[Daanz-dip] ANZAC Cup 2006 - TDs Report

[David Norman]

David,

>For something different I am looking to run a "real time" game in January. 
>At this stage I am thinking of using a telnet ew-too based talker as the 
>environment for which the game shall be run in. This interface allows 
>players to speak to each other privately or to the group as a whole. I 
>believe owing to the rapid ability that players would be able to 
>communicate to each other that 5 minute deadlines would be realistic - 
>thus allowing games to be rapidly completed within a 1-2 hour period.

There is a much easier way to do this. Use the DAIDE Server and DAIDE 
Mapper. It is purpose-designed for playing Diplomacy in real-time over the 
Internet.

Advantages over using a website and a talker:

- Map display, order entry and press functionality built into a single 
interface.
- Point and click order entry.
- Automatic turn adjudication and instant posting of results on map.
- Automatic deadline handling.
- Option to show last turn's results in graphical form on the map.
- Over three years of testing and refining by Diplomacy players doing 
exactly what you want to do with it.
- Computer AI players available if you can't find enough players (and 
unlike the Hasbro AI, they play reasonably well - although not yet quite as 
well as most human players).

Disadvantages:

- Requires all players to have a PC running either Windows, or Linux and 
WINE (Windows Emulator). No Mac version available, etc.

We regularly use it for No Press games, and have seen play speeds up to 20 
years per hour (depending on how fast the players think about their 
orders!). We also occasionally play Press games using it.

If anybody wants to try it, you can Download the DAIDE Server and Mapper 
from www.ellought.demon.co.uk/dipai, and can also Download DumbBot from 
there (so you can play 1 human vs 6 computer players on your own computer). 
If you don't find DumbBot challenging enough, then try some of the Bots 
from www.daide.org.uk (Especially KissMyBot version 6).

And if you want to try playing against Humans, then join us on the RtNow 
and RtDip Yahoogroups mailing list. The best time for getting a game is 
Saturday night, UK time (Saturday afternoon, US time, Sunday morning, Oz 
time). Of if there's enough of you, get a game going whenever you feel like it.

David.