Do you really think that you\'re fooling anyone?
 

How do you respond to a player who offers a NAP when you aren't interested? It seems that a surprising number of players just don't answer at all. I've noticed this in other MP games as well.

Do players really think that by not answering, they will fool the sender into thinking they have peaceful intentions?

Re: Do you really think that you\'re fooling anyone?
 

I'm as likely to ignore it as anything else, simply because sometimes there's no point wasting time replying.

Re: Do you really think that you\'re fooling anyone
 

I tend to ignore it. To me its like any other pitch. Just because Im not interested, doesnt mean that Im automatically going to go the other direction. It often means Im just not interested in joining up with someone.

Altho sometimes, for me, ingoring is rather tactical. I dont like to be the one that starts a war. So if I would prefer a war, and get offered a NAP, then I dont answer back something like "prepare to die". By ignoring it I sometimes get the other guy to shout a "prepare to die".

Re: Do you really think that you\'re fooling anyone
 

Ignoring the request may leave the nation with some doubt as to your intentions, whereas outright refusing it says to them "Hello, I have hostile intentions towards you."

Re: Do you really think that you\'re fooling anyone
 

I would ignore usually as well.

Ignore sends a clear and consise message as far as I am concerned, sooner or later I will be at war with you so do not want a inconvenient NAP.

I have had a situation sometimes in MP where the player in question mathers me with alot of messages. They don't get that ignoreing there message was the answer.

Re: Do you really think that you\'re fooling anyone
 

Reason #34b why i dislike diplomacy: many people just don't answer.

Being the ridiculously passive Dom player that i am, i mostly wait for others to offer the NAPs, so it doesn't come up that often. I also do my level best to only make NAPs with players i've had successful NAPs with before, so that limits the options.

Re: Do you really think that you\'re fooling anyone
 

I'm the only one who picked option 3? You guys are no fun at all.

Keep in mind: as in Poker, it's to your advantage to be sometimes caught bluffing.

DOOM!

Re: Do you really think that you\'re fooling anyone
 

Sometimes ignoring the message is the answer, sometimes its "I'm really busy and can barely play my turns and forgot about the message."
I generally try to make at least the first few messages in character, so I'll usually follow up an unanswered message with some kind of IC response to being ignored and a warning that I'll have no choice but to consider you hostile.

As for initial response, I'll sometimes stall by negotiating terms without actually agreeing to anything. Borders, length of treaty, even bring up cooperation against others.
Of course, I like to do some of this when I do want the treaty. Or I may be waiting for other negotiations. If I've got 2 potential targets, I may prefer to attack one, but if he offers a treaty, I don't want to reject it until I've got a deal with the other.

Re: Do you really think that you\'re fooling anyone
 

I know I'm a bit new and all, but most people I've had NAPs with break them. So I don't really get the point. Not anymore.

Re: Do you really think that you\'re fooling anyone
 

Asking a NAP from a neighbour is a bit like asking some girl to a date in one regard:

No answer is an answer, and also it tells you that the one not giving you any answer is either just impolite, plain jerk or doesn't care enough to answer.

You can stall with other ways, or give very polite denial. You know, actually communicate.

Of course, cultural variations exist. I've run into some with foreign (to me) dominions players, with people preferring not to give a "no, I won't" answer in any situation, claiming they actually can't. And afterwards proving with actions they actually could have, just didn't want to. Which, to me, is the way you treat a child, not another adult. But apparently is "polite norm" in some places. Had a quite long conversation about these cultural differences a while back.