Diplomacy

Rating:
Summary: I get by with Support from my friends
Review: An A-plus for the concept of the computer filling in for missing Diplomacy opponents! And let's hope the manufacturer will evolve and improve the game. As other reviewers noted, in mid- to end-game situations, the AI needs to wake up and smell the espresso. Surely the combined resources of England, Germany, etc. should be better able to stop my very obvious French power grab. It's clear that, for some reason, there is a huge intersecting set of Macintosh loyalists and Diplomacy nuts. The best thing the vendor can do is extend version 2.0 to run on the Mac as well. Long live Diplomacy!

Rating:
Summary: Fun
Review: Anything that introduces Diplomacy to the next generation is to be welcomed, but this game is a bit week. I would suggest getting the board game instead and joining in one of the many e-mail games on line. You will enjoy it more without this interface.

Rating:
Summary: Won't replace the standard internet game
Review: Anything that introduces Diplomacy to the next generation is to be welcomed, but this game is a bit week. I would suggest getting the board game instead and joining in one of the many e-mail games on line. You will enjoy it more without this interface.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Strategy Game
Review: Diplomacy's one of my favorite games ever, and so I bought the computer version on sight. What a bad move.

First, the AI is dreadful. The computer couldn't fight its way out of a paper bag, much less take over Europe.

Worse, the interface is completely unusable. The various players hurl diplomatic overtures so fast that you can't follow what's what.

It's just a godawful mess. Avoid avoid avoid.

Rating:
Summary: Just awful, a huge disappointment
Review: Diplomacy's one of my favorite games ever, and so I bought the computer version on sight. What a bad move.

First, the AI is dreadful. The computer couldn't fight its way out of a paper bag, much less take over Europe.

Worse, the interface is completely unusable. The various players hurl diplomatic overtures so fast that you can't follow what's what.

It's just a godawful mess. Avoid avoid avoid.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I am a long time fan of Diplomacy and have played by mail, face to face and by e-mail. So when I saw this game in a store one day I bought it on impulse. However it is disappointing. The computer player(s) is not gifted and it is easy to win. Add to this the unwieldy nature of the negotiation phase (often the computer player just walks away when you are talking to it) and I cannot recommend this for anyone other than novices.

Rating:
Summary: Like watching paint dry
Review: I had never played the board game, but I'd heard good things about it, so I bought the computer version in a store on impulse. It was one of the worst purchases I've ever made.

Usually when I play a strategy game I just dive right in and see how the computer players crush me so that I can get a feel for the game. I tried that right off the bat with Diplomacy: I made no alliances and moved no armies. The instructions had warned "you'll need to have allies in order to survive," so I expected to be wiped out in a few turns.

Nope. I watched turn after turn (year after year in game time) as the other players shuffled armies back and forth to no apparent purpose. After thirty "years" no one had conquered any significant territory, and I finally quit the game.

I played a few more times experimenting a bit. I tried raising all the players to the highest skill level. I tried making crazy bargains and alliances. I made promises and broke them. Still absolutely nothing of interest happened. It made for a lovely opportunity to contemplate world peace, but a fun game it was not.

I could have tried to conquer Europe myself, but with such pitifully uninteresting opponents I couldn't muster enough interest to try. I have no doubt the editorial review is right when it says you can win in twenty minutes or so, but I didn't see the point.

Rating:
Summary: Not worth the money
Review: I suppose that if you have never played Diplomacy before, this game could be a good tool for learning how to move your armies and navies, how to transport, how to support a force, etc. But that is about it. I have never seen anyone playing this version game online, even though it is available at GameSpy. You are better off playing more traditional versions of the game.

I bought it in the hopes of having some decent solitaire play. If that is what you are hoping for, then forget it. The AI, even at its highest level, will not give you any sort of test. It is just about as idiotic as can be.

Diplomacy is such a great game. It is a shame that its PC version is so incredibly boring and unchallenging.

Rating:
Summary: Not worth the money
Review: I suppose that if you have never played Diplomacy before, this game could be a good tool for learning how to move your armies and navies, how to transport, how to support a force, etc. But that is about it. I have never seen anyone playing this version game online, even though it is available at GameSpy. You are better off playing more traditional versions of the game.

I bought it in the hopes of having some decent solitaire play. If that is what you are hoping for, then forget it. The AI, even at its highest level, will not give you any sort of test. It is just about as idiotic as can be.

Diplomacy is such a great game. It is a shame that its PC version is so incredibly boring and unchallenging.

Rating:
Summary: Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Review: I wish I had read the review of this game before I wasted my money on it! It's horrible. A big waste of programming time!