Claiming hacker

[yzb25]

Ok so this guy pretended to be a hacker and said someone else was mafia. He came across as extremely convincing and managed to convince the majority of the town that x, y and z were mafia and we should lynch x first. Well he didn't convince the majority, but he caused enough chaos to get the mafia to win.

Basically, he was a mafia that claimed to be a hacker and won with it. I've never seen this before and I've never seen a rule on claiming to be a hacker. Is it allowed? It seems pretty cheap if you ask me, shouldn't it be banned?

What do you think? Is it as bad as actually hacking? Is it a legit strategy in pub games?

[Duzero]

Plebs are gullible.

It seems a bit cheap to claim hacker, but I wonder why he didn't get lynched or killed after claiming to be a hacker. Seems like people are fine with that...

[CarolinaCrown]

It's a game of lies, right? It does seem a bit nasty to claim that, but whatever strategy works. They can't ban those kinds of claims for the same reason they can't ban trolls: it can be a valid strategy in some cases (and in this case it sounds like it definitely was).

Just be more skeptical about those kinds of claims and try to get others to do the same, is all I can say.

[Raptorblaze]

I strongly discourage it because I won't feel sorry for you if a moderator is in the game and kicks you because you claimed to be hacking. But it's not an outright offense.

[Voss]

game's already ruined though, if they were hacking. not that much of a point to kick him.
its like lying about mechanics.

[NoctiZ]

I think it's best to lynch people claiming to hack. Several scenarios:

1. Person is town: Go file a report.
2. Person is mafia: Free mafia lynch.
3. Person is neutral: Whatever, nothing of worth was lost.

[Voss]

I think it's best to lynch people claiming to hack. Several scenarios:

1. Person is town: Go file a report.
2. Person is mafia: Free mafia lynch.
3. Person is neutral: Whatever, nothing of worth was lost.

i'd personally go with the hacker's accusation first. then you can report the person for gamethrowing/griefing or actual hacking.

[CarolinaCrown]

i'd personally go with the hacker's accusation first. then you can report the person for gamethrowing/griefing or actual hacking.

But in the OP's case, it wasn't gamethrowing, griefing, OR hacking.

[Gingerape]

Omg this person is a genius. Why haven't I thought of this before.

[Voss]

But in the OP's case, it wasn't gamethrowing, griefing, OR hacking.

then it's allowed.

[Mateo]

I really like this strategy, and if more plebs implemented it, it might decrease the effect actual hackers have on the game.

[kyle1234513]

its a legit strategy, it has the same exact impact as you naming your self in flashy colors "JUSTIN BIEBER" and spamming lyrics.

and i agree with mateo, if more people did it then real hackers would get outright ignored instead of "welp, better lynch xyz"

[CarolinaCrown]

It's a legit strategy for sure, though personally I'm not a big fan of those kinds of meta strategies. IMO an ideal game of mafia is totally self-contained. But I get that especially with plebs, an ideal game is hard to come by.

[SuperJack]

I do it when I'm jailor.

I claim I am hacker, and I know they are mafia.

Mafia=RAGE
Others=WTF?

[ika]

I do it when I'm jailor.

I claim I am hacker, and I know they are mafia.

Mafia=RAGE
Others=WTF?

I say role and whatever they calim i yell lies and that tey are evil.

typical mafia/evil=??? or non caps rage
town= FAILOR FAILOR

[CarolinaCrown]

I do it when I'm jailor.

I claim I am hacker, and I know they are mafia.

Mafia=RAGE
Others=WTF?

Brilliant.

[Squidypie]

It is NOT a legit strategy even if it's not against the rules. More people will hack as a result of this, more people will be discouraged from playing, and more people may incorrectly report incidents of hacking. In no way is this a good thing. Using outside phenomena we try to DISCOURAGE to affect the game is not good. It's like telling your friends that you'll pause n1 so they know who you are or having pre-agreed names. The "I already ruined this game for 14 of you, and you're all just wasting your time" defense is no more legitimate than a mod threatening to kick people if they vote to lynch him. Whether or not he does the threat itself compromises the game from without.

[ika]

It is NOT a legit strategy. More people will hack as a result of this, more people will be discouraged from playing, and more people may incorrectly report incidents of hacking. In no way is this a good thing. Using outside phenomena we try to DISCOURAGE to affect the game is not good. It's like telling your friends that you'll pause n1 so they know who you are or having pre-agreed names. The "I already ruined this game for 14 of you, and you're all just wasting your time" defense is no more legitimate than a mod threatening to kick people if they vote to lynch him. Whether or not he does the threat itself compromises the game from without.

raptor already made his ruling. he said its discouraged but not against rules. if someone fakes them hacking its fine. its like someone who names themselfs nigger and spams nigger to get lynched. is that aginst rules? no its trolling. i dont see how it encourages hacking. it might make more work for us but that will be a thing we have to deal with. plus a puse on night one is nothing as well i dont see how its not a legit strat.

its like me jailing someone and say i know youare consig and they flip consig. is it hacking? i just made it up. unless you have evidence that makes it where is would be bad i think its legit

[Raptorblaze]

raptor already made his ruling. he said its discouraged but not against rules. if someone fakes them hacking its fine. its like someone who names themselfs nigger and spams nigger to get lynched. is that aginst rules? no its trolling. i dont see how it encourages hacking. it might make more work for us but that will be a thing we have to deal with. plus a puse on night one is nothing as well i dont see how its not a legit strat.

its like me jailing someone and say i know youare consig and they flip consig. is it hacking? i just made it up. unless you have evidence that makes it where is would be bad i think its legit

It encourages hacking by making players think it's "ok" and lowering their resistance and doing it themselves. I don't like it and as pointed out earlier it's kind of a shit strategy because the best option is to lynch the person claiming it. Being kicked for it shouldn't happen but I'd have a hard time finding sympathy for someone who committed it and got kicked by mistake. I feel similarly about faked gamethrows.

[ika]

It encourages hacking by making players think it's "ok" and lowering their resistance and doing it themselves. I don't like it and as pointed out earlier it's kind of a shit strategy because the best option is to lynch the person claiming it. Being kicked for it shouldn't happen but I'd have a hard time finding sympathy for someone who committed it and got kicked by mistake. I feel similarly about faked gamethrows.

i agree with that. if someone facks hacker and then says mod abuse its a justified kick becasue we do not know. i would discourage it overall. i just do i knoy you are lying in jail type things

[CmG]

Lol. New and exciting. Also Boss is completely right. Kicking a hacker accomplishes nothing. I occasionally do claim to be hacking if i think somebody should be lynched. It's a legit strategy. Also people will start to second guess hacker claims sooner or later which might help scum out a bit.

[Cryptonic]

Lol. New and exciting. Also Boss is completely right. Kicking a hacker accomplishes nothing. I occasionally do claim to be hacking if i think somebody should be lynched. It's a legit strategy. Also people will start to second guess hacker claims sooner or later which might help scum out a bit.

or claim you're hacking when you jail someone and judge their reaction while they think they're being executed.

[MrMostache]

I usually claim hacking sarcastically. When I say that "X is a member of mafia" some people ignorantly asks "How do you know?". This is where I lose it and claim that I'm hacking. It kind of manages to lead the town.

[Sen]

I used to be against this, but it's something I often do nowadays. Mostly since now I'm sure that the playerbase is well beyond hope and sometimes it's easier to get them to lynch someone because their name sucks than by using logic.

Also, dumbs often call others "hackers" when they can't understand how they figured out who the scum are, so if you're going to be accused anyway, why not use it to your advantage?

I'd said it's just as legit as threatening with reporting people to talk your way out of a lynch. The only difference is that claiming that you're a hacker actually works.

[Voss]

I usually claim hacking sarcastically. When I say that "X is a member of mafia" some people ignorantly asks "How do you know?". This is where I lose it and claim that I'm hacking. It kind of manages to lead the town.

why would you say you're hacking? its a legit question. How do you know that person is mafia? Did you block them? Did you check them as sheriff? Did you get an impossible town role as an investigator? Or are you an executioner that doesn't wanna get questioned?

[Mateo]

why would you say you're hacking? its a legit question. How do you know that person is mafia? Did you block them? Did you check them as sheriff? Did you get an impossible town role as an investigator? Or are you an executioner that doesn't wanna get questioned?

voting patterns are a good tool for finding scum as well as chat activity. unfortunately most games if you claim this as your reason you get ignored, despite it being true. so make up an excuse that people wont ignore to get your way. nothing wrong with that.

[CarolinaCrown]

voting patterns are a good tool for finding scum as well as chat activity. unfortunately most games if you claim this as your reason you get ignored, despite it being true. so make up an excuse that people wont ignore to get your way. nothing wrong with that.

So the end justifies the means? I still think it's poor gameplay if the strategy isn't contained within the game. Who remembers back when the rolecards weren't at the top? People who were jailed/on trial were constantly being asked to read their rolecard to confirm their roles. It was a strategy that produced dependable results nine times of ten - a lot more often than claiming to be a hacker does - but it was discouraged and eventually made impossible because it wasn't meant to be part of the game.

I agree with Raptor in that while I wouldn't feel sorry for someone modkilled for using this strategy, it can't be restricted. But I'm not going to contribute to it because I think it takes away from the spirit of the game.

[Mateo]

of course, the difference being that forcing someone to read role cards is used to DETECT if they are scum, where as claiming hacker is when you ALREADY KNOW they are scum or as WIFOM >.>

sorry you cant comprehend next-level play, but for those of us that can its just another tool

[MrMostache]

why would you say you're hacking? its a legit question. How do you know that person is mafia? Did you block them? Did you check them as sheriff? Did you get an impossible town role as an investigator? Or are you an executioner that doesn't wanna get questioned?

When someone says that someone is mafia without specifying the accused person role, it's definitely a sheriff. The reason I say that I'm hacking is to sarcastically say that I'm obviously sheriff.

[CmG]

So the end justifies the means? I still think it's poor gameplay if the strategy isn't contained within the game. Who remembers back when the rolecards weren't at the top? People who were jailed/on trial were constantly being asked to read their rolecard to confirm their roles. It was a strategy that produced dependable results nine times of ten - a lot more often than claiming to be a hacker does - but it was discouraged and eventually made impossible because it wasn't meant to be part of the game.

I agree with Raptor in that while I wouldn't feel sorry for someone modkilled for using this strategy, it can't be restricted. But I'm not going to contribute to it because I think it takes away from the spirit of the game.

That's the American way of life? Why do you criticise it in a computer game? Lol. I even use mother jokes to get people lynched. Who cares? It's a game. Lie yourself to victory.

[Sen]

So the end justifies the means? I still think it's poor gameplay if the strategy isn't contained within the game.

A poor playerbase results in poor strategies. My last game I was a lookout. D2 the janitor said I was hacking when I called him out. Then I called out all of the mafia and the MM and everyone followed my lead.
Endgame, I say i'm the lookout and get voted guilty by the coroner. Witch wins.

I guess I would've won had I claimed being a hacker instead of a lookout.

As I said; most of the time it's easier to get someone lynched because "lynch default names" or "fucking ugly hat" than with leads, logic or reason.

[CarolinaCrown]

of course, the difference being that forcing someone to read role cards is used to DETECT if they are scum, where as claiming hacker is when you ALREADY KNOW they are scum or as WIFOM >.>

sorry you cant comprehend next-level play, but for those of us that can its just another tool

I'm not saying it's totally analogous, just in the way that I personally think it goes against the spirit of the game. I can't stop you from doing it, and I wouldn't even if I could. I just don't get much personal satisfaction from that kind of play. The goal is to win, sure, but I just don't feel right going outside the game to win.

Sen, I'm not saying that it's an ineffective strategy, just that it's one I don't really approve of. When I play poker, I don't want people telling me they saw my cards even if they didn't (I know it's a poor analogy just go with it). I don't approve of "the end justifies the means." CmG, I'd argue that "your mother" isn't the same - it doesn't go outside the game the same way "I'm a hacker" does.

I guess I just envision ideal SC2 Mafia being as much like FM or IRL mafia as possible, where that kind of strategy - or really most meta strategies - wouldn't ever be feasible. Maybe I'm too idealistic though.

[CmG]

My mom hacks the Pentagon all day.

How about mimicing to be afk with a random name? Isn't that out of game too? How about that?

[CarolinaCrown]

My mom hacks the Pentagon all day.

How about mimicing to be afk with a random name? Isn't that out of game too? How about that?

Yeah I think that's pretty lame too. it's less effective but I still disagree with it for the same reasons

[eezstreet]

I like this strategy. It's a bit of a troll strategy but perfect for Jester or perhaps Jailor. Other than that, I wouldn't really recommend it.

[Duzero]

of course, the difference being that forcing someone to read role cards is used to DETECT if they are scum, where as claiming hacker is when you ALREADY KNOW they are scum or as WIFOM >.>

sorry you cant comprehend next-level play, but for those of us that can its just another tool

As Jack said earlier, as a jailor you can actually use this method to detect if someone is scum or not.

Jailchat:

Hey I know you're maf cause i hack lololol
*target will be executed*

If mafia: OMG IM GONNA REPORT YOU
If town: WTF IM NOT MAFIA

[yzb25]

I hate the idea of this and honestly I agreed with the guys I played with. It seems just as bad as hacking because it uses strategies based around the idea of hacking. I think anyone who claims hacker should get the same punishments as a hacker. Not changed tomorrow, as I can see a lot of even the more respected people will use this kind of strategy but more as a long-term focus in games, but as a long term focus putting more pressure on people who claim hacker.

There is no justification to claiming hacking. If you want to lead a "troll" / "shy to lynch" town you can do that with charisma, humor, and most likely, memes. It is not "Just another strat" because as it is an external strat (as some have noted) there is no way it can be proven or unproven. All the other claims like sheriff saying a guy's a mafia can be picked apart. You can use investigative work, psychology and common sense to work out if they're telling the truth or not. If a guy says "I'm hacker: 3, 5 and 6 are mafia" there is no way I can prove that claim or disprove it.

I think with time this kind of thing will start to disappear because there is simply nothing you can build from it and it's just a bit like "oh, ok... good for you" due to the fact it cannot be proven or disproven. However, I think, especially after the attention this thread has got (which kind of makes me regret doing it), there will be a spike of popularity for this.

It just doesn't seem in the spirit of the game and seems like a cheap way to get the town on your side. The only reason Sen seems to use it is because he's lost all hope in the mafia community like a murdering sociopath who's lost faith in humanity xD

[Mateo]

the game is about lying and manipulation. I too don't feel sorry for anyone kicked using it but it is just another strat

QQ

[Damus_Graves]

It encourages hacking by making players think it's "ok" and lowering their resistance and doing it themselves. I don't like it and as pointed out earlier it's kind of a shit strategy because the best option is to lynch the person claiming it. Being kicked for it shouldn't happen but I'd have a hard time finding sympathy for someone who committed it and got kicked by mistake. I feel similarly about faked gamethrows.