The Test of the Retired Pirate
by Hatnofret
Story:
A pirate captain and his crew decide to retire and distribute the treasure they "collected"...
Playing the Test:
- Sign up at the university of leadership for the next round.
- Lots of groups of 7 randomly selected players are created. One group member is randomly assigned to be the captain.
- The captain has a treasure of 777 gold coins to distribute among the 7, anyway he wants to.
- Once the distribution has been announced, the crew decides if they can accept the distribution. To announce, the captain uses his test menu to assign each crew members between 0 and 777 gold coins after which he uses an option "finalize". At that moment, a colored message in the group chat appears that the distribution is final and every crew member can see the share offered to him in his own test menu.
- If the captain can secure an absolute majority (51% or more) to vote for his decision, the split is final and the round ends. Voting for or against the share distribution is done in the players test menu.
- If a majority votes against it, the captain walks the plank (with 0 coins) to the sharks, a new captain is randomly appointed and the procedure starts over. Voting is over as soon as an absolute majority is reached or the time limit runs out. The player can change his vote as often as he wants while voting is open.
- If there is a tie, one randomly selected group member is walking the plank (that could also be the captain).
- The round ends when only 1 pirate is left or a majority agrees to the distribution.
Strategies:
- The captain has to convince (at least) three crew members to vote for his distribution, but 777 can't be divided by 4...
- Any group of 4 crew members can make the captain walk the plank and take over the treasure.
- Its in the interest of the crew to get rid of a couple captains since it will increase their shares.
- If only 2 pirates are left, the crew member has no reason to agree since he will get it all after the captain walks. Of course that can be used as an argument by the captain when only 3 are left...
Passing the Test:
Each week, the owner of the most gold coins passes the test.
Notes:
- Arrr! me hearties!
- quit or expired players automatically walk the plank
- Its up to the captain how much he tells each crew member about shares of the other ones. Of course they can talk to each other too.
- When a player votes, the group chat displays "<Name> has placed his/her vote". There is no way to know the votes of other players, except by asking them.
- Passed players can keep playing (like cartouche), and can even pass the test again.
- The captain gets a maximum of 7 days to make a proposal to his crew. If he doesn't do it in this time, he walks the plank.
- The crew gets a maximum of 2 days to vote on the proposal. After that, the votes are counted.
- You cannot join a new group until your current one is finished.
Comments
I expect that when the Captain sorts out his distribution each player is told secretly and then the voting also is secret?? -- Yes, its all secret, except if the players talk to each other (which is encouraged).
I know the other member talking might mess this up. Sounds like a great strategy test and should be very easy to code and takes no time to set up each week. Will the 777 gold need to be collected by each group?? Casting gold into coins and a group task to make a treasure chest (as in Covered Cartouche altar??) so the group will need to work together to get the test started?? -- The group starts right away, the captain has 7 days to make us his mind, that should be enough.
Will members of a group be able to join other groups or not?? So if one person passes the group finds another member or the chest is lost and the group needs to be reformed? Looking at this it might take 6 weeks to find an outcome??? Maybe reaching the score of 777 will pass the test!! - Fez -- I doubt it will take 6 weeks per round, that would be a rare exception. No jumping between groups, you have to complete your current group before you can join a new one.