Where?

DAMNIT.

the only way i could ever see that is as a last resort. and the opponent would probaly take advantage of it and take your nearest SC.

I'd consider it a strategy (and not cheating), but I think it would be unhelpful. I try to log in close to the deadline for most of my games to see if anyone looks like they will NMR, and I take as much advantage of it as I can. This can backfire, as I sometimes use a different tactic of looking like an NMR until about 1 minute before go time (and I imagine others might too). I don't know many people who just step off of NMR's unless other things are going on, so I see it as having more of a possible disadvantage than advantage.

yes

usually in a stale mate position where you can't solo, but other can stab each other if they think you've left the game...

First, I'd call it a strategy. It's certainly not cheating. If you intend to submit all holds, then NMR'ing accomplishes just that, but with a slightly different psychological effect.

Take for example this game. gameID=42902

I played as Germany and was involved in a Western Triple. France told me of his intention to stab England in Fall 1906. I had made plenty of progress in the Spring (and was in no danger to lose territory if I did not submit moves). However, I did not want to move against France in aid of England - neither did I want to seem complacent in France's stab against England. So, I purposefully NMR'ed. When I "came back" I apologized to England for not acting to help him, and build fleets at the end of that year to "help him against France."

You can see the end of the game if you want to know how it turned out. Suffice it to say, a purposeful NMR played a big role diplomatically for me.

I'm in a World game now where I saw an alliance was going down in flames (and I would be with it) and decided to turn in all-holds for a couple game years. Needless to say, no one expected the Ghanaian fleet to magically take flight (sail, whatever) into Great Britain and Germany. I'm now alive a few game years longer than if I'd fought it out and lost.

Of course now I'm on the brink of elimination, but it sure was fun!

Reminds me of the trick Bean did in Ender's Game...

Holy fuck, Pres. Die already.

NEIN

I'll reemphasize SacredDigits thoughts. Purposely not entering a move until there is a minute or two left is a good way to 'simulate' an NMR, but put in orders thinking that your opponents will see your NMR. This only works in anon, as non-anon shows when you are logged in (and when you logged in last), but I accidentally did this a while ago and find that it worked perfect in that situation... but I haven't really used it much, since.

"Needless to say, no one expected the Ghanaian fleet to magically take flight (sail, whatever) into Great Britain and Germany. I'm now alive a few game years longer than if I'd fought it out and lost."

ha! i did that once. as ghana, i sat in great britain for a couple years hoping the game situation might change. it didn't, and i eventually died.

fortknox, you can do that in non-anon as well, just have to be logged out while watching the game page.

I do this from time to time. First noted Marek doing it quite regularly ~ a year ago.

I can't say I've intentionally done it...but there have been times that I have and it has helped me.

I have been on the other end of this tactic recently - turkey had actually left the game but with units in con, arm and smy. I was in sev and controlled balkans but didn't have an active fleet so no esay pickings in turkey. I moved forces northwards and Turkey raises from the dead. However, he announced his resurrection and i covered the moves. I filed this under 'playing possum strategies' to be deployed when the need arrises.

In a league game last year (gameID=34964) I was Turkey. In the face of a Western triple I submitted all holds for several turns (6 times in all) and was included in the final draw after some half hearted, but opportunistic stabs.

I tried it here gameID=28251 as a last ditch effort against E/G alliance. I believe it increased tensions a bit, but instead of betraying each other they exchanged SCs.

I've had a couple of situations where going NMR for a year could have been beneficial for me, but I've always refused. This is a quote from the rules, "Don't abuse the software to gain an edge in online games that isn't possible in a real-life." If I were playing Diplomacy at a table, face to face, it would be nearly impossible to go NMR. It's only the fact that you're playing an online version of the game that allows it to happen. Unfortunately, it would be rather difficult to prove intention to cheat when that's being reported.

You can NMR in postal