Updates to Bastard Tags

[Thestatusquo]

Basically there is a big difference in game design that attempts to be a Bastard Game and game design that attempts to be a well designed balanced mafia game that just happens to use roles that some people don't like, especially in terms of expectations and mindset of the players. I'm fine with any division that makes it so players will stop joining my games expecting the mod to be a member of the mafia or lie to them about their alignment and playing like a meme game just because I have to continually check the "bastard" flag because I don't want players to know in advance if I will or will not have certain elements in my game (like cult, for instance, which was used in what I think I would describe as a very balanced and otherwise reasonable game, the neighborhood, which jingle mentioned earlier.)

I feel like giving mods this option for communication with players can only be helpful

[Thestatusquo]

I do. For instance, here is what I said about the neighborhood. viewtopic.php?p=13010162#p13010162

[Thestatusquo]

I think its basically that the toggle currently asks like 3 different questions at once, all of which create wildly different dynamics. So why not just ask 3 different questions?

[Thestatusquo]

My understanding is that it doesn't really matter if or how the "bastard" tag applies to publicly known mechanics-- for instance, if a game includes a cult and this is known, you don't have to say "this is bastard", you can just say "this has a cult" and everyone will get the correct message.

I feel like it's kinda splitting hairs to ask these types of questions. If your game has one scum draft their partners pregame, then the proper answer to "is it bastard?" is not "yes" or "no", it's "one scum can draft their partners in pregame." Since it's public info anyway, people should get it up-front so they can best decide whether they want to join.

I'm not the one in charge of this, since players in my queue always know exactly what they're getting anyway, so this is just my $0.02 on the matter.

I just saw this now but I don't *want* my players to know my game has a cult. Why should I have to turn every game I run into an open game because some players don't like certain mechanics? I don't want my players to know when my game doesn't have a cult either. I am running closed setups for a reason.

I am currently forced to tell them about those possibilities and that's fine but I would give the same disclaimer for a game that was mountainous.