Chucara
Borogrove
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Post by Chucara on Oct 31, 2012 11:39:33 GMT -5
I've always wanted to host my own mafia game, but while I understand the mechanics, I am at a loss as to how to balance it.
Do you just go by gut feeling, or do you have a list of roles and a number that lets you know how much value said role adds to a team?
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Post by KidVermicious on Oct 31, 2012 12:03:52 GMT -5
You can use the JSP system for a really rough quick balance - I run the points when I'm first throwing a game together just to build a quick shape, but after that I do it by feel. After you've played a bunch you get a good idea for how different roles interact and buff or negate eachother, and you can mostly design by gut.
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Post by Pleonast on Nov 1, 2012 12:03:25 GMT -5
Point systems are useful, but only for a starting estimate, and only for a two-team game where most players have no powers. Point systems can't really capture the interaction among the roles.
The best way to balance is to sit down for a long think and work out how all the pieces interact. Consider the "best" scenarios. If a given role got lucky and took the best possible actions, what would happen to the other team(s)? If any two roles worked together perfectly, what would happen? If any three roles worked together perfectly, ...? Etc.
Then consider the "worst" scenarios. What happens when a role does the worst possible things for their team? Or doesn't play at all? What if any two roles do the worst? Etc.
Then consider the probabilities. This is where experience is helpful. Ideally, every role should be able to affect the game, without being able to totally win it or lose it by themself. There should be counters to everything, but possibly only indirectly.
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Chucara
Borogrove
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2009 Winner of Best Person in the Universe
Posts: 287
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Post by Chucara on Nov 9, 2012 17:12:28 GMT -5
Thanks for the answers.. I tried googling the JSP system, but to no avail.. What is that?
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Post by guiri on Nov 9, 2012 17:53:25 GMT -5
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