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Forwarding e-mails - pedros   (Mar 20, 2011, 6:28 am)
Hi. I'm playing my first game on the site, and was very surprised to be told that there is a strong antipathy (if no more) to players forwarding messages in a game to third parties.

I've never met this before, and would like to know more about it - how strong the feeling is, and what are the reasons? Is there an existing discussion about the subject somewhere?

Many thanks,

Pete (Pedros\0

[Reply]

Forwarding e-mails (Community) Godzilla Mar 20, 08:34 am
There is a wide range of responses to this tactic, and you are correct that some players deplore this tactic -- myself included.

My reasons are thus: like PBM Diplomacy before it, online Diplomacy is an adaptation of ftf Diplomacy. The board game was designed to be played in person. As such, all negotiations are verbal. There is no opportunity to forward a message. Someone can TELL you that Austria is scheming like mad against you, but you have nothing more than their say-so. Ignoring the possibility of faked messages, being able to actually forward another player's email changes the whole dynamic of negotiating, and not for the better, IMO. Some people regard forwarding emails to be the tactic of a weaker player.

Forwarding emails is not without its risks. Some players get extremely upset with this tactic, and will immediately turn against any player caught forwarding their mail. A player caught forwarding email also risks becoming known for this tactic, which will make it far less likely for other players to discuss sensitive topics with them, a real liability in Diplomacy. If you play consistently with the same group of players, it could become fatal to acquire the reputation as someone who will forward emails.

To be fair there are players who do not have a problem with the ethics of forwarding email, although I believe them to be in the minority. Perhaps others can weigh in on this as well.
Forwarding e-mails (Community) fencertim Mar 20, 10:31 am
I personally dislike the tactic. I have ben forwarded several e-mails through various games and on different diplomacy sites. Godzilla is corret, i am very less likely to discuss sensitive information with a person who forwards letters as it stands to reason that my letters are being forwarded as well. In an effort to put at ease the person i am in disscussions with i inform them up from that 'any and all information being discussed here will be held in the highest confidience and your diligience to do the same is appriciated.' This sometimes discourages someone from using this tactic.

As for the effectiveness, with me it has very little positive influence for the forwarder(?). It is too easy to forward a letter and change key words or province names...to fit the desired or intended outcome.
Forwarding e-mails (Community) DancingQueen Mar 22, 03:32 pm
As a long time F2F player, I have never understood the problem that the email community has with forwarding email. I have always taken it just as I would someone telling me what another player is saying. The tangible artifact of the email is so easily edited that it is almost valueless.

Which, IMO, makes it a particularly poor tactic when used against good players, who will recognize it for what it is -- an attempt to gain influence that isn't based on the merit of the speaker, but on the (supposed) bad behavior of someone else.
Forwarding e-mails (Community) Godzilla Mar 23, 06:17 am
It is certainly true that emails can be heavily edited before forwarding. I've been in the Diplomacy community long enough that I used to play by mail (gasp!), and it is perhaps from that forum that my aversion to mail-passing stems. Because in that format, of course, a letter passed on, in one's own handwriting, was extremely damning.
Forwarding e-mails (Community) pedros Mar 23, 06:33 am
My query wasn't really about whether it's good or bad play - like most tactics, it seems to me to be bext used sparingly - but the impression I was given was that it was close to illegal on the site.
Forwarding e-mails (Community) Godzilla Mar 23, 09:15 am
pedro, you asked about the strong feelings associated with message-passing, and you got the answer, "It varies". Some players hate it, and some are indifferent to the tactic.

As for it being "close to illegal", that is somewhat like being "kind of pregnant": it's a case of either/or. There are very few forbiddens in Diplomacy -- deception of the GM being pretty much universal -- and in all my games I've never come across one in which message-passing was outlawed. Players can react to the message-forwarding as they choose, but there is no legal recourse within the game for such action.
Forwarding e-mails (Community) Blueraider0 Mar 23, 11:03 am
I think comparing "almost illegal" to "almost pregnant" is a little silly. Nevertheless, some players consider it near heresy. I do it rarely, but I'll do it in particularly dire circumstances. I've even been known to falsify e-mails from "others" to make my point. Anything for the game, you know.

Some players oppose the tactic so much they don't care what the e-mail says, they will immediately go after you for being so disreputable. I had one player call me "insulting to the hobby," which seemed a bit harsh. So there are risks, but that's always true. The tactic, however, is not (and really cannot be) forbidden.

I'll add if people forward me an e-mail from someone else, I generally disapprove. Not because I'm a hypocrite, but because it isn't for something ridiculous enough. It is, for me, a last ditch effort. Forwarding e-mails to prove a 1901 FE alliance seems a little unnecessary, and while I won't insult the player or throw my forces haphazarly against them for revenge, I will doubt their cunning and probably consider them easy meat for the rest of the game.
Forwarding e-mails (Community) Godzilla Mar 23, 12:23 pm
Silly comparison? Not really. Now the expression "kind of pregnant" is silly, but I didn't make it up. However, nothing wrong with the analogy. One cannot be "kind of pregnant" -- one is or one isn't. In Diplomacy, something cannot be "almost illegal" -- either you can do it without breaking rules, or you cannot do it without breaking rules. For all the strong feelings against message-passing, have never seen a game in which it was illegal.
Forwarding e-mails (Community) rodtheworm Mar 24, 05:22 pm
I see what you mean here. I've done it in the past, and in my early games I thought I was being clever by doctoring or even faking entire emails from other players - this was on some of the USAK/other name stlye judges where you were unlikely to play the same people again and thus gain a reputation.

I stopped forwarding messages when I realised that if I forwarded something to someone, they would more than likely assume I was doing the same with their mails. I think that was in my first game on this site. Since then I've been clean. Clearly you are going to pass on information occasionally, but being trustworthy with information is a much better reputation to have than the opposite.
Forwarding e-mails (Community) FlapJack Mar 26, 02:42 am
My take on forward emails is this: I don't do it but as far as I am concerned when it comes to diplomacy between players all is fair in love and war. I try not deal with players that letter pass but I don't think you can write anyone out of the hobby over it.

The only thing I consider cheating is having to do more with the GM or the results rather than among the players.l
Forwarding e-mails (Community) FuzzyLogic Mar 23, 12:13 pm
We have no community rule on this, not even a "best practices" sort of thing... So as far as any dc game goes, it's perfectly legal.

However, GMs can write their own house rules on the matter. I do know of one GM that does so and prohibits the forwarding of mail.

Like you say here tho, (and like most tactics) it is best used when it's not expected. So building a reputation for such is terrible... but if you have a situation where you can do something creative w a forwarded, quoted, or doctored mail, and you think it will be received well or accomplish your goal, then by all means...
Forwarding e-mails (Community) sgttodd Mar 31, 10:02 am
No GM needs to regulate the use of valid game tactics that do not interfere with the management of the game. Any GM that does should immediately be placed in The Order of the Pansy.

How the hell does a GM enforce that anyway? How does he know the whistle blower isn't lying himself and the whole thing's not a hoax?
WB - 2 spots open! - FuzzyLogic   (Mar 15, 2011, 2:11 pm)
If anyone is interested in playing in round 2 of the WB we have two spots open - contact me for more info.

[Reply]

I need articles for DW - FlapJack   (Mar 13, 2011, 4:53 pm)
Hi Guys,

I'm the variant editor for Diplomacy World and our deadline for the next issue is April 1. I'm basically soliciting any and all articles that you would like to do.

They don't have to be about variants, although that would be fine if they are, they just have to be Diplomacy related. You can write to me at jwmchughjr(at)gmail.com or the editor of DW, Doug Kent at dougrey30(at)yahoo.com

Thanks for your help and attention.

Jack

[Reply]

Gotta change my real name on here! - archimedes   (Mar 04, 2011, 11:20 am)
you have a new real name?
archimedes

[Reply]

Gotta change my real name on here! - FuzzyLogic   (Mar 03, 2011, 12:58 pm)
Hi, You're all set...
Welcome!
-mike

I'd like to change my name on here (my real name, not my account name.)
I can't find a way to do that in my account--any tips?

[Reply]

Gotta change my real name on here! (Community) archimedes Mar 04, 11:20 am
you have a new real name?
archimedes
Gotta change my real name on here! - Ghostface   (Mar 03, 2011, 12:56 pm)
I'd like to change my name on here (my real name, not my account name.)

I can't find a way to do that in my account--any tips?

[Reply]

Gotta change my real name on here! (Community) FuzzyLogic Mar 03, 12:58 pm
Hi, You're all set...
Welcome!
-mike

I'd like to change my name on here (my real name, not my account name.)
I can't find a way to do that in my account--any tips?

Gotta change my real name on here! (Community) archimedes Mar 04, 11:20 am
you have a new real name?
archimedes
DC349 1st Strike Needs New Germany - Sean2010   (Feb 12, 2011, 6:03 pm)
DC349 1st Strike is in need of a replacement for Germany.

Germany stands at 4 centers in Impassable Civil Disorder, a House Rule assimulated from the 2-player WW1 scenario aimed to dually minimize civil disorder imbalance and prevent delays from causing disruption.

France is already dually narrowed to 1 center and in passable Civil Disorder. In my opinion, Germany is one of the powers that possesses the game's progression's balance of power.

I can be contacted sean_o_donnell hotmail.com or please sign up.

[Reply]

Next GM? - FuzzyLogic   (Feb 07, 2011, 12:10 pm)
With the Winter Blitz in full swing most of our regulars are busy with that - so who wants to run the next regular old standard game?

[Reply]

Temple Con this weekend - Blueraider0   (Feb 06, 2011, 12:18 pm)
Hey hey - if anyone wants to give me a bit of an update on how TempleCON went, that be great. I write for the DipWorld blog.

E-mail me at blueraider0(at)gmail.com While official tourney reports are nice, commentary from other players is more interesting and gives me some flexibility in what to write.

-Maslow

[Reply]

Temple Con this weekend - Corrino   (Jan 31, 2011, 7:44 pm)
Talk about your short notice!

This Friday to Sunday (Feb 4-6) is Temnple Con in Providence (really Warwick) R.I.

This is the first stop of four on the Nor'Easter leg of the NADF tournament schedule. DC's own Dirk Knemeyer will be there representing. I, myself, am pretty much retired from face-to-face competition, but I'll be there at some point to say "Hi!", second-guess my betters, and quaff refreshing malt beverages.

If you're in the neighborhood and any of that sounds like fun to you, reply to this post or send me an email.

Chris
aka Corrino

p.s. There is other stuff going on, of course, and my teens and I always have a good time. Check out the site at www.templecon.org if you want to see what else is happening.

[Reply]

Temple Con this weekend (Community) Blueraider0 Feb 06, 12:18 pm
Hey hey - if anyone wants to give me a bit of an update on how TempleCON went, that be great. I write for the DipWorld blog.

E-mail me at blueraider0(at)gmail.com While official tourney reports are nice, commentary from other players is more interesting and gives me some flexibility in what to write.

-Maslow
WB 3 days left! - FuzzyLogic   (Dec 30, 2010, 11:45 am)
Only 3 days left to enter the WB - get in quick!

[Reply]

DC 333, France needed - alwayshunted   (Dec 29, 2010, 5:41 pm)
A tough spot... maybe a job for the light brigade.

[Reply]

DC 347, replacement england needed - alwayshunted   (Dec 29, 2010, 3:07 pm)
Hi folks. England has gone AWOL in 347. The position is salvageable for a good diplomat.... have a look, and e-mail me if interested:

alwayshunted(at)hotmail.com

Warren

[Reply]

DC348 Major delay - trezdk   (Dec 27, 2010, 7:42 am)
I found an old backup of the orders up to Spring 1902, so the game is back. Need my mind on something else.

[Reply]

DC348 Major delay - trezdk   (Dec 26, 2010, 4:52 pm)
Hey all players of DC348 and of course the rest of you all.

I just got home from Christmas to find that my flat has been broken in to. So the laptop where the game was on is gone and so was all mails send from before Christmas.

So until further notice DC348 is on hold, will continue the game after new year, but the retreat/build that was due Monday is pushed until then.

[Reply]

DC348 Major delay (Community) trezdk Dec 27, 07:42 am
I found an old backup of the orders up to Spring 1902, so the game is back. Need my mind on something else.
Diplomaticcorp Newsletter - Dec 2011! - FuzzyLogic   (Dec 17, 2010, 12:13 pm)
Diplomaticcorp Newsletter #352 – December 2010


 






Welcome to what is surely NOT the 352nd installment of the Diplomaticcorp Newsletter. However 352 does have significance to us because that is precisely the number of games that have run in our friendly little community. What an achievement! And what makes that even more interesting is that 89 of those games have been active in 2010. The earliest such game was Steve’s CivDip game created on a new landscape with several unexpected twists… And the most recent, dc352, is a standard game being run by newbie GM “TrustMe” – as if that isn’t the best Dip name ever.


In the meantime many others have come and gone, including some long games (Haven, 575 days) short games (1936, 67 days), 53 standards, and 36 variants.  Several new games were played for the first time, including Charles’ 1648 and 1936, Ben’s Balkans 1860, Nick’s World War II, Matt’s Arctic Dip, and Jerry’s Babylon 5 – just to name a few.


What is most astounding about the growth in games is the amount of change that has occurred during that same time and most specifically since last August! First and foremost…


Diplomaticcorp got a makeover!


Thanks to a lot of work by Mike Sims (one of your fearless Moderators) and Fredrik Blom (player, WB GM, tech-wizard and now Jr Moderator himself) DC has a wonderful new look and some kick-(at)#$ new features. Further thanks for the overhaul go to our design experts who all gave invaluable input – Garry Bledsoe, Dirk Knemeyer, Jorge Saralegui, Gerald Todd, Benjamin Hester, and Jason Koelewyn. I urge everyone who has not visited recently to go give the site a browse.  The site is now custom-tailored to each member once you sign in with a quick links to your games, active forum topics, etc. You will also notice that the Forum section is easier to wade through so feel free to post… go on – don’t be scared! There are even subscription options to deliver Diplomacy content right to your inbox without having to visit the site… E.g. if you can’t visit the site at work or school, but still want to know when new games are announced – subscribe to the Open Games forum!  Just like the old Yahoo days, opt for every mail, or a daily or weekly digest.  Set your subscriptions in your Profile:  www.diplomaticcorp.com/profile.php


I am also pleased to announce that our community officially welcomes Fredrik Blom to our service ranks.  He joins our team of Garry, Jason, and myself to share the responsibilities related to the site. Believe me, it takes a lot of love of the game and effort to keep our community alive. Please rely on ANY of us for anything you need.


A side note – notice that I used the word community, not site - we at DC are a community.  That is how so much gets accomplished. We have tireless GM’s who VOLUNTEER their time to run games so that others can play. Please allow me to give special thanks to the 2010 Winter Blitz GM’s who did an amazing job: Christine, Adam, John., Darryl, Alan, Michael (Vegas baby!), Fredrik, Cory, and Sam. Imagine committing to approximately 6 months of twice a week adjudications while trying to still play games, run other games AND balance life?!  Enough cannot be said about their commitment to bringing you the WB 2010.


Winter Blitz!


Congratulations to Chris Morse for winning the Winter Blitz 2010!


Did you know that Chris won last year’s Blitz without a single solo victory?  Yep, it was back-to-back 2-way draws that did it for him, propelling him ahead of Joe, Nigel, and Nick with their solo victories to take the Championship.  A nail-biter to the end, dc311 ran 148 days (incredible for a Blitz game) and held the tournament winner at its disposal the whole time – until Ray, Dan and Dirk finally agreed to their marathon 3-way draw.  Joe took the Best Round 1 on tiebreaks for his solo victory in dc297 and Nigs racked up his 4th lifetime Winter Blitz solo squarely taking the Best Round 2.


Speaking of the WB… Wow! It’s already December again, and the WB 2011 is open to join!


Last year the tournament was the most successful ever - for those who did not know, we had 63, yes 63 players for an amazing 9 boards and this year we’ve got nearly that many preregistered already.  Our little tournament is routinely featured on Wikipedia as one of the premier online tournaments.  So come on out and play!  Get in two full rounds of action-packed Diplomacy – starting in January and complete by June.


The big news this year is that the Winter Blitz has a sponsor!  Thoughthammer.com has graciously offered to match our prizes with an additional 50% contribution, making this year’s prize fund a whopping $300!  For those who don’t know, Thoughthammer is only THE best place to buy board games on the web – offering a huge selection, great prices and free shipping when you spend $100.  We’ve relied on them for the last 3 WBs.  Take a look – and be sure to mention you heard about them thru Diplomaticcorp and the Winter Blitz!


Registration for the WB closes Jan 2, 2011.  www.diplomaticcorp.com/winterblitz


DC Invitational!


While we’re on the subject of tournaments, the 5th annual DC Invitational (DCI) began in August.  The DCI is a tournament that was created to be a playoff of sorts pitting the best against the best. See how 2010’s DCI roster was filled (as well as a history of the Invitational) on the DCI wiki page, www.dipwiki.com?title=DC_Invitational.  This year featured invitation criteria such as the Best Survivor and most active in the Light Brigade (taking on replacement games) and featured several of our dc regulars.  Dc340 is currently favoring the underdogs, with Dirk, John, and Michael leading the pack at 9 centers, while the stalwarts Kevin, Mikael, Adam, Joe, Chris, and myself search for creative ways to stay alive.  Now 5 years in, not a single player out of 9 has been eliminated!


Congratulations to Adam Martin-Schwarze for winning last year’s DC Invitational!


Dc274 (www.diplomaticcorp.com?game=dc274) was an incredible game and I encourage all players to view the history of it, and to strive to someday play in the grand event.  The End-Game Statements are posted and tell some amazing stories. Most notable is Adam’s – he was basically a 3-center power until 1910! His perseverance shows what Champions are made of and why a game is never over until it’s over, regardless of how dire things look. One other note: you know how Adam qualified for the tournament? He was the pick for “Most Promising New GM”.


Thank you to everyone who is active in our community and has a hand in making it better. Adam is proof that simply being a GM can make you a Champion. Feel free to GM a game if you want – we are always in search of new GMs, and doing so will take your play to the next level. The players won’t bite and neither will we.  It is daunting at first but we have several new players who have stepped up and are taking on those GM roles everyday (including some who signed up to help with WB!). We are working on a Guide that can help newbies and are always willing to provide help when players or GM’s need it.  To GM a game, drop one of us a note any time.


Even if you don’t want to GM, jump in! Play a game!  Four awesome variants are currently open to join:


* Charles’ famed 1936 and 1648 games involving Dip-Points


* An 8-player game of Ben’s South American Supremacy


* My very own Haven world featuring 19 mythical civilizations.


Or if you can’t play, post in the Forum, send us an email, let us know how we can keep improving the community. We only get better through mutual discussion and ideation (yes, and even healthy debate). Thanks to all who have stepped up and done so! 


Don’t worry…it’s just a game and we are all just humble volunteers trying to play the game we love!


All the best and cheers,


-mike


Order of the Rose


www.diplomaticcorp.com


 

[Reply]

Diplomaticcorp Newsletter - Dec 2011! (Community) FuzzyLogic Dec 17, 12:13 pm
Diplomaticcorp Newsletter #352 – December 2010


 






Welcome to what is surely NOT the 352nd installment of the Diplomaticcorp Newsletter. However 352 does have significance to us because that is precisely the number of games that have run in our friendly little community. What an achievement! And what makes that even more interesting is that 89 of those games have been active in 2010. The earliest such game was Steve’s CivDip game created on a new landscape with several unexpected twists… And the most recent, dc352, is a standard game being run by newbie GM “TrustMe” – as if that isn’t the best Dip name ever.


In the meantime many others have come and gone, including some long games (Haven, 575 days) short games (1936, 67 days), 53 standards, and 36 variants.  Several new games were played for the first time, including Charles’ 1648 and 1936, Ben’s Balkans 1860, Nick’s World War II, Matt’s Arctic Dip, and Jerry’s Babylon 5 – just to name a few.


What is most astounding about the growth in games is the amount of change that has occurred during that same time and most specifically since last August! First and foremost…


Diplomaticcorp got a makeover!


Thanks to a lot of work by Mike Sims (one of your fearless Moderators) and Fredrik Blom (player, WB GM, tech-wizard and now Jr Moderator himself) DC has a wonderful new look and some kick-(at)#$ new features. Further thanks for the overhaul go to our design experts who all gave invaluable input – Garry Bledsoe, Dirk Knemeyer, Jorge Saralegui, Gerald Todd, Benjamin Hester, and Jason Koelewyn. I urge everyone who has not visited recently to go give the site a browse.  The site is now custom-tailored to each member once you sign in with a quick links to your games, active forum topics, etc. You will also notice that the Forum section is easier to wade through so feel free to post… go on – don’t be scared! There are even subscription options to deliver Diplomacy content right to your inbox without having to visit the site… E.g. if you can’t visit the site at work or school, but still want to know when new games are announced – subscribe to the Open Games forum!  Just like the old Yahoo days, opt for every mail, or a daily or weekly digest.  Set your subscriptions in your Profile:  www.diplomaticcorp.com/profile.php


I am also pleased to announce that our community officially welcomes Fredrik Blom to our service ranks.  He joins our team of Garry, Jason, and myself to share the responsibilities related to the site. Believe me, it takes a lot of love of the game and effort to keep our community alive. Please rely on ANY of us for anything you need.


A side note – notice that I used the word community, not site - we at DC are a community.  That is how so much gets accomplished. We have tireless GM’s who VOLUNTEER their time to run games so that others can play. Please allow me to give special thanks to the 2010 Winter Blitz GM’s who did an amazing job: Christine, Adam, John., Darryl, Alan, Michael (Vegas baby!), Fredrik, Cory, and Sam. Imagine committing to approximately 6 months of twice a week adjudications while trying to still play games, run other games AND balance life?!  Enough cannot be said about their commitment to bringing you the WB 2010.


Winter Blitz!


Congratulations to Chris Morse for winning the Winter Blitz 2010!


Did you know that Chris won last year’s Blitz without a single solo victory?  Yep, it was back-to-back 2-way draws that did it for him, propelling him ahead of Joe, Nigel, and Nick with their solo victories to take the Championship.  A nail-biter to the end, dc311 ran 148 days (incredible for a Blitz game) and held the tournament winner at its disposal the whole time – until Ray, Dan and Dirk finally agreed to their marathon 3-way draw.  Joe took the Best Round 1 on tiebreaks for his solo victory in dc297 and Nigs racked up his 4th lifetime Winter Blitz solo squarely taking the Best Round 2.


Speaking of the WB… Wow! It’s already December again, and the WB 2011 is open to join!


Last year the tournament was the most successful ever - for those who did not know, we had 63, yes 63 players for an amazing 9 boards and this year we’ve got nearly that many preregistered already.  Our little tournament is routinely featured on Wikipedia as one of the premier online tournaments.  So come on out and play!  Get in two full rounds of action-packed Diplomacy – starting in January and complete by June.


The big news this year is that the Winter Blitz has a sponsor!  Thoughthammer.com has graciously offered to match our prizes with an additional 50% contribution, making this year’s prize fund a whopping $300!  For those who don’t know, Thoughthammer is only THE best place to buy board games on the web – offering a huge selection, great prices and free shipping when you spend $100.  We’ve relied on them for the last 3 WBs.  Take a look – and be sure to mention you heard about them thru Diplomaticcorp and the Winter Blitz!


Registration for the WB closes Jan 2, 2011.  www.diplomaticcorp.com/winterblitz


DC Invitational!


While we’re on the subject of tournaments, the 5th annual DC Invitational (DCI) began in August.  The DCI is a tournament that was created to be a playoff of sorts pitting the best against the best. See how 2010’s DCI roster was filled (as well as a history of the Invitational) on the DCI wiki page, www.dipwiki.com?title=DC_Invitational.  This year featured invitation criteria such as the Best Survivor and most active in the Light Brigade (taking on replacement games) and featured several of our dc regulars.  Dc340 is currently favoring the underdogs, with Dirk, John, and Michael leading the pack at 9 centers, while the stalwarts Kevin, Mikael, Adam, Joe, Chris, and myself search for creative ways to stay alive.  Now 5 years in, not a single player out of 9 has been eliminated!


Congratulations to Adam Martin-Schwarze for winning last year’s DC Invitational!


Dc274 (www.diplomaticcorp.com?game=dc274) was an incredible game and I encourage all players to view the history of it, and to strive to someday play in the grand event.  The End-Game Statements are posted and tell some amazing stories. Most notable is Adam’s – he was basically a 3-center power until 1910! His perseverance shows what Champions are made of and why a game is never over until it’s over, regardless of how dire things look. One other note: you know how Adam qualified for the tournament? He was the pick for “Most Promising New GM”.


Thank you to everyone who is active in our community and has a hand in making it better. Adam is proof that simply being a GM can make you a Champion. Feel free to GM a game if you want – we are always in search of new GMs, and doing so will take your play to the next level. The players won’t bite and neither will we.  It is daunting at first but we have several new players who have stepped up and are taking on those GM roles everyday (including some who signed up to help with WB!). We are working on a Guide that can help newbies and are always willing to provide help when players or GM’s need it.  To GM a game, drop one of us a note any time.


Even if you don’t want to GM, jump in! Play a game!  Four awesome variants are currently open to join:


* Charles’ famed 1936 and 1648 games involving Dip-Points


* An 8-player game of Ben’s South American Supremacy


* My very own Haven world featuring 19 mythical civilizations.


Or if you can’t play, post in the Forum, send us an email, let us know how we can keep improving the community. We only get better through mutual discussion and ideation (yes, and even healthy debate). Thanks to all who have stepped up and done so! 


Don’t worry…it’s just a game and we are all just humble volunteers trying to play the game we love!


All the best and cheers,


-mike


Order of the Rose


www.diplomaticcorp.com


 
Diplomaticcorp Newsletter - Dec 2011! - FuzzyLogic   (Dec 17, 2010, 12:13 pm)
Diplomaticcorp Newsletter #352 – December 2010


 






Welcome to what is surely NOT the 352nd installment of the Diplomaticcorp Newsletter. However 352 does have significance to us because that is precisely the number of games that have run in our friendly little community. What an achievement! And what makes that even more interesting is that 89 of those games have been active in 2010. The earliest such game was Steve’s CivDip game created on a new landscape with several unexpected twists… And the most recent, dc352, is a standard game being run by newbie GM “TrustMe” – as if that isn’t the best Dip name ever.


In the meantime many others have come and gone, including some long games (Haven, 575 days) short games (1936, 67 days), 53 standards, and 36 variants.  Several new games were played for the first time, including Charles’ 1648 and 1936, Ben’s Balkans 1860, Nick’s World War II, Matt’s Arctic Dip, and Jerry’s Babylon 5 – just to name a few.


What is most astounding about the growth in games is the amount of change that has occurred during that same time and most specifically since last August! First and foremost…


Diplomaticcorp got a makeover!


Thanks to a lot of work by Mike Sims (one of your fearless Moderators) and Fredrik Blom (player, WB GM, tech-wizard and now Jr Moderator himself) DC has a wonderful new look and some kick-(at)#$ new features. Further thanks for the overhaul go to our design experts who all gave invaluable input – Garry Bledsoe, Dirk Knemeyer, Jorge Saralegui, Gerald Todd, Benjamin Hester, and Jason Koelewyn. I urge everyone who has not visited recently to go give the site a browse.  The site is now custom-tailored to each member once you sign in with a quick links to your games, active forum topics, etc. You will also notice that the Forum section is easier to wade through so feel free to post… go on – don’t be scared! There are even subscription options to deliver Diplomacy content right to your inbox without having to visit the site… E.g. if you can’t visit the site at work or school, but still want to know when new games are announced – subscribe to the Open Games forum!  Just like the old Yahoo days, opt for every mail, or a daily or weekly digest.  Set your subscriptions in your Profile:  www.diplomaticcorp.com/profile.php


I am also pleased to announce that our community officially welcomes Fredrik Blom to our service ranks.  He joins our team of Garry, Jason, and myself to share the responsibilities related to the site. Believe me, it takes a lot of love of the game and effort to keep our community alive. Please rely on ANY of us for anything you need.


A side note – notice that I used the word community, not site - we at DC are a community.  That is how so much gets accomplished. We have tireless GM’s who VOLUNTEER their time to run games so that others can play. Please allow me to give special thanks to the 2010 Winter Blitz GM’s who did an amazing job: Christine, Adam, John., Darryl, Alan, Michael (Vegas baby!), Fredrik, Cory, and Sam. Imagine committing to approximately 6 months of twice a week adjudications while trying to still play games, run other games AND balance life?!  Enough cannot be said about their commitment to bringing you the WB 2010.


Winter Blitz!


Congratulations to Chris Morse for winning the Winter Blitz 2010!


Did you know that Chris won last year’s Blitz without a single solo victory?  Yep, it was back-to-back 2-way draws that did it for him, propelling him ahead of Joe, Nigel, and Nick with their solo victories to take the Championship.  A nail-biter to the end, dc311 ran 148 days (incredible for a Blitz game) and held the tournament winner at its disposal the whole time – until Ray, Dan and Dirk finally agreed to their marathon 3-way draw.  Joe took the Best Round 1 on tiebreaks for his solo victory in dc297 and Nigs racked up his 4th lifetime Winter Blitz solo squarely taking the Best Round 2.


Speaking of the WB… Wow! It’s already December again, and the WB 2011 is open to join!


Last year the tournament was the most successful ever - for those who did not know, we had 63, yes 63 players for an amazing 9 boards and this year we’ve got nearly that many preregistered already.  Our little tournament is routinely featured on Wikipedia as one of the premier online tournaments.  So come on out and play!  Get in two full rounds of action-packed Diplomacy – starting in January and complete by June.


The big news this year is that the Winter Blitz has a sponsor!  Thoughthammer.com has graciously offered to match our prizes with an additional 50% contribution, making this year’s prize fund a whopping $300!  For those who don’t know, Thoughthammer is only THE best place to buy board games on the web – offering a huge selection, great prices and free shipping when you spend $100.  We’ve relied on them for the last 3 WBs.  Take a look – and be sure to mention you heard about them thru Diplomaticcorp and the Winter Blitz!


Registration for the WB closes Jan 2, 2011.  www.diplomaticcorp.com/winterblitz


DC Invitational!


While we’re on the subject of tournaments, the 5th annual DC Invitational (DCI) began in August.  The DCI is a tournament that was created to be a playoff of sorts pitting the best against the best. See how 2010’s DCI roster was filled (as well as a history of the Invitational) on the DCI wiki page, www.dipwiki.com?title=DC_Invitational.  This year featured invitation criteria such as the Best Survivor and most active in the Light Brigade (taking on replacement games) and featured several of our dc regulars.  Dc340 is currently favoring the underdogs, with Dirk, John, and Michael leading the pack at 9 centers, while the stalwarts Kevin, Mikael, Adam, Joe, Chris, and myself search for creative ways to stay alive.  Now 5 years in, not a single player out of 9 has been eliminated!


Congratulations to Adam Martin-Schwarze for winning last year’s DC Invitational!


Dc274 (www.diplomaticcorp.com?game=dc274) was an incredible game and I encourage all players to view the history of it, and to strive to someday play in the grand event.  The End-Game Statements are posted and tell some amazing stories. Most notable is Adam’s – he was basically a 3-center power until 1910! His perseverance shows what Champions are made of and why a game is never over until it’s over, regardless of how dire things look. One other note: you know how Adam qualified for the tournament? He was the pick for “Most Promising New GM”.


Thank you to everyone who is active in our community and has a hand in making it better. Adam is proof that simply being a GM can make you a Champion. Feel free to GM a game if you want – we are always in search of new GMs, and doing so will take your play to the next level. The players won’t bite and neither will we.  It is daunting at first but we have several new players who have stepped up and are taking on those GM roles everyday (including some who signed up to help with WB!). We are working on a Guide that can help newbies and are always willing to provide help when players or GM’s need it.  To GM a game, drop one of us a note any time.


Even if you don’t want to GM, jump in! Play a game!  Four awesome variants are currently open to join:


* Charles’ famed 1936 and 1648 games involving Dip-Points


* An 8-player game of Ben’s South American Supremacy


* My very own Haven world featuring 19 mythical civilizations.


Or if you can’t play, post in the Forum, send us an email, let us know how we can keep improving the community. We only get better through mutual discussion and ideation (yes, and even healthy debate). Thanks to all who have stepped up and done so! 


Don’t worry…it’s just a game and we are all just humble volunteers trying to play the game we love!


All the best and cheers,


-mike


Order of the Rose


www.diplomaticcorp.com


 

[Reply]

Next GM? - stendaswargames   (Dec 16, 2010, 2:03 am)
I'm keen, standard games, house rules.

[Reply]

Diplomacy World Cup - FuzzyLogic   (Dec 14, 2010, 8:06 am)
Anyone here want to take these? Surely someone from dc could teach the world a thing or two about Diplomacy!

[Reply]

Next GM? - FuzzyLogic   (Dec 13, 2010, 2:44 pm)
Who wants to take the next regular game to GM?

[Reply]

Next GM? (Community) stendaswargames Dec 16, 02:03 am
I'm keen, standard games, house rules.
Next GM? (Community) FuzzyLogic Feb 07, 12:10 pm
With the Winter Blitz in full swing most of our regulars are busy with that - so who wants to run the next regular old standard game?
Recruiting a Turkey - AceRimmer   (Dec 13, 2010, 1:43 pm)
Position filled. Thank you, Matt Kelly!

[Reply]

Recruiting a Turkey - AceRimmer   (Dec 13, 2010, 10:16 am)
Game DC 341 needs a turkey... er, a *replacement* Turkey.

The position has 3 centers heading into Spring 1906, but it will take a persuasive player to rescue it (something to do with Russians in Ankara and Armenia). Personally, I like positions like this, as there's no pressure, but there's always an outside hope for glory.

Please contact me at smegdwarf-at-yahoo.com if you'd like to take it over. Please include "DC 341" in your subject line.

Thank you in advance!

[Reply]

Recruiting a Turkey (Community) AceRimmer Dec 13, 01:43 pm
Position filled. Thank you, Matt Kelly!
Diplomacy World Cup - stendaswargames   (Dec 10, 2010, 7:15 am)
USA Central and USA West need replacement players in the Diplomacy World Cup being played at http://www.stabbeurfou.org/ If interested drop me a line at dlove(at)roedeanschool.co.za

[Reply]

Diplomacy World Cup (Community) FuzzyLogic Dec 14, 08:06 am
Anyone here want to take these? Surely someone from dc could teach the world a thing or two about Diplomacy!
Eternal Sunshine #47 Released - diplomacyworld   (Nov 30, 2010, 4:03 pm)
Eternal Sunshine #47, the December 2010 Issue, has now been released. Inside you'll find:

A new Diplomacy gamestart
Openings in Cline 9-Man and Everybody Plays Dip
An interview with 3 Penny Acre's Bernice Hembree
Columns from Jack McHugh and Richard Walkerdine
Letters
Movie Reviews
and much more!

Check it out at http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/ where you can find both the html and pdf versions.

Direct links are:

http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/es47.pdf for the pdf version

or

http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/dw/eshtml47.htm for the html version

Let me know what you think!

[Reply]

For GMs: Invalid order - Support Question - FuzzyLogic   (Nov 19, 2010, 12:05 pm)


So, perhaps, I should restate the issue at hand as I see it:

When should a GM declare that a unit's order is unadjudicable and therefore defaults to 'Unit Holds'?



Ok, so what would your answer to the ? be?

The manual takes a stab at answering:

Any vague or invalid orders are ignored.

Isn't that pretty clear? Any order is enacted as written, unless it's either vague or invalid, in which case it's ignored.

A Lon-Bel. Vague? No. Invalid? No. So it is enacted as written. If a fleet is in ENG and it orders a convoy, the order may succeed. If not, it'll fail.

A Lon-Mun. Vague? No. Invalid? No. Impossible perhaps, but yet a properly written move order from one province to another which will certainly fail.

A Lon-Neptune. Vague? No. Invalid? Yes. (have no idea where Neptune is on this map). So it is ignored. Unordered unit is considered ordered to Hold.

A Lon-Nor. Vague? Yes. Nor could mean Norway or Norwegian Sea, so it is deemed vague and is ignored. Unordered unit is considered ordered to Hold.

(A GM may consider that one not vague if he considers that an army cannot go to the Norwegian Sea - but vagueness is purely whether it is vague to the GM)

F MAO-Spa. Vague? Yes. Could mean either coast, so ignored, Holds.

F Mar-Spa. Vague? No. Can only go to one coast, so it is not vague. Ordered appropriately.

A Lon-Bol. Vague? Certainly. Bul? Hol? Bel? Any of those would be a slight typo from a valid space, but there is no way to know the intent. Unit Holds.

A Lon-Bra. Vague? Tough one. There is no Bra on the map, but there is Bre, and that seems to make sense, but this would come down to GM interpretation if he considered this vague or not. Personally I think this should be a misorder, as Brest doesn't even contain an 'a' there's no reason to assume this is Bre.

[Reply]

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