[OT] The Art of Winning Games

[spoon]

Originally posted by Slynky:
I don't believe in doing ANYTHING legal, though, because I prefer to have my reputation follow me from game to game.

What happens is people confuse doing this with being honorable. It's not being honorable, per se, it is more of a metagame behavior aimed at winning you more games.

I do the same thing, mostly. I'll "backstab" someone who irks me, but I won't go back on my word. For me, making a T&R agreement with someone, for example, does not include with it any promise to not attack the same turn it is dropped. However, if I had made a "gentleman's" pact with that person, such as the five-turn warning you mentioned, then I will always wait the five turns, for the reasons you state (reputation).

[Fyron]

While I realize (according to a poll I conducted some time back) that some people do things like that from game to game and don't carry the events from one game to another but I find it hard to trust those kinds of people when I find them in a future game. Just me. Perhaps I'm wrong but it's just my personality.

This is where "roleplay" aspects come into play... some people actually use those empire description fields to good purpose. I am one of those people. I find that roleplaying my empire rather than just treating it as a stale wargame adds whole new levels of fun, especially when others do so as well. If I am playing an "evil" race in a game, I will make that clear, and have no compulsions about backstabbing and all that stuff; it goes right along with an evil race. But in the next game, I might be playing a "good" race, and would not do anything of the sort.

[Slynky]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:

quote:

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While I realize (according to a poll I conducted some time back) that some people do things like that from game to game and don't carry the events from one game to another but I find it hard to trust those kinds of people when I find them in a future game. Just me. Perhaps I'm wrong but it's just my personality.

This is where "roleplay" aspects come into play... some people actually use those empire description fields to good purpose. I am one of those people. I find that roleplaying my empire rather than just treating it as a stale wargame adds whole new levels of fun, especially when others do so as well. If I am playing an "evil" race in a game, I will make that clear, and have no compulsions about backstabbing and all that stuff; it goes right along with an evil race. But in the next game, I might be playing a "good" race, and would not do anything of the sort.

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And I think this is one of the things I was referring to. I remember chatting in the poll thread I referred to about the dimension of roll-playing. I can certainly understand that. For instance, in a "Star Trek" RP game, I can understand that when make a treaty with the Romulans (for instance), it's for convenience and that THAT convenience may disappear at any turn. But, just as I know about these various races from movies (or from the descriptions people fill in on their descriptions), and the fact that a game is billed as a roll-playing game, I can understand and accept people are playing a character and NOT themselves (per se). I trust Lord Chane to a "T" but if I found myself in a roll-playing game with him and he was playing the Ferengi, I'd always be watching my back because I know it wasn't Lord Chane playing the empire but that it was the Ferengi.

I was referring to games not of that genre. Games where I rely on how that real person plays from game to game.

[Fyron]

Some people treat every game that way though...

[Slynky]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Some people treat every game that way though...

Which is why I "log" events and remember those kinds of people... . I just want to remember when I see certain names that I'm really playing with (or against) the Klingons...hehe.

[Cyrien]

Yep. In one of the games I am currently playing I am evil and in trouble. I have tons of things to colonize but can't due to diplomatic troubles on the other side with a bunch of other players due to treaty violations on my part mostly.

In another I am about to get into trouble because of being the good guy and the need to uphold my treaty obligations even to an empire that it will be a struggle to support against the attackers.

[geoschmo]

I play every game to win. Not that I mind losing, I certainly do my share of it, but I play every game, and from the begining to the end of every game to win.

I have no objection to breaking a treaty or even pulling a sneak attack on a current ally. I can't remember once ever making a deal with another player in a game and promising anything other then to do my best to work with him to win. If I have, I probably shouldn't have because I likely would have turned on them if I felt it suited my purposes at the time.

Allies are only good if they are helping me to win. If an ally is strong enough and doing a good job he is helping me win and he will stay my ally. If he is weak, or I find another ally that can help me more to win I will switch allies. Or if my ally becomes too strong, I may switch, if I think it will help me to win.

I always assume every ally is planning on doing the same to me. I expect every turn they may turn on me if I am no longer serving their purposes. So I try to stay strong and suit their purposes. I want them to think always I am stronger than them, but not so much stronger that I am a threat to them. Only strong enough that I am more usefull as an ally then as an enemy.

I don't like sharing too much with my allies, because everything I give him is something he will use against me eventually. I know this because everything they give me I will use agaisnt them eventually.

I want my enemies and my allies weak. I want my allies only strong enough so that together we are stronger then my enemies.

And I don't keep track of who has broken treaties with me in past games. I have enough trouble keeping track of my enemies and allies in the game, I don't need to waste effort keeping track of who was my enemy in a previous game.

I don't mind losing, but I can't not try to win, or I don't enjoy playing. Even in a role play game, I will role play and try to win. Afterall, who can concieve of a race of beings that wishes to be exterminated? It may be possible, but I doubt they would survive to achieve spaceflight. And if they did, I wouldn't want to role play them.

All of this may not make me a very good ally, and probably costs me a few games. But I prefer it this way. I think it makes things more interesting.



Geoschmo