Power Brokers: Game of Thrones - Game Over

[Something_Smart]

Hi,

I was waiting a bit to see if ABR was gonna announce it, but I don't know if he is, and it's better for me to just get it out there.

ABR will be taking a break from the site, and as a result, I will be taking over modding this game.

Elements will be my backup. From now on, please PM all actions to both of us. If anyone submitted an action recently (I would say in the last 12 hours), I would recommend you forward it to us to make sure it isn't missed.

[Something_Smart]

Silly me for having to check how long a week lasts. The deadline is: (expired on 2020-07-05 02:00:00)

[Something_Smart]

Vote Count 3.3

gobbledygook (3): Nero Cain, Auro, Porkens

Not Voting (7): davesaz, gobbledygook, pisskop, Firebringer, votato, Arya Stark, Pink Ball

With 10 alive, it's 6 to hammer!

(expired on 2020-07-05 02:00:00)

[Something_Smart]

I think I have a pretty good handle on it. If I'm having trouble parsing an action I'll talk to the person who submitted it if possible, and if there's something I can't figure out then Elements and I will just make our best judgement call.

[Something_Smart]

Seeking replacement for Firebringer.

[Something_Smart]

Prodding Arya Stark.

[Something_Smart]

Vote Count 3.4

gobbledygook (4): Nero Cain, Auro, Porkens, davesaz

davesaz (1): votato

Not Voting (5): gobbledygook, pisskop, Firebringer, Arya Stark, Pink Ball

With 10 alive, it's 6 to hammer!

(expired on 2020-07-05 02:00:00)

@MOD how does coup work if all the COs have been killed?

When staging a coup, you will get to reassign all existing Court Official positions. If there are no Court Officials alive, then a coup would have no effect.

(FYI: If you bold questions to me, I'm less likely to miss them.)

[Something_Smart]

My apologies; there are basically no mod notes beyond what's in the OP. That is how I'm interpreting it in lieu of any clearer ruling by ABR; if he made a clarification on the matter and I missed it, go ahead and point it out and I'll change it. Otherwise, that's what I'm going to go with.

[Something_Smart]

@MOD, if a CO was taken hostage to Something_Smart's castle this week (week 3), at what point would the CO's location become Something_Smart's castle?

Slow actions resolve at the start of the week two weeks after they are submitted. A hostage action submitted on Week 3 would take effect at the start of Week 5.

[Something_Smart]

-Release second-in-command (type: Release: Player1's 2nd) (burst) (public)

@Mod: this means that a released NPC can start an action in the same phase, yes?

Yes.

[Something_Smart]

You kidnap Arya, Pork kidnaps Votato? Pick the castles randomly.

sounds good

Found it myself.

Release: Nero Cain's 2nd

Nero Cain's 2nd has been released!

[Something_Smart]

Also, if a replacement isn't found for Firebringer by deadline, the deadline will be suspended and set to 24 hours after a replacement is found.

[Something_Smart]

Also, I will be out of town this weekend, so it's very important that you send actions to both me and Elements.

[Something_Smart]

@SS you'll have to replace votato too

Noted. I'll post the request later tonight.

[Something_Smart]

Yikes.

Will get on this tomorrow, send out prods, and try to recruit replacements more aggressively.

[Something_Smart]

Prodding Arya Stark.

[Something_Smart]

Did ABR leave the game?

Yes. I'm the mod now.

[Something_Smart]

Vote Count 3.5

gobbledygook (4): Nero Cain, Auro, Porkens, davesaz

davesaz (1): votato

Not Voting (5): gobbledygook, pisskop, Firebringer, Arya Stark, Pink Ball

With 10 alive, it's 6 to hammer!

Deadline paused until replacements for Firebringer and votato are found. Reminder to submit actions to both me and Elements.

[Something_Smart]

Aristophanes replaces Firebringer!

[Something_Smart]

Tipsy replaces votato, and we have a full game again!

EDIT: Actually, I spoke too soon. Arya Stark did not respond to their prod and will be replaced. They may keep the slot if they come back before one is found.

Freezing the deadline again.

[Something_Smart]

OP updated with replacements; sorry I forgot to do that before.

[Something_Smart]

Prodding gobbledygook.

[Something_Smart]

Vote Count 3.6

gobbledygook (4): Nero Cain, Auro, Porkens, davesaz

davesaz (1): Tipsy

Not Voting (5): gobbledygook, pisskop, Aristophanes, Arya Stark, Pink Ball

With 10 alive, it's 6 to hammer!

Deadline paused until replacement for Arya Stark is found. Reminder to submit actions to both me and Elements.

[Something_Smart]

maxwell replaces Arya Stark! Thank you!! We're finally full, for real this time.

The deadline will be set at 24 hours: (expired on 2020-07-12 16:00:00), but if maxwell so desires I'll extend it another 24 hours.

[Something_Smart]

Okie dokie. (expired on 2020-07-13 16:00:00).

[Something_Smart]

Vote Count 3.FINAL

gobbledygook (6): Nero Cain, Auro, Porkens, davesaz, maxwell, Tipsy (HAMMER)

Not Voting (4): gobbledygook, pisskop, Aristophanes, Pink Ball

With 10 alive, it's 6 to hammer!

[Something_Smart]

Let's see if I did this right...

gobbledygook has been murdered by the masses!

Plots within plots! Aristophanes is offered a glass of wine and good-naturedly takes a sip, then suddenly begins to convulse uncontrollably. Meanwhile, a shadowy figure steals through the darkness and out into the night...

Aristophanes has been assassinated!

Far away, armies are on the move, as Auro's army arrives at the Capital. Davesaz, too, has pointed his army toward the castle, and Pink Ball, wanting to get in on the fun, has called his banners as well.

Current Player Locations

Auro Castle		gobbledygook Castle ABANDONED		Aristophanes Castle ABANDONED
Capital City Court Officials: maxwell | Tipsy Nobles: Pink Ball | davesaz Power Brokers: pisskop davesaz's Second | Pink Ball's Second | Auro's Army The Dungeon pisskop's Second
Pink Ball Castle			davesaz Castle

[Something_Smart]

Week 4 begins!

Vote Count 4.0

Not Voting (8): Tipsy, maxwell, Porkens, davesaz, Pink Ball, Auro, pisskop, Nero Cain

With 8 alive, it's 5 to hammer!

(expired on 2020-07-20 18:00:00)

[Something_Smart]

It has come to my attention that the mafia wincon is not clearly stated anywhere.

I'm going to rule that the mafia win when they control 50% of living players. If anyone can find an ABR quote indicating anything different, please let me know.

[Something_Smart]

I'm not answering any questions or holding any discussion publicly regarding the wincons. Please PM me.

[Something_Smart]

@MOD WHICH HAPPENS FIRST: TRAVEL OR MAF SPY NETWORK KILL?

I don't see this answer anywhere. I'm ruling that the kill happens first.

Also, while looking through ABR's ISO I realized that if someone dies their place of death is supposed to be announced. Therefore I will retroactively announce that Aristophanes died in davesaz's castle. My bad!

[Something_Smart]

Vote Count 4.1

davesaz (3)- Porkens, Tipsy, maxwell

Tipsy (2)- pisskop, Auro
Auro (1)- Nero Cain

Not Voting (2): davesaz, Pink Ball

With 8 alive, it's 5 to hammer!

(expired on 2020-07-20 18:00:00)

[Something_Smart]

Vote Count 4.FINAL

davesaz (3)- Porkens, Tipsy, maxwell

Tipsy (2)- pisskop, Auro
Porkens (1)- davesaz

Not Voting (2): Pink Ball, Nero Cain

With 8 alive, it's 5 to hammer!

(expired on 2020-07-20 18:00:00)

Week 4 ends peacefully, with nobody being executed!

[Something_Smart]

The nobles may have been the figureheads, but they were not the ones with the real power. Everyone knew when they were in the presence of real power. Men like this one could have you erased from the face of the Earth with a mere flick of his wrist. That was not something the nobles could do. Men like this one could topple empires to secure an advantage against their rivals.

No one knew his true name; he went only by the alias "Pisskop." It made him feel foreign, and dangerous. Because after all, knowing is half the battle. If nobody knows who you are, they can't lay a finger on you...

And yet, somehow, he was caught unaware. By a rival power broker perhaps, or possibly by a much more sinister organization. They nabbed him exiting his favorite tavern and, well, that was that.

Pisskop has been assassinated!

As the citizens gathered in the Capital to mourn the death of this powerful figure, and his rivals scrabbled to fill the power void left by his demise, the nobles were preparing to strike back against the corrupt shady dealers with some power of their own, as their armies converged on the Capital in ever greater numbers...

Davesaz's army has reached the Capital, and with two armies in the Capital, a coup is now possible!

[Something_Smart]

Current Player Locations

Auro Castle		gobbledygook Castle ABANDONED		Aristophanes Castle ABANDONED
Capital City Court Officials: maxwell Nobles: Pink Ball | davesaz Power Brokers: davesaz's Second | Pink Ball's Second | Auro's Army | davesaz's Army The Dungeon
Pink Ball Castle			davesaz Castle

[Something_Smart]

Week 5 begins!

Vote Count 5.0

Not Voting (7): Tipsy, maxwell, Porkens, davesaz, Pink Ball, Auro, Nero Cain

With 7 alive, it's 4 to hammer!

(expired on 2020-07-27 19:00:00)

[Something_Smart]

Vote Count 5.1

davesaz (4)- Porkens, Tipsy, Pink Ball, maxwell (HAMMER)

Pink Ball (1)- Auro

Not Voting (2): davesaz, Nero Cain

With 7 alive, it's 4 to hammer!

(expired on 2020-07-27 19:00:00)

davesaz has been hammered!

Also, Elements and I have ruled that the hostage action stops someone's action for right after they get kidnapped, not right before (so a hostage action submitted on Week X would move the target at the start of Week X+2 and prevent them from submitting an action that week). This is the opposite of how I originally interpreted it, so any hypothetical actions that were stopped by a hostage action have been retroactively corrected. Sorry for the disruption.

[Something_Smart]

As far as power brokers went, Porkens was pretty universally well-liked and well-respected. He always treated those beneath him fairly, and he never resorted to violence unless he absolutely had to. So it was only natural that a great banquet be held in his honor, with much revelry and merriment.

But not everyone was reveling. In fact, Porkens's seat at the head of the table placed him directly in front of the servants' door, and he should have been wary of this, but alas, he was too drunk, too full of food, too joyous from a night of celebration to worry about such things. So he never even had a chance to react when a shadowy assassin crept through that door and went to plunge a knife into his chest at lightning speed...

"Get down, Master Porkens!"

But lucky for him, his second-in-command was alert and prepared, as he pushed his master out of his chair, and the room watched in horror as the knife instead found itself nestled in his own chest, rather than his master's. With his final breath he managed to utter "May your legacy live on..."

Porkens's second-in-command had been made to do some villainous things, for sure. But when you die a hero, that's all you will be remembered as. Porkens's second died a hero.

Porkens's 2nd has been assassinated! As a result, he now has the option to pledge to another player and become their 2nd.

[Something_Smart]

Current Player Locations

Auro Castle		gobbledygook Castle ABANDONED		Aristophanes Castle ABANDONED
Capital City Court Officials: maxwell Nobles: Auro | Pink Ball Power Brokers: Pink Ball's Second | Auro's Second | Auro's Army The Dungeon
Pink Ball Castle			davesaz Castle ABANDONED

[Something_Smart]

Week 6 begins!

Vote Count 6.0

Not Voting (6): Tipsy, maxwell, Porkens, Pink Ball, Auro, Nero Cain

With 6 alive, it's 4 to hammer!

(expired on 2020-07-28 09:00:00)

[Something_Smart]

Slow down.

Let’s get this out of the way

@mod can the mafia spy network target their own members?

Yes.

[Something_Smart]

Oh I have to check this too

@Mod: can a CO complete an flip investigation if they are kidnapped?

Not sure exactly what you're asking, but I think either way the answer is yes. If a CO is kidnapped, only their action for two phases after the kidnap was submitted is prevented. Before and after that, their actions work as normal, whether or not they find a way to return to the Capital.

[Something_Smart]

pledge: auro

My onions are yours, sire.

Porkens has become Auro's 2nd! Time to look up the mechanics for how that works...

[Something_Smart]

Oh yeah I meant to ask, just to be sure:

@mod, if multiple daykills are done in a castle, are they resolved all at the same time?

It's not stated anywhere in the rules. Since it's a single action, I'm going to rule that they all occur simultaneously, and if the mafia would achieve parity via one kill and then lose it via another, they do not win.

[Something_Smart]

Also, after reading up on the pledging rules, I'm modifying my previous statement somewhat: Porkens has become Auro's

3rd

. Auro still retains his 2nd. This grants Auro an extra action each phase, but his action carried out by Porkens must be submitted publicly. If Auro is the target of an assassination, his 2nd will die, and Porkens will become his 2nd.

[Something_Smart]

wiat so one person can do multiple daykills?

Yes. A noble kill action consists of simultaneously killing any number of players who are staying in your castle.

[Something_Smart]

@mod: Can someone pledge to Porkens now?

Gonna go with no.

[Something_Smart]

Tipsy had just gotten used to the hostage lifestyle. You know, it's not actually that bad, once you get over the initial shock of having a hood forced over your head and getting transported by rough goons to an unknown location. You get fed for free, you get a lot of time to yourself, thanks to an incredibly immersion-breaking mechanic that we have only ABR to blame for, you can still do your job...

So when a knock came at Tipsy's door announcing "Congratulations! You're being set free!", there was a note of disappointment for them. Sure, they'd get to see their family and friends again, but they'd also have to deal with their annoying fellow court officials again, and they would definitely miss this time to themself.

Come to think of it, most of the other court officials were dead.

Come to think of it, why were the other court officials dead? Has somebody been killing them off?

Come to think of it, we just passed the door to the castle, and now why are we heading down these stairs...

Ah shit.

Tipsy has been executed by Auro!

[Something_Smart]

I don't care if the rules don't say anywhere that that resets the VC. After a daykill I'm resetting the VC.

Vote Count 6.1

Not Voting (5): Porkens, maxwell, Pink Ball, Auro, Nero Cain

With 5 alive, it's 3 to hammer!

(expired on 2020-07-28 09:00:00)

[Something_Smart]

Oh yep I'm an idiot. My bad. Got the order of 3479 and 3480 backwards in my head. Fixed.

[Something_Smart]

Vote Count 6.2

Not Voting (5): Porkens, maxwell, Nero Cain, Pink Ball, Auro

With 5 alive, it's 3 to hammer!

(expired on 2020-07-28 09:00:00)

[Something_Smart]

Pink Ball's 2nd has been arrested.

[Something_Smart]

Vote Count 6.FINAL

maxwell (3)- Auro, Porkens, Pink Ball (HAMMER)

Not Voting (2): maxwell, Nero Cain

With 5 alive, it's 3 to hammer!

(expired on 2020-07-28 09:00:00)

Maxwell has been found guilty for crimes against... well, wait a minute.

Maxwell has been executed!

[Something_Smart]

It's a simple job.

The assassin finished loading bolts into his crossbow and rushed out the door of the inn where he had been staying.

Get in, take a shot, get out.

He wove through the quiet nighttime streets, making his way to the castle.

I know my mark. There shouldn't be anyone else with him.

The assassin clambered up a secret back stairway and sneaked down a hallway.

I just need to kill Auro. That's it.

He burst open the door, crossbow blazing... to reveal not just one man, but three.

Wait. Which one of them is Auro??

He closed his eyes and fired a shot.

Auro's 2nd has been killed!

[Something_Smart]

Current Player Locations

Auro Castle		gobbledygook Castle ABANDONED		Aristophanes Castle ABANDONED
Capital City Court Officials: Nobles: Auro Power Brokers: Auro's Army The Dungeon Pink Ball's Second
Pink Ball Castle			davesaz Castle ABANDONED

[Something_Smart]

Week 7 begins!

Vote Count 7.0

Not Voting (4): Porkens, Pink Ball, Auro, Nero Cain

With 4 alive, it's 3 to hammer!

(expired on 2020-07-31 17:00:00)

[Something_Smart]

Also, it occurred to me that I forgot to list Auro's 2nd in 3277. This has been corrected.

[Something_Smart]

Give me a break, I had other stuff to do!

[Something_Smart]

As is so typical in the world of Game of Thrones, yet another problem has been solved through MASS MURDER.

Lord Auro decreed that there was to be a mighty banquet at his castle. You couldn't miss it, of course-- that would be a sign of disrespect to this beloved noble.

He also mentioned, you know, just offhand, that he wasn't going to be able to make it.

This might have struck a few people as odd, but hey, who questions the nobles? That's a great way to lose your head.

As it turns out, going to this banquet was an even better way to do the same. When all the guests had arrived, Auro's goons locked the doors and slaughtered every attendee. Men, women, and children, all executed by his merciless servant Porkens. Then, when Porkens had realized the atrocity he had just committed, he turned the sword on himself.

YOU DID THIS, AURO. ALL TO WIN A STUPID GAME. I HOPE YOU'RE PROUD OF YOURSELF.

When Auro returned to his castle afterward, he stood triumphantly atop a pile of corpses and declared the town the winners.

Maybe he needs to reevaluate what it means to win?

[Something_Smart]

Congratulations to the town of Tipsy, Aristophanes, Porkens, davesaz, Auro, LicketyQuickety, Ygritte, Kmd4390, pisskop, Rubicon, and Nero Cain!

Condolences to the mafia of maxwell, Pink Ball, and gobbledygook.

[Something_Smart]

I haven't even seen GoT, I just extrapolated, but I feel like I did a pretty good job

Dead and mod PT's coming momentarily, I'll release the others in a bit in case people want to redact anything.

[Something_Smart]

(Very) dead thread
Mod thread

[Something_Smart]

Well, uh, I definitely complained a bit.

Credit where credit is due. The concept of this setup is very cool, and at least some of the mechanics work quite well.

...The issue is, that some of them are kinda busted, and a lot of them were unclear, contradictory, or obviously bad ideas in retrospect... and I had to go with it. Probably the single worst was simultaneously saying that special actions could be given out to court officials and saying they could only be taken by a 2nd, when court officials have no second and BOTH Tipsy and votato got tripped up not realizing that they couldn't take another action in the same phase. But there were numerous things that I had to make judgement calls on.

So I apologize for the preventable mistakes I made, but the important thing is that we made it to the end and it didn't go completely off the rails. Thanks for putting up with me.

[Something_Smart]

Power Brokers
Mafia
Tipsy/Auro
Tipsy/Nero Cain

The story behind Tipsy having two hoods is that votato hooded Nero Cain before he was replaced and ABR didn't make any note of it in the mod PT, so I didn't know that it happened and I let Tipsy hood Auro. Then Nero asked me about the hood and I was like "shit..." and so I had to make it known that Tipsy got their action back because otherwise it gets into "the mod made a mistake" WIFOM.