Cases are anti-town?

[kortul]

And what do you propose to do to those of us who prefare logic to gut/instincts/etc? For me, gut based (or no explanation) votes are more scummy, than at least some explanation. But i agree that long walls are evil, and i think most players are just skimming them, so making a long case means that most will just ignore it or catch a point or two.

If you make it short, describing main points and maybe hiding evidence in spoilers, it is more likely that the target audience will actually grasp an idea why do you think someone is scum. Even if you do a VCA or something similar, it is still a case, just a specialized.

[kortul]

I basically wholeheartedly disagree with everyone who says cases are scummy and/or anti-town. Cases are NECESSARY and IMPORTANT parts of the game, but should be used sparingly, and when warranted. Just because some people start spam fights with cases does not mean that cases are inherently spammy or anti-town.

I agree completely with this. Cases are just another set of tools to work towards your goal. They are used by both town and scum. There's no alignment attached to a tool. And when i am talking about the case, it is certain points against someone, that are not based on PoE. Whether it is a wall of text or just 2 short sentences - it is still a case.

I'd say dismissing cases is anti-town - it means ignoring the interactions between two players of unknown alignment. Analyse the case: figure out whether you agree with the assumptions, interpretations of the facts, etc; whether the conclusions are logical, or not; whether all the facts were given or some are conveniently missing. If you agree with everything, good. If you disagree with assumptions or interpretations - argue. If you see the flaw in logic - point to it. Just be concise, and see the reaction of the case maker - is he actually considering your words, or just blindly pushing his points. Even if it will tell you nothing about the case target, it will allow you to get a better read on case maker.