The Plot Thickens
This is a resistance-style GTW game. I'm pretty sure you've all played it before, so I won't go over the rules again. I'll just give you these charts for a five-player game:
Number of players: 5
Loyalists: 3
Nihilists: 2
Number of players on a team for each round:
2, 3, 2, 3, 3
I have chosen the player roles based on card drawing from a physical copy of the game (shuffled deck). I have chosen the order of the selection process via six sided dice.
In addition to the regular rules, we will be playing with an expansion to the game called The Plot Thickens. This involves "plot cards" which are drawn at the start of each round. The leader at the start of each round will draw one card from the top of the deck and distribute the card to another player (somebody other than himself). Since we're playing online, I will draw the card and announce to the topic what the card is. Then, the leader will distribute the card publicly in the topic to a player of his choice. If we had more players, more cards would be drawn each round. If we had 7+ players, additional cards would be in the deck. With five players, however, there are seven cards, including two duplicates, and only one will be drawn each round (five times in total). Some cards may be played at any time by the recipient, once. Some cards must be played immediately. Some cards are permanent until the end of the game.
The cards are:
2x Keeping a close eye on you - One time use - The player to whom the Leader passes this card may use this card to examine a player's mission card. Using this card does not require the player to announce its use before the mission cards are played, nor does it affect the Mission card played. Multiple mission cards may be checked in a single round, but no more than one player may check a single player's Mission card on a round.
1x No Confidence - One time use - The player to whom the Leader passes this card may use this card to reject an approved Mission team (successful Vote). Using this card counts as a failed vote.
1x Opinion Maker - Permanent effect - The player to whom the Leader passes this card must select and reveal their Vote card before any other players have selected their Vote cards. This card remains in effect until the end of the game. If two "Opinion Maker" cards are in play, those players must reveal their votes simultaneously.
2x Strong Leader - One time use - The player to whom the Leader passes this card may use this card to become the Leader. Use of this card must be declared before the Leader takes any actions (draw Plot cards or distributing Team cards). When a "Strong Leader" is played, another "Strong Leader" may not be played until a Vote has been taken.
1x Take Responsibility - Use immediately - The player to whom the Leader passes this card must take one Plot card from any other player.
It is 1962, and a nuclear crisis is brewing, putting the United States and Soviet Union on the brink of global thermonuclear war. U-2 flights have been grounded since early September, fearing an international incident if one is shot down over Cuba, however the new Corona program Key Hole satellites are able to ascertain that the Soviet Union are building bases in Cuba, confirmed by Navy reconnaissance flights. With mounting evidence of a nuclear build-up in Cuba, and sketchy reports coming through from Miami, U-2 flights are reauthorized. The pictures are clear, the Soviet Union is establishing a first strike capability just 90 miles from the United States.
POTUS has decided that a diplomatic solution to the problem is called for, as the only way to avert the end of the world as military strikes are out of the question. You five are his advisors in this. Some of you hold cabinet positions, others are members of his White House staff. With the threat of nuclear missiles in Cuba, the president himself cannot be seen as weak, negotiating for their removal directly. While he makes strong speeches calling for the unconditional withdrawal of soviet weapons from the western hemisphere, he has tasked you five with negotiating on his behalf through secret channels to Moscow to bring about a peaceful resolution.
Unfortunately, two among you have been working in secret, with members of the Soviet government. You are traitors, but not Soviet agents. You, and your counterparts in Moscow, are members of a secret organization of nihilists loyal to neither the communist nor capitalist side, seeking to bring about the end of the world through any means necessary since the early 1900s. The advent of nuclear weapons in the last couple decades appear to be the best means to that end. The Soviet nihilists have acted to bring about the current crisis, but even the Soviet hardliners at the top of their government are unwilling to use the weapons without provocation by the Americans. Provoking the Soviets, therefore, is the responsibility of the two of you.
The remaining three members of the president's staff are loyal, and don't want a nuclear war any more than the president. You will act to ensure peace. Naturally, those advisors to the president who fail at their diplomatic missions will not be trusted to conduct further ones.
The United States armed forces stand at Defense Condition 4. Every diplomatic failure made will move the Defense Condition closer to 1, at which point, global thermonuclear war is almost certain. Sadly, diplomatic successes during the crisis will merely keep the Defense Condition at the same level. But, if diplomacy can keep the two sides from going to war long enough, lasting peace will be possible. Three successful diplomatic efforts will give both the Soviets and Americans a pattern of cooperation to keep the hardliners in check, and thwart the nihilist plot.
The president trusts all five of you equally, and expects you'll be able to carry out his strategic goals without his micromanaging. As such, he will leave it up to the five of you to determine how best to organize yourselves and carry out each diplomatic effort. Of course, just because the president trusts all of you, does not mean all of you trust each other. Most of you are in political positions, with your own agendas and thoughts on how best to carry out the president's orders. You agree, tentatively, to take turns in a leadership position as "nuclear crisis czar". Each czar will attempt to build a team to carry out a particular diplomatic mission.
Here is the order of leadership:
Techerakh
retep998
Eugene Chin
SoItBegins
Mackilroy
Note: After the use of plot cards that change leadership, leadership will continue following the person on the list who ended up with leadership after the card play. This means some people may be skipped over.
Techerakh, you are first up to select two names to carry out a diplomatic mission to avert nuclear war. The first plot card chosen is the No Confidence card. Before choosing your names to go on the first mission, choose who will get the first plot card. The player receiving the No Confidence card may play it at any time during the entire game, to force a team selection vote to fail when it has succeeded. You may not give yourself the card. Choose wisely ;).
By the way, in my PMs to the loyalists, I said not to communicate privately with anyone for any reason. Of course, "anyone" doesn't include me. All team votes and mission result votes should still be PMed to me privately. Before anyone asks, the nihilists do know who each other are, but are forbidden from communicating privately as well.
All missions will fail with a single fail vote. All team proposals will fail with three votes against.