Strategy & Tactics: Detective

**Silver Rusher** · 10-26-2006, 18:44

Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh

This thread is a play-aid. It is designed to solicit tips and advice on how to play the detective in a Gameroom mafia game.

And, seemingly, how to find the detective as a mafioso.

One thing I will say is never talk about the detective. You must try to avoid talking about the detective as much as possible as one in a mafia game. Also, I stress the point that GH made. Balance of suspicion. I was constantly trying to do this in Cosa Nuova, but some people saw through it eventually. You must always have suspicion on you, but not enough to get you lynched. A few votes per round is always healthy for a detective.

Actually, the tips above apply to both the detective and the doctor.

**Crazed Rabbit** · 10-26-2006, 19:03

Hey, I was a successful detective too! Barely, but the townies won.

First: Don't die (fat chicks are optional). Obviously this is much easier said than done. You need to find the perfect balance between being targeted by the mafia and being targeted by the villagers. I would suggest a strategy of mild contributions, helping further along discussion but not doing anything that would make you stand out. But don't make it obvious that you're trying not to stand out either.

You want to have some people suspect you. Coasting suspicion free will result in a mafia kill.

Second: Investigate wisely. Your first investigation will obviously be random. However, after that you should try to pursue a strategy of investigating based on people's posts combined with your own intuition. Always be safe with your investigating, too. If you're 99% certain that someone's mafia but you didn't investigate them, do so. It also helps with your reveal, which brings me to my next point:

I royally screwed this up, though in my defense I moved to college and had my comp in the shop a week mid game.

Third: Don't screw up the reveal. Generally, it's better to post what you know early on than it is to wait too late and risk being killed by the mafia. Depending on the rules of the game, post whatever you can to help your cause. And don't reveal too early in the game unless you either have good information or you're about to be executed and want to save yourself.

In games with doctors, be more biased towards the early reveal and hope they protect you. In Mafia III, I should've revealed after I found out Aggony's innocense, but I wanted to actually live through a mafia game for once. Luckily, ghosts could talk and I managed to swing enough people to vote for the last mafioso, Kommodus!

CR

**Kagemusha** · 10-26-2006, 19:24

Once you find a Mafia member take him out.Dont be greedy. One detective for one Mafioso is a good trade.

**Seamus Fermanagh** · 10-26-2006, 20:01

I think the "reveal" timing is the trickiest, especially if all you are looking at is a list of the innocent.

At what numerical point is your reveal worth more to the town in leverage than quietly continuing your investigations? Is there some numerical ratio that gives the town a likely win, some magic number like the mafia cube? Even if there is....

Revealing is tricky, it can very well get you killed -- and not only by the mafia. In this digital world, any evidence can be manufactured and even editing your post can leave you dead. Will you be believed? Or will you be lynched while the mafia laughs? This, of course, is why revealing yourself after spotting a mafia is considered the orthodox approach -- the village is likely to whack both of you to be safe and a 1 for 1 trade is not bad.

Will the Doctor protect you? Not always. The Doctor is running her own investigation by trying to provoke mafia attacks on selected individuals. This proves their innocence and denies the mafia a kill -- quite powerful. Thus, even if you are believed to be the detective you can still end up dead -- you have NOT been appointed town defense leader with everyone "naturally" following your plan.

**Kagemusha** · 10-26-2006, 20:10

I agree.I think Doctors role is to reveal innocents rather then protect detectives. Detective hunts down mafia and i cant find any good reason that they shouldnt reveal themselves when they find a mafioso if that is what it takes to bring down that mafia member. What do you guys think should the doctor ever save one person two times during the game?

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 10-26-2006, 20:14

He should save the detective for sure, since the detective can prove someone innocent every round.

**Kagemusha** · 10-26-2006, 20:18

Originally Posted by Sasaki Kojiro

He should save the detective for sure, since the detective can prove someone innocent every round.

Yes but you cant ever be sure if the detective is really a detective. Would you ever try to frame a succesfull detective if you were a mafioso by not attacking him?