Yes I would love to hear their arguments when the mods email them.

for the future, we try to avoid naming the accused in the first post, it's preferred to put it in the first reply. that way, if people are found innocent, they may not face as much stigma.

@ djbent: thanks for the advice - I was indeed not thinking of that and will do so the next time. I was just very convinced in this case after talking to other players.

sure thing, just something for the future =)

I'm looking into it.

I suspect of that too, looking their behaviour. But really don´t bother that much to post on the Forum.

You should look on [HGZ] Jay too....

Those guys are in a game I created...
Please look into it TGM.

I've been checking the profiles of the 4 (Generaloberst, Feldmarschall, [HGZ] Jay, jaylfg1860) and it seems quite obvious...

If they are not the same person, they surely know eachother offsite and have arranjed things before the games start.
With the exception of a few games from [HGZ] Jay, all the games in which they are playing have at least 2 of them playing.

What can be done?

"If they are not the same person, they surely know eachother offsite and have arranjed things before the games start. "

Wait, you are not allowed to play and arrange things with people you know off site? o.0

you can play with them, but setting pre-game alliances with them that you won't break is not acceptable.

If it is decided before the game starts, like an alliance whatever country you get or whatever happens: no you are not allowed. It is against the diplomacy spirit.

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong.

Is there a search function to find members?

Acceptable or not, is there actually a rule about that? I don't think it is against the spirit at all. Everyone could just gang up on the two allied countries. How is it any different then any other alliance?

I am not trying to make people angry. I am legitimately curious because I have rl friends who play diplomacy on this site.

The main problem is that most alliances online are subject to alliance breaking tactics, like threatening to throw the game, whereas if you're mates with your ally, you almost certainly won't stab.

Man, you guys have different kinds of friends then I have.
Regardless, even if you can't break that alliance, can't you just ally with someone else? I really do not see how this breaks the game.

Also the question about if there was a rule about these kinds of situations has not been answered.

there is no rule b/c it's basically impossible to prove. but if you keep playing games with "iamadouche91" and you two always ally, people will avoid you, talk smack about you, and generally be annoyed.

instead, play the game with you friends, and just treat them like any other player, who you would stab or ally with, or ally with and then stab. why is that so hard to ask?

Lol. I agree.The game is more fun that way.

I thoroughly enjoy stabbing friends. Typically they expect it less. And you get to see their faces later on, get amusing annoyed phone calls, etc.

And stabbing friends is the only way to play in a FTF game. :)

Cheese, you can play with friends, but you cannot allow the fact that you know a player to influence your play- if you can be sure that you won't stab each other, that is unacceptable.

As for a rule, I will warn people who I see meta-gaming not to, and if they don't stop... well, that hasn't happened, but it would lead to penalties.

@cheese - exactly!!! =D

Thanks for the clarification TG. :)

TGM:
about the guys mentioned here...
what will be done...?
It is recurrent and games are ongoing.

I'm sure if proven guilty it'll be taken care of. If they are not the same person they might be friends and not aware of the online ethics of this game. It should be brought to their attention via private messages?

The course of action I'd pursue for now.

The accounts:

[HGZ] Jay
Generaloberst
Feldmarschall
jaylfg1860

have been banned for multi accounting.

I'm guessing whoever s/he is, s/he's an FC 1860 Muenchen fan...

That was my guess, too... : )

I wonder why s/he is a 1860 Muenchen fan. Bayern Muenchen are light years ahead in skill.

"setting pre-game alliances with them that you won't break is not acceptable. "

Agreed, being a bad Diplomacy player is unacceptable! Let the ironclad-alliance "metagamers" hamstring themselves with bad alliance play - reap the benefits and stop whining about it. If people give you free stuff, TAKE THE FREE STUFF.

"If it is decided before the game starts, like an alliance whatever country you get or whatever happens: no you are not allowed. It is against the diplomacy spirit.

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong."

You're wrong. Glad to help!

Because no one with a shred of self-respect would support Bayern.

Why do you say that, gjdip? But it is your opinion I suppose.

Because pretty much every German who doesn't support Bayern feels that way. And asking 'I wonder why s/he is a 1860 Muenchen fan. Bayern Muenchen are light years ahead in skill,' is just like saying 'why support Leyton Orient when there are several other London teams in the Premiership?' It's a ridiculous question, especially when 1860 have got a rather good and proud history.

@Acosmist - please don't talk out of your arse! It has long been agreed that going into a game with another player as a pre-determined ally is against the spirit of the game, and would be a ban-able offence if it could be easily proven.

@acomist:
what is your problem?

The mods decided and banned!
Any doubt?
Stop being such an asshole.

@ Captain Dave: You're totally right! You don't support a soccer/football team because it wins a lot of games (only Bayern- ''fans'' do that) but because of the relation you have with the city, its history and because of the emotions the club transfers to the fans! (by the way the atmosphere at bayern is really poor)

It has been so long agreed that I needn't cite it! Stop talking.

And don't throw ban threats around - that itself ought to be a bannable offense. Maybe it is! I don't have the super-secret rules that everyone mentions but can't point me to.

You're talking about referencing on a forum?? Because that's ever going to happen when all the examples should be out there, somewhere. Ask any of the Mods on this site - and if you don't know who they are, it would explain you continuing to argue in favour of pre-game alliances - and they will explain to you exactly what I've said. They are, so to speak, The Law.

Acosmist = Ass-cosmist

@Acosmist - Ghostmaker is a moderator. Please see his quote below. It is the gospel rules and you best accept it as such or face the consequences in the future.

"Cheese, you can play with friends, but you cannot allow the fact that you know a player to influence your play- if you can be sure that you won't stab each other, that is unacceptable.

As for a rule, I will warn people who I see meta-gaming not to, and if they don't stop... well, that hasn't happened, but it would lead to penalties."

I look forward to seeing Acosmist getting himself banned. So much. SO much.

I agree with Sayjo the Lion-Hearted’s comment about ‘bringing this to their attention via a private message’. Let the individual know of your suspicion and the fact that you are requesting the moderator to investigate.

I have a little story I want to tell, regarding this topic. As a fairly new member, I just recently started posting on the message boards. After my very first post to the main board some people doing some background research into my gaming activities. Then when their investigation left them with questions, I was called out publicly as a possible Multi. Now after my reply I did receive an apology, via a private message. However this did leave a bad taste in my mouth with regards to the character of people who play on this site.

So I would like to say that if you decide not to contact the person you suspect of being a Multi directly, but rather ‘out them’ publicly you should be ready to man up and apologize publicly as well.

Agreed with Snelly. If you have suspicions, a private email to one of the Mods should be the first course of action. Dragging it out in public before anything has been proven is not a good way to handle these kinds of situations.

Yes, please always email [email protected]