O course 'talking' is also important in gunboats, but I'm not sure it still the #1 skill, specially compared to tactics, since much of the 'talking' and tactics are acutally the same thing.
In fact even in normal games, I'm not so sure tactics are so unimportant as it could be ndertood from some posts: because, yes, you need to talk but, about what? tactics (well and of course, strategy).
Actually I think the most important difference between gunboat and normal games is the difference between tactics and strategy.

Principians: Mmm, how so on the last point? Tactics and strategy are pretty critical in both. You mess up either in either variant, you can be screwed, in the short and long term respectively.

Also, don't get me wrong, there *is* also significant difference in the level of tactical options available to you in press games (even public press only makes a huge difference) because you can communicate in detail about options.

There's also a lot more scope for "talking your way out of trouble" in press than in gunboat, for sure. I don't mean to pretend at all that talking isn't more significant in press games. It absolutely is. :-)

I just object to the idea that the social aspect is unimportant in gunboat - for the same reason that I would object to the idea that the tactical/strategic aspects are unimportant in press.

Both are required for good play, in both variants. And I'm not sure one or the other aspect really dominates over the other, in either variant.

Has anybody considered the impact of time zones on amount of press? I imagine I'd be right in saying that the majority of this site's members are in the USA, or at least the western hemisphere, and the majority of members will work a 9-5 Monday-Friday shift pattern. If you are the only European playing six Americans, you're getting up just after they have gone to bed, getting home from work just after they have left for work etc etc. Doesn't leave much opportunity for press.

The gap in time between the last post here and mine proves my point.

Or Australian \o,

:-) Timezones would definitely have an impact on press and make it more difficult. Not impossible though, and if you play longer turn games it's a smaller effect.

Yeah, it does have an impact, but there's really just an 8 hour window that I'm not checking press. Plus, there are enough players from Europe to compensate.

Prince it seems you have mistaken a boardgame for a fridge.

"I'm not arguing that more messages doesnt not give you better results"
This probably isn't helpful, but did anyone else notice this? Typos and unintelligible text can also make your press less appealing and effective.

Nobody ain't not never kilt me cos of my gramer.

I like kilts.

Well maybe ghugy