In a comment a while back, MA proposed a Forvm game of Risk. I'm okay with that except I find playing Risk to be more like playing Old Maid rather than poker. Or perhaps I should say, after playing Diplomacy, playing Risk is like switching to near beer after drinking bourbon.
With the sharp wits in this group, I'd suggest a game of Diplomacy. Back in the day I was a mediocre e-mail player of Diplomacy but I would gladly run a game as Master.
I have run a number of games and do a decent job and I have the software to map the results and could post periodic diaries with updates. I might need some technical help posting a .gif file with map results, at least at first.
Anyone interested? Any experienced back-stabbers? We need seven plus me as moderator.
From Wikipedia:
In its catalog, Avalon Hill advertised Diplomacy as John F. Kennedy's and Henry Kissinger's favorite game. Dr. Kissinger described it as his favorite in an interview published in a games magazine. Walter Cronkite was also reported to be a fan of the game.
Game strategy (not a bad summary, IMHO):
Because numerical superiority is crucial to success, alliances are vital in Diplomacy. Each country is initially roughly equal in strength, so it is very difficult to gain territory except by attacking with the support of a neighbor. The excitement of the game is less in the tactics than in negotiation, coalition-building, and intrigue. Each player's social and interpersonal skills are at least as important to the game as the player's strategic abilities.Diplomacy commands a respect among aficionados of multiplayer games similar to the respect accorded to chess among two-player games. Most multiplayer games can't help but involve coalition-building to some degree, but only in Diplomacy is the negotiation so critical and so multi-faceted. The game can't be won by going it alone, except in a last mad dash of aggression from a strong position. In the mean time one makes compromises and promises to one's allies while spreading fear and misinformation among one's enemies. And the attacking of one's allies (or the "stab") has a central role in the culture of Diplomacy. A stab can be crucial to victory, but may have negative repercussions in interpersonal relations.
This link is a must for fans of the game and others may enjoy refreshing the screen and reading a series of Machiavellian quotations that appear randomly at the top of the page.
if we did this, moves could be due once per week to allow adequate time to negotiate and plot.
= = =
Oh, there are team tournaments as well We could advertise theforvm and forge web site unity at the same time. Seven of us could be a team playing against the world. And I mean the world.
I have met cool people on-line from Norway, Finland, Brazil and England and that is only in my games.
Private message ability
(#4258)would make Diplomacy way cool at theforvm.
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
hahahahahaha
(#4259)someone understands politics...
I did mean that as a compliment
(#4268)though I must say that between work and school, I would slow every one else down.
I was worried about that too
(#4273)What kind of timeline are we talking about for each negotiation period? I'd kind of like to play, but I'm hesitant to commit to a lot of communication in a short amount of time.
Moves due once per week
(#4277)as a possibility. Negotiations take time to mature.
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
That sounds doable
(#4284)But I'm not ready to sign up just yet -- will sleep on it.
Sounds tempting
(#4298)I haven't done any sort of gaming in ages.
Guard, protect and cherish your land, for there is no afterlife for a place that started out as Heaven.
If no one is interested in this
(#4260)anyone want to play me in chess? It could be a public game recorded in a diary. Time limits TBA.
My requirements? A gentleman's or ladies' agreement NOT to use chess computers or software. Books, etc . . . are okay but no computers, please.
If you cheat, shame but how will I ever know? ;-)
Anyway.
White - White
1. e4
= = =
Edit -- Me-thinks the peanut gallery might be a riot.
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
How about you vs. The Forvm?
(#4263)We could start a new diary for each move.
Heh! Maybe fun
(#4276)but I would lose. Although getting everyone else to agree on a move? That would be fun to watch.
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
Yeah
(#4283)You think people here get heated talking about politics? Just wait till we have to agree on a pawn structure.
This conversation makes me think of:
(#4288)http://drupal.org/project/chessboard
...
I haven't actually installed or tried it out... but sounds dangerous!
"A Haven of Sanity and Reasonable Manners in a General Atmosphere of Insult-Filled Invective"
ok we need to install that
(#4323)please!
I'll play you in chess
(#4264)but I need to get a board to set up the pieces. Don't want to break out my fancy set and have it just laying around, and I need to see the pieces. Gimme a couple days.
I'm down
(#4261)and i vote for private messaging as well.
If the forvm powers that be agree
(#4262)we could create 7 new accounts
France
England
Russia
Germany
Austria
Turkey
Italy
and I would assign them with me being the only person who knows who has which power. Anonymous negotiations are very very cool.
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
how
(#4267)would we play without a board? i assume we would go over the rules? never played it before
No board needed
(#4275)The map is posted as a .gif file or something similar and you print your own board after every move.
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
Lots of Online Diplomacy
(#4360)tools and resources, here: http://devel.diplom.org/DipPouch/
Mapping software, tactics, automated judges (which also handle messaging and mapping -- DPJudge is a popular one: http://www.floc.net/dpjudge/), it's all there. And it's all free.
The GM really oughta look into running this game through DPJudge. If he likes, I can put him in contact with an experienced GM who would probably be willing to help a newbie.
Manus Hand's DPJudge is first rate
(#4367)If there are seven here at forvm who can navigate DP Judge that would be an excellent choice. Quasi hand adjudication does help with newbies, IMHO.
Anyway, I've run DP Judge games myself and my personal claim to fame is a DP Judge game cat23_j2 where I solo-ed against some first rate players. It was anonymous and gunboat and I got in by a fluke.
A quickie casual game for those guys and yet a rookie (me!) snuck in and smoked 'em.
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
Good night - family duties call
(#4265)Bye until tomorrow
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
Check out...
(#4293)www.dipbounced.com
"In the very long run, we are all dead." -- John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes
I'm in for diplomacy
(#4312)Best game I've ever played
How about
(#4343)Colin McRae's World Championship Rally 3!!! :)
I had discovered a great secret. That everyone loves themselves more than they love anybody else. And if I wanted them to love me, I better be like THEM!... Ken Nordine
I'm onboard. -nt
(#4354)"Unfortunately the universe doesn't agree with me. We'll see which one of us is still standing when this is over." -- Eliezer Yudkowsky
I'm in
(#4356)nt
Diplomacy Game update
(#4370)Based on comments so far, I will review the DPJudge website (its been a few years) and set up a game for TheForvm.
I will attempt to set a password which I will post here so only readers of our little community can join the game. Details on how to sign up will follow, probably in a few days so there is no need to check this space hourly.
The DP Judge includes private anonymous messaging (players will see "message from France" or message from Russia" and so on) within that software so there will be no need to enable private messaging here, just for the game.
I will give advance warning and then the first seven to sign up at the DP Judge website will be able to play. Replacement positions will also be available if someone chooses to drop out.
Be warned, dropping out of a game is about the most uncool thing a Dip player can do, absent authentic good cause. Generous time limits can help that as well.
As I recall, even if I set up the game I will NOT know who the players are nor will I know who has which position. Therefore I can play game analyst here at TheForvm (no favoritism if I don't know who's who) and offer commentary so observers not part of the game can get a sense of how to play.
Fair enough? Everything is open to discussion, before we start.
Oh, if we only get five or six to sign up, we can always remove the password and draw in a few more from the Dip community to fill the table. But a Forvm member only game is my very strong first preference.
Finally, Model 62 has posted excellent links for those who wish to investigate further.
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
Sounds cool, count me in
(#4411)This place is my vacation.
I'm interested...
(#4413)...subject to date(s) and time(s).
I am not a pessimist. I am an incompetent optimist.
Diplomacy game update
(#4456)Right now I am reviewing the procedures needed to create a new game on the DP Judge.
Password protection for joining the game is very easy to do and unless I hear objection I shall make "Festoon" the password needed for a Forvm member to join the game.
Potential players will need to use that password to join, after I have created the game. You will also need to create a password of your own to keep your own files secure.
More later, this is merely a brief update.
Edit: Here is an FAQ on the DP Judge
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
As it happens
(#4514)I'm a semi-avid player of Diplomacy; mostly the '1900' variant. I'm well-versed in running games, and would be willing to run a DPJudge game for anyone interested. (And I'm not actually interested in playing at the moment, so if you are, Bill, I'd be happy to run things.)
Drop me an email at c[dot]p[dot]mcinerney[at]gmail[dot]com if interested.
A man must be orthodox upon most things, or he will never even have time to preach his own heresy.
Thanks!
(#4515)I've been writing a large update post and since I have already created the game under my DP Judge account I am not sure I can pass it off to you easily.
If there is greater interest than seven I may wish to play in a 2nd game that you can set up and run.
Long term (as in many, many months from now) if there is interest here, an "official" TheForvm team entry in a team tournament might be cool. At least some outreach for the website and an opportunity for comraderie.
To start I have selected a vanilla standard game, more as an experiment to see how it goes.
I have played "1900" myself once or twice and maybe three or four games of "Chaos" (34 players with 1 dot each). That was a hoot. Frustrating, but a hoot nonetheless.
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
Keep me in the loop.
(#4517)There are ways to hand off a game you've created - though it might be harder now that the game status files have been made 'idiot-proof'. Anyway, I'll be interested to see how the game plays out; I'd certainly like to sign up as an observer.
A man must be orthodox upon most things, or he will never even have time to preach his own heresy.
Is "observer"...
(#4524)...a status for which one can sign up?
Each time I've actually *played* Diplomacy, I've made at least one permanent enemy. So I suppose it's best for me just to watch - if that's possible.
.Divine Spinoza, forgive me. I have become a fool.
Yes
(#4527)you can register as observer although I will attempt to figure out how to post map updates in the comments to a single running diary.
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
One can indeed.
(#4572)And can do so, moreover, under any name one might like.
If Bill has made the game a private one, though, any observer will require the game's privacy word in order to sign up.
(And, hey, if you're playing Diplomacy, and you never give anyone a reason to call you a perfidious, spineless, ignorant son-of-a-goat, you're just not playing it right.)
A man must be orthodox upon most things, or he will never even have time to preach his own heresy.
Well, you'll kill me
(#4528)Only played one game but always wanted to play another. 1900 looks good but can I put in a vote for the simpler version? It's already a 7 player free for all, and weekly moves will take forever on a bigger map. Or we could do one game of each if we have the numbers.
I have chosen a standard game
(#4540)7 players, original map, no special rules, long deadlines
The proper balance between defense and welfare are the tectonic plates that lie beneath our political discourse.
No worries.
(#4573)One can't go wrong with the standard version. I think the 1900 variant is better - for all sorts of reasons that, if I were to articulate them, would mark me as even more of an irremediable dork than I already have by writing this much.
Ugh.
A man must be orthodox upon most things, or he will never even have time to preach his own heresy.
I'm sorry to have voted against this
(#4583)w/out having read the diary or the comments but I hate computer games.