If you want my honest opinion, I didn't really like it. Yes, I know that mistakes and problems can come about when organizing a large game, but there were just too many of them.
Foremost in my complaints is the number of delays in the game. When delays are made clearly and early in a day, that's fine, but when the players are left unsure about what is going on, that is a big problem.
Organization was also a mess. Plutonium had to copy the item list into his first post since it wasn't linked to the first page. There needed more organization of the clarifications and rules into those two posts as they were made.
Other concerns... PM accuracy seemed to be a problem for some people. Knowing what actions could be made was also a problem - this is tied into keeping the OP organized.
So this really wasn't much of a Phalla. An interesting idea to be sure, but the implementation wasn't that good. There were too many people involved in this kind of complex game that it feels like things spiralled out of control. Seems like the game wasn't totally ready to go - it could have used a smaller test or at least more editing. It seemed so cool and interesting at the start, but it turned into something that I just wasn't invested in and couldn't care much about.
Thanks for all the gaming to everyone, whether our interactions were good or bad.
And thanks to all the other people mashing F5 waiting for the narrations.
But mostly, thanks to Drez and Ardor and anyone else who was involved in the game process. There definately were mistakes, but you guys were generally cool about them and I'm sure this was a monumental task to deal with and take care of.
But my monitor seems to be melting now, so I think it's time I should go to sleep or... stop staring at my monitor.
heres how it went down:
1: Many people defending the vault in order to not win
2: I say that either we all attack or everyone dies
3: Everyone defends the vault
4: Everyone dies
hesthefastest on
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Toxic ToysAre you really taking my advice?Really?Registered Userregular
edited March 2008
Awesome narration. I had way to much fun plaving this game.
And I told you all we should have just taken the vault. :P
Toxic Toys on
3DS code: 2938-6074-2306, Nintendo Network ID: ToxicToys, PSN: zutto
heres how it went down:
1: Many people defending the vault in order to not win
2: I say that either we all attack or everyone dies
3: Everyone defends the vault
4: Everyone dies
Bitter much?
Yah, Fembot, same here. I guess this does play into Blarney's complaint that things weren't really that clear to begin with. Assuming that a non-vote means a vote for NO is a pretty big decision that the players should be informed about.
As for keeping track of stuff, Ardor's been there with Phalla Royale. It was a little off here, but players should have been able to handle their own info without constant and direct GM supervision.
For the phalla thing, the whole end day was basically a clutch phalla situation. Unfortunately we didn't get all the details we needed, and inactivity screwed us over. Sounds like a phalla to me! ;-)
Thanks for all the gaming to everyone, whether our interactions were good or bad.
And thanks to all the other people mashing F5 waiting for the narrations.
But mostly, thanks to Drez and Ardor and anyone else who was involved in the game process. There definately were mistakes, but you guys were generally cool about them and I'm sure this was a monumental task to deal with and take care of.
But my monitor seems to be melting now, so I think it's time I should go to sleep or... stop staring at my monitor.
Just so I don't have to write a meaningful post at 5:20am (gmt+1) I'll just mention that I agree with everything Crash just wrote.;-)
heres how it went down:
1: Many people defending the vault in order to not win
2: I say that either we all attack or everyone dies
3: Everyone defends the vault
4: Everyone dies
I don't understand why we didn't kill eachother down to 30 people. I thought that was the whole alternative to attacking the vault.
The main problem is that we didn't realize how important it was that we vote to execute the neutrals. In general, the neutrals pretty much guaranteed no one would win this game.
I think that perhaps the size of the player base made this game a bit more messy then it otherwise would have been. 104 Players is incredibly ambitious, but also increases the chances that mistakes would pop up.
That said, I think it was great. I'll be honest - I skipped through 10-20 pages at a time, mostly because I couldn't be bothered to read so much shit. But from what I did read, you guys really got the players involved with the story. Especially towards the end, when the whole group as a whole fell apart, prompting me to murder children while everyone else decided to go rot in the sun.
Question - was it planned to end at the Vault? Or were there other storytelling options?
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lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
edited March 2008
WEE!!!! Yay!!!! Go Drez
and so cool I didn't die. At least, not according to the narration.
I also didn't kill anybody with my sweet LSW.
but I didn't die!
I should hold off on partying...
And yes, Seriously, you called it. Cookies for you.
Drez, Ardor, you guys seriously rock the world. You do. This was fantastic. Like, beyond doubt the coolest phalla i've played in.
And all of the other players rocked. Well, except Natik and Ultarune who stole from me. You both just.. yeah.. I should sooooo shake my finger at you.
I added the deaths and survivors who died in the wastelands to the narration.
Deaths tonight:
Bliss 101
cheez
DamnedLibrarian
DasUberEdward
DevoutlyApathetic
evilbob
JPants
Last Son
Maximus
MrBlarney
Oatway
Plutonium
real_pochacco
Rear Admiral Choco
Shamus
Stew_Stick
UEAKCrash
Ultarune
Zek
Those who faded away in the wastelands:
B:L
Burnage
Buzz Buzz
cj iwakura
CoreGoon
Daius
durax
El Skid
Fembot
FrostMist
giltanis
hesthefastest
Hylianbunny
Infidel
Lightor216
Locus
lonelyahava
Marshmallow
Mr. Defecation
Niceguy Myeye
Nion
PsychoLarry1
Quoth
Rend
Romantic Undead
TheLawinator
Trust
UEAK Carnage
Unearthly Stew
Varcayn
Wildcat
Zellpher
As for the different places, depending on where the vote went, we came up with most of it as we went, other than having ideas around.
The clarifications not being put in a central spot or even each narration made this a lot messier than it should have been. I apologize, I spent 6+ hours a day on this, I just could not find the time. I will make sure I do not help run a game in the future that I and the other(s) cannot handle.
EDIT: MrBlarney, thanks for your comments. I would like to hear everyone's thoughts on the game, regardless of good or bad. We'd like general comments but we would like some feedback on some of the mechanics we tried.
1) Trying to prevent day 1 and day 2 deaths since people never like those (the ones dying).
2) Trying a win condition that everyone alive can achieve together.
3) Money and a purchase system
4) NPC oriented combat
5) Survival win conditions until we get you a real one
I am...less then enthusiastic about a game that makes everyone lose for not killing off 2 more of our group. Especially when the people that left us over the number were neutrals.
Beyond that I think it was a really interesting and fun game system. Not really a phalla, but something I could see run fairly often on a smaller scale.
I just could not find the time. I will make sure I do not help run a game in the future that I and the other(s) cannot handle.
Don't beat yourselves up over it, shit happens. The game was great. If anything, I think you guys should've done a mini-test. Otherwise, I chalk it up that it was just too much players. One hundred and four players, one hundred and four inventories. Jesus Christ, I think I would've quit the internet.
I added the deaths and survivors who died in the wastelands to the narration.
Deaths tonight:
Bliss 101
cheez
DamnedLibrarian
DasUberEdward
DevoutlyApathetic
evilbob
JPants
Last Son
Maximus
MrBlarney
Oatway
Plutonium
real_pochacco
Rear Admiral Choco
Shamus
Stew_Stick
UEAKCrash
Ultarune
Zek
Those who faded away in the wastelands:
B:L
Burnage
Buzz Buzz
cj iwakura
CoreGoon
Daius
durax
El Skid
Fembot
FrostMist
giltanis
hesthefastest
Hylianbunny
Infidel
Lightor216
Locus
lonelyahava
Marshmallow
Mr. Defecation
Niceguy Myeye
Nion
PsychoLarry1
Quoth
Rend
Romantic Undead
TheLawinator
Trust
UEAK Carnage
Unearthly Stew
Varcayn
Wildcat
Zellpher
As for the different places, depending on where the vote went, we came up with most of it as we went, other than having ideas around.
The clarifications not being put in a central spot or even each narration made this a lot messier than it should have been. I apologize, I spent 6+ hours a day on this, I just could not find the time. I will make sure I do not help run a game in the future that I and the other(s) cannot handle.
6 hours each day? damn - that's alot of time put into this. For what it's worth: I loved it! Was refreshing and fun to try something where the goals arn't really known in the start. Keep up the good work, both of you and good luck with whatever you decide to host next time!
I just could not find the time. I will make sure I do not help run a game in the future that I and the other(s) cannot handle.
Don't beat yourselves up over it, shit happens. The game was great. If anything, I think you guys should've done a mini-test. Otherwise, I chalk it up that it was just too much players. One hundred and four players, one hundred and four inventories. Jesus Christ, I think I would've quit the internet.
Small scale test and capped limit on number of players, yes. I think that would have cut down on the amount of effort needed to run this game to something approaching more reasonable levels. At this kind of level, it seems like special software would need to be built to keep things organized and resolve things in an expedient manner.
I'd have to say that I agree with MrBlarney, for the most part. The one thing that really held my interest throughout the game was working with my group.
It seems like a lot of these recent games have been trending toward the "sort of but not really a Phalla" territory, which I'm okay with except that we're only allowed to run one big Phalla at a time (from signups opening to game over, this game took three weeks!). There's no limit on tabletop-style games, so I don't see why we're unnecessarily trying to put them all in the Phalla category. No doubt it has something to do with the player base that you hope to get in your game, but hey, I don't see any problem with promoting one of these vaguely Phalla-related games in the Phalla main thread. And that way, we can keep the line moving.
Hmm, maybe this would've been better off in the Phalla main thread.
I am...less then enthusiastic about a game that makes everyone lose for not killing off 2 more of our group. Especially when the people that left us over the number were neutrals.
Beyond that I think it was a really interesting and fun game system. Not really a phalla, but something I could see run fairly often on a smaller scale.
Perhaps we could've had an option to walk off into the sunset, but since we set the theme at survival, it wasn't an option and we decided to keep it, knowing full well not everyone would be receptive to it.
I added the deaths and survivors who died in the wastelands to the narration.
Deaths tonight:
Bliss 101
cheez
DamnedLibrarian
DasUberEdward
DevoutlyApathetic
evilbob
JPants
Last Son
Maximus
MrBlarney
Oatway
Plutonium
real_pochacco
Rear Admiral Choco
Shamus
Stew_Stick
UEAKCrash
Ultarune
Zek
Those who faded away in the wastelands:
B:L
Burnage
Buzz Buzz
cj iwakura
CoreGoon
Daius
durax
El Skid
Fembot
FrostMist
giltanis
hesthefastest
Hylianbunny
Infidel
Lightor216
Locus
lonelyahava
Marshmallow
Mr. Defecation
Niceguy Myeye
Nion
PsychoLarry1
Quoth
Rend
Romantic Undead
TheLawinator
Trust
UEAK Carnage
Unearthly Stew
Varcayn
Wildcat
Zellpher
As for the different places, depending on where the vote went, we came up with most of it as we went, other than having ideas around.
The clarifications not being put in a central spot or even each narration made this a lot messier than it should have been. I apologize, I spent 6+ hours a day on this, I just could not find the time. I will make sure I do not help run a game in the future that I and the other(s) cannot handle.
6 hours each day? damn - that's alot of time put into this. For what it's worth: I loved it! Was refreshing and fun to try something where the goals arn't really known in the start. Keep up the good work, both of you and good luck with whatever you decide to host next time!
Uh. I wasn't far behind acctually. But not all that much time to post what with all the reading. Err, okay, really going to bed now.
I really liked the last days of the game. Up to that point, there was a sense of general confusion though, because we didn't really know what to expect. I think it'd have been more fun if we could have started to maneuver towards victory, or some RP options, right from the beginning.
I think the game would have benefited from a player cap of 40 - 60 too. In fact, running this type of game regularly with just 10 - 20 players sounds like fun.
It seems like a lot of these recent games have been trending toward the "sort of but not really a Phalla" territory, which I'm okay with except that we're only allowed to run one big Phalla at a time (from signups opening to game over, this game took three weeks!). There's no limit on tabletop-style games, so I don't see why we're unnecessarily trying to put them all in the Phalla category. No doubt it has something to do with the player base that you hope to get in your game, but hey, I don't see any problem with promoting one of these vaguely Phalla-related games in the Phalla main thread. And that way, we can keep the line moving.
Hmm, maybe this would've been better off in the Phalla main thread.
I agree on the general sentiment, though in my opinion this is really the first big "Phalla" game in recent memory that hasn't fit the "Phalla" name at all, in terms of being a Mafia-styled forum game. The recent factional-style games do tend a bit away from the original idea of Phalla/Mafia, but I'd hold it under that umbrella. This game, Phallout? Not so much. It's worth discussion.
It seems like a lot of these recent games have been trending toward the "sort of but not really a Phalla" territory, which I'm okay with except that we're only allowed to run one big Phalla at a time (from signups opening to game over, this game took three weeks!). There's no limit on tabletop-style games, so I don't see why we're unnecessarily trying to put them all in the Phalla category. No doubt it has something to do with the player base that you hope to get in your game, but hey, I don't see any problem with promoting one of these vaguely Phalla-related games in the Phalla main thread. And that way, we can keep the line moving.
Hmm, maybe this would've been better off in the Phalla main thread.
I agree on the general sentiment, though in my opinion this is really the first big "Phalla" game in recent memory that hasn't fit the "Phalla" name at all, in terms of being a Mafia-styled forum game. The recent factional-style games do tend a bit away from the original idea of Phalla/Mafia, but I'd hold it under that umbrella. This game, Phallout? Not so much. It's worth discussion.
Uh, in the Phalla main thread, of course.
Honestly, the most recent game that I'd actually consider a Phalla is FMA.
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duraxWho watches the watchdogs?Registered Userregular
edited March 2008
I enjoyed playing but it would have been nice to have an objective beyond survival.
I'm still awake for a few more minutes, but I'll give my opinion on this subject.
I'm not too familiar with the other tabletop games that are run in Critical Failures, but I see something like this, and MrBlarney's Phalla, and the Phalla Royale games, and other non-traditional games as "Phallas" because of the social aspect. True, "Phalla" developed and evolved from the traditional Mafia game and, true also, Phallout is absolutely nothing like that - no execution votes, doesn't really matter if you all know each other's roles, and so on.
However, I feel there is a different social chemistry in Phalla community. And I am not talking about the regular joes and janes that play in Phallas, but the way the actual community, peer pressure, and an element of paranoia lends itself to the Phalla.
I am not suggesting that other tabletop games are devoid of social chemistry. That would be absurd. But I think Phallas tend to have a certain kind that, despite mechanics changing from game to game, still have a common thread. Maybe I'm just blinded by the fact that I co-hosted this one, but I saw that social chemistry come to the surface here too, all throughout. It was that ATMOSPHERE that we wanted. Phalla has an undeniably different atmosphere than any other tabletop-esque game in this forum.
So the question is: what makes a Phalla a Phalla? Voting mechanics? Mafia-like attributes? Or the way the community plays into the game? I don't have an answer, though I am more willing to be inclusive than exclusive on this (obviously). Personally, I feel that the way the community tends to function in a Phalla is what makes it a Phalla, and not any specific type of mechanics or set of rules or type of roles.
But maybe I am wrong in understanding/not understanding how other non-Phalla games play out in this forum. After clicking around a bit, though, I don't think those styles fit what Ardor and I were trying to do. It wasn't about trying to "grab" that Phalla crowd, but rather to keep the Phalla atmosphere - get a lot of people talking about what to do. Give common goals but with the choice to go and do your own thing, too. And so on.
It is inevitable that out of 104 people, there are going to be people disappointed in what transpired even if this went out without a hitch, and nobody can claim that this game was hitchless. I know I am most to blame as I burdened Ardor with far too much while running the game. I caused most of the delays. And the organization could and should have been ironed out by Ardor and I before the game ran. This was too much for just the two of us and then, on top of it, I've been sick so it was even worse for him and when I tried to get in there and do what I had to do, it was nearly too much for me too.
We basically bit off more than we could chew and we did our best to overcome it as we went along but there absolutely were stumbling blocks and it was, again, inevitable that the player base would feel it.
So, that's my opinion. I appreciate the honest replies and I don't blame you if you did not like the game. I think the subject of "what is a Phalla?" is worth discussing, either here or elsewhere, as people seem to have different opinions on the subject and I can see logic on both sides of the issue.
I'll conclude by saying that this game drove me absolutely crazy, but not because of you guys. You guys kept me going even though I wanted to cash it in every other day. I thought we could handle what we started and it turned out to be a heavier burden than I think either of us realized. All in all, I enjoyed running it, and I hope at least some of you derived some pleasure from it. And I am sorry to those that did not.
1) Trying to prevent day 1 and day 2 deaths since people never like those (the ones dying).
2) Trying a win condition that everyone alive can achieve together.
3) Money and a purchase system
4) NPC oriented combat
5) Survival win conditions until we get you a real one
1) I liked this, no one likes dying day 1 and its more fun when more people are still around.
2) I like how it was handled here, but I think a big part of phalla is the conflict between players. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have had nearly as much fun if we had all just zerg-rushed the vault on night 8, and judging by how the playerbase split I think most people would agree with that.
3) This I didn't really care for. Not sure why, it just wasn't my cup-o-tea.
4) Eh, its not really a bad concept but I don't think it should play so major of a role. As I said above I think the conflict between players is one of the most fun parts.
5) I like to know my win conditions early and thoroughly.
I am...less then enthusiastic about a game that makes everyone lose for not killing off 2 more of our group. Especially when the people that left us over the number were neutrals.
Beyond that I think it was a really interesting and fun game system. Not really a phalla, but something I could see run fairly often on a smaller scale.
Perhaps we could've had an option to walk off into the sunset, but since we set the theme at survival, it wasn't an option and we decided to keep it, knowing full well not everyone would be receptive to it.
Though I understand this, to be fair, you did give us the option to commit suicide two days in a row. How does that work with the theme?
The last day was the only day that "commiting suicide" would have actually been thematically poignant. I would have gone with it.
Posts
Foremost in my complaints is the number of delays in the game. When delays are made clearly and early in a day, that's fine, but when the players are left unsure about what is going on, that is a big problem.
Organization was also a mess. Plutonium had to copy the item list into his first post since it wasn't linked to the first page. There needed more organization of the clarifications and rules into those two posts as they were made.
Other concerns... PM accuracy seemed to be a problem for some people. Knowing what actions could be made was also a problem - this is tied into keeping the OP organized.
So this really wasn't much of a Phalla. An interesting idea to be sure, but the implementation wasn't that good. There were too many people involved in this kind of complex game that it feels like things spiralled out of control. Seems like the game wasn't totally ready to go - it could have used a smaller test or at least more editing. It seemed so cool and interesting at the start, but it turned into something that I just wasn't invested in and couldn't care much about.
Just kidding, good try though. Thanks for all your hard work, it was a blast playing a Phallaesque where all the bad roles were chosen by god.
Yeah, that's what I thought too. Whoops!
Thanks for all the gaming to everyone, whether our interactions were good or bad.
And thanks to all the other people mashing F5 waiting for the narrations.
But mostly, thanks to Drez and Ardor and anyone else who was involved in the game process. There definately were mistakes, but you guys were generally cool about them and I'm sure this was a monumental task to deal with and take care of.
But my monitor seems to be melting now, so I think it's time I should go to sleep or... stop staring at my monitor.
heres how it went down:
1: Many people defending the vault in order to not win
2: I say that either we all attack or everyone dies
3: Everyone defends the vault
4: Everyone dies
And I told you all we should have just taken the vault. :P
Bitter much?
Yah, Fembot, same here. I guess this does play into Blarney's complaint that things weren't really that clear to begin with. Assuming that a non-vote means a vote for NO is a pretty big decision that the players should be informed about.
As for keeping track of stuff, Ardor's been there with Phalla Royale. It was a little off here, but players should have been able to handle their own info without constant and direct GM supervision.
For the phalla thing, the whole end day was basically a clutch phalla situation. Unfortunately we didn't get all the details we needed, and inactivity screwed us over. Sounds like a phalla to me! ;-)
We voted with blood.
Just so I don't have to write a meaningful post at 5:20am (gmt+1) I'll just mention that I agree with everything Crash just wrote.;-)
I don't understand why we didn't kill eachother down to 30 people. I thought that was the whole alternative to attacking the vault.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE
That said, I think it was great. I'll be honest - I skipped through 10-20 pages at a time, mostly because I couldn't be bothered to read so much shit. But from what I did read, you guys really got the players involved with the story. Especially towards the end, when the whole group as a whole fell apart, prompting me to murder children while everyone else decided to go rot in the sun.
Question - was it planned to end at the Vault? Or were there other storytelling options?
and so cool I didn't die. At least, not according to the narration.
I also didn't kill anybody with my sweet LSW.
but I didn't die!
I should hold off on partying...
And yes, Seriously, you called it. Cookies for you.
Drez, Ardor, you guys seriously rock the world. You do. This was fantastic. Like, beyond doubt the coolest phalla i've played in.
And all of the other players rocked. Well, except Natik and Ultarune who stole from me. You both just.. yeah.. I should sooooo shake my finger at you.
but I did that already..
so bleaahhhh
woo, this made my night.
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
You died.
Also - Any chance to see what would have happened at the different places we could have gone?
Bliss 101
cheez
DamnedLibrarian
DasUberEdward
DevoutlyApathetic
evilbob
JPants
Last Son
Maximus
MrBlarney
Oatway
Plutonium
real_pochacco
Rear Admiral Choco
Shamus
Stew_Stick
UEAKCrash
Ultarune
Zek
Those who faded away in the wastelands:
B:L
Burnage
Buzz Buzz
cj iwakura
CoreGoon
Daius
durax
El Skid
Fembot
FrostMist
giltanis
hesthefastest
Hylianbunny
Infidel
Lightor216
Locus
lonelyahava
Marshmallow
Mr. Defecation
Niceguy Myeye
Nion
PsychoLarry1
Quoth
Rend
Romantic Undead
TheLawinator
Trust
UEAK Carnage
Unearthly Stew
Varcayn
Wildcat
Zellpher
As for the different places, depending on where the vote went, we came up with most of it as we went, other than having ideas around.
The clarifications not being put in a central spot or even each narration made this a lot messier than it should have been. I apologize, I spent 6+ hours a day on this, I just could not find the time. I will make sure I do not help run a game in the future that I and the other(s) cannot handle.
EDIT: MrBlarney, thanks for your comments. I would like to hear everyone's thoughts on the game, regardless of good or bad. We'd like general comments but we would like some feedback on some of the mechanics we tried.
1) Trying to prevent day 1 and day 2 deaths since people never like those (the ones dying).
2) Trying a win condition that everyone alive can achieve together.
3) Money and a purchase system
4) NPC oriented combat
5) Survival win conditions until we get you a real one
Etc.
Thanks again for your time.
Beyond that I think it was a really interesting and fun game system. Not really a phalla, but something I could see run fairly often on a smaller scale.
Don't beat yourselves up over it, shit happens. The game was great. If anything, I think you guys should've done a mini-test. Otherwise, I chalk it up that it was just too much players. One hundred and four players, one hundred and four inventories. Jesus Christ, I think I would've quit the internet.
Small scale test and capped limit on number of players, yes. I think that would have cut down on the amount of effort needed to run this game to something approaching more reasonable levels. At this kind of level, it seems like special software would need to be built to keep things organized and resolve things in an expedient manner.
It seems like a lot of these recent games have been trending toward the "sort of but not really a Phalla" territory, which I'm okay with except that we're only allowed to run one big Phalla at a time (from signups opening to game over, this game took three weeks!). There's no limit on tabletop-style games, so I don't see why we're unnecessarily trying to put them all in the Phalla category. No doubt it has something to do with the player base that you hope to get in your game, but hey, I don't see any problem with promoting one of these vaguely Phalla-related games in the Phalla main thread. And that way, we can keep the line moving.
Hmm, maybe this would've been better off in the Phalla main thread.
Perhaps we could've had an option to walk off into the sunset, but since we set the theme at survival, it wasn't an option and we decided to keep it, knowing full well not everyone would be receptive to it.
Uh. I wasn't far behind acctually. But not all that much time to post what with all the reading.
Err, okay, really going to bed now.
heh, no hard feelings at all
I think the game would have benefited from a player cap of 40 - 60 too. In fact, running this type of game regularly with just 10 - 20 players sounds like fun.
I agree on the general sentiment, though in my opinion this is really the first big "Phalla" game in recent memory that hasn't fit the "Phalla" name at all, in terms of being a Mafia-styled forum game. The recent factional-style games do tend a bit away from the original idea of Phalla/Mafia, but I'd hold it under that umbrella. This game, Phallout? Not so much. It's worth discussion.
Uh, in the Phalla main thread, of course.
Honestly, the most recent game that I'd actually consider a Phalla is FMA.
Kudos to the RPers, it's nice to add some flavor to the phalla every now and then.
Indeed
I'm not too familiar with the other tabletop games that are run in Critical Failures, but I see something like this, and MrBlarney's Phalla, and the Phalla Royale games, and other non-traditional games as "Phallas" because of the social aspect. True, "Phalla" developed and evolved from the traditional Mafia game and, true also, Phallout is absolutely nothing like that - no execution votes, doesn't really matter if you all know each other's roles, and so on.
However, I feel there is a different social chemistry in Phalla community. And I am not talking about the regular joes and janes that play in Phallas, but the way the actual community, peer pressure, and an element of paranoia lends itself to the Phalla.
I am not suggesting that other tabletop games are devoid of social chemistry. That would be absurd. But I think Phallas tend to have a certain kind that, despite mechanics changing from game to game, still have a common thread. Maybe I'm just blinded by the fact that I co-hosted this one, but I saw that social chemistry come to the surface here too, all throughout. It was that ATMOSPHERE that we wanted. Phalla has an undeniably different atmosphere than any other tabletop-esque game in this forum.
So the question is: what makes a Phalla a Phalla? Voting mechanics? Mafia-like attributes? Or the way the community plays into the game? I don't have an answer, though I am more willing to be inclusive than exclusive on this (obviously). Personally, I feel that the way the community tends to function in a Phalla is what makes it a Phalla, and not any specific type of mechanics or set of rules or type of roles.
But maybe I am wrong in understanding/not understanding how other non-Phalla games play out in this forum. After clicking around a bit, though, I don't think those styles fit what Ardor and I were trying to do. It wasn't about trying to "grab" that Phalla crowd, but rather to keep the Phalla atmosphere - get a lot of people talking about what to do. Give common goals but with the choice to go and do your own thing, too. And so on.
It is inevitable that out of 104 people, there are going to be people disappointed in what transpired even if this went out without a hitch, and nobody can claim that this game was hitchless. I know I am most to blame as I burdened Ardor with far too much while running the game. I caused most of the delays. And the organization could and should have been ironed out by Ardor and I before the game ran. This was too much for just the two of us and then, on top of it, I've been sick so it was even worse for him and when I tried to get in there and do what I had to do, it was nearly too much for me too.
We basically bit off more than we could chew and we did our best to overcome it as we went along but there absolutely were stumbling blocks and it was, again, inevitable that the player base would feel it.
So, that's my opinion. I appreciate the honest replies and I don't blame you if you did not like the game. I think the subject of "what is a Phalla?" is worth discussing, either here or elsewhere, as people seem to have different opinions on the subject and I can see logic on both sides of the issue.
I'll conclude by saying that this game drove me absolutely crazy, but not because of you guys. You guys kept me going even though I wanted to cash it in every other day. I thought we could handle what we started and it turned out to be a heavier burden than I think either of us realized. All in all, I enjoyed running it, and I hope at least some of you derived some pleasure from it. And I am sorry to those that did not.
1) I liked this, no one likes dying day 1 and its more fun when more people are still around.
2) I like how it was handled here, but I think a big part of phalla is the conflict between players. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have had nearly as much fun if we had all just zerg-rushed the vault on night 8, and judging by how the playerbase split I think most people would agree with that.
3) This I didn't really care for. Not sure why, it just wasn't my cup-o-tea.
4) Eh, its not really a bad concept but I don't think it should play so major of a role. As I said above I think the conflict between players is one of the most fun parts.
5) I like to know my win conditions early and thoroughly.
Though I understand this, to be fair, you did give us the option to commit suicide two days in a row. How does that work with the theme?
The last day was the only day that "commiting suicide" would have actually been thematically poignant. I would have gone with it.
Who's with me? :P
Nope. Still a traitor. Now a baby killer. :P