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Gladly I`m at an age not to care any longer listening to "what the cool kids do".

ORIGINAL: nnason

My objection to Uber-diplo is the element of chance. I have gone 8 months with Spain at 85% and me invested at 30% and no joy. OK not having Spain until late 1942 is not good but what about the opposite where Allies get really good "roles" and have USA join say in early 1941 even thought the Axis had invested the same amount of chips/MPPs. Just that the computer made better rolls for the Allies. So equal investments but better rolls makes for a very unbalanced game.

Perhaps the way to resolve is equal investments get same rolls. So when when Axis gets a -15% for the USA then the Allies would get plus 15%. This is assuming same number of diplo chips for each side. If unequal chip investment then some adjustment up or down to reflect the greater diplo pressure.

Sugar makes a good point about Uber investments would make brits very weak. But if got lucky.....

ORIGINAL: nnason

KorutZelva,

Are you sure diplo-chits work that way and chits cancel each other out? Where in Manual does it say this?

If so would take most of the chance out. If you were following diplo investments you would have to guess is my Allied opponent investing in USA or Russia? Less chance and more guessing.

Good point about worth of Allied investment.

ORIGINAL: Taxman66

However, I believe that diplomacy checks are made each and every turn and not just on the turns with the side who has the positive value.
I can attest to this from my game with KorutZelva.

ORIGINAL: Harrybanana

I continue to maintain that the problem with Uber-Diplomacy is that it brings too much of a luck element into the game. By my calculation KZ should have averaged 2.5 US hits in our game and he got 4. Conversely, I have now had 6 turns with a 10% chance and 2 turns with a 15% chance of getting an Axis Diplomacy hit on the US; so an average of 0.9 hits. But no luck so far. So in my opinion KZ's 4 hits and my 0 hits has resulted in a significant swing in our respective chances of winning the game. Assuming the game is balanced and KZ and I are of equal skill (which at this point I very much doubt) I would say my chances of winning have gone from 50% to 5%. Likewise had he only gotten 1 hit (which statistically was just as likely as 4) and I then got a hit of my own, then I would have said that my chances were 95% (again assuming equal skill). Had I known the Rules and correctly guessed that KZ was going for the US rather than Russia I could perhaps have prevented him from getting one of his hits, but even with just 3 hits I would say that my chances of winning would be at best 25%. Again, none of this is to say that KZ would not have beaten me without this strategy. I am not saying that he is beating me only by luck. He is a very skilled opponent and would probably win anyway, but this kind of seals the deal.

In my game where I am using the Uber-diplomacy strategy myself (but on Russia), I so far should have averaged 1.95 hits but have gotten only 1. I probably only have 2 or at best 3 more turns before France falls.

I think by now everyone has figured out why I personally don't like games of chance.

ORIGINAL: Harrybanana

ORIGINAL: Taxman66

However, I believe that diplomacy checks are made each and every turn and not just on the turns with the side who has the positive value.
I can attest to this from my game with KorutZelva.

This is what I thought too, but Bill says otherwise. So if you have proof of this than the game is not WAD.

ORIGINAL: Taxman66

I recall (but could also be wrong) seeing Axis hits to US at the end of my allied turn and of my axis opponent commenting on hits at the end of his turn before I played mine.

ORIGINAL: crispy131313


It is very obvious if the Allies are buying Major Diplomatic Chits, so I suppose it can countered quite easily. The only problem once you go that route (invest and cancel USA) the diplomatic game is done.

France will fall much sooner anyway.

Hits on Majors are limited to 7-11% afaik.

ORIGINAL: Harrybanana

Has anyone seen Uber Diplomacy in reverse? In other words the game proceeds as usual with no Allied uber diplomacy. Then after the Axis conquer France the Germans and Italians immediately purchase the maximum chits in the USSR. Even if the UK counters with 1 chit a turn (which at 150 MPPS a pop is a big investment at that point of the game) the Axis will get an average of 1.5 hits within the first 5 turns. Thereafter they will average a hit every Axis 7 turns. So has anyone done the math to determine if, on average, the Axis can keep Russia out of the War until the late spring (April or May) of 42? I would try this in a future game; but I'm pretty sure I would get below average luck.