Gunboat Games: Strategy? What's the Attraction?

[riegelrob]

Hello Everyone,

I am involved in quite a few games, traditional Diplomacy, the variants, and Gunboat.

"Talking" Diplomacy I am doing pretty well! But on Gunboat I am doing terrible!!

Could anyone share their insights on:

a) What's the idea with Gunboat? Basic strategies?

b) If you can't talk, how do you ever coordinate support?

c) I don't see the attraction of Gunboat, really. But many seem to like it. Why?

d) Do you think there is greater potential for cheating (i.e. players telephoning or otherwise communicating to each other to coordinate moves)

Just trying to figure out why I am so terrible at Gunboat!

Thanks and Best Regards,
riegelrob

[AlphaTangoEcho]

Hello Everyone,

I am involved in quite a few games, traditional Diplomacy, the variants, and Gunboat.

"Talking" Diplomacy I am doing pretty well! But on Gunboat I am doing terrible!!

Could anyone share their insights on:

a) What's the idea with Gunboat? Basic strategies?

Basically, you have to communicate with your moves. If you want to attack a country, you move towards that country, hope other people see this, and then also attack.

b) If you can't talk, how do you ever coordinate support?

Really good players can guess what to support. Often times, a support, even if you know that the person unit isn't going to do that is an overturn of friendship.

c) I don't see the attraction of Gunboat, really. But many seem to like it. Why?

The games take less up less time as you don't have to communicate. You just have to put in moves. The whole process takes about 5 min, as apposed to 15-20 min normal games may take.

d) Do you think there is greater potential for cheating (i.e. players telephoning or otherwise communicating to each other to coordinate moves)

Well, that is why the game is anonymous. Yes, there is another way to cheat, and if players are coordinating really well, I might report them in cheaters.

Just trying to figure out why I am so terrible at Gunboat!

Thanks and Best Regards,
riegelrob

[arthae]

I like to play Gunboat sometimes just to be in a game that I don't have to stay up on my messages. Normally I like going back and forth with other players, but it gives me a break from that.
To reach out to a player you want to ally with try giving him support into a provence you think he may want help into. If he sees what you did he may return the favor.

[cs]

I've never played a full gunboat game myself, but I did fill in for rick.leeds for a couple of weeks last summer while he was on holiday. One of his games was a gunboat game in the later stages, and I found it really interesting because the emphasis was entirely on tactics, not on diplomacy. I had to think more moves ahead than I would in a normal dip game because I couldn't rely on using alliances to have a numerical advantage at all times. If I didn't gain territory quickly enough, I was at the mercy of other powers that did.

Of course, you can have games in which tactics are very important in normal dip, but tactics are often relative simple because you have to coordinate them (depending the caliber of your allies and how quickly they respond to your messages). In gunboat, it's all tactics. Not that I've done it, but I suspect a few games of gunboat would sharpen up my tactics significantly.

[gelatinouscube]

I've played a couple gunboat games (not that I've done well mind you). But I think many probably do it as it's definitely more of a challenge than a normal contact game. Also as mentioned the whole not wanting to deal with messages does have it's appeal from time to time. I suppose if you really want a tough game, a gunboat Age of Empires fog of war would be devilishly tricky.

[Stander]

Always check the orders.
There are often orders that fail because (for instance) England supports Moscow - Berlin.
Impossible, but it is asking Russia tio attack Germany.

[QueenOfHearts]

Always check the orders.
There are often orders that fail because (for instance) England supports Moscow - Berlin.
Impossible, but it is asking Russia tio attack Germany.

And this is probably the most important part: Coordinating through use of impossible moves, such as supporting someone somewhere, even if they don't order it. It means they want to be your ally, as far as that term may go.

[Master Radishes]

I suppose if you really want a tough game, a gunboat Age of Empires fog of war would be devilishly tricky.

But incredibly fun!

I love Gunboat. Perhaps because it plays to my strengths - tactics play a more important role than in traditional Diplomacy - but for other reasons too. Like how it sharpens the mind to the sensitivities of the board. Most people assume it's 100% tactics - or, at least, that it's 90% tactics and 10% this:

Always check the orders.
There are often orders that fail because (for instance) England supports Moscow - Berlin.
Impossible, but it is asking Russia tio attack Germany.

And this is probably the most important part: Coordinating through use of impossible moves, such as supporting someone somewhere, even if they don't order it. It means they want to be your ally, as far as that term may go.

...or the annoying draw proposals that try to set up alliances.

But that's really an amateur way of doing things. (No offense to Stander and QoH - sorry to pick on you two.) And if you focus so heavily on tactics, you're dooming yourself.

It's really less tactics than most realise. There is still diplomacy involved, but it's so much more subtle. You really have to look closely to see the intricacies of the unfolding board. Really read the players' moves, both individual orders and their overall effect combined. After a couple moves, you should be able to pick out which players are the good ones, and which ones are easy meat. You'll be able to set up alliances and work together, detect when a stab is coming, and find the right moment for you to stab - all without talking, all simply through observation. Your moves do your talking for you, and you don't even have to resort to impossible orders like Mos-Ber to convey your intentions.

And really, there's nothing more satisfactory than correctly guessing a neighbour's attack, and ordering support for it. Especially when it finally cracks an enemy's defense, allowing you both to start beating him back.

Also, it takes less time to commit to a game. And no carefully worded messages to deal with either. Plus, easier to solo. (Also easier to die quickly, however.)

Gunboat is my favourite way to play, now.

[QueenOfHearts]

Gunboat is my favourite way to play, now.

Same. I'm playing soooooooo much more gunboat now. Especially Gunboat+Chaos...I don't know why. But my FAVORITE combo is AoE+FoW as Turkey!