THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Fun Stuff => CHATTER => Topic started by: Slick on 13 Apr 2009, 06:04
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So, ages ago we played phpDiplomacy (http://phpdiplomacy.net/) here, which is basically diplomacy implemented for your web browser. I thought it was a lot of fun. I was wondering if anyone was interested in playing again?
Instructions on the game are here (http://phpdiplomacy.net/intro.php) if you are unfamiliar. You can pick it up quick and mostly you just need to know that diplomacy is the important part of the game. Think Risk but replace the dice with machiavellian alliances. Also no giant rolling armies of fifty soldiers. I think it is a lot of fun.
All you need to do is commit to placing your orders once every 24 hours. Some people like faster games but I can't really commit to more than once a day with exams on right now personally. If you kids are interested I will start a game. Or if you kids want to rebel against me and start your own game, that would certainly be in the spirit of the game.
P.S. guys read the rules they aren't that long to read
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Oops, I joined a few matches a couple of weeks ago and forgot about them.
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I do that from time to time before realizing joining a match usually puts you in an awful position.
I have created a game (http://phpdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=10060). Password is 'dicks'. Join away.
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I am in this.
Let shitdickery commence!
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I'm getting in on this.
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(there's a version of this on facebook, they're supposedly fully integrated as well).
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dickHands has joined in the diplomacy!
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Let the backstabbing commence!
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Needs one more player before I can conquer Europe! I had never played before when this first came up but I picked it up quick so do not worry too much about that, just as long as you feel like you can commit to actually playing and not bailing on the game.
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Bluh, might as well.
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excellent
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Wait, why is a game called Diplomacy played using tanks and warships?
Well I guess if it was played using guys with briefcases and ambiguously worded statements the game wouldn't go anywhere fast. "Your Guy With A Briefcase has entered into trade negotiations with another Guy With A Briefcase. In three days you will have an Ambiguously Worded Statement that you can use to gain control 0.37% of a foreign Supply Centre, but in return you will have to give up 0.28% of all productivity from domestic Supply Centre over a period of three years."
Yeah that would be a pretty frustrating game, actually.
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It's because you need to use diplomacy to get other players onto your side. There's really no way to make significant gains in the game without neighboring countries helping you.
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Is it too late to get in on this?
If not, I'd like to!
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So, the first game has started but you can still start another game. If there are not enough people to populate your game I would happily join but I think it is not so fun to be in more than one game with the same people at the same time.
Just create a game, put a password on it, and post a link here.
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I hold the opinion that games like diplomacy don't work as well online because there is a lot more pressure when you are talking to someone, in person, on the other side of the table, making a deal. We played at the store and I ruled at the game. Basically, I made an alliance with one person that was public knowledge, but then I made a secret alliance with another player to stab my open alliance in the back, while I had a second secret alliance with my open alliance that I would be stabbing my first secret alliance in the back. It was fucking awesome.
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See the online version is not the real-life version, because the social dynamic clearly plays a very important role in the game. However, I think the online version is still very interesting and relies on slightly different methods. Each player has a private channel of communication with each other player that no one else knows about, which I think is handy, because when playing in one sitting with a bunch of real people it is impossible/difficult to conceal who you are talking to.
I would argue that if you can not win online as well as offline then you are not actually that great of a player.
(in case you missed it, that last bit was a challenge)
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Guys. Turn roll-over in ten minutes.
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Most of our diplomacy games ended up with one alliance destroying the other players and us going "its 5am, lets just quit."
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I am pleasantly amazed that this game is still around. We're talking about 30 years since I played in anonymous games . We negotiated and gave orders by postcard and received the results of each move by weekly newsletter. It took about two weeks per move, so it wasn't unusual to have a half dozen games going at any time.
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Hi MrMonk! Welcome to this subforum. How were these games organized? And what country was this taking place in?
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Man, I think I missed that one? It was fun back in the day, I think I'll do it again.
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I've never done this, but it sounds like tremendous fun. I'll host a noob game if anyone is interested in that? That way we all look like fools blundering our way through together, and we all know that makes for good times.
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I'll join that, apparently I missed this thread before.
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Alright, here (http://board.php?gameID=10180&join=on&gamepass=516058892c429d785368c5ed0e527fb9) is the link for the beginner game I created.
Password: ponydebates
Looks like we have 24 hours to gather players before it starts. Come on people!
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That link won't load for me.
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Shoot I didn't mean to join but I fixed the link then tested it and now I am in the game.
click this link and you will join the game
http://phpdiplomacy.net/board.php/?gameID=10180&join=on&gamepass=516058892c429d785368c5ed0e527fb9
you have to manually put the 'phpdiplomacy.net' in there.
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Uh, I'm apparently in this game now! Ok.
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If you click the link you will join automatically.
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oh, whoops. well, i might do better at this one.
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Ah, ok. Thanks james (slick).
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Hey so even though I have not posted here in like a month I have decided to join this game.
I bet no one remembers me considering no one knew me in the first place!
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I'm in the n00b game. I played a few games back when the first QC Diplomacy stuff was happening, but not a whole lot after that. I have never survived a game with more than 3 supply centers. So I count as a n00b I guess.
...fuck, I'm Austria. God damn it.
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Oh. Well, uh.... thanks a ton guys who sacrificed their joining to get that link to work. I didn't know how it worked, I just copied the link they gave me.
So... how does this all start? Do we just make some moves, and then see how things go? Or does the backstabbing and subterfuge come in from the very beginning?
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Aww man, TURKEY?
BLoo bloo bloooo.
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Guys don't whine about your starting powers, it is in how you play the game and work with your opponents.
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Judging by my past QC-related Diplomacy performances I think I will give this a miss. There is only so many times I can get my ass kicked before I get bored.
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Forgive a beginner question, but... how exactly are territories captured? I just moved into an unoccupied territory, but all I have is a small colored box around my unit. Does this mean I have in fact captured it? Do I need to hold for another turn? Or can I just move away and have the territory become mine next turn?
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You need to hold it for another turn.
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If it is NOT a supply centre the colour changes automatically to yours and you've captured it. If it IS a supply centre, you get that little box around it. The reason is you only capture a supply centre if you hold it after the Autumn phase when the building happens, so if you move onto it in Autumn you will take it, in Spring you will have to hold it.
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I'm just going to post this a little late, but if you want to play, please familiarize yourself with the rules. This isn't an internet flash game with an in-game tutorial, it is just an internet implementation of a board game that has been around since back when people used to use the postal service. The rules are not very lengthy to read through.
I do not want to discourage people from playing, but if you do not know how to play it will not be very fun and you will just be gobbled up by a neighbouring power fairly quickly. So read the rules or you will be sad!
Rules link 1 (http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Diplomacy/Rules)
Rules link 2 (http://phpdiplomacy.net/intro.php)
If there are still people not in a game who would like to be in a game, go ahead and make one. I would make one for you but I do not want to be in every game, so just make one and post the link here.
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Hi MrMonk! Welcome to this subforum. How were these games organized? And what country was this taking place in?
The games were hosted by the fellow that ran the newsletter. My games were in "Claw and Fang". I think it was based in Sacramento, CA, although there were other newsletters that I had heard about. There was a small entry fee for each game to cover costs. IIRC, countries were assigned randomly, with players taken from the top of a waiting list. All players were in the 48 states, maybe Canada, too. I don't think overseas mail traveled quickly enough for the game schedule.
I would play here, but I can't keep to the schedule.
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So what was this newsletter? Was it only a bunch of Diplomacy games or was it a newsletter on other things that happened to feature diplomacy?
edit: I totally found your old games! They are online here (http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/clawfang.htm).
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Amazing! (the stuff that people will keep). Most of my moves, and all of my endgames, are missing from the archive. I actually remember some of the names: Mike Hudec, Eva Lydick (the only woman in the C&F games), Sheldon Kahan, Ed Karlinski. I've also effectively dated myself.
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It is OK Paul is all kinds of old and everyone loves him.
I am kind of jealous of a time when someone would have to be that dedicated to print and mail out a little newsletter about a game regularly. I guess there are people dedicated to coding and debugging phpdiplomacy, but that seems much less romantic.
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(Nevermind Zombiedude came back)
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Man, I suck at world conquest.
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Man you left again
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For the record, when you leave, it takes the full 24 hours for each phase to end. And then when you come back, it keeps you from going into civil disorder, which would allow the game to progress as quickly as the players can all make their moves.
In civil disorder, people can also take your place and attempt to smack the rest of us down.
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I think its pretty clear I suck at the game. oh well
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Which is weird because I usually kick ass whenever I play Risk.
(it involves a bit of luck, I know)
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See that is mistake number one: assuming Risk ideas hold here. They don't. This game is all about support positioning, not big rolling armies of thousands. Also it is about diplomacy and alliances. You can not try and go this game alone based on your 'tactical aptitude', because two of your neighbours will work together against you and then there is nothing you can do.
It is just a different game, but it is totally worth learning if you don't mind putting in a little bit of time and effort to learn it.
Also, if you do not intend to play, the rest of us would appreciate it at this point if you would finalize your orders. The turn advances every 24 hours or whenever everyone has finalized orders. By ignoring the game and not pressing that 'finalize' button, you're holding it up for everyone else. This online version has a nice feature where, after so many turns of not doing anything, you go into 'civil disorder' as Patrick was trying to explain, meaning the computer just stops waiting for you. But, if you log back on, the computer thinks you're going to play again and then we wait the full 24 hour cycle again. So, by ignoring the game and then coming back three days later and still not doing anything you are actually utilizing the optimal strategy for inconveniencing everyone else.
You've pretty much lost this game at this point, but if we do another I encourage you to read the rules and join up (assuming you can commit to checking in orders) because it is a very fun game, which is more satisfying than Risk for me.
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I read the rules, I noticed it was very different from risk. It did not stop me from sucking though.
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So I'm guessing Germany won?
Anyone feel like starting up another game?
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I think I will have to jump in on this next time you guys do a game
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I am also in for a next game.
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Someone else make this and I will happily join.
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I am a junkie.
Click link to join game.
www.phpdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=10732&join=on&gamepass=da43c2e0bb1f724e650535165731ecac
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Hellll yes.
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Am I in?
Oh, I am in.
How about that.
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DOES EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THE RULES?
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They seem pretty simple.
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OK.
FOR REFERENCE, SOME PEOPLE TRIED TO MOVE ARMIES 'BY CONVOY' LAST TIME WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T OF. CONVOYING ONLY WORKS IF THE APPROPRIATE FLEETS HAVE BEEN TOLD "CONVOY FROM <HERE> TO <THERE>.
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I predict Thomas Edison will replace me as the crummiest player.
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I predict you're right.
In so many ways.
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ackblom12 (75) as England (): 3 supply centers
Edison (75) as France (): 3 supply centers
Civil Disorder Italy (0) as Italy, in civil disorder: 3 supply centers
jgcrawfo (83) as Germany (): 3 supply centers
Dazed (75) as Austria (): 3 supply centers
Simon Bolivar (25) as Turkey (): 3 supply centers
SirJuggles (75) as Russia (): 4 supply centers
Chip Chip Cheerio
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I'm France?
Does that mean I can surrender now?
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ba dum chhh
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I'm France?
Does that mean I can surrender now?
Wrong war.
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NO ONE SURRENDERS IN THE CUPCAKE WAR!!!
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Game on. The German Torte will reign supreme!
(also if anyone wants to join Italy is still open just click the link)
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ach
what is the password? I want to join.
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Probably 'dicks', 'dick', or some variant thereof. Does the link not work anymore?
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And once again, I am Italy.
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Gahahahaha sucks to be you. Italy and Austria are positioned in possibly two of the worst places to defend or attack from on the map. You are constantly at a two- or three-front war.
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Germany is also pretty shit, but I think all countries have a roughly equal chance of victory. The game is called diplomacy for a reason.
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If the game wasn't winnable from every starting position there wouldn't be much point in it. However, some of the countries are more forgiving for beginners. See: France, Russia.
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I can't decide if England seems better or worse for beginners, but goddamn if this doesn't seem like a game for total bastards and England is definitely that!
Now pardon me while i have some tea.
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I'd actually have to say Germany seems like the best starting position, at least in terms of quick growth. You're pretty much guaranteed one/both of holland/belgium and probably denmark aswell.
Also, with the game requiring at least one or two allies to win its pretty much guaranteed only 1 (at a push 2) people are going to attack you anyway.
The worst to me is England. You have no guaranteed territories to pick up and you have to convoy armies anywhere on mainland Europe.
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I am now involved in 3 seperate games. You goddamn pushers.
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I actually don't like Germany that much, you've got to make alliances fast to get anywhere. I'd much rather in a safer spot with a back to a wall.
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I think our present game is just about done now, is anyone interested in another game starting soon? I am a junkie.
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I'll go again I suppose, 3rd times the charm perhaps.
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Everybody knows by now that I'm a dirty bastard? Just checking.
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Game is here (http://nevermind), password is dicksdicks.
(or click here (http://yeahreallynevermind))
See below
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I'll join once Russia finalizes our old game and you win, I don't have the points to get in right now.
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My bad, I'll make a cheaper one.
Click to join (http://)
edit: game closed
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Go time in 79 minutes. I'm going to trash the link after the game starts this time because having someone join in turn two was a little unfair to some people's turn one moves last time.
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Is anyone interested in playing a live game of diplomacy this Saturday? We can set the turn phases to be as brief as we like, say, fifteen or twenty minutes, and sit down and play the game as if we were actually playing the game. There is a pause feature so if the games not resolved in an hour or two (or if someone has to go) we could pause it for a later date. What else are you going to be doing on a saturday morning anyways?
ADVANTAGES OF PLAYING DIPLOMACY LIVE ONLINE INSTEAD OF LIVE LIKE ALIVE:
-You don't need to get dressed
-You can do other things meanwhile (I intend to clean my kitchen and room)
-This involves little alteration to what I assume your early Saturdays are like anyways
Reply here and if we've got critical mass I'll set it up Saturday. Or another day if you guys feel like. I am EST/EDT time zone.
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I'd need to go to work at about 18:30 GMT so it depends what time you'd be starting and how long it'd last.
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I'd probably reckon on starting around 10 or 11 in the morning, trying to push the game through in under two hours. Two hours is a long time for a saturday evening, but not a long time if you are sitting around and scratching your balls on a saturday morning.
Are you on daylight savings there or no? I am -4 right now because of daylight savings. It is 11:41 by my reckoning as I post this message.
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I have really been wanting to do this for a while. Perhaps we should all agree on one standard time zone to use for planning though? GMT seems the logical choice. I mean, I'm on US Pacific time and quite frankly all this monkeying with numbers gives me headaches.
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I have no idea, I will probably be asleep anyway so nevermind.
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It is BST (or GMT +1) here right now, so that would mean starting at 3 or 4pm for middle-of-the-world forumites