Hi CS,

Please remember that public cheating accusations are against the rules of this site, and that all inquiries should and only should be directed to [email protected]. Specifically, the concerns you raise have been addressed, and while you're welcome to express more concerns or opinions via the appropiate channel, further infractions will result in a silence.

Thanks,
webDip mod

I think everybody has different definitions of what "anonymous" and metagaming as related to it means in Diplomacy games. We don't do a great job in our site rules of outlining that, but from my experience here and elsewhere the general attitude is that speculation on others or outright identifying yourself (truthfully or deceptively) is perfectly fine.

I think the important thing is what you do with that information and what's acceptable metagaming. Of course players are going to use tournament points across games as a consideration for how they play, that's too unintuititive not to. Allying or attacking with somebody because of something they did in another game is considered bad form, although again there's going to be some degree of human nature in there where a player can't completely turn their brain off to personal experience of somebody being a traditionally good or bad suited ally. Attacking somebody for "pay back" on something they did in another game, that's a pretty unambigious no-no.

If anybody more official has any corrections to these assumptions, by all means chime in.

You all heard it here first. Vixol's the most dangerous, go get him!

"Attacking somebody for 'pay back' on something they did in another game, that's a pretty unambigious no-no."

Is a first round game in a single tournament considered "another game" when compared to a second round game in the same tournament? I would think not. In a single tournament (e.g. 2016 World Cup) all games combine together for the ultimate final result. If one team metagames against another team in the first round, they should fully expect payback in a later round (whether it is ultimately attempted or
not).

they let you come back?

Not my understanding of acceptable meta-gaming, but not mine to call.

VillageIdiot, if you're right there is still the problem of enforcing. If I claim I attack you because I thought it was good for my position on the board, who are anyone to tell me "no, you did it from revenge, and that's not allowed, you're disqualified".

"Any 'solution' in which the TD is allowed to benefit from breaking anonymity and then conveniently change the rules so his team can't be harmed by it is unacceptable and should be seen as unacceptable by the entire community."

I could not agree more, completely unacceptable. If a team metagames in round one claiming it's their best way to advance, why can't a team do the same in the next round claiming it's their best way to win the tournament.

I'm not actually following too closely, but if what CS is saying is true, I'm pretty shocked and disappointed (not that anyone cares of course)... and vixol just nailed it on the head...

Frankly, if the TD's team targeted team Cali in the first round, I would not be surprised to find out after the fact that *multiple* teams targeted the TD's team in the finals... Do unto others what you'd have others do unto you, for all intents and purposes they've asked for it...

MM - you're not in the loop and what CS was saying is not the true picture. Hence why he was threatened with silencing by the mods. Please do not wade in with judgement on matters that you admit to not following closely

I guess that's one way to incentivize better controls towards anonymity.

Questions:
1) If I start my game in the final round by publicly announce "Hi, I'm vixol from team Sweden", do I break the rules?

2) If someone else (who is no team Sweden) start their game in the final round by publicly announce "Hi, I'm vixol from team Sweden", do s/he break the rules?

"Who? Are you here taking coffee orders?"

;)

I think a lot of the complaining constitutes whining. In any diplomacy game, you might have weird reactions. Diplomacy is played by humans and they are often unpredictable. Player A may just as easily make a completely irrational decision and decide he hates vixol as another might decide that metagaming motives decide his moves. In short, you cannot control anything in a Dip game. It's jungle warfare. You use everything you can to win.

Of course people try to figure out who was who in their games. I don't know enough code to figure out things like date stamps--assuming that information can even be used to accurately identify people. But I do know enough to listen for clues, like how players use language. From that it would be foolish not to attempt to deduce the teams for each GP.

Vixol claims to be an old-time ftf player. If so, he already knows that metagaming is going to happen. It's totally fair game in any tournament for players to use metagaming argument. There is absolutely nothing against the rules of Dip that prohibit it.

Therefore, accept that there are no rules in a knife fight and play on.

I dont disapprove of metagaming. If you thought so I have been unclear. But meta-gaming should be available to all or none. What made it weird was that 2/3 into my game one person starting telling everyone who everyone was, and that he had known it all the time because he was clever and dedicated enough to use the site info to figure it out. Clearly his team had an advantage when it seemed only his team in our group knew this. So when the tournament is announced as anonymous games, then in reality is means "anonymous to all you newcomers who dont know better". Either we should all know, or none. Ideally. If for example none knew, it would be a totally ok strategy to try and figure out by press who is who, or to claim to be someone to manipulate others and so on. No problem with that.

@vixol - the answers to your questions are No and No.

Also, the person in your game was HR, I believe? He's just like that. Not all other players are.

I'm definitely opening all of my press in the finals with "Hi, I'm vixol from team Sweden."

I think all games in the finals should be public press, but in gunboats you can´t discuss moves, just who the players are. It would be fun.

"I do appreciate all the commentary though."

How am I (and others that are not following closely, which I assume is mostly everyone) supposed to understand what is actually going on if there is not additional commentary to tease out the situation? What on earth are we not allowed to do to the precious TD's team in the finals? Beat them?! ;-)

Question:
Would it break the rules to agree to retroactively +1 every post ever made by the first player to recognize and acknowledge Goldie in their public press during the Finals?

*Sprints off to design "Team Cali" and "Team Goldie" T-shirts.

You should print Team Sweden t-shirts if you want to get really rich. Remember we won the team championship at World Dip Con 1994 in Birmingham! Haha! Never trust the Swedish inquisition!

Of course, vixol. How could I forget that?

Congrats to Balki on his solo finish in Group C Public Press

http://www.webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=183887

About bloody time

Congrats, Balki. I've been watching your game for some time. Who was the Russia that nearly NMR'ed?

How on earth do you solo in public press?

Be better at diplomacy.