Play Clue!

Quote: Wizard

I'm still hesitantly in the no column. However, I would like to volunteer as the officiator, assuming it entails distributing the cards and confirming/denying any accusations only.

The non-player, or officiator, might be a cool job. But it does seem to me that with limited time, someone could be a player, but not the officiator?

EvenBob is sure this will end in smoking rubble, and he may be right. In fact the non-player stepping in when players makes suggestions may be essential. For example, a suggestion is made, and the wrong player Mr. Green was about to disprove it, however, he notes the officiator immediately said "Col. Mustard is the player to disprove this". C. Mustard may have in fact already disproved it, but says nothing in the thread, making others think they should, save this announcement by the non-player. I think this is actually the point in the game that could make EB prove a prophet.

I'm going to send you the rule changes for DT play by private message, see what you think.

I'm interested to play to see how it works.

Quote: TheCesspit

I'm interested to play to see how it works.

OK. We have RxWine, BBB, AZDuffman, and Miplet playing so far. I'd be happy to add you, we can have 6.

Let's close out "who wants to play" sometime this afternoon, at which time I'll post the rule alterations so it can be played at DT. After one game, we can discuss improvement to the rules.

Quote: odiousgambit

I think this is actually the point in the game that could make EB prove a prophet.
.

I've seen variations of this in different forms
over the years and never saw it work even
once. Too many variables. The only way it
might work is over a very short time span,
like 90 minutes. But even then I bet things
would happen that would clog it up.

Last chance for additional players while I post the rule changes for the DT game that I think will make it work:

>>>

I have limited the changes from the 2002 rules as much as I think will still work.

*The game needs someone who does not play. I volunteer to be this non-player for the first game. The non-player picks the murderer, weapon, and room by a random method and knows the details of course, but also knows what cards each player has. The non-player should also try to expedite play, taking the place of anyone not present when it makes sense, and providing detail of where all the pieces are at any time. The non-player should be as confident as he can be that he will not be absent for a whole day and usually will try to check in more than once a day. I will provide a map in a blog post to show where players are, along with info on recent action.

*the convenient rules are the 2002 rules as there is a pdf file for them, see my blog. Let's use these rules except as noted below.

* no dice, instead players move from one spot to another by declaring their move. The non-player will update the map as much as possible. A forum thread will be used for play and comments.

*by a random process, the non-player indicates the order players will use to pick the pieces they want. When the cards are dealt out, they will be dealt in the reverse order of this, in case the number of players is not 3 or 6 [note all cards get dealt and some may get more than others]. DURING PLAY, THOUGH, THE ORDER OF TURNS GOES CLOCKWISE along the official board starting with Miss Scarlet as per the 2002 rules.

*when someone makes a suggestion, all wait for the response by the first person clockwise to the player suggesting, and so on. The non-player will do this instead of the player, if the player is not online at the site or not responding. If the non-player is not present, players may proceed without him. All players should participate in making sure other players make legal moves, don't go out of turn, and announce that they have disproved a suggestion. Anyone who makes a mistake by revealing information he didn't have to ... it's water under the bridge. This is likely to happen. The non-player can try to prevent it by announcing asap the player who should disprove any suggestion. When the non-player is not present, players should be especially diligent.

*If a player goes out of turn and successfully gains information, there will be no penalty, but of course he can't have 2 turns in a round; so when his real turn comes around he is skipped, having already moved. If a player going out of turn is stopped before information is revealed, he goes back to where he started and waits for his turn. He may have revealed something himself, which serves him right LOL. But also see next.

*Play will stop when a person who is not present is supposed to move. But on the next day, which may not be not a full 24 hours, play will continue by allowing the next person to move. The person skipped will be eligible to move when that player is ready, he is 'next'. If play has proceeded to the point where he is supposed to move again, he loses his previous turn at that point, and play proceeds without him. He is still eligible to be next, but only gets one move. This way the game will proceed no matter what, with anybody for whatever reason unable to play just rolled over by the rest.

*play will stop when a person who is not present is next to disprove a suggestion and the non-player is also not present.

*Since the non-player has vowed to be present at least once a day, and will step in immediately to disprove suggestions, note that for the other players daily participation is desirable but not essential.

*In order to disprove a suggestion, players will use private messages, but announce in the thread THAT THEY DID SO [without revealing anything in the thread]. Send a copy of this private message to the non-player too. The recipient should indicate all this if for some reason they notice it has not been announced. I can see this foible causing the most trouble.

*To start the game a player begins in the corridor directly across from where situated on the perimeter. A move of a piece down the corridor to get to rooms goes clockwise or counterclockwise, the only shortcuts being the secret passages. Otherwise a player moves from one door to the next adjacent door in corridor moves and can move 2 doors. Alternatively, a player could move one door and into the room. Moving out of a room means moving to the door of the room and then one more door can be achieved, but not a room. Once in the room a suggestion or accusation can be made all as one turn.

* a move into a room always ends the player's turn, after any suggestion/accusation.

*There is only one door to each room in this version. To go in a room, first you must be at the door. Imagine the door of the rooms to be right in the middle adjacent to the corridor, or in the case of corner rooms, at the intersection of the corridor and the angle of the room touching the corridor. Players will move door to door only, except when to enter a room.

*Example: Miss Scarlet moves first; reaching the corridor is not counted as part of her move. She then can move to the door of the Lounge, and into the Lounge, or to the door of the Hall, and into the Hall, or all the way to the door of the Dining Rm [not entering], or the door of the Study [not entering]. Any of these would be one move; this is much faster than regular rules btw.

*The doors cannot be blocked in this version.

*For an accusation, as opposed to a suggestion, the player need not be in the room, or any room. It only needs to be the player's turn. I mention this as I have seen this misunderstood.

the "who wants to play" is now closed

the order of picking characters, chosen randomly, is bbb first, miplet next, rxwine next, azduffman last

this seems to be the next step, please choose

I will send you your cards by private message

OK everybody has been sent their cards

after everybody has picked a character, whoever has miss scarlet can make the first move
OR if no one picked scarlet, col. mustard , etc
we go in order clockwise around the mansion for turns not the order we used to pick names first.

No one has any questions? Should we pause for any?

People are going to post here when they pick a character? Is that right?

Quote: rxwine

People are going to post here when they pick a character? Is that right?

I assume so. Someone tell BBB to stop watching football and get the real game going ;+)