Messages - vDiplomacy

Chat archive

23 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Peaceful Pete): First, you can probably best learn how to play Diplomacy by following this link: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+play+diplomacy However, the basics are here: You will be given a certain number (either 3 or 4) of fleets and armies. Each will start on a black dot (called "supply centers") If, at the end of each year (which lasts two turns - the first turn is the Spring, the second turn is the Fall), you have taken over an extra SC, you'll build an army or fleet of your choice (again, on a SC). To take it over, you have to be standing there on a fall turn. If someone takes over your SC, you'll have to decide which army/fleet to destroy. Each army and fleet is exactly equal to every other army/fleet. So in a one-on-one battle, neither army wins - both stay where they started. The trick is to support the a/f moving into the country. Now, this is where it gets difficult - you have to convince others to help you in to that country if you have any chance of winning. I'll let you ask questions re: logistics during the game. The explanation is far more complex than the actual game. If you move two a/f's into the same space, you'll bounce yourself out and both armies will stay where they started. If, however, you win a 2 on 1 battle, the loser has to retreat to an adjacent space. If there is no adjacent space, he is killed.
23 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Peaceful Pete): There are other game mechanisms you'll become familiar with (conveying an army across water happens, but not often). The main thing to know is that you need to talk to everyone. Let me explain. The more you talk and get people to talk, the more you learn. You learn who is lying to you. You get information you can trade with a third country. You form alliances. You break alliances. The game ends when the remaining players decide to call it done. To do that, owners of over 1/2 of the SCs on the board have to decide on a truce. Generally, in a 7 player game, you have 2-3 winners. But you can decide to call it a day with 7 winners. We'll play 4 turns (2 years) to get a feel for it. Decide if you want to play (or if you have time) and we'll start a real game shortly after.
23 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Peaceful Pete): When the countries have been assigned, I'll let you know the basic relationships (who knows who) in the game. 3 of you play Fantasy Baseball with me and 3 of you are in Ibad with me. 2 of you are married. Etc.
23 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Peaceful Pete): Especially for this first game, please feel free to ask questions of me, John, or Slaughter. I promise to give you my absolute best advice and I think they will, too. Nobody wants to beat up a cripple.
23 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: (SlawDawg77): I hope everyone knows Peaceful Pete is an oxymoron.
23 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: (SlawDawg77): For my serious note, Ryan introduced me to this game last year. As my time working as a contractor, I've had lots of down time at work and have really gotten into this game and played a lot of games. Usually I lose or just survive, but I have gotten a win and draw now and again. It can be a lot of fun, but you have to always be prepared to get backstabbed.
23 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: (JR): Sounds like fun. I look forward to it.
24 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: OK. Relationships: Italy, Austria, France, and I all play in the same fantasy baseball league. Germany, England, Russia, and I are all in Pakistan workin' for the man. Germany and Russia are married. Germany, Italy, Austria, and I are all pretty competitive board game players. Feel free to ask questions of Italy, Austria, or Turkey. Finally, regardless of which country you are, try and talk to everyone. Knowledge is power. This isn't a war game as much as a diplomatic game. Convince people that you have the same goals and you'll win. This is a spring turn. If you get a new SC on this turn, it means nothing. You have to hold it during a fall turn.
24 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: Oh, and look at the tabs above this box. Click on a country and start a private conversation with that person. But be careful - sometimes you will see people accidentally post on the main board. Other times, you will see people "accidentally" post on the main board.
24 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: I am France! I have never won a war, but I have good wine and cheese. Message me if you would like to take over the world.
24 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: OK. I sent my best advice to everyone who hasn't played before. Also, I'm going to kill Austria. He thinks he's so big.
24 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: I'm want invade France. I hear he has good cheese and wine and has never won a war.
24 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: Oh - the actual play. Once you've decided on what you want to do, there's a drop down menu under the map. Click on "Save" if you think you like yr moves and "Ready" if you are ready to submit. You can always change them. The game moves on when all 7 people hit "Submit" or when 24 hours is up, whichever is sooner.
24 Apr 14 UTC	Spring, 1901: You can see by the color of the check marks next to the person's name below what their status is. Right now, Russia has a black check, which means he has hit "save" but not "ready." I have a green one, which indicates that I have hit "ready."
25 Apr 14 UTC	Autumn, 1901: So, you should be able to see a couple of things: Germany is being cautious, trying to see who is going where. Russia and Turkey seem to have an anti-Austria pact. Austria and Italy seem to be working together (and France better watch Marseilles). No SC you've won this turn is actually yours, though. This was the Spring turn. You have to hold that SC on the Fall turn. Look at France/Italy. France can move back into Marseilles. If Pie moves into Marseilles, France will bounce back into Spain and Italy will bounce back into Pie. At the end of that turn, France picks up Spain. However, maybe Italy is just feinting. In that case, if France moves into Marseilles and Italy doesn't move, France moves into Marseilles and holds nothing. Oh, and look at Russia in Rumania. He has a fleet there. Now, ships can't go to territories that aren't coastal - which means that army cannot move any deeper into Austria's territory from there. So Russia will probably move from Galacia into either Vienna or Budapest, depending on how he thinks Austria will move.
25 Apr 14 UTC	Autumn, 1901: And Britian seems to be eyeing Norway, a classic opening move. He left his army in his west coast, so he probably plans to leave that army to protect his home turf rather than convoy onto the continent.
26 Apr 14 UTC	Autumn, 1901: So, everyone except Austria picked up a new SC or more. We now have 24 hours to build however many new armies/fleets you have. You can only build in unoccupied SCs that you own. Right now that's going to be in your home country, but later it will be all over the board. It looks like everyone is getting the mechanics down. The only issue I see is Russia tried to move from Galicia into Rumania. Also, now that most of the "free" SCs are taken (except for Tunis and Spain), you really need to start figuring out what you can take and from whom.
26 Apr 14 UTC	Autumn, 1901: If this were a real game, you'd have to start figuring out long-term plans. It's almost always a good idea to team up against the person next to you - like Russia, Italy, and I are doing to Austria.
26 Apr 14 UTC	Autumn, 1901: And to further Ryan's point, figure out who can help you take what you want and/or help protect you from others. This is where alliances start to really take shape as you plan where to expand, how you want to do it and who can help.
26 Apr 14 UTC	Autumn, 1901: And it usually helps to talk to potential allies about how you might divide conquered nation's SC's or a quid pro quo situation ( you help me against Austria and I'll help you now or later against Turkey).