The Syndicate

I don't know if anyone has made this observation yet but I'll go ahead anyway - If someone has, please accept my most sincere apologies.

I was going back looking at MM's votes during his somewhat limited time with us and would like to make the following observations:

Day 1: MM's votes for Day 1 were on: Dr Wilgy (21) and Turnip Head (22). I obviously don't know MM as well as most of you but is it really THAT likely that he would've voted for TWO of his Nanman team mates on Day 1 From an outsider's perspective, I should think it somewhat unlikely - which on balance is a better look for TH. I'm happy to reconsider this if anyone would like to offer an alternate opinion.

Day 2: MM was the last to cast his votes for Dom (54) and Russtifinko (55). Prior to placing his votes, Russ was 'runner-up' wagon on 7 votes. The next highest wagon was timmer on 6 votes. So assuming MM's vote was a 'hail Mary' self preservation vote, wouldn't it have been more logical for him to have voted the next highest wagons (Russ and timmer) than to place his vote on Dom? Admittedly, timmer's last vote (6) was made immediately before MM's (by Nutella) but I wonder what conclusions could be drawn from that? The vote for Dom was on a slow burn from the beginning of the Day phase (starting on vote (5) and followed by votes (9), (13), (23) and (43). In comparison, timmer's vote was meteoric - picking up 6 votes in a matter of hours (votes (26), (31), (33), (41), (48) and (53). If self preservation were his goal, I'd have thought MM would've voted timmer before Dom

Sloonei wrote:I figured I'd have a look at the roster and identify all the Strangers. I've not played with or have very limited experience with the following:
Glorfindel (I think we played a heist together a few months ago)

I'm really sad that Bubbles felt compelled to leave this game...

Hi, Sloonei No, I don't recall that I've ever had the pleasure... You sound very... 'motivated'? I look forward to playing this game with you my friend

Hey, Sig How's Uni going? I hope it isn't proving too stressful for you If you wouldn't mind, if you have the time, I'd just like your comment on something please...

In a statement you made early on Day 2, you said:

sig wrote:I find JJJ a little pingy, due to his logic on the day 0 votes, but he is being active and seems civvie. I think we should keep an eye on him and maybe have him duel soon...

MM for the reasons laid out by JJJ, I'd rather not lynch MM today though.

I can't really say that I support your view there on 3J and given his demise at the end of the last Night phase, I think it's fair to assume that he was seen as a major threat (at least by the Nanman). Anyhow, can you explain what you meant by the second comment I quoted above? Were you saying that you found MM suspicious based on the case put by 3J (someone you found "a little pingy") but despite that, you didn't feel the evidence was sufficient for him to attract your vote?

Later, towards the end of Day 2 (about 5 hours out from EoD) you said:

sig wrote:Okay I'm voting Dom for reasons previously stated and lorab since she has posted yet hasn't caught up or in fact posted again since she made her first one that is odd. I'm unsure of MM but wouldn't mind seeing him duel. I don't recall the case on Russ at all so I won't vote there.

Firstly, I don't think you actually placed a vote at all that Day phase? Secondly, at the time you made that statement, MM already had 6 votes (by my calculation). A less charitable mind than mine might consider that some kind of an attempt to distance yourself from a team mate were you also a Nanman. Thanks in anticipation of your reply.

I find the following exchange mildly concerning...

Golden wrote:

Dom wrote:SVS is tired and not that in the mood for PLAYING mafia, I think. She would have been more energized if she had a team with her !

I think this read on SVS is both accurate and genuine.

I'm really feeling good about Dom this game.

As Ricochet has already pointed out, S-V-S herself stated in the first of her only two posts this game:

S~V~S wrote:Hi all, I just found out this started. I will do my best to get caught up on phone (no wofi for another week or so, and post as much as is feasible on phone.

Given that, your comment Dom, seems to lack logic. If she doesn't have access, whether she was a part of a Mafia team or not would have been irrelevant to the degree of energy that she had exhibited in this game.

As for you Golden, my friend, I trust your second statement isn't predicated on the first? Assuming that to be the case, can you shed any light on the reasons for your views on Dom?

Welcome back, Ricochet - it's good to have the opportunity to play with you again

It appears the thread has slowed to a crawl since 3J's demise - I wonder if that might (at least partly) be the result of a repeat of the issues a lot of s experienced at the end of the last Day phase? I can't speak for anyone else but I'm finding the time it takes to load (when it doesn't time out altogether) very frustrating...

I would like to apologise to everyone here. I started work this morning at 8:00 am and have been engaged in training sessions and meetings solid until now. It is nearly 10:00 pm as I write this and I need sleep. I will be back in the morning after some sleep. I'm sorry.

Gone with Dom and Sorsha...

Golden wrote:

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:I'm voting now because the site keeps crashing and I don't want it to happen when it's too late. Russtifinko and timmer.

I was wondering if it was just me having issues.

Nope, I think it's all of us...

Dom wrote:

MovingPictures07 wrote:Dom, whenever you get in here, can you name your suspects and in some kind of preference order? If you could expand upon some of your thoughts too, that'd be great.

DFaraday - a liar who has lied about me many times and has clearly used me as a scapegoat, despite my posting style doing nothing to inhibit my gameplay
Sig - see above


nutella - see above


scotty - don't trust him, gut feleing, folsk, those are important! !


jjj - don't trust him as much as i'd liek , see scotty!


Some people are looking to make me an easy loser. I'm the ultimate winner.

Why are you doing this, Dom? You never responded to my post I know you're a good player and all but this approach is really not helping...

I must confess, I'm seriously considering Sorsha as an option here. That whole EoD 1 'Voting for Prefects thing' didn't impress me much.

I'm sorry, it seems I've lost the ability to quote anyone here for the moment

Dom, if I may make an observation - during this current Day phase, you've referred to Quin as "Fibbin' Quin". You accused DFaraday of being bad and said that he can't be trusted. You inferred some skepticism against Nutella for having said that she wants to lynch you because she found you annoying. You told 3J that you distrust him and referred to him repeatedly as 'Tricky Jay'. You referred to Scotty on a number of occasions as 'Lyin' Scotty'. These are five players in whom I currently have confidence (in differing degrees) in terms of their alignment. You are coming under fire at the moment (perhaps wrongly) but I think it's the tone of your responses concerns me here and I don't know that it's doing you a lot of favours.

You even accused me of knowing 'secrets' (which is not true) in response to my somewhat naive assertion that the lack of an NK last Night phase was the consequence of baddie absenteeism and followed that with "Or what do you want all of us-- the regular people-- to think." 'Regular people'? Really? I'm frankly left wondering just how 'regular' you are after that comment

Further, at EoD 1, Sorsha said that she wouldn't vote for you and in the same post came up with the absurd notion (as far as I'm concerned at least) that it was better to vote between our three Prefects. Your response was "Look at my Sorsha over here! Just look at my Sorsha!" I trust your response reflected your opinion of her support for you and not of her approach to the vote (which incidentally she didn't follow through on).

I really hadn't considered you a viable candidate this Day Phase but find myself second guessing myself a little. You say you're trying to contribute and I think I can see that. I'm just not sure...

Nerolunar wrote:Glorfindel seems to go out of his way to say "my friend" in nearly every post. Is he projecting his usual friendly civ playstyle? Also hey Matty

I forgot to vote yesterday, sorry about that.

Hey Jan! I didn't realize it was you. It is a pleasure playing with you

Hey, Magnus It's great to have you back playing with us again And no, I'm certain that you know me well enough by now to expect me to be courteous to my fellow players
I notice that you missed the vote at EoD 1. I'm just wondering - were you simply undecided about for whom you'd vote or was there some other reason?

Jan wrote:

Glorfindel wrote:

Jan wrote:I would like to see one out of Metalmarsh89 and Turnip Head gone. I think I'm voting both.

Hey, Jan I was wondering if you had any rationale for your votes? Sorry if you did and I missed it...
By the way, it's awesome to be playing with you again old friend

They're the loudest out of everyone else. I was actually considering JJJ as well, but this message sent to the GM smells of a scumplay. Idk.

Sorry?

Jan wrote:I would like to see one out of Metalmarsh89 and Turnip Head gone. I think I'm voting both.

Hey, Jan I was wondering if you had any rationale for your votes? Sorry if you did and I missed it...
By the way, it's awesome to be playing with you again old friend

Dragon D. Luffy wrote:

Glorfindel wrote:

Dom wrote:

Glorfindel wrote:Given there was no NK, may we assume that Zhang Jiao is one of the non participating players in this game so far? Someone who perhaps didn't post from the latter part of Day 1 onwards perhaps?

This seems presuming !

What secrets do you know ? Or what do you want all of us-- the regular people-- to think?

This is not a matter of knowing any secrets, my friend - it's simple logic. If you can come up with another plausible explanation for the lack of ANY NK well, I'm listening...

Pang Tong
Strategist
Pang Tong likes to use trickery to confuse the enemy.
*Secrets*

Sima Yi
Strategist
A devious man, he is the primary strategist for the Wei faction.
*Secrets*

Zhang Jiao
Leader
The leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he is able to summon the wind and rain.
*Secrets*

Zhang Bao
Strategist
The middle brother of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he is able to summon apparitions.
*Secrets*

Zhang Liang
Strategist
The youngest brother of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he is able to summon a rockslide.
*Secrets*

Dong Zhuo
Leader
This notorious warlord has an entourage of bodyguards, protecting him always from assassination.
Cannot be Night killed. Inherits the Yellow Turban kill.

Yuan Shao
Strategist
Military strategist and commander.
Each Night, Yuan Shao will attempt to recruit a warrior (anyone with BTSC cannot be recruited). He may recruit up to three warriors (one from each kingdom). *Secrets*

Lu Bu
Warrior
A most fearsome warrior, and rider of Red Hare.
By the third Night, Lu Bu must decide what faction he will fight for and achieve victory with. *Secrets*

Every intance of *secrets* in the setup is a way those kills could have been stopped.

Plus we know the serial killer is bulletproof.

That is true DDL but of the eight instances of *secrets that you quoted from Dom's post, three belonged to the Yellow Turbans and I can't personally see them having/using a lynch stop power when they have one of two NKs each night. Another two of the characters nominated are Independents and I can't fathom how either of them might have a power that might do that... I'll accept my original statement on this matter may have been a little impetuous and naive but I don't think (that in a game with a player base of 37 right now when we had 50% of the players fail to vote EoD 1 and a considerable number still with minimal to no posts) it is necessarily prudent to exclude the possibility that player absence could've been a factor in the result we got at the end of the last Night phase.

Sorsha wrote:Dom is making me laugh so I'm not voting for him.

I think I'm going to vote for two of the prefects. Jimmy, Scotty, INH... See who's the toughest.

I'm somewhat puzzled by this post of yours, Sorsha. You made this statement five hours out from EoD 1. You then proceeded to engage with (some might even say, 'antagonise') two of your potential nominees (Scotty and 3J) for the next half hour before leaving, saying that you intended to return but never did I'm just wondering, did you change your mind? You seemed rather adamant to me - if there was some doubt about you returning before the deadline, why did you not cast your vote when you had the chance?

MacDougall wrote:

Glorfindel wrote:

MacDougall wrote:Oh look a guy who I voted for on day 1 got lynched and is bad and this time I didn't actually try making a case on him. New strategy.

Wassup Glorfindel with ignoring my comment? You scared there buddy?

Pardon, my friend?

i

I asked whether you were planning on retiring from the game if you are Mafia and came under suspicion for it?

Why would I plan for something that has no basis at all in fact, my friend. And scared? No, not remotely. What should I have to be afraid of?

MacDougall wrote:Oh look a guy who I voted for on day 1 got lynched and is bad and this time I didn't actually try making a case on him. New strategy.

Wassup Glorfindel with ignoring my comment? You scared there buddy?

Pardon, my friend?

Dom wrote:

Glorfindel wrote:Given there was no NK, may we assume that Zhang Jiao is one of the non participating players in this game so far? Someone who perhaps didn't post from the latter part of Day 1 onwards perhaps?

This seems presuming !

What secrets do you know ? Or what do you want all of us-- the regular people-- to think?

This is not a matter of knowing any secrets, my friend - it's simple logic. If you can come up with another plausible explanation for the lack of ANY NK well, I'm listening...

Glorfindel wrote:Given there was no NK, may we assume that Zhang Jiao is one of the non participating players in this game so far? Someone who perhaps didn't post from the latter part of Day 1 onwards perhaps?

I'm not usually a proponent of lynching low posters but in a circumstance where we have TWO teams with NK ability (one of which has BTSC and still can't get their shit together) and there is no NK, I think I'll be looking at the low/non posters a lot more seriously this game

Given there was no NK, may we assume that Zhang Jiao is one of the non participating players in this game so far? Someone who perhaps didn't post from the latter part of Day 1 onwards perhaps?

Bubbles wrote:Ok I voted JJJ and Scotty because I would like to see a dual between them, and they seem like they'd put up a good fight from what I know from their past games

I love you Bubbles but this to me is a REALLY bad idea. Considering they have all been prominent in the game so far, I don't understand why we would be wanting to remove any of them so early. I am a little annoyed at this because I've had to cast my votes to prevent what I see bad situation not of my making and not the two players I most suspected...

I'm sorry but I think voting for two of our Prefects to face off against one another is dangerous and I'm placing my votes accordingly to prevent this.

Simon wrote:I want S~V~S to be second in command.

And I will be leader.

Welcome, Simon It's been a while - Star Wars, I believe? In any case, it awesome to have you back playing with us again. Now, speaking of S-V-S, It's been a day and a bit and there's been no sightings of her That's a shame - she always seems to have so much to say...

Quin wrote:

Glorfindel wrote:What the HELL happened to Night 0?

I don't recall ever having a Night 0. Doesn't it always just go from Day 0 to Day 1?

The Story of Creation
1 In the beginning, when God created the universe, 2 the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. 3 Then God commanded, “Let there be light”—and light appeared. 4 God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness, 5 and he named the light “Day” and the darkness “Night.” Evening passed and morning came—that was the first day.

What the HELL happened to Night 0?

OK, the deadline beckons... The leading wagons right now are 3J and INH on 7 votes with Scotty on 6 votes. All I have to go on is my experience of these players from previous games. In my latest game here (Battlestar Galactica) 3J defended me when no one else would so he'll get one of my votes. From my recollection insertnamehere did vote to lynch me and wouldn't believe me that I was Town so he's not getting my vote. That leaves me with Scotty who'd left the game by the time 'the debacle' occurred and as 3J voted for him here and insertnamehere hasn't, I'm happy to give my remaining vote to him.

Dragon D. Luffy wrote:

Glorfindel wrote:Working on the assumption that a 'Prefect' is a position of some significant authority and influence, can anyone explain to me why Golden only has one vote? I mean SERIOUSLY? He was (is?) The Syndicate's representative at the Mafia Championships. He won a s#*^load of awards on this site this year (including The Syndicate MVP). He has demonstrated an ability for intelligent analysis and shown that he has the courage of his convictions (from my experience of him in Arkham Mafia). On top of all that, he's just a really nice guy... If anyone out there is still undecided, I'll be voting for him and for the reasons stated, I think you should too.

This is a mafia game, not a job interview. We are judging whether people are civ or bad.

At this point, I have no reason at all to think that Golden is anything other than Civilian then. Do you?

Golden wrote:I appreciate the sentiment from people who think I'd make a good prefect, but it's definitely worth taking a hard pass on giving it to me this time.

Dragon D. Luffy wrote:Is there anyone here not too busy to play this?

I'll put my hand up for this! This is the first game I've played in a very long time where I've had no foreseeable issues or commitments that should impact the time I have to dedicate to this game and I'm looking very much forward to it!

Working on the assumption that a 'Prefect' is a position of some significant authority and influence, can anyone explain to me why Golden only has one vote? I mean SERIOUSLY? He was (is?) The Syndicate's representative at the Mafia Championships. He won a s#*^load of awards on this site this year (including The Syndicate MVP). He has demonstrated an ability for intelligent analysis and shown that he has the courage of his convictions (from my experience of him in Arkham Mafia). On top of all that, he's just a really nice guy... If anyone out there is still undecided, I'll be voting for him and for the reasons stated, I think you should too.

Golden wrote:

sig wrote:Golden why bubbles?

Because bubbles is awesome.

I am indeed happy to be back playing Mafia here with you, my friend

And you're spot on - after the utter debacle that was Arkham Mafia for me - my friend Bubbles PM'd me to encourage me. She's a good egg!

Can anyone tell me (the truth this time...) is there any advantage to having read the book in terms of gaining a better grasp of the theme of this game?