Scenario

The business world is a jungle where only the strongest survive. Perhaps the only thing harder than obtaining success in business is dealing with failure. For some, failure is met head on, taken with a determination to follow up ones' defeat with a new victory. For others, failure is met with a spur of the moment decision to travel to Tijuana to escape the troubles of the world through the liberal application of alcohol. For fewer still, it means doing the same thing but miraculously coming out of it with a small fortune to recoup their previous losses.

That last part comes from participation in the underground deathmatch fighting circuit. Certainly, there aren't many who arrive in the city who are aware of the presence of this league, but that's where you and your friends come in. Your job is to recruit potential fighters who are willing to step into the ring, and who better to risk their lives than those who have nothing left to lose? And once they're ready to fight, why not place a few bets to try and earn some additional money? It may not be the cleanest work, but it's a living. Better than being in the arena yourself, anyways.

And things have been fine like this for a while, but this season, the rumors are swirling. The secret deathmatch league may not be so secret anymore, and word among your colleagues is that there may be government-backed agents infiltrating your ranks, ready to thin your numbers and shut the circuit down for once and for all. But despite the potential presence of the law, the show must go on. Do your best to defend your livelihood: it's time to do business.


Game Overview

Genre: Traditional (Village vs. Mafia), Money Mechanics

This is a Phalla game, Penny Arcade Forum's version of the party game Mafia. If this is your first game, it will be informative to visit the linked topic for some background information.

In this game, the majority of players are members of a deathmatch organization (uninformed village) seeking to evict law enforcement officials (informed mafia) from their group, while the government agents seek to shut down the fighting organization (traditional game). Players will be able to bet on fights to earn more money, spending it to make use of special abilities.

This game is inspired by Cheapass Games' Secret Tijuana Deathmatch. No knowledge of the source game is required for participation in this one, which is fortunate since it was produced in limited quantities using surplus parts from another game. Still, go ahead and visit Cheapass Games' website. They've recently revived from hibernation and they've got quite a few other games up there to print and play.


Fighting and Betting

Each bout is between a pair of fighters; each day there will be at least one bout to resolve. Fighters have hidden stats in five areas: Hit, Blok, Trix, Wits, and Luck. In a bout, fighters compare the following stats: Hit vs. Blok (and vice versa), Trix vs. Wits (and vice versa), and Luck vs. Luck. In each comparison, the fighter with the highest value gets a victory point; the fighter with the highest number of victory points wins the bout. If there is a tie, then the fighter with the highest overall total stats wins; otherwise, the bout resolves as a draw.

Example: Muscle Max has stats of 8 Hit, 7 Blok, 8 Trix, 4 Wits, 3 Luck. The Silver Serpent has stats of 6 Hit, 4 Blok, 10 Trix, 7 Wits, 3 Luck. Muscle Max has 3 victory points (8 Hit vs. 4 Blok, 7 Blok vs. 6 Hit, 8 Trix vs. 7 Wits). The Silver Serpent earns 1 victory point (10 Trix vs. 4 Wits). There is one tie (3 Luck vs. 3 Luck). Muscle Max wins the bout, 3-1.

Players may bet on any number of matches each day by sending a private message to me with the names of the fighters they want to bet on and the amounts they wish to wager. Important Note: You may not take back a wager once it has been set. You may increase a wager after an initial one has been set, but you may not reduce a wager – the cashiers aren't going to be giving your money back that easily. Each match has a common pool of bets that come from bettors that are not players. If your bet succeeds, your original wager is returned plus an amount from the losing wagers and common pool proportional to your wager compared to the total winning wagers. For example, if your wager is 10% of the winning wagers, then you'll get 10% of the common and losing wagers. In a draw, players simply get their wagers back without change.

You may also support a fighter's performance by sending bribe money for training. For every $100 you send, you may temporarily increase one stat of your choice for a fighter by 1 point. This money does not enter the betting pool at all, and like making bets, you may not take back bribes once submitted. If a fighter wins to survive to fight another day, the temporary stats provided by bribes are lost: at the start of that fighter's next match, their stats are set at their original bases.


Spending Money

Outside of the arena, there are other ways you may spend your money. With all of these spending methods, as with wagers and bribes, you may not take back actions once submitted, but may increase the amount you want to spend. Send a private message to me with the type of action you wish to take, the amount you wish to spend, and the target of your action (if applicable) if you want to spend money. You may spend money on multiple items per day and may make multiple actions of the same type. Venues for spending money are as follows:

Investigation: You may spend money to hire an investigator to learn information about another player. Information obtained is dependent on the amount spent. If at least $500 is spent, you will be able to learn a player's financial changes for the night. If at least $2000 is spent, you also learn a player's role and alignment. There are two investigators available each day for work; the top two bidders' investigations are followed through. However, investigators only have limited resources available: if both of the top bids are above $2000, the lower of the bids will only get the information about the target's finances but not their alignment (and will still pay the same price as their bid).

Assassination: You may spend money to hire a professional killer to eliminate them from the game. A minimum bid of $2000 is required to set up a hit. There are two assassins available each day for work; the top two bidders' contracts will be followed through. However, assassins are unscrupulous and will take all bids sent to them, whether they follow through with them or not.

Protection: You may spend money to hire a professional guard to deter assassinations and block investigations. Level of protection is dependent on the amount spent. If at least $500 is spent, you gain protection against investigators looking at financial information. If at least $1000 is spent, you also gain protection against assassins and law enforcement. If at least $1500 is spent, you also gain protection against investigators looking at role and alignment. There are three guards available each day for work; the top three bidders' contracts are followed through. However, guards will only protect those that provide their pay; your bid may only be used to protect yourself and no other player.

Transfer: You may transfer money to other players via secure, anonymous means. Secure transfer of funds also has its costs, however. 20% of all money transferred will be taken as a fee: for every $100 sent, $20 will be taken out and $80 will reach its target. All money transferred will be available to its recipient the day after the transfer is scheduled: transfers are not immediate. Identity of senders is left anonymous. In the case of multiple senders, the recipient will obtain their money as a single lump sum.

Special Limitations: From Day 6 forward, one fewer Protection is available, a maximum of two instead of three. From Day 8 forward, one fewer Investigation is available, a maximum of one instead of two. From Day 10 forward, one fewer Assassination is available, a maximum of one instead of two. From Day 12 forward, one fewer Protection is available, a maximum of one instead of two.


Voting

Due to the rumors of infiltrators in the deathmatch organization, there will be regular votes to remove suspected members from the group. Vote for the player who you find most suspicious in bold red with "!vote for <player name>" or similar phrase. You may retract a vote by posting "!retract vote for <player name>" or similar phrase in bold limegreen or change your vote by making another one in bold red. Do not, under any circumstance, edit a post that has a vote. If an edit is necessary, make a new post instead. The player who receives the most votes will be kicked out of the group and eliminated from the game. Should there be a tie in the vote, then all players involved in the tie will be eliminated, as well as the player that instigated the tie, whether that be due to a vote being placed or a vote being removed. If the vote winner is eliminated before the vote is resolved, there will be no "trickle down".

Voting will normally close each day at 9PM PST / 12AM EST / 5AM UTC; any actions before the hour (x:59) will count, any actions on the hour and later (x:00) will not. However, if a player votes within five minutes of the vote close, the close time will extend to five minutes after that player votes. All votes and actions will count up to the new, revised close time. Each player may make only one vote and one action after the normal vote close: any further revisions will not count. The close time can be extended multiple times if different players make revisions during the bonus period.

Example: If I vote at x:58, then the vote close will be extended such that actions made at x:03 of the next hour or earlier will count; actions made at x:04 or later will not. If someone makes a vote before x:03, the vote close will be extended to five minutes after their vote; I can make only one change in vote and action during the whole extended period.


Signing Up

Sign up with the phrase "I !sign up" or similar phrase in bold limegreen or other bright, easily visible color to ensure that your intent to play is acknowledged. Signups will be open for at most 72 hours, closing after 48 hours if there are at least 50 signups at that time. There is no maximum cap for signups for this game.

Optionally, but highly recommended: when you sign up, you may also submit privately to me a fighter to add to the roster of this season's competitors. Having a fighter in the ring not only increases the total number of bouts that can be played out, thus increasing the amount of money that can enter the game, but also provides a small informational advantage when your fighter is featured in a bout. A fighter should have a fighting name and exactly 30 points distributed between the five stats (Hit, Blok, Trix, Wits, Luck). Each stat has a minimum value of 1 and a maximum value of 12. Failure to adhere to these guidelines will result in a fighter not being registered.


Inactivity

It is expected that players do at least two of the following three things each day to be considered sufficiently active: make at least two posts, make a vote, submit private actions. A warning will be sent on the first day that this requirement is not met, and a replacement will be made on the second consecutive day of inactivity or third day overall. If there are no replacements available, then the player will be eliminated from the game.


Clarifications

Any questions about the general game rules may be made by highlighting the question in bold darkorange text. Answers will be posted in the thread and collected in the below section. Player-specific inquiries that are not addressed in the general rules may be asked via PM to the host.


Other Rules

Standard Phalla rules apply: no sharing of host-provided PMs via screenshots or direct quotation. However, information may be shared indirectly, such as through rephrasing. You may not add new players to preexisting private conversations after the first message - start a new conversation instead. No anonymous contact is allowed. All messages must be traceable to a player in the game. Once you are eliminated, you may not make any more game conversation with players remaining in the game.

If any players create "proboards" for private communication or interesting conversations including more than two players, please send links for them to the host.


Questions and Answers

Q. What is the order of actions?
A. First, fights are resolved and payouts are disbursed. Next, other actions from money spending are resolved. Any other abilities are resolved third, and the vote is resolved last.

Q. What is the average HP of players in this game?
A. I have no idea what you're talking about.

Q. I mean, how much money does everybody start out with on average? Is it possible to earn money outside of betting on fights?
A. Clarification denied.

Q. Are there roles out there with special abilities that are not reliant on spending money?
A. Clarification denied.

Q. How much information can I expect from a financial investigation?
A. Information received is on the same level as that of your personal daily updates, namely previous and current funds, net spending and income, and a brief itemized division of spending and income. Information about action targets is not provided.

Q. How are bouts for each day selected?
A. Matchups are created randomly between fighters, with the additional condition that all fighters must participate in a match before they are selected again.

Q. Is it possible to use bribes to increase a fighter's stat above 12?
A. Yes. The maximum cap only applies to fighter creation.

Q. Is there any extra benefit to having a fighter I've created win?
A. No.

Q. What happens if there is a tie at the top of the bid winners?
A. The winners of the bids will be selected randomly from among the tied players.

Q: Are there any advanced Phalla mechanics in play, including conversions, unreliable masons, unreliable seers, thralls, masons, and vote manipulation?
A: No.


Eliminated Players

Day 1
Baidol - Deathmatch Patron
Infidel - Deathmatch Patron
Kay - Deathmatch Patron

Day 2
I needed a name to post. - Deathmatch Patron
Kias - Undercover Agent
romanqwerty - Deathmatch Patron
vagrant_winds - Deathmatch Patron <- withdrew

Day 3
Assuran - Deathmatch Organizer
FecklessRogue - Deathmatch Fighter
jdarksun - Deathmatch Organizer
kime - Undercover Agent
Tayrun - Deathmatch Patron

Day 4
JABMonkey - Deathmatch Boss
sportzboytjw - Deathmatch Organizer
Turkson - Deathmatch Organizer <- inactivity

Day 5
38thDoe - Deathmatch Patron
Cythraul - Deathmatch Organizer
Hullis - Deathmatch Organizer
Smoove Operator - Deathmatch Organizer
warban - Deathmatch Patron

Day 6
Alegis - Deathmatch Organizer <- inactivity
corvidae - Deathmatch Organizer
Loxx - Deathmatch Organizer
MrTLicious - Deathmatch Organizer
The Anonymous - Undercover Agent
Virgil_Leads_You - Deathmatch Organizer

Day 7
Bedlam - Deathmatch Patron
ecco the dolphin - Deathmatch Patron
Phyphor - Deathmatch Organizer
Ringo - Deathmatch Patron

Day 8
daniant - Deathmatch Organizer
Goose! - Deathmatch Enthusiast <- inactivity
stever777 - Undercover Agent

Day 9
CaptainPlanet82 - Undercover Agent
mascara305 - Undercover Agent
Pharezon - Deathmatch Patron
SLyM - Deathmatch Patron

Day 10
Capfalcon - Undercover Agent
Gaslight - Deathmatch Patron
Shabooty - Deathmatch Patron

Day 11
Cayrus - Deathmatch Organizer
Flarne - Deathmatch Patron
Shen - Deathmatch Organizer

Day 12
SeGaTai - Deathmatch Patron
shalmelo - Deathmatch Organizer
vertroue - Deathmatch Organizer


Surviving Players

AkimboLegs - Undercover Agent
Egos - Undercover Agent
Langly - Corrupt Law Enforcement

The members of the undercover agents comprise a majority of remaining players and claim victory!
Langly has survived to the end of the game and also claims victory!

Signups were open until Sunday, February 26, 9PM PST / Monday, February 27, 12AM EST / 5AM UTC


Narrations and Results

Round 1: The Sound of the Opening Bell
Round 2: The System Works Except For When It Doesn't
Round 3: Gamblers' Ruin
Round 4: Turning Money into Murder
Round 5: Paranoia in the Ring
Round 6: Taking Consecutive Blows
Round 7: Removal of Leadership
Round 8: Fighting to Stay Alive
Round 9: Returning the Favor
Round 10: It Ain't Over 'Til the Final Bell Rings
Round 11: Making Every Move Count
Round 12: Minutes Passing Like Hours
End of Match: Leaving The Ring Victorious

Post-Mortem
Host Proboards
Master Spreadsheet