Want to know if this is a thing or not.

[VysePresident]

Well, I'm not sure if I have the same thing in mind as Bro, but I can offer some feedback from my own experience.

My original, and still primary style has always been to be relatively quiet at first. This was largely me being extremely shy and less than confident, along with a tendency to really take my time gathering my notes. I think it actually helped me a bit, because I was able to stay relatively detached, and then dive into the game relatively hard, with better reads than I might otherwise have had. It's sort of the same advantage replacements have in coming to a game fresh, I think. (I'm still trying to figure out how to pressure people without losing perspective, to be honest.)

It wasn't ever a problem for me personally, because I always Obv-Town'd hard when I posted. I still kinda do, even though people have started getting paranoid of me.

I don't know that I'd go so far as to encourage developing a lurker style, but there can be some value in taking your time. (Granted, I view each game in near-isolation to any future games I might play, and I really dislike developing a meta for it's own sake.)

[Alchemist21]

Lurking as a Town PR can keep the Mafia's NK off you since they'll more likely favor more active Towny voices over the less vocal.

[kuribo]

You're talking about what? You're talking about... Bitching about that townie you vigged, some sonofabitch who don't post, some broad who fakeclaims, so forth. Let's talk about something important. They all here?

(All but one)

I'm going anyway. Let's talk about something important. Put. That Scummie. Down. Scummies' for winners only. You think I'm fucking with you? I am not fucking with you. I'm here from Theme Park. I'm here from the Large Theme Games. And I'm here on a mission of mercy. Your name's Shadi? You call yourself a mafia player you son of a bitch?

(I don't gotta sit here and listen to this shit)

You certainly don't pal, 'cause the good news is - you're lynched. The bad news is - you've got, all of you've got just one week to regain your town cred starting with tonight. Starting with tonight's MD thread. Oh? Have I got your attention now? Good. Cause we're adding a little something to this month's posting contest. As you all know first prize is towncred on a scum lynch. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a trip to the dead QT. Third prize is you're modkilled for inactivity. Get the picture? You laughing now? You got reads. Tierce and zoraster did good scumhunting, get their names to lynch scum. You can't follow the reads you're given, you can't post shit? You ARE shit. Hit the bricks pal, and beat it 'cause you are going OUT.

(The reads are weak)

The reads are weak? Fucking reads are weak. You're weak. I've been on this site 5 years.

(What's your name?)

Fuck you. That's my name. You know why, mister? You were still alive in LYLO. I got night-killed by the scum to protect themselves. THAT'S my name. And your name is you're wanting. You can't play in the man's game, you can't post townishly- go home and tell your wife your troubles. Because only one thing counts in this life: Post. You hear me you fucking fuckers? A-B-P. A-Always, B-Be, P-Posting. Always be posting. ALWAYS BE POSTING. A-I-D-A. Attention, Interest, Decision, Action. Attention - Do I have your attention? Interest - Are you interested? I know you are, because it's fuck or walk. You post or you hit the bricks. Decision - Have you made your decision about who scum is, for Christ? And Action, push that wagon. A-I-D-A. Get out there - you got the players coming in. You think they came in to get off EpicMafia? A guy don't join a game lest he wants to play. They're sitting out there waiting to see you as town. Are you gonna take it? Are you man enough to take it? What's the problem, pal?

(You're such a hero, you're so good at finding scum, how come you're coming down here wasting your time with such a bunch of bums)

You see this avatar? You see this avatar?

(Yeah)

That avatar is more well known than your sig. I made thousands of posts last year. How many'd you make? You see pal, that's who I am, and you're nothing. Nice guy? I don't give a shit. Good father? Fuck you! Go home and play with your kids. You wanna play here - post! You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? You can't take this, how can you take the abuse you get playing with Fate? You don't like it, leave. _I_ can replace tonight into the games you're in and post thirty times. Tonight! In two hours! Can you? Can YOU? Go and do likewise. A-I-D-A. Get mad you son of a bitches. get mad. You want to know what it takes to lynch scum? It takes BRASS BALLS to win at mafia. Go and do likewise gents. Wagon's out there. You pick it up, it's yours. You don't, I got no sympathy for you. You wanna go out on those threads tonight and post, POST. It's yours. If not you're gonna be posting about me in the Dead QT. And you know what you'll be saying - a bunch of losers sittin' around in post-game. 'Oh yeah. This game was tough, I got lynched Day 1' These are the new reads. These are the reads to the games you're in. And to you they're gold, and you don't get them. Why? Because to give them to you is just throwing them away. They're for posters. I'd wish you good luck but you wouldn't know what to do with it if you got it. And to answer you question, pal, why am I here? I came here because the town asked me to. They asked me for a favor. I said the real favor, follow my advice and lynch your fucking ass because a lurker is a loser.

My opinion on lurking is well documented.

[BROseidon]

You could do it as either Town or Scum and make a meta out of it..

Yes, except that it is a really boring playstyle (for the most part).

Eh, I kind of think everyone needs to develop a strong lurker-game. Lurking as a town tactic can be circumstantially very effective.

Can you explain how it can be effective?

Because you are leaving the rest of the town in the dark, by making it more difficult to read you, because you are lurking.

Not getting shot for being a power-townie is a good thing when you're certain PRs - you can then do this as a VT as a mix-up.

It also lets you set up to late-carry a game if that's what a certain player-list requires.

It also prevents games from becoming 10000000000 posts (mostly relevant in larges)

You can post relatively little and still get read as town, so long as what you're posting is good.

[RadiantCowbells]

I've tried posting less to avoid being killed but I either get wagoned or night killed anyway.

Hasn't been effective for me in the past.

[BROseidon]

watch GiF play. He's really good at it.

[BROseidon]

Also you replaced into my slot in 169 where I was doing it (and Nacho called me on it and rolecopped me >.>)

[VysePresident]

Lurking as a Town PR can keep the Mafia's NK off you since they'll more likely favor more active Towny voices over the less vocal.

You'd be surprised.

The threat of a Doctor & a desire to cause WIFOM has caused many somewhat less than ideal kills. (I know I specifically target people I can't manipulate or use comfortably, and I'm usually more worried about a lurker whose opinion I don't know, than a tunneler I do.)