Showdown

Game History

Created by Mastermind of Sin (aka jhawk01b on aim) during the Summer of 2006, Showdown is a game combining elements of mafia and other Scumchat games. Showdown was originally known by the name of Hawkfight, after the screenname of its creator.

How To Play

Players are privately divided into groups, designated by colors assigned by the mod. Each player knows their own color, but not that of any other player, even those in their own group.

Every player has a number of actions available to him/her at any given time:

1. Shoot another player

2. Pistolwhip another player

3. Investigate another player

4. Lay down your gun

Action #1:

Each player gets only one bullet, so use it wisely. When a player chooses to shoot another player, their target dies immediately, with no chance for reaction by anyone. After a player has shot someone, they will have no more shots. This action will no longer be available at that point.

Action #2

Each player may pistolwhip as many times as they like during the game. This action may be taken regardless of whether or not the player has used their bullet yet. However, there are some drawbacks to using this action. This action delays 5 seconds from time of submission before the kill is made. In addition, the action is publicly announced in the following manner: "[Player Name] springs into action!" The target of this action is not revealed. If successful, this action will kill a player as well as shooting them would.

Action #3

Each player get one investigation during the game. With this investigation they can check the color alignment of one other player, discovering which group they belong to. This action is immediate, and after it has been used, it will no longer be available for use to that particular player.

Action #4

If all living players are convinced that they are on the same team, they may lay down their guns. Once a player has laid down their gun, they cannot pick it up again, and as a result, they are completely defenseless to any attacks. This action can be taken at any time.

Objectives

The objective for this game is to be the last group alive. Since this is a group effort, players do not want their other group members to die. If a player kills another member of his/her group, he/she automatically loses. They do not die, but even if their group wins in the end, they will still lose, so be careful when selecting who to kill. All actions are submitted privately to the moderator.

Modding Notes

It is up to the mod to decide whether or not to reveal colors upon death. Some mods do not reveal colors until the game is over, while others reveal color right away. There are pros and cons to both strategies, to think it through careful as a mod.

It is useful to use a random number generator such as random.org in when assigning roles. Decide what the maximum number of possible groups is that will be allowed in the game (i.e. 3 groups for 3-6 people). Then, randomly assign every player a number for one of the group numbers possible (i.e. 3 groups, assign the numbers 1-3 randomly). This makes randomizes the groups effectively, giving loner group, or empty groups, or very big groups. These occurrences add to the intrigue of the game.

Give everyone a hat, so they think they're awesome.

Group sizes

It is generally suggested to plan for group sizes of 3 or less, though there could be more depending on the random group assignments. Here is a table of game size and suggested # of groups possible.

 Players    |   Groups
    3       |     2-3
    4       |     2-3
    5       |      3
    6       |      3
    7       |     3-4
    8       |     3-4
    9       |      4
   10       |     4-5

Variations

If no one wants to mod or there are not enough people to have a mod, a variation of Showdown can be used. There is no mod in this version, obviously. Each player picks their own color from a predetermined list of available group colors decided on before the game starts. There are no investigations, and players are responsible for revealing their colors at the end of the game. If players are worried about colors getting changed mid-game, find a neutral person who isn't playing and send them your colors for bookkeeping, in case there is a possible discrepancy.