Post by chocolatepi on Apr 23, 2013 15:38:59 GMT -5
Hello, I'm Chocolate Pi--that's my Cool Internet Name anyway. I'm a game designer, and I've been working on a mafia-style game named Witchhunt for almost 6 years now. It's been a very long journey in which I've got to learn a lot about mafia-style games and game design in general; over the years we've seen dozens of different mechanical systems, and tried over 200 roles!
Today the game encompasses a base set of 12 characters, and 3 expansions with 12 more characters each. (Which can be combined or mixed as well!) You will find that the mechanics are all very simple and "pure", giving the maximum gameplay for the least complexity. Many common struggles with mafia-style games (kingmaker third factions, player elimination, limited "RVS" early discussion, vanilla players, mass-claiming) are addressed. After so many years of iteration, I am very proud of the current game and am confident that it is the most mechanically polished mafia-style game around.
I hope you guys enjoy it!
But one order of business remains: There are 3 expansion choices on the table. The rules Paranoia posted in the other thread were ~3 months old, so I thought we'd have a final poll with the current rules.
Each set has a definitive mechanical flavor to it, with unique advantages:
Showdown
The Showdown set has a large number of roles with very powerful abilities that don't trigger until "Halftime"--halfway through the game. This results in a game with somewhat "back-loaded" kills, where more players spend most of the game alive, building to a dramatic climax. The disadvantage is that some players with these powerful abilities may not live to use them. This is probably the most popular expansion set, historically.
King's Court
The King's Court set has an elite set of players making extra kills. A King's Court game is normally slightly faster, and features unusually rich "day 1" discussion. The downside is that these games tend to be densely packed with activity, and may be intimidating to new mafia players. This set tends to be the most popular with experienced Witchhunt players.
Love and War
The Love and War set adds another type of Villager, and features a number of roles that may publicly reveal to activate an ability. This results in a game with significantly more public information and stronger focus on mechanics. These games tend to feature much more careful decisions, which some players might not prefer. This set features newer content than the others, but has been very popular in games played so far.
It sounded like the crowd was leaning towards Showdown (Halftime) in the signup thread, which would probably be my recommendation if I was forced to make one. You guys are more than welcome to make the decision entirely on your own though!
Today the game encompasses a base set of 12 characters, and 3 expansions with 12 more characters each. (Which can be combined or mixed as well!) You will find that the mechanics are all very simple and "pure", giving the maximum gameplay for the least complexity. Many common struggles with mafia-style games (kingmaker third factions, player elimination, limited "RVS" early discussion, vanilla players, mass-claiming) are addressed. After so many years of iteration, I am very proud of the current game and am confident that it is the most mechanically polished mafia-style game around.
I hope you guys enjoy it!
But one order of business remains: There are 3 expansion choices on the table. The rules Paranoia posted in the other thread were ~3 months old, so I thought we'd have a final poll with the current rules.
Each set has a definitive mechanical flavor to it, with unique advantages:
Showdown
The Showdown set has a large number of roles with very powerful abilities that don't trigger until "Halftime"--halfway through the game. This results in a game with somewhat "back-loaded" kills, where more players spend most of the game alive, building to a dramatic climax. The disadvantage is that some players with these powerful abilities may not live to use them. This is probably the most popular expansion set, historically.
King's Court
The King's Court set has an elite set of players making extra kills. A King's Court game is normally slightly faster, and features unusually rich "day 1" discussion. The downside is that these games tend to be densely packed with activity, and may be intimidating to new mafia players. This set tends to be the most popular with experienced Witchhunt players.
Love and War
The Love and War set adds another type of Villager, and features a number of roles that may publicly reveal to activate an ability. This results in a game with significantly more public information and stronger focus on mechanics. These games tend to feature much more careful decisions, which some players might not prefer. This set features newer content than the others, but has been very popular in games played so far.
It sounded like the crowd was leaning towards Showdown (Halftime) in the signup thread, which would probably be my recommendation if I was forced to make one. You guys are more than welcome to make the decision entirely on your own though!