PBEM Diplomacy

[caffeine]

Mods - please feel free to move this if it's in the wrong place.

I decided the other day that I fancied a game of Diplomacy; after not playing for quite a long time, and so went searching the internet for some play by email group I could join. Sadly, however, I've discovered it doesn't seem to be anywhere near as popular online as it used to be (dang kinds with their GTA 4 and their graphics). There seem to be far too many games out there waiting for 6 months for enough players to start, whereas I remember you used to be able to joina waiting list and off in a matter of days.

Then it occurred to me - I do know a bunch of people who might be up for a game, just not in real life. We only need 7 players, and there are online bots we can use to process the turns. Alternatively, we could all just PM our orders to someone neutral and have them post the lot at once in a game thread.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, Diplomacy is an old boardgame set in early 20th century Europe, in which players control one of the great powers of the day. The aim is to establish yourself as the dominant force in the continent. The rules are simple, and there's no dice or other randomisation - 2 armies beat one army; 3 beat 2, one-on-one is a draw etc. The fun comes from the fact that all moves are submitted in secret each turn, then revealed and carried out simultaneously. This is where the diplomacy comes in - to win you're generally going to have to cooperate with other players - non-aggression pacts to protect your flanks; or partitioning your enemies so as not to unintentionally get in each others' way. You're also usually going to have to cheat other players as well, and it's finding that balance (and also vindictively ruining the chances of the player who betrayed you) that's half the fun!

You should be able to find a copy of the rules here.

Anyone up for it? We can decide on the deadlines between moves depending on who's up for playing and what you all think.

[FreakyBoy]

Hey caffeine, you should have started with a Sluggy boards search first. :D

[caffeine]

Well that's annoying - I finally find some people who should be up for playing; and you're already playing a game! It's not against community standards to start another is it?

[Skitzophrenik]

I'll be running another game after the one that is currently engaged ends. Which may be a while, but if you're willing to wait then you can play. I doubt anyone would want to play in an online game of Diplomacy where the person adjudicating the game was also a player - he would be privy to others' orders.

[caffeine]

I'll be running another game after the one that is currently engaged ends. Which may be a while, but if you're willing to wait then you can play. I doubt anyone would want to play in an online game of Diplomacy where the person adjudicating the game was also a player - he would be privy to others' orders.

Like I said - we could use an online bot to process the orders, or get a neutral person to send orders to. They wouldn't have to do all the work if they didn't want to - they just have to agree to be online at a certain time to bung everyone's orders in a thread; then I could process them.

I'd be more than happy to join your next game, but I was kind of hoping to find some opponents slightly sooner. If most of the potentially interested parties are occupied with your game, I can seek elsewhere - but let me know if and when you do start a new one.

[Skitzophrenik]

I currently am the neutral party. I'm the one receiving all the PMs, doing the map-math and kludging together the posts that you see in the game thread (which take a degree of work, but mostly formatting work - I have the map making down to a science by now).

I'd like to play Diplomacy though. It's been years since I have - this is the second game I've run here, but I'm obviously not participating as a player in either.

When I started the first thread, Weremensh offered to run it for me so I could play. Maybe he'd be willing to do so now if you ask him.

[Salamander]

I could always run the next game. Not like I have any other games to run.

[caffeine]

I could always run the next game. Not like I have any other games to run.

That would be spiffing of you; but at the moment it only looks like me and Skitzo are interested in playing; so it might have to wait. Oh well.

[Kea]

This thread belongs in Guided RPG, so off it goes. Wheee!

[Mr. President]

Psh...

Diplomacy is for nerds.

Viva Italia!