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A '''Townie''' (also known as '''Citizen''', '''Townsperson''', '''Villager''', etc.) is a player with a [[pro-Town]] Win Condition.  Due to ambiguity, "Townie" has been known to refer to any pro-Town player who has no extraordinary abilities or simply any pro-Town player.  Players who have no extraordinary abilities are specifically called '''Vanilla Townies''' ([[Commonly Used Abbreviations|abbreviated]] as '''VT'''). The rest of this article is about Vanilla Townies.
A '''Townie''' (also known as '''Citizen''', '''Townsperson''', '''Villager''', etc.) is a player with a [[pro-Town]] Win Condition.  Due to ambiguity, "Townie" has been known to refer to any pro-Town player who has no extraordinary abilities or simply any pro-Town player.  Players who have no extraordinary abilities are specifically called '''Vanilla Townies''' ([[Commonly Used Abbreviations|abbreviated]] as '''VT''').  


Vanilla Townies are defined by having no special abilities beyond being able to post and vote during the [[Day]] like everyone else.  During the [[Night]] they do nothing.
Vanilla Townies are defined by having no special abilities beyond being able to post and vote during the [[Day]] like everyone else.  During the [[Night]] they do nothing.
==Normal Guidelines==
'''Townie''' is a role designation for a pro-Town role that has no [[active ability]]. It is possible to give Townies innate powers by applying a [[Role modifier]] to them. The following modifiers are legal to use in [[Normal]] Games: [[Ascetic]], [[Backup]], [[Bulletproof]], [[Informed]].
The colloquial name for a blank townie and the term used in Normal games is Vanilla Townie. Townie, Townsperson, Citizen are also permitted. A game cannot be considered Normal if there is not at least one VT-equivalent role in the game. A sample of a Vanilla Townie role PM must be provided in one of the opening posts of a Normal Game.


==Variations==
==Variations==
A Vanilla Townie is by definition powerless.  Any alteration causes the role to become classed as a different role entirely. 


* If a Townie is given a unique name, then it becomes a [[Named Townie]].
Outside of Normal games, a Townie can have any kind or combination of role modifiers applied to it.  
* If a Townie's ability to post normally is altered, then it becomes a [[Post restriction|Post Restricted Townie]].
 
* If a Townie's ability to vote is handicapped or enhanced, then it becomes something akin to [[Voteless]] or a [[Doublevoter]].
Chocolate Townie is a common type of [[Named Townie]]. A Named Townie typically is just that, ''a name''. Chocolate Townie subverts this trope by being named similarly and acting the same as the main type of Townie, the Vanilla Townie. Named Townies are stronger than Vanilla Townies: outside of [[Role Madness]] games, there should be a great number of Vanilla Townies in the setup, and not being one, even if just by name can be considered a type of power.
* If a Townie has any active or passive abilities at all, then it becomes a [[Power Role|power role]].  An exception to this comes if a Vanilla Townie is given a temporary ability by a role like [[Inventor]], in which case it is a Vanilla Townie who happens to have been given an extra ability.
* If a Townie's Win Condition is different from the rest of the [[Uninformed Majority|majority]], then it should be considered a [[Third Party]] rather than pro-Town.


== Normal Guidelines ==
Vanilla Townies are the accepted term to be used. See: [[Vanilla]]. If all Vanilla Townies are named, that new name is considered a VT in its function.
A setup that is classed as [[Normal]] on mafiascum.net will usually have about half of the players be Vanilla Townies, with the remainder split between power roles and scum.  While this is usually considered a good ratio for balance, [[theme]]d games with a lower percentage of Vanilla players (sometimes even none) are not uncommon.


==Use and Power==
Any role can become a Vanilla Townie if targeted by a [[Vanillizer]]. Similarly, any Vanilla Townie can use abilities granted by another role.
In terms of balance and how games play out, Vanilla Townies carry two implications:


First, since Vanilla Townies do not have any special powers to aid them, they have to depend on traditional scumhunting methods - analysis of actions, intent, voting, previous posts, etc. - to win.  In general, games with more Vanilla Townies place more of an emphasis on the Day game instead of the Night game.  Online, the Day game is more frequently won by [[Mafia]] factions due to their ability to [[Night-kill]] players that threaten them.
The rest of the article will detail the use of the Vanilla Townie.


Second, it is very easy for the Mafia (especially a [[Godfather]]) to [[fakeclaim]] Vanilla Townie, as they do not have to fabricate any Night action choices.
==Use and Balance==


A setup where the Town consists solely of Vanilla Townies is called [[Mountainous]].  The name stems from the belief that these setups are difficult for Town to win.  It is generally accepted that in games with 11 Townies and 2 Mafia, the Town needs one or more Power Roles on its side for the game to be balanced.
For non-vanilla townies, balance advice can be sought on their respective wiki pages.


==Note to Moderators==
The Vanilla Townie (VT) is a vital role for game balance. Generally, it is a good idea to start with the highest number of VTs you'd like to account for when making a Mafia set-up. To avoid [[Breaking_Strategy|problems related by having too few VTs]] the finished product should shoot for at least half the number of playing having the VT role.
When all Townies have the same wording in their PM, they can use that information to clear each other in a fashion similar to [[Mason#Best Friends|Best Friends]]. To prevent this problem it is common to either give all the Town players unique role PMs or give an example of what the Vanilla Townie PM looks like in one of the opening posts of the game.  At the very least, make sure the Mafia knows what the wording of the Town Win Condition is.
 
A game in which all roles are Vanilla is called a [[Mountainous]] game.
 
[[Role Madness]] is a type of game where there are no Vanilla roles at all. As a rule, there's no way to balance a Role Madness game, as there are only precautions that can be taken to avoid the game from being broken. While it is possible to assign a Vanilla Town role in a Role Madness game, it is recommended to limit any VT role to 1, as the novelty of a single Vanilla Town effectively makes it a Named Townie that is difficult or impossible for [[scum]] to effectively [[counterclaim]].
 
It is common practice to provide the role-PM of a Vanilla Townie role to the entire player list to avoid optimization strategies that could be attempted by comparing role PMs between VTs, or to make each VT role PM unique.


==Play Advice==
==Play Advice==


While the unaccessorized nature of the role can cause players to feel unimportant in the scheme of gameplay, Vanilla Townie is one of the most flexible roles in a standard game. The most practical purpose a Vanilla Townie has is its capacity to draw the Mafia's Night-kill away from power roles via Day play. A Vanilla Townie may also attempt [[gambit]]s they would not consider if they feared getting lynched or killed with a power role if it failed.
===Basics===
 
The Vanilla Townie plays a crucial role for the town. As game balance necessitates its existence, its power level is entirely up to the player wielding it. Generally, a VT should try to play as transparently pro-Town as possible, and show high aggression or concern for its survival. At the same time, it is best to avoid telling yourself as a VT: leaving something to the imagination leaves you open to soaking a [[Night Kill]] for your team. When in doubt, ask yourself if there's an element of [[WIFOM]] for scum to analyze. If they may agonize over killing you, you have found a great balance in your play.
 
===Cover===
 
VTs are in a unique position to look out for their team's [[Power Roles]]. While a Vanilla Townie will never produce a [[guilty]] result on scum on their own, they can take a night-kill for somebody that can. Simply because there are more than one VT likely not more than one of any given power role in a game, any power role without the name "Vanilla Townie" can offer the town power just by being named.
 
A strategy VTs can employ in specific setups is creating '''Cover''' for their power role, commonly a cop or [[investigative]] role of some kind. Each day you can state, "if I am a cop, I have an innocent on X player". This is optimizing strategic behavior that will raise the Town's [[EV|Expected Value]] to win by providing a cop with safe days to out an [[Innocent]] result while avoiding being night-killed, up until they claim a real [[Guilty]]. If the cop is killed, all of their results can be taken as the truth, and no result they could have shared will be lost.
 
Similarly, it's possible to provide cover if you correctly read a player as a certain role, though it is important to communicate the plan in some way in thread so as to avoid being counterclaimed by your teammate.
 
==Sample Role PM==
 
{{RolePM |Vanilla Townie}}
 
==See Also==
 
===Related Roles===
 
A [[Vanilla Cop]] is a cop that gets results in the form of 'Vanilla' and 'Not Vanilla'. In a way similar to Role Cops, it gets a Vanilla result on both Vanilla Townies and Mafia Goons, though it gets 'Not Vanilla' instead of an actual role on any Power Roles.
 
A [[Neapolitan]] is a cop that gets results in the form of 'Vanilla Townie' and 'Not Vanilla Townie'. It can be considered a stronger version of the Vanilla Cop,  as it will gain guilty results on [[Scum]].
 
A [[Vanillaiser]] (or Vanillaizer) is a player who can target another player at night to remove their power, turning them into the Vanilla version of their role (Vanilla Townie and Mafia Goons).
 
===Related Articles===
 
[[Vanilla]] relates to either a role or type of setup whereby the role has no special abilities or does not behave outside its expected norm. Example: ''it's a Vanilla game that has no [[flavor]].''


{{see also|Antrax's Guide to Being a Good Townie}}
[[Mountainous]] is a set-up where all roles in the game are Vanilla.


[[Category:Normal Roles]]
[[Category:Normal Roles]]

Revision as of 01:59, 21 May 2018

Townie
T-vanilla.png
Aliases:
  • Vanilla
  • Townsperson
  • Citizen
Alignment:
Role type: not defined
Choice: none

A Townie (also known as Citizen, Townsperson, Villager, etc.) is a player with a pro-Town Win Condition. Due to ambiguity, "Townie" has been known to refer to any pro-Town player who has no extraordinary abilities or simply any pro-Town player. Players who have no extraordinary abilities are specifically called Vanilla Townies (abbreviated as VT).

Vanilla Townies are defined by having no special abilities beyond being able to post and vote during the Day like everyone else. During the Night they do nothing.

Normal Guidelines

Townie is a role designation for a pro-Town role that has no active ability. It is possible to give Townies innate powers by applying a Role modifier to them. The following modifiers are legal to use in Normal Games: Ascetic, Backup, Bulletproof, Informed.

The colloquial name for a blank townie and the term used in Normal games is Vanilla Townie. Townie, Townsperson, Citizen are also permitted. A game cannot be considered Normal if there is not at least one VT-equivalent role in the game. A sample of a Vanilla Townie role PM must be provided in one of the opening posts of a Normal Game.

Variations

Outside of Normal games, a Townie can have any kind or combination of role modifiers applied to it.

Chocolate Townie is a common type of Named Townie. A Named Townie typically is just that, a name. Chocolate Townie subverts this trope by being named similarly and acting the same as the main type of Townie, the Vanilla Townie. Named Townies are stronger than Vanilla Townies: outside of Role Madness games, there should be a great number of Vanilla Townies in the setup, and not being one, even if just by name can be considered a type of power.

Vanilla Townies are the accepted term to be used. See: Vanilla. If all Vanilla Townies are named, that new name is considered a VT in its function.

Any role can become a Vanilla Townie if targeted by a Vanillizer. Similarly, any Vanilla Townie can use abilities granted by another role.

The rest of the article will detail the use of the Vanilla Townie.

Use and Balance

For non-vanilla townies, balance advice can be sought on their respective wiki pages.

The Vanilla Townie (VT) is a vital role for game balance. Generally, it is a good idea to start with the highest number of VTs you'd like to account for when making a Mafia set-up. To avoid problems related by having too few VTs the finished product should shoot for at least half the number of playing having the VT role.

A game in which all roles are Vanilla is called a Mountainous game.

Role Madness is a type of game where there are no Vanilla roles at all. As a rule, there's no way to balance a Role Madness game, as there are only precautions that can be taken to avoid the game from being broken. While it is possible to assign a Vanilla Town role in a Role Madness game, it is recommended to limit any VT role to 1, as the novelty of a single Vanilla Town effectively makes it a Named Townie that is difficult or impossible for scum to effectively counterclaim.

It is common practice to provide the role-PM of a Vanilla Townie role to the entire player list to avoid optimization strategies that could be attempted by comparing role PMs between VTs, or to make each VT role PM unique.

Play Advice

Basics

The Vanilla Townie plays a crucial role for the town. As game balance necessitates its existence, its power level is entirely up to the player wielding it. Generally, a VT should try to play as transparently pro-Town as possible, and show high aggression or concern for its survival. At the same time, it is best to avoid telling yourself as a VT: leaving something to the imagination leaves you open to soaking a Night Kill for your team. When in doubt, ask yourself if there's an element of WIFOM for scum to analyze. If they may agonize over killing you, you have found a great balance in your play.

Cover

VTs are in a unique position to look out for their team's Power Roles. While a Vanilla Townie will never produce a guilty result on scum on their own, they can take a night-kill for somebody that can. Simply because there are more than one VT likely not more than one of any given power role in a game, any power role without the name "Vanilla Townie" can offer the town power just by being named.

A strategy VTs can employ in specific setups is creating Cover for their power role, commonly a cop or investigative role of some kind. Each day you can state, "if I am a cop, I have an innocent on X player". This is optimizing strategic behavior that will raise the Town's Expected Value to win by providing a cop with safe days to out an Innocent result while avoiding being night-killed, up until they claim a real Guilty. If the cop is killed, all of their results can be taken as the truth, and no result they could have shared will be lost.

Similarly, it's possible to provide cover if you correctly read a player as a certain role, though it is important to communicate the plan in some way in thread so as to avoid being counterclaimed by your teammate.

Sample Role PM

Vanilla Townie

Welcome, [Player]! You are a Vanilla Townie.

Abilities:

  • You have no abilities other than your voice and your vote.

Win Conditions:

  • You win if all threats to the town are eliminated and at least one town-aligned player is alive.

See Also

Related Roles

A Vanilla Cop is a cop that gets results in the form of 'Vanilla' and 'Not Vanilla'. In a way similar to Role Cops, it gets a Vanilla result on both Vanilla Townies and Mafia Goons, though it gets 'Not Vanilla' instead of an actual role on any Power Roles.

A Neapolitan is a cop that gets results in the form of 'Vanilla Townie' and 'Not Vanilla Townie'. It can be considered a stronger version of the Vanilla Cop, as it will gain guilty results on Scum.

A Vanillaiser (or Vanillaizer) is a player who can target another player at night to remove their power, turning them into the Vanilla version of their role (Vanilla Townie and Mafia Goons).

Related Articles

Vanilla relates to either a role or type of setup whereby the role has no special abilities or does not behave outside its expected norm. Example: it's a Vanilla game that has no flavor.

Mountainous is a set-up where all roles in the game are Vanilla.