LienRag wrote: ↑Sat Feb 27, 2021 5:01 pm
I was mostly asking about whether it's okay to make diplomacy through non-game channels (like PM in the forum) or if it's supposed to be entirely done inside the game (I wouldn't know how to send a PM in-game, though).
IMO, trying to impose rules that can't be enforced makes little sense and only serves to give the "rebel" players more ways to hack the game and take advantage of the rule-followers.
Every channel is good.
There are no PM's in game, only whisper that can only be done when both players are online and will not be recorded (next time you connect they are lost).
Forum PMs and emails is nicer, IMO, for slow-game playing.
RP is not frowned upon AFAIK. Some players mostly RP, some nothing at all, but there is respect for each other.
The only player insulting (RP) in previous games was me, when I got Eaxaw or Trith and get into my total-ass-person, bragging about how I will butcher every inferior species in the galaxy, and not following political-correctism rules. Some other players, maybe from US or something, got a bit "wow... this guy crossing some lines" (at least that was my impression). Also, I got eliminated relatively quickly on all those occasions
The only rule I would like to be agreed upon is that the Emperor and the Player are two different things, and nobody should begrudge one for the other.
That's a reasonable and fair rule. But you can't enforce it, even if everyone agrees to it, feelings can get into the way and there's little you can do about it.
In a previous game I "signed" a peace treaty with another player, Voker57 (I'm Spanish, he is Russian, quite different cultures; plus I am noob at mutiplayer and diplomacy games). I wanted him to ally me and swaq from start, plus another player of his choice (it was max 2 allies for victory). Turns passed by and he was still "not yet, I need to see how things develop". So I grow wary. Plus he was totally undefended and I was running out of planets to colonize, and swaq and I decided to throw out the treaty and conquer him. I gave him a 5 turn warning before attacking (game allows to break peace and attack in the same turn), he felt betrayed. We begin discussing if my (Oberlus? or Emperor?) choice was fair or I (Oberlus? or Emperor?) was a bullshitter and a lier that can't be trusted in. At some point I asked "wait, are you mad at me, the guy behind a keyboard, or at my Etty emperor?", and his answer was something about there is a meta game that is played outside and above the game, and he assured me he was never again in his life to sign a treaty with me because I can't be trusted. I ended up understanding he was mad at real me and I got mad at him and sent him some flying fucks to stick it up his ass (I have a fragile ego) and stopped joining the XMPP FreeOrion chatroom where he is a regular and an admin.
LienRag wrote: ↑Sat Feb 27, 2021 5:01 pm
It seems to me that Ring Galaxy is not a proper setting for a real diplomatic game then ?
Very little creativity to be had there if I follow what you wrote...
I disagree. It's quite intense IMO. Lot's of space to play honorably, manipulative or motherfucker.
Edit: also, ring galaxy tends to be more "fair". In most other galaxy shapes, some players, near center, get several neighbors and some, in the outskirts, get only one or two. The central players have a harder time to survive because they get attacked by several empires from several directions.