I didn't know there was such a thing as a jerk move....however there are definitely noob moves or shortsighted moves.

I'd say if you can defend the move "as best for yourself" than there is no reason not to play that way.

As a general rule of thumb, it's only a jerk move if it doesn't work. Gunboat is not the time to be generous. Be selfish and win.

You can send an email to the mods if you'd like an opinion on something.

You can send messages to individual players too, yes? I suppose it's technically against the rules but I don't see any hammers falling on you if you're just wanting some strategic advice.

Unless jmo catches you, then you are banned for life.

The problem is that it isn't a strategic question OR a rules question. If it is OK to PM an individual to ask this kine of question, then I will do that. But the question is...is that OK?

To be honest, this is one area that the mods don't always see eye-to-eye on.

The last person to rule on this afaik was figlesquidge who said it was ok to privately ask advice in non-anon games. I suppose asking privately for advice in non-anon gunboat games (do those even exist?) is also ok, but how can you ask for advice in an anon game? How do you know they aren't in the game?

Best to just ask the mods to avoid any problems.

If it's a question of jerk move jimgov, then just go with your heart.

It's just a game. Play as you like. There's always time to discuss your moves after the game.

that is, if you think you would be a jerk to make the move, then don't do it. easy

how many webdiplomacy points is your honor worth?

@jim

Every mod is a demi-Kestas and, as such, is morally infallible. If you have such a question, I'm sure any one of the mods would be happy to help.

Are there any mods online now?

I am online now.

OK abgemacht. I just sent it to you. Probably stupid. Just want an impartial thought on the move in question.

You are the man, abgemacht. Thanks.

Hopefully my messaged helped. Thank you for not posting this on the forum, though, as this is exactly the sort of question that shouldn't be publicly asked.

But, once the game is over, I will revisit this and see what the general consensus is among the rank and file. FYI, that is what I was leaning toward.

Yes, that is perfectly fine.

Dude, now I'm really curious. Be sure to post here when it's over :-)

OK. The game has ended. I am free to discuss it. Here goes.

I was getting killed (as I have recently) as Russia. Turkey was going for the solo with 17 supply centers and I was backed up to St. Pete and Norway. France was cleaning up the rest of the board and had a firm hold on the stalemate line. He and Turkey were basically just supporting themselves and Turkey kept on hitting on me in St. Pete with Liv and Mos. There was NO WAY that he could get through and the game was an obvious draw.

But, after France cleans up the remaining player, he starts to move toward me. He was obviously moving into the position to take me out of Nor while supporting my stand in St. Pete and then killing me and ending the game in a 2-way draw. You can see for yourselves at gameID=109945.

My question was...Is it ever ok to throw a solo? I HATE solos. And I know that you should do whatever you can to prevent them. And I did. But France was going to wipe me out anyway and change the draw from 3-way to 2-way. I decided to throw the solo and screw France.

So the basic question remains - did I do the right thing by throwing a solo? I thought that it could be considered a jerk move, but I feel that I ended up doing the right thing.

You had no choice, smart play. Next time France won't be so greedy.

If it makes you feel better, I have done this in a 7000 game. gameID=80337

yes it is. I will take a survive over a defeat every day of the week. When you thin the draw you take the risk that someone will not go quietly into the night which is why you have to be sure you can take them out without leaving the solo open.

I don't agree -- look at the big map for Spring 2013. France tried to support hold you.

The line was held, France had no business moving to Scandinavia unless he wanted to lose.

He took out Germany but I still don't see what he did to Russia.

ENG-NTH in A12 would be enough for me. The move to NWS was defensible in case Germany tried throw the solo. And then the point is reaffirmed as he goes to GOB as jim correctly threw the game. One more turn would have been too late.

He was in barents, north sea, and GoB...looks like he was setting up to take out st.pete and then norway to me, they certainly didnt need anymore holds.

My thought was that if he did not push the draw button at the end of 1912, when the stalemate line was complete, AND he moved Eng Channel to the North Sea, his plan was to kill me. He needed one move to be able to support me in St. Pete with one unit while supporting attacking Nor with three. End of year. I lose another unit. He attacks St. Pete with 4 units. End of game.

AND, he didn't have draw up...yeah, you made the right choice.

Hmmm. Interesting. The line may have been held, but I could totally see myself as France sending a fleet over to support you even more. I don't see any evil intent there necessarily. He might just want to underline the point to Turkey: don't come here, we're solid.

Also, I don't think I would have done it. Not because it's a jerk move (it isn't), but just because you're choosing a certain lose over a remote chance of draw. I'd go for th remote chance any day of the week.

Anyway, we can ask him can't we? Did you PM the guy?

No. The game literally ended within the last hour.

And if I waited one more move, the choice would have been taken out of my hands.

Definitely made the right choice. Sometimes it feels just as good to spite another player than it does to win.

I also think you made the correct choice.

that's a tough call. You definitely didn't do anything wrong but it's impossible to know France's intentions. If he's a good player he wouldn't make those "aggressive" moves because he knows it'll make you antsy. A poor player could have the best intentions and just not see how you'd interpret them.

But there's no way of knowing that in anon, so I think you made the right choice.

Definitely the right choice. Most good players (Sarg excluded apparently, the game Lando posted shocked me) will be smart enough to not test that, but occasionally it just needs to be done.

In gameID=76142, Austria kept attacking me for years after repeated warnings and threats, he's definitely one of the better players I've ever played with, but he needed to be taught a lesson, and I taught him that lesson. I sincerely doubt he'll ever try that again, just as I doubt your France will be likely to be that aggressive in the future.

I think you did the right thing.