Siding NK

[Yemac]

What do you all think about this? Everyone ALWAYS sides with NK, even if NK did literally nothing the entire game, people always side with NK? Why is this?

(I also think it's so unfair in 1v1v1 situations because mafia has no chance to win. They can't kill the NK because they will lose, and they can't kill the other faction because NK will lose).

Look, I get NK win-rates are low, but NK's hardly even 'deserve' it anymore. When I'm NK and just go afk for 3 nights and don't do anything while mafia has to defend themselves over and over again, I still get given the win. (but when NE does this they don't get the win).

I call for a petition: Look at what mafia or the NK did, and then decide. Don't just say 'maf bad nk good' and be done with it. NK winrates are low, but so are mafia's. Give both factions the benefit of the doubt and give good play the win, not just bad winrates.

[danihaley]

I do think it has to do with the fact that NK winrates are lower, yeah. I think many players can sympathize with whoever is NK in a game because we've all been NK before, and to most of us, it's difficult and not fun.

Typically, whenever I'm NK in ranked, I kind of get lazy because it's embedded into my brain that I'm not going to win. I try a little less hard; there's no mafia to back up my plays, after all, meaning that both the town and the mafia is essentially after me. So, as someone who finds NK insufferable, I'm always willing to give an NK the win because I can understand how awful being NK is.

I do think it's important to look at whoever's more deserving in the long run, but I guess that's really personal preference. I've given mafia the win over NK before for playing better; I've given NK the win over mafia before because the NK struggled and still managed to get to the end. Either is fine in my eyes and I'm not the type of person to patronize a player who gives the win to one side over the other.

[Yemac]

Just had a game as mafia where we defended witch and got them of off the stand twice, and they side with the arso who didn't do anything except douse jailor N1 hoping for LO to catch them. Very annoying

[Yummysht]

Most players side with nk for free votes

[ScarfVendetta]

In Ranked games, the Mafia, Neutral Killing and Neutral Evil should try to co-operate during the early game to make sure town doesn't wipe the floor with evils. However, Neutral Killing is very threatening for the Mafia later in the game due to their Basic Defense, so the Mafia should ideally try to lynch the NK as soon as they feel they are no longer necessary.

Keeping NK alive can be necessary in games where most of the Mafia have already been eliminated, and each game is different. But as a rule of thumb, Mafia should always get rid of the NK as soon as they become obsolete for dealing with the town.

If Mafia left the NK alive to the very end, that's usually a blunder on Mafia's behalf imo. If NK wants a legitimate chance of winning the game, they should be planning ahead to try and keep a 'mercy vote' alive. Whether this is a sympathetic Neutral Evil, or a doomed townie who would rather see the underdog win, isn't too important. Mafia should be bearing this in mind as they approach the lategame.

Ignoring this principle will usually end badly...