Indy - at times I tend get, how shall we say, I wee bit opinionated on the forums (heh heh...) and have basically been told point blank by people that they (*didn't have the maturity to separate forum discussion from game play and*) would gang up on me whenever possible if they saw me in a game. I take forums as a place to rant and enjoy a good debate/bad debate/pointless argument to pass the time and it in no way affects how I view you in a game...but some people will, just as people will view your in-game behavior and translate it to future games. So if it bothers you keep a list of those people you are concerned about that can't separate one game from another, discussion from game, etc and so on. and play accordingly in the future. In the end game dynamics are probably enhanced when you know the characteristics of players instead of every game being completely blind. I look forward to my first tournament adventure for that very reason - seeing how well I can predict my opponents by tourney end.

In your "Anonymous-Always" scenario, you have the alternate problem of multi's cheating more easily.

Reality is, before the internet, there was no such thing as anonymous play; even a stranger at a game had facial expressions, etc.

On an only vaguely related note, am I the only person who gets annoyed when players say things like "i will remember you because you are a stabber and from now on I will tell people that you can't be trusted."? Isn't everyone a stabber? How can you play this game and not be a stabber?

@Mafia- this was suggested, and actually your PM doesn't work - I could also say 'hey its me mafialligator" as well, and they wouldn't know.

Hahahahahaha. Oh yeah. Wow. How did that not occur to me.

@mafia - the writing gives it all away. I have played hellalt in a few anonymous games and I can identify him from the get go.

Yeah, I was thinking, because I resolutely use British/Canadian spelling for words, particularly "centre" a word which naturally comes up a lot in Diplomacy, it might be easy to identify me. Then again there do seem to be a lot of brits on this site, so perhaps not.

Hell yeh there are!

I reckon I could disguise myself in an anon game - just have a look through your history and find out what your style is, then more importantly settle on a different style to use.
Then do an impression of the other whilst being watchful for your own mannerisms.

NEVER! It's a matter of principle.

Well, I think it's possible to get so good as to switch effortlessly. I recently moved to study in the United States and found that I had to switch from using British conventions, but had to switch back every time I went home/talked with people from home. It was the same thing with accents. Now I can talk with people in both places and effortlessly switch between "We took the lorry to the flat and went up in the lift" and "We drove the truck to the apartment and got on the elevator."

That's really cool. I used to be able to do that with French and English. Easily switch between thinking in either language. But I've lost all my French, it's terrible.

@Indy, Game 1/Game 2... Were these league games? If so, a certain amount of cross game meta is expected, although officially discouraged. If not, then your suggestion to continue the alliance into game 2 *was meta-gaming*!!! You were cheating by even suggesting it.

Read more carefully, Draug. When he approached me in game 2 for an automatic alliance, and I expressed a desire to consider all possible alliance options (his and others), he stabbed. I wanted to avoid having an "instant ally", because in my 10 years or so of FTF play, that was the sole element of the game that was most problematic.

To those above: yes, I agree, there are those that I enjoy playing with, who can "reset" each game, and that can indeed be more fun than completely anonymous. To the comment that there is no such thing as a truly guaranteed anonymous game, "Better" doesn't have to be 'perfect" to be "better". But I do agree, I hate to lose seeing who I am playing with.

Thanks for the thoughtful discussion.

Sorry bout that. I misread and thought you offered him the alliance. His stupidity and it sounds like it is gonna cost him in the end anyhow.

Draug - Regarding league play, I have read that, particularly in the later stages of a league when one player is up in points others will naturally align against him in "unnatural" ways purely because of league points - which is pretty much pure meta-gaming.

I am in my first league game right now - can you expand upon your league-play thoughts? How does reality compare to "officially discouraged"?

Well, the idea is that metagaming throughout (cross game alliances) is discouraged, but it is understood that you will play to keep one person from dominating and that a little "you scratch my back, I scratch yours" will go on. I haven't seen it be grossly over abused, but there has been some obvious "let's keep so and so out of the draw or he will advance and it will be all for nought" happen.