A Brief Look at Diplomacy

[Ruccus]

Diplomacy is basically a card style game within Vanguard where you parley (have a conversation) with NPCs and learn about things happening in the world. I really enjoy it and hope that they open up more arcs and get to work on the planned 'PvP parley' in which you'd debate other players instead of NPCs.

Below is a screenshot of a GUI while in parley mode. in the top right corner is the window in which the parley takes place, and in the left window is the dialogue which follows the parley. The bottom right corner are the ten cards I can use during the parley (I have more than ten cards which I can swap out when I want to, but once the parley starts I can only use the ten I've chosen).

The red, green, blue, and yellow markers are points each player has collected during previous actions during the parely; I have four red, two green, and one blue marker. My opponent has four red, one green, and one blue. Yellow is blocked out because of the type of parely I'm having with the emmisary; other parleys may have the red, green, or blue columns blocked out, or have all of them open. The column to the right of the four columns is the meter indicating who wins each round of the parley. At the top the number 30 indicates how many times the NPC needs to win a round to win the parley, while the bottom number (number 8) indicates how many more rounds I need to win to win the parley. Right now the round is even (at zero), so neither player has won the round.

Each card costs a certain number of points as noted beside their cost. With the points I have, I'm able to choose 'Aggressive Statement' at the cost of two of my red markers, 'Flurry of Arguments' at a cost of all my red markers, or 'Itemized Comparison' at a cost of both of my green markers. I can also choose 'Threats of Reprisal' because it doesn't cost any markers.

I've chosen 'Flurry of Arguments' at the cost of all my red markers. Looking at the card, in the top right corner of the card it indicates how many spaces the far right meter will move, indicating who is winning. With the number five, it'll move five spaces into my section of the meter and I'll earn a round deducted from the total needed to win (the 8 will lower to 7). It also forces my opponent to play a card that pulls it back at least five spaces, or I will get another round closer to victory (the 7 turning to 6). 'Flurry of Arguments' does give my opponent one more red marker to use, so her four red markers will increase to five. In the bottom right corner of the card it shows a clock and "1-2", indicating in will refresh in one or two turns, ready to be used again. You can see three of my other cards have been played and are still waiting to be refreshed.

[Daton Everon]

Just some additional notes to add. (numbers correspond to the attached screenshot)

1. These are the points earned toward bringing the conversation slider toward you. If the parley ends with the slider in your direction, you will win the parley.

2. These are how many points it removes from you when you play this card. (You obviously must have the points to spend)

3. These are points your opponent recieves when you play this card.

4. These are the points you will recieve when you play the card.

Note 3 or 4 can be negative.

5. This is how many turns before the card can be played again. (This hurt me soooo many times when I developed my "strategy"* )

* Developing a strategy is when you bring up your player abilities (P key by default) click on the diplomacy tab, and click the strategy button. This shows the deck you play with, shown here as a deck of 10, but you only start with 5)

[Ruccus]

Yeah, there was a bug which spiked up everyone's diplomacy skill, causing the 10 slots to appear - five slots is the norm; not sure if it goes up to ten incrementally, or all at one shot when you master diplomacy.

Here's a little key that determines which type of conversation crosses out which column (so you know which ones you can't use before you get into the parley):

Entertain locks out Demand (red column)
Gossip locks out Reason (green column)
Convice locks out Inspire (blue column)
Incite locks out Flattery (yellow column)
Interview doesn't lock any of the columns

I think rogues normally use the red cards for the best bonuses, though race factors in as well.

[Daton Everon]

Dwarfs used demand (red) as thier racial.

Not sure if class had anything to do with it. But for dwarves it was definately demand.

[Twoboxer2]

Trying to explain Diplomacy briefly is a bit like trying to explain the Vanguard combat system . . . its not easy. It was confusing to me until I compared it to a "tug-of-war".

You know, two opponents on opposite sides of a boundary line, each holding one end of a rope. The rope has a little flag attached to its middle. The referee holds the rope with the flag centered over the boundary line, the opponents take up the tension on the rope, and then the referee says "Go". Maybe this will help some of you.

Diplomacy is a tug of war waged with "words". The object is to out-shout (Demand), out-debate (Reason), be more charismatic (Inspire), and/or be a better BS artist (Flatter) than your opponent. Players engage in a parley (conversation) where each statement (card played) may pull the rope - with its little flag in the middle - toward you or toward your opponent.

The object is to get the conversation "going your way" and keep it that way for as long as it takes to win the parley.

The scale on the right side of the Parley Window shows who is winning at the moment, ie, whose side of the boundary line (zero) the tug-of-war flag is currently on. A positive number indicates you are winning; negative, your opponent. Players alternate rounds playing one card from their pre-chosen strategy deck, and earn 1 point each round the "flag" is on their side of the boundary line. The numbers at the bottom (you) and top (opponent) show how many more points each player needs to win. Note: The points you and your opponent need to win may not start out equal - think of it as a handicap system.

You can move the tug-of-war flag by playing a card when it is your turn. The number in the card's upper right-hand corner determines how that card will move the flag. Examples: "3" will pull it 3 clicks in your favor, ie, towards or further into your territory; a "0" will not move it at all; "-1" will slip it one click toward your opponent.

Each card may or may not have a required "cost" to pay before it can be played. There are four different markers used as currency: Red (Demand), Green (Reason), Blue (Inspire), and Yellow (Flattery). Once a card is played, it's cost is subtracted from your totals and that card may not be played again until it refreshes. Each card has its own refresh rate, most often expressed as a range (eg, 1 to 3 rounds) to introduce the element of chance. It should be no surprise that more powerful cards have longer refresh timers.

Each card can also affect both your and your opponent's currency markers. Some cards will earn you currency markers; some will add or subtract from your opponent's markers; some will do both.

Generally, the starting strategy is to play a card that has no cost that moves the conversation your way (score early). But that card may give your opponent extra currency, making it easier for him to score. Or you can play one that doesn't move the conversation but earns you the currency to play a better card next round (score big). But that may allow your opponent to score immediately and take an early lead.

Other strategies include playing cards that take away some of your opponent's currency markers, perhaps allowing him to score but preventing him from scoring big later. Or playing cards that convert currency you have but cannot use into currency you can actually use.

Finally, when you have nothing left to "say" (all useful cards have not refreshed) or when its best to say nothing (the conversation is going your way big time), guess what? You can click "Listen".


Parley Types:

Entertain: locks out Demand (red currency useless) The logic is you don't Demand when the goal is to Entertain.

Gossip: locks out Reason (green currency not in play). I guess Logic is a often a barrier to good Gossip.

Convince: locks out Inspire (blue currency not in play). Given that the most popular politicians are usually the most charismatic, I'm not sure of the logic here so I'll leave it to you.

Incite: locks out Flattery (yellow currency not in play). Flattery is presumably judged the least effective technique to Incite.

Interview: doesn't lock out any of the columns, all currencies are in play.


Strategy Deck

You will accumulate a variety of cards in your "Diplomacy Skill Book", but only 5 of them can be used in any one Parley. This limit will probably expand; it would make sense to do so based on your skill level. The general approach is:

1. Examine the Parley Type and choose the best cards you have for that type of encounter. For example, a card that moves the conversation +5 at a cost of 4 Flattery looks great but is useless in an "Incite" parley. It can never be played.

2. Place your chosen cards in your "Strategy Deck".

3. Initiate the Parley.


Racial Specialties

Apparently, each race has a form of Parley it does best. So your early access to good cards that give you strategic options will primarily be in that specialty. Eventually we can update this list:

Dwarf: Demand
Halfling: Flattery
Qaliathari human: Flattery


Credits: Ruccus for early description, Parley key and screenshot; Daton for Racial help.

[Fricka]

Nice post Twoboxer2!

And I love the quote in your sig pic LOL!

[Sabatini Scratch]

Another for the racial list:

Qaliathari human: Flattery