@Michelle Let me hold up a mirror to your reasoning.
You're claiming that I'm too involved for an indie. But there would be no value in me as scum, fake claiming indie, if I'm not going to cash that in by playing into being an indie. It gives me ample room to not scum hunt, so you never get to catch me pushing the wrong directions nor pushing you towards my scum mates. I don't have to live up to any standards you may have of my general game so that's out too. And I would join the mass of players who offer little to be readable - a fact you already accept by your complaints of the gamestate. So you'd have nothing to read me from and would have no choice but to accept my claim.
Instead, I'm offering positions. So you're going to give some reason as to why, as scum, I bother fake claiming only to not try and reap any of the benefits that fake claiming would give me, and this, after my claim gets accepted.
You can't do it. And your refusal to concede any ground is what looks bad to me, because as town you should be open to new information. Instead you're picking a direction and sticking to it and you can't defend your position. Feel free to take this as a prompt to do so. I doubt you will.