Messages - vDiplomacy

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11 May 22 UTC	Spring, 1901: I've only played this once before and a long time ago... its a map that normally requires being familiar with some kind of arcane formula...
11 May 22 UTC	Autumn, 1901: Good luck Mikey I’ve played like 4 or 5 times but I haven’t memorized any formula. I keep getting dicked on my lambda.nrx on American civil war so I’m temporarily exiled from that bc that’s my favorite 1v1 map lol
11 May 22 UTC	Autumn, 1901: You’re a professional writer right? My sister is starting MFA school in a few months. I don’t know much about writing as a career but I think the MFA program is the right move for her at this stage of her life and because it is subsidized tuition. I’m just curious your thoughts on creative writing as a career
11 May 22 UTC	Autumn, 1901: I'm building my career as a writer now, having worked in many different fields previously including pro photographer, actor, design manager (and company owner) and restauranteur. Now, I'm starting over as a writer/consultant... but in business areas, not fiction or creative, sorry. Life is a tapestry and a journey. Maybe her study is important, maybe not, but it doesn't matter too much. My degree was in political philosophy and also I did a postgrad in scriptwriting... although never worked as a scriptwriter. But I'm much older...and I never cared about financial success... I just wanted an interesting life. So far I succeeded. I've also travelled widely...and that is the key I think. Don't stay at home.
11 May 22 UTC	Autumn, 1902: thank you for the message. At a certain point it's not even my place to give her advice because it's her life after all lol. She's doing a good bit of traveling (actually teaching English in Latvia right now) and I think that's a priority for her. I'm in a tough spot because I think my family has been very financially secure/stable and I'm not sure my sister fully appreciates how certain careers really do have financial instability. She says she recognizes this but I'm not sure she fully appreciates it (I know that's quite paternalistic to assume, but idk I think I am correct there). No need to respond to that lol, just trying to get my thoughts out lol
11 May 22 UTC	Autumn, 1902: I'm very lucky in my life because my family was poor and my father left when I was 9. So I never had any kind of financial backup, my mother could not afford to help me buy a house when I was younger, and I left school at 15. But I was unusually smart and was good at getting jobs and convincing people. I say I'm lucky because that kind of background teaches resilience and fortitude. I've travelled a great deal, including a solo motorcycle ride around the US, sleeping beside my bike. Now I'm older, have never owned property and at my age, unlikely ever to, and enjoy the freedom that offers. Life is what it is, to be savoured for what learns and understands, not for what one acquires and owns. We all die and we only take with us our wisdom and compassion, nothing more.
18 May 22 UTC	GameMaster: Green voted for a Concede. If everyone (but one) votes concede the game will end and the player _not_ voting Concede will get all the points. Everybody else will get a defeat.
18 May 22 UTC	Gg
18 May 22 UTC	Again there is a formula here and that involves getting fleets into key positions early... earlier than I did. Well done. I conceded because it is too much a formula game and offers no variables other than chances guesses.
18 May 22 UTC	Yeah, I guess now that I think about it there is a rough formula that really prioritizes fleet placement. I think this map could be improved if you could build in Tel and Neu. Build anywhere it would get too crazy, but I think it takes so many turns to get new armies to the front that it’s sometimes a guessing game and also a waiting game, which in my opinion isn’t that much fun. Also, this is a bit awkward to say, but I think there might be a forum thread with some players indirectly talking shit about you. They don’t name names, but from context and recent/current games, it’s possible they were talking about you. Hopefully they aren’t taking about you and they’re taking about someone else. I only say it just to put it on your radar because I would want to know if that was the case for me
18 May 22 UTC	Yes I know it and yes they're talking about me. Its over a game I recently joined and M. Shadow major, major gaslighted me and I've been angry about it, so muted him. Then he joined another game i was signed up for, then attacked all straight at me. The other player in that chat, WineGod, was a guy I clashed with a while ago. he and I just didn't get along and sometimes that happens. He has an imperious tone and I just didn't like it. We still collaborated for the draw but communicated through another player. He was the first played in the newer game I signed up for, where I thought I would mend bridges. But as I say. MShadow joined in, went for me and told WineGod his version of events. So then I saw the thread. I see also that Drano has joined in, and that guy is a pure cunt. all up, straight up fuckwit. Can't stand him and obviously its mutual. I've long, long blocked him. But I see that he is now sometimes a Mod, and I have evidence that as a Mod, he cheats. Hardly surprising, and its because he is a such a scummy player that we clashed previously. he has ZERO honour or decency. Now, you and I have played a few games here and I believe you hold me in decent regard, am I right? Thats why you sent me this courteous heads-up. So your experience of me doesn't fit with what these chumps are saying. I'm not going to dignify their commentary with a response, because I know that's what they want me to do. Just because they claim that another player (me) is a toxic player doesn't mean they are not... in fact they prove they are with that online slagging of me. Those who know me and my style of player respect me. I care not even 1% for the frat boy fuckheads that want to make it a public bullying session. But thank you for taking the time to let me know about it. If you're inclined, please add your comment, without identifying me by name, and say that if they're referring to the player you think they are, that you have a different view based on your experience and perhaps the fault might lie with how they conduct themselves with direct player diplomacy. Its true that this game does encourage deceit and stabs, I prefer to try not to do that. I have stabbed sometimes, but when I do, I do so with regret and I send a note apologising and explaining. I also only ever stab with great effect, ie, never casually or callously. I try to support newer players and take the same degree of care over newer players as you did for me in the Lepanto game. My weakness is that I despise bullies and arrogance and when I see players acting that way, I let me know. Maybe I shouldn't... lol.
18 May 22 UTC	Short message incoming bc Im in a bit of a rush I read your message, I will post something reasonable on that thread. I also have some thoughts on "toxicity" in diplomacy and what that really means IMO
19 May 22 UTC	I responded to that thread. I felt it would be too obvious if I posted too strong a defense of you, so the comment isn't like aggressively anti-WineGod
19 May 22 UTC	Very nicely written indeed. Good, thank you. And I agree with you about different players having different guiding ethics. I think there is a line of sportsmanship but I know that others do not subscribe to that. Some players can be really quite unpleasant and derive some kind of joy from it... I think these are usually young people who have grown up in an age when being abusive to strangers no longer earns a punch in the mouth.