Hey there! Are you new to the game of werewolf, and aren't sure how to play successfully so that you survive? Well here's some tricks to know and things to help you during your time:
Tip #1: Werewolf is a game of deception and paranoiaThis is the biggest thing that will get to newer players if they're playing against others with experience in the game. The wolf's job is to survive for as long as possible, and that means lying and deceiving the other players, making them think that they're a villager. While this can be great for the wolf, this translates poorly for the villagers who are attempting to push suspicion off of themselves. If you're up to get lynched and you know you're innocent, don't get discouraged.
Tip #2: Attention draws suspicionThe best thing a player can do for themselves is draw as little attention as possible...however, this goes two ways: On the one hand, being the loudest accusing player will definitely draw players to look at you more closely. However, being the quietest player that only votes with little to no reasoning for the choice will also draw suspicion if players realize that you're in the game but you're not in it. The trick is to find the happy balance between being the outspoken accuser and the silent watcher. You don't have to write paragraphs upon paragraphs on who you believe is guilty and why, but providing solid reasoning behind your vote choices will make less people look at you with suspicion.
Tip #3: Not everyone has to die at the hands of the mobUnless rules state otherwise, you're always allowed to say "Vote: No Lynch" for the day phase. If that vote wins majority, it means no victim will die during the day phase, which means that the possibility of accidentally killing a good guy has disappeared. What this does is give the seer time to scan players and build up their numbers or find out the bad guys. The drawback to this is that there will always be players who will push for an "always lynch" mentality and thus will end up looking suspicious if the player they chose turns out to be good later down the road.
Tip #4: All records should be kept in the public's eyeOne thing that will garner unwanted attention is editing your posts. Regardless of whether it's because there was a spelling error or grammatical error, it won't matter; as far as other players are concerned, your post was edited because you accidentally had something crucial that would have implicated you as the wolf, and you edited it because you noticed said accident and omitted it. It is in your best interest to keep your posts fresh, and if there's any crucial mistakes you feel need fixing, say it in another post.
Tip #5: Wolves don't always have to claim a victimThis may sound completely absurd that the wolves would choose not to kill anyone, but it can be a good strategic move. It will make players think that you may be inactive, but more than likely they'll believe that the defenders were doing their job well. Likewise, it will make the defenders believe that you attacked their intended target, so they'll most likely decide to try to defend said target again.
Tip #6: Good wolves attack twiceIf the wolves do choose to attack someone who is defended, it's in their best interest to go after that same person again the next night if they're able, especially if there's only one defender left. Why is this? Because in a normal game of Werewolf, the defenders can't defend the same person for two consecutive nights. They can alternate between defending that person (meaning Defender 1 protects them during night 1, defender 2 during night 2, etc...), but the same defender can't defend the same person twice in a row...hence why it's even more a suggestion if there's a lone defender left.
Tip #7: The smallest details matterThis is a tip that extends to all roles. Look into the voting histories, players' theories and past posts in the game, and take note of anything that seems off. Did everyone vote to lynch one guy that turned out bad, while two others voted to lynch someone completely different? Who was the one that started the revolt against the seer? Which player has been contradicting themselves in their posts? Tiny details like that can easily implicate a wolf if one looks carefully. In the wolves' case, they can manipulate errors in posts that others make to trick people into going after an innocent player. This is definitely a strategy that can go both ways.
Tip #8: The many is stronger than the fewFor the seer, it's essential that they build up their numbers for a few reasons. The first is that if they have information on a bad guy, then it's much easier for people to believe you when you have more on your side than just you. Another is that the more players you have on your side, the wolves will be that much more likely to lose. If you have 8 good guys in your army against 2 wolves, and the player count is 10, it's a pretty easy game right ere.
Tip #9: The seer is the wolves' biggest threatAs you've read above, the seer has the ability to make the game end very quickly for the wolves. Therefore it's normally in the wolves' best interest to figure out who the seer is and take them out. The earlier the seer is gone, the less damage you'll have to sort through and the better chance you'll have at surviving. For the defenders, it's the exact opposite: It's in the defenders' best interest to figure out who the seer is, and protect them at all costs.
Tip #10: Claiming a role is nice, but it comes at a costYou might play and be one of the wolves, and you might be thinking "What if I claimed I was a role?" That usually is never a good idea. While it can easily buy you time, the moment the actual role stands up and claims you're lying, you're already digging a grave for yourself, because then players will have to choose between the two and lynch one, and even if they choose the other guy, you'll be next. However, this IS a good strategic move for taking the seer out early if you play it right. Same goes for one of the defenders as well.
Tip #11: PM players at your own risk.While most games don't prohibit PMing other players outside of the wolves', Seer's, and Defenders' PMs, it's generally not recommended. PMing players and asking them to change votes from one of their choices, getting them to believe you're a good guy, and the like is a sure fire way to draw attention. If you do PM someone unofficially (IE it wasn't host created, it was you doing it on a whim), don't be surprised if your PM contents show up in the thread as proof against you.
Tip #12: Keep it in gameThis is more a general tip to keep the game going with little complaints. One thing that tends to bother both players and hosts alike is when there's a lot of unrelated discussion going on in the game, especially during the night phase. It can unnecessarily fill the thread and make it that much more work for players to look back on past history in the game. Night phase chat is usually fine if it doesn't go on for pages and pages. Hosts may decide to implicate rules against unrelated-game chatter in general, and may even implicate rules against the dead talking too much. Normally the dead can talk during the night phase, with the same restrictions applied.
Tip #13: Keep it fairThis is another general tip, mainly for dead players. When you're dead, it means that anything related to the game, you're no longer allowed to discuss. Subtly trying to hint to everyone else that you know who a wolf is (for a dead seer, for example) is both frowned upon and considered cheating, giving the good guys an unfair advantage. If you're dead and you do talk during the night phase, don't spoil anything or discuss things as if you were still a villager. We want Werewolf to be successful and continue on for a good period of time, so keeping it fair and fun is a must.
Tip #14: You CAN choose to Lynch yourselfNow you might be wondering why this would even be a serious consideration. I mean, voting against yourself? Really? But this is both a good tactical decision both for good guys and werewolves (if you vote against yourself, people become unsure of their vote on you), as well as a terrific loophole to "Always Lynch" rules. Unsure of who you want to vote, and aren't allowed to say "no lynch?" Then you can vote for yourself! It's essentially the equivalent of non-voting/lynching. However, there ARE downsides to choosing to lynch yourself in whichever situation it is: In a maneuver to save yourself from getting voted out, it can also translate the wrong way to where people will be MORE inclined to keep their vote. It's really a 50/50 thing in that case. In the loophole situation, it's only something that can work if nobody else suddenly decides to vote for you. But all it takes is one person to turn that into a bandwagon against you, and you're in trouble.
Tip #15: Always make sure the host knows who you target.This tip goes a few ways. Occasionally the wolves will still be deciding who to go after, and they'll give a couple of names. Always make it clear who you're deciding on, since the host will have to extend the night if you can't make up your mind...or they'll implement a method to make the choice for you. This goes for other power roles as well.
The other way is making sure that the message you send with your target
always makes it to the host. Some forums have a message system which will always keep every recipient on it regardless of how you reply. However, some do not, such is the case with Wintreath. If you're in a power role and you send a target in a forum that doesn't automatically keep people, either add them in the message, or always hit REPLY TO ALL if the messageboard offers that option. Hosts that encounter this problem can choose to do what they wish to fix it, or they can choose to count the non-message as that role being inactive during the night.
Those are the tips I have at the moment. If I have any more, I'll add them to the thread later.