The Syndicate

G-Man wrote: ↑Sun Oct 09, 2022 5:40 pm Does prohibiting info-dumping and role-claiming do anything to aid the balancing calculus. The way you all are talking makes me inclined to prohibit both.

I can see your points from a pure theory perspective, but the practice of mafia always differs from theory because people make irrational decisions.

I would suggest caution with that rule pending your player list. That kind of thing can be very difficult for players who aren't used to the rule (like Syndicate players were five years ago), and it tends to get very messy (it happened to Sloonei and I as hosts in somewhat recent memory in separate games).

I think that a couple of small adjustments could square away the game well enough. Perhaps instead of having an infinite-shot cop and doctor, change each to a 2-shot cop and 2-shot doctor. Then likewise you could reduce the vote manipulation role to voiding just one player at most (because voiding two is immensely powerful).

That reduces the overall townsiding and probably the huge swing too. The problem of doctor guiding (a doctor that can automatically protect any cop that claims) is also alleviated if the shots are reduced.

In a traditional sense, the setup appears townsided. Having a backup cop is extremely powerful. However, that mafia vote blocker is also extremely powerful.

I'd expect town to win this game most of the time in a balanced player list. There's a lot of swing though, in that the setup might just mean whichever team gets an early lead will be significantly protected from losing that lead.