Definitely town with a side order of third party. I absolutely loathe being mafia. I think the only time I've been overtly successful as mafia was in Wikey's UFO game and that doesn't count due to crippling inactivity. There was another way back on EN that I think went okay, but I don't have fond memories of playing that side at all.

Third party, especially cult is tremendously fun but carries a risk. I hate surviving a night-kill and having to explain it away because I never know how to approach it. Risk claiming a role and getting scanned, claim vanilla and get FOS'd, claim it was random unforeseen circumstances? Always just seems impossible to shake off. Also Cult means you can die via any recruit at almost any time and both runs I've taken at that ended horribly (thank you Curtis).

Town is always a safe route. With nothing to hide you can post genuinely which makes things a lot easier. I don't have to constantly vet my posts for slips and be extensively careful. I like building cases and there's a real sense of accomplishment when you succeed at it. It feels so much more earned than a scum victory.

As far as getting lynched goes, that never bothers me as town much anymore. It's been a while since I was lynched as town I think, and even if you're night-killed early on it doesn't matter so long as you do whatever you can in the time you play.

I'd safely say my favourite ever mafia game was as Domingo in ATTWSII. That was pure case-building, pure brainstorming, everything I love about playing the town side.