BD Numbers Tweak

Feedback/Suggestions
#1

I think with the new Merc/Sellsword rework and the possibility of introducing other neutral classes, that it might be good to have the following change:

Total number of “random BD” goes from 7-9 to 6-8. Total number of non-killer neutrals goes up to 2-4. However, Mercenary (or Inquisitor, in Sorcerer games) becomes guaranteed. If, in the future, there are other neutral classes that are BD-friendly (not necessarily BD aligned), they may replace Mercenary/Inquisitor as the guaranteed “good” neutral (just like the game guarantees Alchemist/Physician).

I think this is an overall neutral change for Unseen/Cult (it adds one more unconvertible class, but it reduces overall BD numbers, also more room for Sellsword), a slight buff to Neutral Killer (one more person that pings Neutral to investigation) and a slight nerf to BD (one less confirmed BD, more incentive to rely on Neutrals, but one guaranteed BD-friendly Neutral makes up for it).

I think it would be a good change, overall.

#2

The reason there is so many BD because convertible i think

3 Likes
#3

Which indeed is true; but since the number of evils at any one time has a maximum amount, reducing the number of convertible classes in exchange for one more neutral is, I feel, an overall neutral change for Unseen/Cult.

#4

I disagree with this change. NK’s have getting stronger with the recent sell sword and mere changes we do not need to buff NK’s anymore which is literally the only positive for a faction as a result of this change

4 Likes
#5

We do too

Possesor needs a buff

1 Like
#6

I don’t think so Merc sellsword generally side with NK so I like it as is

#7

Mercenary becomes guaranteed.

Guaranteed classes are bad. They limit the claiming space for evils and encourage counter claiming and narrowing suspects down via claims instead of social deduction. I wouldn’t have that many issues with it if we had more explicitly pro-BD neutrals, but that’s the way it is right now.

I think this is an overall neutral change for Unseen/Cult

It’s an explicit nerf to Unseen/Cult. BD’s numbers in technicality remain the same as the Mercenary shares the same goal but at the same time there’s an additional player that can’t be converted.

a slight buff to Neutral Killer (one more person that pings Neutral to investigation)

NKs should be buffed on case by case basis. Putting more neuts to make them look stronger is a clunky band-aid solution to this problem.

a slight nerf to BD (one less confirmed BD, more incentive to rely on Neutrals, but one guaranteed BD-friendly Neutral makes up for it).

The Mercenary is basically a BD member that can’t be converted. They aren’t that hard to confirm either. Plus, the informed majority should not be relying on neutrals to win the game.

In short, balance-wise this would just buff BD and the NK while giving the Unseen/Cult the short end of the stick.

2 Likes
#8

Fair points, but the idea is for this to be a first step so that more BD-friendly neutral classes can be created, so that the Mercenary is not the only guaranteed class. If there are 3 possible options (of which the Mercenary is only one of them) then the problem with the guaranteed classes disappear.

You could actually put Inquisitor in this slot as well, for Sorcerer games. That alone means theoretically one in three games wouldn’t have a guaranteed Mercenary, and that’s just with the classes we have right now.