Only stab when it will be devastating. Otherwise you're just being a tool.

I'm sure Austria was pleased you chose to end the game and take the win before he was destroyed.

So no, your stab was the only way to stab. Well done. He needs to get over it.

No.

*Looks at game in question*

DAMN.

That was a beautiful stab.

not as stupid as italy in this game:
http://phpdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=6729

Wow. That Italy is unbelievable. It's stunts like that that ruin everyone else's plans.

does everyone else feel that they have BEEN stabbed much more then HAVE stabbed...is it just paranoia

Nope. I'm a stabber, not usually a stabee. Rather apt, don't you think? :)

But seriously, I never like to leave the option open.

I am always paranoid. >.> <.<

Play to win. If that means the occasional stab so be it.
That said, I always feel bad when I stab. But strangely I feel no resentment when someone stabs me - its part of the game. Always count on your opponent to play their best move, not your best move.

Often the game reaches the point where you can't win even if you stab, but have a pretty strong position nevertheless. I hate those because then you've got to marry yourself to the player in the lead just so the waste of a game ends quicker. Stabbing then is just a dick move.

By the I am playing one game at the moment where I am England and I had an alliance with Germany - I stabbed. In another game I am Germany and had an alliance with England - I was stabbed. The moral of the story, an England/Germany alliance has some excellent advantages but in the end England will stab Germany.

Oh, and never be a jerk about your stabs.

Actually, just never be a jerk. People will always respond better to conciliatory talk than silence or jerky behaviour. Even if they've just been horribly ravaged by you.

That is unless the attuned Germany sees it coming and successfully atacke first.

I always apologize to my stabbees because I feel bad. D:

I am probably going to retire after a devastatingly short career because I'm just too bloody honest for this game.

I understand stabbing is part of it, and there's nothing within the game that makes it wrong. There are right and wrong ways to go about it, IMO.

I'm not sure how I feel about this "don't be a jerk" stuff. Just doesn't sit quite right with me...

The hard thing about stabbing is people hold grudges... I'm playing a few games with the same people in it (unintentional) and if I stab em in the back they won't trust me in any of the other games!

I don't have that problem. I think it goes back to the "don't be a jerk" deal. I have one game where I have a very good ally with one country and we are at war in another game.

The good players never hold grudges. You should always negotiate with the stabber and you should be willing to stop fighting should a greater threat arise.

Not at all, your stab was competely justified. Its diplomacy, this the breaking of alliances is expected. I only get annoyed when its really unjustified

Stabbing is part of the game. Whether or not it is justified is in the eye of the beholder. I have heard people say newbs will either not stab at all or will stab for small gains. Some people say they find the latter annoying. I think it is silly to be annoyed because another player made a bad move. We can't all be the Gary Kasparov of Diplomacy (or Edi Birsan for that matter), and we shouldn't expect other players to make the moves that we would have made in the same position. The best we can do is play our own game and make the best move as we see it. Getting annoyed with other players for issues such as a stabbing is poor sportsmanship - accept that stabbing is part of the game. Everyone stabs, everyone gets stabbed.
In a recent game I where I was playing Turkey I made a deal with Russia to ally early on. We exchanged a lot of ideas and I was pretty sure the deal was solid. But it was all a set-up - he stabbed me almost immediately. Was I disappointed - a little. Was I annoyed with him - not in the slightest. Was the stab justified - he thought so. Was it a good move - no because it didn't work. He didn't take any supply centres and was the first player taken out of the game, but that's diplomacy.

... Russia didn't take any of *my supply centres.

you only took 4 centres from him? cmon...

What I found out for now, is that often people stab because they lack a strategic vision of the game: they see an easy gain for the coming turn, they stab, and then they are totally unable to keep their gain and - contrarily - get in crisis, while keeping on with the allied would allow them to prosper, in the long term.

This is not to advocate for non-stabbing, but just for stabbing-with-a-purpose.

oh man! that was nice - not only did you get the win- the 5 SCs he got that turn would have given HIM the win! That might possibly be the best stab ever!

First thing I was taught when I started playing Diplomacy was that you cannot win this game without stabbing someone.
And I've come to realize that is mostly true.

So go and stab ;)

I've actually won ONE game without a single stab (not counting some non-truths said before the spring '01 moves). It wasn't on this site, but it was still pretty sweet. On average, I probably stab about once per game

A good stab is done with class. Gilded blade is prefered. It works best if done on the left side of your enemy about 6th intercostal space close to the midline, but not so close as to scratch the bone. A clean quick upward thrust is used. Twist for extra affect.

what...death by macerated spleen ?!...I'd aim for the 3rd IC space and straight in!!