By all means, anyone with an interesting article idea please feel free to pitch it. Also, if you want an upcoming event advertised, just let me know.

Popped open the link...don't have time to read, but very much intrigued.

Definitely will want to get more involved, sir.

I don't know if a dirty so-and-so edition would be appropriate for that zine. :)

More seriously though, I think we have a lot to offer. Some dedicated members could probably just go through our threads and there would be more than enough information for each country's tactics and strategies as well as overall game plan. I think SoW threads would be a good start.

Outstanding, great job guys!

Z -- Awwww.....douchebag though you may thin I am, you know I wouldn't seek vulgar publication in some on-line forum...er....I mean...uhhh....this is different.

That being said, there is something to be said about the *use* of personality in Diplomacy. There have actually been times where I have intentionally provoked a player into attacking me for the intended benefit of an ally. Diplomacy isn't always just about sweet talk and slick lies, etc as most (wrongly) believe. Provocation has it's place...and I assure you, am I a master at that...

I would enjoy an article on +1 whoring..
Zultar?

We're not going to share mod secrets, steephie.

They didn't mention all the fun mafia games we play. :(

krellin, if you're interested in helping, just shoot me a PM.

@Vashta

Feel free to write an article about the overlap between the games of Mafia and Diplomacy!

I'm kinda curious about the overlap. Is there one?

@VI: There is always overlap. ALWAYS!

@VI, Mafia shares a lot of the information gathering, dishonesty, and manipulation aspects of Diplomacy. You should play a game.

Mafia is Diplomacy without the map. I only play Diplomacy for the map.

The Velvet Glove is rather meta-game heavy in this issue. Aside from a debate over whether a lifetime ban or execution is the more suitable punishment for repeat offenders, I'm not sure what there is worth talking about.

Me thinks it's easier to criticize than to contribute. If you think you can do better or if you have more substantive points to make an article out of, please do. I am sure they would gladly look at it.

Very impressive!

Oct's point is noted, though; more varied content would prevent people from ditching a whole issue if they aren't interested in that particular theme.

You underestimate just how much effort I put in to criticizing, zultar :p.

If the Glovers want me to waffle on in some opinion piece about the game I'd be happy to, but I doubt Id be in demand. It'd be interesting to know more about the sort of thing they're looking for, though. In terms of size as much as content.

@VI - I actually got introduced to Diplomacy after GMing a mafia game. I told my friend who was playing how much I liked to deceive people and argue about how trustworthy I am. He told me about Diplomacy and put together a F2F for me. I was hooked and now here I am.

I actually thought the article by Trver Smart about Italy was pretty awesome. Italy is by far my toughest country to play and he had some real interesting insights about things.

I read the article, and find it quite generic. But I like to play Italy different most of the time

Excuse me, I read the other article on Italy. Retract

Yes. I was referring to the one about Italy going against France early as opposed to getting wrapped up in the East.

I also thought the Playdip stats on Solo's at the beginning of the article was neat. Curious how Webdip would compare

WebDips solo rate is way lower. The primary causes are due to
1) PlayDip's rating system heavily weighted to reward solos and penalize draws leading to a more aggressive mentality
2) PlayDip not having as good a system for preventing NMR's as WebDip (thanks to our pause/cancel option and heavy mod intervention) leading easier solos in low quality games where CDs and NMRs occur

"PlayDip not having as good a system for preventing NMR's as WebDip" Good lord? You mean it can get worse than it is here? lol Impossible...

Well, and webDip overall having more skilled players who are able to coordinate and stop the solo.

There's a site out there that has more NMRs than webdip? And they charge money?

People are complaining about NMR rates, but I really think the new reliability rating will make a difference in preventing poor play. I think that was a great idea

From my (admittedly limited) experience with PlayDip, I found that there were a lot more draws and less solos than here. The non-DIAS drawing system makes soloing incredibly difficult, since if you are ahead of your ally on the board and starting to dominate, the other powers can threaten to concede to a draw between you and your ally, in which case you have to accept or your ally will side with the others against you.

If there are more solos, I would attribute that to PlayDip's surrender button. I think that has much more of an impact than lack of pause/cancel, since on PlayDip that button makes it seem like ragequitting is fine - it almost seems encouraged, since a feature has been made specifically for it. I doubt the surrender button sees much use at a high level, but among newer players and lower quality games it is used a lot, and that makes solos much easier.

krellin: "Provocation has it's place...and I assure you, am I a master at that..."

So, you're a master baiter?

The amount of actual player unreliability is probably the same on both (actually, come to think of it people may actually bail more her) but here we've just got more fail safe's in place so the game doesn't get ruined as a result of it and people are generally less prone to wishing to take advantage of it presumably because of the previously mentioned heavy weight put on soling as opposed to drawing over there. The culture is generally more conservative and laid back here just because you can still do ok being a draw-type player.

And yes, the surrender option also probably bears some blame as well. Although to clarify, the philosophy was to allow a player to step away sooner so somebody could backfill without having to wait for the CD three rounds later when the position was far beyond repair.

Kuta , you should have played in the dirty so-n-so game.

ssorenn: I will play in the next dirty so-n-so game that starts after August 8th. I don't have time to keep up with press in a way that will do justice to the spirit of Diplomacy...

...you slant-eyed, knee-pad wearing, krellin-pleaser.

Me love you long time. Aug 8 it is.