Octopus Overlords

Intelligence Briefing

Tensions are high among China, India, and Pakistan-- all claimants to some or all of Kashmir. For at least a decade, equilibrium has prevailed, with China controlling the salt flats of Aksai Chin and the area northeast of K2, Pakistan administering the Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir, and India governing Jammu and Kashmir in the center and south of the disputed terrain.



In recent months, a so-called Kashmiri Independence Movement (KIM) has rekindled the insurgency with sporadic paramilitary assaults on targets of modest but symbolic value. But the lack of ideological clarity in these incidents has left the impression that the Movement is actually an intelligence operation on the part of some stakeholding nation. The United States and Russia, with interests and a poorly concealed black presence in nearby Tadjikistan, have been monitoring events in the region closely. Mistrust is the order of the day.

Now events have reached a critical point. Ten days ago, the provincial government of Badakhshan in northeastern Afghanistan arrested a suspiciously large contingent of international travelers in a remote tribal village east of Khandud, near the Wakhan Corridor. These sixty-five young people claimed variously to be freelance journalists, mountaineers, representatives of non-governmental aide organizations, college students on winter break, or literary tourists. However, it is widely bruited that they are intelligence agents under non-official cover who pooled their resources while attempting to enter Kashmir to conduct clandestine operations against the KIM. The provincial government refuses to release them until the situation is clarified (which will probably entail bribes) and influence in Kabul has little meaning in this remote ethnic enclave. Meanwhile, the KIM has apparently bombed a marketplace in Srinagar.

In response to these events, every clandestine service with Kashmir in its portfolio has mobilized a team and sent it ...

... to Prague



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Team Goldman Saxon
As a corporate field agent for Goldman Saxon, you have agreed to travel to Prague, Czech Republic, where official and unofficial representatives of concerned states and entities are expected to converge with the same goal in mind: to find out the actual intentions of China, India, Pakistan, Russia, and the United States in the disputed region of Kashmir.

You have been entrusted with this sensitive mission because, as a fully vetted trainee, your commitment to the corporation has been qualified as total and beyond compromise.
Prague Squad "Black Bull"
Field Agent "Leverage":
Field Agent "Derivative":
Field Agent "Tranche":
Field Agent "Equity":
You will take up residence in the Hotel Questenberk in Prague 1.
Your local will be U Černého Vola‎, Loretánské náměstí 107/1, which you can reach from the Hotel by proceeding along the Pohořelec to and down Loretánské. The tavern will be on your right: 50.088193, 14.391835.

Your Station Chief is "Union Bag." He will make contact with you at a time of his choosing.



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Team Blusterberg
As a private contractor for the Blusterberg Group, you have agreed to travel to Prague, Czech Republic, where official and unofficial representatives of concerned states and entities are expected to converge with the same goal in mind: to find out the actual intentions of China, India, Pakistan, Russia, and the United States in the disputed region of Kashmir.

You have been contracted to perform this sensitive mission according to the terms specified in Article 14 of "Document" (qv). Quality assurance functionals will monitor and quantify your performance as specified therein. Consideration for satisfaction of "Document" is contingent on independent verification of mission success.

Prague Squad "Dos Equis"
Situation Engineer II "Harrassowitz"
Tactical Analyst I "Smithson"
Situation Engineer II "Spaulding"
Tactical Analyst I "Papathanassiou"

You are to find lodging in four of the commercial chain hotels near the Novy Smichov Shopping Center in Prague 5.
You will avoid one another except when meeting at the Hombre del Mundo restaurant, Nádražní 29/21, situated diagonally across from the TGI Friday south of the shopping center: 50.07036, 14.40488.

Your Station Chief is Samir "Rolf" Andreessen. He will make contact with you at a time of his choosing.



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Kashmiri Independence Movement (KIM), Strike Force Umbrage
As a founding "member" of the "Kashmiri Independence Movement," you are fed up with the interference of so many foreign parties in the internal affairs of Kashmir. So much espionage and counterespionage is afoot in the region that the only reliable way to figure out what's actually going on is to infiltrate some of these larger, better funded operations. Your mission is to find out the actual intentions of China, India, Pakistan, Russia, and the United States in your "homeland".

Operation "Wool Pull"

Agent "Turtleneck"
You will infiltrate Goldman Saxon's "Black Bull" team in Prague and gather intelligence while avoiding detection. Whenever you acquire sufficient information (a measure left to your professional discretion), you must meet Agent "Cardigan" at the drop point to cross-tabulate your lore and prepare an interim report for <redacted>.

Agent "Cardigan"
You will infiltrate the Blusterberg Group's "Dos Equis" team, an espionage cell in Prague. You will gather intelligence while avoiding detection. Whenever you acquire sufficient information (a measure left to your professional discretion), you must meet Agent "Turtleneck" at the drop point to cross-tabulate your lore and prepare an interim report for <redacted>.

The Drop Point
Once you have made contact with your partner, you must split your time between your cover residence and the Hotel Čertovka (50.086826, 14.408371). After your partner checks in you must hold all pertinent meetings at the drop point, a signals site in a tiny triangular park just south of the Hotel, in the forecourt of the Bistro Bruncvik under the west end of the Charles Bridge. Sit on the bench just in front of the bistro for optimal transmissions.



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Roles
Team Goldman Saxon

• Union Bag - Station Chief - Handler for Operation Black Bull - Access to Black Bull Forum
• Leverage - Access to Black Bull Forum
• Derivative - Access to Black Bull Forum
• Tranche - Access to Black Bull Forum
• Equity - Access to Black Bull Forum

Team Blusterberg Group

• Samir "Rolf" Andreessen - Station Chief - Handler for Project XX - Access to Dos Equis Forum
• Harrassowitz - Access to Dos Equis Forum
• Smithson - Access to Dos Equis Forum
• Spaulding - Access to Dos Equis Forum
• Papathanassiou - Access to Dos Equis Forum

KIM, Strike Force Umbrage

• Agent Turtleneck - One of {Leverage, Derivative, Tranche, Equity} is also Agent Turtleneck from Team KIM. Once his cover is blown, he will have access to the Charles Bridge Forum.
• Agent Cardigan - One of {Harrassowitz, Smithson, Spaulding, Papathanassiou} is also Agent Cardigan from Team KIM. Once his cover is blown, he will have access to the Charles Bridge Forum.

Roster
10 slots total available.

1. bb2112 - confirmed
2. Chaosraven - confirmed
3. El Guapo - confirmed
4. Lassr - confirmed
5. Newcastle - confirmed
6. Qantaga - confirmed
7. Remus West - confirmed
8. Scoop20906 - confirmed
9. stessier - confirmed
10. Unagi - confirmed

Rules

Every Station Chief and Field Agent has been in Prague for three days. So ripe is the atmosphere for espionage that each player has already learned two crucial facts that may help yield the truth about the actions and intentions of the stakeholder nations.

Cycle

Cycle - the Day - Voting
A turn consists of a Day and a Night. A Day lasts until an actual majority votes to interrogate one player or until a real-life Monday, Wednesday, or Friday at 9pm EST occurs -- whichever comes first. A night lasts for a random time between 6 and 18 hours.

Every Day, the players may (but need not) Vote to interrogate one player selected by OO name. If it is the first time the targeted player has been interrogated, the vote takes the standard form  interrogate Jaroslav 
 

If the targeted player has already been interrogated once, voters must decide between the standard form  interrogate Jaroslav 
 
and the enhanced form:  torture Jaroslav 
 

If Jaroslav is a KIM agent, torture will expose his identity and his genuine crucial facts. If Jaroslav is not a KIM agent, torture will kill him.

If the targeted player has already been interrogated twice, his third interrogation is automatically torture.

The elected player will be taken to the underground restaurant Svatá Klára‎, in Prague 7 near the zoo, during closing hours. There, he will be interrogated (harshly or otherwise) until he has divulged one of his two crucial facts xor a piece of disinformation (if he resists interrogation). The results of interrogation or torture will be reported authoritatively in the game thread by the moderator.



Cycle - the Day - Resisting Interrogation
Members of KIM, Strike Force Umbrage, are hardened veterans able to Resist Interrogation. Instead of divulging one of their crucial facts during first or second interrogation, a KIM agent may substitute any proposition he wants: a lie, a half-truth, a distortion.... Only if tortured will a KIM agent be exposed and his genuine crucial facts revealed.

If a KIM agent is tortured (by explicit vote on a second interrogation, or automatically on a third interrogation), he does not die; instead, his cover is blown, his crucial facts are revealed to all, and he is ejected from his cover team's forum. At this juncture, he gains access to the KIM forum under the Charles Bridge.

To exercise this power, the hardened KIM veteran must PM the Moderator with one or two fake clues to add to his set of crucial facts. The fake clues may be false, but need not be. If the veteran submits only one fake clue, he may specify which of his genuine crucial facts to replace. He does not have to submit the clues in advance; the Moderator will ask him for them if the veteran is subjected to interrogation.

Cycle - the Day - Penalty for Not Voting
If nobody is selected for interrogation or torture by the Day cycle's deadline, then the Handlers lose their scan for that night.

Cycle - the Night - Scanning
Each team has the ability to Scan for clues. Every Night, Station Chief "Union Bag" and Station Chief "Rolf" and both members of KIM may Scan one player, by OO name, against the latest increment of SigInt. By means of this process, the scanning party will learn exactly one of the crucial facts originally known by that player. The fact thus learned will be chosen by a coin toss. Scanning the same player twice (on two different nights) is permitted and will yield both crucial facts known by that player; the second scan is not a coin toss.

"Union Bag" and "Rolf" and the KIM agents may overlap in their scans and will not know that this has occurred. If they scan the same person, there is no guarantee that they will learn the same crucial fact; the first fact for each will be decided by a coin toss.

If "Union Bag" or "Rolf" is tortured to death, his team loses its ability to scan.

Cycle - the Night - Preventing the Scan
One Night per game each, a KIM agent may prevent a handler's scan. To do this, the KIM agent must know the identity (i.e., OO username) of the handler. The KIM agents may exercise their one-time abilities on the same Night or on different Nights, and each may thwart either his own handler or his partner's handler. Both agents may select the same target, but not on the same night.

Cycle - the Night - Breaking One's Own Cover
At the start of any night, either KIM agent may request to forsake his undercover status in exchange for access to his Drop Point, under the Charles Bridge. This is an irrevocable, one-way operation. A KIM agent who has broken his own cover will not be exposed in public (i.e., by the Moderator). In other words, the Handler whose team is now free of its mole need not reveal this fact to the third team.

A KIM agent receives no scan on the night his cover ends, regardless of whether this occurs voluntarily (broken) or by torture (blown).

If a KIM agent breaks his cover voluntarily, his two crucial facts are not revealed in public (as they would be if he were tortured).

The crucial facts of a KIM agent who has already moved to the Drop Point may still be learned through scanning.

Forums
The game features four forums: Octopus Overlords, the "Black Bull" forum, the "Dos Equis" forum, and the Charles Bridge Forum. The "Black Bull" is the Goldman Saxon forum with four field agents and a handler. The "Dos Equis" is the Blusterberg Group forum, with four field agents and a handler. One field agent in the Black Bull is a double agent working for KIM. One field agent in Dos Equis is a double agent working for KIM. The KIM agents may eventually have access to the Charles Bridge forum, either by having their cover blown or by breaking cover voluntarily.

Players will sign into the forums using their cover names, as specified in the instructions the Moderator will provide when roles are distributed. Whether and how to reveal your OO Forum identity is left to the players and their teammates.

Solution and victory conditions
Every Day, at any time before the end of the Day, the highest ranking member of each team may (but need not) submit a Solution to the Moderator. The first team to submit a well-formed, correct Solution by OO PM wins. Rank order is given above.

KIM may only submit a Solution if both members have met under the Charles Bridge.

Submitting an incorrect Solution will generate two results. First, a random fact from the set of facts originally allocated to members of the submitting team will be revealed to everyone by the Moderator, who will not state which team took the guess, nor which agent's fact was exposed. Second, the Moderator will give a status report about the standing of each team relative to the truth. A status report will have the form: "There are 15 uncertainties regarding the five nations: Goldman Saxon knows or has guessed 6 of them; the Blusterberg Group knows or has guessed 5 of them; KIM knows or has guessed 9 of them."

A solution consists of five ordered quadruple statements of the form:
<Nation>, which has <Number> operatives among the detainees, is <Stage of Activity> to <Strategic Goal>.

For example:
France, which has 4 operatives among the detainees, is Not Quite Ready to Cyber-Attack the Power Grid.

The information that must be ordered in this way to provide a Solution is as follows:
Nations (given here in decreasing order by population): China, India, United States, Pakistan, Russia
Number per nation of suspected operatives detained in Afghanistan (in decreasing order): 15, 14, 13, 12, 11
Stages of Activity (in increasing order of intensity/commitment): Threatening, Planning, Covertly operating, Building a coalition, Taking steps
Strategic Goals (in alphabetical order by verb): to apply economic pressure, to derail the peace process, to enforce the no-fly zone, to incite a civil war, to put boots on the ground

Stages of Activity are discrete, not inclusive or nesting. Thus, a nation that is covertly operating is no longer planning, and so forth. Likewise, Strategic Goals are discrete, not inclusive or nesting.

There are 20 clues; 18 discrete clues and 2 duplicates. These will be distributed among the 10 players, 2 per player. No player will have both an original and its duplicate. The duplicates will be split between {Goldman Saxon, Blusterberg Group} including double agents; otherwise, assignment of clues will be random.

The game continues until someone correctly solves the puzzle, or until the Moderator intervenes to declare a winner.

Here's a worksheet to help develop a Solution.

Roles
If a player would prefer not to be a Handler (Station Chief, Regional Advocate), he may PM the Moderator before roles are generated to express this preference. The desire will be accommodated, if possible, before random.org takes over the assignment process. Otherwise, assignment to teams and roles will be entirely random.

Questions, Answers, and Clarifications

Can you summarize the players and their powers and such?

Team Goldman Saxon has a Handler, called the Station Chief, whose forum name is 'Union Bag'.
Team Goldman Saxon has four field agents, three normal and one double.
The double agent is a mole, a hardened veteran from KIM.

The Blusterberg Group has a Handler, called the Station Chief, whose forum name is 'Rolf'.
The Blusterberg Group has four field agents, three normal and one double.
The double agent is a mole, a hardened veteran from KIM.

Team KIM has no Handler and two field agents, both hardened veterans.
Each is a mole on one of the other teams.

Things everyone can do by day:
1. Vote (against OO name) to interrogate any player who has been interrogated 0 or 1 times.
2. Vote (against OO name) to torture any player who has been interrogated 1 or 2 times.
2. Chat in a team forum.

Things the interrogated player may do by day: Nothing if he's normal; if he's hardened, he may submit disinformation to the Moderator.

Things a Handler or Ranking Member may do by day: submit a Solution to the Moderator. If it's correct, his team wins; if it's incorrect, then one random fact originally allocated to that team will be exposed to everyone.

Things everyone can do by night: chat in a cell forum.

Things a Handler or Ranking KIM agent can do by night: Scan one player to learn one crucial fact.

Things a KIM agent can do by night: Exactly once per game, block a Handler's scan by giving that Handler's OO name to the Moderator.

When must a KIM agent file his disinformation?
If a person eligible to exercise this power comes under interrogation, I'll ask by PM whether he wants to file. There's no need to rush into filing... unless you're the first person interrogated!

Who makes up false, twisted, or alternate facts to use as disinformation?
The KIM agent does. I don't supply them. To create a false fact, contradict something you know is true. To create a true but truncated fact, give just a subset of some compound fact that you know. To roll the dice, just make something up in the style of the clues you've seen! Anything goes.

I see that you've posted a copy of the Rules into all the Prague cell forums. I also see that you're updating things here like mad. Are you copying all those changes to all those forums?
Heck no. I'm only updating and mentioning new rules here. The other posts should be regarded as a limited quick-reference, but this page alone is authoritative.

What happens if a KIM agent tries to use his night power to block a Handler, provides an OO name, and that person isn't a Handler?
The power is expended with no effect. So KIM agents had better be sure they know what they're doing before they pull that trigger!

Show me the math
Ok. Here's a hypothetical "normal" game with KIM outed and handlers blocked:

Start:
KIM: 4 clues
GS: 8 clues
BG: 8 clues

After one cycle:
KIM: 4 clues + 1 clue (vote) + 2 clues (night) = 7
GS: 8 clues + 1 clue (vote) + 1 clue (night) = 10
BG: 8 clues + 1 clue (vote) + 1 clue (night) = 10

After two cycles:
KIM: 7 + 1 (vote) + 2 (night) = 10
GS: 10 + 1 (vote) + 1 (night) = 12
BG: 10 + 1 (vote) + 1 (night) = 12

After three cycles:
KIM: 10 + 1 (vote) + 2 (night) = 13
GS: 12 + 1 (vote) + 1 (night) = 14
BG: 12 + 1 (vote) + 1 (night) = 14

After four cycles, and with a scan penalty on both KIM agents when their covers are blown, and with both handlers blocked:
KIM: 13 + 1 (vote) = 14
GS: 14 + 1 (vote) = 15
BG: 14 + 1 (vote) = 15

After five cycles:
KIM: 14 + 1 (vote) + 1 (night) = 16
GS: 15 + 1 (vote) + 1 (night) = 17
BG: 15 + 1 (vote) + 1 (night) = 17

After six cycles:
KIM: 16 + 1 (vote) +1 (night) = 18
GS: 17 + 1 (vote) + 1 (night) = 19
BG: 17 + 1 (vote) + 1 (night) = 19

KIM starts out with fewer clues, but gains clues at a faster rate.
The longer KIM agents can stay under cover, the faster they overcome their disadvantage and perhaps gain an edge.
In a normal game of day interrogations and night scans, KIM lags behind. However, their ability to lie with impunity and sow confusion until exposed offsets this disadvantage.

I think we're ready for a reboot now. stessier and I have done our best to digest the input of Lagom and others and to create enough balance to discourage boringly algorithmic play.

Time to check in and confirm your participation in the massively simplified Prague!

Once everyone's here, I'll send your new identity, grant you access to the appropriate forum (only one per team!), and remind you of your two crucial facts.

In still

Here.

Sure. I'll be in again.

bloody 'ell.

I'm here.

Too much to read - I'm out.

Almost all back on board:

Roster
10 slots total available. 9 have checked in.

1. b2112 - confirmed
2. Chaosraven - confirmed
3. El Guapo - confirmed
4. Lassr - confirmed
5. Newcastle - confirmed
6. Qantaga - confirmed
7. Remus West - confirmed
8. Scoop20906 - confirmed
9. stessier - confirmed
10. Unagi - confirmed

I'm in.

In and reading the rulez. Sorry.

I have no reason to doubt bb2112's and Lagom's participation, so I'm going to go ahead and roll up roles and send 'em out, etc.

But I'd still like to hear from you both!

Grundbegriff wrote:I have no reason to doubt bb2112's and Lagom's participation, so I'm going to go ahead and roll up roles and send 'em out, etc.

But I'd still like to hear from you both!

You mean other than Lagom saying he wanted someone else to take his place in the other game thread? You might want to contact him directly.

Remus West wrote:

Grundbegriff wrote:I have no reason to doubt bb2112's and Lagom's participation, so I'm going to go ahead and roll up roles and send 'em out, etc.

But I'd still like to hear from you both!

You mean other than Lagom saying he wanted someone else to take his place in the other game thread? You might want to contact him directly.

Ah, you mean this? I missed that somehow.

OK, Lagom's out. Let me see whether triggercut's willing to step up.

Yeah, sorry. I'm probably going to take a longer break from WW actually (although it could be the Christmas stress speaking).

I've written all the role assignments. I'll wait for confirmation from bb2112 and triggercut, and then I'll send them if all's well. I guess that will happen late this afternoon at the earliest.

If trig still can't play, you should Czech with Rev.

Yes, I'm in. Trying to process the rule changes.

stessier wrote:If trig still can't play, you should Czech with Rev.

Shit. Trying to remember what I told him about the game while we were smokin^H^H^H^Hplaying magic the other evening.

As soon as I hear one way or another from trig, we're off.

Meanwhile, don't think it can't happen to you!

Grundbegriff wrote:As soon as I hear one way or another from trig, we're off.

Still true. Do we have someone in the pipe in case triggercut declines?

What about rshetts2? Or Rev (if Chaos didn't share his clues/role - which would be sorta an odd thing to do). Maybe purge has the time?

Unagi? Lassr?

Budu hrát.

I still need to get my head around the rules, etc, but I've always wanted to go back to Prague, and it looks like this is my big chance.

Unagi wrote:Budu hrát.

I still need to get my head around the rules, etc, but I've always wanted to go back to Prague, and it looks like this is my big chance.

Last time I was there we got really drunk and found a rooftop disco that had flashing lights as the dance floor.

Woo-hoo, we're full! Let's get this baby rollin'!

Remus West wrote:

Unagi wrote:Budu hrát.

I still need to get my head around the rules, etc, but I've always wanted to go back to Prague, and it looks like this is my big chance.

Last time I was there we got really drunk and found a rooftop disco that had flashing lights as the dance floor.

Yeah, I was there back in... oh like 1992 or something. I think we were buying beers for like 20 cents or something.

Unagi wrote:

Remus West wrote:

Unagi wrote:Budu hrát.

I still need to get my head around the rules, etc, but I've always wanted to go back to Prague, and it looks like this is my big chance.

Last time I was there we got really drunk and found a rooftop disco that had flashing lights as the dance floor.

Yeah, I was there back in... oh like 1992 or something. I think we were buying beers for like 20 cents or something.

I was there summer of 1992!

I was in Germany during the summer of 1992 for a month (exchange student). Does that count for anything??

stessier wrote:I was in Germany during the summer of 1992 for a month (exchange student). Does that count for anything??

I never made it to Germany that summer so, no.

OK, then. Since triggercut was unable to return my call (I believe he's up against a deadline), Unagi is the very welcome replacement!

Here come your roles....

Remus West wrote:

stessier wrote:I was in Germany during the summer of 1992 for a month (exchange student). Does that count for anything??

I never made it to Germany that summer so, no.

That's ok - upon further reflection, I was actually there during the Summer of 1990. So no hard feelings.

It was my intention to send each of you (except Unagi) the same two clues you've already seen.

If I managed to botch that somehow, please let me know.

In any event, feel free to register at the Prague forum! I'll post here when everyone has been activated and grouped over there.

stessier wrote:

Remus West wrote:

stessier wrote:I was in Germany during the summer of 1992 for a month (exchange student). Does that count for anything??

I never made it to Germany that summer so, no.

That's ok - upon further reflection, I was actually there during the Summer of 1990. So no hard feelings.

I would've been there in 1990 or 1992, but for some reason my parents frowned on elementary school kids traveling abroad on their own.

Hey Stess. I was 5 feet (on the sideline) from Welker this weekend at the Redskins game during warm ups. Guy is short and intense.

Scoop20906 wrote:Hey Stess. I was 5 feet (on the sideline) from Welker this weekend at the Redskins game during warm ups. Guy is short and intense.

That just reminded me of Everybody At Hospital Already Hates Wes Welker.

stessier wrote:What about rshetts2? Or Rev (if Chaos didn't share his clues/role - which would be sorta an odd thing to do). Maybe purge has the time?

There have been plenty of times those of us in talk with those without

El Guapo wrote:

stessier wrote:

Remus West wrote:

stessier wrote:I was in Germany during the summer of 1992 for a month (exchange student). Does that count for anything??

I never made it to Germany that summer so, no.

That's ok - upon further reflection, I was actually there during the Summer of 1990. So no hard feelings.

I would've been there in 1990 or 1992, but for some reason my parents frowned on elementary school kids traveling abroad on their own.

My trip was part of a foreign exchange program with my school. Ok, ok, ok - high school. Get off my lawn you whipper snappers!!