# SDMB Diplomacy Commentary **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 6, 2009, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057 "2009-07-06T08:48:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/1 "2009-07-06T08:48:20Z")
This thread is for commentary on the latest [SDMB Diplomacy](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=523397) game discussing the moves and strategy of the players. ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/2 "2009-07-06T18:21:41Z")
And the game is afoot. I don’t think it will be too long before we see those players with experience coming to the fore against those who are newer. Does anyone know which of the players has previous experience playing and which are relatively new to the game? ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/3 "2009-07-06T21:12:00Z")
**Omniscient, Malacandra, John DiFool, and treis** have all played in numerous SD Dip games. I have played in, I think, 2, and got my keister handed to me. That, and 2 IRL games are the extent of my Dip Experience. I cannot speak for any of the others. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/4 "2009-07-06T21:28:17Z")
If by “numerous” you mean “one, maybe two” then yes - I only remember one. But I used to play a fair bit FTF back in the 1970s and 80s. Open press will make a difference, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/5 "2009-07-06T21:50:57Z")
My apologies. I could have sworn you were in both of the games I played. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/6 "2009-07-06T23:10:04Z")
> [@Tristan](#): > > My apologies. I could have sworn you were in both of the games I played. You may be right - I have vague memories of being stitched up as England, and rather clearer ones of something similar as Italy; I think that’s the limit here though. (One other online game in recent years, but not on the Dope.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/7 "2009-07-07T01:07:45Z")
I’ve never played, here; commented on some yes. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/8 "2009-07-07T08:47:03Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Open press will make a difference, of course. A _huge_ difference - I can’t imagine how one would even start diploming (sp?) without the ability to say the same thing to two different people… ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/9 "2009-07-07T09:01:06Z")
Well they are doing a good job so far at being diplomatic. I think 1901 is going to be fairly calm, with a bit of jockeying for position, but I think 1902 when countries start butting heads after their first build is where the real diplomacy is going to start. Open press is not going to be stabbing someone in the back, as much as stabbing someone in the front while everyone else looks on approvingly. It also makes for good reading. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/10 "2009-07-07T17:26:41Z")
> [@Tristan](#): > > **Omniscient, Malacandra, John DiFool, and treis** have all played in numerous SD Dip games. I have played in, I think, 2, and got my keister handed to me. > > That, and 2 IRL games are the extent of my Dip Experience. > > I cannot speak for any of the others. I’ve only played in the three SDMB games. First one was a less than stellar showing as Turkey. Got tripled by France, Germany, and Russia in my second one. I almost saved that with a brilliant (if I may say so) tactical stab against Germany. I chickened out at the last second, but the GM accidentally posted my first set of moves. Thus I tipped my hand to Germany but didn’t get the benefit of the stab. Third game I did pretty well as Austria but ended up losing due to a boneheaded Germany. This should be interesting I guess. Open press heavily advantages the countries with tactical strength, i.e. Turkey and England. The biggest problem when playing those countries is that you don’t know if Austria/Russia and France/Germany have united against you. If you do know they have allied and you know their allies moves just as well as they do then it is going to be much easier to defend. I think the winner is going to be whomever guesses right in tactics, which isn’t really the spirit of Diplomacy. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/11 "2009-07-07T18:44:15Z")
Russia doesn’t seem to be worried about the apparent cooperation between France and England. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/12 "2009-07-07T21:00:03Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Russia doesn’t seem to be worried about the apparent cooperation between France and England. Something I’ve noticed as well… ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/13 "2009-07-08T21:42:43Z")
Should I be concerned by the deafening silence in the Dip thread? ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/14 "2009-07-09T00:10:41Z")
No, don’t worry about it. 🙂 I decided that it might be best to keep my peace until I saw how the first season’s moves turned out. It’s entirely possible, perhaps even likely, that others have chosen to do the same. Open press is new to me, so actions will probably speak a great deal louder than words for divining the intentions of the other powers. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/15 "2009-07-09T01:02:12Z")
In closed press there would a lot more to say. I decided to throw out some real negotiation anyway (because I thought keeping my mouth shut over the issue I raised might be more dangerous than bringing it up), but yeah things will pick up after the spring moves… ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/16 "2009-07-11T14:11:10Z")
As it turns out, I have plenty of other things besides French-English cooperation to worry about. Wow, **Malacandra** , an all-out attack on Russia in 1901? You’ve got guts, I have to give you that. ---
**Author:** ![Rack-a-Bones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rack-a-Bones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rack-a-Bones)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/17 "2009-07-11T17:57:58Z")
Can someone explain what the heck this is all about? Or link to an explanation thread. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/18 "2009-07-11T18:08:44Z")
[Here ya go](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplomacy_(game)). ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/19 "2009-07-11T18:09:25Z")
Here is a [good read](http://www.diplom.org/~diparch/god.htm)for understanding Diplomacy. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057/20 "2009-07-13T15:07:39Z")
Thoughts… Russia: Two front wars don’t work. I foresee insurmountable problems in your future. England: Exactly the opening I expected, but it was spoiled in a serious way by France and Russia. You’d better hope France isn’t blowing contrition smoke and Russia collapses from behind. France: Sealion? Seriously? Hell, it might work. Maybe. Germany: The French army in Burgundy is a concern, but the pressure on England should aide in your strong beginning. Italy: You lost your chance at a Lepanto with the move to TUS. Your best bet is to screw around like a crazy fox. Austria: I don’t think the opening moves could have gone better for you. Turkey: I bow to your balls of nickel-plated steel. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-diplomacy-commentary/502057.md?page=2)