Shouldn't being able to see if someone has been online at all in the past phase be enough of a warning towards unwanted NMRs? This change affects gameplay more than just for NMRs, some of us think that's a good thing, some of us think that's a bad thing. But almost all of us were Classicists in the other thread, so why not leave Diplomacy as close to the original game as possible?

In the original FtF game you know when a guy is not there to make his moves.

You also know when somebody talks to somebody, when somebody says he's ready to move on to the next phase, when somebody stops diplomating for the round (and presumably knows what his moves will be, even if he doesn't say aloud that he wants to move to next phase)

Geofram, you said yourself that it couldn't emulate the original!

The shattered lens was NMRing, Dunecat. If it means that you are too incompetent to avoid NMRing, I have little sympathy with your predicament.

Geofram, you really are massively over estimating the effect that this could possibly have. Look at the global chat box. People claimed that that was destined to destroy the game entirely, removing the possibility of telling lies. The fact is that the game still works.

@Ghostmaker: if you're Austria in a game and it looks like Russia and Turkey have both entered moves (but not finalised) without contacting you, won't you be suspicious of their intentions?

Compare that to the last version, where you would have had no idea. How will this affect the way you play?

Just a serious question. I seriously want to know.

I feel like I'm a bad person, but I've *always* paid attention to the last log in time for my opponents - it may be a hangover from FBphpdip (FBpd?) which is rife with NMRs/CDs. The grey check means I don't have to work out if someone has been in play since the turn ticked. It's information - in a game of incomplete information, anything is good

@ Dunecat: No, I'd probably think that they entered standard moves and are still open for negotiations, as evidenced by their not finalizing.

I would not think it very significant at all. I know my own habits include entering preliminary orders at least some of the time. In truth, I'd have expected them to have been talking to each other, and it would be awkward for one of them not to enter orders, so I cannot infer very much at all. One of them could do it to lie to the other just as much as they might lie to me.

On the other side of the coin, suppose I did view it as significant- then it would just be something have to be careful of, like we have to be careful to respond to people when we log on, at least to the effect of "I can't respond now, and will do so later".