I like gunboats, the other "non-diplomacy variant" since you CAN make nonverbal diplomacy which is a nice challenge. 1 v 1 mean absolutely no need for diplomacy and diplomacy, as a tactical and strategic game is faulty. If it was really Germany vs Italy. Germany would stomp Italy flat within weeks maybe days, for example. The bare tactics, scissors, self-bounces, snakes, etc. Can't compare to another complex strategy game like for say Age of Empires series

And yet still there are an infinite number of strategy games out there. Some people just like a very simple strategy, pitting their mind against another, trying to predict the moves of their opponent and plan accordingly. We all know there is no need for diplomacy in it, and that's the way some people like it, because not everyone is skilled in that area. After all playing on a competitive site like this can get quite depressing.

And I don't think it really matters whether Germany was that much stronger in WW1. There is no such thing as a strategy game that accurately depicts war, even some of the more recent real time games like Company of Heros. Besides, Germany is much more likely to win in GvI anyway.

Gunboats is not just about Diplomacy without talking, but also, like regular Diplomacy, and especially in WTAs, maintaining the balance of power, until you yourself can take over that balance. I enjoy that even more. I hate saying to myself 'Damn, I could kill off Austria now, but that would benefit Italy too much, who is too strong already. Damn, I'll have to go after Russia instead.

How about a game of chess then? Checker?

Let me modify that
"Some people just like a very simple strategy, pitting their mind against another, trying to predict the moves of their opponent and plan accordingly."
Well Chess was designed for simple yet complex strategies and there are more games like that.
I guess I can't be too critial here. I'm one for games like Sins of Solar Empire and Civ

I've played chess, checkers (neither of which require or even benefit from diplomatic maneuvers), along with these 1v1 games. Its just a little variety. I'm not sure why every game has to have something special.

Personally I never saw the interest in Age of Empires, when there are so many other great games out there like the Total War series (which is the closest thing to real historic battles) or Starcraft and Warcraft 3 which are so much fun and competitive, or any number of other games out there which require more strategy. You know what, forget everything else because chess is the most strategic game out there.

Chess doesn't involve playing the moves at once. Figle and I have actually tried a variant of chess where you do!

Chess is also symmetrical, which is less fun too.

Basically, its because its a fun game in its own right, not because it is "diplomacy".

I'm not putting down Age of Empires, which I've never played, but I'm just making a statement.

I have played Total War, very good I do believe there are several dicussions I had on this forum about Total War, never played Warcraft or Starcraft

I see the points, I'm still not planning on playing any games on oli anytime soon

I think the main point which a versus match gians from is that a single game can be played in under two hours, a lot of enjoyment can be gained from this single game (which also happens to be like any two player solo race end-game from a normal diplomacy game- so is good tactical training)

So for a small time investment you can get a large payoff (especially when both players are online and playing live/semi-live)

It is not diplomacy, but it doesn't try to be.

What's the link to oli dip?

http://oli.rhoen.de/webdiplomacy/index.php

Just played a gunboat in 2 hours, though it was an early draw.

I've played a vs game in about an hour before.