Aug. 14, 2012 at 1:48pm
diplomacy
A less-successful game of Diplomacy. Italy (green) and Russia (purple) agreed a draw. I was the UK (orange). The astute viewer will notice that France (blue) managed to completely overrun the UK before surrendering, which I’m lead to believe was their main goal. Lessons learned from this game: No matter how futile it is for France and the UK to spend the first few turns bouncing off the English Channel, it’s just as futile to try to agree to leave it alone and use the navies for more interesting affairs. Prisoner’s dilemma, yo. Don’t assume that other players will recognise when breaking an alliance is in their interest. (Germany kept working with France right up to the point where France turned around and crushed it. Ditto France and Italy.) Russia always wins.

A less-successful game of Diplomacy. Italy (green) and Russia (purple) agreed a draw. I was the UK (orange). The astute viewer will notice that France (blue) managed to completely overrun the UK before surrendering, which I’m lead to believe was their main goal.

Lessons learned from this game:

  • No matter how futile it is for France and the UK to spend the first few turns bouncing off the English Channel, it’s just as futile to try to agree to leave it alone and use the navies for more interesting affairs. Prisoner’s dilemma, yo.
  • Don’t assume that other players will recognise when breaking an alliance is in their interest. (Germany kept working with France right up to the point where France turned around and crushed it. Ditto France and Italy.)
  • Russia always wins.