Why does everyone use fake names and characters?
May 22, 2010 8:22:03 GMT -6
Post by Judge Sam on May 22, 2010 8:22:03 GMT -6
In Spies, players play as anonymous characters they create themselves. They keep their real name a secret.
There are a few reasons why the character system is used that give several advantages. In a perfect world, every game would have 25 new players that have never met and use their own name. Unfortunately, that's not possible, even though about 50% - 66% of players in each game are new to the series. This alias system gets as close to 100% that as can be done.
99% of other offline or online mafia games are played between a group of people who mostly already know each other. Knowing how each person plays already makes for different gameplay. That's okay, but that system leads to the following disadvantages:
- Players factor previous games into their judgments on who may be Spies. Many times whether or not someone is a Spy is compared to previous games in which they were Spies, same with Citizens. In "Spies," with the character system, there is no comparison to past games so players must decide only on the evidence presented to them.
- Alliances or agreements may form between experienced players. Sometimes good friends may "swear" to each other they are Citizens. Players may be more willing to trust friends they've known for awhile. Even just familiarity with someone can lead you to treat them differently. This greatly influences gameplay. In Spies, you can't trust anyone because you don't know who they are.
- Players may have pre-established friendships that bias them on who they vote for. Players may not want to vote for their friends unless they are sure they are Spies. New or unconnected players are at a disadvantage because they don't have people looking out for them. In Spies, everyone is on an equal playing field from the start.
- Players may play with future games in mind. Players may not want to lie if they think it will hurt their chances in the future. In Spies, players can go all out without future repercussions.
The character system puts everyone on an equal playing field - no advantages or disadvantages for experienced or new players. It also creates a unique game experience because past or future influences do not exist.
The things that suck about having to use a fake character are:
- Sometimes people don't act the way they would if their reputation would be affected; for example they might act a little crazier.
- It can be annoying to log on to a separate AIM name other than your own.
- Players who have played a few Spies games before may have to adjust the way they type and the catchphrases they use commonly if it is easily identifiable.
- In order to prevent people from gaining an advantage through revealing who they are, penalties have to be put in place.
The character system does have it's ups and downs, but I really like the way it has worked out for the game. It has been very successful for the last seven games and with continuing adjustments I think it will work even better this time.