I would go with two variants here:G-Man wrote:Thanks for the feedback guys! This idea was, admittedly little more than an hour or two old in my brain when I posted it here.
The only problem I can envision with allowing anonymous BTSC between the potential hosts is that it might be kind of easy to figure out who the other potential hosts are based on BTSC discussion of who to kill. I like the idea of baddies not knowing who their "teammates" are. A nullified NK seems the best option even though the infected player will know its intended target is a teammate. I don't see the harm in that. I also don't plan on telling the potential hosts what order they will be assimilated in.
Another thought that I have now is possibly canceling out a potential host's vote if they vote for the active-assimilated player. That could cause some drama by way of altered lynch results if there's a close vote. But could that protect the baddies too much?
A. Hosts and potential hosts win the game together, host night kills on potential hosts fail. Current host finding out, this way, who potential hosts are isn't so bad, because, as I've said, they've kind of a scattered "bad indie" collective anyway.
B. Hosts and potential hosts do not win the game together. All host night kills go through. Initial host begins and has to finish as LMS; any future Hosts are also LMS. Very Thing-y-like. [Granted, the only major downside is that, say, out of four total potential hosts, if it goes down to the very last host, he could have a way too easy field remaining to navigate through as an LMS].
I wouldn't go with all potential hosts being assimilated from the start, on the other hand this version of BTSC is sort of interesting. Since a host will find out potential hosts due to nullified night kills, gaining BTSC and gradually forming a bona fide mafia team sounds about right.G-Man wrote:Some thoughts on this:Ricochet wrote:As you say, it would involve interesting dynamic between the whole ensemble, considering some will become progressively "rotten" - although, if all potential hosts will know they're potential hosts, [will win together with the current host (if said host cleans up the civs successfully) - or will they?] and will not get killed by the host, they'll essentially form a "bad indie" faction, so I presume they'd still have to adopt civ blending tactics. Maybe they could be announced as potential hosts after all, if they're lynched, to motivate the civs further (although I like the full paranoia, how-many-more-are-there-among-us version as well).
-All potential hosts would win if the current assimilated player wins.
-In the film, it is not made clear if multiple characters are assimilated at the same time or if the Thing picks a new host each time it is found out. It's a horror film, so there's a general one-at-a-time scheme to the dying.
-I could have all the potential hosts be assimilated from the start but rotate the kill. They would not know who the other assimilated are but could figure it out in part by having a kill nullified if they try to take out someone else who is assimilated. Assimilated players would also be able to figure out how many of their assimilated peers are left based on how quickly the kill comes back around to them.
-Another possibility could be that BTSC is gained by assimilated players only when they try to kill another assimilated player. The civvies would be at a disadvantage early but teamwork patterns could develop later and expose the assimilated players if they happen to try to kill each other.
If the host and potential hosts win together, I reckon they'll be motivated enough to mess up with the civs' play, even if they're on their own. 