California Trilogy: City of Angels - Off Stage (Game Over)

[Thesp]

BTW, Thesp why did you not give any thought or attention to lynching StarKiss?

I had some lingering thoughts about it (because he's sure up there) but he was well behind ckd in my eyes.

How is this significant? In what way will it change how you play? I'm serious - I want an answer here. (Same question to Mighty Orbots.)

Two reasons. One, I'm trying to figure out the mechanics behind this information, since it may be significant to the rapidly approaching endgame. Second, two smaller scumgroups means there is less coordination available to them.

How will it be significant to the endgame? How will it affect your play? The reason I'm asking is that I see a lot of speculation, with very little practicality. (It may be that you do have practical concerns you haven't shown, but I haven't seen particulars, only idleness.)

I'm uncomfortable with Talilan, and I have lurking concerns about ShadowLurker that aren't going away.

Are you suggesting ShadowLurker posted the big list and then Talilan ensured that only bad choices were available by saying Yes?

It is absolutely one of the possibilities I'm pondering.

In other news, I'd like to broaden my request from just Thesp to everyone else. Thok and Talilan have provided scumlists... I'd like to see everyone else's as well. We need to get our shit together offstage if we want any shot at this game.

I'll provide a top 2 (at the least) once the scene starts, and not earlier. I will not provide a full list until the endgame.

I just looked at the rules again. It says we can only get the auto-worst endgame setup if we trigger EARLY it by hitting the minimum 5 innocents.
Even if we lynch a townie tomorrow and if that gets us down to 5 innocents, endgame still follows immediately. So there's no way we can trigger it early now. Am I right?

~Tal

Ask about it. I will.

[Thesp]

Also, I'm going to be in Houston beginning this evening, and I should have access to a computer, but posting will likely be less frequent than I'd like, and not as in-depth as I'd like.

[Thesp]

One last thing:

Also, what do you think my stance is on the "2 scumgroups" bit? Your comment leads me to believe you have erred in divining my thoughts.

Ortolan, I don't think I caught your answer to this, can you please answer? It's important to me. Thanks.

[Talilan]

I haven't answered because I haven't posted since. Sorry, I did err in divining your thoughts, clearly I didn't read enough before posting. I'm not even sure how I got that interpretation to begin with.

I am starting to get a really bad feeling about DGB, because Thokky's been feeling more pro-town recently. I also think VP Baltar is town and hewitt is probably VI-town.

- ortolan

[VP Baltar]

I am so far behind in this game guys and I really apologize. Vacation + other games is kicking my ass right now.

I am hoping I will have some time to read up and get thoughts out there today, but I can't make guarantees.

That being said, unless something dramatic has happened in the last few pages, I have a strong feeling that DGB is scum and is the one who lied in the last scene.

[zu_Faul]

(4) was first to pick.

This is mostly irrelevant: ShadowLurker's pick was verified 5 times (every single no contained SL's original numbers, so in order for SL to have lied there would need to more liars than is reasonable given that this is a mafia game.)

SL could have just made a selection of a group of numbers only containing very bad, and GaB could have lied with her yes. Or scum could have said "no" when they got a yes, so we'd land on a false path.

And I reread.

And Baltar was the one who made the suggestion to just reask hewitt's question. If he hadn't, MO would have asked about 41 and we would have had a better idea. But his suggestion went totally contrary to our town objective.

What I find most probable right now... SL is town and chose sincere numbers, Baltar skipped the good ones and Talilan led us to the bad path. Talilan had Baltar pretty high in his pick list, so he could influence the vote. Baltar having Talilan quite low is easily explained by looking at the /invitational he played in, if they are both scum. Also, Talilan voted quite late, so they knew how far up the would have to put each other.
My guess for third partner is MO, for following Baltar's advice, being high on Baltar's list, (his low placement on Talilan's list means nothing, as Talilan voted last; sure, Talilan could have made him go first, but that was unnecessary at that point, especially as the one who gives the random numbers gets special attention). Orbots had both of them high in his list.

Oh, this also fits with the feeling I got out of my reread.



I am quite concerned about SL's non-use of his stuntman ability last scene. This prohibits that we can stunt anyone off-scene tomorrow and lynch anyone we want. That would have been great. So I hope Talilan makes a good choice.

[GoofballsAndBaloons]

I am starting to get a really bad feeling about DGB, because Thokky's been feeling more pro-town recently.
- ortolan

Urgh, it's rich of you complaining that I'm ignoring Thok if that's your opinion.

I just had to point it out.

[GoofballsAndBaloons]

I am quite concerned about SL's non-use of his stuntman ability last scene. This prohibits that we can stunt anyone off-scene tomorrow and lynch anyone we want. That would have been great. So I hope Talilan makes a good choice.

I'm confused. Wouldn't that only be true if SL was scheduled to be on camera? I just checked and I don't believe that he is. Talilan is calling the shots of who stays off-stage, so... we may be able to tell more about this hydra's alignment by looking at the choices made.

In other news, you have offered the most probable scenario for this scene's disappointment.

[Thok]

SL could have just made a selection of a group of numbers only containing very bad, and GaB could have lied with her yes. Or scum could have said "no" when they got a yes, so we'd land on a false path.

What I'm saying is that any argument about SL can't be based off of the "SL might have lied with the answer to the first question" because it's nearly impossible that he did. If there is some other reason why "SL going first" is something to be worried about then that's fine, but Goofball seemed to be adding that point to her laundry list of things to worry about SL for reasons I don't understand.

[Mighty Orbots]

Thanks MO. I'm not disagreeing with your pick, but I thought you were feeling better about Hewitt after last scene....? What do you think about StarKiss?

Well I know hewitt didn't lie, which is a plus. But that's as far as it goes. It's possible that the lie came one or two questions before his and we were screwed no matter what he asked. In which case it doesn't say anything about his alignment, and his other play (see KY, Pooky) just reeks.

StarKiss is another good scum candidate, but not because of yesterday. I'm forced to view the lynch yesterday as a nulltell because CKD claimed scum and screamed to be lynched. Town and scum both would react the same way in that situation so I can't fault anyone for doing it.

Also Thesp's been flying under the radar the whole game, and with his lack of cooperation here he makes me think he wouldn't be a bad lynch candidate as well.

Also I'd like a couple of options for the other two, so scum don't know for sure who is going to be offstage (they get to pick an advocate this scene).

Other than Thesp and SL? You and I are stuck onstage no matter what. Thesp has to be here to relay info. I guess the alternate for SL would be zu_faul.

How will it be significant to the endgame? How will it affect your play? The reason I'm asking is that I see a lot of speculation, with very little practicality. (It may be that you do have practical concerns you haven't shown, but I haven't seen particulars, only idleness.)

Oh wow. Be careful Thesp, don't drown in your irony there.

Re mechanics - If there are two scumgroups then I would guess 3 Sci and 2 SMG, with CKD able to join the SMG in scene 1. (7 potential scum seems overpowered) Since he didn't, and two Sci have died, that leaves 3 total scum left, meaning if we lynch scum tomorrow we still get the best endgame.

Re coordination - This is especially pertinent to last scene, as people speculate on who manipulated what and how. If the above is true, and with split scum groups we know it's impossible for there to have been cooperation between more than two players. This narrows the possibilities somewhat.

Last point. A big component of my reads are interactions with our flipped scum players Pooky and KY Krew. A separate scum group has thrown a lot of that in doubt.

Thesp, who lied last scene?

[zu_Faul]

SL could have just made a selection of a group of numbers only containing very bad, and GaB could have lied with her yes. Or scum could have said "no" when they got a yes, so we'd land on a false path.

What I'm saying is that any argument about SL can't be based off of the "SL might have lied with the answer to the first question" because it's nearly impossible that he did. If there is some other reason why "SL going first" is something to be worried about then that's fine, but Goofball seemed to be adding that point to her laundry list of things to worry about SL for reasons I don't understand.

Yeah, him lying does not make sense the way it played out.

[Thesp]

How will it be significant to the endgame? How will it affect your play? The reason I'm asking is that I see a lot of speculation, with very little practicality. (It may be that you do have practical concerns you haven't shown, but I haven't seen particulars, only idleness.)

Oh wow. Be careful Thesp, don't drown in your irony there.

I'm not sure what you mean here, can you clarify? (I'm pretty oblivious.)

Thesp, who lied last scene?

I'll provide a top 2 (at the least) once the scene starts, and not earlier. I will not provide a full list until the endgame.

For what it's worth, there's not very many of you I trust at all.

[Mighty Orbots]

I'm seeing a lot of speculation and no real examination/conclusions from your side. So it's lol for you to say I'm all about speculation here. Naturally, when I try to force you to examine what you've been speculating about in thread...

Thesp, who lied last scene?

I'll provide a top 2 (at the least) once the scene starts, and not earlier. I will not provide a full list until the endgame.

... you brush me off. :/

[Mr. Grey]

Split Screen

Mr. Grey stands in front of the mansion set, looking out over the edge of the cliff into the valley below both as part of the shot for the current scene and to watch the acting down below, though he can only hear the actors through the audio equipment relaying the sound to the speakers behind him. After the crew signals that they have got the shot of him needed, Mr. Grey's Assistant walks up to him, still in the heavy makeup she was wearing for the helicopter/coffin scene.

"Is something the matter, sir? You seem... troubled."

"The film and other... matters... nothing is going well."

"I'm certain it will be fine. Can I get you anything?"

"No. Wait, yes. A scotch."

His assistant nods and goes in search of the good stuff. Mr. Grey glances at the three actors not participating in this scene, and then turns his attention back to the valley...

---

It is Scene 7. With 3 Off Stage, it will take 2 to lynch before the end of the Scene.

[Mr. Grey]

Mod Note:

There will be no participation strikes or replacements from this point.

[ShadowLurker]

Catching up now, really busy this week but on the other hand, I might actually be able to post more often as I'll have all day free.

[ShadowLurker]

Ok, main question before I post anything else.


GnB, if you feel that Talilan is scum, why have you not fired her?

[GoofballsAndBaloons]

Ooohh, I've been waiting for this opportunity. It's like shooting fish in a barrel.

SL, you don't ask the questions. I make the statements.

YOU:

(1) picked the numbers
(2) devised the plan
(3) forged ahead before discussion was over
(4) was first to pick.
(5) YOU LIED.

Now, you die.

DIE SCUM DIE

I'm parking this vote until the end of times.

vote: ShadowLurker

[Thok]

vote: Shadowlurker

[Mr. Grey]

Final Vote Count:

2 to lynch.

ShadowLurker: 2 (GoofballsAndBaloons, Thok)

Not Voting: 1 (ShadowLurker)

---

ShadowLurker has been lynched.

[Mr. Grey]

Lickity Split

Mr. Grey is only vaguely aware of the voice behind him, as the one referred to throughout filming as "ShadowLurker" begins to discuss a plan of action. The view before him is picturesque; it has been too long since he visited the mansion set, and the only thing close in his recent memory was the view surrounding the New Zealand hotel he stayed at on his vacation two years ago.

Mr. Grey's attention is grabbed, however, when he hears:

"Wait! Hey, what are you guys doing? This isn't funny! Eck!"

Mr. Grey frowns and turns to see that the other two actors off camera have already wrapped a noose around ShadowLurker's neck and are choking him with it. The neck snaps, and the body goes limp.

Mr. Grey looks back to the valley below, making a quick mental count. Seven, right. And two left here. He glances down at a note from his assistant. That means... five left. Five honest crew members...

He reaches into a pocket and pulls out an iPhone. He touches through to his apps and finds the "Emergency Plot Twist" app. He pauses momentarily, then presses the button on the screen...

---

ShadowLurker (Jon Stewart, Innocent) is dead. There are now 5 Innocents remaining, and the Early Endgame condition has been met.

[Something Else] choose two [Something Else] to participate in Endgame along with the remaining Innocents. Deadline is approximately 72 hours from this post. The Endgame setup will be revealed at the beginning of Endgame.

In the meantime... Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!