From: jfurr@nyx.cs.du.edu (Joel Furr)
Subject: Re: NMR vs NoNMR
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Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 17:11:12 GMT

In article <C0DDF4.F2M@ecf.toronto.edu> lokendr@ecf.toronto.edu (LO KENDRICK) writes:
>What would happen if a player began playing in a game, played it very
>well until he was very close to winning, and either his e-mail system
>gets temporarily disconnected or for some other reason he fails to be
>notified that he will soon be abandoned?  Instead all his units would
>hold, and some lucky dude would just walk over (as long as he had one
>extra support)  all his centres.  I certainly would not like to come
>back and face this situation; think of all the time one would waster
>only to find his centre count drop from 17 to 11 over one lucky break--

Ah, but is it any better to get disconnected and come back and find some
other player now playing his units?  If you go CD because of an act of God
or something, you're screwed _either_ way.  Unfortunately, there *is* no
way to protect everyone.  After all, the player who prosecutes an
excellent campaign only to lose out because he lost access for a couple of
days is in the minority compared to players who get into a game, lose
interest, and allow their powers to go CD.  

>I would agree to NMR only if the grace periods are long and it is quite
>clear that if the position hasn't been taken over by the end of this
>period, that there is a high probability that the situation for that
>power is hopeless and perhaps it is better that the game be continued.
>Specifically, if the grace period is really short and the move period is
>really short, there are bound to be problems.  I, for one, although I
>check my mail on the hour, every day, 7 days a week,   would hesitate to
>join such a game as I'm sure my connection to the Net isn't perfect and
>the judge isn't perfect, AND even something in _real life_ comes up. :-)

No one has to play in a NMR game.  Since 'aargh!' is the _only_ NMR game
open at this time, no one has to feel as though they're forced into
playing NMR in order to play at all.

>IMHO, short turn & grace periods and   NMR are quite dangerous and I
>would question how close to a "properly-played" diplomacy game it really
>is to deserve EP recognition.  But then of course I may be wrong ---  :)
>(i.e. with all the changes in players and CD's, etc.)  It might work
>though as it does have a good GM:  To each his own...

NMR games don't receive EP recognition.  However, to answer your question,
let me offer another question: how close to a "properly-played" Diplomacy
game is it where every time you turn around, one of your allies has gone
CD and been replaced by some stranger?  

          (__)                                           
          (oo)                                                     Joel Furr
   /-------\/                                     jfurr@polaris.async.vt.edu
  / |     ||                                            Blacksburg, Virginia
 *  ||----||                                                             USA
    ^^    ^^