NoPowerOverMe's Mini Normal Review, July 2020

[implosion]

Here is my game setup:
Townx9: Innocent Child; Miller; 2 shot watcher; 1 shot cop; 1 shot doctor, Neighbor, 4xVT
Mafia:x3 Even Night Commuter, Neighborx2

Role PMs:

You are a

Innocent Child

Win Conditions:

You win if all threats to the town are eliminated and at least one town-aligned player is alive.

Abilities:

You may PM the mod at any time to have him reveal your role to everyone in the game topic.

You are a

Miller

Win Conditions:

You win if all threats to the town are eliminated and at least one town-aligned player is alive.

Abilities:

You appear mafia aligned in any investigation.

2 Shot Watcher
You are a

2 Shot Watcher

Win Conditions:

You win if all threats to the town are eliminated and at least one town-aligned player is alive.

Abilities:

Twice during the game at night, you may target a player to be watched, thus discovering if that player was targeted in the same night phase and if somebody did who. You will receive a Private Message from the moderator containing the names(s) of the players.

Cop
You are a

1 shot Cop

Win Conditions:

You win if all threats to the town are eliminated and at least one town-aligned player is alive.

Abilities:

Once per game at night, you may target a player to be inspected, thus discovering their alignment. You will receive a Private Message from the moderator containing either [Mafia] or [Not-Mafia].

Doctor
You are a

1 shot Doctor

Win Conditions:

You win if all threats to the town are eliminated and at least one town-aligned player is alive.

Abilities:

Once per game at night you may target a player to be protected, this will protect them from one kill for one night. The targeted player is not informed that they were protected. You will not be informed if you protected the player from a kill.

You are a

Neighbor

Win Conditions:

You win if all threats to the town are eliminated and at least one town-aligned player is alive.

Abilities:

You will have access to a seperate Private Topic that includes two other neighbors, PX and PY. Their alignment is not confirmed. The PT is located here.

Vanilla Townie
You are a

Vanilla Townie

Win Conditions:

You win if all threats to the town are eliminated and at least one town-aligned player is alive.

Abilities:

You have no abilities, your strength is your vote and intellect.[/b]

You are an

Even Night Commuter

Win Conditions:

You win if at least one member of your group is alive and all other players are dead (or if nothing can prevent the same).

Abilities:

You share a Private Topic with your fellow scum; [names]. The Private Topic is here.
You have a factional night-kill meaning that each night one of you may night-kill a player.
On even numbered nights you "leave town", making you immune to night actions.

You are an

Neighbor

Win Conditions:

You win if at least one member of your group is alive and all other players are dead (or if nothing can prevent the same).

Abilities:

You share a Private Topic with your fellow scum; [names]. The Private Topic is here.
You have a factional night-kill meaning that each night one of you may night-kill a player.
You share a private topic with one of your teammates, PX, and one opponent, PY. The Private Topic is here.

Thanks, I'll set up the review. Just as a couple quick FYIs to start with:

-I see you've listed there should be 9 town, but adding up the roles I get 10.
-Your role PM names should list the alignment of the role, i.e. "You are a town 2-shot watcher" just to make absolutely sure that everyone knows what alignment they are.

Please adjust for 9 town and reduce the VT's if you need to.

[implosion]

Primary: northsidegal
Secondary: mastina

[implosion]

In short it punishes scum no matter what they do in the event of relevant roles claiming. Any combination of those two roles is typically an antipattern:

IC + Doctor semi-guarantees that at some point scum waste a shot for no gain, and with nothing they could have done to know. And then if they don't find the doctor they're ostensibly doomed.
IC + Watcher is that but worse - it basically guarantees town a free guilty for nothing.
Doctor + Watcher is a big problem in a massclaim - if they target each other then scum have no recourse because they can't kill the watcher and if they kill the doctor they have to sacrifice someone.

Basically they're combinations that shift nightplay to have too strong of a role with no way to mitigate through dayplay.

That said, these issues are all lessened by gating the doctor and watcher. But I'll let the reviewers speak more to it.

[implosion]

(nsg and/or possibly mastina may also have other reasons that i've missed as well)