Negotiation games (taking sign-ups)

[MYKI]

Sign me up!

[rho21]

Sounds like fun. Count me in; I'm unspoiled.

Any further thoughts on how we handle private negotiations? It might work with a subforum with threads for each negotiating pair, to let the lurkers see all.

[Bacchus]

Nice, we need just two more!

The problem with threads is that technically there needs to be a thread for each subset of the parties, which is too unwieldy. Maybe keeping it in private messages will be fine, with the gamemaster in copy, and a separate thread where the gamemaster would post this correspondence. An alternative would be to have three folders/subforums representing virtual rooms, with everyone starting in one room and one thread and then creating new ones whenever room composition changes. So it would look perhaps like:

Event -> Start
Room 1
Active general thread
Room 2
Room 3

Event -> Parties 2 and 3 leave to caucus privately
Room 1
Archived general thread
Active thread -- parties 1, 4, 5, 6
Room 2
Active thread -- parties 2, 3
Room 3

Event -> Party 2 returns, Party 5 goes to caucus with party 3
Room 1
Archived general thread
Archived thread -- parties 1, 4, 5, 6
Active thread -- parties 1, 2, 4, 6
Room 2
Archived thread -- parties 2, 3
Active thread -- parties 5, 3
Room 3

Event -> All return
Room 1
Archived general thread
Archived thread -- parties 1, 4, 5, 6
Archived thread -- parties 1, 2, 4, 6
Active general thread
Room 2
Archived thread -- parties 2, 3
Archived thread -- parties 5, 3
Room 3

Etc. But this might be too complicated as well and requires a lot of attention from the gamemaster, and a good understanding from the players of what threads they can and can't read.

[rho21]

The problem with threads is that technically there needs to be a thread for each subset of the parties, which is too unwieldy.

That's only 57 threads, what's the problem?

In practice, you would probably only need about half that many for the subsets that would actually form, at a guess. Even so, doesn't sound like great fun for the lurkers to keep track of.

An alternative would be to have three folders/subforums representing virtual rooms, with everyone starting in one room and one thread and then creating new ones whenever room composition changes.

Yeah, I think that might be tricky for everyone to follow. Sounds more like a real-life setup (where you can only be in one place at once) rather than catering for the asynchronous nature of forum conversations.

Maybe keeping it in private messages will be fine, with the gamemaster in copy, and a separate thread where the gamemaster would post this correspondence.

That sounds like a sensible plan.

A related alternative might be to take a leaf out of civ reporting: one open thread where everyone can post, all other communication takes place via PM (with the GM copied in). Then each player has a spoilers thread where they can talk about their thoughts, the deals they have set up etc. Less work for the GM, but potentially less full reporting if the players don't keep up with it.

[Mardoc]

How long do you anticipate a game lasting, and when are you planning to start?

I'm interested, but busy.  If it's just a weekend I could play; if it would take longer, I'd have to just lurk.

Given a choice of private messages or e-mail, I'd prefer e-mail.  Our inboxes here are limited to 500 messages, which I suspect would overwhelm at least the GM.

[Bacchus]

My feeling was that spreading it over a longer time will actually decrease the intensity somewhat. Because the game is 1-period there isn't that much to discuss, positions aren't changing. My original idea was to run it over a week. IRL this set-up is aimed at 2 hours.

E-mail is a good idea, yes.

[El Grillo]

I'm slightly concerned with a forum/email setup. Part of the fun IRL is that you are physically limited in terms of how often you can caucus and how many people you can caucus with, and the time limit is strict enough to encourage people to make acceptable if not optimal deals as opposed to not reaching a resolution in time. I fear the optimal strategy here would be to open lines of communication with every combination of parties in parallel, which just sounds unpleasant if not unplayable.

[Bacchus]

Yes, and the Diplomacy games from this forum are as good an example of this potential problem as anything. I am having a think about how this can be managed.

[Mardoc]

Hmm, ok, I'll have to just lurk then.  There are weekdays where I literally have no free time.

@El Grillo: it might turn out that way, or it might not.  There's still the time limit imposed by everyone having RL and differing time zones and such.  At least let the first game go through before you predict disaster .

[vnosikov]

Hi all. Sign me up too. I have never played in games like this, so I'm completely unspoiled.