A few weeks ago I started playing diplomacy. diplomacy is a board game that is like a combination of chess and poker that looks like Risk. You have to think about the positions of your units and tactics but you also have to make alliances, bluff everyone and stab your allies in the back.
The mechanics of the game are on the whole simple, you have fleets and armies and on each turn, each unit can defend, attack, or support another unit. The object of the game is to capture 18 supply centres, each supply centre allows you to build another army or fleet. The complexity and the fun comes from your interactions with other players, between each turn you have time to talk with them – to plot with them against another, to declare truces and plan DMZ and to leak anothers plans to them (fictional or not).
Stories like this one persuaded me to start playing the game.
It’s a game for the patient – my first “live” game took 3 hours and the one turn every 24 hours games I’m playing via the internet last about a fortnight.
I have been playing online using Web diplomacy and Play Diplomacy, both have their ups and downs but play diplomacy emails reminders when a new turn has begun, which is very helpful.
I’m in the midst of my first game on Android using Droidippy which also has a web interface to the same games.
My current results are played 3, lost two and two-way drawn another. I have a good feeling about the game I’m playing on Droidippy now.
Dean Sas 