[HEADING=1]Diplomacy: The Game of International Intrigue[/HEADING]
Developer(s) Paradox interactive
Platform(s) - Personal Computer
Release date(s)- October 4th 2005
Genre(s) - Turn based strategy
Mode(s) - Single-player/Multiplayer
Rating(s)- ESRB: E (Everyone)
Platform(s) - Personal Computer
Release date(s)- October 4th 2005
Genre(s) - Turn based strategy
Mode(s) - Single-player/Multiplayer
Rating(s)- ESRB: E (Everyone)
If you ask my friend Napoleon Bonaparte, of the Corsican meadows Bonapartes, he?ll tell you how ?The best way to keep one?s word is not to give it?. You see, my good friend knows a thing or two about Diplomacy: The art of thinking twice before doing nothing. Since the dawn of civilization, the fate of nations has been intertwined by negotiations from everything war to peace treaties. And no game captures this better than the computerized version of a long time classic Diplomacy
Since it?s birth in ?50s the board game Diplomacy has been widely regarded as the best strategy game to ever exist. If you?ve ever stepped into a game store, you?ll know that the game is serious business. And while digital versions of the classical board game have been loyal to its nature, they have yet to acquire the same charm. Paradox Entertainment?s Diplomacy may have still fallen into the same pot hole as versions before, it still provides a loyal service to the dedicated fanbase.
[img_inline caption="France is just asking for it" width=340 height=230 align=right]http://pcmedia.gamespy.com/pc/image/article/665/665958/diplomacy-20051110023133880.jpg[/img_inline]
Diplomacy places you as the leader of one of the seven world powers[footnote]Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire[/footnote] that dominated European power politics at the start of the 1900s. The game attempts to reenact the disastrous alliance system that lead to the First World War. But winning doesn't require skill or luck, but rather how good you are at using your opponent into gaining what you need.
The game places you at the head of the armed forces of you selected power. There are two kinds of units; armies and fleets, each worth one point. The game takes place on the continent of Europe, with sections divided into land and sea zones. And despite a historical setting, everyone starts of equal in military strength and resources. The only real usable advantage is the geography of Europe itself, such as Britain and France?s strategic positioning near the sea, or Russia?s access to non-powers land that surrounds it.
The ultimate goal of your conquests is to collect as many resource centers positioned around the globe. The number of centers you control dictates the number of units on the field you can have in total, so it?s vital you collect as many as possible. Creating more units requires you to leave a center in your country open at the start of a round, which means you?ll have to expand. But once nations realize there only a small number of unoccupied resource centers, fights arise over dominance home and abroad.
The game takes place over ?rounds?, or years. And each year is broken to four periods, representing the seasons. In order to take over an enemy resource center you must have dominated it by the fall of that year, and in return it becomes your possession at the start of the next year. Units can only make one move per period, so deciding where to go can be just as important as making alliances.
[img_inline caption="This gets ugly very quickly" width=340 height=220 align=left]http://cdn1.gamepro.com/screens/111901/48189-30-1.jpg[/img_inline]
Like its table top origins, the game focuses a lot on interaction with others. In order to take an area from an enemy, the player needs to have one more unit than the defender, and visa versa. A direct head to head assault between to armies or fleets would end in a stalemate, so this is where the concept of support comes to play. Players will need troops from home or foreigners to help them outmatch an enemy.
To gain such a desirable advantage, the player will need to negotiate with the heads of other states. Creating lasting alliances and tactic pacts are crucial in surviving. Interacting with the games friendly AI is simple as well. By clicking on an animated version of the period?s ruler, you can show them your desired intentions.
The animated avatar will either grunt its approval or dissatisfaction, which can be annoying, but gets the job done efficiently. Don?t worry about keeping track of treaties you have made, because the game will warn you if a move you?re making violates the preset agreement. And while minor flukes may be tolerated, a total betrayal will make it almost impossible to gain the trust of any country ever again.
A lot of this sounds confusing, and it really is. The learning curve ranges from hard to obscene, and only faithful Diplomacy table toppers will be able to pick up and play. It takes about an hour for novices to pick up the rules, and another handful of hours to stop being dominated. It?s definitely not helped by the game tutorial being too convoluted for its own good. Despite an unforgiving difficulty curve, players that don?t falter will be rewarded with one of the most mentally stimulating games ever created.
[img_inline caption="I prefer to play as Britain" width=340 height=220 align=right]http://img.brothersoft.com/screenshots/softimage/d/diplomacy-298837-1256609005.jpeg[/img_inline]
And let?s face it, the game?s Artificial Intelligence could never compare to a living, breathing human opponent, but that doesn?t mean it doesn?t have its own charms. Each countries leader has historically appropriate uniform and personality. However, while breaking a big treaty will cost players a lot in the game, the AI doesn?t even think twice about it, especially if you?ve let yourself vulnerable. But despite not achieving the level of complex conscious decisions as humans, the games computer opponents play style is not broken. Players won?t have to worry about stupid or cheap artificial opponents.
The multiplayer feature is much better if you?re looking for a real challenge. Especially since the ?grunt? system eliminates all possible language barriers. It may be hard to find a game, but it?s definitely worth it. The greatest playmode is the sandbox mode, which allows players to create any virtual scenario and act it out. A great way to experience all the ?what if?s? of the First and Second World War.
The visuals are pretty basic, mimicking the look and feel of the tabletop legend. Animation is fluid, but the game sadly misses the opportunity to explore beyond plastic pieces of the board game. The trouble is that the games requirements are insultingly obnoxious, especially for such low graphical achievement.
By the end of the day it?s clear that the best option is to just gather a group of friends and play the original version like it?s meant to be. The game is loyal to the series as it could get, so if you?re low on free time (or friendships) don?t feel threatened to use the game as a window into strategy games. You?ll start the game as a victim to the powers that be, but with a bit of patience, you?ll find yourself echoing a phrase attributed to another good friend of mine, Julius Caesar ?Veni, Vidi, Vici?[footnote]?I came, I saw, I conquered?[/footnote]
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