[pbmserv-dev] Werewolf!

[Richard Rognlie <rrognlie@gamerz.net>]

It has been proposed that Werewolf (aka Mafia) be added to the server.

I'm intriqued.  I love the game...  but it needs lots of players and
interaction.  

So...the question is, how to implement it via email...?

for those unfamiliar with Werewolf, it's played as follows:

    You start with N players (N>7 seems about minimum)

    2 players are secretly designated as the werewolves ($W1,$W2)
    1 player is the oracle ($O)
    the rest are villagers.

each turn has 3 phases.

    1. [night] The werewolves secretly select a victim ($V).
    2. [night] The oracle secretly asks the moderator if player X is
        a werewolf.
    3. [day] The villagers awaken to discover that $V is dead.  They're
    horrified.  and in their horror, decide to lynch someone ($L)
    whom they suspect of being a werewolf.  Whether $L is a werewolf
    or not, is not part of the equation... they're dumb villagers, after all.

    This process repeats until either both werewolves are dead.  OR
    until the number of werewolves equals or exceeds the number of 
    remaining villagers + the oracle.


So a typical set up...

"challenge" N players.   system will determine who is in what
roles.  and the werewolves will be revealed to each other.
And the oracle will be told of his/her talent.

the werewolves need to select a victim.  How?   they can "message"
each other... and when BOTH send in a move that designates the
same victim...  ok.  (or is 1 selecting werewolf enough?)

Now the oracle (if still alive) gets to choose someone to gather info
about.  that's simply done, I guess.  The question becomes what do we
do about a dead oracle?  since, if dead, it gives info to the werewolves
that they might not have had...

Then daytime... I envision a lively "chat" here...  a majority of 
villagers + the oracle + the werewolves need to select the lynching 
victim.  Not everyone need vote, since one we have a majority, it
doesn't matter... except to the victim, I guess...

Players are encouraged to roleplay, etc.  Of course, once you're dead...
you're dead.  and you can no longer participate in the discussions.

So, if you are the oracle, and you know that player X is a werewolf.
be careful how you attempt to steer the lynch mob to select player X
as the vicitm.  Else his partner will single you out, and the villagers
will have lost their biggest tool.

There is apparently a variant where a subset of villagers are "masons".
and they are known to each other (secretly, of course).  I've yet to 
figure out how that works...  but the key seems to be that masons
*know* that they are villagers, not werewolves.

Any ideas on how to resolve the "how do the werewolves select a victim?"
"what to do if the oracle is already dead?" and "how to select a lynchmob
victim?" issues?


-- 
 /  \__  | Richard Rognlie / Oracle Prophet / Gamerz.NET Lackey
 \__/  \ | http://www.gamerz.net/rrognlie/    <rrognlie@gamerz.net>
 /  \__/ | Today is the first day of the rest of your life.  Of course,
 \__/    |    so was yesterday, and look how you screwed *that* up...