![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[One corner of this small cave room is separated by stalagmite bars. Your hostage is dropped into this corner by Dragon. If they have powers, they are depowered.]
((Hostages comment here so I know who you are! The hostage risks death and dismemberment. They can still speak to their team, but Dragon will act as though they are not there.))
((Hostages comment here so I know who you are! The hostage risks death and dismemberment. They can still speak to their team, but Dragon will act as though they are not there.))
I'm thinking of a number between one and a hundred. ONE of you, try and guess it.
Today we'll be playing a simple game - one of the most simple games of all, known as the Prisoner's Dilemma, albeit slightly modified. Here's how to play:
Each team has one prisoner. I shall not acknowledge the prisoner during play.
Each team has been also matched against another. You'll be allowed to exchange a short correspondence with your opposing team. The team whose number is closer to the one I was thinking of goes first, then the other team, and then the first team again. At that point, both teams will decide whether to trust or betray one another.
Should both teams trust one another, their prisoners will each receive a burn.
Should both teams betray one another, their prisoners will each lose a limb.
A team that trusts a betrayer will lose its prisoner entirely.
But a team that betrays the trusting will not receive any punishment.
Each team has one prisoner. I shall not acknowledge the prisoner during play.
Each team has been also matched against another. You'll be allowed to exchange a short correspondence with your opposing team. The team whose number is closer to the one I was thinking of goes first, then the other team, and then the first team again. At that point, both teams will decide whether to trust or betray one another.
Should both teams trust one another, their prisoners will each receive a burn.
Should both teams betray one another, their prisoners will each lose a limb.
A team that trusts a betrayer will lose its prisoner entirely.
But a team that betrays the trusting will not receive any punishment.
. . . so this game encourages people betray each other.
[well, at least he'll have no way of hearing what Steel's thinking.]
[grabs hold of the bars, testing them]
[grabs hold of the bars, testing them]
They always do. This is just more explicit.
[touching his hands through the bars]
I'll be fine.
I'll be fine.
[D:]
We'll do everything we can to keep you uninjured, Janus.
We'll do everything we can to keep you uninjured, Janus.
It almost feels like we have no choice. I don't know much of the other teams, but I'm not sure I'm willing to risk Janus's safety on the hope they won't betray us.
It's a game of chance for whether or not something will happen. But if we both betray each other, Janus will lose limbs. It's not his life, but...
But if both sides trust each other, they only get burns...
[doesn't bother responding to that, just grips his hand for a moment then pulls away.]
And if we both trust, he gets away with a burn. Problem is, we don't know who's on the other side, or whether we're on good terms with them.
True enough. We'd better be certain we can trust them, though. The price for misjudging is high.
By the same token, it's the same for them. Are there teams who think ill of all the other teams?
The message we send has to be clear on our intentions, then.
Page 1 of 6