Tonight, I had the great joy of playing an almost perfect game of diplomacy. Not because of the score but rather because of the way I was able to act as a puppet master in the global war on everyone (but me). I hope I am not giving too much of my thought process and tactics away in this debrief, but I wanna get people more excited about the tricks and traits of diplomacy and I hope that this will inspire them
After a few unsuccessful attempts I managed to get five more people to get a game going (default settings).
Having been dealt the South American card, a mediocre but manageable challenge, I decided to first lean back and look at the action. I recognized Buck as the main threat, being a veteran and playing as Russia. I knew I had to get him out early before he could pick up the lose ends and tie a proper alliance with someone.
I first approached Africa to make sure we were cool, which earned me a reassuring and enthusiastic affirmation. The same happened with my North American neighbor; however as I was soon to discover he would be more devious than expected.
Since I was watching survivor at the same time I didn't want to invest too much time into a chat-intensive approach, but North America proposed a plan so deviously crafted it made my alarm bells ring. Should I have finally met my evil twin?
I had suggested the simple approach: assure Europe of our support and kick Russia to get him (Buck) nailed by Asia and Europe. However, North America was quite scared of Europe's fleet potential, should there be a Russo-European alliance if we kicked either one.
He thus suggested we should make Europe so paranoid of Russia that he would kick vote him himself. Now I was really awake - this is the first time I see someone pull this classic in a long time! (it takes a bit of time so its quite a tedious albeit entertaining approach). My first move was to shift a 1x3 and 1x2 sub group, that was on the way to Asia, back towards my coastal waters. I had realized that North America was gonna be my most difficult opponent. I also sent the 1x3 subs that had been on his west coast towards and through the bering strait, to get some firepower behind his silo lines and in reach of all of his largely unprotected airports.
After I had managed to put my pieces into play I structured a central south-american defense, neglecting Mexico knowing that it would be impossible to defend against North America. Unfortunately, NA had a naval superiority on both sides since I had stretched my carriers thin to contain the sub threat.
After I had finally placed everything the action was about to get started. By now, the poor European was so paranoid that he was ready to jump his Russian neighbor - and then Russia made a fatal error. He decided to shift the majority of his bombers from his baltic carriers to his airfields, probably in anticipation of a fight with Africa or Asia, making it look like a preparation for a massive beam attack on Europe. Obviously, the North American did his part in private chat and Europe readily launched a full-blown attack on Russia (who we kicked right beforehand). Russia was now being punished from all sides while North America and I were kicking it back.
I knew that I had to weaken North Americas Atlantic fleet at some stage (2xC3 2xB3) and I knew that he was thinking the same thing about my South American navy. By now I had also managed to squeeze 1x2 subs into the Caribbean to complete the setup for later.
Suddenly, events complicated. Asia starts to quarrel with Africa in the Indian ocean. A perfect opportunity for me - a horrible turn of events for North America. He had planned for me to fight Africa and frantically tried to convince me that it was in our interest to broker peace for now and fight Africa together later, as to not draw attack power from Asia vs. Russia. Yet, I knew that this was my chance and I talked enough for him not wanting to risk a crack in our alliance.
So fighting breaks out in the Indian ocean and to my surprise the African manages to kill the Asian battleships. I didn't rate both players too high in their skill level, judging from their silo placement, and was quite unhappy that Asia had not managed to kill more of the African navy - he could potentially shift his navy towards me and gain a huge superiority in numbers (especially if I had to fight NA at the same time).
So now Eurasia and the Indian ocean are lighting up and Russia starts launching his subs on Europe. Unfortunately his punch lacks strength and Europe eventually smothers him and removes him from the game. Now Europe is still strong and his navy is looking good enough to take on North America. The hostilities in the Indian ocean had unfortunately ceased, but i was hoping that Asia was going to reinforce the Indian ocean with some naval elements from his Tokyo defense line, thus taking risk off my forces in the pacific.
Then things start going crazy. While I am hard at work convincing Africa that Europe is plotting against him, the North American starts launching a massive bomber wave next to my coast towards Africa. He claims in alliance chat that they are going to turn over North Africa towards Europe, while he tells me in private chat that he is targeting African installations. I know its his last ditch effort to draw me into a fight with the African before he faces Europe. Since information is power in diplomacy I decide to give the African a heads up and advise him to launch fighters. the attack goes down but except for a few city hits there is no major drawback to the situation. I manage to get Africa back into the alliance and our triangle goes into a bizarre state of mutual assured destruction/entente with both of them pouting in their corners.
While I am working Africa from all angles to open up his silos on Europe I decide to stir the shit between Europe and North America. North America then decides to make a move on Europe, and to my great demise absolutely whoops the European Atlantic fleet. Now I am facing a major enemy in the Atlantic with no other power players around as well as having 2x2 NA subs pinging right off my Caribbean coast.
I decide that its time for some bold moves. I accuse North America privately of plotting to attack me and sink his subs off my coast. He protests, obviously wanting to keep me useful until the end. I tell him to stop violating my space and reenter a ceasefire, being happy that I have annihilated 1/3 of his subs for free. A few of his sub launch at Europe which assures me that he doesn't have much sub-based firepower left.
Meanwhile Asia has launched his silos on god knows who and is effectively out of the game.
Now the game is in the final stages and luck throws me the perfect setup for the grand finale. After having stirred Africa enough he now hates North America sufficiently to backstab him hard. Suddenly a group of subs surfaces of Americas West coast and starts shooting at radars and silos - its my trusted African buddy. he also flips his silos to launch and shoots them at NA (through European silos, so no shot made it), which is fine with me.
North America goes nuts and screams at me to kick and attack Africa, but I decide to take a moment to enjoy the situation. He writes in the public chat that he is going to bring Africa below 15 mio and flips open ALL his silos. Not trusting his assurances and fearing a last attack effort, I decide to take this perfect opportunity to start the endgame and let my trap snap shut - sub time. the screenshot below should illustrate the move. All I can say: America was entirely emptied. There was nothing left; no radars, no silos, no airfields.
He is shouting in French (we discovered that we both live in France, however he was French and he should've known not to trust a German
) but I decide to ignore it. I spray my bombers and fighters in the direction of his fleet since the victory timer has started. Africa is just enjoying the fact that North America got schooled and really doesn't make any move to challenge my navy between our continents (to my surprise).
having bombers to patrol my coast I decide to flip my silos to launch at 25:00 and shoot at Europe, whose got 3 points on me at this stage, as he also flips his silos open. A triple-burst from all six silos at London and a twin-burst at Kinshasa; I knew that would be all I had time for in 25:00.
I manage to flatten London and Kinshasa, securing me a comfortable lead until the victory timer runs out. By then everybody except the server (Africa) had quit. He said he really enjoyed the game and I hope he took a valuable lesson about back-door diplomacy out of it
Hope you enjoyed the read. Below is the final screen.
cara
P.S. if you truly want to understand defcon diplomacy, watch CBS survivor (season 6). it will teach you how to truly manipulate people for your goals in a purely realist approach to interpersonal politics
P.P.S. NA unfortunately didn't turn out to be my evil twin - my twin would've killed me before I had gotten to him
