I really like gunboats for the fact that I can make my moves quickly and everyone readies up quickly. I like that the games also finish much more quickly. The only problem that I have is the worse chance of winning because I can't chat. I still really like them and the interesting form of communication they have.

@Dr. Rec - I completely agree. I just think that most people try it once, have a bad experience, an call it a day. It is much better than most people think.

Agreed, jimgov. It took several games for me - and a few occurrences of post-game PMs from players lamenting all their signals that I missed - before I felt like I really had a good understanding of how good gunboaters play.

General, that is also the main reason I started playing gunboats regularly. I can only commit to so many full press games before my quality starts to suffer. Sadly, I'm still trying to find the right balance ;) I find that I like to be able to play more games, and so I always have several gunboats going that require far less time commitment. As you say, the inability to send messages means I lose my best tool. I'm reliant on the other players being able to spot and interpret my signals (which is why the player quality is important). This almost caused me to stop playing gunboat after a few early defeats, but I'm glad I stuck with it and have learned how to communicate better.

I also play gunboat and enjoy them. I understand the need to attempt to communicate messages through movements. But, that is all they are. They are "attempts" to communicate messages.

Per dictionary.com:
The definition of diplomacy is "the conduct by government officials of 'negotiations' and other relations between nations."
The definition of negotiations is "mutual 'discussion' and arrangement of the terms of a transaction or agreement"

So, by definition, diplomacy requires discussion, not just actions.

I am not a very experienced Gunboat player and would love some practice and tips if you were to ever get a series going.

Yes, I would play this series too, I forgot to add that. Probably not this summer though,
i'm going to be gone quite a bit.

I will give a little bit of thought to this series idea, but what I'm generally thinking about doesn't really need to be formal or structured really in any way, beyond the prior agreement by all players that it is to be a quality gunboat game, with a focus on awareness of communication signals - as opposed to playing as though against the computer. That's the fundamental difference in styles.

Devonian, I understand your point, and I would like to expand upon it, using as you suggest the dictionary.com definition:

"the conduct by government officials of negotiations and other relations between nations."

It seems to me that perhaps you focused more on "negotiations" than on "other relations" - I won't bother copying the definition of "relations" here, but I will argue that other relations exist in a gunboat game. So technically speaking, diplomacy is involved. Now, as for negotiations, this is much more difficult to achieve, but it happens. Often this unfolds over several turns, and can be delayed or disrupted by the "I'll take it/You have it" dance over support into a territory.

Look, there is an inherent subtlety to communicating offers and requests and other intentions, and of course it doesn't look like negotiations - especially if players don't look at the orders entered for each turn. To succeed consistently at gunboat, there must be a constant awareness of what is going on around the board, and much analysis of what other players' moves indicate. Which of the other players are aware of the same things you are, and which are playing blind? You see a solo threat and you think you can stop it, but it will require you to move in a way that's sure to be seen as hostile by the nation in between. If he retaliates, he will erase your ability to stop the solo - which will then be guaranteed. How can you signal your intentions, when you don't have a unit to spare for a friendly green support hold? When you can't ask questions directly, but there is a clear awareness of communication by several players, it can be fascinating to see how coordination develops.

I'm not nearly enough of an authority to be writing so much - my words-to-experience ratio is getting dangerously high. I play full press and gunboat and love them both, though my preference is absolutely full press. I am not intending to be the gunboat standard bearer, I just see this argument a lot and hoped to help generate some further discussion. What it comes down to is that there are a wonderful variety of approaches to this most excellent game, and to each his own :)

I just created a gunboat game, to be played in the spirit of awareness and communication. Read the orders, decipher what's going on and develop common understanding with the other players.

It's Classic, 1-day phase, 20 . WTA of course ;)

PM me if you'd like the ID and password.

I'm in. Come at me, suckers!

Looks like this will be semi-anon, so I might as well reveal I'm in too :) Never been a particularly good gunboater so this should be an interesting lesson...

Dr. R,

I think the "other relations" part is referring to to the conduct of the government officials themselves, not the movement of their troops. Diplomats wine and dine the other diplomats, buy them gifts, pamper them, etc. These are not negotiations toward an agreement, they are the grease that makes the negotiations easier. In diplomacy, the game, this might be in the form of flattering an opponent. It is not possible to flatter an opponent in gunboat.

But, I do not want to discredit the skill required to be a successful gunboat "diplomat" (used loosely). There are subtle things that can be done to improve the odds of a gun-boater. I enjoy that challenge also.

I'm in, too.

Devonian, will you play? I will wine, dine, and buy you gifts, but I draw the line at pampering.

Thanks everyone for the interest, one game is going and another has been created.

im in too :)

I could have handled the semi-anon aspect better. I'd just post a list of participants, but I have sent out several passwords, so I don't know who is in which game. I guess, for that matter, neither do you ;)

Sure, why not. PM me the password.

Three spots remaining.