The less you can depend on diplomacy the better. #1 thing is to avoid isolation or a counterbalancing alliance against you. I usually have a target in mind but if that target puts me at odds with all of my neighbors then obviously it needs to be changed. Depending on how desperate I need a friend, I offer one-sided offers to get them on my side. But the drawback obviously is that your 'friend' will exploit your generosity and just turn around and stab you anyway. It's always a crapshoot, that's what makes diplomacy interesting.

As for rules, there's almost always a space in which neither side should cross else it be considered a threat/violation of the alliance (Russia % Austria have Galicia, Turkey & Russia have the Black Sea & Armenia, England & France have the Channel, Italy and France have Piedmont, etc). 99% of the time when these 'red lines' are crossed it's an obvious stab, although sometimes they're just "passing through" or whatever. They better have a damn good explanation otherwise prepare to defend yourself.

I agree very much with both your points Putin33. I have experienced those instances as well many times. And I have seen many players that also start with many vague intros like, how do you feel about this or that. just curious though, how would you persuade someone good enough to block all other proposes?

And should diplomacy always be about expansionism?

If there was a surefire way to always convince someone to join you, we wouldn't all still be playing the game. The best we can do is give tips.

And no, it doesn't always have to be about expansionism. Often, if I'm France, I shoot Italy a quick, "Hey, what's up, can we just agree that we have bigger fish to fry and leave Piedmont, Gulf of Lyon, and Western Med empty?"

Or if I'm Turkey I'll say hello to France and see if they feel like talking about what they're up to.

Expanding too quickly can alienate your allies. I once played a game as Italy in which other countries were tipping me off as to where Austria would move, I ended up taking two Austrian territories plus Greece as a result. The very next turn I found myself attacked on all fronts.

What if you don't expand?

some of my very favorite games that I have played have involved me taking second (or third place) throughout much of the game - only to draw later on. Diplomacy is not about ALWAYS winning (which is good and gives me wet dreams) but it is also about working the situations as they occur.

Yes, but in those situations, how do you work them out?
What kind of diplomacy is it that you use?

You have to expand, but if the rest of the board thinks there is little in your way to prevent you from running rampant all over the board and they aren't busy trying to liberate their own home territories, then they'll coalition against you unless they are already too committed to the battle they are in.

The key is - expand quickly when your potential rivals are preoccupied, expand slowly and reassure your neighbors if they don't have any strong commitments yet.

By the way - if anybody messages you with a 5 page message about how they're going to work with you - laying out all of their moves and your moves - its a transparent stab.
This has happened to me 3 times, every single after these long winded posts I get stabbed. I don't know why they bother with the verbiage.

@Putin
Some players, especially those who started in PBEM, right that much to everybody every turn. What should tip you off is when somebody who normally doesn't write like that suddenly does. Or when somebody who normally writes 5 pages a turn only writes you a few sentences.

I've also found that when someone who's been chatty all along suddenly clams up, they're usually coming for you.

@Hedgemon Wiggin, how do you "right" to your opponent. <grin>. Sorry, just me being pedantic.

@Draug
Hush you. It's some odd hour of the morning here and I'm trying to figure out what's going on in the SoW while making an odd post here and there.
@Sacred
Exactly.

Is it ideal in creating a global alliance from the beginning of the game?

I think I know which game you are referring to haha. And no, its not, in my opinion. Its best on the world map to find one, or two - you're better off with two - solid allies and roll with it from there. Had our game kept going, Oz, F-A and I probably would've won it

The game might go on.

Nah it's done, Mother Nature assured that. I enjoyed all of the random banter in the beginning though, it might be worth an EOG thread after we close it up.

haha, it was quite random thinking bout it xD
whats an EOG may i ask?

EoG = End of Game

Some players like to post a summary of the game and their thoughts during the various turns. I'm not so good about doing this as I don't always recall my thoughts unless I take notes along the way plus it takes a lot of effort, almost as much as playing the game. But it can be fun to read them.