Looks like I should address all this, so I will.
Am I talking to anyone... getting help from someone... or being coached? No. I'm not in contact with anyone (inside or outside of the game). I've also resisted the temptation to bombard RBishop with a hundred beginner questions...... figured there was no point annoying the crap out of the only person I CAN communicate with if I need to at some point. Since this is my first time, I wish I'd been tagged as a communicating player (either as an innocent or mafia). But I didn't get that lucky so I'm stuck on my own. It's especially unnerving just knowing that 6 of the players here ARE talking to each other as much as they want.
Am I getting hints on how to play? As much as I could on my own... yes. Not knowing what to expect, or even how to play this... I went straight to Google with these searches: mafia game, how to play mafia, and mafia game strategy. Just lovely.. I managed to figure out the "how to" stuff easy enough, but the strategy tips were totally obvious/basic stuff that isn't any help, plus the pointers kept contradicting itself... so I gave up on that to avoid confusing myself. I also tried pulling up an old game thread... (Game #4 if anyone cares). I managed to muddle through 20 pages of that before I couldn't take it anymore.
If anyone still wonders about me, I have a strong background in community theater and in the performing arts -- which gives me considerable experience in performance and stagecraft, acting workshops, character development, role play, and improvisation.
Besides all this, yes... I'm also analytical and long winded. For me to come and just pretend that I'm not would be stupid and only make me look suspicious. It's a lot easier to keep this simple when you've got nothing to hide. So there you have it.