Re: Olympia - Time for G2?

From: desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)

Date: Mon, 02 Oct 1995 00:00:00 +0000

Rob Rodgers <rrodgers@unex.ucla.edu> writes:
> Hang laurels around their necks, then.  The thing they've done is
> cooperate too well--if I was in the AOO I would have stabbed at least
> somebody in the back by now--otherwise what's the point of having human
> opponents.

I think the structure of Olympia actively discourages treachery, for
several reasons.  First of all is the lack of mechanisms for reliable
arms-length transactions.  This is a topic which has been discussed here
before.  Basically, the only way to effectively cooperate with another
player in anything significant is to give one another total access (with
ADMIT etc.)  Once you have that access, it becomes so ridiculously easy
to stab an ally, that players only makes alliances with other players
that they can really trust.  Then, they don't double-cross one another
because there is too little to gain.  Just writing correct orders and
coordinating the activities of many units belonging to different
players, and arranging rendezvous and the like, is enough of a
challenge.  No one sees the need to make it any more complicated.

> After all, isn't playing Diplomacy a lot more fun than SEGA?

Actually, no, I can't think of much that isn't more fun than playing
Diplomacy.

David desJardins
--
Copyright 1995 David desJardins.  Unlimited permission is granted to quote
from this posting for non-commercial use as long as attribution is given.

References

Olympia - Time for G2?
Rob Rodgers <rrodgers@unex.ucla.edu>
Mon, 25 Sep 1995 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Olympia - Time for G2?
morrow@gandalf.rutgers.edu (John Morrow)
Tue, 26 Sep 1995 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Olympia - Time for G2?
Rob Rodgers <rrodgers@unex.ucla.edu>
Wed, 27 Sep 1995 00:00:00 +0000