I think that you've grappling with two different animals here. First of all Diplomacy is inherently a "winner take all" (WTA) game, so there is no problem with draws in these games. The problems are with the way people play the game here. First of all people play the game irresponsibly and disrespectfully, with a wave of NMRs and CDs. There's no real cure for that except to screen your players well enough to weed out the trolls and noobs. But noobs need to learn the game somewhere, so by completely excluding them, you're doing the community a disservice. The other issue is that many players simply do not play to win. Winning is frowned upon. We live in a time where we award participation trophies, and this is evident in the play styles of the players here. Draws with 50% of the starting players are relatively common here, simply because there are not enough ruthless players. That leave a lot of incomplete Diplomacy games prematurely drawn. Diplomacy is like sex, when finish prior to a climax is rather disappointing.

As to the WTA setting, draws in WTA games are like draws in PPSC games. All players share the points. The issues does not appear to be with the setting at all. If you had players playing to win, they would jump all over a game like you just described.

I've looked at the game and I don't understand why there would be concern about drawing. I would understand concern about players disappearing based on the game. That said, the game seems to be ongoing and it seems premature to draw any conclusions. Also, I believe that it might be frowned upon to comment on games that are ongoing.

Only ongoing gunboats

Actually Sandgoose, *no* ongoing games should be discussed on the forums unless it was decided prior to the game starting that there would be forum commentary. It just goes double for gunboats.

I usually refrain from commenting on an ongoing game if I'm not a part of it. Usually, I guess. Do as I say not as I do. Wouldn't want to influence a game. Usually, I guess.

The game was meant to simulate real-world situations faced by superpowers. That being said, we all know that a draw never happens in real war. The second world war is an prime example; after the war, Germany, Italy, and Japan ceased to exist and are no longer countries today. On the allied side, only one nation still exists, since only one nation could win. We all know that is the united states, of course. I'm certain the designers of the game included draw results specifically because only one player was meant to win each game.

Note: I apologize. I just can't resist saying it! ;)

Drano, interesting point to make, I alwys thought it would be fine to discuss on the forums if there is full press. Thanks for the clarification.

Right now, France is doing awfully, and Russia keeps popping in and out. We just had our second replacement player jump in...

...and instead of fighting Germany, he's fighting me.

Again, it looks like a Germany/Italy draw out. Germany is even advancing on Russia while Russia shifts forces to Turkey. He even tried to cut my support in Norwegian Sea from Lapland.

Whyyyy....?

Argotitan, according to my new understanding of the rules, you are not supposed to be discussing this game in-forum unless there has been an agreement in game to discuss on the forum. Please contact the mods for further clarification.

Thanks!

No. The rules only refer to gunboat games, not regular games. It's fine to discuss it here.

Argo, I'll reach out for clarification from the mods on this, I want to be sure before I weigh in on this. Thnx!

This stupid Russian player is such an idiot. If he wasn't distracting me from Georgia and built his armies on the eastern front while not challenging me in the Norwegian Sea, we would actually have a game to play.

Instead, he's throwing it to Germany and Italy who are going to draw out. I'm getting the impression that he's doing it just to annoy me.

@Argotitan,
making comments on just finished games is allowed and it's even encouraged as part of the fun of the site and of the learning-process.

Making comments on ongoing games make some issues arise instead.

First, it makes arise the suspect that who's talking about it wants to take some advantage from it, affecting the behaviour of his opponents with reasons from outside the game itself. That would be unfair, being a sort of metagaming. The suspect is that the software (= being able to make comments outside the game itself, using the Forum) would be used as a diplomacy tactic, that is forbidden by Rule #4, although the examples in it are about very grave infraction like cheating accusations etc..

Second, although we believe it was not your intention to take advantage from it, this could happen anyway. Players in your game might not be following the Forums: it's not mandatory. Because you can't be forced to follow and read all things said in all the Forum's threads just because someone could be using the Forum like a second Global chat in which everyone's invited. There's a reason why only players into a game can type on Global chat of that game.
So although unintentional, it'd still be metagaming.
All Diplomacy must stay into the game-page, unless players in the game expressely agreed an exception or implicitly did it joining a SRG or a Tournament whose rules stated this exception.

So, according to Rule #9:
9. Follow common sense
The rules above are mainly ones which might not be obvious; just because a specific rule isn't given here doesn't mean moderators can't stop people ruining the server for others!

we're going to lock this thread.

Some few last advices:
- If you want to discuss the topic "Does Drawing in WTA Backfire?" you're free to open a new thread, but please refer your arguments only on FINISHED games you might bring as examples, or it will be locked again.
- If you want to know what's going on into your current game competitors' minds, you can ask them either now on the game-chats or after the game is over, opening on the Forum a "EoG statements" thread. Obviousely they're free to *not* answer your questions, either way, if this is what they want.
- If you want some more clarification about why you can't talk about ongoing games, feel free to ask us on the Modforum.

Thank you!