So, a little backstory:
I was totally hyped to write the Battle of the DemiDemigods, and then all the player discussion happened, and then I started thinking about it in more depth, and then a sinking sensation landed in my heart as I was once again forced to choose between simulationism and sheer awesomeness.
Y'all were right when you pointed out that the "lure everyone into attacking" strategy was more complex than it needed to be. Shoot, I was the one who came up with it and I started to realize that it didn't make a lot of sense.
Then there was the level of preparation you had done. The bad guys were all injured, able to communicate only with great effort, there was a football-field-length killzone around the bunker you were going to be defending, everything was quite clearly trapped to hell and back...and people were still going to charge into that blender? Why, exactly? These are teenagers, sure, but they're also trained soldiers. They're the best that their villages can send, and they're not stupid.
Also, there was the fact that Shikamaru said all that in front of your temporary teammates. Now, I did think of it at the time and made him bargain with them so that it was in their interest to play along, but was it really going to be the case that no one would leak?
...hmmm, I thought.
Suppose he wanted the word to leak? Suppose that was the whole plan -- he was ensuring that you didn't get ganged up on while he took the pangolins and went on the same rampage that you went on?
This struck me as both simulationist and hilarious. Furthermore, it would be a great way to show that no, really, Shikamaru
is that smart and that all was according to keikaku.
I ran it by the other QMs and they were okay with it. Granted,
@Velorien probably didn't object largely because he was tired, but that just meant that
@OliWhail felt the need to step in and be a
wet blanket forethoughtful person:
OW: Hang on, shouldn't Hazō have gotten a Deception roll?
[much discussion]
EJ: Bah. Fine, I'll own up.
I've posted the update and the outro first and am typing this up now so that I'll have at least a few minutes of seeming like I was insightful enough to write Shikamaru being brilliant. Now, however, it is time to fess up.
