I agree with Nem in that I also believe our success to end this game with a win for the town centers on Wingnut.
It took some thinking but I realize now why I couldn't pinpoint where the problem was before. It's a difference in how I play.... there are some things I don't agree with and don't normally do myself. And it stands for reason that if I don't play that way, I don't generally think that way either when it comes to strategy.
Normally, I wouldn't play things the way the witches have done because I feel we are bound by a more "within the spirit of the rules" good sportsmanship type of code where a turn is obligated to help their new team win the game. And even though the game mod cautioned Wingnut about that too... I guess the witches had already based their game strategy solely on the "you can say anything you want in the game" standard of play which, of course, is also part of the rules.
The post I pulled before is where Wingnut planted the idea in the thread for us to turn a "known witch" to townie instead of burning them was done intentionally. Everyone in the game saw my reaction to Hammer agreeing with Tree that we should turn Wingnut. I freaked at that idea. You better believe I did.... and I hope you can see now why I got suspicious. This is too much like falling for that pocket mafia tactic all over again.
Unfortunately, I suspected Tree for suggesting it and pretty much accused him of trying to double-cross us. And, as Tree was an innocent instead of a witch, they naturally assumed I was scum. This is so stupid. I can't believe we got suckered in like that. I knew it was problemmatic. I should have explained more at the time so the town would know why I got worried. I should have fought against the idea harder than I did. I just couldn't see the whole picture yet. Even though I knew something was wrong I couldn't figure out what it was.
So I blamed Tree for making the suggestion because I thought that's where it came from.... I tried to warn Hammer by pointing that out.... and when no one on the town side wanted to hear that, I let it go. We went ahead and did it.
The thing about turning Wingnut like that is it had to be done by a non-communicating PR so everything was talked about publicly in the thread. In this format, the warlock's spell was intended to be used quietly and anonymously which makes it more random. More of a shot in the dark taken by someone wearing a blindfold. But the only way this idea would have worked for us would have been for townie to come up with the idea (instead of the scum team) and pull it on a confirmed scum player very fast......... without giving the other side advance warning we were going to do it.
In this case, however, not only did the witches know about it. They were the ones who suggested it to us!!!!
So now, put yourself in the scumden from Day 1 for a moment. Someone on that team with a talent for strategy came up with the idea and shared it with the witches. Since they knew the game allowed for a possible turn, they worked out a plan in advance to defeat it before-hand just in case one of the witches got turned during the game. Once they had that chance to talk it over in the scumden, it didn't matter which witch we turned or when we turned them.
Based on what I've seen Wingnut doing since their turn, that is exactly what I think they agreed to do.
When we turned Wingnut we did so to eliminate a witch by turning them into a pro-town player on our side instead. And we thought the witch-turned-innocent would comply. Sure enough that sounded like a great idea. But, as is clearly evident to us now...... what we got instead was double agent still working for the witches that they wanted us to have. Wingnut never had any intention of helping us win.
Looking back at it all now, this isn't hard to figure out after all.
All they had to do was agree if one of them got turned....... to vote for a witch only after the town found one and someone had voted them already. And that is exactly how Wingnut has been doing this. That would confirm, yes... so-and-so is a witch... so the town would burn them. The scum team must have felt this was staying within the rules close enough that they could get away with it.
Then at the very end when we got to a point where all we had to do was kill off the last surviving witch to win the game, all the turned witch would have to do is confirm the wrong suspect to the town. We burn the wrong one, the game ends, and the mod announces... The Witches Have Won!
We still have 6 surviving players in this game. And based on the fact that Wingnut is trying to get me burned in particular, that tells me that when we burned Scoop last night.... Wingnut knows there is only one witch left... does not feel bound by the rules or any sense of fair play.... and will not help us find the last witch we need for a town win. So right after Scoop died, Wingnut went after someone they know isn't the last witch to make sure the scum team wins in the end.
As soon as nightfall was over, Wingnut came after me. I suppose I was their best choice because I am suspected already by everyone still alive... and probably because I pissed them off more than any of the rest of you. Also, I might add that since I was the one who got the random spell (and that's a whole other can worms full of WIFOM questions all its own)...... when I do get burned next and don't turn out to be a witch after all... Wingnut can use the excuse pretending that they are trying to help us win... but tell us, "Oops, I'm so sorry... I just didn't believe Rickets was telling the truth."
Most of you are predisposed already to suspect me so how would you blame Wingnut for making the same mistake. Wingnut retains their confirmed innocent credibility and they help us to continue killing off fellow townies by mistake or whatever else it takes to protect the last remaining witch.