http://realpolitik.sourceforge.net/

I like the principle of experimenting with new openings, so I'd be open to participate. The one caveat is that you can't really *actually* see how an opening does, since all the other countries are experimenting at the same time. So any experience gained is of relatively little value.

You could also play against a computer, but I had hoped that players would be willing to openly discuss their movements and justifications during the games so as to cancel out that effect. If nothing else, it provides some interesting ideas.

http://devel.diplom.org/DipPouch/Online/Openings/

YES, I KNOW THERE ARE SITES THAT LIST OPENINGS.

This is not the same thing.

Gunboat for dummies game?

Are you saying you want a game 2WL?

We did that once, it was kind of fun.

Maybe? I play most of my gunboats these days like a dummy anyway.

I'd be up for it

I'd be interested.

I'm interested in how this works

I forget the details, but we had a list of every opening move combination possible by a country and you couldn't use any openings in the top 10 or something like that. We might have used Vaftstats, but it was hosted on Draugnar's website which doesn't appear to exist anymore. Its fun for the first year, but then it just settles into a regular gunboat game. The other issue that we encountered (there's only been two dummies games) is that some players take the "dummies" part more seriously than others. If Turkey goes full dummy and opens A Con-Ank, A Smy-Syr, and F Ank-Arm, but Russia opens F Sev-Bla, A War-Pru, A Mos,Ukr, and F StP-GoB, its technically still within the rules of the game but he's set up much better for the fall than Turkey.

Yeah, it ended up really hurting countries like Turkey, Italy, and England that have so few openings and benefitting the Russias and Frances.

The unpredictability was fun but someone inevitably takes advantage.

Yeah, that's why the whole prearranged cancel thing is in place. You get your opening and you have a couple of years to see where you can progress. There's really no semblance of a full game.

It's not flawless, and given that everyone would be opening in a really crazy way, there's probably not a ton that can be read into it, as others have said. Still, there's interest:

1.) bo
2.) Vallk
3.) DeathLlama
4.) TheReinvented (?)
5.) 2WL (?)
6.) loser #1
7.) loser #2

We can have as many players/games as anyone wants and I assume I can arrange it in such a way that you can play the country you want at least once if we play enough games.

..

gunboat or press?

I would try a gunboat version ... preferably Germany or Russia.

if it's gunboat i'd be in too.

Yeah, gunboat. No need for press. It's not like we're trying to convince people to pull a crazy opening or something.

If there's still space and this is still happening I'd be game.

1.) bo
2.) Vallk
3.) DeathLlama
4.) TheReinvented
5.) 2WL
6.) VirtualBob
7.) kasimax
8.) sanctacaris

We can play as many games as necessary. If anyone else is interested, say so.

I'm interested if you're planning on doing a press game. I think the really interesting openings require at least two players to try.

Fair point. Actually, good point.

When'd I sign up for this? You can take me off the list.

FINE GOD WHY DO YOU HAVE TO GET IN MY FACE LIKE THAT

Whoa...pump the brakes bo.

That's me trying to be funny while completely drunk at 4 am, ignore it...

I'm only in for gunboat--no time for that press stuff.

You don't have to send extensive press. Every game gets cancelled anyway.

I'm thinking we can play seven games with seven players and shuffle so that everyone gets a shot at each. If you have something in mind for your country, do it, and if not, see if you can't help someone else out. Seems pretty easy.

1.) bo
2.) Vallk
3.) DeathLlama
4.) TheReinvented
5.) VirtualBob
6.) kasimax
7.) sanctacaris

No one has so far objected. 7 games, shuffled countries, 48 hour phases (enough time to organize with another nation), with an agreement to cancel at the conclusion of 1903?

Confirming I'm in, assuming it's GB

As before, it's full press, but you're under no obligation to communicate if you don't want to and you are not obligated to assist in anyone else's openings at all. I trust no one is going to harass you if you choose not to talk.

It also goes without saying that we ready orders as soon as we can I assume.

fine by me. staggered start, or all at once?

Sounds fine to me

Whatever works. I'd prefer to start them all and get it all over with within a week, wouldn't you?

Bumping for any further interest.

That all sounds good to me. I probably won't be very chatty but there are really only a couple countries I want to try new openings for, so I'm happy to use the others to help people try out their multi-country ideas.

WHOA ...
Friday: "As before, it's full press, ..."

Last Tuesday: "Yeah, gunboat. No need for press."

???

And how did we end up with 7 games?

I could do 7 games with the "shuffle" option, but only GB. If press, then *maybe* I could handle 1.

You should read the rest of the "as before" and maybe the other posts in the thread. TMOW made a good point. The only reason it's press is so that you can send and receive messages if someone asks for your help in executing an opening. If you don't want to reply, fine. If you don't want to receive messages, say so in global, enter your moves, hit ready, and don't touch the game until the next phase. You can treat it as gunboat and no one is going to criticize you, and if they do, fuck it, these games are getting canceled anyway.

OK ... withdrawing overreaction.

Invites have been sent.

Maybe make a separate thread with the game links - gonna be fun to watch.

I will post them here once they are shuffled. Maybe we can have some running commentary since the games aren't real games and they're getting canceled.

So when will they be shuffled? Three of them are active now.

Will the phase length be reset when the games are shuffled?