Theme Test Market

[Varsoon]

I've been considering running a few themed games, was wondering if there'd be any support for...

Bastion Mafia
Fist of the North Star Mafia
BLEACH Mafia
Legend of Dragoon Mafia
Heroes of Might and Magic Mafia
Dark Souls Mafia
Final Fantasy Mafia

I've been considering them for awhile and have a lot of rough ideas for balance/roles, etc. I just don't want to completely flesh something out and have it flop, or run something people've already done to death.

[Varsoon]

I've put what must be months into HoMM3. I love the game, love the lore, even ran a hydra on-site that was named after and used the profile image of Jabarkas.

[Varsoon]

Final Fantasy. Make it happen.

I've been sculpting a final fantasy game that includes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, and Tactics. Each player would be a representative from a different game. That way, I could balance the fake-claims as far as lore goes.
I've also replayed all of the mainline games within the last 3 years, so I'm pretty fresh on them.

[Varsoon]

Yeah, I want to stray from things that've been done before--or, if I do revisit a theme, I want to handle it differently.

[Varsoon]

After replaying Final Fantasy Tactics, I've thought of perhaps doing a Final Fantasy Tactics themed game.
Thinking on that led me to consider this instead:

12 player anonymous game,
Each player is given a hydra named after one of the 12 Zodiac signs.
Each Zodiac sign has unique powers and cool stuff.
Would that work?
Would people be down for that?

[Varsoon]

It'd be 12 hydras with 24 players. :3

[Varsoon]

Yeah, I might just end up making it much more oriented towards the Zodiac Brave Story of FFTactics.
I'd still want it to be an anonymous game, though.

[Varsoon]

Those plans aside:

The two games I've been working on for awhile are nearing completion:
Heroes of Might and Magic 3 U-Pick
and
Varsoon Mafia (Bastard game)

Both would be 13 player games.

[Varsoon]

Well, the U-Pick might be bigger, given interest in it.
/shrugs.

[Varsoon]

Sounds crazy enough to work, Marquis.

Working out some kinks for that 12 player FFT Zodiac Brave game.
In the meantime, I just beat Suikoden 2 and was wondering if players would be down for a Suikoden theme game or even a Suikoden U-pick.

[Varsoon]

While the ideas for my Zodiac Brave game and HoMM3 Upick are on the backburner, I've been recently inspired to run a Stephen Universe theme game.
With the amount of characters, I could run a large theme. I've got a lot of really neat ideas for it, but I'd like to know if people would be interested in that flavor.

[Varsoon]

I think Transformers mafia would be cool, used to be a fan of the cartoons when I was younger and was even into beast wars.

That said, I'm not a huge fan of third parties and multifactional games in general. Also don't like roles that outright out scum/win games like Cop or kill-blocking. I suppose I enjoy the game of rhetoric far more than a guessing game where someone can just luck out with a role ability and catch scum through that. Which kinda sucks, since roles like that are pretty regular. Ah well.

[Varsoon]

I think that so long as you divide the power between factions and use roles that have reasonable doubt/interesting play to them, should b good.

[Varsoon]

Just put out a call for Setup Review/Backup mods. If I can get it, I'll be running a 21-player Large Theme Steven Universe Mafia.
<3

[Varsoon]

Just don't forget about running a Suikoden game. I'd hate to have to exact swift and final retribution and deposit your loathsome corpse into the sea.

Oh, I shall never forget. I've got some pretty crazy ideas for that setup. I've still gotta beat Suikoden 3 and get a bit more experience under my belt before I run Suikoden U-pick.

[Varsoon]

Any interest in a Lego Universe small theme?

Like, with Chima and Ninjago and Bionicle and stuff?
Or...?

[Varsoon]

Oh! Only lego games I ever played where the Lego Island ones.

[Varsoon]

Venmar: Yes indeed.
Pls no multiball.

[Varsoon]

Would any of you cool cats be down for a (almost certainly bastard) Space Dandy Mini-Theme?

[Varsoon]

In the meantime, I just beat Suikoden 2 and was wondering if players would be down for a Suikoden theme game or even a Suikoden U-pick.

Suikoden III just got added to the PSN store, so that Suikoden U-Pick might be coming a bit sooner than later, folks.

[Varsoon]

That'd be awesome. Mod flavor could be Rod Serling.

[Varsoon]

I wonder if Natirasha ever ran those MTG games he was talking about...

That said, I'd be interested in running a MTG U-Pick based around the Planeswalkers. I've been considering a game where players can choose what colors they want to play as a special mechanic.

[Varsoon]

I dunno what Left Behind is. D:

I'm designing a Wakfu theme game right now. Would anyone be down to play a Wakfu theme game, based on the characters and plot of the animated series by Ankama?

[Varsoon]

I also want to run a Parasyte Mafia game, based on the anime/manga of the same name. Maybe later rather than sooner, but I wonder if anyone would be interested in that flavor at all?

[Varsoon]

I can't think of an Adams' Family or Resident Evil game that's happened since I've been on-site, but I also am not familiar with every game run.

Would people be interested in a PlatinumGames U-Pick? I'm thinking of letting people choose characters from Mad World, Bayonetta, Anarchy Reigns, Wonderful 101, and even Okami and Veiwtiful Joe.

[Varsoon]

I dig it.

[Varsoon]

Rad. I've been drafting the setup for a little while, I'll probably /in to run it once my current games clear up.

[Varsoon]

Has anyone run a Monster Rancher theme game?
I'm considering doing a U-Pick, although I may just stay true to the games and have players submit to me a random CD/game of their choice and then generate a monster for them!

[Varsoon]

On a different note;
Has anyone run a Bravely Default Theme game yet?
Because I love that game and would really enjoy making it into a theme game.

[Varsoon]

I'm interested in games where players have been allowed to 'pick' their alignment privately in pre-game.
Have other games been run like this in the past?

[Varsoon]

Hm, sounds neat. I'm thinking of running something very similar, where players can choose which role they want out of three 'cards' dealt.

[Varsoon]

I plan to make roles neutral of alignment, with the 'role names' as public info but the role abilities as private info.
Every player can choose alignment secretly, and these choices are obviously not revealed until post.
I think I will make certain role cards non-neutral, hm.

[Varsoon]

D'oh! I totally forgot Great/er/est Idea Mafia. I'll take notes from that, probably.

[Varsoon]

Maybe perhaps with the option of ending early.

[Varsoon]

Don't really want flavor to be breakable, but, yeah.
I was definitely thinking the character base would be Asterisk-bearers.

[Varsoon]

Honestly, Rob, I'd play anything you ran.
Some Shakespeare could make for great flavor, though. I'd be down for that.

[Varsoon]

Given the news of the show coming back in 2016, would people be interested in playing a Samurai Jack themed game?

[Varsoon]

Any interest in a Rick & Morty-themed game? Mini or Large depending on show of hands - I'm qualified to run either and I'm already thinking up a setup. Anybody who'd like to co-mod / review or something-other-than-play can PM me or whatever.

I had been designing a Rick and Morty theme game for awhile now (large) and it had a good deal of support when the idea was pitched. I know it's been done before (I think Untrod Tripod ran a mini?) but people enjoy the flavor and nothing has been run with content representing Season 2 or Pocket Mortys.

That said, I'd love to help you on the design end, because it's a game I'd love to run, but I just haven't had the time between all the other games of mine.

[Varsoon]

I suppose so.
Maybe Untrod was just designing a setup? Regardless, I remember getting together with him to build a Rick and Morty game and it never panned out.
Don't worry about stealing thunder, haha. I've got about 10 different theme games I want to run right now and my Rick and Morty game is still in the conceptual level.
If you'd like me to be on the design side of things, I would enjoy that, but I don't know if/when I'll have the time to actually run the game (handling VCs, role pms, night actions, general moderation, etc.) and I'd like to see a game run that incorporates Season 2.

I've got a thousand and one cool ideas for a rick and morty theme game but it'd be a huge undertaking and I couldn't run it myself any time soon, I suppose, is what I'm saying. I know how I'd run it as well as what special mechanics would be there. If anything, I'd like to pitch all these to you as things to put in your game. :3

[Varsoon]

Absolutely, Aeronaut.
Ab-so-lutely.
Get 'em, geeeet 'em

[Varsoon]

I'd play it.
I watched a lot of WWE around that time, myself.

[Varsoon]

I think I missed at least one Suikoden-themed game during my absence.

I ran a Suikoden U-Pick game awhile back. Everyone kept calling Futch's Dragon a dog, because it could only make dragon noises in the game thread.
It didn't help that some players were actually dogs and squirrels, too.
https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=63765
I would be very interested in either playing in or participating in making another Suikoden game.

Hey guys.
I wanna create a mini theme
dedicated to the new NieR game that recently came out.

Still haven't finished the actual game for all the endings, but I think it's ripe for a theme game and would love to play one.

Can I post theme ideas for others here? I have no idea how to mod.

Twilight Zone - It's a good life. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_a_Go ... ight_Zone) Episode synopsis

This sounds like it could be a really fantastic idea and I'd be all for playing in or even running with that idea.

looking to gauge interest between a Binding of Isaac 13p or a Psychonauts 13p. both would be flavour-heavy, but Psychonauts more-so.

Both sound neat, NC, though you know I would be SO DOWN for that Psychonauts one--especially since I felt the unique PTs I crafted for Bloodborne Mafia didn't see as much use as they could. If you're unfamiliar with them, I highly suggest checking out the NIGHTMARE PT mechanic and the roles crafted around them:
https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=66605

Oh

Persona 5 has been an awesome time thus far and I'd really like to see a mafia game based on it and have thought up some interesting ideas/mechanics but I am not a mod

THEN STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND MOD SOME P5 MAFIA, ELBIRN
I'LL PLAY AND I WILL GET OTHERS TO PLAY AND YOU'LL HAVE THAT VARSOON BUMP

[Varsoon]

But varsee baybee, I have no mod experience I legally can not and I wouldn't know to anyway

You do it you're better than me

WELL THEN ELBIRN, MY MAN,
WHY DON'T YA JUST MAKE A LIL PT AND INVITE ME AND I CAN RUN THE GAME OF THE CENTURY

[Varsoon]

https://wiki.mafiascum.net/index.php?ti ... quirements

You have to have met certain requirements of time on-site and certain types of games moderated in order to moderate more complex games.
It's not that difficult, just a little time-consuming.

[Varsoon]

I'm considering building a setup based on the videogame, Pyre.
In Pyre, all of the characters are criminals and exiles that are cast down into a literal other world and must compete in a series of trials to earn liberation to return back home.
The majority of these exiles end up supporting the cause of revolution back in their own world. As the player character, your decisions on who to liberate end up shaping the outcome of that revolution.

I think that flavoring the lynch mechanic as a 'Liberation' mechanic would reflect this theme pretty well, but in order for that to work right, it'd have to be set up such that when all the scum are lynched/liberated, town loses.
Is this something that could work, mechanically?
Have there been other setups built around AVOIDING lynching the informed minority/scum?

Also, would people be interested in a game with Pyre's flavor?
Fantastic game, btw. Really nails its branching storytelling by focusing on characters and their interactions rather than a branching plot.

[Varsoon]

Speaking of, I have a bunch of theme ideas in my back pocket but no clue what people even want to play.

Megaman Battlenetwork, Dragon's Crown, Legend of 5 Rings, Magic the Gathering, Sacrifice, Sengoku BASARA, Samurai Jack, Mike Tyson Mysteries, Yakuza, Heroes of Might and Magic 3, Gundam: Universal Century, Undertale, the list goes on...

Basically, I just don't know what I want to commit 6+ months to again.

[Varsoon]

To be fair, I've had to have a lot of rules conceits and come up with little rules for myself; like that every game I create should have a 'vanilla' MYLO/LYLO state. I do that so, regardless of mechanics present, players still have to win a game of straightforward mafia with straightforward voting mechanics.

[Varsoon]

Cheetory6 proposed an awful/great idea where I just mash all those setups into one.

So.
Would anyone actually want to play a game where, each day, players must vote on a new setup to play for the next day/night phase. Each setup swap would completely give people all new role cards and public mechanics, abandoning the old ones?

[Varsoon]

I just wanna make the people happy

[Varsoon]

Nuh-uh, it's my own 100% unique idea no one else can do it.

[Varsoon]

You mentioned wanting to co-mod a game with me and I think that'd be the most fun co-modding experience I can think of.
In the past, when I was a co-mod or backup, I usually took backseat to whoever was really running the show
But having three mods make three different setups, then having players rotate between the three would be really neat.
It'd also get me off my ass and make a setup!

[Varsoon]

Curious if a game that's mafia at its core but has an added prisoner's dilemma game would work or if it'd be too easy for players to 'game'.

Basically, I just finished the video game Virtue's Last Reward. In that, there are 9 players all competing to earn 9 points. Whoever gets to 9 points wins. If you lose all your points, you die. At regular intervals, players are paired up to vote against each other: they can either ally or betray. If both players ally, they earn 2 points. If both betray, their points don't change. If one allies and the other betrays, then the allying player loses 2 points and the betraying player gains 3 points. On top of that, at least one of the players in the game is a killer, complicating how people think they should be allying/betraying.

I was wondering if this would translate to a workable mafia setup and if people would want to play it. I'd probably keep normal lynch/kill mechanics but I'd also have the whole ally/betray game as an alternate win condition and way to kill players.

I'm curious if anyone would be interested in the flavor, dunno how many people are familiar with 999 or VLR, but I think those games would appeal a lot to mafia players.

[Varsoon]

I'd love to see Varsoon make an Undertale game, there was the bastard one in 2016 but I feel Varsoon working his magic would be outstanding

Yeah, I actually shelfed my undertale setup out of deference to the other mods who wanted to run themed games for it, then ended up not running my setup because I felt too many of the same theme game back to back would be a bit lame for players. I usually wanna run themes that haven't been explored recently.

[Varsoon]

I'd love to see Varsoon make an Undertale game, there was the bastard one in 2016 but I feel Varsoon working his magic would be outstanding

Yeah, I actually shelfed my undertale setup out of deference to the other mods who wanted to run themed games for it, then ended up not running my setup because I felt too many of the same theme game back to back would be a bit lame for players. I usually wanna run themes that haven't been explored recently. I also like themes that I really love, because my passion helps me care more about building neat, fitting roles, rather than half-assing it.

[Varsoon]

Yeah, or, well, pretty much close to vanilla.
If anything, I would NOT give people roles that help them with the Ally/Betray mechanics or to avoid kills/cause more deaths.
I was also considering making it even more closely tied to the actual game in that each night phase would feature teams of people in isolated threads solving a 'puzzle', and if I did that, then it'd be easier to make roles specifically designed around players solving said puzzles/'beating' the rooms they were in. I dunno.

[Varsoon]

I'd be up for it, but only if I could be a wizard or a dwarf.

[Varsoon]

Oh

Someone make a Darkest Dungeon Mafia, because I legally cannot.

Andrius ran a Darkest Dungeon setup awhile ago that was designed to be run as a part of a series of games.
Don't think he ever ran the next one, but each game would focus on a single Dungeon from the game.
Was pretty neat.

[Varsoon]

WHY DON'T YOU MAKE IT THEN, BROTHER?

[Varsoon]

Feels like far too much of a deviation from the core game of mafia, and that's coming from me.
I'm sure there's an audience for it, though.

[Varsoon]

Feels like far too much of a deviation from the core game of mafia, and that's coming from me.
I'm sure there's an audience for it, though.

Any chance you'd be up for making a V is for

Vendetta

Varsoon themed game?

W-what does this even mean?

[Varsoon]

I've read the comic and seen the movie
But what would V for Varsoon be?

[Varsoon]

So I'm working on a Cutthroat Kitchen themed game
I have this idea that there will be a phase where players all scramble to post in thread to get a limited supply of 'Ingredients' that enable parts of their roles.
Then there will be a phase where players all have 48 hours to spend currency to bid on sabotages to other players.

My question is this:
How do I keep both of these phases from being annoyingly governed by town that want to ruin everyone's fun by playing this whole game of dictating who should get what?

I'm a bit of at a loss besides encouraging cynicism and putting compulsive roles in the mix.

[Varsoon]

Right now I think the only realistic solutions are:
1. Make the 'Shopping' and 'Sabotage' phases limited to players ONLY posting ingredient grabs/bids and no other content in public threads.
2. Give scum secret factional abilities that can counter any pre-planned bidding or shopping strats/bid signaling and make it public knowledge that scum can counter these plays.

Just wish it wasn't a headache to plan around because I just want a fun mechanic but I know some players are very liable to make it a SOLVE THE GAME mechanic instead of a fun sort of 'sabotage who you think is scum' sorta thing.

[Varsoon]

Alternatively, I could make open strategizing over bids/shopping a modkillable offense but that's a scenario I'd prefer to avoid.

[Varsoon]

Well, those phases would happen at the start of each new Day phase, so on D1 when players could talk, they could try to hash out some sort of plan for those phases on D2.
I'm worried that town just won't bid on sabotages, or will intentionally never try to outbid other players.

[Varsoon]

Yeah I think a mix of a couple different approaches may work here.

[Varsoon]

Speaking of, would people want to play that sort of a game?
Would you be willing to outbid other players to put sabotages on players you think are scum/avoid getting sabotaged yourself?

[Varsoon]

Would there be any interest in playing a series of games that are 5p LYLO with 3 town, 2 scum?

I was considering this the other night--I really enjoy when games are in LYLO and I want to run some smaller setups.
The idea would be that 5 players would sign up and play in a series of 5p LYLO games, each with its own theme. Players would play until everyone has had a chance at being scum or once 5 total games have been played.
I could even do multiple of these simultaneously and privately, so it could be three of them going at once, with the same rotation of themes.
Another consideration I had would be not outting player's alignments/roles after the game had ended, as to keep subsequent games more interesting and less game-solvey.
I was thinking I could knock out a lot of smaller theme ideas by running a 'procedurally generated' sort of game where I make a new theme game for each new game run.

What do ya'll think?

[Varsoon]

@Maestro: I vaguely remember playing in a series of 3p LYLO games here: https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?f=84&t=27133
I think I could find dedicated players for at least one set of 5.

[Varsoon]

I'd likely be balancing roles/night actions around 3:2 lylos with that in mind.

[Varsoon]

Yes.
YES
And if you're gonna theme it, do something you love

[Varsoon]

What's to keep town from browbeating everyone into doing a big dumb terribly rote vote exchange so that they can know for sure who the lovers are?

[Varsoon]

If it's a non-public role or extant non-publicly in a game, it could work, though.
The issue I always have with mechanics is that I have to take a step back and think, "How would some methodical player break this mechanic sideways in a way that I did not intend?"

[Varsoon]

Yeah I've run dead-communication in, like, literally the last game I ran, bud.

[Varsoon]

Also I think it was NSG ? or someone who ran a game themed around dead players being able to send tapes from the afterlife or something.

[Varsoon]

I would play a Blood Bowl game.
I would pre-in for American Presidents 2 : Vice President Boogaloo.

[Varsoon]

I'd play a Polandball U-pick.

[Varsoon]

One of my favorite people on this site ran a Persona 5 game awhile back and it was awesome
but I'd love to be in yours, too.

[Varsoon]

Gauging interest in theme game focused on Nier: Automata

Expect there to be heavy flavor, roles derived from that the original flavor, and at least one unique global mechanic for people to play around.
I'm set on running this soon as a part of a theme exchange with Alisae, who will be (hopefully) running a game based on the theme I gave them (Megaman BattleNetwork).
My biggest question for people is
1. Is this something you would be excited to play
and, much more importantly,
2. What size of a game should I make? Right now, I'm leaning towards either a 13 player mini-theme or a Large theme with no more than 18 players. Thoughts?