Tol-in-Gaurhoth XVI: No man is an Island

[Lhunardawen]

Originally Posted by Cailin

What purpose - convincing us all you were mentally unstable? Cause yeah, then it did serve.

Perfect! But I think you all know that already...

It actually made me believe you were innocent. And Nilp, too.

Aww, rats! I actually wanted to be more suspicious than I already was, to ensure that I survive the Night. I was hoping that the wolves would be so amused, they would want me around for at least another Day.

[Garin]

Asking someone for advice just seems to take that 'alone', or for werewolves: 'alone with two', element out of the game.

It won't happen again, I should know better than to go to a chronic ordinary that always gets his behind lynched.
Again, I'm just being honest and perhaps trying to blame someone else for my miscues.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Originally Posted by Lhuna

Call me self-centered all whatever, but what did you guys think about my sudden outburst of Lhunacy? I terribly enjoyed that, not to mention it served its intended purpose. Well, I think.

It confused me. It is the only thing you have ever done that really made me doubt your innocens, but I then decided that you were more likely to be a giftet trying to stay alive.

btw It looks like it will be a while before we can have the game in wich Lupine Lhuna is introduced, as I will not be able to play WW for 4 months.

I am so sorry about constantly wanting you dead Meneltarmacil, I was just so sure that you had to be a wolf or maybe a giftet.

[Farael]

Oh, no.... no, no... Did I ever te.. tell you guys I'... I'm afraid of heights? I should have because thanks to you I'm sitting high on Tanquetil!! First of all thanks a lot =)
I've tried to rep everyone but it seems I got too generous so some of you will have to wait until tomorrow (or maybe tonight). Besides that, it was a really interesting game... I wasn't too keen on the Seer's revised role, but I think it adds to the excitement (and the stress).

I'm thinking... maybe next game we can have a single Hunter/Ranger but two aprentices? having a Hunter/Ranger will make it fun for the wolves whenever they want to kill him... and to compensate the lack of a gifted, another apprentice to be lynched by the ignorant crowds

By the way Nilp, I never defended you... it was so mind boggling when you said "listen to Farael" after I felt I was making a case against you!! I almost went into a "Nilp is definetly a wolf" rant right then but you had been odd all along so I figured I'd stay silent... and good thing I did!! I was kicking myself when I found out (as I half-expected) you were just a crazy innocent

[Kuruharan]

You know, for some time I thought I would be going down in Werewolf history as the first ever Seer to be lynched

Nope, that has already happened.

and the werewolves got to you right after that...well, let's not think about it shall we?

Why not? We lost anyway. It wouldn’t really have been too bad for the village. First of all, everybody would have known that the Cursed had been converted, it’s not like that can be kept secret. Sooner or later (and probably sooner) I would have been in the same place I ultimately ended up, only worse because my behavior toward Garin would not have been a sure defense anymore.

Call me self-centered all whatever, but what did you guys think about my sudden outburst of Lhunacy? I terribly enjoyed that, not to mention it served its intended purpose. Well, I think.

Ehhh…it actually made me think you had something to hide, and hence might be the Seer. In that respect, it was not terribly effective. Behavioral changes during the game will do that.

I wasn't too keen on the Seer's revised role,

I agree with that. I think it was an interesting experiment, but it reduced the usefulness of the Seer a lot while still leaving them terribly vulnerable.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

By the way Nilp, I never defended you... it was so mind boggling when you said "listen to Farael" after I felt I was making a case against you!! I almost went into a "Nilp is definetly a wolf" rant right then but you had been odd all along so I figured I'd stay silent... and good thing I did!! I was kicking myself when I found out (as I half-expected) you were just a crazy innocent (Farael)

Actually, my last post (262) was just a subtle attempt at deception, flexing that muscle in case I'll need it when I become a true Werewolf.

I just latched on your name because you seemed hesitant to vote for me, and I 'attacked' Alca because he was the first to vote for me. Had it succeeded, and Alcarillo lynched (fat chance, but hey! I love fat chances), I would still have lynched the next DAY.

But I'm proud I got everyone on my 'Case for Innocence' right!

[Lhunardawen]

Originally Posted by Rune

btw It looks like it will be a while before we can have the game in wich Lupine Lhuna is introduced, as I will not be able to play WW for 4 months.

I guess that's no problem, because I would have to take a looong break myself. Unless interesting stuff happen...

Originally Posted by Kuruharan

Nope, that has already happened.

It has?! Can you enlighten me on that? I didn't get to read all games...

Originally Posted by Kuruharan

Why not? We lost anyway. It wouldn’t really have been too bad for the village. First of all, everybody would have known that the Cursed had been converted, it’s not like that can be kept secret. Sooner or later (and probably sooner) I would have been in the same place I ultimately ended up, only worse because my behavior toward Garin would not have been a sure defense anymore.

Say...if you became a wolf, we'll probably still lynch you the next Day. And then I'll have a certain dream! Oh, rats.

Originally Posted by Rune

It confused me. It is the only thing you have ever done that really made me doubt your innocens, but I then decided that you were more likely to be a giftet trying to stay alive.

Originally Posted by Kuruharan

Ehhh…it actually made me think you had something to hide, and hence might be the Seer. In that respect, it was not terribly effective. Behavioral changes during the game will do that.

And here I was planning to do it every full moon...remind me never to do that on a Werewolf game again.

Originally Posted by Aman

My apologies to all who we killed - Lhuna especially, you were on player I really didn't want to kill off, I do apologise, but hey, it had to be done! And I would have given you a much less prolonged death if only that pesky Formendacil hadn't turned up...

Haha, you got that right! How cruel of him, leaving me to feel the pain of my wounds longer, instead of just throwing a big welcome party for me...

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd advise against asking 'outsiders' (outside the game) for help. (Gurthang)

You'd get a heart attack if you realise what some siblings do.

But advice noted. And I see your point. Although it would be a tad hard to keep it all in, y'know? We do live together--and go to the same school, to boot.

[Lhunardawen]

Originally Posted by Nilpaurion Felagund

You'd get a heart attack if you realise what some siblings do.

But advice noted. And I see your point. Although it would be a tad hard to keep it all in, y'know? We do live together--and go to the same school, to boot.

Daga ka talaga.

[Formendacil]

Okay, I have a spare hour, so I'll try to set out the thoughts that I have concerning this game- and I'd like to thank you all very, very much for being a part of it.

Concerning the Game:

Despite accusations to the contrary, my choice of people for roles was more-or-less random. I say more-or-less because I randomly selected all the villagers for roles using the tried-and-true "out of the hat" method, but then I looked at it, and mixed up a couple of names to make what I figured would be a more entertaining game.

Sorry, Lhuna, but you really were a random pick.

I was actually quite pleased with the three Werewolves that I ended up with. Garin was a mate of Morm's, and seemed quite intelligent, and I figured he'd be a bit more experienced than the Old Guard gave him credit. Amanaduial might have been a Werewolf newbie, but posts elsewhere on this forum gave her a solid reputation for intelligence- and the game certainly proved that right. As for Malkatoj, I knew her just well enough to know that she'd been associated with a couple of Werewolf games, and was yet a fairly quiet player (compared to Morm or SPM, say...)

Now, I must confess that having been Saurondacil in my last game, and a Werewolf in both the games before that, I was slightly biased in favour of the Werewolves. But I didn't do anything to try and help them win. Honest!

The only real conscious change of the roles that I made was to make Kuruharan the Cursed. I can't honestly remember if I'd even assigned it to anyone else before I gave it to him. I really wanted to see him go from unsuspicious Villager to suspicious Werewolf... Sorry, Kuru, but your Game I reputation preceeds you.

As for my Gifteds, Lhuna was a pleasant pick for Seer, since it meant that I had the delicious opportunity to drive her nuts... Lhuna really didn't like that role, I have to say. Alcarillo performed admirably as the Ranger, with his save on... was it Night 2 or Night 3- I can't remember? Naria, as Hunter, was never really seen in action... A bit of a pity, since I wanted to write a dual death scene (Garin and Eluchíl was QUITE fun, I must say...)

Kath was an excellent Cobbler, while she lasted. Killing her was very unfortunate for the Wolves, and quite disappointing from my point of view. However, there's no predicting these games...

I was VERY disappointed in Meneltarmacil as the Apprentice. One night he's the new Ranger, the following evening he's dead!

Anyways....

GAME PLAY

I kept waffling back and forth during the game as to who I thought was going to win. On Day 1, I was very pleased with my Wolves' ability to blend in. They were doing admireably. Then, not so long later, the Cobbler was dead, Alcarillo made his nighttime save, and Garin had been lynched. I figured the village would win- and Lhuna's Day 4 (I think...) revelation seemed to bear that out...

Then Amanaduial managed to nearly pull herself back from the brink of conviction, nobody ever seemed to get around to killing Malkatoj, and the dead Innocents were always pointing fingers in the wrong direction.

Then Amanaduial died, Malkatoj was the prime lynchee, and the villagers had the advantage of numbers...

Then Naria had an emergency...

And for a whole shift at work I puzzled out what to do with two villagers and an absentee- who had given me notice and was thus not really able to be killed by an Act of Mod, but who had left the village in a real bind. Wanting a quick end, I left it up to chance... fully expecting Azaelia to post first, and claim a village victory.

(NOTE: Never get Formendacil to make you Werewolf predictions. NEVER)

And, let me take this moment to thank the Ordos for the great game... A lot of mention is made of the Gifteds, Curseds, Wolves, and Whatnots, but you guys are a LOT more fun to watch. Partly because you're zanier- like Nilp, but partly because you're so clueless... Seriously, you guys are fun.

The Modified Roles:

Overall, I'm glad that I went ahead and tried out my new Seer Role. I think it worked, although there's a kink or two that I'd like to iron out in a later game- but we get to that in a moment.

I'm very flattered by the very positive reception that met the invention of the new role of the Apprentice. To be perfectly honest, it was just a way for me to balance the numbers a little between Ordos and Evils, since I wanted to have both a Cobbler and a Cursed. Personally, I don't think that an Apprentice would work in a smaller, classical game of Seer/Hunter/Ranger/Wolf/Wolf/Wolf/eitherCursedorCobbler- but in a larger game with more roles, it works quite well.

The change of Ranger Rules that permitted the Ranger to guard the same person for two nights in a row was again a simple repercussion of my role-tinkering. By weakening the Seer (since she only had two nights to talk to the Mod), I compensated the Villager side by allowing the Ranger to protect two nights in a Row. I beleive that Alcarillo made use of this twice: to protect Gurthang, and then to protect Lhuna. Had Menel been Ranger for longer than he was, I suspect he would have done the same.

Now, getting back to the Seer- the biggest role change, in my opinion, I think that overall it worked quite well- as a change of pace, if not of actual effect. Lhuna was quite hampered by the fact that only one Wolf died before she did, so she asked a few more Ordos for their opinion that might have otherwise happened.

With some reflection regarding the modified Seer role, it occurred to me that this is the perfect sort of role to complement that of the Sherriffs. Now, as a bit of history, the Sherriffs were tried out many games ago, before I ever got into this Werewolf stuff, but were eventually found wanting because you either killed off one before finding out who his partner Innocent was, or they revealed themselves, and became immediate meat for the Wolves.

However, I think that a pair of Sherriffs would work very well in tandem with my modified Seer role. As in past times, these Sherriffs would simply be Ordinary Villagers who would happen to know each other- and would have the option of PMing each other. However, when one died, the Seer would be able to ask the dead Sherriff who their partner was, and so learn the name, conclusively, of another innocent villagers.

Someday, if the people of the 'Downs are ever so gracious as to allow me to Moderate another game, it is my intention to incorporate such changes. The Seer, in that game, would be asking different sorts of questions of different people:

To the Mod, the Seer would ask "What is so-and-so's Role?"

To the Werewolf: "Is so-and-so a Werewolf?"

To the Shirriff: "Who is your partner?"

To a Gifted/Cobbler/Ordo: "Give me as long an analysis as you like concerning so-and-so, with a final verdict on your opinion."

With the exception of the Shirriff addition, that's ROUGHLY how it was working so far....

And now, at the end...

I'm still addicted to this game! I can't believe it...

For my next Moderating assignment, I will be hosting Survivor: Second Age, as soon as Glirdan finishes Survivor: The Hobbit (which I advise you all the check out. F.A.T and R.E.A.L. F.A.T. must be stopped!)

Meanwhile, with regards to this post...

I hope you've made it this far. I'm flattered if you have. This game was an immense struggle at times, to get on every day, at the same time (confounded job!), and to post a decent narration at about that time. Seriously, those last minute votes really left things in the air. However, it was a very rewarding experience, and I'm thankful to all of you for letting me try it.

So I sign off, probably for the last time:

~Michael A. Joosten - WW XVI Moderator~