Mass Telepathy [It's over]

[lexprod]

So in my long tradition of stealing board games for use on our GL forum, I bring you....TELEPATHY.


It's half-way between mastermind and clue. The rules are dirt simple, each player chooses a symbol on that massive 18x18 grid. Each symbol has a unique combination of row, column, color, and image. Note that there are repeats of an image in different positions, these are considered separate symbols.

To win, you must discover your opponents' secret symbols. To do so you'll get to ask about any symbol on the grid. If your opponent's secret symbol has the same row, column, shape, or color then the answer is YES. If the secret symbol shares none of those attributes with your guess, then the answer is NO.

The answer is YES no matter how many attributes it has in common (from 1 to all 4).

Using logic you must determine what your opponent's symbols all are before they discover your own.

And no, the game is not colorblind friendly

Here's how our multiplayer free-for-all version will work.

1. Each player will send me the coordinates of their secret symbol at some time between sign-up and the first round.
2. Once the game is ready to begin, I'll randomize the playing order of all the players.
3. On a player's turn, they'll publicly post a grid coordinate set in the thread as their "guess."
4. I'll post the YES and NO responses for all players, other than the current "guesser."
5. Once I've posted the official YES and NO list, the next player may take a guess.
6. After one full round, the player who went first will move to last in the turn order, and a new round is played.
7. If you think you have deduced an opponent's secret symbol, you may instead take your turn by declaring an opponent and their coordinates. IF CORRECT that player is eliminated and you get another free "guess" that you can take in private, via PM. IF INCORRECT the target instead gets the free turn immediately and both of you remain in the game. In either case after the free guess the next player continues play.
8. The game continues until only one player remains, who is then the winner.

The grid up at the top is the grid used for the game, I HIGHLY recommend you print it out as a player aide to yourself. I'll only be tracking grid coordinates and YES or NO answers, so any conclusions past that you'll have to remember on your own.

[MNOWAX]

mastermind!
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The Man The Myth The Legend
MNOWAX

[The Great Crep'er]

this post doesn't make much sense in this newfound context...

[Undercover Monk]

clue
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The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[lex*]

Telepathy it is! I'll get this up in a few hours...

[The Great Crep'er]

neither does this one...

[lexprod]

Rules posted
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I'll have a P please...

[MNOWAX]

u!\
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The Man The Myth The Legend
MNOWAX

[Scurra]

This sounds nicely mindbending.

/in
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_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Zag]

It seems everyone has all the same information. Since it's all captured by the forum, you don't have the issue of speed and possibly forgetting that you would have playing live.

Can I suggest a modification that would make it a little more like the game Clue? First, when everyone picks their location, you make sure that there are no duplicates. If there are, you make everyone pick again. Second, once everyone has picked, you send a private message to each player with N locations that no one has picked, so each player knows a little something that the others do not. Then we play as you described.

Either way, I'll try it.
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[Undercover Monk]

this should be interesting. between this and scotland yard my brain will soon be hurting.

EDIT: /IN
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The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[Jedo the Jedi]

I'll be /in, but dammit if you guys don't quit picking games for which I have no comprehension of the strategy.
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Paragon Tally: 19 mafia, 3 SKs (1 twice), 1 cultist, numerous chat scum...and counting.

[ralphmerridew]

/in

[lexprod]

[Zag]

I was trying for the effect you get in Clue where you can infer what someone has in his hand based on the questions he asks. Perhaps you could make the question public but the answer private. And I think that only one question each like that might not be enough, but certainly is a starting point.
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[lexprod]

Yeah. It might be a close finish, but the one advantage everyone has is that on your turn your guess is not applied to your own square, so the game won't have a perfect log.

I was contemplating having each player choose just one other player to ask, but it would probably only serve to extend the game length without changing the dynamics.

What about if each player can choose which players to target, and how many? Choosing fewer players increases your likelihood of a NO, but means more work since you'll have info about less players.

Example: I'll ask PLAYERA, PLAYERB, and PLAYERC about B17.

The game isn't an exact match for clue I get that, and I don't think there's a way without constructing a lot of new rules to get that "card holding" feel, it's really more Guess Who?
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I'll have a P please...

[Jedo the Jedi]

I think it will be interesting enough as is, but I'm open for a challenge too. Of the suggestions so far, your most recent, lex, seems the least desirable to me.
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Paragon Tally: 19 mafia, 3 SKs (1 twice), 1 cultist, numerous chat scum...and counting.

[Zag]

Anything that dramatically slows down the game the first time we play is a bad idea. The first time is likely to be a throwaway, either because we have realized better rules or because we realize that it's just not that fun, so that first one might as well be quick.
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[Dented Ford]

Intriguing enough to try, whatever the final ruleset. /in

[MatthewV]

How about you just pick... say 5-10 places? I would love to play but I fear that having to work out the 10 similar logic problems will be too time consuming.

Or maybe n/2 places with two people randomly on each spot? Two or three smaller games would be more fun then one really large game.

[lexprod]

I think I'll settle on the original rules with one added bit of twist to help narrow the information as the game goes on. If you think you've solved an opponent's grid, you can on your turn instead submit an answer for a specific player. If right they are eliminated and you get to take one "private" turn via PM. This will narrow down the targets, and give people a bonus for guessing correctly.
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I'll have a P please...

[ralphmerridew]

Suppose that, on your turn, you've identified more than one other player. Can you off all of them, or only one? How many extra turns do you get? What if you can identify a player after getting your secret move?

If you eliminate another player, do the other players have to identify that person to win?

[lex*]

Only one, Only one, it doesn't change anything you just have to wait til next turn to id the next person, and no you only need to be the last player left.

I think I'm settled on that modification and should updated the rules later tonight

[MatthewV]

OK, I will be one of the fodder players.

[lexprod]

Rules updated, feel free to send in your secret symbol coords
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I'll have a P please...

[lexprod]

Hey guys, so if ralphmerridew and Undercover Monk still want to play, I need their symbols. Otherwise it'll be game on.
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I'll have a P please...

[Undercover Monk]

/sent
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The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[lexprod]

Ok, looks like it'll just be seven of yas. I'll get this set up when I'm at home, so ~12 hours.
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I'll have a P please...

[lexprod]

Alright, I have all player's starting squares

[Undercover Monk]

L 7 Green Star
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The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[lexprod]

[Amb]

This looks like fun, so /IN as replacement if anyone drops out.

[MatthewV]

You can take my spot. I wasn't planning on seriously playing until a few (about 5) people got knocked out. And I picked a killer spot--it was like an apple or monkey or something awesome!

And I will be happy to take the role of replacement.

Also-- wasn't the guess by UM not supposed to be recorded for his symbol?

[lexprod]

Blurg, you're right matt >_>;; This is what happens when I run a game at 10pm after work. Um, I suppose it'd be only fair that everyone's first turn go like that, and then adjust from then on?
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I'll have a P please...

[Scurra]

D 9 Red Circle
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_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Undercover Monk]

uh can I pick a new symbol then since everyone now gets a free no from me
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The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[lexprod]

[Jedo the Jedi]

[lexprod]

[Jedo the Jedi]

Ah. Very good then.
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Paragon Tally: 19 mafia, 3 SKs (1 twice), 1 cultist, numerous chat scum...and counting.