DiscipleofBob
2012-06-26, 08:59 AM
I've been reading up a lot of mafia-games on several forums, and while I've never played, except in real life, it has been peaking my interest.
You'd think the logical approach would be to sign up for a game somewhere, get introduced to the forum version of the genre that way. You'd probably be right. But my brain in its infinite wisdom decided to jump directly into the "build your own version of it" mode it always gets when it encounters something cool.
Long story short, I'm now working on a very different alternate to the mafia-style games based on Marvel's Civil War and to some extent the Secret War storyline. Since I'm new at this, there'll probably be a lot of things and balance issues I need to tweak, and I wouldn't mind some help in that regard.
Here's what I've got so far:
Marvel Civil War Mafia Set Up
This works like a typical Mafia/Werewolf game except for the following:
1. There are two teams: Pro-Registration and Anti-Registration. It is publically known what side each character is on. Each turn, the Pro-Reg heroes will vote to either detain or kill an Anti-Reg hero and vice-versa. Detained heroes cannot vote or collaborate with their teammates, but still might have abilities they can use, and can be broken out. Instead of detaining or killing a member of the other team, a team can instead free one of their partners from the other side.
2. All characters have a Superpower (basically a role that everyone knows about) and a Covert Role (the typical hidden trait of most Mafia/Werewolf games.)
3. Each turn, a team can do one of the following:
Vote to detain a character (including one on your own team, in case you’re looking for a double agent)
Vote to kill a character (including one you have in custody)
Vote to free one of your detained members on the opposite side.
Vote to recruit a willing member of the other team, if you have a Recruiter on your team.
4. The game ends when one side is completely eliminated, but that doesn’t mean the surviving team wins. The winning team is the one with the most morale points at the end of the game, regardless of whether or not your team is eliminated or not. You earn and lose morale points a number of ways over the game: Having characters with the Inspirational superpower earns you points. So does having detained superheroes, and taking out the leader of the other team is a big plus. Killing superheroes regardless of role or affiliation will subtract points.
5. After an undisclosed amount of turns pass, X number of characters (likely the same on both sides) will turn out to be sleeper Skrull agents. Skrulls know who each other are and can communicate outside of the main discussion thread. The Skrull faction also gets their own vote, which can only be used to kill any one character, or to free someone. The Skrulls’ goal is to keep the war going on long enough until they outnumber the remaining characters and can launch an invasion.
6. There are six possible endings to this game:
Pro-Registration wins with survival and morale: The people have spoken. They want to be safe from costumed vigilantes and the collateral damage they cause. The initiative goes into effect with full support from the populace and the remaining superheroes who eventually accept the changing times.
Pro-Registration survives but loses due to morale: The Anti-Registration heroes have been taken down, but at what cost? The severity of their actions is now clear to everyone and a public outcry gets registration repealed. If only it didn’t take so many sacrifices to do so.
Anti-Registration wins with survival and morale: Forcing superheroes to sign up with the government was never a good idea, and now everyone realizes it. The government and SHIELD back down, realizing now just who they’re contending with. They’ll have to work with the superheroes, not try to get the superheroes to work for them.
Anti-Registration survives but loses due to morale: The surviving superheroes are seen as more dangerous as ever. They retain their secret identity, but at what cost? Now everyone sees superheroes the same way J.J. Jameson sees Spider-Man, as a public menace. It’s so bad that drastic measures are taken by the government, like Sentinels.
Skrulls win: Foolish earthlings! While you were quarrelling among yourselves, we’ve been preparing our invasion forces. Now your precious heroes are too few in number to save you, and your planet now belongs to the Skrull empire! Glory to the Skrulls!
Skrulls lose: The last Skrull is exposed, and the conflict allows Pro-Reg and Anti-Reg heroes to take a fresh look at things with cooler heads. An acceptable compromise is reached without further bloodshed, and the world is safe once more.
7. At the start of the game, someone is voted on both sides to be the team leader. The team leader gets the following benefits:
They can only be killed by a unanimous vote from the other side, or by a majority vote from their own side.
Once per turn, in addition to their other abilities, they may choose to either a) Detain someone on their side, b) Execute (kill) a detained character their side has in custody, or c) Free a detained character on their side.
They can choose to forfeit the title and pass it down to someone else on their team of their choosing.
If the team leader gets detained or killed, the opposing faction gains 25 (or otherwise obscene amount here) points, while the faction who just lost their leader loses 25 points.
8. Votes and ability uses are kept secret. Only the GM and certain powers know exactly who did what. It is entirely possible to say you're voting for one action and actually vote for another.
* = Power's still active while you're detained.
List of Superpowers (these are examples, some superheroes may get to choose between one of several superpowers at game setup):
Inspirational: Get +5 morale points per round. (Captain America, Cyclops, etc.)
*Bruiser: Can only be detained or killed by a 2/3 (or 3/4) majority vote from either side. Otherwise you survive. (Hulk, Thing, etc.)
Knowledgeable: You get to know the vote tallies for each side. You do not get to know who cast what vote. (Dr. Strange, Mr. Fantastic, etc.)
*Telepath: Each turn you get to (secretly) do one of the following: a) Learn what one target's Covert Role is, b) Learn what one person is voting for this round and change it without their knowledge, or c) put up telepathic interference so no Telepath's abilities work this round. (Phoenix, Psylocke, etc.)
*Super Senses: Each round you get to know a) how many people voted for you, and b) if someone used an ability on you. You get to know the identity of the latter but not which ability they used. (Spider-Man, Daredevil, etc.)
Forcefield: Choose one person, you can protect them from abilities and being detained or killed this round. You do not get to know beforehand if they're being targeted. (Invisible Woman, etc.)
Sniper: Select one target. That character cannot use their Superpower or Covert Role ability this round, or if they're the team leader, they can't use their leadership abilities. This does not affect passive abilities like Bruiser, Super Senses, or the Team Leader's requirement for a unanimous vote to be detained or killed. (Hawkeye, Punisher, etc.)
Sneak Attack: Each turn you get to do one of the following: a) Learn what one target's Covert Role is, b) Block one target from using their Covert Ability this turn, or c) Steal 5 points from the opposing faction. (Black Widow, Nightcrawler, etc.)
Energy Blast: You get three "energy blasts" which can be used once per turn to provide you with an extra vote. These "energy blasts" recharge once per round that you don't use an energy blast. (Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, etc.)
Streetfighter: If you choose not to Vote this turn, you cannot be detained or killed. (Wolverine, Iron Fist, etc.)
List of Covert Roles:
Double Agent: You are secretly working for the other side. Your victory conditions are for the other side. Once per round, you can free a detained character from your actual faction, investigate the Covert Role of one of the characters on the team you're infiltrating (the information goes directly to the team leader from your faction), stop one character from using their ability as the Sniper ability, or subtract 10 morale points from the side you're infiltrating. If you defect, you lose your Covert abilities.
Infiltrator: If you manage to defect to the other side, you become a Double Agent.
Propaganda: +10 morale points per round.
Recruiter: As long as you're willing, a target from the other side is willing, and your team votes in favor, you can recruit a character from the other faction.
Intelligence Operative: Once per round, you can learn one target's Covert Role.
Bodyguard: Once per round, you can choose one person on your faction other than yourself. That target cannot be detained or killed this round.
Courier: On any turn that no one votes for you, your faction gets +15 morale points.
Phoenix Force: Only one per game. This Covert Role reads as Propaganda to any investigating sources. If you are killed, you manifest the Phoenix Force. You no longer belong to any faction and can't win. Once per round, you can kill one target of your choice. This ability cannot be blocked or stopped.
More Superpowers and Covert Roles as I can think of them/they're suggested.
You'd think the logical approach would be to sign up for a game somewhere, get introduced to the forum version of the genre that way. You'd probably be right. But my brain in its infinite wisdom decided to jump directly into the "build your own version of it" mode it always gets when it encounters something cool.
Long story short, I'm now working on a very different alternate to the mafia-style games based on Marvel's Civil War and to some extent the Secret War storyline. Since I'm new at this, there'll probably be a lot of things and balance issues I need to tweak, and I wouldn't mind some help in that regard.
Here's what I've got so far:
Marvel Civil War Mafia Set Up
This works like a typical Mafia/Werewolf game except for the following:
1. There are two teams: Pro-Registration and Anti-Registration. It is publically known what side each character is on. Each turn, the Pro-Reg heroes will vote to either detain or kill an Anti-Reg hero and vice-versa. Detained heroes cannot vote or collaborate with their teammates, but still might have abilities they can use, and can be broken out. Instead of detaining or killing a member of the other team, a team can instead free one of their partners from the other side.
2. All characters have a Superpower (basically a role that everyone knows about) and a Covert Role (the typical hidden trait of most Mafia/Werewolf games.)
3. Each turn, a team can do one of the following:
Vote to detain a character (including one on your own team, in case you’re looking for a double agent)
Vote to kill a character (including one you have in custody)
Vote to free one of your detained members on the opposite side.
Vote to recruit a willing member of the other team, if you have a Recruiter on your team.
4. The game ends when one side is completely eliminated, but that doesn’t mean the surviving team wins. The winning team is the one with the most morale points at the end of the game, regardless of whether or not your team is eliminated or not. You earn and lose morale points a number of ways over the game: Having characters with the Inspirational superpower earns you points. So does having detained superheroes, and taking out the leader of the other team is a big plus. Killing superheroes regardless of role or affiliation will subtract points.
5. After an undisclosed amount of turns pass, X number of characters (likely the same on both sides) will turn out to be sleeper Skrull agents. Skrulls know who each other are and can communicate outside of the main discussion thread. The Skrull faction also gets their own vote, which can only be used to kill any one character, or to free someone. The Skrulls’ goal is to keep the war going on long enough until they outnumber the remaining characters and can launch an invasion.
6. There are six possible endings to this game:
Pro-Registration wins with survival and morale: The people have spoken. They want to be safe from costumed vigilantes and the collateral damage they cause. The initiative goes into effect with full support from the populace and the remaining superheroes who eventually accept the changing times.
Pro-Registration survives but loses due to morale: The Anti-Registration heroes have been taken down, but at what cost? The severity of their actions is now clear to everyone and a public outcry gets registration repealed. If only it didn’t take so many sacrifices to do so.
Anti-Registration wins with survival and morale: Forcing superheroes to sign up with the government was never a good idea, and now everyone realizes it. The government and SHIELD back down, realizing now just who they’re contending with. They’ll have to work with the superheroes, not try to get the superheroes to work for them.
Anti-Registration survives but loses due to morale: The surviving superheroes are seen as more dangerous as ever. They retain their secret identity, but at what cost? Now everyone sees superheroes the same way J.J. Jameson sees Spider-Man, as a public menace. It’s so bad that drastic measures are taken by the government, like Sentinels.
Skrulls win: Foolish earthlings! While you were quarrelling among yourselves, we’ve been preparing our invasion forces. Now your precious heroes are too few in number to save you, and your planet now belongs to the Skrull empire! Glory to the Skrulls!
Skrulls lose: The last Skrull is exposed, and the conflict allows Pro-Reg and Anti-Reg heroes to take a fresh look at things with cooler heads. An acceptable compromise is reached without further bloodshed, and the world is safe once more.
7. At the start of the game, someone is voted on both sides to be the team leader. The team leader gets the following benefits:
They can only be killed by a unanimous vote from the other side, or by a majority vote from their own side.
Once per turn, in addition to their other abilities, they may choose to either a) Detain someone on their side, b) Execute (kill) a detained character their side has in custody, or c) Free a detained character on their side.
They can choose to forfeit the title and pass it down to someone else on their team of their choosing.
If the team leader gets detained or killed, the opposing faction gains 25 (or otherwise obscene amount here) points, while the faction who just lost their leader loses 25 points.
8. Votes and ability uses are kept secret. Only the GM and certain powers know exactly who did what. It is entirely possible to say you're voting for one action and actually vote for another.
* = Power's still active while you're detained.
List of Superpowers (these are examples, some superheroes may get to choose between one of several superpowers at game setup):
Inspirational: Get +5 morale points per round. (Captain America, Cyclops, etc.)
*Bruiser: Can only be detained or killed by a 2/3 (or 3/4) majority vote from either side. Otherwise you survive. (Hulk, Thing, etc.)
Knowledgeable: You get to know the vote tallies for each side. You do not get to know who cast what vote. (Dr. Strange, Mr. Fantastic, etc.)
*Telepath: Each turn you get to (secretly) do one of the following: a) Learn what one target's Covert Role is, b) Learn what one person is voting for this round and change it without their knowledge, or c) put up telepathic interference so no Telepath's abilities work this round. (Phoenix, Psylocke, etc.)
*Super Senses: Each round you get to know a) how many people voted for you, and b) if someone used an ability on you. You get to know the identity of the latter but not which ability they used. (Spider-Man, Daredevil, etc.)
Forcefield: Choose one person, you can protect them from abilities and being detained or killed this round. You do not get to know beforehand if they're being targeted. (Invisible Woman, etc.)
Sniper: Select one target. That character cannot use their Superpower or Covert Role ability this round, or if they're the team leader, they can't use their leadership abilities. This does not affect passive abilities like Bruiser, Super Senses, or the Team Leader's requirement for a unanimous vote to be detained or killed. (Hawkeye, Punisher, etc.)
Sneak Attack: Each turn you get to do one of the following: a) Learn what one target's Covert Role is, b) Block one target from using their Covert Ability this turn, or c) Steal 5 points from the opposing faction. (Black Widow, Nightcrawler, etc.)
Energy Blast: You get three "energy blasts" which can be used once per turn to provide you with an extra vote. These "energy blasts" recharge once per round that you don't use an energy blast. (Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, etc.)
Streetfighter: If you choose not to Vote this turn, you cannot be detained or killed. (Wolverine, Iron Fist, etc.)
List of Covert Roles:
Double Agent: You are secretly working for the other side. Your victory conditions are for the other side. Once per round, you can free a detained character from your actual faction, investigate the Covert Role of one of the characters on the team you're infiltrating (the information goes directly to the team leader from your faction), stop one character from using their ability as the Sniper ability, or subtract 10 morale points from the side you're infiltrating. If you defect, you lose your Covert abilities.
Infiltrator: If you manage to defect to the other side, you become a Double Agent.
Propaganda: +10 morale points per round.
Recruiter: As long as you're willing, a target from the other side is willing, and your team votes in favor, you can recruit a character from the other faction.
Intelligence Operative: Once per round, you can learn one target's Covert Role.
Bodyguard: Once per round, you can choose one person on your faction other than yourself. That target cannot be detained or killed this round.
Courier: On any turn that no one votes for you, your faction gets +15 morale points.
Phoenix Force: Only one per game. This Covert Role reads as Propaganda to any investigating sources. If you are killed, you manifest the Phoenix Force. You no longer belong to any faction and can't win. Once per round, you can kill one target of your choice. This ability cannot be blocked or stopped.
More Superpowers and Covert Roles as I can think of them/they're suggested.