Get to Know a Scummer: Adele edition

[Adele]

Come one, come all.

[Simenon]

Hi! You may be interested in knowing we already have a get to know a scummer program:

http://www.mafiascum.net/forum/viewtopi ... 015#840015

All of the recent gtkas with the exception of one are a part of this larger GTKAS. One of its goals is to bring the community together. With this thread, you are opposing that goal, and undermining the point of GTKAS.

I will add you to the list. Thank you!

[Mr. Flay]

What is your biggest fear?

Where does your username come from?

Who's older, you or Seol? Taller? Smarter?

[mikeburnfire]

What's your favorite videogame? Movie? Song?

Are you still angry about Mini 264, in which I successfully made a last-ditch attempt to convince you to vote for VitaminR because you had an innocent investigation result on me, thereby allowing Yosarian and me to win?

[mikeburnfire]

Also, are you looking forward to Verbose 3 since we had so much fun in Verbose 2, my consortly poet?

[mathcam]

How did Seol recruit you to the site? Any previous exposure to mafia? Every played IRL with him? Current educational status?

Cam

[Eteocles]

Hi! You may be interested in knowing we already have a get to know a scummer program:

http://www.mafiascum.net/forum/viewtopi ... 015#840015

All of the recent gtkas with the exception of one are a part of this larger GTKAS. One of its goals is to bring the community together. With this thread, you are opposing that goal, and undermining the point of GTKAS.

I will add you to the list. Thank you!

Why did you decide to go against the alliance Adele? Didn't you know the consequences?

[Thestatusquo]

Is seol's humor as dry in person as it is online?

[Andycyca]

Favorite word?
Least favorite word?
What turns you up?
What turns you down?
Your favorite curse word?
Your favorite sound?
Least favorite sound?
What other profession (not your current one) would you like to do?
What other profession you wold never do?
If Heaven exists, what would you like God to say when you arrive?

Favorite ice cream flavor?

[IH]

You're not the scary one, are you?

[Adel]

would you care to join me in feasting upon the fear of the young?

[Albert B. Rampage]

Hi! You may be interested in knowing we already have a get to know a scummer program:

http://www.mafiascum.net/forum/viewtopi ... 015#840015

All of the recent gtkas with the exception of one are a part of this larger GTKAS. One of its goals is to bring the community together. With this thread, you are opposing that goal, and undermining the point of GTKAS.

[bird1111]

If you could play with 11 players and a mod and the theme of your choice, who would it be? What would the theme be? Why?

[Oman]

Top Scummer in Games?

Bottom Scummer in Games?

Top Mafia Discussion Scummer?

Bottom Mafia Discussion Scummer?

Australia - Win or Phail?

[Adele]

Simenon:
With respect, I would prefer you do not add me to the list, although I recognise that you of course have every right to start a thread proclaiming itself an interview thread for me, with or without my prior consent, in the same way as I had the right to start this thread.

I don't

want

to sign up to a list, and (possibly several months later) have a thread appear at a time not of my choosing. My work obligations are such that there will be times when I can only really keep up with games, and I've found some of the recent GTKAS threads most interesting when in-depth discussion took place - which might be a very large time commitment.

Essentially, I do not recognise your authority or claim to exclusivity, nor do I believe that my nonparticipation hurts either the GTKAS project you undertook to organise nor the mafiascum community which I only have the highest respect for.

I hope that doesn't upset you too much, or stop you participating where you otherwise would.

[Adele]

flay

What is your biggest fear?

That's a toughie. I don't have any "phobias" per se (if anyone here does, by the way, progress in psychological techniques are such that you can be in very real terms cured with minimal expense, time or discomfort; it's truly amazing, and the limiting factor is in terms of the numbers who give it a go).
I can think of the fear with the biggest consequences; which, while I consider it vanishingly unlikely, does because of its hugeness worry me from time to time. That's the fear that there is a being as hypocritical, as cruel and despotic, and as powerful, as Fundamentalist and even mainstream Christians (Muslims etc) believe, and that I - and the vast majority of humanity - will spend

trillions upon billions

of years being horrifically tortured, variously for not submitting to his tyranny, or for genuinely trying to, but making sincere errors in the exact way he wanted to be worshipped, since he seems to be sending contradictory information.
That'd suck.

Where does your username come from?

The Oxford Names Companion.
I have a very... typical name. Kind of like "Kate Smith". I always knew other Kates, and never felt like I really owned the name. When I went into the Sixth Form (junior/senior high school), though, I had

two

classes (psychology and Critical Thinking) with another Kate Smith. I talked incessantly about changing my name, and then - one day - put my money where my mouth was and went through the entire Oxford Names companion, whittling out the names I didn't like. I wound up with a shortlist of 40-ish and chose the name I go by in RL from that list. Adele's one of the ones that didn't make the cut, because my mother declared it "old-fashioned". Well, I like it, and I think it's coming back into fashion. A big part of me wishes I'd picked it, but I'm happy with the choice I made.

Who's older, you or Seol? Taller? Smarter?

Seol.
Seol.
50-50. He's one of the very few people on the planet I'm willing to acknowledge

might

be smarter than me (I have

iss-ues

).

mbf

What's your favorite videogame? Movie? Song?

right now, Super Mario Galaxy. In fact, any Mario

platformer

(esp lost levels), the 3-odd zeldas I've played, super monkey ball, unirally... I'm a child of shigero (not literally), I like *fun* and I'm not too big on violence.
Movie... probs shawshank. However, I like movies that make me think, that challenge me - eternal sunshine, fight club, memento was ok...
Song: I'm not

that

into music, tbh. I like Take That's Shine, Toxic by Britney Spears, I loved "You're Gorgeous"... there's a bunch - plus any of the anthems that put a grin on your face: I will survive, hey ya, mmm bop. At the mo, Shine's my fave.

Are you still angry about Mini 264, in which I successfully made a last-ditch attempt to convince you to vote for VitaminR because you had an innocent investigation result on me, thereby allowing Yosarian and me to win?

It was annoying, certainly; my role in that game was effectively semi-naive. I don't assign you credit or blame for that.

Also, are you looking forward to Verbose 3 since we had so much fun in Verbose 2, my consortly poet?

I won't be joining. I can't play larger games than minis, and it's time I stopped trying. Frankly, I'm relieved in retrospect that I died when I did; how I could've kept up, I don't know.

mathcam

How did Seol recruit you to the site? Any previous exposure to mafia? Every played IRL with him? Current educational status?

It's a long time ago, now; he talked about the site and the game quite a lot, and encouraged me to join. That's about it, I think.
Yes, though it didn't occur until later; I played a game of RL mafia when in university in Ohio. I was one of two scum (a dozen or so players) and I won with ease.
Actually, I've only played 3-man games with him; ultra-rapid, "who's got the 1992 coin", round after round when drinking. Which is fun, but...
I'm a graduate in Psychology and Philosophy from a respected university, and am currently a student member of the ICAEW (institute of chartered accountants in england and wales). It's my intent to study philosophy further once I've qualified, and possibly mathematics too (I regret not really taking it past high school).

eteocles

Why did you decide to go against the alliance Adele? Didn't you know the consequences?

"Alliance"? I opted out of Simenon's queue because I don't recognise his authority on the matter.
I doubt there'll be any consequences that'll bother me - besides perhaps the fact that ABR's posted here.

tsq

Is seol's humor as dry in person as it is online?

No, his sense of humour's not

as

dry as Seol's, but he is very funny, and often very dry. He's a master bullshitter; he'll mention an obscure, QI-esque factoid at the dinner table and the whole family will pause and glare suspiciously at him. Problem is, he's the type to find out and retain those factoids. From him; to the best of my knowledge, one is true and one false, but which is which?:
A) =- that the British combination of lamb and mint (delicious, but not found anywhere else I think) became popular following an edict that lamb should be served with bitter herbs only, to encourage quality.
B) - that "Hairdryers" were originally used to dry clothes; the name came from a contraction of "Hot-Air Dryer".

andro

Favorite word?

Dichotomy

Least favorite word?

The "N Word"

What turns you up?

Hanging out with my best friend, seeing family, dancing to a good tune, watching a good smart US Drama or UK sitcom

What turns you down?

I do, when I don't do the things that I know will benefit me even on a short-term scale.

Your favorite curse word?

"bollocks" and suchlike, for the effect such British words have on Americans

Your favorite sound?

The Tchshh-sss fsss when I open a new bottle of Diet Coke

Least favorite sound?

The quiet, inoffensive beep a computer makes when it's just not gonna do what you want/need it to do

What other profession (not your current one) would you like to do?

Teacher (maths), professor (philosophy), novelist

What other profession you would never do?

I've never signed on, and don't imagine I would while I was capable of working in a shop or similar. But there are jobs out there that really don't improve the world at all, and ones that really just make the world worse. Certain areas of criminality (not all, but any related to theft or fraud); of course, paparazzi and certain "journalists"; I imagine it's often difficult for lawyers, joining the profession for good reasons but compelled by market forces to basically make trouble, and only in the right at most half the time; televangelism and other pseudo-spiritual cons (though I recognise a vicor or pastor, on the other hand, might improve the world).
I

would

be a tax collector though. Taxes are good; they fund health, education, transport and personal safety (through defense and police) to name a few. I've always thought that when people grow up and accept that taxes are directly responsible for some of the things that we're most dependent on, as well as things that make us who we are today (who would you be if you'd never gone to school?), there'd be more respect for the IRS auditors working to ensure people don't steal from the common pot.

If Heaven exists, what would you like God to say when you arrive?

"I'm so sorry, you're absolutely right, I've adjusted my whole approach - you changed my life!"

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Phish Food

IH

You're not the scary one, are you?

I - no.
Am I?

Adel

would you care to join me in feasting upon the fear of the young?

I still kinda

am

the young. Cool to hang out, though.

bird1111

If you could play with 11 players and a mod and the theme of your choice, who would it be? What would the theme be? Why?

Mod: DP
Theme: hmm, I dunno. West Wing, maybe - I'm on a West Wing kick.
Players, hastily constructed:
mith
meme
seol
adel
MoS
Fritzler
mathcam
babyjesus
kelly chen
jeep
flay
... they're mostly "A-list" players to me, plus a few who are just darn fun. however, it's impossible to predict what games'll be good. It's mostly just chance as to whether good controversy happens early and keeps happening - but this group at its best would be pure artwork, and even at its worst would be very respectable.

Oman

Top Scummer in Games?

I can't possibly pick just one. There's an A-list of players in my head - including mith, meme, seol, jeep, and possibly adel, among about a dozen others - who are indistinguishably superb.

Bottom Scummer in Games?

Those who won't open their role pms. Dice-tag random voters. Self-voters, self-hammerers. Townies Who Lie. Townies who regard Lynch All Liars as quaint and outdated, rather than a bloody useful tool only to ignore in the most extreme circumstances. Cheaters.

Top Mafia Discussion Scummer?

Kelly Chen, Seol, MBF, Flay, all seem to have useful insights for any topic.

Bottom Mafia Discussion Scummer?

I don't want to name names, as I didn't in bottom game scummers. It doesn't add anything to the world.

Australia - Win or Phail?

False dichotomy

[Quagmire]

Do you abide by the categorical imperative when making judgements in the mafia realm? What role does Kant play in determining your moral compass?

If the answer to the former is "no," then how can you justify "not reading role pms" as a deconstructive action? Why do you consider such people to be "bottom scummers?"

Am I a bottom scummer?

[Adele]

Quagmire

Do you abide by the categorical imperative when making judgements in the mafia realm? What role does Kant play in determining your moral compass?

That's an interesting question. Kant certainly is an aspect of my moral compass - my own ethics are a combination of Kant, utilitarianism and virtue ethics.

There's more than one formulation of the categorical imperative, but I assume you are referring to "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law". One issue with this imperative is that it is treated as by necessity a rejection of dishonesty - since if lying were the universal law, it would be pointless. Therefore, a Kantian has to reconsider all games in which lying is, or may be, a necessecity to one's goals, such as poker - or mafia. A Christian observant of the Ten Commandments is assigned the same task.
However, it is clear to me that games such as this are an

exception

to this rule, when one considers the second formulation "Treat other humans as ends in themselves, not as mere means to your ends" - all playing these games are consenting to the rules with the understanding that rules of conduct are altered for the duration; for example, a lie has less power in a game of mafia or poker precisely because it is "universal law" that we lie when it is to our benefit.

So, yes, I do believe that the categorical imperative applies in the mafia realm, and I do make use of it. It tends to not be explicit, but I would argue that "Within the rules and apparent spirit of the game according to the mod, do whatever you can to attain your role's win condition".

If the answer to the former is "no," then how can you justify "not reading role pms" as a deconstructive action? Why do you consider such

people to be "bottom scummers?"

Now, given the maxim "Within the rules and apparent spirit of the game according to the mod, do whatever you can to attain your role's win condition", it is clear that not reading one's role pm is to fail to do this. The reason for this is, while reading your role pm may make you less effective in the game, you are always able to control your actions towards your goal. However, if you fail to read your role pm, then there will be events in which you are powerless to do something that you really should. For example, by not using your kill as SK or by not drawing the lynch upon yourself as jester. By deliberately placing yourself in a position where you do not know your win condition and so can not determine the correct course to take, you are breaking the contract with the other players and the mod, and treating them as mere means to your ends.

That is why I consider it to be the action of a "bottom scummer".

Am I a bottom scummer?

In my opinion, yes, I'm afraid so - but only for that reason; I don't have a perspective on your play otherwise.

[Quagmire]

For example, by not using your kill as SK or by not drawing the lynch upon yourself as jester. By deliberately placing yourself in a position where you do not know your win condition and so can not determine the correct course to take, you are breaking the contract with the other players and the mod, and treating them as mere means to your ends.

When you kill someone in mafia, you are eliminating that person's enjoyment from the game in order to further your own win condition, so therefore you're treating them as means to your ends.

Although I would like to clairify that I don't read my role PM until the end of day one (and only when the game begins in day) in order to prevent things like not submitting kills when I'm an SK or being a cop and not getting results. After day one, I know my role and I know my alignment.

Do your thoughts on that strategy remain the same?

[Adele]

For example, by not using your kill as SK or by not drawing the lynch upon yourself as jester. By deliberately placing yourself in a position where you do not know your win condition and so can not determine the correct course to take, you are breaking the contract with the other players and the mod, and treating them as mere means to your ends.

When you kill someone in mafia, you are eliminating that person's enjoyment from the game in order to further your own win condition, so therefore you're treating them as means to your ends.

But you are doing it in accordance with a pre-arrangement you have with them, implied contract by membership of the game, so you are not treating them as

mere

means (any more than when you take someone's money in a business arrangement that's like stealing). On the other hand, if you were to allow them to live and secure your own defeat through misplay, you deny them the opportunity of a real win. Come on, you know this.

Although I would like to clairify that I don't read my role PM until the end of day one (and only when the game begins in day) in order to prevent things like not submitting kills when I'm an SK or being a cop and not getting results. After day one, I know my role and I know my alignment.

Do your thoughts on that strategy remain the same?

Yes, it is still unacceptable. What if your WC is to be lynched day 1? What if you are a day-SK? What if your role is triggered by a PR?

[Adele]

the above post is harmless, but I ran a search on him; see the "We hav arrived" thread in site ideas for my take on it.

[mith]

Are you annoyed that I am faster than you and removed the context of your post?

Why do I agree with you so much? Are you some sort of robot or gender-reassigned clone?

[Adele]

mith

Are you annoyed that I am faster than you and removed the context of your post?

No, I'm

fright

fully impressed. Good show!

Why do I agree with you so much?

I would imagine our politics and outlooks are pretty similar, plus my studies of philosophy and interest in writing combine to allow me to occasionally put my point across elegantly or convincingly. The fact that I'm willing to share some of my vulnerabilities and am sincere likely helps.
Plus my ego wants to get plaudits and suchlike so I often put quite a bit of effort in, especially when I consider it something of moral importance.

But mostly it's because I'm always right, and you're usually right.

Are you some sort of robot or gender-reassigned clone?

No. Why? Are you?

[Fiasco]

Are you annoyed that I am faster than you and removed the context of your post?

you learn quickly, grasshopper

[Albert B. Rampage]

Do you think Simenon can be presumptuous ?

What has Seol done that impresses you ?