GeneralHankerchief's Mafia IX which was hosted this year was two mafiosi and the rest were basic townies, no frills no fancy tricks.

We have games like that occasionally.

I have even hosted some games where most players have no special powers whatsoever, such as Murder Manor III (although that one gave everyone the ability to move and search through rooms of a manor, even though it was still a mafia game with town versus serial killer).

However, things have gotten fancy. Even my vanilla games are the-not-so-vanilla-anymore.

Though vanilla games aren't always likely to happen, they are classics and happen enough because people get tired of role-heavy games once in a while, much like they once got tired of vanilla-only games.

Personally, I like a game without a detective, but there's ways around making detectives the entire point of the game.


EDIT-
Ninja'ed by the Diamond-eyed one. Curses and drat!