Right now in one of my games. I convinced a nation that he will take back a key sea space from nation C with my support when in fact I will use the fleet to attack him and the nation C fleet will convoy and one of my army to attack him.

I get momentary pangs. >=D

I as well...

I know dingleberry has stabbed a newbsicle but he wasn't feeling guilty

Whenever I teach one of my friends how to play, I always make sure I"m the first to stab them. That way, they experience it from someone who cares. : )

airborne - don't feel bad - it builds character! And it builds tactical skill in the game - gets you to that point whenre you trust, but defend. That's the best position to be in. Being able to trust your ally knowing that they can't possibly stab you effectively. Of course that's harder in the beginning stages of the game, but one you get a support line against your "ally" they know they can't touch you, and you can totally "trust" them from that point in the game.

the newbies you stab, are just one step closer to realizing that. Plus a nice stab is truly honored here - so go for it! But be cool about it, not boastful, and explain to them that it's part of the game.

I agree philcore, once you get in to the midgame if you can be stabbed effectively by your ally without your ally losing relative game position (say to a rival alliance) its your own fault and you deserve it.

yes (to the original question.)

I always feel bad after a stab... I'm an NF - I cant help it.

I always feel a bit bad about stabbing, newbie or not... but thats just an issue of my personal psychology I need to work on.

Theres no real rationale for it.

Well, I had a friend who when asked why he played Dippy said that his 5 year old daughter used to weep buckets whenever he kicked her puppy for peeing – so he started to play Dippy and now really enjoys stabbing whether or not the puppy is peeing around the house.

Plenty of times I did it in the real board game. The guilty feeling arises but then satisfaction. Ha ha.

My second game as a Noob I double - x'd my Turkish ally in the second turn from Russia, just as his forces were spreading out! I ended up winning the game. So there you go, it's not all one sided...

"Whenever I teach one of my friends how to play, I always make sure I"m the first to stab them. That way, they experience it from someone who cares. : )"

LOL! Nice...I like it.

I always feel bad about it...but one thing I never understood was when someone was being boastful or arrogant about it. I've run into this a few times...even when I've done nothing to warrant the face rub.

That irks me. I can take a stab (sure I might get a little upset, but it passes quickly)...what I cannot take is the stab with the "ha, ha".

Grinds my gears.

what gets me is a bad stab, one that isn't really helping out the stabber. Especially when the person stabbing you is only doing so because they've been manipulated by a third party.

I second that El_Perro. I just got stabbed by an Austria (I was Italy) who abandoned our stalemate line to stab me... Now we're both going to be eliminated and out 100+ points.

El Perro - I can see why that would piss you off about your ally-turned-stabber, but for the player who manipulated him? That's brilliant! That's better than a stab from his point of view, it's a stab that he talked someone else into doing that will benefit HIM and not the stabber! now THAT'S Diplomacy!!

o yeah, I have no problem with that third party. that's just good play on his part

answer to original question: no, I never have.

I'll second that... Jacob is utterly without a conscience.

:-)

I've been stabbed as a newbie and felt bad about it. : )

I learnt my lesson though, and consider myself a better player because of it. Stab them, you help their game in the long term.

now, now Dexter...I meant that I would *never* even THINK of stabbing a newbie :P

heck - I'm basically a newbie myself - the only full games of Diplomacy I've ever played are right here in the last few months on phpdip