Originally I was going to post my thought process for each game, but after writing one for haunted, I realized that it would be a crazy long block of text. Instead, I summarized each game with an idea I took away from playing. Obviously none of these are groundbreaking, but I don't expect anyone to read them anyways ^_^
Haunted Mafia
Role: Vampire Spawn
Lesson Learned: Don't underestimate the newbies
My first game was Haunted and I admit I didn't even know how most of the generic roles worked, let alone the crazy acronyms like WIFOM. Luckily, I received my role as Vampire Spawn, so at least I had a group of scum buddies to help me along the way. Looking back, my first ever mafia post was a role claim. -_-
At the time. Annul was also playing his first game, but thanks to a dt check, he was able to play a strong pm game to manipulate the town. Mafia really should have sent a hit on him if they wanted any hopes of controlling the game. Instead they were picked off one by one and we pulled out a victory. Even in recent games like XXXVI or XXXVII, scum have tended to ignore the lesser known or first time players and it has really come back to bite them.
Insane Mafia
Role: Watcher
Lesson Learned: If he sounds like scum, tastes like scum, and a mod confirms that he is scum, then he is probably scum.
Insane was my second game, which was certainly not a beginner friendly set-up. I received a "watcher" role and on day three received a vague message that Ace shot someone. After calling out Ace in the thread, I was greeted by a 20 page debate about the difference between a watcher and a tracker. Sigh.
After being nearly certain Ace was scum, he pulled his last remaining card by claiming vig. There was a single dead scum in the night post, whose kp wasn't accounted for. It turns out that it was really a secret third party that didn't start shooting until mid-game, but it was enough to save him from the lynch. Looking back, I should have stuck with my gut feeling based on how aggressive he was with discrediting my claim and how he only claimed vig after all the votes were on him. Instead, I let the fact that there was a unlikely theoretical explanation for him not being scum let him get away.
Salem Mafia
Role: Town
Lesson Learned: Don't let others play the game for you.
Salem was my first game as a vanilla townie that most remember for the massive blue role claims than ended up in the hands of the godfather. While I tried to contribute in the thread, I was completely shut out of the pm game since I wasn't part of the Mayor's circle. After letting the circle do its thing, its members and the mayor were eventually killed, leaving the remaining players dumbfounded about the current situation of the game. I remember talking with JCarl realizing that it was us two, the mafia, and a ton of inactives remaining. We had no idea who the circle had suspected, nor who DrH trusted the blue list with. Had we not sit back, while the circle did all the work, we would have known that Southrawrea had the entire blue list and was the only surviving member, rather than bombing an inactive with only four posts at LYLO.
Harry Potter Mafia
Role: Medic
Lesson Learned: Vets carry a lot of influence
Harry Potter Mafia (#2) was probably the game I played the biggest part in winning, but it was pretty much a fluke. I received the the role of Pomfrey the medic, only to informed by airbag that he was also Pomfrey. I just won the mafia lottery.
After working together in Salem, Jcarl decided to use his only dt check on me, so I had another person to back me up that I was indeed the true medic. After calling "airbag" out as the Godfather, he proceeds to admit to being DrH's smurf. The reasonable response by down after learning the Godfather was outed would be to immediately lynch him or myself. What do they do instead? Follow DrH's push to lynch Pandain, the town dt. Pandain himself, knowing he held a power role, chose death over lynching the infamous DoctorHelvetica. At least things worked out in the end, as the entire scum team outed themselves to save their leader, but it certainly was a frustrating experience.
Pokemafia
Role: Town
Lesson Learned: When you play in two games, one will always be overshadowed by the other.
It was Christmas Break and I figured I would have a decent amount of spare time, so I joined both HP and Pokemafia at the same time. There was nothing wrong with the Pokemafia set-up, but when you catch the Godfather in a fake claim, one game is going to be more interesting than the other. I still kept up with the thread and tried to contribute from time to time, but I found the level of effort I like to put into a game wasn't being reached. It was especially tough to keep track of thoughts when several of the players were in both games and of opposite alignments. In the future, I doubt I'll be signing up for multiple games at the same time.
Pick Your Power Mafia 3
Role: Vigilante
Lesson Learned: Some of the time, you're going to be wrong.
I shot BC. Twice. Opps.
At the time, I believed my reasoning to be fairly solid. Fishball was the only reasonable traitor suspect and BC actively defends him to ensure town doesn't use their day 2 lynch in a set-up with 4-5 night kp. Combined with his promise of analysis that never came and his decision to choose the Godfather role, I decided to shoot him on night two, only to be role blocked.
My biggest mistake was to shoot him a second time. He responded really aggressively to being hit, but he had good reason. Was I role blocked because mafia knew I was hitting him? No, but the thought crossed my mind. A lot of petty arguing took place between him and Fishball, but he was certainly capable of a bus.
I should have looked at the big picture, rather than "tunneling" on a certain person, as some people like to call it. We knew the SK was a fraud and the CPR doctor and Prince of Darkness were probably in mafia hands. Sure, BC could still been scum, but it was becoming more and more unlikely. My second shot never ended up going through either, but it was still a decision I would have liked to have back.
TL Mafia XXXVI
Role: Town
Lesson Learned: No flip games are a real headache.
Some people enjoy these kind of set-ups. They are better known as masochists. Scum hunting without knowing whether you just killed the mafia leader or the medic can be really frustrating. Town deserves credit for making it through that one with their sanity in tact. My next logical step? Join another no flip game!
Orgah Mafia
Role: pevergreen
Lesson Learned: Do not PM Bill Murray
Original Message From gryffindor:
what are you, a regular legend?
just a wiseguy, eh?
what are you, a regular legend?
just a wiseguy, eh?
He proceeds to set me on fire, hours later.
Death Factory Mafia
Role: Helpful Horsee Toy
Lesson Learned: Crazy set-ups lead to crazy results
I don't think I have to explain myself much on this one. Game ends day two before town can pull of a single lynch.
Mafia XXXVII
Role: Town
Lesson Learned: Vets carry a lot of influence for good reason
Foolishness, Ver, and several other prominent players really picked apart the scum team in this game. Unfortunately, I died night one, but it was really scary to see what an organized group of veteran townies could accomplish. I know who I'll be triple stacking next time I roll scum.
Insane Mafia 2
Role: Co-host
Lesson Learned: Don't co-host Insane Mafia 3
* Reads set-up
* Reads 175 pages by Day Three
* Assumes Fetal Position
Thanks to everyone who made the games so enjoyable. Hopefully I'll be around long enough to hit 2k.