Diplomacy | Running the Game

Episode 40: Everything, EVERYTHING, is power politics.

#RunningTheGame #MattColville #MCDM

[Nomphalos]

Diplomacy: the solution to having too many friends.

[JonHerzogArtist]

"I said, 'Jerry' -- because that's his name."
Now that's Colville.

[kieranb]

Last time we played my alliance bugged one of the private conversation rooms with a phone and used the intel gathered to win an important battle. This game will change you.

[SparkBx]

This is a life lesson not a game lesson. You tricked me! <3

[TheEndKing]

I can now explain why Dr. Doom is my favorite villain: Everyone else is playing the superhero game, but Doom is playing Diplomacy.

[kindle]

I actually did play diplomacy in school. At the end of the semester, my ap history teacher ran a game for each of his classes. Each nation was run by teams of two students. I played Russia, but the guy I was paired up with wouldn't let me make any decisions. On the last day of class, he was out sick, so to spite him I accepted a bribe of $40 to let Germany win the game.

Edited for grammar

[GusanGaming]

Britain going to France before WW1 saying "We have a long history of friendship"
France: "Of course I remember the 100 year friendship and all our tensions at the minute"

[SteveMorman]

We played this in college, but you'd have to drink a culturally-appropriate beverage when you lost an unit. It was brutal.

[Zoxesyr]

In my first game of diplomacy, I was the "Russia" Matt describes here.

That was also my last game of diplomacy.

[djohnson]

After watching this video, I shall endeavor to become more cynical with each passing day, look gift horses squarely in the mouth, and find clouds in every silver lining.

[ForPromethious]

Remember about Realpolitik, the lesson of Machiavelli, who some might describe as the true father of what we now call Realpolitik: It is good to be loved, better to be feared, but at all costs you must avoid being HATED.

People HATE Realpolitik. If you are found to be playing Realpolitik when most other people are playing based on Principles, if you, for example, ADMIT to playing Realpolitik, there is an extremely high chance that your enemies will unite against you and endure ANY hardship to bring you down. Realpolitik isn't REALLY being played if a person admits to playing Realpolitik - unless they're REALLY bad at it.

Think on Game of Thrones and the backstabbing that goes on there - even in the case of the War of the Roses from which it draws inspiration - **people eventually get so tired of the backstabbing the they will do anything to stop it**. Those who violate Guest Right eventually find themselves eating their family in a pie, not because the world is just, but because they made a Realpolitik mistake: they permitted themselves to become largely, widely HATED, instead of merely feared or God forbid, beloved.

[joeykonyha]

Diplomacy is a game best played with either your deepest, closest, strongest friends whose bonds are above a mere game, or people you’ll never see again.

[hella_cool]

"We have a long history of friendship together"
Eeehhh...

[tomd]

Teach 7th graders Diplomacy... Ah yes... middle school, that special time in child development when they know just enough about people to really hurt them but have yet to develop a sense of empathy. Matt I learned plenty about the sociopathic mind sets growing up without having to participate in a system that actively rewards them.

[Liesmith]

I'm going to pretend this is foreshadowing for Matt's 2020 presidential run.

[micahtron]

I'm taking International Relations for my political science this semester, and the instructor has us playing this game as an extra credit.
Thia has now become one of my favorite games ever.

[TheMeanAdmin]

I don't play Diplomacy styled games with people I care to keep around.

[thmsnrth]

I'm actually a junior high social studies teacher... this video is giving me evil ideas.

[wusashicat]

The Red Queen principle is the idea that if two organisms are competing for the same resource they will spend more and more resources in order to out grow their competition. Up to, and over the point where the resource no longer covers the cost that it has incurred for its growth

[harjutapa]

A note from the son of a very successful mechanic: only second rate mechanics operate the way described at 4:13
A good mechanic, like my father (who I actually intensely dislike), will actually ONLY FIX YOUR CAR. And do so competently, and as close to on time as possible. Because that mechanic knows that repeat business is the real path to a successful auto shop.
That's one thing to note about real politik applied to every day life and business: sometimes it IS the best approach, on a personal level.
Very, very often, however, doing the "right thing" in your professional and personal life will net much higher long term reward. Enlightened self interest isn't a phrase I like, but I have yet to find one better to explain this reality.