t get lynched, that’s a “cover-my-ass vote”. It happens in every game, both Town and Scum alike. Ok, I still don’t quite get how you casting a vote will stop you from getting lynched if you have the most votes. It’s not like you have voted for yourself. In that case I see recasting a your vote somewhere else would take a vote off of you. I don’t _yet_ think you are trying to be deliberately misleading. I’m still fairly certain I’m a rookie and just missing something in your reasoning. However, your willingness to explain does make lean more towards town for you…or at least less wolf-filth… ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/169 "2015-10-26T22:27:45Z")
Wait, by “down to the wire” I’m now seeing you probably mean if there was a tie between you and someone else, THEN your vote would prevent your lynching…yes? I think I worked it out myself. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/170 "2015-10-26T22:36:14Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Wait, by “down to the wire” I’m now seeing you probably mean if there was a tie between you and someone else, THEN your vote would prevent your lynching…yes? I think I worked it out myself. But NOW I’m thinking, this means you’d hop on a bandwagon and lynch anyone for no good reason other than to save your own skin…Now THAT smells VERY wolfie! **UNVOTE PRECAMBRIAN** **VOTE PROF PEPPERWINKLE!** Please feel free to dissuade me. I thought I smelt a whiff of wolf and this may be a panic vote. ---
**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 26, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/171 "2015-10-26T22:36:35Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Wait, by “down to the wire” I’m now seeing you probably mean if there was a tie between you and someone else, THEN your vote would prevent your lynching…yes? I think I worked it out myself. That’s it. Or if I was one vote ahead of someone, I could vote to tie, and maybe save my skin. ---
**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 26, 2015, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/172 "2015-10-26T22:37:49Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > But NOW I’m thinking, this means you’d hop on a bandwagon and lynch anyone for no good reason other than to save your own skin…Now THAT smells VERY wolfie! > > **UNVOTE PRECAMBRIAN** > > **VOTE PROF PEPPERWINKLE!** > > Please feel free to dissuade me. I thought I smelt a whiff of wolf and this may be a panic vote. What? You wouldn’t want to save your own skin? ---
**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 26, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/173 "2015-10-26T22:39:54Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > That’s quite possibly because you’re better at being town than scum… If I’m ever scum, I’ll find out. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/174 "2015-10-26T22:43:32Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > What? You wouldn’t want to save your own skin? I would, of course. But not at the expense of a poorly reasoned mis-lynch. It seems team players would want the team to win. In real life, I don’t win if I’m dead. On this Island, I can win from beyond the gallows. ---
**Author:** ![HookerChemical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@HookerChemical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HookerChemical)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/175 "2015-10-26T22:56:46Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I would, of course. But not at the expense of a poorly reasoned mis-lynch. It seems team players would want the team to win. In real life, I don’t win if I’m dead. On this Island, I can win from beyond the gallows. If you’re town and leading the pack for the lynch, saving your own ass isn’t wolf-y. You’re avoiding a known (if only to yourself) mis-lynch and hoping for the best when the other player is lynched. Of course, from a wolf’s perspective, it’s saving your bacon to get a mis-lynch. There’s no way to tell from an outside perspective, but from inside, it makes a lot of sense. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/176 "2015-10-26T22:59:55Z")
> [@HookerChemical](#): > > If you’re town and leading the pack for the lynch, saving your own ass isn’t wolf-y. You’re avoiding a known (if only to yourself) mis-lynch and hoping for the best when the other player is lynched. Of course, from a wolf’s perspective, it’s saving your bacon to get a mis-lynch. There’s no way to tell from an outside perspective, but from inside, it makes a lot of sense. Hrmmmm…good insights to mull over…tho my panic vote still stands for now, I must contemplate further. ---
**Author:** ![Dante\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dante\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante_G)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/177 "2015-10-26T23:23:29Z")
All this activity going on, good debates and what not, but is this going on until Friday? Really? That is the end of Day 1? This is going to be an arduous endeavor. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/178 "2015-10-26T23:35:30Z")
> [@Dante\_G](#): > > All this activity going on, good debates and what not, but is this going on until Friday? Really? That is the end of Day 1? This is going to be an arduous endeavor. Yeah - I’ve been meaning to ask posters who’ve played other games: are first days usually this long? Unless someone makes a major slipup in the next few days, it seems like more time to deliberate isn’t going to improve our chances much. ---
**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 26, 2015, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/179 "2015-10-26T23:43:58Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I would, of course. But not at the expense of a poorly reasoned mis-lynch. It seems team players would want the team to win. In real life, I don’t win if I’m dead. On this Island, I can win from beyond the gallows. I have won from beyond the gallows. Staying to play is more fun. ---
**Author:** ![Astral\_Rejection](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@Astral\_Rejection](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astral_Rejection)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585/180 "2015-10-27T00:58:32Z")
> [@HookerChemical](#): > > If you’re town and leading the pack for the lynch, saving your own ass isn’t wolf-y. You’re avoiding a known (if only to yourself) mis-lynch and hoping for the best when the other player is lynched. Of course, from a wolf’s perspective, it’s saving your bacon to get a mis-lynch. There’s no way to tell from an outside perspective, but from inside, it makes a lot of sense. Hooker is exactly right here, snfaulkner. The game theory basically says “as town, you know for a fact you’d be a mislynch, and you don’t know for a fact that the runner-up would be a mislynch, so it’s good strategy to lynch them instead.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-in-paradise-mafia-game-thread/735585.md?page=10)