The Syndicate

Voting Luke, in hopes Golden's extreme confidence is right! (Not the greatest explanation, but it's the one I'm gonna give.) Let's do this.

*obligatory apology for not being here...again* (but if that appears sarcastic, I really am apologizing for my lack of participation)

So I've read the posts since I last posted, to give a background of what I've caught up with. Despite FZ's voting record/posting against voting baddies, I agree that doing this three times so blatantly is an unlikely baddie move, so I won't be voting FZ today.

Golden wrote:Oh, thank god, breakthrough.

I now do have bea levels of certainty on FZ.

Voting floyd.

Like others, I wanted to know more about what this was about - what breakthrough? But I do like your case on Floyd. It would be odd for all of the baddies to vote away from MM in a row (I'm surprised so many did! Alas for my not paying attention this game), and his leaving himself open during votes just in case they turn out badly (in the cases you point out with sig and TH) doesn't make him look any better. I also like your comment on his avoiding questioning about the poison snooper until MM went down - curious, indeed. I'll go ahead and put my vote there.

I'm sorry I'm about to do this (and it's the first time I've really done so), but I thought I would have more time today to catch up and post, but I have had next to nothing in the last three days or so (enough to pop in every once in a while for a few minutes at a time). I knew I wouldn't have as much time to dedicate to this game as usual, but I overestimated (or underestimated?) how little time that actually would be, and I apologize to my fellow players and host for this. I have to prep for and drive to my high school reunion and decide whether or not I want to tell egregious lies for shits and giggles, so I must place a vote now. I'm going to put my money where my mouth is (or was a few days ago) and vote Eloh. I have a feeling I can't shake.

Screw it. I'm hungry and I want to get some writing in before trivia. I see FZ bit the bullet and voted Floyd, and while I agree with this:

MacDougall wrote:Elohcin is best lynch candidate. Do her.

(except the second part - that's Epi's job :P ) it doesn't seem like it'll gain traction today. I'd rather vote Floyd than anyone else with votes right now, and I suppose we'll see if that baddie strategy I mentioned was implemented.

Turnip Head wrote:

nijuukyugou wrote:

Turnip Head wrote:Linki: Ninja what do you think of Floyd?

I'd be more inclined to vote him than the others that have votes, I suppose. His self-vote and subsequent explanation Day 1 for doing so didn't look good, and his explanation of "he's baseless" for voting MM was weak, but I'm looking at the timing of votes and it just seems weird that MM and Floyd voted for each other if they're on the same team. I'm not saying that's out of the question (mafia will do anything), but it's also the timing (Floyd voted in the middle, and MM tied it up with him in the middle). Maybe I'm overthinking.

But where else would you expect them to vote in that situation? MM voted to save himself, and if Floyd had not voted for MM he may have been lynched instead of MM, with Sorsha still on MM's case the next day.

It's probably because I'm looking at straight up numbers rather than the real-time conversation at the time for the voting, but the numbers/timing don't suggest that was the only option. MM had three votes on him before another vote was even placed on Floyd, and that's still only 2 vs. 3 at the time, so it's not like it was a runaway (again, according to the numbers and not perhaps the emotional factor of real-time). But yes, it is the perfectly logical option for MM to have voted for the person with the next highest number of votes to save himself, and a helluva baddie strategy to see that the top two vote getters are baddies so someone can get some civ cred. Am I making sense, or am I being jumbled?

Linki @ Golden - I got the idea that zebra was being facetious with that post, in regards to Epi's warning about role-claiming.

Golden wrote:I know this is a little less meaningful coming from one of the two options, but I don't think any 'save sig' train comes down to me or zebra... we are only one vote ahead of the pack.

True. I think that's also in my head because that's what been discussed in the last two pages.

Turnip Head wrote:

FZ. wrote:TH, will you vote zebra?

I would but I wouldn't feel great about it.

Linki: Ninja what do you think of Floyd?

I'd be more inclined to vote him than the others that have votes, I suppose. His self-vote and subsequent explanation Day 1 for doing so didn't look good, and his explanation of "he's baseless" for voting MM was weak, but I'm looking at the timing of votes and it just seems weird that MM and Floyd voted for each other if they're on the same team. I'm not saying that's out of the question (mafia will do anything), but it's also the timing (Floyd voted in the middle, and MM tied it up with him in the middle). Maybe I'm overthinking.

I still want to vote Eloh (my mind hasn't changed about her), and her name is another thrown around without much actual voting going on with her.

Yeah, I noticed a lot of suspicion being thrown on Floyd, but people seem wary to vote him (I assume because he hasn't responded?).

Golden wrote:Quick poll - do people feel bad about sig being lynched because they don't think he is bad, or is it only because of the circumstances?

For me, it's the latter.

Circumstances. I may have had a weak vote explanation last time, but it was a ping from the beginning nonetheless. But the supposed vote forces/manipulation on him definitely make me itchy about it.

FINALLY caught up. Seriously, if we're all just saying no , then just say no to leaving over ten pages to read in one sitting. Ugh.

While I'm usually wary of trying to get a bunch of people to vote one direction or another (leaving the vote binary, for easy thread manipulation), I agree that votes for sig look forced (yes, I know I'm late as hell to the party and will be commenting on stuff from days ago since I just read three days' worth of posts in an hour). Problem is, I don't have a baddie read on either zebra 2.0 or Golden. A conundrum. I'm here for a little bit (maybe like half an hour-ish) for discussion, though, FINALLY, in real time, so there's that.

I'm getting to the hangry point and I haven't even started cooking, and I used up my hungry energy on the last post/thought process, so this explanation will be piss-poor. My second ping that hasn't really changed, especially in the light of Zebra's flip, is sig, mostly for the reasons I said before (and similar reasons why I suspect Eloh regarding latching). So, I'll vote sig.

nijuukyugou wrote:Oh, fuckity balls, I didn't even see who was and wasn't on the thread. That would be why the name's being thrown around. Christ.

In the poll, not the thread. Good god, I can't even

Oh, fuckity balls, I didn't even see who was and wasn't on the thread. That would be why the name's being thrown around. Christ.

Caught up, at least with reading. Nothing thorough.

Turnip Head wrote:Welp, rest in peace BR.

I'm looking at Floyd and Blooper right now. I think Dracondevin made an astute observation about Floyd's vote and subsequent explanation so I want to hear Floyd's response. And I think Blooper is doing that pop-in pop-out thing where she just comments on the thread goings-on and scrams. Her zebra vote didn't feel genuine to me.

This is...how I play all the time?

Elohcin wrote:Okay, so I haven't finished catching up. I still have to read all of page 16, but I have spent a good amount of time this afternoon reading players individually. I'm a pretty easily convinced mafia player so I decided that reading players individually and forming my own opinion for today would be better than reading the last page of the thread and listening to others' opinions. Anyway....all this to say, I am voting for niju. Her lack of input pings me. Although she is normally a low poster, she is still a helpful, influential low poster. The way she is acting now seems like her baddie self. Niju

My input has been pretty lacking in this game, I agree. I don't agree that I'm influential - I feel, by and large, that my posts go ignored unless they're used as fodder for lynching me (which may be a result of most of my posts' being recaps for the benefit of gathering my thoughts, but still). This suspicion appears contrived.

There are tons of things to talk about, but I would like to make dinner and I've given myself an hour limit for catch-up and posting, and that hour is running out. I want to vote for Eloh (and of course that looks NO-U'ey as hell after she votes me :P ) But her name has been thrown around by several people without much action. I feel like her posts have been snippier in nature than I remember in...well, any game, really, but it doesn't read civ to me (it could be a result of being sick, so sorry if it's that!). There's a gut feeling I can't shake about her, and I've felt like that since this post, where she latches quickly onto what might become a Zebra train but lets it fade away into nothingness and doesn't vote.

So, I'm voting Eloh. Now, time to experiment with quinoa for the first time ever!

More thoughts.

I'm torn, frankly. I said before that I believed Zebra's reaction to be genuine and didn't agree with the suspicion, but I liked Golden's long post regarding both the reasons for going after an overreactor, and also reiterating the specific reasons why Zebra should be voted. As Zebra's suspicion of Golden was broken down in the thread, I disagree that Golden would have "no civ reason" to suspect and question Mac's behavior, and think that Golden's initial suspicion of Mac was sound until he was questioned further (in other words, I either see Zebra's suspicion of Golden at this point as very misguided or fabricated). That, to me, was questioning a suspicion as it should be, then changing one's mind based on the responses. People don't do that often enough. So, based on the big post and these thoughts, part of me is inclined to vote Zebra, despite my initial reaction.

BUT.

Too often, I see, as others are saying, one big argument between two people, often civs, that distracts everyone from the baddies' hiding, so the baddies don't even have to discuss any of their teammates. Like FZ, I'm also pinged by Eloh, especially what appeared to me to be an immediate jumping on Zebra's reaction, and her responses to suspicion aren't making me feel any better (except that I totally believe her regarding comfort level in speed/side games, because I'm the same way and feel I can get involved earlier). sig's jumping on the Zebra suspicion pings me in the same way, like a baddie just waiting for something to jump on.

BUT. DAMMIT.

I am suspecting both a suspicious individual, based on a big argument and Day 1 case, and the people "suspecting" her (in quotations depending on what happens today, I suppose), and god that's making my head hurt. I find Golden's points compelling, there's more info to go on for Zebra than for my other suspicions at this point, and I think it will be telling if the lynch goes through in many ways. I've literally got to run (while the sun's still out ), and I don't want to agonize over this choice for any longer. Voting Zebra.

Whew; I thought I had a lot of catch-up to do, but I had a blessedly short two pages. Commentary on what I've read and general thoughts:

1) I don't care much for policy lynches except for their amusement factor at times (as in, some of the reasons people use amuse me, but the voting itself isn't helpful for mafia-hunting).
2) It's weird to say this as a low-poster myself, but I don't like voting for people who are outspoken on Day 1, and would like to look at people avoiding posting in the thread. I find voting outspoken weirdos on Day 1 encourages baddies to keep low and quiet for half the game, only to screw the civs over behind the scenes for days. I'll be happy to vote an outspoken, contributing weirdo later with more evidence
3) I find none of the "major pings" people are having to be much of anything to go off of so far.
I agree with BR's stance on policy lynches, so there's that.
From what I remember of Zebra's gameplay, her reaction to being accused doesn't ping me and looks pretty normal. I am, however, keeping an eye on who chooses to jump on this "suspicion." It seems too easy.
I agree that while Mac's stated reasons for policy-voting Matt are sound (gauging reactions, starting conversation), I also agree with FZ that the execution of said reasons has not allowed those reasons come to fruition, and has only resulted in our discussing policy lynches in general and not much baddie hunting.

Damn! I always underestimate how long these posts take to write! I have to shower and get ready for trivia, but I figured I'd at least share my thoughts so far, as incoherent/incomplete as they may be. As far as voting, I'll likely either vote someone jumping on a tenuous suspicion without contributing to it with their thoughts, or someone who I believe is hiding in the shadows for far too long by tomorrow. I'll attempt to keep up via phone and whatnot.

Mmmmm water. Good for dessert the desert.