How long does a game of diplomacy usually last? Does someone often win?
It's unusual for someone to win outright in my experience. But the presence of an outright victory condition affects player behavior.
The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
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Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#12Diplomacy breaks up relationships.
This needs unpacking, because it's true but not very complete. Diplomacy is correlated to human behavior that causes people to reevaluate relationships. This pattern is not caused by losing players being unable to take a game as a game. It's having a game reveal real-life patterns of manipulation and deception that ends relationships.
That said, I do recommend a game with your friends.
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#13What'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…
There is a deep resonance to the way this game encourages lying to protect an alliance that is already being betrayed. This inspires paranoia along those who have successfully been defeated.
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#14It's been a while now, but a group of seven of us would very occasionally set aside an entire Saturday to play Diplomacy. While online and play by mail have their own flavors, the tension and negotiation strategies while face to face have a character unlike any other board game I've played.
Between sets of moves, groups of people would scatter to different corners of the house for hushed discussions, and unlike online play, you could make a decision based on who you saw talking to whom. With a large board on a dining room table, it felt like being in a war room with all of Europe at stake.
All in all, it is an extremely compelling game with strategy in both moves and alliances leaking from all seams.
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#15What'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 i…
A poker "bluff" has always seemed poorly named to me. You aren't making any claims about your hand either way, you're just making bets. So a "bluff" is actually just the other players guessing wrong at what you're holding.
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#16Shout 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)
Another related game is the Game of Thrones board game - very similar to Diplomacy mechanically but tuned to shorter game lengths (on the order of 2-4 hours).
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/103343/game-thrones-boar...
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#17I college, I'd do 18 player games on a world map. Definitely changed your impression of people, particularly when you'd only vaguely know them otherwise - but it also got you into long-term close contact (these games were a turn a week, and would last for ~18 months before a winner was obvious).
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#18The world championships are this weekend www.ptks.org/wdc2018/
I’m currently here (it’s the last day), and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with it being my first time playing in a large tournament— but I have to say it was pretty damn fun. The face to face hobby is definitely alive and well. If you enjoy strategy games, and have a bit of a masochistic bent, you’ll get along just fine.
Definitely would recommend you get some experience under your belt beforehand, to get a feel for general strategy and tactics. If you want to join the major discussion channels online to find some good games, hit me up and I’ll invite you.
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#19I absolutely loved this game in high school. It’s very special, in that it’s primary mechanic is real world relationships placed into a tactical context. The downside is that it pulls real world relationships into a simulated zero-sum environment where the game ends but the relationships persist.
I’ve never played any game quite like it.
Unfortunately, I can’t think of a situation in which I would ever play it again, because when played well it will almost certain damage relationships, and when played poorly it’s just sort of a disappointment.
This may be my favorite game of all time, and I don’t think I’ll ever play it again.
Re: The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)
#20How long does a game of diplomacy usually last? Does someone often win?
In my college experience, it would take approximately 6-8 hours for a game. Usually about 6-7 hours deep, there would be 3-4 players remaining, and 2-3 of those would join forces to eliminate the weakest player and call it a night.