With CAU 1/SAU 14 coming to an end, I'm taking the opportunity to launch an idea I've been brooding on for the better half of a year. Why yes, it's a SAU; how did you know?
If you'd like to participate, leave a post in this thread saying so. If you have any questions about the game, its mechanics, or anything related that comes to mind, this thread is also the place to do so.
I'm aiming for at least 12 players, and should be able to accomodate up to 18 with everyone getting a role with special abilities.
What is a SAU?
SAU stands for Slaanesh Amongst Us. The name hails from the early days of SAU on Druchii.net, where Slaaneshi had infiltrated a group of Khainist Druchii and had to be rooted out. While the protagonists and villains change with every session, the fundamental concepts remain the same.
The game is about a number of players amongst whom are incognito infiltrators. Each Day, all players can vote by majority to execute one of their fellows in hopes of catching an infiltrator. Each Night, the infiltrators get a go at turning the tides in their favour again (by killing or recruiting loyalists, depending on the type of game).
If you want a better idea of what a SAU is like, feel free to peruse any of the earlier ones I've hosted:
- SAU VI: The Temple of Khaine
- SAU VIII: Inquisition
- SAU IX: Lost Raiders of the Ark
- SAU X: Traders and Traitors
- SAU XII: Black Ark Down
What's different from last time? (For experienced players.)
Infiltrators no longer get a chance to kill players each Nightphase, but rather recruit them, converting them to their cause. This means that, rather than dwindling the numbers of their enemies, the infiltrators now silently grow their numbers to a majority.
Conversely, the Dayphase no longer ends automatically when a player is voted off by majority. If, and only if, the voted player is an infiltrator, the game kicks into another Dayphase. This allows loyalists to go on a 'killing spree' as long as they pick the right targets, and raises the stakes for the infiltrators. If, however, a loyalist is executed, the Day ends immediately, and Night starts (as in previous games).
This change in mechanics will probably alter the game flow radically, so I expect this game to act very differently from previous flavours.
What are the requirements to join?
You should be able to follow the game on a bi-daily basis. To keep the game flowing along at a steady pace, there are deadlines to every game phase. Typically, these phases are 48-72 hours, or possibly 72-96 hours, in length.
Experience teaches that phases longer than this tends to get the game 'stuck' and, because of the forum-nature of these games, SAUs are notoriously difficult to 'unstuck'.
How does the game work?
There are two main alternating phases to the game: the Day phase and the Night phase. As with the game name, the names for these phases are historical more than accurate--I'm considering renaming them in future games. To set the phases apart from actual day and night in the short stories, phases always carry an initial capital letter: Day, Night.
-- The Day phase --
This phase is the meat of the game; the majority of time spent playing the game is done in the Day phase. This is the phase were everyone talks, discusses, accuses and, ultimately, decides who is going to be executed.
During the Day, all players may vote against at most one other player. By voting, you declare a wish for that player's execution, which will reveal his identity and remove him from the game. Voting is how loyalists attempt to weed out the infiltrators. But beware: infiltrators are equally allowed to vote, and you can't set them apart from loyalists.
Normally, the Day ends when a player is executed. However, when the player was actually an infiltrator, the Day phase is extended and another round of voting is allowed. This can repeat itself until either all infiltrators are dead (resulting in loyalist victory) or a loyalist is executed.
The Day phase is special in that it has an activity deadline that the Night doesn't have. The activity deadline is a clearly set time by which everyone must have made at least one post in the game thread. The deadline is usually set to about 48-72 hours from the start of the Day. Players that haven't posted by then are removed from the game as inactive.
When the Day ends, Night starts.
-- The Night phase --
During the Night, abilities are used covertly in an attempt to influence the game. The Night phase is when the infiltrators are at their strongest: they can recruit other players to their cause, communicate silently with their comrades on their plan for the next day, and disrupt any special abilities loyalists may have.
Depending on what role you have, you may have several abilities. Abilities are secret actions you can take to further your cause. Abilities may allow you to protect others from harm, to reveal the allegiance of a fellow player, to cause them harm, or anything else it says you can do. (The different types of abilities will be explained later on.) You use an ability by sending me a private message saying how you want to use your ability.
Infiltrators have the special 'Subvert' ability, which allows them to convert a player to their cause. Converted players become infiltrators when the Day starts, and are full-fledged members with all benefits and drawbacks, just as if they had been an infiltrator from the start of the game. Once a player has been converted to an infiltrator, he can never be a loyalist again; the change is permanent.
Infiltrators, and other players with the explicit ability to do so, may use the Night to communicate covertly with their allies. No other players may contact each other.
How do abilities work?
There are three types of abilities: Active (default), Passive, and Automatic.
Active abilities need to be used explicitly and cost action points (AP) to use. Most abilities are active abilities. You can use an active ability by sending the host (me) a private message detailing how you wish to use it--the ability description will tell you what options you have. Active abilities can be countered by other abilities.
Automatic abilities do not need to be activated explicitly, but are otherwise identical to active abilities, so they cost action points and can be countered by other abilities. The ability description will tell you when and how it is activated.
Passive abilities do not need to be activated explicitly, can not be countered, and do not cost action points. Passive abilities are always in effect, and its benefits (or drawbacks!) cannot be taken away from you by other players.
Every role has good abilities and evil abilities. Loyalists always use good abilities, while infiltrators always use evil abilities. When a loyalist is converted to an infiltrator, his good abilities are removed and replaced with their evil counterparts.
At the start of each Night, everyone gains 1 action point (AP). Action points stack over following Nights, so if you choose not to use your action point immediately, you can store it for use on the next Night. But be careful: if you're converted, you lose all your action points!
If you haven't used an ability by the time Night ends (and thus Day starts), you count as not having used your ability: your action points are carried over to the next Night.
When do we start?
When we have enough players. But don't worry, we usually wait a few more days to give latecomers a chance to sign up before we kick off.
Anything else I should know?
The game may require you to 'switch teams' when picked by the infiltrator team, turning your previous allies into enemies and inverting your goals. If this is something you're not comfortable with, better sit this one out.