Let's make a deal?

From: bruno@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Bruno Wolff III)

Date: Tue, 05 Oct 1993 21:31:02 +0000

While I don't agree exactly with Dave on what deals should and shouldn't be
made in Titan, I do believe that there should be a limit on deals. I don't
have a precise definition of what should and should not be allowed in that
game. Generally we have made comments to players when things are starting to
get a bit out of hand.
Deals we have generally allowed in our games including to players about to
mutual with each other rolling a die to see who should concede. Occasionally
we will roll a die in other battles so that it is all or nothing for the
winner. But if too much of this is done, people start frowning on it. We
generally don't move stacks to help people recruit or make short term promises
for safety, but I have played in games at Avaloncon where those types of deals
were made.
I have tried to get a clarification on whether rolling a die to see who will
concede a battle is a binding agreement or not. The latest ruling on that
from Bill Scott is that it is, but that shouldn't be considered to be etched in
stone.
In poker I don't think any deals should be allowed.
In diplomacy I have mixed feelings. It is really a diplomatic game so that
you should be able to make any deals, but I have found that this results in
two teams playing a tactical game. This isn't much fun, but neither is the
chaotic deal breaking commonly done in the game. So I don't play that game
much anymore.
Other multiplayer games often become beat up on the winner without a lot of
overt collusion. History of the world is a timely example of that kind of game.
While it is a fun game, there is a lot of moaning about how bad everyone is
doing that goes on and it is hard to take the outcome of the game too seriously.
It is still fun to go around conquering during your turns.
One of the best features of Titan is that without allowing extreme deals it is
hard to effectively gang up on the leader. This makes it more of a game of skill
(the better player will win more often) than many other multiplayer games.