The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
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The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
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Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#2Diplomacy breaks up relationships.
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#3This is a trip down memory lane. Back at HuskyCon 2009 I was on a board with Brian Ecton. When it was my turn to read orders, he stepped away from the board for a smoke. Since he was gone I made up new orders for his fleets. Boy was he livid when he got back.
Unfortunately it seems like the face to face hobby is aging out. The last decade has seen several luminaries of Diplomacy retire from the game or pass away.
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#4You can play online if you have ever wanted to give it a try. It’s probably the best way to learn, since you can take your time communicating and planning your next moves.
Diplomacy is probably the emotionally hardest game I’ve ever played. It feels bad when people betray you, it feels bad when people utterly outsmart you, and after this happens to you (on say, turn two) you still have a couple hours in person to play, or a couple more weeks in person. You have immediately roll with the new situation, try to get help from previous enemies, and keep going with loosing your cool or your will to fight.
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#5You can play online if you have ever wanted to give it a try. It’s probably the best way to learn, since you can take your time communicating and planning your next moves. Diplomacy is probably the emotionally hardest game I’ve ever played. It feels bad when people betray you, it feels bad when people utterly outsmart you, and after this happens to you (on say, turn two) you still have a couple hours in person to pla…
>it feels bad
Even when you win it’s not great because chances are you did something shady and your friends are mad at you. This might explain why I haven’t played/ thought about this game in 30 years.
I like board games (competetive and co-op) but have no desire to play this again.
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#6What's interesting is how the macro-cooperation game gets completely ignored by so many people when they play a game like this. If you're never going to interact with someone again, then betrayal has no long term consequences, but if it's someone you plan to continue a relationship with in real life, then betrayal, even if it's "just a game", will damage that relationship, possibly terminally so.
It's almost like our instinctive zero-sum behaviors short-circuit our higher reasoning just enough in this simulated environment to suppress thought of the long term real-world relational consequences of our actions.
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#7Shout out to subterfuge, another great diplomacy/strategy game involving inevitable betrayal. Takes about 7-10 days to finish a game. http://subterfuge-game.com (mobile only)
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#8What's interesting is how the macro-cooperation game gets completely ignored by so many people when they play a game like this. If you're never going to interact with someone again, then betrayal has no long term consequences, but if it's someone you plan to continue a relationship with in real life, then betrayal, even if it's "just a game", will damage that relationship, possibly terminally so. It's almost like our…
> if it's someone you plan to continue a relationship with in real life, then betrayal, even if it's "just a game", will damage that relationship, possibly terminally so.
Do you also hold it against someone in real life, if they bluff you while playing poker?
What you're saying might be true as a descriptive statement - many people can't separate gameplay from reality. But betrayal is a key mechanic that's designed into the fabric of the game, and I would encourage everyone not judge someone for using a intentionally designed feature in the game.
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#9How long does a game of diplomacy usually last? Does someone often win?
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#10What's interesting is how the macro-cooperation game gets completely ignored by so many people when they play a game like this. If you're never going to interact with someone again, then betrayal has no long term consequences, but if it's someone you plan to continue a relationship with in real life, then betrayal, even if it's "just a game", will damage that relationship, possibly terminally so. It's almost like our…
I'm not sure. My friends and I know that we are all vicious backstabbers in Catan, and never trust each other.