Ricochet wrote:Here's something I worked on.
This is an update of the LC-players relations. I forgot to take out espers before uploading the picture. Any further mention of espers in the text is also void, but I'm too tired right now to proofread and edit anymore.
http://s15.postimg.org/v31yglvgr/Untitled.png
A few preliminary steps in developing my research:
TOPIC A
The vote tallies right now are an insane and unhelpful chaos for any proper, traditional hunt:
-- on D1, LC, since then confirmed mafia, received only one vote (incidentally, a player, Zebra, that the mafia also disposed two Nights later); that means he had six teammates who went places. Main wagon and mislynch was BWT and that wagon is currently still ripe with alive players (b24, Diiny, Wilgy, Matt, sig; meanwhile only HB and Sorsha are dead), so some of them might still be there, but others could easily have also scattered further.
-- on D2, we have our LC lynchers (out of which so far not a single player has received mafia retribution). Here's the more disturbing aspect: the second wagon (b24) voters have all but one (Epi) been removed from the game, with not a single LC teammate located so far there; the rest of the votes are also worryingly scattered
-- it gets worse during our three-Day mislynch fest:
D3 Golden was lynched and he almost certainly civ. Second wagons was a now-confirmed civ (Sorsha) and me, and I happen to also be civ. Also a smaller wagon on Russ, plus a few remaining scattered votes.
D4 Sorsha was lynched, flipped civ. Second wagon flipped civ D5. Five remaining votes were scattered. Five!
D5 the player with the most visible votes didn't get lynched and the second wagon, manipulation notwithstanding, got actually lynched and flipped civ
CONCLUSION A
Considering that for the past three Days we've had not only mislynches with our top wagons, but also second wagons that later also flipped civs, I believe now is the best time to consider a reevaluation on how and what to hunt for during subsequent phases. Given this D3-D5 bad trend and lack of results, I feel we'll be on a road to nowhere in no time, if the next lynches will keep failing this way. Keep in mind that the mafia can well control such a tendency, if they didn't already do so during the previous Days.
TOPIC B
I find it also telling that the "LC defenders must be baddies" path hasn't led to great results, in pretty much the same way: mislynch after mislynch since LC got caught, the next mislynch always having been an alternative wagon the previous Day. Feels like lynching in circles.
From the stats I pulled, the players left alive who have defended or felt positive about LC are:
-- Roxy
-- Epignosis
-- moi
Gone are:
-- FZ, killed by the Psycho Killer, but I'm personally feeling she was civ
-- Golden, partly suspected for defending and trying to save LC from lynch, before gathering votes and putting into motion his role plan (including asking to be lynched), which contributed even more to his death
-- Sorsha, partly suspected for crass defending of LC, until more suss piled up on her and got her lynched D5
-- Devin, who has a moment of picking up LC's suspicion, then suddenly dropping it and never saying much more about LC until after his death
CONCLUSION B
So with two more players (again, I'm not bad) left to survey using this angle and, worst case (at best, the SK was inspired to take out two mafia during N1 and N3; at worst, no mafia was touched so far), six mafias remaining, it's clear to me we need to start looking a different angles as well, including even the most extreme ones: the potential bussers.
TOPIC C
Here's what we know about LC:
-- he's a competent, dangerous, smart, possibly strategic, "con"ning player when in mafia skin
-- he created a confirmed fake bullsuit case on bea
-- he flipped onto a sig case, calling it his "real" case; it atracted moderate attention, including catching in a web the later confirmed-civ BWT, whose sig vote garnered bad vibes and contributed to his lynch; whether the sig case is also fake bullsuit (in the sense that he tried to frame a second civilian, after bea) or a moderate sussing on a teammate attempt, enough however not to catch fire completely, still remains to be seen; as for the BWT mislynch, it's notable that he distanced from this; if it's mostly a mafia work of art, his signature is not on it, because he didn't endorse it
-- he added in desperate self-preservation a vote on b24 at the end of D2, a player which he didn't address at all during the game. Once again, if the b24 wagon is a mafia work, his signature is not on it, because he didn't endorse it, nor did he interact with any of the b24 sussers
-- someone also mentioned that LC could have well orchestrated everything he did, in order to get himself out of the game (due to conflicts with starting to run AWR soon)
Given all these fabrications, conning, distancing from main lynches or wagons and such, what does your gut tell:
a) did LC's flip leave a lot of his teammates exposed (which, so far, we have made no real progress on with the following lynches); or
b) either LC in a careful strategy or his teammates on their own, through careful steps, took measures that they don't look exposed following LC's flip
Combine A + B + C and, for me at least, you get all the signs that the moment is just right to reevaluate things at a profound level and even consider the extremes of the interactions with LC: either his purest defenders, either the players who were most responsive to question, challenge and ultimately vote him.
Without further ado, and aware of the risks of simply being called mad for going this path, this is exactly what I'll do.
Hear my voice, hear my voice, it's saying something and I hope you're concentrated.
================================
Let's go back to D1. One single vote for LC (from a civ, Zebra; I say civ because I doubt the mafia had any incentive to go cannibal on a teammate on N3 and he was obviously not the SK) and yet I have four players who strongly questioned his gameplay during that very Day:
Re:
sig, I'd only be repeating myself. He made a consistent effort in suspecting LC (partly in reaction to what LC himself was placing on him), but then voted BWT for arguments others made and by calling him his most "suspicious player" (with a self-defense motivation added there as well)
Sig returned to his LC speech and gave his vote on him during D2; since then he's put his votes on two mislynches and missed a vote.
Trajectory post LC lynch:
> slight suss on JJJ and Choutas
> strong suspicion on Sorsha (for arguments others made)
> no read on case on Epig
> not sure of Sorsha anymore, suspects Golden and seaside for links to LC
> more and more against Sorsha lynch
> votes Golden
> votes me (for arguments others made)
> finds me genuine in defending, jumps back on Golden (partly agreeing with Wilgy's analysis)
> D4 stays clear of Sorsha wagon, brings back Choutas suss
> considers voting Devin (no previous mention of him!)
> misses vote
> votes Choutas (recurring suss)
> willing to vote MacDougall (when did he ever suspect him before?)
> leans on an Epi vote (for SK arguments MacDougall brought)
> disapproves of espers wagon and votes Devin (for "suspicious expressed in the past"... uh, which ones?)
Complete scrambled of a game, if you ask me.
I had
Mac written down as having went hard on LC right from the start and his suss post indeed contains strong language like LC being "tactical, mindful, nervous first major action", but upon revisit it's actually a suspicion in a post in which he goes for Diiny being "the worst" and votes for him, too.
Trajectory afterwards is surprisingly lighthearted:
> picks on rey for making a "hello" contribution
> picks on seaside's absurd townread of Floyd
> not very phased by llama's suss on him being hostile - maybe something to keep in mind about Llama, if Mac flip mafia
> criticises FZ's disapproval of the Sig and Diiny wagons (not using her own justifications)
> brings up theory on Flowers and brings up the idea that lurkers should be lynched; switches vote to rey
DAY ENDS
> N1, engages in rebuttals with LC over his Flower theories
> votes FZ for her case against Epig
> calls for seaside to be dealt with, either as potential mafia or as liability to the civ game, whilst undecided himself
> insists on seaside tactic in reply to Sorsha, whilst also fending off her idea that LC made good points about him (presumably in the Flowers' conversation) and that he didn't challenge LC's thoughts
> more defending against his seaside tactic looking bad
> votes llama, gut read he needs to elaborate, no read on B24, plus suddenly a sign of approval for the LC lynch
> "I have been very wary of LC from the word go", disapproves of Syndicateers' angle that LC wouldn't make such obvious conning
> feeling very good about keeping vote on Llama after Llama's Diiny reasoning
DAYS ENDS "oh look at that the guy who seemed scum was scum and I told you the meta angle was bullsuit"
So for a player bragging at the end of LC's lynch that he always picked up on LC's shtick being scummy and that he had the precise right angle on him, whilst others were contemplating wifom and meta, his entire trajectory is pretty waffles and also never ever putting his stamp on LC. Given this, the timing of his "I've been wary of LC from the word go" - early on, LC wagon starting to brew, but still a comfy moment, with the votes heavily spreaded - is starting to sound a bit cooked.
Further trajectory and votes during the next Days aren't too supertown either. Mislynches Golden and Sorsha. The main angles he approached don't sound good to my ears, if you've paid attention to my Topic B. Here's a sort of summary of his next moves:
> LC defenders must be scum because Occam Razor. Singles out Roxy alongside FZ, Epi, Sorsha.
> Stays pretty much away from JJJ/Golden spat, but turns on Golden once he insists on lynching Sorsha despite having a town read on her
> Suddenly disapproves of Matt's own reasons to lynch Sorsha.
> Split between Sorsha and Golden; would rather see Sorhsa lynched to get a sense of Matt
> Doesn't hop aboard my lynch wagon, but afterwards starts entertaining the idea slightly; goes from pointing out to JJJ about my TH lyrics to suspecting me of using them as the SK. W.T.F.
DAY ENDS. His vote never left Golden, early on.
> "We should lynch Sorsha because she didn't get lynched today (and we can't lynch Rico)". Votes Sorsha. Nuff said.
> Adds arguments that lynching Sorsha would break the game open any way she flips. "Let's take the odds to a civ lynch for future knowledge", guys.
> Again gets discontent with Matt voting Sorsha, a player that he previous asked the thread to lynch, no matter what.
> Flips to Matt, including the Matt Lynch Party invitation.
> Comfy again with Sorsha lynch after seeing Devin lynch catching up.
DAY ENDS. "Oh noes"
I can't believe my senses were so numb. Everything is clear now. MacDougall is le baddie.
motel room. Also quick to tell that LC's case on bea comes off as too strong, but this is in reply to llama's questionnaire on whether bea reacted in a genuine way to LC's vote and case on her.
Starts picking on several things sig said afterwards. Quite insistent on it.
Invites, however, at one point sig to join him on a LC wagon. Ironically, neither ever do.
Calls out LC's flip on sig as "pressured and gross, backpedalling".
DAY ENDS. His vote remains on sig from early banter with him. Not only did he reacted strongly to LC's case and counter-case, along the way, but also invited to a LC wagon, yet nothing from this made him put the stamp on LC.
Incresingly suspicious of every move by LC. Votes him.
Switches to Choutas (for his unexplained vote on LC?). Also considers JJJ lynch.
Goes back to LC, picking him over b24.
DAY ENDS.
Well if LC clearly instructed his teammates to take a stance against him, to the point of bussing when things get totally serious, it's simply unnerving. Don't know what to make of MR. His LC sussing looks so on point, but his D1 flipping is, to put it in his words, "gross" and the vote switches during D2 feel a bit as if he was testing the waters for alternatives or for distancing, but then returned to LC, almost as if shit got serious and he was aware he previously sussed LC enough not to do a stupid move and get out of orbit.
Onwards
> First thought of D3 is that people who defended LC's meta are most suspicious: Sorsha and Epi. Goes with Epi.
> Still wants to hear from Choutas' LC vote.
> Sig is suddenly good.
> JJJ lynch being considered no more.
> Also brings an LC-bea link theory.
DAY ENDS. His vote stayed on Epi all along.
> D4 votes Sorsha for placeholder, oh oh!
> Talks other topics, including Mac potentially bandwagoning on Sorsha.
DAY ENDS. His vote remained on Sorsha.
It's 5am and I don't want to die from exhaustion, so I'll stop here and resume later. I've left enough for now, anyway. I should in theory do JJJ as well and might just do him in full, but you have my crazy gut read on him. I'll grant him this though, compared to what I've revisited above on the other "LC critics", he has been rather more inquisitive and going through all the questioning/analysing stages by comparison. Overall, it'd be a sheer craftsman work, unlike anything I've seen, if he truly bussed LC. Gonna mull on this further.
Others, on the other sides of the spectrum, to follow as well.