Most people most likely do not, care that is, about getting payback. I don’t have the memory to keep track of a blacklist of players I want to punish, that is way to much work. I’d just as soon them having warm and fuzzy memories of how wonderful a ally I was. I doubt anyone keeps a hit list like that, but obviously people do somewhere. I think the Captain Ahab type of play is a lot rarer then people here let on, but when it does happen it is memorable. Certainly it can happen across multiple games, and it is then that you need to update your black list so you know what player to look for and where he is. If GI Joe is correct, knowing is half the battle.
I would say 64 player games do attract regulars in a cyclical style. I’ll maybe play in a few before I get fatigued of them, and will skip a few, before returning to them. If you’ve not tried it, a 64 player game I mean, its worth a look see. I think they are the best types of games to play, thought my favorate game to date had 48 stars per player in a 32 player game, a setting no longer available in the games menu.
The 64 player games are only in real time right? I’m strictly a turn based man these days… unless I’m ever lucky enough to get a long spell where I’m off work which pretty much never happens.
I haven’t been following this thread sper closely, just speed reading. I’m super busy right now.
I just wanted to jump in and say that following a player from game to game so that you can carry a grudge is harassment and I will close accounts of players doing it.
Perhaps my previous posting needs some refinement of thought, as I clearly think it has been misunderstood.
I do have a black list, which might more accurately be called “Never ally with these F****** M***** F******'s list” It looks something like this (these numbers are fake but you get the idea):
1 69 34
6 125 101
3 59 112
Three accounts long, showing their wins/rank/renown. One person I know by (account) name.
These players are either toxic to play with, back stabby to a fault, epically unreliable, or just plain grudge holders. Allies that are hard to be allies with will always make this list. I’d never ally with them willingly, and being aware of them in every game I join is important, for no other reason then to guard against the treachery, stab, or captain Ahab assault that may result. Awareness of your surroundings in this case may save you from a metaphorical rape in game by them.
I completely agree.
Being one person in the small group of people who would never backstab an ally or lie to win a game, I NEED to know who I can trust and who I shouldn’t.
So if I ever meet up with one player in that group, I make sure that I change my gameplay with them: actually backstab them myself if and when it needs to be done, knowing that they would be happy to do the same to me.
If it were a player whom I know to keep alliances till the death I’d never do that.
I’m not keeping grudges, I’m just adjusting my playstyle according to whom I’m playing with so that I can survive among some players who I don’t particularly like…
For example, I know Brand (Magic Dragon) and Quantum Leap to be true allies.
I also know to never to never trust a certain ‘Omega1’
[quote=“wfmcgillicuddy, post:1, topic:4212, full:true”]
Suggestions to cement an alliance with a stranger, or a known backstabber, or a friend who you would rather not backstab:[/quote]
I’d like to add to your excellent list. This game has a strong ‘Prisoner’s Dilemma’ vibe. The strategy devised in game theory to deal with prisoner’s dilemmas is called ‘tit-for-tat’ and is dead simple to explain. In your first dealings with an unknown player always be true and faithful. After that always use the strategy against them in your current game that they demonstrated they were willing to use against you in the previous game.
Right now, in my first ever game, I’m dealing with a player who has adopted a ‘crabs-in-a-bucket’ outlook towards me. I’ll definitely be using a little game theory with him in the future.
If Mr. Crab is a newb like you, try explaining that a 1v1 early in game will only doom you both. Much of diplomacy involves trying to set up 2v1s. Avoiding unnecessary ship loss is key. That is where your mutual dependency comes from, at least initially.
If Mr. Crab doesn’t get it, then he’s either hopeless or perhaps involved in a 2v1 against you. If he’s hopeless than, yes, you’ll have begun accumulating your database of player personalities.
It is end game, at least, end game for me. There are only 3 of us left out of 8 and I doomed him to only being second at best and maybe only third place. He has turned into Mr. Sore. Now, even though he is guaranteed to be second place, he intends to eliminate me entirely, not even one star left. Not precisely crabs-in-a-bucket but he is hurting himself now vis-a-vis the ai, who are mad strong, insisting to wipe out every last vestige of me.
Oh, yeah, that sux. But he may be acting rationally, in that attacking you may be a better option than attacking a crazy strong AI. If he is rational (albeit cranky ATM), and neither one of you carries a grudge over the next one, then maybe you can yet work with him.
Logically, the three of you should be teaming up againt the AI. It would be great practice in managing an alliance, which is a vital skill in this game.
The guy in the lead, by a wide margin, suggested it to me, and I’ll guess to Mr. Sore as well, but about a day after he did was when I got mail saying, basically, “YOU DIE!!!” in an I-don’t-care-how-I-do-as-long-as-you-do-worse style. It’s sort of funny because, where I’ve been driven to, I can see what the ai is sending his way and he can’t and I’m still neutral to that particular ai so I have front row seats.
I use the crab metaphor because it’s not out of the realm of possibility the lead player will never succeed in getting the 82 for win.
I assume #1 and #2 aren’t contiguous? If they are, maybe you could convince #1 to threaten #2 and force #2 to cooperate, because otherwise #1 can’t win?
Anyway, I hadn’t intended to derail your Diplomacy thread with my own game story. Just wanted to add to your advice list. I’m planning a ‘first impressions’ style post for when I’m finally ejected from this game. til then, MaS
There is also the strong possibility that #1 sold me down the river in exchange for peace with Mr. Sore. #1 really only has difficulty with one ai and Mr Sore is fighting two. With my help #1 was eating up Mr. Sore stars with fair rapidity and in the interests of just seeing the game end I would have yielded the half a dozen stars necessary for him to reach 82. But the final push against Mr. Sore was going to be costly and he may be more afraid of the ai than he needs to be; afraid the losses against Mr. Sore would cripple his effort to keep the ai at bay til the conclusion of the game.