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[Jimmmmm]

So a while ago this problem was posted in the Logic problems thread:

7 pirates have just ended plundering the Caribbean, so they get together to discuss how they will share the 100 gold coin booty. Now, these aren't your normal kind of pirates, they are blood-thirsty, unlimitedly greedy, perfectly rational pirates, and they are ranked by fighting prowess.

Thus, the captain has to propose how to share the booty, knowing that if more than half of his crew starts a mutiny, he will get killed, and the 2nd in command will take his place (who will in turn have to propose how to share the booty, eventually being replaced by the third in command, etc.).

How much gold will each pirate receive?

The answer is, of course, in the thread.

I was wondering if this would make an interesting game.
The game would take place over n rounds, where n is the number of players, ideally 7.
At the start of each round, the ranking for that round is announced, from 1 to n. The player who is ranked 1 starts off as Captain.
Each round proceeds exactly as detailed in the problem: The Captain has 100 gold coins and must propose some way of distributing them. Players (including the Captain who would auto-Accept) then vote to either Accept the proposal or Mutiny. If the majority vote to Mutiny, the Captain is killed and removed from the round, and Captaincy passes to the highest ranked remaining player. When a proposal is Accepted, the coins are distributed as proposed, and the next round begins, wherein everyone is alive and a new ranking is announced.
The ranking for each round is pre-determined randomly such that each player will be each of the n different ranks over the n rounds.
Players may communicate in the game thread and/or privately. Each pair of players will be assigned a QT. Any kind of deals, agreements, alliances etc are allowed, but of course none are binding.
The winner is the player with the most coins after n rounds. Second place goes to whoever has second most and so on.

Any thoughts? Anyone want to play?

1. Archetype
2. liopoil
3. mail-mi
4. heron
5. Jimmmmm

[Archetype]

I'd play!

[Jimmmmm]

I'd play!

Yay!

[Jimmmmm]

No one else? We can make it work with as few as 3 more.

[liopoil]

/in

[mail-mi]

eh /in

[Jimmmmm]

That's the spirit!

[Jimmmmm]

Bump. If we can get one more I'll play. It should work with 5.

[Tables]

This sounds so horrifically political. I'm going to enjoy watching this (and would not enjoy playing)

[Ozle]

isnt there a massive disadvantage to one player though?

As at the end round everybody knows how much they need to win, thus making it harder for deals to get through, and thus ordering in that last round is MUCH more important than, say, the first round where its pretty uniform where it will be...

[WalrusMcFishSr]

There is a game theoretical solution, as it says in the OP. It would be interesting though to see how it plays out with actual humans rather than Homo economicus

[Jimmmmm]

isnt there a massive disadvantage to one player though?

As at the end round everybody knows how much they need to win, thus making it harder for deals to get through, and thus ordering in that last round is MUCH more important than, say, the first round where its pretty uniform where it will be...

Every other player then needs to keep this in mind.

[Jimmmmm]

Tables, Ozle, Walrus, which one of you is going to join and let us play?

[Ozle]

Tables, Ozle, Walrus, which one of you is going to join and let us play?

I vote Walrus

[Tables]

Tables, Ozle, Walrus, which one of you is going to join and let us play?

I vote Walrus

I'll second that. Politics is something I like to avoid in my board games.

[Ozle]

Thats 2 out of 3, majority vote.
Walrus you're in.

[WalrusMcFishSr]

Noooo I considered it but my play would be distorted by the fact that I already know the answer!

So I exercise the power of walrus veto

[Jimmmmm]

Noooo I considered it but my play would be distorted by the fact that I already know the answer!

So I exercise the power of walrus veto

Oh it doesn't matter if you know the answer. With 5 people, the Captain would keep 98 coins for himself and give 1 to the players ranked 3 and 5. However I highly suspect that with real people, they would demand a significantly higher cut and mutiny if they didn't get it.

[WalrusMcFishSr]

Walrus veto is irrevocable once used...sorry, there's nothing I can do

[Ozle]

Walrus veto is irrevocable once used...sorry, there's nothing I can do

Sorry, we had another vote to say your veto doesn't matter

[heron]

I'll play.

[Jimmmmm]

Hooray! I'm just going to go ahead and start the game!

[Jimmmmm]

Okay seeing as I'm playing I'll randomise and publish the rankings now.

Round 1
1. liopoil
2. Archetype
3. heron
4. mail-mi
5. Jimmmmm

Round 2
1. Jimmmmm
2. mail-mi
3. Archetype
4. liopoil
5. heron

Round 3
1. Archetype
2. Jimmmmm
3. liopoil
4. heron
5. mail-mi

Round 4
1. mail-mi
2. heron
3. Jimmmmm
4. Archetype
5. liopoil

Round 5
1. heron
2. liopoil
3. mail-mi
4. Jimmmmm
5. Archetype

Extra rules:
Once the current Captain has made a proposal, votes will be sent to him. Once he has received all votes, he will publish the results, ie who voted what. The Captain automatically votes to approve. The majority of all living players is required to mutiny. The Captain may not post or otherwise communicate with other players about the game between proposing and posting the result.

I will make QTs for myself with each other player. Everyone else can do whatever you like.

Captains, try to make your proposal within 48 hours, and we'll all try to get our votes in within 24 hours.

liopoil is now the Captain, and must propose a way to divide the 100 coins.

[liopoil]

So in case of a tie, the proposal-thing is accepted?

[liopoil]

What is the goal of this game? to get as many coins as possible? to get the most coins? to place as well as possible in terms of rank-by-number-of-coins?