Not reading your role PM

[Sanjay]

Good point, Raskol.

I can see for some people, if they are really bad at playing scum, the advantage of not knowing you are scum.

But every town member starts the game with a confirmed innocent on one player, and you are basically passing that up when you don't read your role PM.

[shaft.ed]

Ha, so you think being scum in a forum game will have similar ramifications to a persons life as going to prison for drug trafficking?

Back to your original point. What are these town tells of "exactly certain knowledge" that said player is a townie?

[Raskol]

Ha, so you think being scum in a forum game will have similar ramifications to a persons life as going to prison for drug trafficking?

No, I don't. But the situations differ only in degree, not in kind.

Back to your original point. What are these town tells of "exactly certain knowledge" that said player is a townie?

First of all, what I meant was, that when you're a townie, your certain knowledge that you yourself are a townie affects your play, not that there are any towntells you'll give off that will give other players certain knowledge that you're town.

People are for the most part pretty risk-averse, and so I think it's likely that knowing there's a significant chance that they're either scum or a PR will make someone tend to "play it safe" in all the ways that scum and PRs do, and VTs (sometimes) don't.

[MichelSableheart]

It may be a strange question, or it may have been brought up already, but what exactly are the benefits of not reading your role pm if you turn out to be pro-town?

[Quagmire]

Michel:

What I enjoy the most in mafia is the day one and day two analytical portions of the game, where behaviors and arguments are taken into account before game setup and mechanics. Taking a step back from my role provides me the best opportunity to do this job well.

It's by far where my best play comes, because once game setup and mechanics rear their heads in the later stages of the game, I'm generally clueless.

I feel as if I do my best scumhunting when I do not know my own role.

[animorpherv1]

So, you'd rather not read the PM at all?

vote:Quag

with 3 playing it takes 2 to lynch!

[Quagmire]

So, you'd rather not read the PM at all?

vote:Quag

with 3 playing it takes 2 to lynch!

Good one forums user animorpherv1!!!!!!!

[Pomegranate]

Vote: Quagmire

.

Lynch?

[animorpherv1]

Quagmire Mafia Goon

Has been lynched.

animorpherv1, Pomegrante (Doctor, Vig repsectivley)

have won the game

[Pomegranate]

Hey, I was a vig?

[animorpherv1]

Yea.

[Sanjay]

Three person LYLO is probably crazy exciting if you don't even know your role then!

[SensFan]

Michel:

What I enjoy the most in mafia is the day one and day two analytical portions of the game, where behaviors and arguments are taken into account before game setup and mechanics. Taking a step back from my role provides me the best opportunity to do this job well.

It's by far where my best play comes, because once game setup and mechanics rear their heads in the later stages of the game, I'm generally clueless.

I feel as if I do my best scumhunting when I do not know my own role.

So you do your best scumhunting when you are not in the game?

[Quagmire]

SensFan nobody responded the first two times you posted in this thread why would you try again

[Mr. Flay]

If I was modding, and someone ever claimed to have not read their role PM, I'd auto-replace them and blacklist from my future games. I don't think it's something we need to inconvenience ourselves over otherwise.

Motto.

[petroleumjelly]

If I was modding

, and someone ever claimed to have not read their role PM, I'd auto-replace them and blacklist from my future games. I don't think it's something we need to inconvenience ourselves over otherwise.

Why don't you put your money where you mouth is and mod a game?

>.>
<.<

<3

~

Since I feel obliged to say something on-topic, I made a thread on this when I first came to the site twelve bazillion years ago. To some extent I thought it was a smart "tactical" thing to do so that "nobody can read your alignment/role," but in the end that is not what is tactical. The point of the game is to win, not conceal your role from everybody possible. If knowing your role -- even on Day One -- might ever help you win (which is a very easy situation to dream up), then you might as well know your role from the get-go.

I can just see how stupid things can get.

"Oh, hey guys. You remember when X claimed Cop yesterday and everybody believed him, and now he has a guilty result? Well, I'm actually the Cop, but I didn't claim because I didn't look at my role PM until last night."

Brilliance at its finest.

~

If you want a list:

1.)

Your role might help you understand the mechanics of the game sooner, something which you might want to relay to the town on Day One.

2.)

Your role might help you judge role-claims of others', as well as implicit / implied role-claims or abilities of others.

3.)

Some games do, in fact, have roles that act during the day.

4.)

Sometimes you will have a partner in a game (Mason, Scum, etc.) where you will want to operate some sort of strategy beginning as early as Day One.

5.)

Surprisingly, some mods (including me, in one game) include post restrictions in their roles with negative consequences for failing them.

6.)

If you comment on the set-up at all on Day One, you might well find that you will have to contradict yourself later when you see your role.

I'm sure I could make some giant list if I wanted to bother, but I really don't want to bother.

What it comes down to, you never know when knowing your role is going to help you, even as early as Day One of a game.

Oh, and:

7.)

You will probably get negative feedback after the game for your "strategic" decision. Put simply, I think others will think less of you for your choice. Anticipate especially harsh feedback if your strategy is very directly harmful to your faction.

Overall, I cannot imagine ever playing in a game and thinking "damn, I wish I didn't know my role on Day One."

[Kmd4390]

Even though Adel didn't say anything inflammatory I feel like she's trying to troll me.

Not likely. I lose my bet if you get banned before Dec. 12th.

Is Kmd finally going to win an avatar bet then?

I already won one with Kise a while back.

[MichelSableheart]

Michel:

What I enjoy the most in mafia is the day one and day two analytical portions of the game, where behaviors and arguments are taken into account before game setup and mechanics. Taking a step back from my role provides me the best opportunity to do this job well.

It's by far where my best play comes, because once game setup and mechanics rear their heads in the later stages of the game, I'm generally clueless.

I feel as if I do my best scumhunting when I do not know my own role.

So basically, it allows you to have more fun?

Then if the mod explicitly allows it, I don't see why you shouldn't be able to.

Personally though, I wouldn't allow it as a mod. For me, the fact that you are essentially unreadable day 1 would alter the game too much to still call it mafia.

[Max]

Quag, if I ever play against you, surely I would just ignore the first day of play. I know you haven't read your role so why should I look at day one at all?

[Adel]

SensFan nobody responded the first two times you posted in this thread why would you try again

come on man, just hold out for another 2 days without getting banned and I win my bet!

[Quagmire]

Quag, if I ever play against you, surely I would just ignore the first day of play. I know you haven't read your role so why should I look at day one at all?

Because you know I'd be searching for scum.

[Unsight]

The reason people don't look at role PMs is to avoid sending scumtells on Day 1. However if they're scum then as soon as they start playing like it on Day 2, that inconsistency of Day 1 vs Day 2 becomes one big scumtell.

Even the supposed advantage doesn't exist.

[Sanjay]

Quag, have you ever considered just replacing into more games?

You can read days of conversation without the bias of your role PM, and come into the thread a super scumhunter.

[zoraster]

Quag, have you ever considered just replacing into more games?

You can read days of conversation without the bias of your role PM, and come into the thread a super scumhunter.

AND get massive props for being a good person and helping out needy mods.

[Plum]

Hey, I was a vig?

Didn't you read your role PM?