Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 10:29:47 +0100
From: Tournament Headquarters  (by way of Robert F. Heeter)
Subject: W2WT: Tutorial #6A - Diplomacy (A)

Rules Tutorial #6A:  Diplomatic Protocol
[ Tutorial 6B covers Remailer Etiquette and more on Rules Errors ]

This area of the Tournament Rules is probably the most controversial.
Please read this Tutorial carefully - if you do not agree to play by these
rules, you should withdraw from the tournament at the end of the round.
(But if *everyone* disagrees, well, maybe we'll change the rules. :)  )

*** DIPLOMACY IN THE WARLORDS TOURNAMENT: ***

There are many ways to play Warlords by email:
 * "Peace is not an Option" with no diplomacy at all;
 * "Doves and Swords" where diplomacy is only carried out within the game;
 * "Limited Diplomacy" where a fixed number of messages are allowed each turn;
 * "No Secrets" where diplomacy is allowed but must be done publicly; and
 * "Anything Goes" where any sorts of secret diplomacy is allowed.

The best rules variant for the Tournament is a "No Secrets" game with
"Limited Diplomacy".  In this variant, players are allowed to send only two
diplomatic email messages per turn, which must go through the Remailer
to all players in the game.  Turn Report messages are automatically
diplomatic messages, since they almost always contain battle reports
and treaty negotiations and things.  So your turn report is *always* a
diplomatic message, and you may send one *additional* diplomatic message
in between your turn reports.  Messages should not be encrypted and
they should be written so that all players in the tournament can
understand them without too much trouble - that means writing in
reasonably "generic" English.  All diplomatic messages must be sent
as "archive" messages; messages with diplomatic content (anything that
might influence the course of the game play) that are not sent as
diplomatic messages are rules violations.

In case that wasn't clear, here it is in capital letters :)

PRIVATE MESSAGES TO DISCUSS AN ONGOING GAME ARE CONSIDERED CHEATING.

ALL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PLAYERS MUST BE PUBLIC AND UNDERSTANDABLE.

We know that many of you are used to playing with other diplomacy rules,
and we owe you an explanation of why these rules are best for the Tournament.
Here it is:

(1) We want to have some diplomacy in the tournament, because these are
four-player games and diplomatic skill is part of what we think it means
to be "The Greatest".  And most Warlords players prefer games with some
level of diplomacy in them.  This is one of the advantages to playing by
email, after all!  And thanks to the Remailer, diplomacy can be archived
and made into "history", which everyone can read later.  This really cool
and should be part of the tournament.

(2) We want the amount of diplomacy to be limited, because we want
players to play for themselves, without any strong alliances forming.
In order for the tournament to determine who is the best player,
the results of each game must reflect each player's true ability.
Because the games are short, we don't want players to be able to
work out elaborate treaties, coordinated movements, or situations where
one player essentially dictates moves to another.  In addition, because
we have players from all over the world, who live on different schedules
and speak many different languages, we do not want to give an advantage to
native English speakers with common schedules and lots of free time.
It's unfair to everyone if a couple of friends write dozens of messages
each day working out every last detail of their joint strategy!

(3) We want all events in the game to be recorded in the Remailer history,
so that whenever there is a misunderstanding there is a record of what was
said.  We've found that players are a lot more reasonable and a lot less
vicious when their actions are kept public.  Secret diplomacy often leads
to bitter misunderstandings or unfair alliances that can spoil the enjoyment
of a game for all players.  This is especially true for international
games where players can easily misinterpret each other's statements because
of language barriers and cultural differences.  As a strategic tool,
open, public diplomacy is nearly as effective as secret diplomacy, but
without the negative side effects.  And it can be just as thrilling
as secret diplomacy too, especially in a high-stakes Tournament game!

So, (1) means that we will have some diplomacy because everyone enjoys it,
(2) means that it will be limited to keep the tournament fair to all, and
(3) combined with (2) means that all diplomacy should be public.

Remember: You only get 2 diplomatic messages per turn, sent through the
Remailer.  Managing your diplomatic resources wisely *is* an essential
Warlords skill!

-- Tournament Headquarters