I've played Town of Salem for 2+ years, which has a lot of bastard mechanics, (or, what we'd consider bastard), which I'm perfectly fine with. Cults aren't bastard to me only because I'm so used to them. I'm used to having the "you were town, now you're not" type thing. It's such a different dynamic that it makes it fun for me. It's a very interesting shift from the norm.
Now, the line of bastard/non-bastard? When you (as the mod) lie to the players. That's bastard, no questions asked. You're removing one whole important aspect from the game if you allow the mod to lie: The trust between the mod and player. Now, roles like Godfather or Framer or Ninja are completely different to me. That's an expected lie. If there's a ninja in the game, I expect the mod to lie to me about the ninja visiting someone. That's just normal.
Now, do I consider godfather or jester bastard? No. Godfather is an expected lie. We expect that if there's a godfather in the game, that they'll appear as innocent to cops.
Now jester? If the jester ends the game upon being hung, yea, that's kinda bastard imo. If the jester just gets a free win after getting hung, that's alright with me.
Like I said earlier, mod lies in general (if they can't be reasonably anticipated) aren't fun. That's the bastard point for me. I don't find it fun when the mod purposefully lies to you with no real reason to. That's why in any of my bastard games, I don't lie to you unless I'm forced to (like cop checking godfather). I don't find that fun to watch. Will I leave off information and tell you I left it off? Yes, because then you
know
you don't have the complete picture.Now, the lack of randomization in role / alignment especially with flavor, I don't really see that as bastard per say. If the mod uses it to put one of their friends as a really OP role, then yes, that's 100% bastard. If it's something like "Lovers mafia but the mod picks the lovers", I don't see that as bastard. It adds the aspect of trying to figure out who the mod would pick as lovers, adding more dynamics to the game.
SK aligned Reflexive BP Vigi in same game as normal vigi? No, not at all. If kills are ambiguous, then not at all. If kills aren't and both are marked off as vigi, then, ehhhh, I could see the arguments for both sides, but I don't really see that as being bastard. It's just being an asshole is all.