Post by Judge Sam on Jun 10, 2009 6:28:57 GMT -5
As you can see, the bus has stopped! It is no longer moving. You can try and throw someone under the bus but it won't do anything because the bus is out of gas! They will just lay there under the bus wondering what is happening because nothing is happening!
This is my post-Donald cheer-you-up thread. I do feel you have taken on board past advice, or just gotten eliminated so it doesn't matter, one of those two.
But Sam, you say, some people are suspected. That means their home is under the bus. They like it there.
Not true, I retort! For many reasons. First, we've done enough throwing in this game, no more! Why? Because it doesn't need to happen!
Let's talk a little theory about why Spies would eliminate each other. One of the major ways people think of people as Citizens is because they eliminate Spies. That's happened a lot to you guys in this game to your advantage, and you should use it. But, that does not mean that every time a Spies name comes up you should immediately say you suspect them and plot on voting for them. Not every suspicion = they are about to be Exiled. I've strangely seen that a lot lately this game - you guys seem to assume that whenever a Spies name comes up you should agree with the suspicion or you're a goner. That just doesn't happen - of course Citizens can disagree with suspects sometimes. Some of those suspects turn out to be Spies but that doesn't mean that that person who disagreed on their Spyhood is automatically also a Spy.
There have been plenty of people who have not suspected Spies, some have gone as far as to strongly defend them and lead votes on other people. These people are still thought of as Citizens. At this point these people are acting more Spyish than you guys are. You gotta defend each other! Especially with the weak suspicions going on you guys at the moment. It's okay to defend a Spy guys.
It's actually kind of weird that you guys always seem to suspect actual Spies... I have heard a lot of rumblings in the aether-sphere that there seems to be eerily accurate suspicions from some on Spies. I might point out that you, Amelia, seemed unrelentingly aimed on Donald for the past few episodes, being wishy-washy on others but always pushing him. Hopefully that works out for you but Citizens are not always so sure. Even if they are, you saw people who suspected Donald strongly but then went on to vote for other people at Exile... that is an option that you can do too!
Second, bussing doesn't need to happen because there's no reason for it to happen right now. Maybe it was justified earlier. However, these Exile #4 votes where everyone listed people 1-22 have interested me a lot. I've been looking at them a lot the past few days haha. Of course I can't tell you what they look like but let me just say they are VERY. ENCOURAGING!
A little aside. We're beginning Episode #5 which means so far it's been about a third of the game. And four Spies have left in six Exiles. That's not very good. BUT - things are looking great and we have two-thirds of the game left, which is twice as long over! So many things can and will change.
One thing I heard is that you guys have not been talking to each other on AIM much. Is that true?
If so I really hope you guys are able to find each other online (or set times at which to be online) and talk with each other. Being nice nice will encourage the fact that you are all on the same team and need to work together. 
I really would like to see that happen. Again: we still have two-thirds of the game left! You all will need to work as a coherent team to win. Let's get more of that team spirit in here. 
Back to these Exile #4 lists. There are some surprising results. Let's start with what you know: No one voted any Spy except Donald as their first choice this Exile. An Exile where people were encouraged to vote for anyone even if they thought others wouldn't vote for them. That's very good. That's only the start of it - even when people had the opportunity to vote for other Spies down the line, the only one who did was Jason! Amelia in particular had the opportunity to be voted for by tons of people and none of them put her higher than a bunch of others! Please keep this in mind.
Look at all those variety of people that others voted for. Every one is an opportunity.
What else about things that look very good towards you guys? Well Jason won the role investigation prize, a prize meant for the Cits! This despite the fact that he only got two votes from you guys (Iris voted for someone else before trying to change it). That's pretty insane, that a Spy would be the #1 most trusted. That's pretty unprecedented.
Now unfortunately, something that is "precedented" is the fact that sometimes Citizen-looking Spies do not use this leverage to their advantage.
Let's quickly talk about real life actual Spies for a bit haha. They infiltrate another country and work with them and help them out for a long time to get trusted. Often time they will do bad things towards their home country and/or sell out other of their spies to get trusted. Okay now they are in a position of trust and know a lot of stuff and have influence / power. What do they do now? They don't continue to help out the enemy for the next decade lol!If you find yourself in a position of power/trust, Pete and Jason, you have got to use it. First both of you could use a little more suspicion your way. Second, there is no crime towards being a stupid citizen. That is what you are aiming to be. Third, you've got to help your team at some point or it's not looking good! I am not saying you have to become the star of the game and the most visible person and control everything. I am saying though that you should speak up against Citizens. Deflect evidence against Spies. Point towards evidence against Citizens. Maybe you will suspect Spies some at some point but that does not mean you have to vote for them! You can be vocal in voicing your opinion that others are more suspicious than they.
One example was that I was invited to a chat room containing Jason/Pete and three citizens like 30 minutes before Exile where one citizen was pushing people to change their votes to Donald. I mean, a chat room of 5 trusteds with 2 Spies that wants to get rid of another Spy right, I mean the #s couldn't be more stacked in your favor!
I saw nothing. No Spies said anything. Personally I would have found that more damaging than outright support of Donald lol since all the other citizens seemed to be quite loquacious. It's perfectly fine to say you suspect Levi more, or "let's get donald out next time" or something. It's okay to help your fellow Spies.
Yes so the current situation I think is looking extremely positive for you guys. We have a wealth of citizen suspects in the Burg and voted for at Exile #4. All signs point to safety for all of you guys - no more bussing. Not only that but we have Spies who are trusted who need to use that power to the advantage of the Spies. We've got 2/3rds of the game left to turn things around and become a team.
Okay some individual thoughts (almost done with this promise!)
Jason - Obviously you're doing very good, hopefully not too good such that your non-Imprisonment becomes suspicious lol. You're embroiled in a lot of role-drama atm but I'm sure you'll juggle those balls flawlessly. Remember that you are quite trusted and what you say holds weight. Something simple like having a short citizen conversation with a Spy, then mentioning it, copying/pasting a part, and saying "this whole convo really gave me a cit vibe" or something would go a long way.
Amelia - I think those penalty votes helped you become more of the 'inactive' spy I was hoping for at the start even though I don't think you are inactive in the slightest! lol. I'd like you to talk to your fellow Spies on AIM and pretty much play it as you have been. Or if you want you could reread that inactive spy post I made and jump in that boat. =) Just keep up those Citizen posts in the Burg.
Pete - I have no advice for you since you have not been playing the game. We've talked about this already privately and I hope you follow through this time. Let me say two things:
1) You were following the same path that a lot of already Exiled Spies were going down. Fairly suspicious and soon-to-go. Then, due to absolutely no fault of your own, in an event like I've never before seen in mafia, you were miraculously saved and confirmed as an instant Citizen. That is unimaginably fortuitous for the Spies. Use that luck wisely.
The only way to sabotage this luck is to do nothing at all.2) Since you have not been around, you do not know how suspicious your other Spies are or are not, so please don't assume they are all dead in the water when they are not.
Iris - I really like the direction you have taken your Citizen persona and it is working. The thing with you is that people have mixed feelings - a few think you are a Spy for sure, and others think you are a Citizen for sure. That confessional message was a good touch. Keep it up, you're in a very good place in that you may not be Exiled soon but your non- Imprisonment is not suspicious.
That's all! I know this was a lot of me ranting but I hope you took positive messages from it because I think you are all in a good spot right now and THE BUS STOPS HERE!
