Mafia IV- Deadwood, Hearst Comes to Town

[beyelzu]

So, I'm thinking about making a mafia/werewolf game that is deadwood based as previously mentioned by others. If someone else would like to gm, I am down. But, here is what I have been thinking about rules and possible game mechanics. The day would end at midnight eastern standard time, everyday. Play would then move to the peanut gallery thread, which would be named the Gem. Nighttime death would happen whenever i wake up in the morning, but it would be by noon eastern standard time. No pms are allowed except by the Hearst henchmen which could only talk to each other under the cover of nightfall. If they try to send pms to each other during the day, noon till midnight EST the "honest citizens" of deadwood would notice. Person with the most votes gets lynched. If someone else would like to gm, I am down. The setup is pretty simple. Hearst is making a move on deadwood and attempting to get the town to turn on each other.

roles.

Bullock, every night the sheriff Bullock beats one person bloody in an attempt to discover if they are working for Hearst.

Swearengen Every night Swearengen has Dan kill someone who he suspects of working for Hearst.

Doc Cochran can save someone bushwacked by the hearst people.

Charlie Utter the deputy, cannot investigate himself, lacking Bullock's propensity towards violence, but if the sheriff dies, Charlie is given the information about the investigations the sheriff has done so far.

The Coward Jack McCall can kill one player during the course of the game, works on the side of evil, but if the sheriff lives, the coward Jack McCall is hung the next day in addition to any other lynching by the town of deadwood.

Reverend Smith so long as the good reverend is alive, the town finds out the role of the people who die. Once the reverend dies however, no one else in deadwood can be bothered to go through the dead peoples things.


so lets have some thoughts and some signups people.

[Crumb]

Bullock, every night the sheriff Bullock beats one person bloody in an attempt to discover if they are working for Hearst.

Does this imply that the person learns they have been investigated?

[beyelzu]

right now Im considering the game mechanic. I think the person might learn that they have been investigated. Or, conversely, I could send multiple pms out to let people know that the night before they were beaten bloody so in effect there would only be a chance that the sheriff actually did the beating.

[beyelzu]

Trixie every night Trixie can occupy a character with her feminine wiles preventing them from taking their night action. Possibly, the sheriff would be immune as he has such a stick up his ass.


Francis Wolcott can investigate someone every night for the Hearst side, but does not know who is working for hearst at the start. If he investigates the whore Trixie, he kills her in a fit of rage.

[Crumb]

I think learning that you'd been investigated would be an advantage for the evils. Since this game is already in their favor, I don't think giving them another advantage is a good idea.

[beyelzu]

yeah but in event of the death of the sheriff, the town would still have Charlie Utter to help them.

Like i said before, im just considering game mechanics right now. I want the game to have a quality deadwood feel in both description and action.

And again like I said before, i could allow various townies to administer a beating on someone else. Making the mafia suspect that they have been investigated when they recieve a beating but making it where they wouldnt know for sure. I actually think that it would add an element of mindfuckery to the mafia and thus they wouldnt hold all the cards.

[Crumb]

That doesn't sound bad bey. What about Jane?

[beyelzu]

Also, does anyone actually want to sign up for the game. while we are ironing out game mechanics. I foresee the game not starting till later this week or the first part of next week.

and like i said earlier if anyone else wants to gm, Im ok with that. I just really want to get a deadwood game of mafia running, and since no one else is doing it i decided to take initiative.

[beyelzu]

possible role

hooplehead administers a beating to another towns person for little or no reason. Hoopleheads count as being town people.

[beyelzu]

Calamity Jane administers a drunken beating while yelling cocksucker.

[beyelzu]

and i also think that Bullock will know who Charlie is, which will give an advantage to the town as its one less person to investigate.

[Crumb]

This sounds good, bey. I am in.

[livius drusus]

I don't like people being told they've been investigated at all. The fact that Utter will take over is very handy indeed, but, frankly, it's not enough to counter handing Hearts' men the certain knowledge that they've been found out.

The town beating option improves the situation, but I think may be excessively complex. One of the things that sucked about the recent WW game at II was the ridiculous proliferation of roles and actions, imo.

[beyelzu]

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who else, and feel free to talk about the game mechanics.

[beyelzu]

Originally Posted by livius drusus

I don't like people being told they've been investigated at all. The fact that Utter will take over is very handy indeed, but, frankly, it's not enough to counter handing Hearts' men the certain knowledge that they've been found out.

The town beating option improves the situation, but I think may be excessively complex. One of the things that sucked about the recent WW game at II was the ridiculous proliferation of roles and actions, imo.

conversely, however, if it isnt certain knowledge its no big deal. It adds an element of uncertainty for the mafia. One of the failings of mafia in my opinion is the lack of uncertainity for the mafia, with the exception of looking for the cop.

Also, giving a person a role like hooplehead at least lets them do something and is far more interesting then making them just townie.

I think that having multiple roles that allow players to do something even if that something only slightly changes the course of the game, like hoopleheads, will increase the fun for the players. It will be alot of pms to fire off and for the gm to read, but i dont think gameplay will actually be nearly as complex as in the ww game at ii because we wont have competing groups of evils, that imho is what can make a game really complex even if it is relatively vanilla otherwise.


also I think Charlie Utter will be allowed to investigate one person, he just cant bring himself to beat people night after night.

[viscousmemories]

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I'm down with playing, but I've never seen the show and don't want to GM.

[beyelzu]

cool. I think it will be fun even if you havent seen the show. The added element of a time limit should be cool. something that makes ww fun in my opinion.

[viscousmemories]

Yeah I implemented a time limit over there in the neverending Mafia game last night.

[livius drusus]

Originally Posted by beyelzu

conversely, however, if it isnt certain knowledge its no big deal. It adds an element of uncertainty for the mafia. One of the failings of mafia in my opinion is the lack of uncertainity for the mafia, with the exception of looking for the cop.

I agree. In fact, I'd like to see a mafia turncoat or squealer or stool-pigeon. Not in this game, mind you, because it doesn't really fit the theme, but it's definitely something I've considered.

Also, giving a person a role like hooplehead at least lets them do something and is far more interesting then making them just townie.

I think that having multiple roles that allow players to do something even if that something only slightly changes the course of the game, like hoopleheads, will increase the fun for the players.

It does, but it also ups the level of difficulty and adds a lot of confusion into the mix. I'm not trying to crap on roles in general, but I don't think game balance is well-served by everyone having something specific to hide and/or do.

It will be alot of pms to fire off and for the gm to read, but i dont think gameplay will actually be nearly as complex as in the ww game at ii because we wont have competing groups of evils, that imho is what can make a game really complex even if it is relatively vanilla otherwise.

Yes, it definitely won't be as complex as the competing bad guys setup, but again, the question is where to draw the line.

also I think Charlie Utter will be allowed to investigate one person, he just cant bring himself to beat people night after night.

I like Utter getting another investigation. I like Jane having a role, but I'm not sure counterpart to Bullock's beatings does her justice. She doesn't really deliver whuppings on the show.

Anyway, I don't want to be all negative here. This is a great theme with lots of cool options. I'll even volunteer to GM, just for the coolness of getting to write up the scenes.

[beyelzu]

oh really, you want to gm, sweet. Im really not sure as to what kind of role to give Jane.

ifn you want to gm.

then sign me up for play. i was thinking of having 3 hearst people, and around 3-4 hoopleheads to keep the beatings going on.

one question is on daybreak, we could reveal or rather you could reveal the people that have recieved beatings the day before. very interesting. anyway. all decisions will of course be yours, liv, i dont intend to backseat gm.

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[livius drusus]

Your beating fetish is so cute.

Let's see how many people sign up before we pick numbers, but 3 Hearst men sounds like a good basic set to me. Wouldn't a group of hooples end up acting like a competing group of bad guys, though?

I'm still not sure about revealing who received beatings. If it's just Bullock whupping people, then definitely not; if there's another whupper, then definitely maybe.

I know you won't backseat GM, baby. I'd modkill your ass even before you asked for it if you did.

[beyelzu]

well the hooples wouldnt know eachother and the only point of them being around is for a mechanism that would allow a beating reveal for Bullock without a definite notice to the Hearst men. furthermore, for all purposes the hooples are just townies that like to kick the shit out of there fellow men and women of course.

[beyelzu]

oh how livius drusus waxes corrupt with power as her newly roman clients swear allegiance to her.




if only i had led a mob against you when i had the chance.

[livius drusus]

Oh wow, so you're thinking 3 or 4 hooples would each individually administer beatings every night? Damn, you really want to see some contusions that mean business up in here.

[livius drusus]

Originally Posted by beyelzu

oh how livius drusus waxes corrupt with power as her newly roman clients swear allegiance to her.

No, no, that's a whole other theme.

Originally Posted by beyelzu

if only i had led a mob against you when i had the chance.