Hya all - game 29 now ends, so I thought we’d start a thread. Congrats to the DS - got my arse kicked as the FPS. Dun/Dwar was me. (Picked up the Sindar later).
Clint (player)
Evening,
My brother and I played the IK/DkLts team. I played the IK, and he the DkLts. We have great fun playing GB games this way, although we sometimes don’t agree on short term goals! We picked up the QA mid-way, and although he was pretty bad off when we picked him up, he ended up with a pretty good core of PCs and characters. Early, we got lucky and knocked out the Woodmen and Noldo with the same army. We enjoyed tormenting the Duns / Dwarves / Sinda throughout the game. I agree, however, that picking up a third Nation is too powerful of an asset in the long term.
Mark :fork: Mike Farrior
Heh Mark - did your side use the diplos a lot? How did that go?
Clint (player)
Actually, we sent one diplo the whole game (somewhere in the late 30s after the Duns were out). Basically we instructed where our next military targets would be, and some Dun agent locations so they could be killed before recruitment. I thought it was strange that we didn’t receive any diplos, but certainly it gave more of a fog of war - for example, we were never sure who was going to defend Morannon, so we kept sending our armies out to intercept. It worked well until the Silvan got enough forces to blast through our cordon (T40).
Mind you, I would prefer a game without diplos, but I bet it was one of the reasons the FP were able to hold on so long . . . .
Mark :fork: Mike Farrior
:eek: 
Reckon it weren’t in this game…
Clint
Why do people sign up for a diplo game and then not use the diplos. I personally think the diplos could help the game.
They sign up for a Gunboat. If there were 12 filling at a time and start ups were within the week, they’d choose more accurately. Most mutter “Why sign up for a Gunboat game and then use diplos?”
I like the once every 5 turns diplo. They help a little on who needs help where and who to focus on but you still are basicly blind and a lot can happen in 5 turns. Shorten the diplo allowed if that would help but a little note I believe keeps the game from dragging out.
John
Diplos don’t belong in GB. My opinion. They ruin it.
Dave
I agree completely with some of the above posters - diplos hurt the GunBoat game, not help it. I suggest that we should limit it to one diplo per team per GAME. That adds some value to the missive, and makes the player think twice about what information to include (still allows the joy of a gloating “Elrond is swimming with the fishes” message). Albiet, diplos are an elective part of GunBoat games that most do not use.
Mark :fork: Mike Farrior