RIP Allan Calhamer - Inventor of Diplomacy

[mirth]

We had a house rule about Number Two pencils, and not sharpening them. 
One fellow took the "back-stabbing" a bit literally.

Good rule.

[LongBlade]

We had a house rule about Number Two pencils, and not sharpening them. 
One fellow took the "back-stabbing" a bit literally.

Good rule.

Back to my original position: I'm not eager to play...

[mirth]

I'm exaggerating the competitive aspects of the game. You do need to cooperate and honor your deals or you'll find yourself out of it quickly. Alliances shift as the game progresses, mostly out of necessity. Your ally in one turn may suddenly be too strong to leave unchallenged and you find yourself working with someone else to hold him in check. And it's quite possible to play the game without screwing anyone over, at least not behind their backs. In the end, someone does have to win.

Sometimes the most fun is making a deal with someone and then, as the turn unfolds, wondering if they'll honor their commitment to you or leave you hanging out to dry.

[LongBlade]

I'm exaggerating the competitive aspects of the game. You do need to cooperate and honor your deals or you'll find yourself out of it quickly. Alliances shift as the game progresses, mostly out of necessity. Your ally in one turn may suddenly be too strong to leave unchallenged and you find yourself working with someone else to hold him in check. And it's quite possible to play the game without screwing anyone over, at least not behind their backs. In the end, someone does have to win.

Sometimes the most fun is making a deal with someone and then, as the turn unfolds, wondering if they'll honor their commitment to you or leave you hanging out to dry.

Better :)