Diplomacy Academy 5: Valuing Stabs

[DQ]

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

[DirtyHarry]

Excellent video DQ. I know I should have thought a bit harder the last time I stabbed someone, because it turned out to be an awful stab, and I could have lost the game because of it.

[DQ]

Excellent video DQ. I know I should have thought a bit harder the last time I stabbed someone, because it turned out to be an awful stab, and I could have lost the game because of it.

If I only help one person avoid an awful stab, or improve one weak stab to an effective stab, or enable one person to make a brutal stab ... it will all have been worth it!

[VGhost]

Thanks! - I particularly like the idea of a "rubric" for thinking about stabs, which I've never done beyond "1 center bad, more good".

I feel like this video needs a "Part Two" with examples of good and bad stabs.

[ColonelApricot]

The theme of stab defending could be developed. A strong alliance is likely to include discussions about how one or other can mitigate stab risks. Usually a stabbable position can be defended at the cost of losing momentum for the alliance. A defended stab is usually bad for both parties - loss of momentum, loss of trust. Therefore the threat of defending the stab (a threat that could be a bluff) may be sufficient to defend it because of the risk of a failed stab.

[DQ]

The theme of stab defending could be developed. A strong alliance is likely to include discussions about how one or other can mitigate stab risks. Usually a stabbable position can be defended at the cost of losing momentum for the alliance. A defended stab is usually bad for both parties - loss of momentum, loss of trust. Therefore the threat of defending the stab (a threat that could be a bluff) may be sufficient to defend it because of the risk of a failed stab.

That's a great idea for a future episode, thank you - along the lines of how to manage your allies so that neither of you has to waste (more) resources defending against each other.

As an added bonus, that is the kind of discussion that is a lot easier to illustrate with examples.

How do you react when your current partner sends you press that explicitly addresses a potential stab? Does it make you more or less concerned about the stab? Or is it one of those "it depends" situations?