The Art of Game Creation

[Alvron]

MR12 has a poisoner role that killed the target when the first vote is placed that day.

It's also something I've been toying with for a game.   A mid-cycle death would really mess with players heads.

[Straw he/him]

I remember the poisoner in MR12...

[Jondesu he/him]

6 hours ago, Alvron said:

MR12 has a poisoner role that killed the target when the first vote is placed that day.

It's also something I've been toying with for a game.   A mid-cycle death would really mess with players heads.

Ooh, that's an interesting twist. It still needed an order to be placed prior to that, though, right?

The really fun thing about the guns is that sometimes we can be getting accusations seconded (since you need that IRL) and then someone will just shoot the person that's being accused. It gives the town a chance for another lynch after they've put a lot of discussion into it. Sometimes the Elims will get a gun or multiple, though, and sometimes that means they go and just end the game by surprise one cycle (or the town will, if there's a circle of trust of any type).

[Arraenae]

On 4/25/2017 at 6:45 PM, Jondesu said:

Have there been roles used here that could circumvent the usual order of actions? Specifically, the games I play IRL often include a Gunsmith, who can hand out guns to people during the night (so no one else knows who has one). Those guns, however, can be used at any time during the day cycle to kill someone instantly. In the middle of discussion. It might be the lynch target, in which case we move on to voting on someone else instead, but the point is that they're dead instantly, with no recourse. Obviously it can be good or bad, like using most roles, and since the gunsmith is giving out the guns without knowing people's alignment, they don't prove anything, but it's an incredible way to make a "bang" to pardon the pun.

In LG26, there was a role called Bleeder that was semi-aligned with God's Own Hate, the elim faction. One of the things that GOH could do was to kill Bleeder anytime, Day or Night. Bleeder died the moment one of the GMs read the order from GOH.

[Jondesu he/him]

I think I'll include a Gunsmith or something similar in my Taldain game.  It's a role I'm familiar with enough that I can balance it without much trouble (I'll still consider this a basic game that way), but it'll be something new to this community it sounds like.  Good to know it's not completely out of the blue, but it's still very unique.

I'll probably require those with guns to use a particular color in the thread when they announce that they're using them.  The target will immediately stop posting, though that can be reversed if the GM says it was invalid (I'll count on the players being honest about it, though), and their role won't be revealed until it's confirmed that it was a valid kill.

[Jo and the Bush all/any]

Just put in the stipulation that if you fake killing someone with a gun, you get killed instead.

[Jondesu he/him]

51 minutes ago, A Joe in the Bush said:

Just put in the stipulation that if you fake killing someone with a gun, you get killed instead.

I was thinking the same thing.

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

This talk about gunsmith roles has given me an interesting idea for a reckoners themed SE game...

I'll need to think about it more to iron out details, but maybe I'll post a game idea soon.

[Guest]

I been  wondering, is there a mistborn era 2 game?

[Straw he/him]

This will probably end up being my LG, so all advice is appreciated 

Basics:

 

-Cycles are 47 (day)/23 (night) hours long. Turn will end at 7 PM EST. Next turn will be posted at 8 PM EST.

-PMs are not allowed.
-This game is role madness.
-This game is a 5 faction game.
-Make votes in red, retract votes in green.
-If you do not post or put in actions for 4 cycles without explanation, you will die in a humiliating way.
-Votes are cast during the day.
-Actions are put in during the night.

Factions:

 

Win condition: Kill everyone who is not a member of your faction. Every faction has a Google doc.

-Venture
-Hasting
-Elariel
-Tekiel
-Lekal

Roles:

 

Every player has a social role and some players also get an allomantic role.

Social Roles:
-Gossip: Every cycle you discover the alignment of a random player. This is a passive ability.
-Informant: Every cycle you discover the role of a random player. This is a passive ability.
-Well Connected: You have one vote taken off you. This is a passive ability.
-Orator: Your vote counts as 2 votes. This is a passive ability.
-Secretive: You can put in your vote via GM PM. This is a passive ability.
-Shy: Each cycle you can send an anonymous note to a player of your choice. This is an active ability.
-Romantic: You start the game with a PM with another romantic. Neither of you can put in any actions that target the other romantic. This is a passive ability.
-Underground Contacts: A random player that targets you is roleblocked for the next cycle. This is a passive ability.

Allomantic Roles:
-Mistborn: You can use every allomantic power once. This is an active ability.
-Coinshot: Each cycle you can kill a player of your choice. This is an active ability.
-Lurcher: Each cycle you can protect a player of your choice. This is an active ability.
-Thug: You can survive one kill attempt. This is a passive ability.
-Tineye: You can create PMs with other players (group PMs are not allowed) (GM must be included in all PMs). This is an active ability.
-Rioter: You can change a player’s vote (using this ability cancels your own vote). This is an active ability.
-Soother: You can cancel one vote. This is an active ability.
-Seeker: Each cycle you can discover the role and alignment of a player of your choice. This is an active ability.
-Smoker: You are immune to seeking, soothing, and rioting. This is a passive ability.

Balls:

 

Balls happen every even cycle. During the ball, players can talk in group PMs. Players will decide what group PM they will be in during the ball the next cycle on odd cycles. Players who do not decide on a group PM will be placed in the group PM with the fewest members. As the number of players decreases, so does the number of PMs. During a ball there will be 5 group PMs:

-Entrance. (25+ players)
-Dining Hall. (20+ players)
-Dance Floor. (15+ players)
-Balconies. (10+ players)
-Great Hall. (5+ players)

Extra:

 

-In order to ensure fair distribution, I will use a point system:

-Player = +20
 -Mistborn = +17
 -Coinshot = +17
 -Thug = +13
 -Lurcher = +15
 -Seeker = +14
 -Underground Contacts = +12
 -Tineye = +12
 -Smoker = +12
 -Orator = +12
 -Well Connected = +11
 -Rioter = +10
 -Soother = +9
 -Gossip = +9
 -Informant = +9
 -Secretive = +8
 -Romantic = +5
 -Shy = +3
 -Example: Underground Contacts/Mistborn, Secretive = Shy, Romantic, Gossip = Informant/Tineye, Romantic/Thug
-Every third cycle, the faction with the least members will gain an allomantic power

Edited August 3, 2017 by Straw

[Herowannabe he/him]

Looks cool @Straw!

a few comments:

"Smelly": I'd come up with a different name, this one doesn't seem to fit the theme...  perhaps something like "underground connections"? Also, what do you mean by "role blocked for 1 cycle?" Does their action still go through but then they're Role blocked next cycle? Or does their action against you fail this cycle? I like the first option, the second seems broken powerful.

I'm pretty sure Pewter should be a passive ability, not an active one. 

Room/Group PMs: speaking from experience, you'll want a mechanic that reduces the number of group PMs there are as the number of players dwindles. Otherwise you'll end up with group PMs with only 1 or 2 people. 

Overall: faction games are notoriously hard to balance, but I really like this one. I do worry about how you're going to divide the roles among the different factions in a way that's balanced. For example, the Coinshot is far and away the most powerful role, and in a 5-faction game like this the House(s) with a Coinshot get a huge advantage over the other houses. 

Also, you might want to consider working in a "comeback" mechanic for Houses that lose members early in the game. A house that loses 1 or 2 members early on can be significantly disadvantaged. I suggest this:

Create an NPC character- we'll call him Kelsier- that is a faction-neutral Mistborn for hire. Each cycle (or every other cycle, or however you want to manage it), the House with the fewest number of living members can hire Kelsier to perform 1 allomamtic power of their choice to help them this cycle. 

But all in all, it looks great! It will be a fun one to play!

[Straw he/him]

@Herowannabe Is the edited version better?

[Herowannabe he/him]

16 minutes ago, Straw said:

@Herowannabe Is the edited version better?

Yeah, it looks great! The point system is a great idea. I don't see anything I'd change now.  when are you running it?

[Straw he/him]

I'm set to be running it as LG47. However, I suspect it will probably be sooner than that due to people set to run games being busy/inactive.

Edited May 22, 2017 by Straw

[DeTess she/her]

One thing I'm wondering about is the votes. Is this a standard lynch mechanic? I am wondering how/if that works in a purely faction driven game where you know exactly who is bad and who isn't.

[Straw he/him]

In most faction games you vote on the person most dangerous to your faction.

[DeTess she/her]

Hmmm, yes, I can see now how that would work, and how it can lead to some interesting agreements and betrayals ("Hey if you all promise not to vote on Amanuensis, we promise not to vote on Lopen").

[Stick. she/her]

40 minutes ago, randuir said:

Hmmm, yes, I can see now how that would work, and how it can lead to some interesting agreements and betrayals

My favourite is the betrayals part especially when it's the faction you had an alliance with you're betraying

42 minutes ago, randuir said:

("Hey if you all promise not to vote on Amanuensis, we promise not to vote on Lopen").

(Then they go ahead and group vote on lopen in the last five seconds of the cycle)

 

[Jondesu he/him]

10 minutes ago, _Stick_ said:

My favourite is the betrayals part especially when it's the faction you had an alliance with you're betraying

(Then they go ahead and group vote on lopen in the last five seconds of the cycle)

 

I think the betrayals would be @Elenion's favorite part too. 

Just kidding, Len. 

[Stick. she/her]

7 minutes ago, Jondesu said:

I think the betrayals would be @Elenion's favorite part too. 

Just kidding, Len. 

coughLG29cough 

[Jondesu he/him]

17 minutes ago, _Stick_ said:

coughLG29cough 

MR17

[Elenion he/him]

6 hours ago, Jondesu said:

I think the betrayals would be @Elenion's favorite part too. 

6 hours ago, _Stick_ said:

coughLG29cough 

5 hours ago, Jondesu said:

MR17

Just kidding, Len. 

Ah, the days back when I had that playstyle. To be fair, I've been backstabbed myself; Lopen in LG24 killed me despite me being in his faction and him being immune to all of my actions if I was evil.

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

Hmmm out of curiosity, would your lurchers be able to protect same person many times in a row? And would they be permitted to self-protect?

These things slightly change how powerful a protective role can be.

[Straw he/him]

My Lurchers cannot self protect and can protect the same person multiple times.

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

14 minutes ago, Straw said:

My Lurchers cannot self protect and can protect the same person multiple times.

Ah okay good, just wanted to get that clear because I didn't see it in the outline.

That sounds perfectly balanced then.