Mid-Range Game 59: Alcatraz vs the Lens Destructors

[Elandera]

MR59 Cycle One: The Lens Crafter's Fire

Okay. So maybe the Evil Librarians didn't actually show up as Bastille was berating me about things I, for once, didn't break. But the statement still stands. The thing Grandpa Smedry was looking at was clearly the Librarian's doing.

The Lens Crafters (no, not the ones you're familiar with that supposedly make cheap prescription lenses. The librarians stole our name in case it ever leaked to the Hushlanders) was on fire. The whole complex where they crafted new lenses for oculators was up in flames. It looked cool, but it was bad. Really, really bad. Without the Lens Crafters, we wouldn't have replacements for any lenses. Like the warrior's lenses that Bastille had dropped as she rushed off to help with the fire situation.

This didn't bode well.

---

Welcome to Cycle One of MR59! Please let me know if you haven't received your PM. As a reminder, here are the rules.

General Rules:

• MR: 48 hour cycles (day/night combined)
• One-on-one PMs are open, and do not count as an action
• Only one vote is required for an exe
• Tied exes will be decided by RNG
• Each player has one action per cycle
• There are no hidden mechanics, rules, or roles, though not every lens will be in play
• Inactivity filter: If a player does not post for 2 consecutive cycles, they will be replaced by a pinch-hitter. If no pinch-hitters are available, they will be killed and their lenses will be dropped.

Player List:

Spoiler

1. @A Joe in the Bush - Sabenta Smedry
2. @Steeldancer - DumDum Rock
3. @JNV - Cori
4. @Matrim's Dice - Phil Philson
5. @The Wandering Wizard - Alfonzo Smedry
6. @Fifth Scholar - Sasha Grischuk
7. @The Unknown Novel - Syrus Smedry
8. @Droughtbringer - Master Namer Smedry
9. @The_God_King - Mcgee
10. @Kasimir - Kazed Sarkar
11. @Conquestor - Theonandrimicrus "Theo" Hathor the Third
12. @Ashbringer - AraRaash
13. @Devotary of Spontaneity - Dr. Sader
14. @Luckspren - Adelaide Smedry

This turn will end Friday, June 22 at 4 p.m. PDT.

Edited July 22, 2022 by Elandera

[Mat]

Seems like a pretty simple game, I like it! This is my redemption game as well, in which I attempt to have half decent reads

I wonder how much the existence of the Translator’s lens will change PMing. My guess is ‘not much’ but maybe more now that I’ve said that.

Drought

[Fifth Scholar]

Sasha Grischuk stepped into the library. These Americans truly thought of everything for these public spaces, he mused, the “games” section catching his eye in particular. He wondered if there would be anything on real games, real strategy, but wasn’t holding his breath. This library in particular seemed to hold a lot of mirrors with its books—glass peepholes, stained glass sections with various resolutions so that looking through a set of panels made one dizzy, even giant glass circles on the wall which made him look huge or minuscule as he stepped in front of them. He tapped one of the workers—were they workers?—on the shoulder, wearing a nametag “Smedry.” “Hey you. Vat’s ze deal vit zis place? Is everyvon in America really zis blind? And vere are all ze books on chess?”

---

It’s going to be fun trying to RP without having read Alcatraz. Even less fun to post analysis without reading the rules, though, so I’ll drop this here as my hello and go do that  

[Luckspren]

Adelaide Smedry strolled through the library, following the line of burning footprints. She lowered her Tracker's Lenses as she caught sight of the suspect, talking to one of her cousins in a peculiar accent. Is that idiot trying to blow his cover? Calm down, he might not be a Librarian; he could just be very confused. Now, that accent... real or fake? Definitely foreign, if real. She fiddled with the Hushlander device in her pocket, trying to turn on the recorder without looking suspicious.

---

The PM's might have a bit more references to 'the person I talked to you about yesterday' or some such thing, but I doubt anyone will worry about it too much. Personally, I doubt I'll change anything. 

[JNV]

Hi hello also havent read alcatraz so dont really know what to do for RP so for now analysis and maybe by the end of the post Ill have a thought

@Elandera when lenses get passed upon eath do all of them go to one person or is it random for each lens

Couriers lens you get secret PM message that wont get looked at obviously  use for sensitive information maybe pass around to plot and plan or just establish keywords and inside references to obscure the conversation 

Trakers lens in the name tracks peoples actions obviously nice but keep on downlow since the evils will smahs it if they know

Translators lens the issue here is name are not used so people in PMs dont use names when PMing also obviously an evil tool cause spying on evil requires evil doc access

Truthfinder lens roleblock find evil stop evil or be evil stop good matter of fact very smple 

Windstormers lens one use only immune to lens stuff means you cant get passed lenses though

Voidstormers lens one use only steal lenses

you know this whole game is kinda simple and obvious I odnt think you ned me giving you strategy tips its all fairly self evident plus theres no hidden stuff just remember only two sets of each lens max so claims of lenses can be verified with that worst case

Ok now an attempt at RP and also an in character excuse to PM everyone but I dont expect in character responses or eve nin character openers cause again I dont know anything about Alcatraz so if you dont get a PM in the next half houir PM me 

 

Cori marched over to the formerly burning compound, holding their clipboard like a shield. A clear arson case, but the blueprints indicated several violations that contributed to the intensity of the burn, and OSHA waited for no one. It was difficult to get a read on the pile of ash and soot, so they went to the library, where the employees had been relocated to in the meantime. They would have all have to be interviewed individually.

[A Joe in the Bush]

Sabenta Smedry stared at the foreigners who were wandering around the archive, asking questions about the things stored inside. She walked outside and checked, and the sign still clearly stated:
 

ROYAL ARCHIVE
NOT A LIBRARY

She shrugged and walked inside. Maybe they didn't have evil Librarians where they were from. She hoped someone warned them before they were mistaken for Librarians.

[Kasimir]

1 hour ago, Matrim's Dice said:

Seems like a pretty simple game, I like it! This is my redemption game as well, in which I attempt to have half decent reads

What a coincidence, this is my chill game where I channel Age of Empires 2 ladder zen, don't care about my accuracy, and just chill with my bros and yell at anyone who tries to drag me into anything in a PM >>

Can someone throw me a bone here? I am okay with my character but sort of struggling to find a way to grapple with the setting and RP. I've read QF23 but that's not much of an Alcatraz primer and I'd like to have my chill RPful game at long last.

Ash

[Elandera]

28 minutes ago, JNV said:

when lenses get passed upon eath do all of them go to one person or is it random for each lens

Random for each lens. 

[A Joe in the Bush]

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians Setting Primer:

The Evil Librarians have conquered what we know as Earth (The Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia). As they conquer territory, they brain wash people to forget about magic. The Free Worlders are the 4 Earth Continents that have not yet been conquered. They use magical glasses to screw with people. Some people (The Smedries) are basically superheroes.

This game takes place in the Free World, so there are no libraries. There are Archives (Not a Library) where free worlders store written things, but they don't organize them, because that would make them a Library.

Imagine Earth run by Hoid, Wayne, and Spook. It'll get you pretty close to accurate.

*Disclaimer, I haven't read the books in a couple of years.

[Kasimir]

2 minutes ago, A Joe in the Bush said:

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians Setting Primer:

The Evil Librarians have conquered what we know as Earth (The Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia). As they conquer territory, they brain wash people to forget about magic. The Free Worlders are the 4 Earth Continents that have not yet been conquered. They use magical glasses to screw with people. Some people (The Smedries) are basically superheroes.

This game takes place in the Free World, so there are no libraries. There are Archives (Not a Library) where free worlders store written things, but they don't organize them, because that would make them a Library.

Imagine Earth run by Hoid, Wayne, and Spook. It'll get you pretty close to accurate.

*Disclaimer, I haven't read the books in a couple of years.

I'll work with this, thank you!

[Devotary of Spontaneity]

1 hour ago, Matrim's Dice said:

I wonder how much the existence of the Translator’s lens will change PMing. My guess is ‘not much’ but maybe more now that I’ve said that.

Just that it's not a good idea to claim lenses in PM if you've left obvious personal identifiers in that cycle's messages.

3 minutes ago, A Joe in the Bush said:

Some people (The Smedries) are basically superheroes.

Specifically, they're an extended family with Talents whose description make them seem useless or even counterproductive, but are actually quite useful.

For years, the late Dr. Sader had harshly condemned lenses and the making and studying thereof, yet had never had a problem with Dr. Sader's own experiments with lenses. It was only after Dr. Sader failed to return from a business trip and an inspection of the departed's personal library had revealed the existence of other continents and magical lenses crafted from special sands that she understood the distinction. Armed with detailed directions for Dr. Sader's last known location, Dr. Sader headed out herself to find any traces of Dr. Sader and discover whether these magical sands could be a boon to her own research.

[Kasimir]

There was something to be said, mused Kazed, about not knowing exactly what for the love of Alhazen was going on.

A lot of strange people in the building that insisted very stridently it was an ARCHIVE and NOT A LIBRARY, and Kazed had quietly asked someone why it was not a library, only to get a horrified glance and a stern talking-to, the result of which was that Kazed didn't really understand any better, only that talk of libraries and Librarians (and you could just sense the capital 'L' rolling off the tongue of his interlocuters!) was strictly verboten and somewhat of a sensitive spot.

What he did know was that the Archive, most decidedly Not A Library, was reputed to have one of the few remaining copies of the original manuscript of the Kitab al-Manazir, which meant that if he ever wanted to puzzle out what Alhazen had meant on that fifth page in that enigmatic seventh paragraph that his supervisor had written his own doctoral thesis on, Kazed was going to have to find himself a manuscript.

There were other copies, of course. Locked away in university and museum collections. But this one supposedly had marginalia that helped elucidate what Alhazen had meant, and so he had come here.

Kazed was somewhat starting to regret it.

[The Wandering Wizard]

Well if Mat is going serious. Mat .

I'll RP tomorrow, just too tired right now.

[Mat]

2 hours ago, JNV said:

Hi hello also havent read alcatraz so dont really know what to do for RP so for now analysis and maybe by the end of the post Ill have a thought

You could get away with literally anything, RP wise. Except for fish sticks. Welcome to the Free Kingdoms

1 hour ago, Devotary of Spontaneity said:

Just that it's not a good idea to claim lenses in PM if you've left obvious personal identifiers in that cycle's messages.

What, you're suggesting PM safety?  After Steel's LG? Unthinkable!

(But you're entirely right about that :P).

1 minute ago, The Wandering Wizard said:

Well if Mat is going serious. Mat .

I'll RP tomorrow, just too tired right now.

I always go serious, it just doesn't always work out for me. Less often as of late.

[Kasimir]

1 minute ago, Matrim's Dice said:

What, you're suggesting PM safety?  After Steel's LG? Unthinkable!

IDK, like why even claim in a PM, period  Regardless of whether you've left obvious personal identifiers or not, you simply don't know the counterparty's alignment.

Just don't, damnit >>

This message is brought to you by your duly appointed representative of the 'I Was Betrayed By Wyrm' opsec support group...

[Fifth Scholar]

It’s quiet again. How are we doing, Ashbringer?

[Luckspren]

Adelaide gave up on the Hushlander device, walking away from the suspicious foreigner. Turning a corner, she saw yet another foreigner, this one being lectured about Librarians. Something strange was going on- more than just the fire. That alone suggested Librarian involvement, but now the Archive was flooded with people who seemed far too clueless. Surely at least some of them were acting- and yet, no signs of horn-rimmed glasses. Perhaps they were very undercover... but then they wouldn't stick out so much. They were probably just genuinely clueless. Still, she'd keep an eye or three on them. 

 

[Mat]

With every passing game I find myself more converted to the contribution crusade

We can’t catch anybody if nobody talks, and one person can’t talk to an empty thread

C’mon, people

[Conquestor]

"Huh, another slow day at the tea shop." Theo grumbled to himself. Ever since the fire the other day, it seems like no one wants some tea! Theo looked out the window and it looked like the end of days or something. Everyone was running around like chickens with their head cut off and there were a bunch of people from outside the Free kingdoms. 

"Maybe those dang librarians are up to something." Theo said to himself again. He did that a lot, it helped him to think. "I guess I should go and help to figure out this mess." He closed up thee shop and walked over to the "Royal Archive" where everyone seemed to be congregating. Why couldn't we organize everything in here and still call it an archive? Theo thought. It would be so much more helpful for finding what you wanted. He once spent an entire 6 hours looking for one blasted book!

He walked in to a bunch of people prowling around looking suspiciously at everyone and others who seemed really lost. It was a mess. Some people were even starting to gang up on people. It was all for the sake of finding out "information", but he wondered if there wasn't another purpose at hand. He decided to speak out against this. "Fifth Scholar, why are you and Kazed (Kasimir) so intent on having Ashbringer talk?"

[Fifth Scholar]

16 minutes ago, Matrim's Dice said:

With every passing game I find myself more converted to the contribution crusade

We can’t catch anybody if nobody talks, and one person can’t talk to an empty thread

C’mon, people

If @Herowannabe ever rejoins us on this website I will be sure he is informed of your conversion.  

Quote

"Huh, another slow day at the tea shop." Theo grumbled to himself. Ever since the fire the other day, it seems like no one wants some tea! Theo looked out the window and it looked like the end of days or something. Everyone was running around like chickens with their head cut off and there were a bunch of people from outside the Free kingdoms. 

"Maybe those dang librarians are up to something." Theo said to himself again. He did that a lot, it helped him to think. "I guess I should go and help to figure out this mess." He closed up thee shop and walked over to the "Royal Archive" where everyone seemed to be congregating. Why couldn't we organize everything in here and still call it an archive? Theo thought. It would be so much more helpful for finding what you wanted. He once spent an entire 6 hours looking for one blasted book!

He walked in to a bunch of people prowling around looking suspiciously at everyone and others who seemed really lost. It was a mess. Some people were even starting to gang up on people. It was all for the sake of finding out "information", but he wondered if there wasn't another purpose at hand. He decided to speak out against this. "Fifth Scholar, why are you and Kazed (Kasimir) so intent on having Ashbringer talk?"

(Welcome back, @Conquestor! I know you as the LG31 GM, which means you’re older than me, so go easy on us whippersnappers )

Grischuk looked up from his survey of the “archive”—why nobody was allowed to use straightforward terms for things here was anyone’s guess—and turned to face Theo. The man, who seemed to be a sort of leader here, was looking at him with a suspicious eye, and he took his hands off an explanation of spider solitaire (the closest thing to a chess book he’d found) to look him in the face. “Vy do I vant zis man to talk?” he repeated, gesturing at AraRaash. “Because of all fools zat have opened zer mouths, it seems none of zem can give account of vat is going on. I am foreigner here, and seem to care more zan your own people who are actually in charge here. Vy should ve let him get by in silence ven ve know zere are infiltrators? If he vill not listen to von man, perhaps two vill open his lips.” Grischuk rustled the pages of his book uncomfortably, then slammed it back on the shelf, causing a few people around him to jump. “If you have a better idea for who ve should look to suspect, before zey have actually talked, I vood love to hear it.”

[Conquestor]

"You make a good point." Theo said looking at the man. "Although, I have to wonder about all the other random accusations goin around." He stepped up to Grischuk and put his hand out for an apologetic hand shake. "I realize that you are new around here and I apologize for my rudeness. As you can see, not everything is going well around here." Fifth Scholar

Also, does everyone know me because of that game??? As I said in one of my pms. "Yes, I do still feel a little embarrassed about that... I should've known that I wasn't going to be able to really run the game. I was pretty young at the time. I wanted to try so badly and then got overwhelmed pretty quickly." I'd also like to officially apologize to @Elbereth & @Darkness Ascendant for that whole thing... I would like to try again at some point, now that I'm older, but that won't be till next year at least so I can play several games.

[A Joe in the Bush]

1 hour ago, Conquestor said:

Also, does everyone know me because of that game???

I don't remember you from that game. I do remember you because of Alvron's Death Note game in which I betrayed and publicly killed you. Sorry about that!  

Hey @Steeldancer, I remember you from ages back. How are you doing in this fine Archive? Got any thoughts?

Does anyone have thoughts on leaving it tied to see if the Elims are willing to break the tie to reduce risk of RNG lynching one of them?

[The Unknown Ajah]

3 hours ago, Matrim's Dice said:

With every passing game I find myself more converted to the contribution crusade

We can’t catch anybody if nobody talks, and one person can’t talk to an empty thread

C’mon, people

Hey, it works out well when I'm Elim, so why should I talk a lot? Unfortunately, it tends to get me killed in my Village games though. 

1 hour ago, A Joe in the Bush said:

Does anyone have thoughts on leaving it tied to see if the Elims are willing to break the tie to reduce risk of RNG lynching one of them?

That tends to lead false positives, and it has high chance of false negative as well. 

[Mat]

3 hours ago, A Joe in the Bush said:

Does anyone have thoughts on leaving it tied to see if the Elims are willing to break the tie to reduce risk of RNG lynching one of them?

I think this idea has a lot more credence to it if the people tied have done more things, or if there are a decent amount of reasons behind them— in the current state of the VC, I don’t see this being very useful. I suppose an elim would have to break the tie rather blatantly, but I think doing nothing from right now is the same as randomly picking from the player list and killing whoever we pick.

All that was said assuming the VC is tied when I don’t actually know if it is  In general though I’d rather kill with intent than RNG.

2 hours ago, The Unknown Novel said:

Hey, it works out well when I'm Elim, so why should I talk a lot? Unfortunately, it tends to get me killed in my Village games though. 

That tends to lead false positives, and it has high chance of false negative as well. 

You should talk a lot for the benefit of everyone else :P. Perhaps consider why it gets you killed  

The false positives is another good point.

Conquestor for his vote on Fifth when I thought it was clear that there wasn’t real malicious intent on Fifth’s part, and then also for Con’s quick retraction of said vote.

Hi!  Does Con work as a nickname, or do you have another?

[The Unknown Ajah]

4 minutes ago, Matrim's Dice said:

I think this idea has a lot more credence to it if the people tied have done more things, or if there are a decent amount of reasons behind them— in the current state of the VC, I don’t see this being very useful. I suppose an elim would have to break the tie rather blatantly, but I think doing nothing from right now is the same as randomly picking from the player list and killing whoever we pick.

All that was said assuming the VC is tied when I don’t actually know if it is  In general though I’d rather kill with intent than RNG.

You should talk a lot for the benefit of everyone else :P. Perhaps consider why it gets you killed  

because all of you are jerks

Because when people run out of options they do a CC, which almost never actually catches an elim. Hence why it works well when I'm an elim and badly when I'm a villager.