The Art of Game Creation

[Ashbringer]

How do we sign up to GM? I'd kinda like to be a co-GM for a game so I can learn how to do it.

Also, I'd like to officially propose my Unmade game.

MR##: To Make an Unmade:

Spoiler

Cycles are 24 Hours long, combined Day and Night Turn. Factions are the Loyal Unmade of Odium and the Defectors, led by Sja-anat. This is a modified conversion game. The Defectors have a doc to conspire in and a faction kill, although Sja-anat cannot use the kill if she is using a conversion. This is NOT a Blackout game; there are no hidden rules.

Unmade:

Spoiler

• Moelach: The Unmade of the Death Rattles and foresight, the tracker. Moelach can target up to two players and learn one of their targets. If they had multiple targets, they will discover one at random. In addition, while Moelach is alive, players will get Death Rattles that they can be typed up and will be posted in the writeup upon death.

• Nergaoul: The Unmade of the Thrill, the protector. Nergaoul can target up to two players to protect each cycle. Nergaoul’s protection cannot protect from the lynch and they cannot protect themselves.

• Ashertmarn: The Heart of the Revel, the roleblocker. Ashertmarn can target up to two players to roleblock each cycle.

• Re-Shephir: The Midnight Mother, action stealer. Re-Shephir can target one player each cycle and learn one action they took for that cycle. Then, Re-Shephir can use that action once during the next cycle.

• Yelig-Nar (Bearer of): The Blightwind, a self-destructing multitool. The Bearer of Yelig-Nar starts with only one ability, to bond to Yelig-Nar. Once the bond is formed, Yelig-Nar gains access to many different abilities, but also will die once they use up their charges. They gain the following abilities used at the cost of one ability charge: Moving one vote, Canceling one vote, Protecting one player, Killing one player, Roleblocking a player, Rolescanning a player, Learning a player’s target, Creating a PM between two players. Each action can be used once per cycle. Each action consumes 1 ability charge, and Yelig-Nar must use at least 2 abilities each cycle. Yelig-Nar is also automatically protected from kills and lynches, but each prevented death automatically consumes an ability charge. They have 10 ability charges: once they use all 10 charges, they die instantly.

• Chemoarish: The Dustmother, a night killer. Chemoarish can target one player to be killed.

• Dai-Gonarthis: The Black Fisher, the PM creator. Dai-Gonarthis can create up to two 1-to-1 PMs each cycle, which will last until the cycle after Dai-Gonarthis is killed.

• Ba-Ado-Mishram: The Unmade of the False Desolation, a scanner. Ba-Ado-Mishram can scan a player and find out if they are an Unmade or a Regal. If that player is a Regal, they will also discover what Form they have, but if that player is an Unmade they will only learn that player is an Unmade.

• Sja-anat: The Taker of Secrets, Elim leader. Has X conversion charges which they can use to convert players (Unmade or Regals) to the Defector/Elim faction. Converting an Unmade requires 2 charges, converting a Regal requires 1. Sja-anat will also consume conversion charges to survive kills. Surviving a lynch requires 2 charges, surviving a night kill requires 1.

Regals (all non-Unmade players)

Spoiler

• Stormform: Has a passive extra life. Once per cycle, a Stormform Regal can target a player. If that player is attacked, one of the attacks will be redirected from that player to the Stormform Regal.

• Smokeform: Once per cycle, a Smokeform Regal can cancel a player’s vote.

• Decayform: Once per cycle, a Decayform Regal can roleblock a player.

• Nightform: Once per cycle, a Nightform Regal can target a player and learn one player that player visited last night. Has a passive Death Rattle upon death, even if Moelach is dead.

• Envoyform: Once per cycle, an Envoyform Regal can create a 1-to-1 PM, which may or may not include the Envoyform who made the PM. This PM will last until the end of the next cycle.

Clarifications:

Spoiler

• Yelig-Nar: If Yelig-Nar fails to use any in a cycle, 2 ability charges will be consumed and no abilities used. If Yelig-Nar only used one action in a cycle, 1 ability charge will be consumed without using an ability. If Yelig-Nar’s action(s) are roleblocked, the ability charge for the roleblocked action will still be consumed.

• Re-Shephir: If Re-Shephir witnesses an action, they learn the functionality of the action but not the specific type, i.e. they can see the action as a “kill action” but won’t know if it was Chemoarish’s kill or the Elim kill. Re-Shephir cannot witness or duplicate a conversion.

• Moelach: Nothing in this game can edit wills. They’re safe from reading or manipulating. I promise. Bonus points will be awarded to Death Rattles that sound like mystical Death Rattles. Moelach will give a Death Rattle on death, but after their death only Nightform Regals will give Death Rattles.

• Ashertmarn: Roleblocks occur at the same time. (I need to figure that out.)

• Sja-anat: If Sja-anat has 1 charge remaining, if they attempt to convert an Unmade, the conversion will fail and the charge will be returned. If they have 1 charge remaining and are lynched, they will die. If Sja-anat is roleblocked, the conversion will fail and the charge will be returned. Sja-anat cannot convert and use the Elim kill in the same cycle.

• Death Rattles: Must be under 100 words. (Tempted to force them into more cryptic messages by saying you can’t say player names or role names, but unnecessary.)

 

There are a few things that I'm worried about, namely the frequency of roleblocks/protections, the possiblility of Sja-anat being roleblocked/Re-Shephir witnessed cycle 1, and balance if Sja-anat converts Chemoarish or Yelig-Nar for essentially an extra night kill. And there's probably more balance issues I haven't seen yet.

I can also post this as a link to a Google Doc, but I'd rather not right now as I'm working on a few account things.

Edit: that was a formatting fail and a half.

Edited August 3, 2020 by Ashbringer

[Mat]

8 minutes ago, Ashbringer said:

How do we sign up to GM? I'd kinda like to be a co-GM for a game so I can learn how to do it.

There's a PM, @Straw could probably add you to that.

Edited August 2, 2020 by Matrim's Dice

[Elkanah]

3 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

How do we sign up to GM? I'd kinda like to be a co-GM for a game so I can learn how to do it.

Also, I'd like to officially propose my Unmade game.

MR##: To Make an Unmade:

  Hide contents

Cycles are 24 Hours long, combined Day and Night Turn. Factions are the Loyal Unmade of Odium and the Defectors, led by Sja-anat. This is a modified conversion game. The Defectors have a doc to conspire in and a faction kill, although Sja-anat cannot use the kill if she is using a conversion. This is NOT a Blackout game; there are no hidden rules.

 

Unmade:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

• Moelach: The Unmade of the Death Rattles and foresight, the tracker. Moelach can target up to two players and learn one of their targets. If they had multiple targets, they will discover one at random. In addition, while Moelach is alive, players will get Death Rattles that they can be typed up and will be posted in the writeup upon death.

• Nergaoul: The Unmade of the Thrill, the protector. Nergaoul can target up to two players to protect each cycle. Nergaoul’s protection cannot protect from the lynch and they cannot protect themselves.

• Ashertmarn: The Heart of the Revel, the roleblocker. Ashertmarn can target up to two players to roleblock each cycle.

• Re-Shephir: The Midnight Mother, action stealer. Re-Shephir can target one player each cycle and learn one action they took for that cycle. Then, Re-Shephir can use that action once during the next cycle.

• Yelig-Nar (Bearer of): The Blightwind, a self-destructing multitool. The Bearer of Yelig-Nar starts with only one ability, to bond to Yelig-Nar. Once the bond is formed, Yelig-Nar gains access to many different abilities, but also will die once they use up their charges. They gain the following abilities used at the cost of one ability charge: Moving one vote, Canceling one vote, Protecting one player, Killing one player, Roleblocking a player, Rolescanning a player, Learning a player’s target, Creating a PM between two players. Each action can be used once per cycle. Each action consumes 1 ability charge, and Yelig-Nar must use at least 2 abilities each cycle. Yelig-Nar is also automatically protected from kills and lynches, but each prevented death automatically consumes an ability charge. They have 10 ability charges: once they use all 10 charges, they die instantly.

• Chemoarish: The Dustmother, a night killer. Chemoarish can target one player to be killed.

• Dai-Gonarthis: The Black Fisher, the PM creator. Dai-Gonarthis can create up to two 1-to-1 PMs each cycle, which will last until the cycle after Dai-Gonarthis is killed.

• Ba-Ado-Mishram: The Unmade of the False Desolation, a scanner. Ba-Ado-Mishram can scan a player and find out if they are an Unmade or a Regal. If that player is a Regal, they will also discover what Form they have, but if that player is an Unmade they will only learn that player is an Unmade.

• Sja-anat: The Taker of Secrets, Elim leader. Has X conversion charges which they can use to convert players (Unmade or Regals) to the Defector/Elim faction. Converting an Unmade requires 2 charges, converting a Regal requires 1. Sja-anat will also consume conversion charges to survive kills. Surviving a lynch requires 2 charges, surviving a night kill requires 1.

Regals (all non-Unmade players)

  Reveal hidden contents

 

• Stormform: Has a passive extra life. Once per cycle, a Stormform Regal can target a player. If that player is attacked, one of the attacks will be redirected from that player to the Stormform Regal.

• Smokeform: Once per cycle, a Smokeform Regal can cancel a player’s vote.

• Decayform: Once per cycle, a Decayform Regal can roleblock a player.

• Nightform: Once per cycle, a Nightform Regal can target a player and learn one player that player visited last night. Has a passive Death Rattle upon death, even if Moelach is dead.

• Envoyform: Once per cycle, an Envoyform Regal can create a 1-to-1 PM, which may or may not include the Envoyform who made the PM. This PM will last until the end of the next cycle.

Clarifications:

  Hide contents

• Yelig-Nar: If Yelig-Nar fails to use any in a cycle, 2 ability charges will be consumed and no abilities used. If Yelig-Nar only used one action in a cycle, 1 ability charge will be consumed without using an ability. If Yelig-Nar’s action(s) are roleblocked, the ability charge for the roleblocked action will still be consumed.

• Re-Shephir: If Re-Shephir witnesses an action, they learn the functionality of the action but not the specific type, i.e. they can see the action as a “kill action” but won’t know if it was Chemoarish’s kill or the Elim kill. Re-Shephir cannot witness or duplicate a conversion.

• Moelach: Nothing in this game can edit wills. They’re safe from reading or manipulating. I promise. Bonus points will be awarded to Death Rattles that sound like mystical Death Rattles. Moelach will give a Death Rattle on death, but after their death only Nightform Regals will give Death Rattles.

• Ashertmarn: Roleblocks occur at the same time. (I need to figure that out.)

• Sja-anat: If Sja-anat has 1 charge remaining, if they attempt to convert an Unmade, the conversion will fail and the charge will be returned. If they have 1 charge remaining and are lynched, they will die. If Sja-anat is roleblocked, the conversion will fail and the charge will be returned. Sja-anat cannot convert and use the Elim kill in the same cycle.

• Death Rattles: Must be under 100 words. (Tempted to force them into more cryptic messages by saying you can’t say player names or role names, but unnecessary.)

 

There are a few things that I'm worried about, namely the frequency of roleblocks/protections, the possiblility of Sja-anat being roleblocked/Re-Shephir witnessed cycle 1, and balance if Sja-anat converts Chemoarish or Yelig-Nar for essentially an extra night kill. And there's probably more balance issues I haven't seen yet.

I can also post this as a link to a Google Doc, but I'd rather not right now as I'm working on a few account things.

I absolutely love this game. It's such a cool idea!

A couple thoughts: The number of charges is a really difficult thing to balance. You have to have enough to build a decent elim team and protect them long enough to do so without dying first.

Also since I know who Sja-Anat is by virtue of lynching them, why would I vote for anyone else for the rest of the game? 

[Ashbringer]

5 minutes ago, Elkanah said:

I absolutely love this game. It's such a cool idea!

A couple thoughts: The number of charges is a really difficult thing to balance. You have to have enough to build a decent elim team and protect them long enough to do so without dying first.

Also since I know who Sja-Anat is by virtue of lynching them, why would I vote for anyone else for the rest of the game? 

Thanks!

The charges are a new thing, but I'm trying to show that Unmade conversion is harder than Regal conversion. (Well, Sja-anat would be converting the Voidspren giving the Regal powers, but it's the same idea). Since most Unmade are just plain more powerful than Regals, I wanted there to be a conversion trade-off of going for suspected Unmade or going for more players.

As for the lynch, the Warform Regals will survive one lynch, like a Thug will, unless they've already soaked up an attack from somewhere.

[Straw]

4 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

How do we sign up to GM? I'd kinda like to be a co-GM for a game so I can learn how to do it.

You sign up by pinging one of the four mods: little wilson, Fifth Scholar, Elbereth, or Devotary of Spontaneity. Elbereth is probably going to be on sometime in the next day due to the QF. So, @Elbereth, see Ash’s post above.

As for co-GMing, basically just ask anyone who’s about to GM a game.

4 hours ago, Matrim's Dice said:

There's a PM, @Straw could probably add you to that.

Done.

[The_God_King]

Hey all! In prepping my Infinity Blade game I am looking for minor roles to add. The game is going to include a large amount of lesser roles that players will rotate through. If any of you have suggestions I'd love to hear them. A couple clarifications, there is a difference between "kill" and "Kill". "Kill" removes you from the game, "kill" switches your role. If you're familiar with Infinity Blade this makes sense. I'm currently still working on standardizing terminology.

Here's the current list:

Spoiler

1. (hero) Priority on taking infinity blade

2. If you have this ability for 3 cycle you become a Hero, you are killed and gain a new ability, can only trigger once

3. See true vote count

4. (The worker) Vote via PM, you can still vote in thread and it will show up that way in the vote count, but the tally will be the secret one

5. (The God King) One round immune to infinity blade

6. Role block

7. kill whoever kill you

8. Stun the player (next wrong block if killed)

9. Move a vote (yours doesn’t count)

10. PMs are open to you (one PM a round)

11. Role Seer

12. If you are Killed, Kill someone else

13. See who targets you

14. Mason (given access to a PM, new one created each cycle)

15. Mason

16. Bodyguard for Elim Kill (bottom of Priority)

 

 

[Straw]

19 hours ago, The_God_King said:

(The God King) One round immune to infinity blade

Is this automatic immunity, or do they have to pick the round?

19 hours ago, The_God_King said:

If you have this ability for 3 cycle you become a Hero, you are killed and gain a new ability, can only trigger once

Can you clarify what this is trying to say?

19 hours ago, The_God_King said:

Stun the player (next wrong block if killed)

How exactly does this work?

Edited August 17, 2020 by Straw

[The_God_King]

15 hours ago, Straw said:

Is this automatic immunity, or do they have to pick the round?

Can you clarify what this is trying to say?

How exactly does this work?

Thanks for the feedback!

1. it would be auto immunity like the tough guy
2. it's a conversion role that if you are able to stay alive you join the heroes, I'm on the fence leaning not including it in the game. It is very thematic but I dont think it introduces much to gameplay
3. If you are targeted to be killed or Killed the player who targeted you loses their next action. It's intentionally weak. I haven't played around with it much but I was going to rank the powers and give priority to the weakest powers. So the top one on my list has no ability other than being first priority

[Kasimir]

This is a refinement of a game I proposed years ago, when Assassin's Creed: Syndicate had just dropped a trailer. It seeks to combine the mechanics of MR38 and QF40 to result in a game that plays more like Avalon, with a healthy touch of social deduction. And it's based off the AC:S fan-made song, London Town. I intend to run this when my MR slot comes around, unless I get another idea in between.

Without further ado:

MR#XX: Come On Down To Irontown (aka Assassin's Creed: Elendel but Avalon.)

Scadrial is transforming. Railways are being built to connect the civilised octants of Elendel with the far-flung cities and towns in the Roughs. In Elendel itself, factories are springing up all over, employing unprecedented numbers of workers. Harmony willing, Elendel will see a new era of prosperity and technological advancement.

But all of this comes at a cost. Hundreds of workers find themselves increasingly crammed into small dormitories meant to take less than half their numbers. Soot and smoke from the factories linger most heavily in the industrial district, Irontown, like the legends of ash in the old days before the Final Ascension. Hours are long and the work is hard and the employers brutal. The nobles and factory owners glut themselves on boxings, and you count every last clip in the hopes of making it somewhere.

Maybe it was the time Starrick’s thugs broke the legs of the last workers to demand better pay. Or maybe it was the time molten iron splashed on Tomas’s face. You still see him begging on the street on the way to your shift. They threw him out like slag.

In recent days, a small group of factory workers meeting at the local establishment, The Bent Boxing, finally decide to take matters into their own hands.

Come on down to Irontown, Comrade, where desperate dreams choke beneath an iron-grey sky and ash and soot are thick like the tar. Where the blood flows in the gutters and lines the pockets of the wealthy. Where the bones of the poor are buried beneath the towers that thrust into the sky, belching smog into the air and leeching poison into the waters.

Come on down to Irontown, and light the flames of revolution.

Oppression has to end.

General Rules:

Spoiler

1. This game is a standard MR, with 48 hour cycles, referred to as Nights. Voting is to be done in the thread, and PMs between players are not allowed. There is a minimum threshold of one vote for elections (whether for the Worker Leader or the Inner Circle) to take place. Failure to elect a Worker Leader will result in the previous Leader retaining the position by default. Ties will result in a coin being flipped to determine who is elected. Both elections take place simultaneously.
    
2. Please colour-code your votes as follows: Wyrmhero [red and bold] to vote for the Inner Circle, and Wyrmhero [purple and bold] to vote for the Worker Leader of the next Cycle. Retract your votes as follows: Wyrmhero [green and bold] for Inner Circle votes, and Wyrmhero [orange and bold] for the Worker Leader votes.
    
3. Write-ups will only reveal the alignment of players elected to the Inner Circle. They will also indicate who has been voted the Worker Leader for the Cycle.
    
4. There are two factions in this game: the Workers and the Loyalists. Flavour-wise, this game is set a decent amount of time before TAoL, at the very beginnings of class consciousness, mass mobilisation and unionisation. The Workers are attempting to collectively organise themselves for the first time, and to demand better pay and better working conditions. The Loyalists are Workers who are being paid extra to report troublemakers to the factory owner, minor nobleman Demas Starrick.
    
5. The Loyalists know who each other are and the roles they have, and will have access to a faction doc to coordinate. In addition, once every cycle, the Loyalists may send in an order to the local gangs [i.e. via GM PM] to have a Worker brutally beaten, rendering them unable to post in the thread. (The Worker may still vote via their GM PM.)
    
6. Each player gets two votes: the Inner Circle vote and the Worker Leader vote. Self-voting is not allowed. [*sad Kas noises*]
    
7. Elected players are removed from the game and join the Elected Doc. They will no longer be allowed to post or to vote (with one exception, see: #8.) Players are free to discuss as they like in the Elected Doc, but are forbidden from further communication with spectators or players in the game. Elected Loyalists will also be expected to refrain from further use of the Loyalist doc.
    
8. If the Workers successfully elect at least four members to the Inner Circle, this triggers an extra cycle referred to as the General Meeting, chaired by the Inner Circle. Anyone, including previously-elected players, may post during this cycle. However, only Loyalists may vote to assassinate. The same rules as an election apply. Should the Loyalists successfully assassinate the Tineye, they automatically win the game.

Win Conditions:

Spoiler

• The Workers win when they can both seat at least four members in the Inner Circle, and when they can prevent the Loyalists from identifying and assassinating the Tineye during the General Meeting.

• The Loyalists win either when they can seat four members in the Inner Circle, or when the Tineye is identified and assassinated during the General Meeting.

Roles:

Spoiler

Workers: The Bent Boxing is the best place to unwind with a good drink after a tough shift at the factory. You’re tired of the endless demands and the poor rewards for your labour. It’s time to organise and collectively demand better conditions of Demas Starrick. What can he do, if you’re all united? (Workers of Elendel unite! You have but your chains to lose!)

Loyalists: All of you are Workers at Demas Starrick’s foundry. Some of you are unnerved by how loud and rowdy your fellow Workers are getting. Some of you are on Starrick’s ‘special’ payroll. And some of you just want to watch your fellow Workers hang. Whatever the reason, you know that your fellow Workers are organising...and you’re here to stop them.

• Coalition of Interests: The Loyalists have access to a Faction doc. All the better with which to plot against the Workers.

• Gang Connections: The Loyalists have connections to the local gangs, and one of them, the Blighters, is in Starrick’s pocket. Every cycle, you may target a particularly annoying Worker and have them brutally beaten, preventing them from talking in the thread for that cycle.

Tineye: Tin sharpens your senses, and little escapes you. The Loyalists think they’re being stealthy, but you know. You see them, and you hear them muttering about the Workers. The problem is convincing your fellow Workers that they’re up to no good...

• Sharpened Senses: The Tineye knows all the identities of the Loyalists (except the Starling) but not their roles.

Watchman: You know who the Tineye is. Or at least, you think you do. The problem is, you’ve narrowed down on two people who might be the Tineye. This could be helpful if you know who you can trust in these fractious meetings. Or, this could be the beginning of disaster if you trust unwisely...

• The Rule of Two: The Watchman knows the identity of two players. One of them is the Tineye, and the other one is the Informant. The Watchman doesn’t know which is which.

Worker Leader: You’ve got a reputation for being a solid fellow with a good head on your shoulders, which probably explains why your fellow Workers often look to you to decide what should be done. While you haven’t yet won over everyone to your way of thinking, you feel confident that you’ll be able to get everyone on board with your plan eventually. After all, even a businessman like Demas Starrick’s got to start negotiating when all his workers are on strike…

• Voice of Reason: With your standing as a voice of reason among your fellow Workers, you’re able to reign in the hotheads and cool tempers when things appear to be about to escalate. You understand that frustration must be carefully channelled in order to effect change, and the others respect you enough to heed your words. As long as you remain the Worker Leader, your votes count for double.

Informant: You were one of the Workers, but Starrick’s paying you, and in the end, boxings talk loudest in this world. You’ve got to eat, after all. You have no illusions that Demas Starrick won’t discard you when you stop being useful, but you’re not going to turn away the money while it’s coming in. It’s nothing personal—just business.

• Thirty Boxings: How much does betrayal cost, anyway? You appear as the Tineye to the Watchman (i.e. the Watchman will know both your identities, but not which of you is which.)

Starling: You’re a handpicked member of Demas Starrick’s operatives, assigned to infiltrate the ranks of the Workers to get to the root of the constant agitation and unrest at his factories. You’re so good at what you do, it seems the Workers have no idea you’re not one of them at all.

• A Little Bird Told Me: The Starling’s disguise is so good that the Starling appears to be one of the Workers, even to the Tineye. Thus, the Tineye will not know the Starling’s identity.

Edited August 22, 2020 by Kasimir

[+Lotus]

@Kasimir I’m very confused on how this game would work

[Kasimir]

1 hour ago, Lotus said:

@Kasimir I’m very confused on how this game would work

Same way as MR38 did, with approximately 7 cycles [this is really up to me to set as it's arbitrary, but IMO a game that drags for more than 7 cycles starts to get annoying for everyone], in which the Elims must aim to get lynched (or 'elected') at least 4 out of 7 times. The difference between this game and typical Elim games are two things: first, there's no kill - a player can get silenced for a cycle (or several, I suppose, if the Elims really dislike you), and second, the aim if you are a Villager is actually to get lynched (since you want to deny the Elims 4/7 lynches, or 'seats.')

The twist which I've borrowed from QF40 to make it more Avalon-like is as follows:

• Added the Tineye, who is the equivalent of the Merlin in Avalon, or the Reform Spy in QF40. The issue with adding a role that knows who all the bad guys are is that this needs an almost immediate nerf: nothing stops the Tineye from posting to the thread and dumping all the names of the Elims. This is why PMs are closed and why we have the General Meeting (Assassination in Avalon, and Assassination Cycle in QF40.) This is a special cycle which gives a second chance to the Elims - even if they fail to get lynched at least 4 times, as long as they can identify and lynch the Tineye in their very own private lynch (though conducted on thread with everyone participating), they win the game regardless. So the Village has to stop the Elims twice, the Elims just have to win once. This is to balance the awesome power of the Tineye.
   
• Just like in QF40 and Avalon, I've added the Watchman, who functions like Percival in Avalon, or the Reform Spy's Handler in QF40. The main function of Percival in Avalon is that he knows who Merlin is. This means that Percival especially is poised to be able to give Merlin a layer of cover (because remember; if Merlin gets assassinated, then the Elims win!) A good Percival player will also be able to use Merlin's knowledge wisely to get the correct lynches in.
   
• On a Village level, this means that Villagers have two tasks: you're playing the SE game the same way you always do, but you don't want to elect/lynch the suspicious people. You want to lynch your trusts! And you also, ideally, want to be noisy and provide as much cover for Merlin and Percival as possible, because if your Elims know who those two are, they have a 50-50 shot at winning the game. Yikes!
   
• Unlike QF40, I've dropped the Embedded Operative or Lancelot, as I feel this could make things more complicated in an unsatisfactory way. (Lancelot switches sides depending on a coin flip, and this gets more complicated in some versions of Avalon; the EO could choose their side in QF40.) Instead, I'm introducing two new roles from Avalon: the Informant (also Morgana in Avalon) and the Starling (also Mordred in Avalon.) Both Morgana and Mordred generally tilt the game towards the Elims, by making things more difficult for the Village. Morgana makes things harder for Percival because he has to figure out which of the two is which. He wants to protect one of them, and he wants to follow their hints, and he definitely does not want to protect Morgana; in fact, he wants Morgana to not be elected! (Avalon has elections too.) On the other hand, Mordred also immediately nerfs Merlin because this means Merlin does not have perfect knowledge: while he can spot most of the Elim team, there will be one person Merlin does not know is an Elim. 

The core of the game is still the way MR38 works, so I've included a link to the game, which might show how it'd play out in action. By including the central QF40 mechanic, all my game does is to add another dimension of deduction and play (hint: if you need a final Village lynch, the Tineye and Watchman are confirmed Village...)

Edited August 22, 2020 by Kasimir

[Straw]

A few things:

• Referring to cycles as nights seems like it'll confuse people. What's the point?
• I feel like you should probably have a seperate retraction color for Worker Leader votes. Orange might work well.
• The Workers could easily win by only voting for people who were targeted by the Loyalist beating. This makes the Gang Connections ability fairly useless.
• How many players is this game supposed to be run with?
• Are all roles guaranteed to be included?

[Kasimir]

1 minute ago, Straw said:

A few things:

• Referring to cycles as nights seems like it'll confuse people. What's the point?
  Flavour, or the theme of the RP frame that I'm planning on using, given I tend to run games that centre RP.
• I feel like you should probably have a seperate retraction color for Worker Leader votes. Orange might work well.
  Good point. I'll add that.
• The Workers could easily win by only voting for people who were targeted by the Loyalist beating. This makes the Gang Connections ability fairly useless.
  There's no confirmation of who was beaten - only who isn't posting in the thread. Inactives, some of whom do log in to 17S but simply don't participate in the game, or Elims opting to feign inactivity would be indistinguishable from a Villager perspective as someone who was Loyalist targeted. And WGG is perfectly possible since Elims might not necessarily want to spend more cycles implicating themselves.
• How many players is this game supposed to be run with?
  Approx 20 - El's worked with these numbers at 17. If the game has too few players, I'd either adjust the numbers or run something else.
• Are all roles guaranteed to be included?
  Yes.

 

[Straw]

I'd been thinking about a LG15 rerun, and talked with @little wilson about it a bit, so here's my revised version. Let me know if you have any thoughts.

Basics

Spoiler

The turns for this game are 48/24.

There is no vote minimum. Ties are determined randomly.

If PMs are open, there are no restrictions and group PMs are allowed. Just remember to add me to all PMs.

This game has a two cycle inactivity filter.

Factions

Spoiler

Loyal Crewmembers: This ship is your home, and you have no intention of letting your traitorous comrades take over. You win if you kill all the Traitors.

Traitors: Though you have varied reasons for betraying the rest of the crew, you're willing to kill to gain control of the ship. You win if you reach parity with the Loyal Crewmembers. You have a Google Doc to plan in and a kill each night.

One other factor that can affect these two win conditions is the Hemalurgic Intelligence. In addition to not counting towards win conditions, its death will cause an emergency on the ship as many systems shut off. If the HI dies, nights will stop happening, the inactivity filter will stop, and any Loyal Cremember death will cause the Traitors to win instantly. The Traitors are not allowed to use any kills on the Hemalurgic Intelligence.

Roles

Spoiler

Awakener: The Awakening of objects is useful for minor maintenance around the ship. However, you've learned to use it to help in combat as well. Each night, you may roleblock one player, preventing them from taking any action.

Elantrian: You have many abilities, but healing is one of the more useful ones. Each night, you may target a player to save from death, blocking one kill. If they are attacked but survive, it will be announced in the writeup.

Feruchemist: Out of the varied abilities of Feruchemy, mental and spiritual abilities are good to store on long, boring, trips. Using a mix of their stores, Feruchemists can convince another player to change their vote to another player, or even refrain from voting at all.

Hemalurgic Intelligence: You've managed to become intelligent and figure out that your best shot at freedom is to join the mutiny. You are immune to any attempts to kill you (this ability also protects from the vote). In addition, your actions cannot be roleblocked by the Awakener. Each night, you can discover a player's role. If every Loyal Crewmember Hemalurgist is dead, the Traitors are able to make some improvements to you. You will then lose your kill immunite and gain access to the Traitor Google Document. You do not count for the purposes of deciding win conditions.

Hemalurgist: While Hemalurgy isn't particularly useful on it's own, you play a vital role on the ship. Along with the other Hemalurgists, you work to limit and contain the Hemalurgic Intelligence. While you do try to keep anonymous to prevent the Hemalurgic Intelligence gaining more information, you still have a channel of communication (you have access to an anonymous Google Doc that is shared with the other Hemalurgists). Players with this role can also have one other role. If their role is scanned, both roles will be shown.

Kandra: As a trained spy and investigator, you are very good at discovering hidden information. Each night, you may discover the role of another player.

Mistborn: With the combative strength of Allomancy, you serve as one of the ship's guards. Unfortunately, you vials are quite limited. You can kill at night one time, but run out of vials after that.

Regular: Not everyone on the ship has abilities. However, you still play an important role in making sure that the ship reaches its destination.

Surgebinder: As a Surgebinder below the third ideal, you serve as one of the ship's messengers. During the night, PMs will be open if any Surgebinders are alive. Each night, you may also send an anonymous message to be posted with the writeup. The order these messages are displayed in will be determined randomly each time.

Voidbringer: The ability to see the future has proven quite useful to you in this dangerous time. You are immune to the first kill that you are targeted by, but you may still die to the vote. If you are targeted with a kill, it will be announced in the writeup.

All credit for the original game idea goes to @Wyrmhero.

Changes from LG15

• Voidbringers now have a limit of one kill blocked. Voidbringer blocks are now announced in the writeup.
• Mistborn now have a limit of one kill.
• Kandra can no longer discover alignment.
• Hemalurgists now have an anonymous Google Doc. Hemalurgists can have one other role.
• Removed the Forger role.
• The Hemalurgic Intelligence is no longer publicly known, and is distributed normally.
• The Hemalurgic Intelligence now starts as an Traitor without access to the Google Doc, is no longer immune to Feruchemists, cannot be roleblocked, keeps their role scan for the entire game, and loses their protection when they join the Traitor Google Doc.
• The Hemalurgic Intelligence now has something special that happens when they die.
• There is now no vote minimum.
• Ties are now random.
• There is now an inactivity filter.

Future Changes

• Mistborn could possibly have more vials.
• The Hemalurgic Intelligence dying could just cause the Traitors to win.
• The Hemalurgic Intelligence should maybe have access to the Hemalurgist doc.

Anyone have thoughts on these rules / the changes from LG15 / more possible changes?

Edited September 4, 2020 by Straw

[Elkanah]

I was just telling someone we needed a rerun of this game. The balance new balance on the HI is an interesting development. Having them start as an elim is likely to prevent them from claiming day one again, and will alter the game quite a bit from there since there is no chance of them ever being on the good team. Unless of course, you just decide to reveal who it is based on the flavor that everyone on the ship would know who the members of the crew are and who the ship is. 

I also think it's interesting that the hemalurgists will know the number of hemalurgists.

2 hours ago, Straw said:

The Hemalurgic Intelligence dying could just cause the Traitors to win.

This is effectively the case anyway. I like the forced lylo. I don't believe the village would be able to find and execute every traitor from there on out in a row, but I like giving that chance.

2 hours ago, Straw said:

The Hemalurgic Intelligence should maybe have access to the Hemalurgist doc.

I like this idea thematically, but I don't think it's good or bad either way. It shouldn't matter in the long term since the doc is anonymous.

Overall, I think you did a good job adapting it, and look forward to playing

[Ookla-son-son-Ventyl]

So, I’m thinking of running this game. I’ve already posted it on here before, now I just need to sign up. @Elbereth?

Edited September 21, 2020 by Ventyl

[Straw]

15 minutes ago, Ventyl said:

So, I’m thinking of running this game. I’ve already posted it on here before, now I just need to sign up. @Elbereth?

You might be better off @mentioning Devotary or wilson, since Fifth and Elbereth haven’t been on the shard in a bit.

[Elandera]

16 minutes ago, Ventyl said:

So, I’m thinking of running this game. I’ve already posted it on here before, now I just need to sign up. @Elbereth?

I take it this is an LG?

I can add you to the spreadsheet, but just need to know the category of game.

[Ookla-son-son-Ventyl]

45 minutes ago, Elandera said:

I take it this is an LG?

I can add you to the spreadsheet, but just need to know the category of game.

Oh yeah an LG, and if you can I won’t be able to run it until the end of this semester, so like if I could run sometime in December, that would be great!

[Elandera]

30 minutes ago, Ventyl said:

Oh yeah an LG, and if you can I won’t be able to run it until the end of this semester, so like if I could run sometime in December, that would be great!

You're somewhere around 14th on the list, so it's probably going to take until after December depending on the availability of the others.

[Ookla-son-son-Ventyl]

21 hours ago, Elandera said:

You're somewhere around 14th on the list, so it's probably going to take until after December depending on the availability of the others.

Okay, that’s fine, I won’t be as busy next semester since I won’t have marching band.

[Straw]

@Abstrusity. Moving over here since your question is more related to game design and balancing.

2 minutes ago, Abstrusity said:

I currently have eight players, and I'm thinking about which player roles I should include. Are there any roles that might mess with game balance too much, were I to include them? I'm thinking particularly about alignment scans - how many are safe to include in a small game?

My current idea is to make two (village) players who can have one open PM a cycle (it must be abandoned to open a new one), two who can alignment scan, and two who remove a vote from themselves automatically and then giving the Elims no special abilities, but providing them a list of every player role and how many people have it (though not which players.)

Any thoughts on this plan? It's just a rough draft at the moment, and I could use some help.

Having two alignment scanners is a bit much. They can clear too many of the players that way. If you have to have alignment scanners, just have one at most. Alignment scanners are also very swingy with so few people around.

I think you're also underestimating how strong the automatic vote removal is with so few players around. With so few players, close votes are going to be inevitable. One question though: how are ties going to be decided?

Overall, I'd recommend heavily cutting the roles and maybe giving the elims some kind of minor ability like a roleblock.

[Abstrusity]

4 minutes ago, Straw said:

Overall, I'd recommend heavily cutting the roles and maybe giving the elims some kind of minor ability like a roleblock.

You're probably right. I'm trying to create a scenario where elims have an opportunity to convincingly fake certain roles, but that's difficult in such a small game. I'm planning on not revealing the alignment or ability of lynched players, as well.

7 minutes ago, Straw said:

One question though: how are ties going to be decided?

That's an interesting... wait a minute!
The game is already divided into longer day and shorter night cycles. Perhaps if no-one dies immediately when the vote is tied at the end of a day, they die at the start of the next day instead - with a player who can decide ties. If that player is gone, it goes to a coin flip.
Here's my revised plan:
1 player with alignment scan
1 player who judges tied votes. Additionally, they can see the alignment of anyone who's lynched.
1 player who resists a single death (lynch or elim kill)
Elims remain as they are, with no abilities but awareness of which roles are in the game.

[Straw]

14 minutes ago, Abstrusity said:

You're probably right. I'm trying to create a scenario where elims have an opportunity to convincingly fake certain roles, but that's difficult in such a small game. I'm planning on not revealing the alignment or ability of lynched players, as well.

That's an interesting... wait a minute!
The game is already divided into longer day and shorter night cycles. Perhaps if no-one dies immediately when the vote is tied at the end of a day, they die at the start of the next day instead - with a player who can decide ties. If that player is gone, it goes to a coin flip.
Here's my revised plan:
1 player with alignment scan
1 player who judges tied votes. Additionally, they can see the alignment of anyone who's lynched.
1 player who resists a single death (lynch or elim kill)
Elims remain as they are, with no abilities but awareness of which roles are in the game.

That seems a lot better, but I think it'd probably be best to have either the alignment scan or the vote judge role, not both. Both roles can give a significant infodump to the village, so two is a bit much.

[Guest Somebody from Scadrial]

Hey do the SE games have to be in the Cosmere or can they be in say, the Cytoverse because I'm thinking of spewing out some Superiority based roles here and maybe GMing a game after I've played one or two more games