The following is directed as an open letter to the Serial Killer. While I encourage all players to read it, you should know that it contains no reads or accusations (except, obviously, on myself). Honestly, I wouldn’t even openly talk about this (because jfc we have gone through a lot of pages). I offer this as “food for thought” for the rest of you.
I have unanimously and unquestionably lost the trust of the group after fucking up big-time Day 1. I would like to recoup that trust.
In order to regain it, I hereby ask the Serial Killer to attempt to kill me tonight.
I am Town Bulletproof. In order to prove that I am both Town and OSBP, I am asking the SK to pop my protection. I will be alerted that my OSPB went off, but I will not be told who did it (not the faction, or the power). The SK remains anonymous, we skip a kill that night, I report that my bubble popped, you can all trust me that I am (or was) Town BP.
Why the SK should do this:
- The SK needs to deal with my OSBP sooner or later; instead of firing blind tonight or counting on a town vote to eliminate me, I ask that they spend this round “using their power for good” and buy some town trust by helping garner some town trust in me.
Why the Mafia should like this:
- Either you let the SK pop my bubble, which makes me a Vanilla Town and easier to get later, or you pile in with the SK to eliminate me tonight without wasting Juggernaut!
Why Town should believe this:
- I am “using my power” in the only way I can: wasting the time/resources of the Mafia. We can get one less kill tonight, and even potentially buy an extra day.
- In addition: Mafia cannot shoot themselves (rules as written and/or common sense ) and we have no “switcheroo” roles (word of god).
Why I should do this:
- Tbh, now that I understand the game, I actually want to keep playing it. But nobody here has any reason to trust me, because I was an absolute moron on Day 1. I can only apologize so much for what I did, and actions speak louder than words. I would like to play at least this round (and possibly the next) without a shitload of suspicion of my every word. I know that I memepost, but I leaned that way because it really felt like nothing I said mattered anymore. I would like to at least be considered. Remember: I called the Porygon Gambit before the PoryTrain picked up steam. I know I’m not as dumb as we think I am.
- tl;dr: I would rather play 1-to-2 more phases with trust than durdle away a month without it.
Attached below is the full reasoning behind this gambit. But, succinctly:
This is a win-win scenario for everyone involved, and here is why:
A: If I am wrong, I am gone.
- If I am lying about being OSBP, and the SK agrees to kill, I will die to the SK. They get another free kill, and you eliminate a stupid/meddlesome/scum player from the pool. There is no reason I would make this gambit as any role but OSBP, and very little reason to make it as Mafia.
B: If both the SK and the Mafia target me tonight, I “used my power to its extent.”
- The SK and the Mafia will waste an entire night killing just me. Nobody else falls, and you eliminate an idiot. The mafia “wastes” their night killing me.
C: Mafia is highly unlikely to have BP, even with an SK. If my bubble pops, I am Town.
- This is the weakest point in my plan. I admit that I am new to mafia, and thus have very little clue as to how common-place BP is on the Mafia side. To me, it seems like a power most useful (to the point of being exclusive) to Town (especially with a single SK). But, again: Mafia can’t (or is strongly incentivized not to) shoot Mafia.
D: If the SK does not target me, but the Mafia decides to Juggernaut me, I have also “used my power to its fullest extent.”
- I assume the Mafia has a single Juggernaut. If we make them blow that shot, I assume that my death flavor will reveal it. So, if B is true or D is true, either way, my power was successful!
E: If I am not targeted at all, both the SK and the Mafia are delaying the inevitable.
- Both need to deal with my OSBP somehow. They can “counter-gambit” and not target me, but that leads to:
F: If I am not targeted at all, we effectively learn nothing
- This gambit will be effective one round only.
- If I am not targeted this round, the two main reasons are obvious: Either I am Mafia and SK can’t be trusted, or Mafia doesn’t want to pop the bubble/kill and SK can’t be trusted.
- Either way, I will catch the Sacrifice on Day 3, because I am “obviously mafia” if they don’t shoot.
- But if I was Mafia, why on earth would I pull this stunt in the first place?
G: If I am Mafia OSBP, what the absolute fuck am I doing!?
- Mafia numbers are already very thin, especially with a clutch Day 1 vote (cough cough CALLED IT). OSBP is borderline useless for Mafia for day phases (can’t defend against what you can’t receive), but CLUTCH to have against the SK. They would not willingly organize to sacrifice it, even for a galaxy-brain play like this. There’s enough brains to rein in the galaxy-brain shit, imo.
- On the other hand, Town OSBP has a much higher chance of their power actually mattering, as they are more susceptible during night phases. Of any players, they’re borderline encouraged to galaxy-brain. I personally value the town’s trust more than having a shield that I can no longer ‘secretly’ use (since I fucked up my gambit).
- According to our base rules, there are no Bus Drivers or any other sorts of “switcheroo” powers running around. Mafia either cannot shot their own or would never willingly shoot their own. Because of this, there will never be a double mafia kill in the night phases of this game.
- I bring this up because, if I were Mafia OSBP, I could potentially launch this gambit, have another mafia member shoot me, and ta-da! Trust! But the Mafia cannot/would not willingly shoot themselves, and even if they could, it would be the absolute dumbest play to make.
H: If this all seems sus as fuck, you Sacrifice me this round.
- Instead of voting out a random (if we can’t come to a consensus), you vote out the village idiot who already claimed (and in this case wasted) his power. It’s no worse than voting a vanilla town. In fact, for some, they might see this as better, because I will no longer be a factor. And also that means I can go back to playing MtG, helping with chores, working, etc., without constant stress. So even this, the worst of options, is great for me.
Please point out any inconsistencies in this plan!
Also fuckin’ TAKE THE SHOT, SK!
