Messages - vDiplomacy

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04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Valis2501): I normally abhor variants, but I saw the list of characters that are already here and I couldn't resist. Plus this one actually looks interesting!
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Captainmeme): "I normally abhor variants" Then why are you in 2 Blind Dip games? :D
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Valis2501): Maybe they contribute to my stance... Nah JK. But not really. If you recall as well I only offered myself as an alternate after the first one.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Captainmeme): Yeah, I remember. I'm kind of glad you tried both - I have a feeling the people who only tried gunboat are going to be put off the variant forever. There's just too little information to do anything.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Valis2501): But I mean this is barely Dip. I could sell this as a new abstract board game and except for the odd only building every other turn no one would think Diplomacy really. More like Cosmic Encounter than anything.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Valis2501): Well I won't talk about the GB one for fear of a banhammer, but for the FP it's not particularly fun or interesting so if you think the GB one is going to be even worse...
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Valis2501): Of course a non-trivial part of that may be the lack of interface. I'm a spoiled youngin' who never had to Play By Text-based-communication.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Valis2501): But it's not just the blind stuff. I've played one Anc Med and one America and disliked both. Basically the two things that makes classic Dip great isn't necessarily the mechanics (although they too are amazeballs); it's the elegant and masterfully designed map and the ability to double/triple/quadruple bluff based on both the community's and players' assumptions, conventions, and knowledge. The 1st is rarely solved and on the onus of the designer. Even Allan B. Calhamer went through many years of design and play-testing to get the one we know today. And he was a really smart guy who valued ludology over history. The 2nd could theoretically be solved, especially if it was a well-designed map, for a variant but rarely is and why should it when classic is so good. my two cents.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Valis2501): Sometimes even in FP WTA Classic, it can feel like the person who got attacked by their neighbors the least wins. But in FP that's only a little bit arbitrary theoretically and you can at least try to change it. In GB, it's still not completely random and not completely powerless to change, but that feeling is a lot more so. In blind, even FP, it's yet even more so another distance as FP is to GB. Also, I had a player threaten (at this point promise) to NMR because he didn't like what I said to him. I assume NMRs won't be publicly shamed like a normal game or even Play By Email game would, which is extra unfortunate when nothing is on the line.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Valis2501): Also I'm sleep deprived and still in lab waiting on experiments so if you want to ask me something it looks like now is a good chance to get a piece of my minds...sorry about that.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Captainmeme): Well, that's not great to hear :( I played Blind Dip once as Germany, and I found it really interesting trying to figure out where everyone else's units were and trying to find a good risk/reward balance with how many SCs I covered and how safe I was generally playing. Unfortunately our GM disappeared halfway through that one, and since the GM was the only person who knew who all the players were, and all our orders had been sent via PM and so most of them drowned, I never found out what had actually happened in that game. I was doing fairly well though. Regarding NMRs - If someone does decide to NMR, it won't be publicly shamed at the time, but I'll be posting all the maps on imgur and linking to it in a forum thread after the game finishes, so the NMR will be public knowledge then. I sincerely hope nobody does NMR - I've been GMing on a Wait-For-Orders system to stop that happening.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (A_Tin_Can): Ok, we need two more. Feel free to invite whoever you like.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (A_Tin_Can): Capt: Doesn't the rulebook say CD after two NMRs?
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: (Valis2501): Well "blind" throws a wrench in that sure they can CD, but CD and NMR both are normally known and/or announced. Of course maybe it's just a consequence of the variant that you don't get to know. I mean, for the record, it was Austria who threatened to NMR if that helps decide whether to WFO. I explained that I can't prove I supported him and had my support cut because we were playing Blind Dip. He then told me he that wasn't acceptable. I pointed out that's just literally how the game works and then he said effectively "GG Germany gets to solo, hope you have fun. I'm NMR from now on". Could be a bluff. I wouldn't really get to know.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: I was born to win this game
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: Hey everyone, support me into everything. Thanks in advance.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: DMZ PIE?
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: shit didn't mean to post that here haha just ignore that.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: Sure thing, Italy. I just ask for your home centres in return.
04 Feb 15 UTC	Spring, 1901: AFK for about an hour or so.

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