ODC 2019 Tournament Start

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VillageIdiot
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#341 Post by VillageIdiot » Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:26 pm

Im in agreement with my colleagues on the full disclosure idea for similar reasons, but I’ll quite happily participate in a detailed AAR or any articles being put together. I’m nowhere near disciplined enough to keep notes going as I go but I can clumsily piece together my recollection after the conclusion with only minimal spin doctoring to make me look extra good for decisions made.

Who’s actually running this now?

swordsman3003
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#342 Post by swordsman3003 » Mon Jan 20, 2020 3:52 am

You all know me well enough by now to know that I’ll write about my perspective on the match one way or the other—perhaps for years to come, if I find that hindsight continues to grant me insight into long-finished games.

I am more than happy to publish whatever the players write up (be that contemporaneous notes, or just a normal post-mortem AAR). My BrotherBored blog has enough of a following at this point that I think our collective thoughts would reach a large audience. I think it would be nice to have the writings in one place and promoted for what they are. I also think posterity would be grateful for whatever we can contribute to the hobby.

I wish I had enough time to keep a journal, but my life has changed so much since this tournament started 10 months ago. It feels almost like a lifetime ago—really I mean that. I have a different job, and more. I think I’m just barely going to have the time to spend that the match really deserves. I made sure I’m not involved in any other matches, or activities in general for that matter, so that I don’t disappoint.

I agree with other players that I think a lot of personal stuff may come out in the match. If we’re playing until 1930 or whatever, and some of us still have our pause time left, then this match will last 4-6 months. I am serious about that prediction. When games go on THAT long, you end up referring a lot to the comings and goings of your everyday life.

jay65536
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#343 Post by jay65536 » Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:13 pm

swordsman3003 wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2020 3:52 am
If we’re playing until 1930 or whatever, and some of us still have our pause time left, then this match will last 4-6 months.
The game doesn't go that long if someone solos. Don't scoff--I've witnessed this happening on top boards before.

Also, re: your last post, how did your dad get those odds? Because my instinct (honed by a not-insignificant amount of time in the gambling industry and a long time in the Diplomacy hobby) is that any bookmaker offering those odds would lose money. (Side note, if we're talking about betting on Diplomacy, it seems designed for parimutuel, not fixed-odds.)

DipPlayer88
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#344 Post by DipPlayer88 » Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:16 pm

Fair enough. All the best in the finals!

VillageIdiot
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#345 Post by VillageIdiot » Mon Jan 20, 2020 3:39 pm

jay65536 wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:13 pm
The game doesn't go that long if someone solos. Don't scoff--I've witnessed this happening on top boards before.
They actually happen very very often on these toro boards, especially in these winner takes all situations. Emotions (and egos) can run high, top players are extremely capable kingmakers, and they have high risk tolerance for making very bold strategy choices.

captainmeme
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#346 Post by captainmeme » Mon Jan 20, 2020 8:37 pm

The game is on!

It can be found here with a tentative start date of the 27th. All finalists should have received PMs with the password - good luck to you all!
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Temasek22
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#347 Post by Temasek22 » Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:17 pm

VillageIdiot wrote:
Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:56 am
Now all I have a to do is ensure I play well enough to not become a cautionary tale of “what not to do” on future articles on BrotherBored.

So, any indication as to when we may be looking to kick off these finals?
That nearly happened to the novice, yours truly. Good luck to all the finalists!!
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Your Humble Narrator
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#348 Post by Your Humble Narrator » Tue Jan 21, 2020 3:14 am

Temasek22 wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:17 pm
VillageIdiot wrote:
Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:56 am
Now all I have a to do is ensure I play well enough to not become a cautionary tale of “what not to do” on future articles on BrotherBored.

So, any indication as to when we may be looking to kick off these finals?
That nearly happened to the novice, yours truly. Good luck to all the finalists!!
This did happen to yours truly in the first round of the tournament. I'm pleased to have a chance to redeem myself, but it will be doubly painful if I become a recurring "what not to do" character in the Swordsman extended universe.
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teccles
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#349 Post by teccles » Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:24 am

Your Humble Narrator wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2020 3:14 am
This did happen to yours truly in the first round of the tournament. I'm pleased to have a chance to redeem myself, but it will be doubly painful if I become a recurring "what not to do" character in the Swordsman extended universe.
For my part, I'm still expecting I'll make an appearance in Top 5 Reasons You Got Backstabbed. Either in the article "You told your ally all your moves" or in "You thought swordsman had a loyal bone in his body".
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Octavious
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#350 Post by Octavious » Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:53 am

The obvious solution is to counter the Swordsman blog threat by writing your own article for one of the various Diplomacy magazines that are out there.

For those who have never done this before, the formula is quite simple. Never write anything before you finish the game. Once the game is over craft a narrative in which everything remotely positive occurred because of some piece of diplomatic genius on your part, and blame everything that went wrong on a useful scapegoat, mentioning some key phrases about them failing to see the bigger picture or having poor communication styles. Some nonsense about them focusing on the tactical at the expense of the strategic, or vice versa, usually gives the impression that you know what you're talking about.

Make sure you identify something insignificant that you did wrong, and use a smattering of self depreciating language, and that should help disguise the fact that your article is ridiculously one sided in your favour.

If desperate copy and paste an old end of game statement and change some of the names, as they're all pretty much the same as each other. Sorted :)
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The Belgian Bulldog
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#351 Post by The Belgian Bulldog » Tue Jan 21, 2020 9:12 am

That is some invaluable advice right there, for which I am already eternally grateful. I think it is also important to highlight here that this advice is coming from the winner of the last ODC back in 2015, so that it should not be taken lightly. In fact, how to apply these more abstract rules to a concrete example can be seen in Octavious' own EoG analysis of the Board 2 of the ODC 2015 Final ;-)
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jay65536
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#352 Post by jay65536 » Tue Jan 21, 2020 5:07 pm

The Belgian Bulldog wrote:
Tue Jan 21, 2020 9:12 am
That is some invaluable advice right there, for which I am already eternally grateful. I think it is also important to highlight here that this advice is coming from the winner of the last ODC back in 2015, so that it should not be taken lightly. In fact, how to apply these more abstract rules to a concrete example can be seen in Octavious' own EoG analysis of the Board 2 of the ODC 2015 Final ;-)
There was an ODC in 2017 too...
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DougJoe
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#353 Post by DougJoe » Mon Oct 05, 2020 2:00 pm

Wow, it's finally over! Been watching the final game for quite a while... can't wait to hear thoughts on the final game if the players are willing to share.

Congratulations Brumark!
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VillageIdiot
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#354 Post by VillageIdiot » Mon Oct 05, 2020 4:24 pm

Awesome job Brumark!

Brumark
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#355 Post by Brumark » Mon Oct 05, 2020 4:54 pm

Thank you both, my goodness DougJoe - that is some commitment to follow, I think all of us in game gave up hope of seeing an end at one point or another so well done to you.

I am very willing to share/discuss the game will my fellow players and all and sundry. I would also be happy to do a full AAR if at least a couple of the others want to do that too.
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teccles
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#356 Post by teccles » Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:17 pm

Congratulations here as well Brumark!

I will definitely write up a decent length AAR at some point.
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umbletheheep
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#357 Post by umbletheheep » Mon Oct 05, 2020 8:42 pm

Congratulations Brumark! If anyone is interested in hearing the thoughts of a lowly substitute player who eased my nation into humiliation and defeat, I'll throw mine in. - New Austria (1906-1907)
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#358 Post by DougJoe » Mon Oct 05, 2020 10:57 pm

Brumark wrote:
Mon Oct 05, 2020 4:54 pm
Thank you both, my goodness DougJoe - that is some commitment to follow, I think all of us in game gave up hope of seeing an end at one point or another so well done to you.
Well, it's a lot easier to spectate than to play... all the players are to be commended for playing as long as they did!

I think I started really watching in Autumn 1903 when the first messages about the Austria virus came out in the global chat (I did go back and read all the cheese-related goodness before that!). I'm currently reading a web comic that releases a new page about once a month and the current issue/story has been going on for over 4 years now (PS238, in case anyone is familiar) so a nine month long game is nothing... I really looked forward to the turn deadlines just to see what kind of craziness had happened.

And, actually, this was the game that prompted me to ask what everybody thought about eliminated players still trying to influence others in the global chat... I just didn't think it was appropriate to say that at the time.

Looking forward to anyone's AAR!
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Napoleon of Oz
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#359 Post by Napoleon of Oz » Mon Oct 05, 2020 11:06 pm

Yes - congratulations to Brumark, and to each of the others who played this one! In advance of any detailed AARs, I will say it was easily the longest and most high press game I have been involved in, with the most switching of alliances, numerous beat down the board leader alliances, a few serious comebacks and a hostile public feud or two.

Yet, despite the very cut-throat nature there was also some very distinct trusting alliances for stretches of the game, where moves where coordinated with precision often to devastating impact. It was also a game where the tournament setting changed the outcome - I think in a non-tournament setting this would have been agreed as a 9/9/8/8 draw many years earlier when the traditional stalemate line was hit by a western (FG) and eastern (IR) alliance. I would definitely be willing to contribute to the AAR if we are trying to document some of what happened.
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Re: ODC 2019 Tournament Start

#360 Post by Napoleon of Oz » Mon Oct 05, 2020 11:50 pm

PS - also wanted to thank Durga for organising and Captainmeme for continuing to support the tournament subsequently. I appreciate large scale tournaments like this require a lot of time investment to organise.
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