Partnering etiquette

I consider it more of a challenge if I have to compete with a “committee” I also prefer not to give to much advice to my partners.  Although I am not a blue falcon when it comes to pointing out things I think my partner doesn’t see.  In short, that’s why I like face to face games, the table talk is half the game.

I have always encouraged partners to take their discussion of allied moves to some place besides the game table.  For the AH game Diplomacy, this was facilitated by having small maps of the board handy so they had something to look at while thinking.

This was not an explicit rule by the way.  I just figured if two allies were silly enough to discuss strategy and tactics in front of me, I had every right in the world to offer advice, second thoughts and lots of more “good advice” to the mix.  Right down to the point of offering advice on the tactical side of things.  All it takes is some bad advice from the “ally” to give you the wedge you need to point out the Ally “A” is trying to make sure Ally “B” does not get the personal win even if they both win.

“See, I told you he was giving you bad advice to attack me there.  Like I said, your attack was crushed but you weakened me enough that his undeserving and wimpy army can waltz right in and now he gets the build points, not you.  That’s quite the ‘ally’ you have there.  Has he asked to borrow your girlfriend yet?”

I disagree.  The players shoudl determine an appropriate discussion time before each move and the opponents should leave the table for that period of time.  Gives the players a chance to point to units on the map.

To be honest, ldoggty, I’ve never let Russia collaberate with the US/UK.  They’re solo.

However, we also said that if Japan invaded USSR they got 10 IPC + 4 free infantry immediately to use as they saw fit.  So it wasn’t too bad.

If you want to be most historically accurate, have Japan and Germany only have discussions before each round, have the Russians only talk with the Americans and British before the game starts, and have the Americans and British be able to openly discuss everything.  Otherwise, I think everyone should be able to openly discuss everything.

Drives me most nuts when my “ally” gives pointers to the axis.

LOL, I do that all the time, but it goes more like: “Eww… I wouldn’t do that if I were you…”, “Hey Russia you see that?”  “Hey anybody wana bet 5 buck that attack fails?” or “You sure you wanna do that?, you know how my dice have been tonight.”

Haha, I love the psy-ops.

My opponents can talk as much as they want, wherever they want.

It gives me time to go to the bathroom, grab a snack, take a brief nap, those sorts of things.

Or POSSIBLY discuss things with my team.

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I really don’t care.  If my opponents are REALLY GOOD, then their discussing things isn’t going to help them much, because the level of play was so high to begin with.  If my opponents are REALLY BAD, their chatter will not help them anyways.

The only time I object to table talk is if player A is basically making all the moves for player B, even when player B objects.  But that really goes beyond “table talk” to bad taste.

Well, okay, I also object if I’m sleepy, and my opponents are just wasting time.

Or if I was told to expect a good game, and one of my opponents is basically trying to set up a tutoring session for another player, complete with detailed explanations.  (I don’t mind tutoring sessions, but I think it only polite to inform your opponent ahead of time if you are going to be spending a lot of time doing something that slows the progress of the game.  Like the previous Friday or Saturday or whatever, not “oh hi, this is Joe, imma teach him A and A” )

Or if they are saying things like “i wuv u sooo much chickie-poo!  y dun u move some fighters over here?  did u remember to get some eggs?”  ahhhh domestic talk . . . ahhh!

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Well, okay, there are actually a LOT of times I object to table talk.  But NOT when it increases the quality of the opposition.

I play Russia, I don’t discuss diddly with my team.  They serve me or they are useless to me.  Why would I care what they want to discuss? hehe.

Same if I’m Japan, don’t much care about my German counter part (in classic that is.)

Axis coordination usualy goes something like:

“You could attack Russia any day now!”

“I’m going as fast as I can!”

“Faster would be better, I’m getting my a$$ handed to me over here!”

“Do I need to cut you!?”

“If you pull that knike out it better be dull, 'cause you know where I’ll stick it!”

and it generaly degrades from there…

Wow, that’s pretty civilized, Desert.

Usually I hear more from Germany, like “You stupid (natural water barricade)!  Why are you invading W. USA instead of Yakut and SFE!!!”  Usually degrades from there until I threaten to pull out the Berretta and end the game with “artillery” from the Goddess of Earth.

LOL

IF germany wants help in afica then i’ll hellp them but other than that i don’t communicate with them.

Germany and Japan must work together to win.

One key play is flying Japanese fighters in to reinforce a newly taken German territory.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the “Thor and Skippy Method”.  It’s an article on the Caspian Sub website - Policy Paper #17.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Caspian_Sub/files/1PolicyPapers/
CSubP17 1v0 - There’s No ‘I’.zip

In FTF games, team play is exactly that: TEAM play.  Both players work the game.  And really, unless you have 5 players and a “no talking” rule, it has to be that way.  Otherwise, the Allied player that controls 2 or 3 powers has a big integration advantage.

Peace

@CrazyStraw:

Personally, I’m a big fan of the “Thor and Skippy Method”.  It’s an article on the Caspian Sub website - Policy Paper #17.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Caspian_Sub/files/1PolicyPapers/
CSubP17 1v0 - There’s No ‘I’.zip

In FTF games, team play is exactly that: TEAM play.  Both players work the game.  And really, unless you have 5 players and a “no talking” rule, it has to be that way.  Otherwise, the Allied player that controls 2 or 3 powers has a big integration advantage.

Peace

Thanks for the advice about Operation Sealion, Skippy.  You’re wrong.  I will roll all 1’s on the first round and success is guaranteed.  Why don’t you fetch me a tunafish sandwich with garlic salt on it to go with that lemonade.  BTW, while you are up check on Jorge and Oleg over at table 5, I hear we are up against them next game.

Thor

Hey, we love Skippy just because he’s Skippy.

And some might consider scouting Jorge and Oleg to be bad etiquette.  Of course if your opponent KNEW Jorge and Oleg, they would want you to study them closely…

@CrazyStraw:

And some might consider scouting Jorge and Oleg to be bad etiquette.Â

NO !!! Not the scouting debate again !!!  :)

I do agree that one player does need to take the lead role though, at least for tournament play.

Squirecam

@squirecam:

NO !!! Not the scouting debate again !!!  :)

BWhAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!1!

I’m making an, um, educational video!