Knowing that you could be the Cylon after the sleeper phase, do you play as a barely adequate human in order to lessen the hole you might have to dig yourself out of later?
I think it's mentioned in the rule book and I think I read about that on BGG, but that just seems weird to me and sounds like you're sandbagging the human side if it turns out you're not a Cylon. I usually play that I'm 100% Human until I'm not, but how valid is this strategy?
Since any given player is unlikely to switch sides, I think that going out of your way to play suboptimally is not usually a good idea. One relatively safe compromise, however, is just to make sure you're in the strongest possible position after sleeper. This might mean a few minor skill checks in which you don't quite pull your weight, for example--but hey, those cards will be just as valuable to the humans post-sleeper, and by keeping your cards in hand, leaving your OPG unused, stockpiling juicy quorum cards, and so on, you're improving the position of whatever team you end up on.
subochre said:
Since any given player is unlikely to switch sides, I think that going out of your way to play suboptimally is not usually a good idea. One relatively safe compromise, however, is just to make sure you're in the strongest possible position after sleeper. This might mean a few minor skill checks in which you don't quite pull your weight, for example--but hey, those cards will be just as valuable to the humans post-sleeper, and by keeping your cards in hand, leaving your OPG unused, stockpiling juicy quorum cards, and so on, you're improving the position of whatever team you end up on.
That makes way more sense than intentionally playing badly, and could possibly buy you a little time as an excuse if you are a Cylon and under suspicion.
I see no reason to adopt that strategy in the first half of the game unless the Humans are doing really well, i.e. passing every check, stockpiling cards, wiping out the Cylon Fleet, and are up on resources going into the Sleeper Phase. It happens sometimes (a first turn Support the People goes a long way) and only then will I consider playing sub-optimally; Humans have too much to deal with from the game itself to justify bad choices and I've seen plenty of games that look great at the jump into Sleeper take a huge turn for the worse to feel the need to hamper the Humans on the slim chance that I'll become a Cylon.
Just don't be the "I play my character like they are in the show" guy… please? haha I hate that!
I think you have to play as you are, and its the kind of "house rule" that is a good idea to make clear early on if so.
I was the admiral-human at distance 3 with a jump. Good 2 distance card, ot normal 1 distance card. Humans are way ahead, fairly sure no cylons out… and I am thinking… 40% chance I become a cylon and lose! But after some group cajoling I "did the right thing" and played the good 2. ( I believe I also DID become a Cylon and DID lose!)
I think the same goes the other way… you don't burn your OPG just so it "isn't wasted" in case you become a cylon, etc… that's playing "TO PRO" the part… so…. I don't know, play casual - but don't look like you're playing causal….. wait, now I sound like Han Solo.
I agree with Skowza…. our humans can't win a game even using every strategy we have nutted out and read here on the forums. We XO every. single. turn. use the "OP" base-game IC cards. We have made sure we've never had a sympathiser switch sides (and that resource only JUST dips under half-way, we don't let it slide too low.) We have just started giving the humans +2 to every resource because, frankly, the humans *never* win.
So… I shudder to think what would happen if one or more humans played sub-optimally just in case. People who are dealt the "you are a cylon" card are basically guaranteed a win regardless of the human position at the sleeper phase anyway.