A Weekly Threat Assessment of the Diplomacy Community
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The ODC Finals Begins!
The 2019 Online Diplomacy Championship began back in February. It has been an intense and hard fought tournament with 2 rounds and 126 competitors.
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Congratulations to Belgian Bulldog, Swordsman, Brumark, Teccles, Your Humble Narrator, Napolean of Oz, and Village Idiot for making the final game. Follow the game here.
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Tour of Britain
The Macclesfield Dip website just went live. Head over to follow the Tour of Britain and see all upcoming tournament dates. You can also go to their Facebook page for more information.
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Infinity Stones of Manipulation
In comic book lore, the infinity stones represent ultimate power. If one person possesses them, then his every desire will be realized with a snap of his fingers. Does such a power exist in diplomacy? Learning how to weaponize other people’s emotions is a powerful tool that might even seem godlike to some. This is a series for people that want to win and be in control of the levers of power. Just as there are six infinity stone, there are six emotions we will look at in this series.
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"My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" This line from The Princess Bride has been seared into the public consciousness. He is a perfect example of someone who dedicated himself to right the wrongs of the past through unrepentant revenge.
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Diplomacy is a game that requires lots of time and mental energy. It requires you build trust and to a certain extent a form of friendship. When such trust is broken some will fall apart mentally and become disinterested in the game. Others though will decide the most immediate and satisfying goal should be revenge on the perpetrator. This is especially true in high stakes games.
A stabbed ally is fertile grounds for manipulation. Their hurt and anger are easily directed. Often times, the person can be nurtured into a useful puppet if you give them the revenge they desire. This can also be very appealing to those who want some dignity or control over their demise. Presenting yourself as a new ally that can keep them in the game so they can have their revenge can bring great benefits
Another strategy is to nurse their grudge publicly. Help facilitate the discord between powers. Defend them when they are insulted. There has been several times that I was moving towards a solo and the anger of the board was on another player because of their personality or poor play. Look at this:
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This is from a tournament game not too long ago that I soloed as France. You’ll notice England is supporting me to Norway even though I own all his home centers. Why would he do this when I was the one who backstabbed him? The answer is he wanted revenge against Russia who had not come to his aid. I presented myself as an honorable enemy and Russia as the foolish power. I even agreed that Russia and Germany had made bad moves and should have been trying to help him earlier. This further nurtured his desire for revenge. I also promised to keep him in the game though when the solo chance presented itself I took it. Even then, he was ok with going out as he was secure in the knowledge he had ruined their game.
A real danger to be watchful of is when a person’s greed overtakes their desire for revenge. A player can say they’ll be your puppet but be careful of giving them an opening to get back in the game. Better to keep them overstretched and take their home centers quickly. Let their growth come in distant lands. If not, they may get visions of grandeur of a great comeback.
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of making others believe you are out for revenge. In one game, I had taken Belgium with German support. Afterwards, I began telling England that Germany was now demanding Belgium for himself, and I had made the wrong choice to go with Germany. This lowered his defenses for a double stab that crippled him.
Being able to use revenge to your advantage is vital for high level play. While some will not care to get revenge, many will jump at the chance. The goal is to keep others from seeking revenge on you while focusing their fury on others If you do this, you’ll have a super power to unleash in your games.
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January
February
March
April
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January
February
March
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Reach out it you have an idea or announcement you'd like featured
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