by drmiller32
Well, I wish you well 🙂I appreciate your mathematical approach to evaluating balance. However, theory and practice are very different. A small, unmad group with more cards per person will be able to act much more efficiently than a larger team with most mad, potentially preventing them from functioning well, and less cards per person, which requires more coordination between people to fulfill the requirements. This is coupled with the shorter time limit, which is needed to plan amd coordinate, but also figure out what the mad person is trying to do and how you can coordinate with them.
The truth is there is no mechanic to mitigate issues where the types of cards you need are both available in hands as well as in the hand of someone you can communicate with.
And this is really where my biggest issue lies. Doing all of this is rather challenging, and is a staple of a complex game. But the execution of the mechanics fits more in a party game. But the player count isn't really as high as I'd think a party game should go, and it is a bit too complex for an effective party game. But really, the best part of the game, the silly acting that is perfect for a party game, is ultra limited by the timer so you can't even enjoy what's going on.
And it is cool if you don't see it that way. I'll be curious how you feel after a few more plays.
I found my modified starting condition worked really well. And next time I think I'd use either a longer timer (45 seconds) or a rolling madness approach. Where the player next to the team leader "goes mad," then the next, then the next, all the way back to the leader who then flips the timer. This would be like a wave of madness descending on the team, you get to see the persons portrayal for a bit, and some players would be able to have a few moments to try to think how they can navigate the madnesses. I'd probably say no talking during the wave.