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Made by [[Mastin]]. Initial draft formed from [http://mafiascum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=15863 Newbie 1048], specifically, [http://mafiascum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2757465#p2757465 post 314]. Was then Generalized as a [http://www.mafiascum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16412 MD article].
{{Article
|Name=
|Type=Views
|Author=Mastin}}
==History==
'''Original Publication: February 17, 2011 by [[Mastin]]'''


'''Revised: April 02, 2017 by [[Mastina]]'''


Made by [[Mastin]]. Initial draft formed from [https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=15863 Newbie 1048], specifically, [https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?p=2757465#p2757465 post 314]. Was then Generalized as a [https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16412 MD article].


Cops need to use their investigations better. Far too many cops just investigate one of the more scummy players in the game. This is a waste of that power, because the player's likely to be lynched, anyway. If they were scum, you wasted your investigation just to confirm your suspicions. If they are town, you wasted your investigation on someone who is about to be lynched, and either 1: have to let them die, or 2: claim to save them.
==Article==
<blockquote>''<code>Cops should investigate competent players who are not obviously Town or obviously scum.</code>''</blockquote>
: ---[[Vi]]
Far too many [[Cop|cops]] waste their investigation on one of the more [[Scummy|scummy]] players in the game. This is a mistake, because the player is likely to be [[eliminated]] anyway. If on [[Scum|scum]], you're just confirming a suspicion. If on [[Town|town]], then you're forced to [[Roleclaim|claim]] to save them, since your anonymity is not worth losing your result.




"So what do you expect us to do, investigate our strongest town reads? :rolleyes:" Not ''quite'', but close. It's not investigating null players, either, although that tends to work fairly well. Basically, all three strategies DO work, just in different ways, yet I feel generalizing any of the three to be the best option would be a bad idea.
...But if you can't investigate the scummiest player in the game, what do you do? Investigate your strongest townread?


Not ''quite'', but close.


No, what needs to happen is different from that. Because, there's one key fact you have to remember about when you investigate a player:
There's one thing above all else you should consider when choosing the player to investigate:




You're not just investigating a player to see their alignment. Your investigation determines their influence in the future of the game, what part they will play. If you hit scum, their part is "dead, auto-lynched". (Well, presumably, anyway.) When you get innocent, however, you've cemented them as being a town player, and the town has to live with that. Said town player will be forever pro-town, barring special circumstances (strong reason to suspect godfather, strong reason to believe in a not-sane cop, etc., which are generally appearing less and less often).
You're not just investigating a player to see their alignment. Your investigation determines their influence in the future of the game. If you hit scum, that's "dead via [[Quickelimination|auto-elimination]]". However, when investigating, '''assume you will hit town.''' When you receive an innocent, you've created a player who is never getting eliminated no matter what--and the town has to live with that selection. Said player will always be known to be town-aligned, barring special circumstances (strong reason to suspect godfather, strong reason to believe in a not-sane cop, etc., which are generally appearing less and less often).




And that means they'll forever hold that special spot, and will have an influence over the town that will never disappear. If you, say, investigate a Village Idiot, find they're innocent, and they survive to lylo...would you want them to be the hammering vote? I don't know about '''''you''''', but I'd much prefer that if I were fortunate enough to have a confirmed town player alive in lylo, they actually be competent.
If you hastily investigate a [[Village Idiot]] and they're town, then what? They might survive to see [[Eliminate-or-Lose|elo]]. Would you ''really'' want them to be the hammering vote? Most likely, you would prefer that if there is a confirmed town player alive in elo, they actually be someone competent.




An investigation is not just something to use in order to find alignment. It's a tool to determine who the town leaders will be. Who do towns listen to? I could be wrong, but in order, I believe it generally is "Roles, Confirmed Innocents, Pro-Town-Looking-Players". Ideally, anyway. If your Confirmed Innocent is not a strong player, they lose the potential to lead that a better player would be able to exploit.
'''Your investigation is a tool to determine who the town leaders will be.''' Players who are known to be 100% town carry a disproportionately strong weight compared to those who are unconfirmed. When it comes to who is [[Sheeping|sheeped]], it generally goes "[[Power Roles|Roles]] > Confirmed Innocents > [[Pro-Town]]-Looking Players". If your confirmed innocent is not a strong player, they lose the potential to lead that a better player would be able to exploit.




You're not looking for innocent or guilty when you're a cop. You're looking at the future of the town. You don't want someone who is easily manipulated and/or has a difficult time getting reads to be confirmed town. They have a very high chance of blowing it, of mislynching when the time comes for them to step up and give their insight as confirmed town. (Or, worse, they don't step up at all and remain weak, effectively wasting their potential.)
You're setting the future course of the entire village with your choices. Someone easily manipulated and/or having difficulty getting reads is a sub-optimal choice for being confirmed town, as they will most likely [[Miselimination|miseliminate]] when the time comes for them to step up and give their insight. (Or, worse, they don't step up at all and that potential to have guaranteed town give good reasoning is lost forever.)




Who you investigate should not be someone who you necessarily think is scum.
So who you investigation should be a player with a degree of competency that they will, in your opinion, get the job done when push comes to shove. After you are dead, you want your results to leave someone in charge who is a town leader with an open mind that will analyze situations carefully.
It shouldn't be someone you necessarily think is town, either.




Who you should investigate is who you think should get the job done, when it comes to a worst-case scenario. Where you are dead and have no further investigations, where you got an innocent instead of the guilty most cops hope for. (In truth, getting an innocent can be just--if not potentially '''''more''''' helpful--than a guilty, but there are very few who acknowledge this.) Would you want your innocents to be VIs, or good players who make sense, get the town to follow them naturally, keep open minds, analyze the situation carefully, etc.?
And, incidentally, this type of player will typically be among your townreads. If you hit scum, bonus points: a player fitting these criteria likely was thinking they were going to [[Endgame|be endgame material]], yet has been caught, messing up the scum's plans. But if you hit town as is most likely, you'll want these factors in mind:
*How likely is your target to be [[Nightkilled|killed]] before you reveal your results? You'll want to avoid targets where the probability of this is too high.
*How much difference does your investigation make on their play? The greater the improvement, the better. You want to avoid investigating players whose play will ''deteriorate'' after becoming confirmed town (if as confirmed town they [[Lurk|lurk]] out of apathy, they are the best target).




This does indeed mean that players who look town by this logic would get investigated more often, but do keep in mind other factors.
With these in mind, it won't necessarily be your scumreads you check, or your townreads, or those more neutral. You might catch scum, which would be good. But if you don't (and often, you won't), then you want your choice to be someone who you are happy to call an ally, with trust they will direct the town where they need to go and nail the scum you yourself could not.
-How likely are they to die before you reveal your results? If it's too high, don't do it.
-How much difference would investigating them make to their play? If it greatly improves, it's definitely worth it, if it doesn't (or even gets worse due to being confirmed and exploiting the natural benefits thereof negatively--stuff like lurking, putting no effort into the game, etc.), then you need to look elsewhere.


 
[[Category: Play Articles]]
Basic summary is that you don't want to necessarily look at the most scummy, or most town, or most neutral, player. Best-case scenario, you catch scum with those. Worst-case scenario, though, and your choice becomes the person who will define the future of the game, who--as long as they live--will be in that position to direct the town, and you want them to direct the town in the correct way, for them to nail the scum, even if you yourself could not.
[[Category: Townplay Articles]]
 
[[Category: MastinMD]]
 
''"Cops should investigate competent players who are not obviously Town or obviously scum."''---Vi's summary of the above.
 
(All that said, getting a guilty certainly is good, of course--especially if it's on someone nobody was really that suspicious of; how many players here have lost a game they were dominating due to a last-second cop claim screwing them over? *raises hand* :P)
 
[[Category: Theory]]

Latest revision as of 01:08, 3 April 2022

Type:
Author:

History

Original Publication: February 17, 2011 by Mastin

Revised: April 02, 2017 by Mastina

Made by Mastin. Initial draft formed from Newbie 1048, specifically, post 314. Was then Generalized as a MD article.

Article

Cops should investigate competent players who are not obviously Town or obviously scum.

---Vi

Far too many cops waste their investigation on one of the more scummy players in the game. This is a mistake, because the player is likely to be eliminated anyway. If on scum, you're just confirming a suspicion. If on town, then you're forced to claim to save them, since your anonymity is not worth losing your result.


...But if you can't investigate the scummiest player in the game, what do you do? Investigate your strongest townread?

Not quite, but close.

There's one thing above all else you should consider when choosing the player to investigate:


You're not just investigating a player to see their alignment. Your investigation determines their influence in the future of the game. If you hit scum, that's "dead via auto-elimination". However, when investigating, assume you will hit town. When you receive an innocent, you've created a player who is never getting eliminated no matter what--and the town has to live with that selection. Said player will always be known to be town-aligned, barring special circumstances (strong reason to suspect godfather, strong reason to believe in a not-sane cop, etc., which are generally appearing less and less often).


If you hastily investigate a Village Idiot and they're town, then what? They might survive to see elo. Would you really want them to be the hammering vote? Most likely, you would prefer that if there is a confirmed town player alive in elo, they actually be someone competent.


Your investigation is a tool to determine who the town leaders will be. Players who are known to be 100% town carry a disproportionately strong weight compared to those who are unconfirmed. When it comes to who is sheeped, it generally goes "Roles > Confirmed Innocents > Pro-Town-Looking Players". If your confirmed innocent is not a strong player, they lose the potential to lead that a better player would be able to exploit.


You're setting the future course of the entire village with your choices. Someone easily manipulated and/or having difficulty getting reads is a sub-optimal choice for being confirmed town, as they will most likely miseliminate when the time comes for them to step up and give their insight. (Or, worse, they don't step up at all and that potential to have guaranteed town give good reasoning is lost forever.)


So who you investigation should be a player with a degree of competency that they will, in your opinion, get the job done when push comes to shove. After you are dead, you want your results to leave someone in charge who is a town leader with an open mind that will analyze situations carefully.


And, incidentally, this type of player will typically be among your townreads. If you hit scum, bonus points: a player fitting these criteria likely was thinking they were going to be endgame material, yet has been caught, messing up the scum's plans. But if you hit town as is most likely, you'll want these factors in mind:

  • How likely is your target to be killed before you reveal your results? You'll want to avoid targets where the probability of this is too high.
  • How much difference does your investigation make on their play? The greater the improvement, the better. You want to avoid investigating players whose play will deteriorate after becoming confirmed town (if as confirmed town they lurk out of apathy, they are the best target).


With these in mind, it won't necessarily be your scumreads you check, or your townreads, or those more neutral. You might catch scum, which would be good. But if you don't (and often, you won't), then you want your choice to be someone who you are happy to call an ally, with trust they will direct the town where they need to go and nail the scum you yourself could not.