The Resistance IV Signups

[Tables]

The Empire must fall. Our mission must succeed. By destroying their key bases, we will shatter Imperial strength and liberate our people. Yet spies have infiltrated our ranks, ready for sabotage. We must unmask them. In five nights we reshape destiny or die trying. We are the Resistance!

The Resistance is a party game of social deduction. It is designed for five to ten players, lasts about 30 minutes, and has no player elimination. The Resistance is inspired by Mafia/Werewolf, yet it is unique in its core mechanics which increase the resources for informed decisions, intensify player interaction, and eliminate player elimination.

Players are either Resistance Operatives or Imperial Spies. For three to five rounds, they must depend on each other to carry out missions against the Empire. At the same time, they must try to deduce the other players’ identities and gain their trust. Each round begins with discussion. When ready, the Leader entrusts sets of Plans to a certain number of players. Everyone votes on whether or not to approve the assignment. Once an assignment passes, the chosen players secretly decide to Support or Sabotage the mission. Based on the results, the mission succeeds (Resistance win) or fails (Empire win). When a team wins three missions, they have won the game.

Delicious copypasta incoming. If you've played before and remember the rules, skip to the 'The Plot Thickens' section and the 'Mission Targeting' section

Welcome to The Resistance IV. The above gives a brief overview of the game. Of course, being a forum game it's going to last significantly longer than 30 minutes (probably over a month).

The Resistance is a simple, mafia style team game, with a focus on information and deductions as well as reading people's behaviours. Each round is split into multiple phases: First the leader (who changes each round) chooses people for the mission. Then, people vote to approve or reject the mission. If rejected, leadership moves around to the next person. If approved, then each person chooses to complete the mission, or if they're a spy, may choose to sabotage the mission. A sabotaged mission is a success for the spies, while no sabotage is a success for the rebels. The first team to score a majority of successes wins the game.

That's an outline of the game. Here's some more in-depth rules, for your reading pleasure.

The game is NOC, which includes the spies (they may not communicate via PM). No communicating via direct code is allowed. That being said, the spies may want to try and drop hints about who should do what in their messages if they think it'll help, but of course should be very subtle - if they aren't, they may just sell out both themselves and a friend.

At the start of the game, each player is told they're either a rebel or a spy - two players will be spies, the other four will be rebels. Rebels know nothing more than they are rebels, spies know themselves and the other spy. They do NOT have outside contact with the other spies, they just know their identities. Also randomised at this point is the player order, which is essentially how leadership moves around the group.

This game will have 6 players. There are five missions which need the following number of people: 2-3-4-3-4. However, only the final mission here is directly relevant, due to the Mission Targetting variant being used (read below)

At the start of each round the leader (who is known publicly) has 24 hours (this can be extended to 48 on request) to propose a team. This team MAY include themselves, but MAY choose not to (there are good reasons for why both may be good ideas).

After the team has been proposed, each person must privately vote yes or no to the proposal. After 24 hours, everyone's votes will be revealed and totalled (in other words, everyone makes the choice to vote yes/no and reveals it at the same time - so people will know how you voted). If you don't vote, your vote will be randomised. The leader does also vote, and in fact sometimes may want to vote no himself. If there is a majority decision saying yes, then the mission goes ahead. If there is no majority yes, then the vote fails and leadership passes on to the next person.

Be careful - if the resistance votes no 5 times on a single mission, then the resistance collapses due to a lack of strong leadership and the spies win! (Therefore, always vote yes on the 5th mission proposal).

Once the team has been decided, the mission moves on to the mission phase. Here, all of the chosen people for the mission must choose whether to support the mission (pass) or sabotage it (fail). This is done secretly, and who chose what is not made public - just the number of sabotages is revealed. Each operative on the mission has 24 hours to make their choice - spies may choose to sabotage or support the mission, while resistance MUST choose to support it. After 24 hours have passed, all operatives (including spies) will be assumed to support the mission.

Finally, the results of the mission are revealed, leadership passes on to the next person, and the next mission starts.

The resistance win by succeeding on 3 missions. The spies win by sabotaging 3 missions.

Note that The Resistance has no player elimination - in fact, even if a spy is known, they can direct the other spies publicly with suggestions or advice, or can keep denying the evidence, if they can think of an alternate suggestion.

The Plot Thickens

[spoiler=The Plot Thickens]This is an optional variant that comes with the game, which we will be employing for this game. At the start of each round (that is, mission 1.1, mission 2.1 etc., before the leader makes a proposal, he will be dealt one of seven possible plot cards, which he must resolve (24 hours will be given for this, other players will see the card and be able to advise or discuss what to do with it). These are detailed below, but have moderate effects on the game. On the whole, they help the Resistance by providing more information into the game. Of course, clever spy play can manipulate their usage, and reduce or even invert that advantage.

These are the possible plot cards. I've included notes in italics on how I'll resolve these cards in play.

Strong Leader (2)

Give this card to any other player. That player may discard this card at any point (now or later in the game) before plot or team cards have been distributed to become the leader.

If you have this card and want to use it, it'd be best to tell me during the mission or voting phase immediately before. This can be as simple as 'using Strong Leader' or 'if this vote fails I'll use Strong Leader'

Keeping a Close Eye on You (2)

Give this card to any other player. That player may discard this card after mission cards have been played but before they are revealed to look at the mission card played by any player.

If you want to use this, the best time to tell me is during the vote (assume it's going to pass), or during the mission phase (this is a little risky, as I'll reveal the mission cards as soon as everyone submits)

No Confidence

Give this card to any other player. That player may discard this card after a mission proposal vote has a majority to make that vote count as a failure (the mission does not go ahead and leadership passes, and it counts towards the 5 failures).

Any time during the mission OR the vote is fine. Preferably earlier, as it'd be annoying for people to go through the mission phase only to have a NC at the last minute).

In the Spotlight

Give this card to any other player. That player may discard this card after an approved vote and choose a player, that player submits their mission card face up before any other player submits a mission card

The best time is to tell me during the vote, so the chosen player knows. If you want to risk getting it in during the mission phase go ahead, but timezones and all that might mean you miss the chance.

NOTE: This card replaces the Opinion Maker card that is normally used in 5-6 player games (In The Spotlight is a 7-10 player card, the fairest one in 5-6 player I thought). Opinion Maker requires one person to vote publicly and first for the rest of the game... which is simply going to cause too much delay for a forum game.

Take Responsibility

Give this card to any other player. That player must immediately take a plot card from any other player, if possible.

It's an immediate effect, and there might well not be any choice. If there is, we'll just wait for you to make that choice.

Note: If two or more people want to resolve plot cards simultaneously (e.g. Strong Leader and Take Responsibility), they are resolved in player order, starting from the current leader.

Mission Targeting

[spoiler=Mission Targeting]Mission Targeting is a pretty simple variant. Instead of resolving the missions in order (which require 2-3-4-3-4 people respectively on each), the leader chooses which mission to try, as well as the team on that mission. The leader may choose a different or the same mission as the leader before him (assuming the vote failed), however once a mission has been attempted, it cannot be tried again. Also, mission 5 (the second with 4 people) CANNOT be attempted until the Resistance has two successful missions (more often than not, that means it'll be the final mission).

A leader, when making his proposal, should make his mission choice clear as well as the team. For example: "Trying mission 2, Sending Tables, VincentASM and Tangerine." This variant, like The Plot Thickens, makes things easier for the Resistance (but only very slightly). I'll leave it to you guys to argue out HOW to take advantage of it (once the game starts, of course...)

This game is for 6 players. The game will start once 6 people sign up and I have a sub or two.

Finally if there are any questions, especially about the two variants, feel free to ask. And as long as you understand the rules, you don't need to have played a Resistance before :).

Signups:

BigBangMeteor

Marth

apocalypseArisen

Luster Purge

Elieson

Kay

Subs:

Psych

eclipse

Informed Observers:

Manix

Cyron

Capn' Flint

Edited May 11, 2012 by Tableskitty

[Psych]

Ooh I like the variations. I'll sub for now, since I don't want to get into more than one game at a time though.

[BBM]

I think I get this... I'll sign up.

[Tables]

It might help to have a look at the Resistance III and II (I was a bit different), should give you a good feel for the game.

[Grace]

Requesting informed if possible, please. I'd like to see how this pans out, but I don't really want to be in 3 games at once.

[Tables]

Should be possible. Send me a PM with an email address, I'll add you to the google docs spreadsheet (as there's no spy PM to talk in and most action results become public pretty immediately, you don't really need to be added to the PMs)

[cyron]

i can be a sub

Edited May 10, 2012 by Cyron

[Tables]

Is that a signup or... not? Resistance tends to start on something like 6 month intervals or slower, so, uh, you probably want to join this one I'd say :P. I'd prefer if you try and use better grammar in posts though. It's hard to tell what you're saying at the moment.

[Bluedoom]

This seems quite different from the usual NOC games... I think. I'll sign-up though, because I want another NOC game.

[riariadne]

that's because it's not mafia

it's just sort of similar in that there's an uniformed majority vs an informed minority

[Tables]

Yes.

I'll also say as there's a few new people: This is a commercially available game. If you enjoy it, go buy it! It's a great game for social gatherings, (small) parties and generally having a laugh with people. The rules of the game are as accurate as I could be for a forum adaption.

Also Rein, you going to play? We need some veterans :P

[riariadne]

I might be a bit busy but eh what the hell I'm in

[eclipse]

Sub spot. I enjoy watching these games from afar.

[Kriemhild]

SIGNING UP

I'm a little busy, but this probably won't start anytime soon, and I can't miss a game of Resistance

Good, you fixed it this time

[cyron]

Is that a signup or... not? Resistance tends to start on something like 6 month intervals or slower, so, uh, you probably want to join this one I'd say :P. I'd prefer if you try and use better grammar in posts though. It's hard to tell what you're saying at the moment.

i will just be a sub this time as far as resistance not ocuring regularly i can wait

[Blitz]

since I sucked the last game as bad as I did, I would like to follow Manix's example if that is okay with you Tables.

[Elieson]

I'd like to try this out, even though I have no idea what this mafia sh!t is about. Is it ok, even though I'm completely inexperienced?

[Tables]

That's fine. Flint: Send me an email address, I'll add you

[Kay]

I'm no good at this game, but I guess I'll play anyway, unless someone else wants the spot. Don't make me a sub, though.

Edited May 10, 2012 by Kay

[Tables]

Locked, Loaded and ready to go. I'll start the game in a little bit.

[Zanarkin]

Well since i missed this (probably for the best, would procrastinate my duties here even more) i'd like to be an informed observer.

[Tables]

Okay. Everyone who wants to be an informed observer (and definitely not a sub) send me your email address so I can add you to the spreadsheet.