Curious what the percentages are relative to.
Like, 20% of what?
Of the year, maybe?
Oh.
Now Iām somewhat curious what my own stats are.
Ok, Apple does not keep data for more than three full weeks, but I have apparently played 26 hours of Honkai Star Rail in the last three weeks.
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That is significantly more than I was expecting.
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me when iām called a good boy
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You (I) never lost the ability to create. You simply forgot how to do it. The fact that your (my) creation is poor doesnāt mean you (I) canāt create anymore. If you (I) want to improve your (my) creation, then you (I) simply have to keep creating until you (I) get better at it.
When I see a beautiful artwork, I marvel at two things. (1) Its beauty, according to my subjective opinion. (2) Othersā reactions.
Sometimes, when my initial thought is āthis reminds me of something else I knowā, I feel sad. I see others praise the artwork, yet I canāt help but be dissatisfied at my own thoughts, whether it be initial or not. Why canāt I be just as positive as they are? Why must I compare an artwork to something else?
(It cannot be helped. To compare things with what they already know is how humans have evolved. Itās normal. Rather, it is your/my desire to be perceived as ānormalā by others is whatās abnormal about yourself/myself.)
((Eh. Normalcy is overrated.))
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good boy
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Tutuu really is on the bottom of the pecking order if Chomps is saying this to him.
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Having been working on my Major Arcana Mafia, I have been thinking about mafia games as a piece of storytelling.
I tend to enjoy stories which are unafraid to have a certainā¦ hostility toward the viewer, in a way. So many stories feel far too inoffensive, as if they are just an average of stories which came before them. I tend to much more enjoy anything that makes a novel choice, even if ā especially if ā it is in a way that risks being upsetting or frustrating to some. To take an example, the Endless Eight enhanced rather than diminished my enjoyment of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, which is to this day one of my favorite series, exactly because the episodes broke the flow of normal storytelling. In my mind, attempting to tell a story which will never be bad also eliminates the chance that it will ever be great.
Because of this preference, I enjoy designing ābolderā mafia games which have mechanics that can risk frustrating players. Kakegurui Mafia, for example, worked with RNG and snowball-prone mechanics which attempted to take risks and create an atmosphere rather than solely making a perfectly balanced mafia experience. This was intended in service of an enjoyable experience, as gambling and making bold choices are things people do genuinely like, but it was also in service of making the game stand out and feel different. It risked alienating some players or causing a particular run of the setup to be unbalanced because all of the randomness swung in one direction, but that was a trade-off I was willing to make.
I still feel that game was rather inoffensive in many ways. I cut back on quite a lot of the bolder swings because there was not enough room for them in a smaller game. This is that dissatisfaction with certain roles I discussed with @Zone_Q11 some time ago: they were perfectly serviceable roles in the abstract, but they did not contribute to the gameās atmosphere. They were completely non-abrasive.
I come here to ask this question: when playing mafia games, where do you fall on this spectrum? Do you tend to prefer more typical, less impactful mechanics which will create a decent experience each and every time, or do you tend to prefer a game which takes bolder swings but which risks being outright bad? I will, of course, continue designing games which I find myself personally satisfied with, but I would like to understand the preferences of others better as well.
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Personally, as a player, I tend to prefer games which fall entirely on one side of the spectrum or the other: either completely normal mafia experiences, mountainous or near-mountainous, which try nothing new, allowing the social gameplay to shine, or bold, experimental games where mechanics become their own puzzle to focus on. I do not so much enjoy the middle ground between these two extremes.
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In my experience, I have played Rokugan and Osieās 18th Circle of Hell. Both are games with many swingy elements, but with different outcomes.
In Rokugan, my experience was ruined because of one role (i.e., The Lying Darkness) that had immediately ended the game before I had any time to settle into the gameās lore.
In Osieās 18th Circle of Hell, despite my forgetfulness, I still remember the chaotic yet fun times where players kept discovering rules and pelt the layers of their own role one by one.
Rokuganās Lying Darkness was a mistake that simply happened to bypass review, but I believe that I would have enjoyed the game otherwise.
Conclusion of this section: I love āchaotic gamesā, with new mechanics; new ways of thinking; new ways of playing.
As a setup designer, I was taught by multiple people that swingy roles are bad. It didnāt take me long to understand that swingy roles could easily lead to games that result in players having bad experience. Hence why I avoid the usage of these aspects as a setup designer.
As a playerā¦ I would probably use risky roles, but this is less of a āI enjoy risky rolesā and more of a āI prefer anything over vanillaā. It may be ironic and pitiful, but nowadays I play this social deduction game to enjoy mechanical deduction and avoid social interaction.
. . .
Huh. Now I have an idea for a setup again.
āRisky Route or Safe Pathā; Game of Life.
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Oh, right. My conclusion of the second section.
I donāt have enough examples of what you define as āboldā other than RNG which in itself is already a snowball-prone mechanic. I donāt like RNG, but that doesnāt mean I dislike innovative mechanics. If anything, I love 'em! Justā¦ not this particular one.
I donāt have anything against less impactful mechanics that can create decent experience. If anything, I feel like I have been making a lot of these in the past year or two. Iām currently at a point where I can no longer see the distinction between mediocre and unique anymore. At least, not when it comes to my own creations.
As mentioned in the first paragraph, I donāt fully understand what can be considered as a āboldā mechanic, but as a setup designer I do avoid taking big risks. (I probably still take small risks every now and then though. Probably. I donāt remember.)
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To me, this does happen occassionally.
Iād say a solid 25% minimum.
Unfortunately I am not a very good storyteller, so the only stories I can write are the stories expressed through the mechanics and roles of my games. (Which, most players donāt seem to notice.) ((Makes sense. Youād have to be delusional AND motivated to write a story from a finished / completed game. For instance, who would look at UFO Sightings FM and think: āAh, yes. This game is clearly about one special person who designs inventions to fight against aliens.ā Likeā¦ what?))
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I checked. At most 50% of my present unrun games have a story to tell. As for āat leastāā¦ Yeah, Iād say around 20~25%.
The feeling of wanting to host so many games, yet being unable to do soā¦ Itās maddening.
But, Iām used to it. In time, they will eventually fade. Just like my memories.
Equality is not overrated. It is essential.
Inequality is part of reality. It is unavoidable.
Diverging paths lead to multiple outcomes.
Yet the simulation leads to one convergence.
Either you put your eggs into one basket,
or you risk being forced to make some omelettes.
Every so often, an opportunity comes to you.
However, whether you take it or not is also up to you.
Choice is an illusion in face of randomness.
Your fate was already decided the moment you joined.
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Min 2.
50-50. 1: 50. 2: 100.
Target 3.
33-33-33. 1:33. 2: 66. 3: 100.
Target player.
Apply temporary percentage.
Throw dice to activate effect.
Remove temporary percentage.
Apply permanent percentage to one target.
Ā½+ā
=ā
Ā½+ā
+Ā¼ > 100%
Then again, this path requires a minimal of three charges, of which two must stack. Suffice to say, it should be fine. Survival is of essence after all. If you really wish to threaten this path, then you can add Leoric into the mix. You love Leoric, right?
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Yessss im at the bottom and ur at the top 
i love you!!! 
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