First off, thank you so much for hosting this game, Epi. I loved it. It was an awesome fucking game and one of the most fun games I've ever played.
DH, you played perhaps the most brilliant baddie game I've ever seen. I'm not exaggerating. Props to you, sir. You were able to argue your way out of anything and make it sound genuine. I'm glad you were able to win this game.
I'm glad I lost this game, honestly. I tried my absolute hardest and sunk so much time into winning, because I still couldn't eliminate my desire to win, but it was certainly fitting and poetic that I lost by just one number. Once I was outed, I definitely had regret, and honestly just wanted the civilians to win, so I tried my hardest to make that possible.
Timmer, I'm glad you were honored. I had narrowed it down to you and a few others, basing it (and also my recruits) on who I thought could last long in the game by both avoiding NKs and talking their way out of lynches. I also knew you've been really active in some games the past year and not as active in others so I was hoping that would work to my advantage. But what really sealed the deal for me is I really wanted you to be it because you rocked the role so much in Fight Club, and I wanted to partner with you here.
Regarding my decision to infodump, I thought I had considered all the ramifications of it, but in reality I hadn't, and shouldn't have rushed to the decision. I am very, very sorry to Dom. It was unfair. At the time, I had seen the previous cycle where LC said he was silenced by the Warden, and so I thought if other people are saying who silenced them, then why shouldn't I? I went back and forth on the decision SO MUCH because I knew outing myself would be incredibly risky and it would be possible no one would listen to me, but I had asked Epig not just once but multiple times whether my prospective decision was OK and not against the rules. He gave me explicit permission every time, even if he questioned whether I'd want to do it. If he had just said, no, this is clearly role outing, there's no way I would have done it. I frankly thought that he intended some degree of possible outing of my role considering that is a mechanism that outs me to entire teams as it is -- both baddie teams already knew who I was -- and I viewed it more so as you getting caught by the mechanism, and not being outed by me. And I totally blanked that there was a role blocker in this game, so I kept thinking it would be so evident I was the only one silenced, and that people were starting to catch on anyway. As perhaps misguided as that approach was, that's how I thought of it at the time, especially since I had Epi's approval. I realized after I did it that, even though I didn't say "Dom is bad", it was essentially equivalent to that, and so I obviously regret it, and would never do that again. I understand how frustrated you got, and at the time I realize I didn't show the degree of empathy that I should have, and I apologize all around. I shouldn't have ruined your game like that. And so I'm glad I lost, to be honest.
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Now, nonetheless, and this is coming both from a
personal level and as an
administrator, I realize there was so much rule breaking and outing this game, and I want to make a few points:
1) Role outing is clearly against the rules. It was listed right in Epi's rules as well. I and many others skirted or completely crossed that line this game and I think this game will serve as a huge wake-up call to players -- we should all be playing a fair and clean game here, myself included.
2) Despite 1), bringing one's frustration into the thread the way that some did throughout this game was completely unacceptable. On the one hand people were going on and on about Champion-like behavior, but it is also NOT Champion-like to blatantly disrespect your other players in the thread, which I was on the receiving end of in this game more than once, and I was certainly not the only one. I hope that we can not only very much keep in mind the no outing rule in the future but also this. There is both the host and the Mod on Duty for dumping emotionally, even when one feels a rule has been broken, and I feel a lot of the derailing that happened this game, although it was triggered by people who skirting breaking the rules or blatantly broke the rules, was furthered by people derailing emotionally in the thread in response. It certainly didn't help the situation.
3) Although role outing was clearly against Epi's rules, not only did players break it, but Epi didn't enforce punishment upon those who broke it. I understand why he didn't, since modkilling breaks the integrity of the game, and absolutely no disrespect to Epi as he could not have anticipated all the outing that occurred, but it was made clear in this game that this needs to be addressed by hosts as well as players. Hosts need to better consider their game design with respect to prospective role outing as well as disciplinary procedures to address players breaking the rules, particularly role outing.
That's all I have to say about the matter.
In addition, as Llama hinted, there will be very shortly implemented and explained a new site mechanism the administration and moderation team has designed to combat the issue of non-participation.
