Martin’s Game—Table of Contents
Introduction
1901, 1902, 1903, 1904
1905, 1906, 1907, 1908
1909, 1910, 1911, 1912
1913, 1914, 1915, 1916
Final Thoughts
My Background
I have always been a serious gamer, no matter whether I am playing something as trivial as a console game or something as serious as Chess. Let me illustrate with examples of my approach to games:
- In RPGs such as RuneScape, I try to maximize the efficiency of leveling my character by reading guides, devising my own methods, and using external resources like experience calculators. I also read and compare numerous articles, comments, guides, etc. to find out the “best build” for my character;
- I am also a “completionist” in that I try to finish every quest, collect every item, discover every location and unlock every achievement, as much as I can;
- In Pokemon games, my perspective is that finishing the storyline (or what some call “beating the game”) is just the beginning since it unlocks all resources that I need to build a perfect team of my own. I have, literally, hatched a boxful of Eevee (around 20) just to find the one which has a specific stat at its highest possible value;
- In MOBA games such as League of Legends, I often watch replays of professional competitions and gameplay commentaries of professional players to learn from them, and sometimes even use practice tools to train myself on particular aspects; and
- In Chess, partly because I do not have much chance playing with others, I am using a training app designed by the world champion Magnus Carlsen to learn and practice different skills and concepts.
By now you probably will understand why I am into Diplomacy—it is as serious as games get, the perfect thing for a serious gamer such as I. So from the moment I started playing, I have been regularly digging up new and old articles on strategy and other relevant discussion. And of course, I am thrilled to have come across BrotherBored’s blog—loads of insightful material written by another very, very serious player.
My Journal
After reading BrotherBored’s gunboat journal, I am inspired to give this practice a try on my own. Sharing his views, I also realize that keeping some sort of a journal inevitably improves my gameplay. Since my game is run on 24-hour phases, what I usually do for each turn is to make my preliminary moves based on my first impression of the board development, then come back (say, after a day’s work) to reassess the board and my moves. This way, I believe, is similar to how you are more likely to spot your mistakes if you proof-read your own writing some time afterwards instead of right after you finish it. Indeed, there are occasions that I ended up changing my moves at my second assessment in a turn.
Apart from that, it is also perhaps simply due to the fact that I discovered this even more serious way of playing Diplomacy and want to give it a try. Be prepared though, my journal (or notes, rather) is not as detailed and in-depth as BrotherBored’s (everyday life has its various constraints). My predictions for each player’s moves are all denoted in abbreviations, and while some of them may not be the “official” ones as found in the Avalon Hill rulebook, I am sure you will have no trouble identifying the provinces that they represent.
Since you are already here, what are you still waiting for? Go click that button to start walking through my game!
Martin’s Game—Table of Contents
Introduction
1901, 1902, 1903, 1904
1905, 1906, 1907, 1908
1909, 1910, 1911, 1912
1913, 1914, 1915, 1916
Final Thoughts