@GL, It is true that you cannot be ignorant of tactics or strategy. But, you can be passable with those two on just about every board with an ability to talk other players into doing things that aren't really in their best interest.

In 4-5 years playing this game I am still learning new things, even basic things, as I go along. Most of that learning I attribute to playing with competition that is much better than I am.

@GL, I am really a FTF player. What online play I have done recently (got my first online solo nearly 30 years ago), has been over at PD (even then barely played there in a year). I do plan on getting a game up here on webDip maybe in the next month. Thanks for the compliment.

@ Pastor ...are you on twitter maybe that will help comms ...

"Tactics is also the least important of the "triad" of tactics, strategy and diplomacy, with diplomacy being by far the most important."

Tactics and diplomacy only exist to serve strategy. World-class diplomacy in the service of bad strategy just means you talk people into doing things that are bad for you.

@carebear: I talk to other players while actually working in their best interest.

For my part, yes, I have forgotten how to play diplomacy. I still talk a lot but now I just annoy people.

Press is boring. If you can't say it with your moves, it's probably not worth saying.

@GL I've heard that passworded games are generally with better players, but that begs the question: how does one get into that sort of game? I know I'd like to play with more talkative, knowledgeable players.

What an absurd thing to say.

Regarding the "if you can't say it with your moves, it's probably not worth saying" comment.

@Fairfax - While I disagree with your sentiment, it is a perfectly valid way to play. However, it seems reasonable that with the availability of Gunboat, players with this viewpoint should play Gunboat rather than Full Press games where communication is expected.

Sure Carebear, it was meant more as a comment on the futility of press games.

@Fairfax - I am not sure I understand what you mean. Unless you mean that only lies come out of people's mouths? ;)

@Gen. Lee
Diplomacy is strategy. Even the best tactician and strategist will lose if he does not negotiate or communicate with anybody. In fact, a large chunk of any given strategy requires a lot of diplomacy. Most strategies cannot be achieved without diplomacy.

I'm not a NASCAR fan, but this article talking about NASCAR has a lot of success points that bleed over to Diplomacy.
http://ojs-prod-lib.cc.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/727/636

Don't get bogged down in the specific technical details of drafting...

@Hapapop - Oh, but drafting is important! Sometimes you have to draft onto the leader before you can overtake them. ;)

Agreed. But you don't need the aerodynamic details...

In response to

CAPT Brad: Correct, I have not played any games here. I am not a big fan of rating systems (as some of you may be aware), and also, most of the games here are too fast paced for my taste. I like something on the order of two weeks per game year.

As far as thinking I am a bad Dipper because of my remark, well, its an interesting change of pace from the huge target I am usually wearing.

I'd be interested in hearing what you do not like about Known World 901. I am always interested in criticism, since it can help me improve my variants.

stupidfighter: I don't know if "legend" is appropriate, but I have been around the Hobby for a while (I first played in 1980) and have done a bunch of things, including designing several variants (I am working on a couple more right now), running or helping to run tournaments (the biggest being the '97 Worldmasters on Cat23, which had 79 hand-adjudicated boards (553 players) in the first round alone), heading up online Dip groups (most notably the ACD and the Variant Workshop), writing numerous pieces for the Diplomatic Pouch and Diplomacy World (the Way of the Warrior articles, the Design of a Variant Articles, the Soloist Manifesto--me at my most preachy, and many others), editing the Model House Rules... blah, blah, blah, enough resume! LOL

Gen. Lee:

See my first comment to CAPT Brad. I lurk (and sometimes speak) in most of the Dip forums. Also, I have been around too long and my playing time is too limited to play a lot on a newbie level, which is probably what I'd need to do here, since my point total is low. I am normally only interested in going up against really good, experienced, reliable players. No insult to the forum intended, by the way I am absolutely sure there are good, experienced, reliable players here.

Yes, tactics, strategy and diplomacy are all important. You can't be a really good player without being at least good in all three. But of the three, diplomacy is the most important. As we have all seen, the best tacticians and strategists around get eliminated in 1904 often enough. With great diplomacy, you can have everyone else tie up the best tacticians and strategists in knots for you.

peregrine falcon: When you've been around as long as I have, and shoot your mouth off as much as I do, you tend to become known. ;^)

peterwiggin: Not so. Tactics, strategy and diplomacy are all tools useful in achieving the object of the game.

Brad is one of the worst players on this site, by far.

He can't see anything from other people's perspectives, so that makes sense.

@ David E. Cohen. i do have you beat in one respect. i played my first Face to Face Diplomacy game in 1970. i then searched for many years to find anyone else who wanted to play beyond the one on one (i played with another navy officer in the early eighties). i discovered the stalemate line in those exchanges.

Stalemate lines. Ugh. One of my least favorite things in Standard Diplomacy. I try to minimize their influence over play in the variants I design.

What? But stalemates make diplomacy a requirement, otherwise you can just power thru with more force and tactics.

Occasionally, I suppose, but more often stalemate lines signify the end of diplomacy, or its forthcoming absence, especially if you have a player or players who are satisfied with a draw. They rush to get to a stalemate line, then stick to it like a tick on a dog, satisfied with a draw. Of course, I rush to get to stalemate lines too, so I can get past them!

That is something I've been noticing about Known World. I have yet to find a stalemate line.

For which I am glad. :^)

I've found a couple. Smallest one is 20 centers, though.