Originally posted by B17Skull12
didn't work to well for me.
Yea, it helps when you aren't transparently betraying everyone to everyone else. When you do that each person assumes that you are at best a pawn to be used and at worst a primary target.
You're far better off only lying when you NEED to in Diplomacy.
For instance, SOB wrote:
He further solidified the deal with the unsolicited and generous offer to give up Singapore, which was at the heart of my current center of power (and clearly set up to be a point of contention on this Imperial Map). From then on, Britain had as much of my trust as I could give in a game of Diplomacy.
That's exactly why I made the offer. I realized that a 'no' in word or deed to the new AHOA group was a death knell for Britain. Following from that I decided the only way to prevent a cluster**** was to have everyone's core centres intact and secure; and looking at the map I realized, like SOB, that the map designers *intended* a Brit/French/Dutch dustup in the southeast. The only way to disarm the bomb was to give first, without being asked.
The only time I even considered breaking that trust was in one Fall turn when a big stab would have meant instant victory.
If you stab or otherwise betray, make sure it counts. A wounded ex-friend is worse than an open enemy. The friend you stab will often never rest until you die, and will often cut crazy deals (especially if their position is essentially hopeless) if it means you perish also.
Lastly, if you guys play Imp again, here's a last tip for the little Powers. Negotiate a good deal with a neighbor, preferably an ally-for-life deal, and move together against a common foe. The little Powers in Imp don't have time to wait to see what shakes out; if they're slow the big guys will have lots of forces to throw around at their next target of choice. If you move fast a big Power will be small or gone and your small Power will be medium-sized.
Trust me...
