[Comments below are relevant to why trade with scanned players only is a GREAT idea!]
Brian: I didn’t ever say YOU brought a “posse” to the Dark Spiral game … and while I was talking in generalities, that term came from one of the organizers of the first team game who told me they like to bring their “posse” to games.
As an aside, I’m glad the strong, capable players (plus you of course) you mentioned above are in the Dark Spiral game - makes it more challenging. While I’m off to a good start, this will be a lonnggg game … and I’d say Pink/Purple Triangle (Underlord/Rosslessness) stand a very good chance of winning - decent position, good start, and very strong players. But there are lots of other strong players in the game too.
So back to the person who used the term “posse” - I had actually played with them in an earlier game, allied early on (we were next to each other), and did all the “right” things and then only one other player was left as a serious threat … so I thought HEY, I’m going to finish at least first or second. However, it became clear from the Intel Charts that they were passing tech under the table to this 3rd player across the galaxy.
So I simply wrote 'em a note and said “HEY, there’s no sense in pushing ships around if you guys have already decided I’m the odd man out - just let me know” … and hemming and hawwing (it was obvious I had caught 'em with their hands in the cookie jar!), they informed me they were part of the “posse” and I was hosed. So I just settled for 3rd place - sometimes that’s how the cosmic cookie crumbles!
BUT … if trade had been limited to scanned players only, I might have stood a chance against these players who brought their “posse” to the game and basically “used” me (it happens - again no sweat) to advance their efforts … so yea, I think it’s an awesome “leveling” idea!
You wrote: “So despite Hulk’s assertion that having an AFK next to him was a detriment, it really wasn’t” - you read that wrong. What I said was the player who had two AFK’ers next to them did not gain the usual advantage because while easier to expand, they had no one to trade tech with initially. Another great example of the “leveling” effect.
WRT Orange Circle: You were apparently tracking the game closer than me, but what I wrote originally was factually correct. And actually, his expansion made moving through his territory a much more difficult than if he had AFK’ed from the start. From my point of view, your play down South had a dramatically bigger difference in how things progressed and my ability to grow.
I said above that enabling trade with scanned players only (and disabling doing so for formal alliances) means you have to use “real” diplomacy. It’s a lot easier to just ally with your friends, but in NP (and the real world), you don’t always get to pick your neighbors … so there’s this whole new dimension added.
It’s obvious I’m trading tech with Orange Triangle in the Dark Spiral game … so while he has a different approach to the game than me (he probably thinks I’m a PIA to work with!), the layout of the board geometry (and thanks to your play down South) means it is mutually helpful for us to work together. FYI that I did warn him you are a very capable player and from what I can tell, you are putting up a very spirited defense against an increasingly stronger opponent.
Jay wrote a post talking about how NP compares to the Diplomacy Board Game. Right now, being able to trade across the galaxy effectively means Japan and Britain can (easily and somewhat stealthy) help each other. By requiring the trading partner to be within (real) scan range, it closes that loophole and makes the game more realistic.