Diplomacy Master Thread- Helping Your Opponents Beat Themselves

[Ruff_Hi]

... probably, maybe, could be ...

There is a wide range of options ... we shouldn't change our plans, but we can make slight modifications to how we execute those plans with the aim of teasing out some more info.

[scooter]

Agreed with Ruff. I'd like to hear confirmation back from them before we play our next turn if at all possible.

[Gold Ergo Sum]

I always look at offers from a legal perspective. Once an offer is made, so long as it is accepted with no modification in terms prior to the offer being withdrawn, then you have formed a contract based on the terms of the initial offer. Sommer is lawyer. I think Sommer will have a similar understanding of what it means to make an offer.

We have formally accepted. If they come through now and say they were just kidding, I think that would be very poor form indeed, and I don't expect it to happen.

Also, I am very disappointed that we spent multiple days before accepting the offer. We should have accepted it very quickly, definitely prior to them moving their warrior. We will have no motive to attack prior to T100 anyway, so this should have been a no-brainer. The metagame at RB has become too anti-NAP. We benefit hugely by accepting NAPs with all teams that offer. I am pretty certain we are going to be better builders than the other teams. We probably should use the Lord Parkin tactic and stagger our NAPs with teams, that way they struggle to team up against us because their NAPs all end at different times.

I can help with diplo stuff.

[Ruff_Hi]

Also, I am very disappointed that we spent multiple days before accepting the offer.

Original email: Thu, Sep 6, 2012 at 8:58 PM
Date and time posted to our thread: September 6th, 2012, 21:01
First draft of substantive reply: September 6th, 2012, 23:12
Alternate version: September 7th, 2012, 05:40
Short acknowledgement sent from gmail: Fri, Sep 7, 2012 at 6:17 AM
Combined version: September 7th, 2012, 13:42
Sent from gmail account: Fri, Sep 7, 2012 at 2:25 PM
Reported sent to thread: September 7th, 2012, 14:27

Three (3) minutes to get it posted to our thread, 9:15 hrs to send an acknowledgement (we should do better here) and 17:30 hrs to turn it around.

I think that is pretty good.

[Ruff_Hi]

We will have no motive to attack prior to T100 anyway, so this should have been a no-brainer. The metagame at RB has become too anti-NAP. We benefit hugely by accepting NAPs with all teams that offer. I am pretty certain we are going to be better builders than the other teams. We probably should use the Lord Parkin tactic and stagger our NAPs with teams, that way they struggle to team up against us because their NAPs all end at different times.

Good points - worth remembering.

I can help with diplo stuff.

Excellent.

[antisocialmunky]

... probably, maybe, could be ...

There is a wide range of options ... we shouldn't change our plans, but we can make slight modifications to how we execute those plans with the aim of teasing out some more info.

Not arguing with that point, just that you shouldn't over think. Your position is just as speculative as mine because we don't know what's going on but I think my scenario is more likely.

Especially since we can call them out in the public thread.

[kjn]

Sommer is lawyer. I think Sommer will have a similar understanding of what it means to make an offer.

Just because Sommer was a dick and highly visible during the game setup and is a member of the CFC team doesn't mean he is an influential member of the team right now. We have some small indications that there might have been internal tensions about leadership within the CFC team, and even if that's not true, prominent pre-game position need not lead to a prominent position during the game.

Just look at us: right now the most prominent members of our team are Sullla and myself, but we were hardly active during the setup. Someone looking at the setup thread would guess LP, but he's not here at all nowadays.

(That said, this doesn't relate to your reasoning on deals, where I agree with you. However, I think it's good form to give a quick reply to any answer - positive or negative - about a deal to confirm that you've received and understood.)

[Dantski]

Given Sommers previous demogame bragging, I highly doubt his voice is quiet on the CFC front. But your point that he may not be a hugely influential figure for CFC now that the game is active is valid.

From a personal perspective I feel trusting CFC this game to stick to a NAP if they saw our capital empty is a far riskier choice than moving that warrior to that non-forested hill a turn or two ago.

[NobleHelium]

I'm pretty sure Sommer would brag over something that his uncle's friend's cousin's maid's daughter did if given the chance, so I don't think that necessarily means he's active.

[scooter]

Got this from CFC:

With a NAP in place, we hope that we now have a foundation to build further agreements between our two teams. We agree with the interpretation of the NAP as you've suggested it, but would like to initiate discussions on how we can strengthen this agreement. We consider defining a border between our teams one of the most important short term goals we should come to an agreement upon. Our intention is to focus on settling productive cities in our home region, and not to settle provocative "pink dot" cities in your direction. In order to avoid settlement races and possible conflicting cities we'd like to share geographical information between our teams and discussing settlement plans in the land between our two nations.

On that note, we do not know how much your team has explored, but 9-East and 2-South of Adventure One is an Oasis that is equal distance from each of our capitals. As a suggestion for an initial border agreement, we propose that we will not settle West of the Oasis, and you will not settle East of the Oasis. The bottom line in our suggestion is that we talk openly with one another about settling in each others direction. What are your thoughts on this?

Also, please be advised that there is both a bear and a lion roaming just southeast of where our scouting warrior is currently located. The bear has disappeared into the fog for now, but the lion is clearly visible 1-East and 2-South of where our warrior is currently standing.

Caledorn, on behalf of Team CFC

At first glance sounds mostly good, but it's 2am here so I'm headed to bed. I'm going to be gone for the vast majority of tomorrow, so if Ruff wants to draft something up tomorrow that would be fine. If that won't work and we're good with waiting about 20 hours or so (this is admittedly less time-sensitive), then I can draft something up tomorrow night.