Gustav

Yeah, let's get this over with. Gustav has a good time talking to some very uncommitted people who have probably not changed their minds one bit. Inspiring the next generation of Gustavs is somewhat difficult. But, in other news, Salem has gathered today to take care of @Adrest245. Votes were needed, votes were received, and the chair is kicked out from under yet another resident. Whose fangs promptly fall out of his mouth. One VAMPIRE after another has made Salem's life difficult. @Berocka has smelled like garlic since his first gig as VAMPIRE HUNTER back in S71, and it's finally paid off. None are left. That also means that no one is left who opposes Town--its PIRATE, @jacobaa19, rides off with a VHL-record 4 kills. Only three townies remain, but that's enough. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS, THE TOWN AND THE PIRATE! To address some things mentioned earlier--I'll have things related to the MEDIUM role added to the official rule set soon. Those being the following: Players may not use things known personally between them and someone in dead chat to confirm a Medium claim. I am not picking on Doom for having tried this in this thread, because it's been done many times before--but in the spirit of the game, confirming a Medium should be done with info that is strictly related to the game. I hope I can trust you guys not to do that moving forward and to not participate in it if it's brought up. This applies to any role--please don't directly copy-paste messages from Discord. I don't really care if you copy the text of an individual message, but copy-pasting names and time stamps along with it, especially if they're formatted, is too far. Dead chat has been changed in this game to reflect the actual role's mechanics (can talk only at night). It was my fault that I didn't specify this. In any case, thank you for playing this game as always, with an added thank you for putting up with some confusion caused by the Medium business and me being gone late last night. Here is the game's spreadsheet, which I will probably have to update more extensively when I have time. @Adrest245 - BODYGUARD/VAMPIRE @Advantage - VIGILANTE @Alex - BODYGUARD @Berocka - VAMPIRE HUNTER @Cartripp14 - MAFIOSO @Dadam30 - SHERIFF @Da Trifecta - DISGUISER @Doomsday - INVESTIGATOR @eaglesfan036 - LOOKOUT @GoodLeftUndone - ESCORT/VAMPIRE @Grape - GODFATHER @jacobaa19 - PIRATE @jhatty8 - VAMPIRE @Lemorse7 - ARSONIST @NSG - FORGER @omgitshim - EXECUTIONER @Ptyrell - LOOKOUT @Ricer13 - CONSORT @rory - JAILOR @woog - MEDIUM

Gustav will have to move fast this morning, and probably also tonight. No formatting for you. @GoodLeftUndone was staked by a VAMPIRE HUNTER--you guessed it, he was a VAMPIRE. @Advantage, as Salem knows by this point, was a VIGILANTE who took himself out last night. Last will: Gustav hopes to be reasonably on time tonight but cannot guarantee it. List of living players (5) @Adrest245 @Alex @Berocka @jacobaa19 @rory

Hi. Gustav is getting undergrads drunk. Hatty was a VAMPIRE. I will move what’s absolutely necessary on Discord now and do the rest in a bit.

STHS does have an option to include injuries. And yeah, it's turned off because it's not completely fair to the players. It's an interesting dynamic that does make management fun though. There have been lots of management leagues over the years where you control a team rather than a player and I think it would be cool to work with in that case.

Yo ho ho, as they say. The fourth PIRATE death of the game goes to @woog, who was in fact a MEDIUM. Last will: I will clarify that I did indeed change the way dead chat worked for this game. I have said in the past that I would in all likelihood move to "real" dead chat if possible, but still should have clarified that it was what I was actually going to do here. I apologize for any confusion that may have arisen from this and we'll talk later about some other non-ideal things from this game. But before I leave, @Doomsday, an INVESTIGATOR,was shot by a VIGILANTE. Last will: Gustav will be trying to get potential new students drunk tonight and cannot guarantee anything in the way of being on time. List of living players (8) @Adrest245 @Advantage @Alex @Berocka @GoodLeftUndone @jacobaa19 @jhatty8 @rory

I'll elect not to say anything on game mechanics (one way or another) now, but we'll have to talk about metagaming later. No one is voted out, but it isn't for lack of an...interesting...day. Gustav will see you tomorrow morning! List of living players (10) @Adrest245 @Advantage @Alex @Berocka @Doomsday @GoodLeftUndone @jacobaa19 @jhatty8 @rory @woog

Two more dead! @Cartripp14 is yet another Salem citizen to be swashbuckled. A PIRATE death for the third time in four nights, he was the MAFIOSO. Oh, and a "TALLY HO LADS" for the third time in a row caps off a perfect execution game for the JAILOR. This time, it's @Da Trifecta--the DISGUISER. After a couple days untouched, the Mafia are dropping like flies--but it ain't over 'til it's over. I am not sure yet what's happening, but there's a possibility tonight comes late. List of living players (10) @Adrest245 @Advantage @Alex @Berocka @Doomsday @GoodLeftUndone @jacobaa19 @jhatty8 @rory @woog

It's Day 4, and the town has finally come around to its senses on voting someone out. The first lynching of Game 29 goes to none other than @NSG, who's survived up to this point on relatively limited info. That could be suspicious or just plain difficult to sort out, but in this case, the town has lynched the FORGER. Last will: List of living players (12) @Adrest245 @Advantage @Alex @Berocka @Cartripp14 @Da Trifecta @Doomsday @GoodLeftUndone @jacobaa19 @jhatty8 @rory @woog

Gustav falls asleep reasonably well for the first time in a while. And then tornado sirens go off at 5:30 this morning. Ain't life grand? Perhaps Salem could have benefited from a siren or two, because those who were complacent enough to sleep through last night certainly regretted it in some cases. It's not at 5:30, rather, it's right on time, but a second "TALLY HO LADS" still starts the day plenty bright and early. @Grape was taken to jail last night and put in the drunk tank... @Dadam30, taking part in his first game, seems to have attracted some MAFIA attention after yesterday's discussion... Yesterday has also brought the focus of the Town to @Ricer13, who in a surprise move has been shot by a VIGILANTE who's seen enough. Perhaps it was a risky move... How about four? If three wasn't enough, PIRATE deaths have hit this game early and often, and it's one suffered by @Ptyrell that makes our graveyard more than double today. Ptyrell was... Tally ho lads, indeed. Gustav is off to another embarrassingly unproductive day at work. List of living players (13) @Adrest245 @Advantage @Alex @Berocka @Cartripp14 @Da Trifecta @Doomsday @GoodLeftUndone @jacobaa19 @jhatty8 @NSG @rory @woog

Gustav is 7 minutes late because he is making moqueca--it's Brazilian! Every week I make my coworkers give me a country and I go home and spend all night making a food of theirs. It's the small things that keep you interesting and interested. Anyway, the day phase did enough to keep me interested. Rumors swirl, people throw shade, town is called stupid. And, in the end, a few names going around result in Ricer being pushed...but not killed off entirely. See you tomorrow morning! Or not. List of living players (17) @Adrest245 @Advantage @Alex @Berocka @Cartripp14 @Dadam30 @Da Trifecta @Doomsday @GoodLeftUndone @Grape @jacobaa19 @jhatty8 @NSG @Ptyrell @Ricer13 @rory @woog

Oh shut up Laughton was underrated though. There always was a spot for that level of activity in the VHL, even if it probably didn't feel like it given all the trades. I remember seeing you post once or twice about being frustrated by being moved around so much and I felt kind of bad. That was part of why I kept Shawty around; I was never under any pressure to move you but I wanted to keep what you wanted in mind. I'm glad you had a career in one place even if it was a shorter one. But it will be interesting to see where Obuz can go and I'm looking forward to seeing it.

It's Tuesday, and Gustav is already tired and unmotivated. But let's get this party started. Gustav also can't wait to bring most of you another day of all that goes on in Salem. Starting with the town's first "TALLY HO LADS" in a while. Yep, that's the JAILOR's grapeshot cannon firing. Unfamiliar to some, but unfortunate to @Lemorse7, who's on the wrong end of it. Lemorse was... There's also a little red rose on the ground in place of @omgitshim, who's become the first kill recorded so far by the MAFIA. omg was... Time to get going. Ping me if you think I did anything stupid. List of living players (17) @Adrest245 @Advantage @Alex @Berocka @Cartripp14 @Dadam30 @Da Trifecta @Doomsday @GoodLeftUndone @Grape @jacobaa19 @jhatty8 @NSG @Ptyrell @Ricer13 @rory @woog

*Gustav on mobile noises* Day 2 has come to an end, with apologies for not being exactly on time. See you at a similar time tomorrow morning to when I was here this one. List of living players (19) @Adrest245 @Advantage @Alex @Berocka @Cartripp14 @Dadam30 @Da Trifecta @Doomsday @GoodLeftUndone @Grape @jacobaa19 @jhatty8 @Lemorse7 @NSG @omgitshim @Ptyrell @Ricer13 @rory @woog

I do think trivia has a major accessibility issue these days. A lot of questions are either a.) pointless; b.) worded in confusing/misleading ways, or c.) intentionally made obscure enough that you need to know the forum inside and out to even get a hint at the answer. I’ve seen people get laughed at on Discord for having an issue with all of those things and I don’t think that’s right. I can see where the idea that you should be putting in work for your answers comes in to justify those questions for people like me who have been here for years and DO know how to find just about anything. But I don’t think “lol, just try harder, idiot” applies for a new member or a casual one who might not have any idea how to navigate. Now that the portal labels first-gen players, we should be able to have questions marked as appropriate for new members (reasonably easily found on the portal or the forum’s HoF section) or otherwise and have the weird ones excluded from those players. I think that would keep trivia expectations more fair across the board.

I can see this being hellish to figure out a balance for. It’s an interesting idea, but you’d have to be really methodical about running your tests in a way that’s reflective of the ways that players would actually update and how that would conceivably work in the sims. And even then, what’s a “successful” outcome in terms of the starts that a backup would get? It’s probably better to just require that teams follow that successful outcome in the first place. I also have no idea how endurance and fatigue work—does it change over the course of a season or just reset at the start of each game? The latter wouldn’t exactly work in the way this is intended.

"Same ol' river Same ol' sea Same ol' waters rushing over me "Same ol' moon Same ol' sun Same ol' race that we've always run" Also, same ol' @eaglesfan036 being targeted early. Sadly for the Town, they've lost their first member and it's a LOOKOUT--perhaps not every Day 1 claim is to be believed, and perhaps that's not even an evil strategy. Eagles was killed by a PIRATE. Last will: Gustav may be a bit late tonight, but it shouldn't be too terrible. Proceed with your Day 2. List of living players (19) @Adrest245 @Advantage @Alex @Berocka @Cartripp14 @Dadam30 @Da Trifecta @Doomsday @GoodLeftUndone @Grape @jacobaa19 @jhatty8 @Lemorse7 @NSG @omgitshim @Ptyrell @Ricer13 @rory @woog

*Gustav noises* It's Day 1, and seeing as we've been at it for over 24 hours at this point, and there's no point in continuing, let's make it Night 1. What will happen here? You'd think by Game 29, we'd have a pretty solid idea--but as always, nobody knows. May you live to see the light of the work week. List of living players (20) @Adrest245 @Advantage @Alex @Berocka @Cartripp14 @Dadam30 @Da Trifecta @Doomsday @eaglesfan036 @GoodLeftUndone @Grape @jacobaa19 @jhatty8 @Lemorse7 @NSG @omgitshim @Ptyrell @Ricer13 @rory @woog

Week 3

I do fully disagree with the idea of giving out a free 12, but I don't mind agreeing with the motivation for that. Part of me is intrigued by the idea of doing catch-up tasks--perhaps someone could earn at least some stuff back that they previously wouldn't have had any opportunity to by doing things that would otherwise have been claimed in other weeks. I don't even fully like that because I think it introduces some real discussions about burnout and hitting new players with too much at once, but it could also be a valid counterpoint that we do run into people every now and then who absolutely would do that and let it shape them into a more involved member, faster. I'd have to think about whether or not I actually want that, but I think it's at least interesting.

Some people ask me when I'm starting the game. To that, I say "it will start in one second." Any All wins the poll every time, and while most of the time I listen, sometimes I change it up for the heck of it, because I want to make sure that those people picking the other options are heard or because we haven't done one in a while or whatever. In this case, those two options apply, but we also have a few new faces this game--so for the added reason that some might like to work with a role list, we're going STANDARD MAFIA today. Said role list is as follows: 2x TOWN PROTECTIVE 2x TOWN SUPPORT 2x TOWN INVESTIGATIVE 1x TOWN KILLING 3x RANDOM TOWN 1x GODFATHER 1x MAFIOSO 2x RANDOM MAFIA 1x NEUTRAL KILLING 2x RANDOM NEUTRAL 3x ANY OF THE ABOVE Player list (20): @Adrest245 @Advantage @Alex @Berocka @Cartripp14 @Dadam30 @Da Trifecta @Doomsday @eaglesfan036 @GoodLeftUndone @Grape @jacobaa19 @jhatty8 @Lemorse7 @NSG @omgitshim @Ptyrell @Ricer13 @rory @woog Gustav will not be starting Night 1 tonight, but tomorrow night--if "on schedule", we're talking a little under 1 day and 6.5 hours away. I may or may not start a bit ahead of schedule because there's no real point in dragging D1 that long, but should have it up and running by then. Here is the copy-paste, and if you aren't a fan of it being in dark mode, I will personally remove your kneecaps with an ice cream scoop. Rules are here The wiki is here -JOIN THE DISCORD SERVER! YOU'RE REQUIRED TO! HERE'S ANOTHER LINK! -I'm going with my usual starting and ending times as a general guideline: WHENEVER THE HELL I WAKE UP marks the start of each day phase, and 10 PM EST marks the start of each night phase. Those will be the times that I'll aim for, but, officially, the start of one phase and the end of another comes whenever I make the announcement. You'll be pinged. I will do my best to give out expected announcement times, but I reserve the right to kick off any phase at any time. -No talking in this thread during night phases. That goes for everybody, regardless of role. I have no power to lock this thread at night, and there's no official penalty for talking in here at night, but if you see one of your fellow citizens doing so, please yell at them for me. I CAN LOCK THE THREAD AT NIGHT, AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! If for some reason I forget, or if you have mod powers and can comment in locked threads, please keep the "no talking" rule in mind anyway. -Do not edit posts. I've been relaxed about not yelling at people who have, but editing is a sneaky way to take out potentially incriminating information. If you say something stupid, too bad. Don't change it. -If you are reasonably able to be online at the start of the night phases, please make an effort to do so. The JAILOR (if there is a Jailor) is able to speak with you in their own Discord channel at night, and that is when I will put the Jailor's target in said channel. If it is within your power to do so and doesn't present a huge inconvenience, please be online when the night phase starts and please join the server out of respect for the Jailor and their time. If you know you won't be around at the start of the night phase, it might be helpful to give me a message to forward to the Jailor during the day phase should you be placed in jail that night. -DO NOT PM ANYBODY. All communication must happen in this thread, unless you have already received an invite to a Discord server where you may speak as well. If you haven't, keep everything here. Should you wish to contact someone directly, too bad! Whispers don't exist in this format. -STAY ACTIVE. If you do go two day and night phases in a row without speaking in public, speaking in a private Discord, or sending me a night action (or specifically telling me you do not want to take a night action), I will swing the Mighty Gustav Hammer of Death. You do not want the Mighty Gustav Hammer of Death, and neither does anybody on your side. -NO ROLES ARE OFF THE TABLE. If you play the online game, you may be familiar with a Classic mode being the default, where many of the newer roles are not used. In these games, if the evil faction is the Mafia, ALL roles which are not members of the Coven may be used, and vice versa. This includes Any All and Town Traitor. -Last but not least, friendly reminder that no discussion relevant to this game in particular is allowed in the #general channel of the game server while this game is running. -Just kidding! Actually last but not least--IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK YOUR DISCORD CHANNEL FOR NOTIFICATIONS PRIOR TO EACH DAY PHASE. It might not end well for you if you don't! -And last but not least for the third time, if you choose to change a night action, please, please, send a new message rather than editing your old one. I've missed changes because of this before as an edit doesn't give me any sort of notification if I've already seen and missed the first one...so make sure I've got it right by separating your submissions!

Best-case scenario, within 24 hours, worst-case scenario, within 72. Depends how motivated I am with my Friday night and how busy I am with my Saturday one.

To be honest, this isn’t even as impactful as some Louth Rule punishments IMO. The punishment here is a slap on the wrist for a class where there’s very much a top 2. Whether that’s appropriate is up to opinion. The VHL will always have shady GM tactics, whether we’re talking this or trying to fleece new GMs or tampering or even weird borderline insider trading policy change proposals that we have to look out for in BoG. So even though not everything will be caught all the time, I’m glad that there’s some effort made to keep it in line. I’m sure that stuff happened in more places than just Seattle this season, and I’d understand if that’s a reason to keep it mild, but we as players should also be doing our best to make sure we get the playing time we deserve and speak up when necessary.

I don't need any more TPE this week, but hello. I thought I'd get on the random thoughts train just because--I have things on my mind and I like putting them in nice places. A week ago was my 5-year VHL anniversary. I still remember the day I joined. I was a super bored college freshman and scrolling through Reddit for way too long, putting off doing some assignment, and happened to come across the right post at the right time. I was a bit weirded out by the idea of talking to strangers and I had basically quit already when I got a couple emails that I'd been messaged ahead of the upcoming VHLM draft--sure, I welfared for a couple weeks at the start, but coming back on then was the reason why I stayed. That's why you scout people! Talking to some of you is weird. I'm a very different person than I was as an 18-year-old VHL noob, but the kids keep getting younger. I didn't think anything of it when I was 18 or 19 and learned that someone was 14 or 15--and I still don't really do that today, because I get that we'll get new kids all the time--but realizing last night that one of you was nine years old when I joined the league blew my mind a little bit. I'm running another Town of Salem game, and sign-ups are open now! I'm not sure how clear it is that my games are open to everyone regardless of experience--and that those who have gained it are totally cool with you learning by playing. I do apologize if it's looked like an exclusive club to anyone on the outside, because that's never been the intent. People who have been accepted to my program will be visiting my campus in a week, and it gives me major VHL vibes in some ways. People a year below me generally know me and like me OK because I got involved in all the events to welcome them and I did my best as their TA last semester--and now I have the chance to positively affect a whole new year of people. We're fortunate enough to have a culture that encourages older students helping younger ones, and I hope that's something we do on this forum as well. But if you say we do, please either do it or get out. I don't have time for the fake stuff. Don't underestimate the depth of your relationships with friends. I'm OK, but I've had a lot going on in my head lately that's really weighed down on things and I recently decided to tell a couple people I trust about that. It's the first time I've ever made a point to sit down and do that with anyone and the ways I've been supported have been unreal--from things I didn't know existed being sent my way to a dysfunctionally communicative group chat randomly, magically, just so conveniently happening to suddenly have everyone available and willing to get together and have fun, I can tell that people I know actually care and that feels nice. Anyway, back to the VHL stuff. Vandelay had his last-ever disappointing playoff campaign and is now gone for good. Interestingly, Lazlo Holmes had a pretty solid end-of-year run with Halifax and I'll be interested in seeing what happens when next season rolls around. I still have no plans to have anything to do with the E, and I'm fully prepared to write about how I don't like the circumstances of that and be told I'm stupid for saying so for as long as long as it takes.

List of players: 1. Adrest245 2. Advantage 3. Alex 4. Berocka 5. Cartripp14 6. Dadam30 7. Da Trifecta 8. Doomsday 9. eaglesfan036 10. GoodLeftUndone 11. Grape 12. jacobaa19 13. jhatty8 14. Lemorse7 15. NSG 16. omgitshim 17. Ptyrell 18. Ricer13 19. rory 20. woog