Quick Fix Game 10: The Scadrial Atium Rush

[A Joe in the Bush Worldhopper]

What about the rest of the questions I asked?

[Elithanathile Ghostblood]

Seladin Slade, Mercenary for hire. That was who he was, and who he would always be. Garbed in some simple, yet functional, clothes, with the addition of a ragged cape draped of the top. He thought he looked rather dashing. Also, you would not believe how many pockets this jacket had. Striding through the small hills, he arrived at his destination. He looked over a small camp, comprising a small tent, some still warm coals in a fire pit, and a middle-aged man, with just a bit of stubble on his face, crouched next to the river with a pan, hastily panning the river for atium. He looked up and saw Seladin. He smiled and waved at him, preparing to put down his pan. Selading waved back... And shot him in the heart. The man fell backwards into the river, and was slowly washed away. This was what the Slade family did now. They used to be lawmen, but not they were guns for hire. It wasn't a bad life, after you got used to it. But when you hadn't gotten used to it... Seladin still had nightmares some times. They had gotten less frequent though. Seladin walked down the hill, and looked over the man's pan. There was a single bead of atium in it, still muddy. He carefully picked it up, polished it off, and ate it. He focused on the metal in his stomach, and burned it. Atium shadows flickered off in the distance, the images from far off prospectors. Seladin smiled. There weren't many Atium mistings now, and even if there were, nobody would know them. But now Seladin knew. This would become key in his job. His job was to wipe out the remainder of the prospectors. And while he was at it, he might as well gather as much of this invaluable substance for the future as he could. Seladin looked over the camp once more, and nodded. It would do. Spartan, but functional. Seladin picked up the dead man's pan, and began looking for atium.

 

If you want to know more about Slade, look for my character in QF8. There is a recurring character here, but you might not see it. Also, something here is not quite as it seems.

 

Edit: In case I didn't make it clear, I'm signing up.

Edited September 21, 2015 by Bridge Boy

[winter devotion Lerasium Mistborn]

What about the rest of the questions I asked?

I put them in the Rule Clarifications post.

[Mailliw73 Prime]

Should I assume that players get one action per cycle?

[RippleGylf Highprince]

Winter, you misspelled Abigail as Abigal. While Abigail is quite a gal, that's not her name. Just pointing it out so it isn't messed up on all future lists.  

[winter devotion Lerasium Mistborn]

Should I assume that players get one action per cycle?

CRAFO. (check rules and find out)

[dowanx Forescout]

Sign me up as Dow!

 

I was looking forward to the different win mechanic for the factions.  Joe and Hero do valid points and so I am glad it is changed, but I wonder if in the future there is a way around those problems.

[Mailliw73 Prime]

It doesn't specifically say anywhere that players only get one action, so I'm just making sure. 

 

Also, are PMs only one-on-one and do they count as actions?

[winter devotion Lerasium Mistborn]

Yes.

I've clarified that. And no. 

[Mailliw73 Prime]

Where, please?

[winter devotion Lerasium Mistborn]

Where, please?

Oh, I was pretty sure I did. Must've forgot. You can open it with as many people as you want, so long as I'm in on it. 

[Mailliw73 Prime]

Okay, thanks.

[Alvron Most Ancient]

In the wettest part of the coldest day, a man set off from the Yomend Sea.
And who he was or why he left, keep on reading and you will see.
The man was Alv, whose name you know; he’s been spoken of once before.
In times long past, in times you’ve heard, he played the game Noble Secrets
He died that game, as he did each one, but now the time for glory had come.
For Alv was sure, and Alv was smart, to all that heard he yelled his goal:
to beat the rest, and live a game.  A claim so brash, a claim too bold
To win the game? It has been done. Surviving? Alv had almost none.
So to the game, there he did post.  Upon the page he marked his place.
The post was made, the name all set. Who was this fool to tempt the rest? 
No one should state their goals so loud.  The game starts, can he beat the best?

Signing up as Swift.  A Steelrunner that may or may not work as messenger for the Corporation.

Edited October 28, 2016 by Alvron

[Feligon Prelan]

I'm playing as Nifergo again.  No scoundrel ever listens to a lawman, even when he reveals his intentions.

Counting on my incredible amount of luck to get me some Atium! 

Edited September 23, 2015 by Feligon

[A Joe in the Bush Worldhopper]

Question:

Are there infinite of each item for sale each cycle?

Does the Medkit or Mercenary protect from a Lynch?

 

Too Long; Won't Read:

The Mercs and the Thieves are the only useful items.

 

The Item rules as they are:

 

 

Shop

All items can be purchased for atium. All atium spent in the shop returns to the pool of potential atium.

If you don’t start with an item, you start with an amount of atium. If it’s spent in the shop, it disappears from the game. The amount of atium that each player had isn’t counted in the original pool.

 

Buying an item or using an item both take up an action. You cannot pan for atium and buy/use an item at the same time but you can pan and turn off an item.

 

The cost of the items will be affected by how much atium the GM puts in the pool in the beginning. (The amount of atium in the pool in the beginning will be affected by the number of players.) You can only have one of each item. You could have a Mercenary and a Thief for Hire, but not two Mercenaries. 

 

Items for Purchase

Larger Pan - Your chances of finding atium is raised to 100%. (requires an action to start, then is always on)

Mercenary - You can set them to guard your tent at night! If you’re attacked, your mercenary dies instead. If you’re robbed by a Thief, the mercenary catches them. If you’re investigated by a Metal Detector, the mercenary doesn’t catch them. (requires an action every cycle you want to use it)

Thief For Hire - You can send them to steal someone else’s atium! If you rob someone with a Mercenary, your action fails. (requires an action to use, one time use)

Metal Detector- You can use it to see how much atium and what items a person has. You cannot steal the atium or steal the item. (requires an action to use, one time use)

Can of Spray Paint- You can use it to post an anonymous message in the writeup. (does not require an action, can use whenever you want)

Medkit- Whoever holds it automatically uses it if they’re attacked. The Medkit delays death for one cycle. Then they die. It’s revealed that they used a Medkit. You can give it to someone else, but they won’t be told they hold a Medkit. (does not require an action, is passive)

 

Panning for Atium

You can spend a turn Panning for Atium. You can’t use an item while Panning unless it specifically says you can. Any questions about that will be CRAFOd (Check Rules and Find Out) so the glorious GM don’t have to repeat herself. You have a fifty percent chance of finding atium unless you have a Pan. Each team has a count of atium and so does each individual. After any team wins for any win condition, the player with the top amount of atium is revealed in thread. Even if their side loses, they get their secondary win condition.

 

 

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the current system, and I've compiled my thoughts below.

 

The Larger Pan needs to be relatively inexpensive in order to be actually useful, otherwise it will never be put into play. But if it's relatively inexpensive, everyone will buy one as soon as they have enough Atium. (If it only costs two or less Atium, I'd guess every living player will have one by the end of Turn Four. If it costs three or more, I'd bet that no one will ever buy one.)

 

The Mercenary is Underpowered and Overpowered at the same time. Due to Thieves doubling as Cop roles, The Eliminators have to buy as many of these as they can, to prevent the village from easily figuring them out. But at the same time, Eliminators can't be attacked at night since the dagger was taken out. Because the Eliminators can steal Via kills, they don't need to worry about thieves. This will be the most sought after Item for Team Evil.

 

Thieves are more efficient than Panning for Atium. I can spend two turns panning for atium, and probably get one bead, or I can spend two turns to buy and use a thief and get one player's entire stash. (Note that I would always send the thief after whoever voted last, ensuring I get two people's stashes.) Thieves also double as Cop roles, allowing us to figure out who has too much Atium from Murdering players. Thieves are going to be the most sought after item for Team Good.

 

Metal Detectors aren't all that useful. It takes two turns to use them for no profit. It takes two turns to use a thief for a chance of high Profit. If Metal Detectors are to be used, they need to be much cheaper than the Thief.

 

Spray Paint is nearly useless. You can post an anonymous message in the writeup, which can be useful is some situations, but I can't think of a good situation for this Game. (Hero probably can) If it's going to be used at all, it needs to be extremely cheap.

 

The Medkit is somewhat useful. it allows you to stay in the game for a cycle longer, ensuring you can pass on any suspicions and Info you have, but at the same time, it's not not going to be used unless it's cheap. I'd rather save up for a mercenary then a medkit.

 

The Dagger was removed from the game I know, but without it, it will be very hard for Team Good to win. Team Evil would have to be about 20%, rather than the usual 25%. The Dagger would be a late game Item, if people manage to save up enough Atium to buy it, it can decively change the game. However, putting it back into the game causes other problems. If it's too cheap, it will be bought exclusively, and ensures that the game will end in about four cycles. It also needs to be more expensive than the thief, to ensure that the Thief is still used.

 

My Recommendation is to put the dagger back into the game, but make it cost at least twice as much as the Thief. Or, only allow the Dagger to be bought after enough players have died. (Say 50% of them)

 

There needs to be at least twices as much Atium total as there are players, but no more than 4 times, otherwise the Eliminators will get too much Atium too quickly, and be able to dominate via thieves and Mercs.

 

My estimated Order of Costs from Highest to lowest:

Dagger (Around 10 Atium)

Mercenary (4)

Thief (4)

Medkit (3 or so)

Metal detector (2)

Pan (1 or 2)

Spray Paint (1)

 

 

Of course, this is all defunct if only a limited number of times can be bought per turn. Hero is also correct in the self regulating nature of a bidding system. The best system would be for everyone to bid a number of Atium for an Item. whoever bid the highest gets the item, and loses all the atium they bid. If multiple people bid the highest, they BOTH get an item and lose the atium they bid.

Edited September 24, 2015 by The Only Joe

[Kipper Steel Inquisitor]

I guess I'll join.

Since I always love to give the GMs good cannon fodder for writeups, I'll be signing up as Kipper, the headbanging frontman for the death metal band Kipper and the Cryptics

Edited September 24, 2015 by Kipper

[Sart Full Feruchemist]

Right, time for my fix.

I'll be there as a Surtile, an overly religious Harmonist.

[polkinghornbd Ardent]

would you guys suggest this game for a first?  I really don't know what I'm doing, but I want to start somewhere.

[Kipper Steel Inquisitor]

would you guys suggest this game for a first?  I really don't know what I'm doing, but I want to start somewhere.

This is a great place to start, and welcome to Sanderson Elimination!

Be sure to check out the General Rules, and then feel free to ask any questions you have, either here, with the mods (little wilson, Metacognition, and Gamma Fiend), or even game-specific questions with Winter Cloud, our esteemed GM.

Don't worry if it seems intimidating at first; you'll pick it up in no time! Reading through past games is definitely helpful for learning basic strategy, but if you have any questions about specific terms we use that are confusing, definitely ask.

[TheMightyLopen Forger]

I'll join in!

 

I can't think of a fitting name for this game so I'll just go as Lopen. Not THE Lopen of course. Just a big fan. 

[polkinghornbd Ardent]

I'll join in as Rel'dan, a poacher who decided stealing the king's game wasn't enough to feed his family

[Paranoid King Originator]

Tommy Harden came to this town for one reason, and it wasn't for atium. It was for justice.

He pushed his the brim of his hat low over his eyes, scanning the streets for that low down, cheatin' crook, Barton Everest. The man had won more shootouts than you could shake a stick at, and with better men than Tommy. Barton wasn't a particularly good shot. But he was lucky. And he cheated.

The man cheated at everything. Poker, shootouts, ...things other than poker and shootouts. It was rumored that he was a spinner, and he used that to his advantage, pulling perfect hands in poker but being impossibly unlucky in most other situations. Like right now, for instance.

Barton Everest had just strolled out of a nearby office and seemed blissfully unaware of Tommy. Tommy slunk after him, and as Barton entered an alley, Tommy slipped his hand over the other man's mouth. He grabbed Barton's head and stepped backward, intending to slam him into the wall of the alley. Instead he stepped on a loose tin can, lost his balance, and fell backward, his hand slipping off of Barton as he did so. Curse that man's luck! He pushed himself into a standing position as Barton yelled that he was being mugged.

"Listen, ya low-down crook," Tommy snarled, "I don't know what you think you're doing, but you're a wanted criminal. And that reward money is mine."

Barton Everest smirked. "I don't know where ya got yer info, Tommy, but you're mistaken." Tommy stared at him with a puzzled look. "In these parts, I'm a well known atium prospector, and if you were to lay yer hands on me, questions would be asked." Running footsteps could be heard outside of the alley now, and Barton leaned in close. "Take my advice, there's more money in prospecting than in bounty hunting. We could be partners or something!"

"Yeah right, partners," Tommy shot back as he left the alley at a run. "Until you double-cross me and steal my share."

That evening, though, he thought about it seriously. There was more money in prospecting. He wouldn't entirely be in it for the money, though. He'd use prospecting as a cover to take revenge on Barton and his band of corporate cronies. The next day he left the office with a deed certifying his claim as a prospector, and greeted Barton with a forced smile and a wave.

Tommy Harden is joining the game

Can I ask of the GM that Barton be killed in the first day? Whether or not Tommy has been corrupted by the corporation, he wants Barton dead.

Edit: grammar

Edited September 26, 2015 by Paranoid King

[winter devotion Lerasium Mistborn]

Game will start in about 24 hours. It will begin at 9 EDT. Writeup times will vary due to GM's terrible scheduling. 

[Herowannabe Most Ancient]

Re: Joe's item analysis:

I don't things are quite as stark as you make them out to be. First off, now that the rules have been changed, there are only two reasons to gather atium: to buy items or to try to get the prize for having the most atium at the end of the game. And since most of the items only enhance your ability to obtain/retain atium, they're not going to have much of an impact on the outcome of the game (meaning which faction wins/loses).

Mercenary isn't actually all that good for te corporates since literally the only thing it does for them is stop the thief. (Corps don't have to worry about being hit by the corp kill). And you have to take an action each turn you want to use it. So the only way they'd ever really want one is if there are lucky enough to get a large stash of atium and want to hoard it in the hopes that they end up with the most atium at the end of the game.

Using the thief as a pseudo-seeker ability is very pseudo at best. It's relatively easy to counter as a corp since all you have to do is spend any atium you get as soon as you get it.

Also I still think the game is better off without the dagger UNLESS you also take away the eliminator's kill. That would actually be really interesting. The dagger would still be more valuable to the corps since they would know that they won't be hitting a friendly, but they still would have to save up and spend their atium on it. It would still need to be very expensive though so that they don't find themselves in a loop where they can kill someone, get their atium, use the atium to buy a new dagger, and repeat.

Also,

Spray Paint is nearly useless. You can post an anonymous message in the writeup, which can be useful is some situations, but I can't think of a good situation for this Game. (Hero probably can) If it's going to be used at all, it needs to be extremely cheap.

Challenge accepted.

[winter devotion Lerasium Mistborn]

Also,

Challenge accepted.

         

 

Re: Crazy analysis. 

 

No dagger, then.