Whysper

Okay, I wanted to review the posts for Bearer, but I can't seem to find them. Did Bearer change their name to one of the Ooklas? Half of the Ooklas have nicely put their real name in their title, but the other half hasn't, so hard to tell. Anyway, I know have in my spreadsheet that I was suspecting both Bearer and Aman since C1. I'm actually surprised Aman hasn't been replaced due to inactivity. I think I had seen that it was partly due to Internet problems, so maybe that's why. And I don't recall seeing much from Bearer along the way. I'll add my vote to Bearer for now, though I'd like a chance to review their posts if I could just figure out where they are.

Ahhh cool. I look forward to seeing what that will be like.

AG? Does that stand for Annual Game?

Man, I was thinking to myself earlier this week that I might need to take a break from Forum Mafia games. But then themes like this make it so tempting to join. Please put me down as pinch hitter for now. I'll see whether I go to full join.

Ack, sorry about the inactivity. I've been somewhat busy with other things and kind of forgot about keeping up with this game. I admit part of this is due to how the extensive usage of PMs in this game detracts from it. There's already less posting in general on this site than other Forum Mafia sites. The PMs just reduce the thread messages even further to where there's not much to actually go by when reading people. Usually Forum Mafia games either don't have PMs at all or have them severely limited, like only between certain individuals and/or for a limited period (like 1 or 2 charges). The LG71 game at least limited it to the night cycle, and I see that the new LG72 game has it based on charges, which is even better. Anyway, sorry for the rant. I need to go to bed now, but I'll try to review the last cycle tomorrow and see where we are at.

@Ookla the SarcasticYes, that's correct. And actually your turn next. Game State Somebody from Sel (previously Shard of Reading): Coins 0, Cards 1 (dead Assassin) Ookla The Female Chicken (Hentient): Coins 1, Cards 2 HoidWasTaken: dead Duke + Ambassador The Windrunner Supreme: dead Ambassador + Assassin Ookla The Sarcastic (Ghanderflaffle): Coins 4, Cards 1 (dead Captain) Aspiring Writer: Coins 0, Cards 2 Whysper: Coins 7, Cards 1 (dead Assassin) Somebody from Sel: dead Contessa + Captain

Please don't resort to this. Anyway, I gave my word to Ookla that I was going to use my coup on you. Even though I will freely bluff since that's part of this game, I always keep my word in a deal. Well, I don't want to make them feel any worse. But in the interest of learning for future reference, I'll describe what I probably would have done. Yes, you are basically right that the focus should be the two with Duke+Captain combos. Reading was pretty much going UTR, so I would have actually just taken income again another turn and waited to see what Ookla would do for the coup. Otherwise if I tried to assassinate Ookla first, she might not go for Ghander and would instead strike back. Then yeah, if Ookla followed through with a coup on Ghander, then I would have been in a nice position to start assassinating targets. Probably going for one of Ookla's first. Then probably one of Aspiring Writer's. Though maybe I wouldn't have targeted you since I couldn't be sure whether you had a Contessa (though you've since then slipped that you actually have an Ambassador ). No, SoS/Reading doesn't have a way to steal, just a way to block stealing (though actually I have some doubts that the other card is an Ambassador). So it wouldn't necessarily be an easy win since it would be a race to get income for assassination versus income for coup by everyone else. But definitely would have had a good chance.

Haha, yeah. Even though I'll likely die for all this, at least I get some extra fun from it.

Oh, I'm not sure that you should be using PMs actually. That's not actually allowed in the real game as far as I know. Can't go to the side and whisper a plan to each other. You have to make deals or discussions out in the open. Oh, and would you look at that? I seem to have drawn the actual Duke......

Haha, yeah. And who knows, maybe another person is faking. Well, I know you feel bad about not getting a chance to fake, but don't let things like that get to your head and prevent you from making the right move. If you have Ookla kill me, then Ghander is just going to coup her, especially after she already stated she's rejecting Ghander's deal. If you want to convince someone to make a certain move, it has to be better than you feeling pissed. Besides, I'm actually in a worse position now because I no longer have my fake Duke. Reading assassinating Ghander would have been the better play and me keeping my fake Duke. But anyway, at least this turned out to have some small benefit.

Yeah, that's the best choice. @Ookla The Female Chicken Your turn next You can adjust your move or do what you planned. I still plan to coup Somebody from Sel. Game State Somebody from Sel (Shard of Reading): Coins 0, Cards 1 (dead Assassin) Ookla (Hentient): Coins 8, Cards 2 HoidWasTaken: dead Duke + Ambassador The Windrunner Supreme: dead Ambassador + Assassin Ghanderflaffle: Coins 4, Cards 2 Aspiring Writer: Coins 0, Cards 2 Whysper: Coins 7, Cards 1 (dead Assassin) Somebody from Sel: dead Contessa + Captain

Haha, yeah, I know what you mean. It is a good thought, but you need to find a way to make a deal with someone that doesn't leave them seriously crippled themselves against you and anyone else with 2 cards. Mwahahaha! You fell into my trap! I do have a Contessa and have been faking my Duke the whole time. I'm actually glad you replaced in, otherwise probably no one would have tried assassinating me. Oh, and Aspiring, too bad you already lost your chance at faking a Duke. @Somebody from Sel So you'll need to choose a card to die. @Chasmgoat I'll need to be dealt a new card to replace my Contessa.

Well, how about my strategy instead? Everyone kill each other off and let me live. If everyone just follows that, then we will get the best result.

Haha, the thing is, you are asking someone else to take the bullet and do the challenge instead of doing it yourself. No one is going to do that and put themselves at a severe disadvantage.

Yeah, you can adjust afterwards if you want based on what happens. And you revealing your intent shouldn't matter for his decision on challenging or not. Actually one Duke got into play after an Ambassador exchange. And there are only 4 cards in the remaining deck, so it would have still been fairly good chance for all Dukes to be in play right at the beginning.

Haha, yeah, that does kind of crimp his style if he wanted to lie.

Actually we need to wait for Somebody to say if he challenges my Contessa.

Hmm yes, very risky play. You'd have to convince everyone that someone else is faking, which isn't likely. They are suppose to stay dead outside the deck.

Yeah, at this point, most people have either a Captain or Ambassador, so stealing is difficult at this point. That's again why the people with Duke+Captain combos are the biggest threat. They get the nice income and can block people from stealing from them. Duke+Ambassador would be bad as well, but no one seems to have that.

No, because part of the game is keeping track of those yourself. All that can be listed is what has actually flipped. You have to remember what other people claimed and you have to judge what claims to believe. Though the fact that there's a thread makes this much easier to do after-the-fact.

Wait what? No, not her. I'm grateful, but oh god, SoS buddy, you are dead. If you think WHysper won't kill you, you are mistaken. Yeah, not sure we should have allowed the person clearly bent on revenge to take over another spot, but oh well. Hentient/Ookla and Ghander are clearly the bigger threats, but they just want this 2nd chance to get me back. Haha. Anyway, I'll just block. Unless he wants to challenge my Contessa. (BTW, if you only have 1 card left and are getting assassinated, you should always claim Contessa. You have nothing to lose. ) @Ookla The Female Chicken Haha, you had me wondering with that name change who in the world you were. Since you are concerned about this, I can promise right now to take out Somebody from Sel since he's a wildcard at this point. It's in my best interest to remove him anyway.

@Somebody from Sel Ahhh, going for revenge I see. I block your assassination attempt with my Contessa.

I will tax with my Duke. @Shard of Reading or @Somebody from Sel Your turn next Game State Shard of Reading: Coins 3, Cards 2 Hentient: Coins 8, Cards 2 HoidWasTaken: dead Duke + Ambassador The Windrunner Supreme: dead Ambassador + Assassin Ghanderflaffle: Coins 4, Cards 2 Aspiring Writer: Coins 0, Cards 2 Whysper: Coins 7, Cards 1 (dead Assassin) Somebody from Sel: dead Contessa + Captain

Haha Well, it is coming down to end game, so definitely time to plan out the next moves. It was good and well to kill off a few people to reduce the possible interactions. But now that cards have been revealed and there are less players, everyone should be thinking through their best probabilities. @Hentient Even if Reading doesn't go through with the assassination on Ghander, you should really consider using your coup on Ghander. He's the biggest threat to you. If you waste your coup now and he gets to 7 coins, he'll surely take out one of your cards to take away your Duke+Captain combo. That combo is very powerful, but just losing one of your cards will cripple you.

Going to wait for Reading to reply with block or can't block. He might have an Ambassador. Actually hope he does because he may also have an Assassin. He hasn't used skills for either Duke or Captain, so good chance he does and has just been waiting. He should kill off one of Ghander's cards and then let Hentient finish off Ghander with a coup since he's the only real threat to her winning with his Duke + Captain combo. Actually killing me would be a wasted coup. I'm hardly a threat to Hentient or anyone else. I only have a Duke, so anyone can steal from me to keep me from getting to 7 coins. Hentient and Ghander are the biggest threats for everyone, including for each other. So Hentient would do well to seriously consider taking out Ghander. I mean, yeah, she could start taking out me and the others first, but then she opens herself up to Ghander attacking later. It will be a race between them to see who is the first to kill off just one card from the other. Because without the Duke + Captain combo, the other person can just out-tax or out-steal the other. And everyone else not part of the Hentient-Ghander duo should be working to help Hentient. We need at least one of them out, and she has the chance now. So Reading, even if you don't have an Ambassador, you should claim one for blocking and Aspiring should just not challenge. Then Reading should claim Assassin to kill off one of Ghander's cards. I mean, he could challenge, but Reading has a very good chance of having an Assassin. If he challenges and Reading reveals that he does have an Assassin, then Ghander loses both cards and is out. So he probably won't challenge and just hope he can convince Hentient to not kill him off.