idolpro | 3 WAY PRISONER'S DILEMMA: avante en garde

[ The room you wake up in is barren. The floor, walls, and ceiling are all metal, and the only furnishings are a large television-sized touchscreen monitor and a massive pane of glass cutting through the room, separating Nemesis from the rest of the unit. You can beat against the glass as much as you like, but it won't break. Both the touchscreen monitor and the elevator doors are on the same side of the room as everyone but the hostage.

Once Mukuro finishes his intro spiel, the monitor display switches to a catalogue of pictures of flowers, each with their name, associated meaning, and a checkbox underneath them: ]

Amaryllis (Red&White) - Talkative
Baby's Breath - Purity of Heart
Calla Lily (White) - Maidenly Desire
Camellia (Red) - Perish with grace
Camellia (White) - Waiting
Cherry Blossom - Transience of all things
Foxglove - Insincerity
Hydrangea (Blue) - Heartlessness
Iris - Faithfulness
Lantana - Change of Heart
Marigold - Despair
Morning Glory - Willful promise
Mountain Laurel (Red) - Ambition
Oleander - Caution
Poppy (Red) - Fun-loving
Poppy (White) - Rejoice
Poppy (Yellow) - Success
Tulip (Red) - Fame/Charity/Trust
Yarrow (White) - Conflict

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[once assured that Nemesis is okay (for now), reviewing the rules and flowers]

So for this part, it's really just trying to identify ourselves? Ehhhh...

[ Definitely looking more anxious than usual. ]

Do you think identifying ourselves would help or trying to signify how we plan to play?

I don't know... It depends on our goal. What outcome are we aiming for?

['sup]

The one where we all go home, preferably in the same number of pieces we came in?

Maybe--most people are going to think it means the name, right? That's easier to say with flowers, I think.

[quiet for a minute, trying to think it through]

...The best chance of that is to default to betraying both, but try to get them to trust us. If just one does, you'll be safe. If neither do...you'll receive the greater consequence, whatever that means. But at least we'll avoid the worst-case situation for sure.

[ffffrowns]

...When do we get the message to know who they are?

I don't think we'll ever know for sure. We have to swap messages at the same time, without knowing what the other one's sending.

But we can choose then, right? Once we know who they are, we can figure out how to talk to them.

Yeah, we'll be able to tailor the second responses more. We don't have to decide on a play until then.

Yeah. Maybe we'll get lucky.

[she does not seem to think they will get lucky]

[yeah. nope. :')

anyway, while they're waiting for responses...]

...Nemesis...what kind of consequence are you willing to endure? If you had to, I mean.

...If you're looking for me to pick my favorite torture, thanks but no thanks, I am definitely a minor.

Well, we can try for that, if you want. But what I'm thinking is... Let's say we betray both teams, no matter what. Then we have three possible responses:

1, both trust us. You're safe, because we betrayed them.

2, one trusts us, the other doesn't. You're still safe, because we betrayed one.

3, neither trusts us. Then you'll get the greater consequence.

So if we betray both but try to make at least one trust us... That has to highest possible chance of your safety, but also a greater potential harm.

Trusting both and trying to get them both to trust us...all it takes is just one team betraying us and that's it, you'll get the worst outcome. And even if we succeed, at best you'll get "a minor consequence." Is that really worth it?

I guess...that makes sense...strategically...

(no subject)

knightceties - 2018-07-21 01:22 (UTC) - Expand

unbr8kable - 2018-07-21 01:28 (UTC) - Expand

knightceties - 2018-07-21 01:29 (UTC) - Expand

The least damage to Nemesis we can manage.

The only outcome where that's certain is to betray a unit that trusts us. Can you do that, Gold?

[ Crap. ]

... Not if one of those units is AlcheMe or Wild City.

But if they don't pick the right flowers, we won't be able to tell.

We'll have to hope we can figure it out from what they send. For now, our best bet for identifying ourselves would be our color or our unit's characteristics.

... Admittedly my worry here is we'll be paired with Azrael and they'll use the opportunity to slam us with a betray.

If we definitely betray both no matter what, then if we're betrayed, we are opening ourselves to the possibility of a greater consequence for Nemesis... But still, we'd avoid the worst case of trusting someone who betrays us, so. If she doesn't mind, I think the chance would be worth it.

She'll likely give us her opinion on the matter but... We dont want to turn too many units against us with the way we play either.

Do you think Mukuro will tell everyone how we played like last time...?

[I mean, not that Ace cares, but it's a salient concern I guess]

Potentially. If this person's interest is in stirring up conflict between units, it would probably be a thing they'll do.

That's true... But is there honestly any way to get out of this without anyone getting hurt?

[b/c if someone's getting hurt, it can be someone not Nemesis, tyvm]

Probably not, but if we can reduce risk as much as we can, then we can at least know we did what we could.

knightceties - 2018-07-21 01:59 (UTC) - Expand

calmthefoxdown - 2018-07-21 02:02 (UTC) - Expand