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

[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~