Diplomacy Master Thread- Helping Your Opponents Beat Themselves

[DaveV]

This also hints that they're not very well-disciplined over on CFC.

Or, putting the most cynical face on it, their diplomat's mission is keeping us happy while their turn player does what he wants.

I have to say, though, NE made more sense to me than E when I first read those directions.

Also Never Eat is left to right like writing.

Says the guy who spends lots of time in China?

[kjn]

Yeah, I should probably have explained my reasoning behind the safer tile better.

But it's also put them to a test - how much are they willing to trust us, and look to our interest in things? Right now the answer is "not very".

Put another way: one scouting-turn on T37 has a value of next to nothing, especially compared to gaining a small level of trust with a neighbour.

[SevenSpirits]

Put another way: one scouting-turn on T37 has a value of next to nothing, especially compared to gaining a small level of trust with a neighbour.

That's not a fair comparison though. In reality they gain MORE of our trust the more times they are next to our workers and don't attack them. So if they are not planning to attack our worker, it should be superior for them to move close and demonstrate their restraint, so long as this only causes us worry (which they know will turn out to be unfounded) and does not force any painful reactions.

[kjn]

You forget one element here, and that is that true trust really is two-way. You gain trust by showing that you trust the other part.

Right now, the relation here is asymmetric. They are in a low-risk situation with us, while we are in a high-risk situation - all they risk is a scouting warrior, while we risk our cities, workers, and early development. It is much easier and safer for both of us for them to do the first trust-building steps.

[Sullla]

I approve of everything that our diplo team is doing right now. But that said, I'm never going to trust a team that has Sommerswerd on it. I expect that they're merely waiting for the right moment to put the knife in our backs.

[kalin]

Scooter, I just read your chat... great job. As to my feelings, I am not sure what to believe. Caledorn seemed very reasonable and I began to think that they were ok after all... until the end I think Caledorn may very well have good intentions but their action still left me with that paranoid "I don't trust them" feeling. We should keep being cautious. I don't think they'll break the NAP fwiw.

I think Dave and kjn captured well the situation.

Kalin

[scooter]

I strongly don't believe they'll break the NAP either, however that last bit was notable because it made me question how much he's actually speaking for the team. Did they just pick the nicest guy they have and assign him to us while they do their thing? Possibly. I believe Caledorn is totally genuine, I'm just not sure I believe CFC totally lines up with him. The hesitancy he had about how his teammate's would react was also a bit telling.

[scooter]

FYI I got a brief chat today from Caledorn just notifying me that the delay in responding is because he has people in town and hasn't had a chance to write something up. Just wanted me to know the delay is on him, not the team. I told him no big deal, stuff isn't time-sensitive right now.

[kjn]

CFC moved their warrior next to our gold mine this turn, as expected. Should we send them a note and ask them to move 1NE as early as possible next turn?

We are before them in the turn order right now, so they can't declare on us until we've moved, anyway.

[scooter]

Nah, no need to nag them. They won't declare on us.