02-03-2022, 01:39 PM
MOSTELLER'S BATTLE TACTIC # 5
A great distinction exists between communicating and communicating effectively. Hyborian War is a game that allows for multiple methods of communication, and learning _HOW_ to communicate is far and away more important than _WHAT_ you are trying to communicate.
Learning to communicate effectively with your fellow players - allies, enemies, and neutrals alike - can often prove crucial to your kingdom's fate in a game of Hyborian War.
Communicating effectively does not mean running up your phone bill by calling every player in the game after you receive each turn. While it is true that talking on the phone with those in the game with you can be a great deal of fun, it also can prove to be cost prohibitive. If there is any one piece of advice I would offer to new players of Hyborian War, it would be to steer clear of long distance telephone calls to those in the game with you. It is far too easy to get addicted to the game, and if you are not careful, things can get out-of-hand, where your personal finances or family's budget are concerned.
E-mail is a very useful, and cost effective communication tool which is widely available to the masses at this point in time.
A good old-fashioned letter written and delivered via the U.S. Mail can still be the most treasured form of communication many players will receive during a game of Hyborian War. It's always nice to receive a letter, and particularly if there's no bill attached from bill collectors. This is particularly so, when the letters are written with a flair for the game, and penned in an "in-character" sense.
Propaganda is a valid tool of war. Hyborian war is no exception to this rule of thumb. On occasion, I have been known to use it, myself. Want to add a touch of clever deception to the game? Early in the game, send a letter supposedly signed by another kingdom's king or queen, and if you have a friend in the same state where that player resides, mail it to that friend first, if you want to have an actual post mark lend a sense of greater credibility to your message. Players should take note, though, to distinguish between a message signed by king so-and-so, and a letter signed using the player's actual name.
Regardless of what particular medium of communication you use to convey your messages to your fellow players, don't forget that in the end, it is all just a game. Do not hesitate to communicate with enemies in a game, also. You might just find that they will turn out to be future allies in future games, and also, you might just make a friend in the process. Many players, though, and particularly newer ones, will often times overlook the opportunities which enemy-to-enemy communications allow.
Over the course of time, there is no greater tool available to players, where communications with others is concerned, than honesty in your dealings with them. That's not to say that back-stabbing is not a part of the game. Of course it is! It's never the most pleasant thing in the world to have a trusted "ally" in a game of Hyborian War betray you, but there are worse things in life. At times, the betrayal can makes things more interesting, though as a general rule of thumb, back-stabbers are loathed by their fellow players. As a reminder, though, it simply is not possible for an enemy to back-stab you, as they are already your enemy. You can be the most straight-forward person who ever played the game, and ultimately, you are destined to learn that there are those who can - and will - back-stab you. Learn to take it all in stride, and at the first opportune moment, crush them with a note of deafening finality! At times, even your enemies will work to assist you in crushing a back-stabber, if you can validate your claim against the person you so accuse.
Many times, even if you cannot reach common ground over a given province which yourself and a fellow player might both need, there exists the opportunity to fight it out to the death over the province in question, and once the winner is decided, an alliance can be forged in favor of mutual cooperation. Learn to discern, when communicating and negotiating province dispositions in the game.
Particularly for newer players, if you're going to communicate, it's best to start as soon as possible, and maintain communications from that point forth. Breakdowns in communication tend to strain alliances, and often times result in excuses from your fellow players to the effect of, "Hey, I thought you must have dropped out of the game. Otherwise, I wouldn't have invaded your provinces." Such words bring little comfort to the ears of a player who has just been attacked by kingdoms in their game whom they felt to be friendly toward them, based upon prior communications long since forgotten.
Some unfortunate souls, though, simply are so utterly lacking in diplomatic skills that, even if they have the best of intentions and deal with their fellow players in a forthright manner, end up alienating the people they speak with. It may be a twang in the voice, or an arrogant tone of conversation. In such instances, it is usually best to not communicate by telephone, relying instead upon the written word to carry the day for you.
Sometimes, though, not communicating at all can be an effective strategy, as long as you are consistent in following that tactic, once implemented. Few things can be more surprising than encountering an active kingdom which you had long felt to be non-played. This tactic is best implemented if you also play the game with your address unavailable. Even with your address unavailable, though, your game actions can betray your kingdom as being played, if you opt for aggressive game-play over passive game-play.
Even a threat of full scale nuclear war in the real world is still, technically, an act of diplomacy, and not an act of war. The threat of war can often be a useful tool in exploiting your neighboring kingdoms in a game of Hyborian War. Tact is a very useful tool to employ when using the "direct threat" tactic of communicating with your fellow rulers.
Regardless of which method(s) of communication you opt to use to assist your game-play, just by communicating, whether you are successful or a failure at it, your game-play experience and fun factor can be greatly increased.
The United States Marine Corps says that the key to success in battle is effective communications. Remember that axiom, and it will always serve you well. Forget it, and it may very well seal your doom! Just remember: When in doubt - communicate!
A great distinction exists between communicating and communicating effectively. Hyborian War is a game that allows for multiple methods of communication, and learning _HOW_ to communicate is far and away more important than _WHAT_ you are trying to communicate.
Learning to communicate effectively with your fellow players - allies, enemies, and neutrals alike - can often prove crucial to your kingdom's fate in a game of Hyborian War.
Communicating effectively does not mean running up your phone bill by calling every player in the game after you receive each turn. While it is true that talking on the phone with those in the game with you can be a great deal of fun, it also can prove to be cost prohibitive. If there is any one piece of advice I would offer to new players of Hyborian War, it would be to steer clear of long distance telephone calls to those in the game with you. It is far too easy to get addicted to the game, and if you are not careful, things can get out-of-hand, where your personal finances or family's budget are concerned.
E-mail is a very useful, and cost effective communication tool which is widely available to the masses at this point in time.
A good old-fashioned letter written and delivered via the U.S. Mail can still be the most treasured form of communication many players will receive during a game of Hyborian War. It's always nice to receive a letter, and particularly if there's no bill attached from bill collectors. This is particularly so, when the letters are written with a flair for the game, and penned in an "in-character" sense.
Propaganda is a valid tool of war. Hyborian war is no exception to this rule of thumb. On occasion, I have been known to use it, myself. Want to add a touch of clever deception to the game? Early in the game, send a letter supposedly signed by another kingdom's king or queen, and if you have a friend in the same state where that player resides, mail it to that friend first, if you want to have an actual post mark lend a sense of greater credibility to your message. Players should take note, though, to distinguish between a message signed by king so-and-so, and a letter signed using the player's actual name.
Regardless of what particular medium of communication you use to convey your messages to your fellow players, don't forget that in the end, it is all just a game. Do not hesitate to communicate with enemies in a game, also. You might just find that they will turn out to be future allies in future games, and also, you might just make a friend in the process. Many players, though, and particularly newer ones, will often times overlook the opportunities which enemy-to-enemy communications allow.
Over the course of time, there is no greater tool available to players, where communications with others is concerned, than honesty in your dealings with them. That's not to say that back-stabbing is not a part of the game. Of course it is! It's never the most pleasant thing in the world to have a trusted "ally" in a game of Hyborian War betray you, but there are worse things in life. At times, the betrayal can makes things more interesting, though as a general rule of thumb, back-stabbers are loathed by their fellow players. As a reminder, though, it simply is not possible for an enemy to back-stab you, as they are already your enemy. You can be the most straight-forward person who ever played the game, and ultimately, you are destined to learn that there are those who can - and will - back-stab you. Learn to take it all in stride, and at the first opportune moment, crush them with a note of deafening finality! At times, even your enemies will work to assist you in crushing a back-stabber, if you can validate your claim against the person you so accuse.
Many times, even if you cannot reach common ground over a given province which yourself and a fellow player might both need, there exists the opportunity to fight it out to the death over the province in question, and once the winner is decided, an alliance can be forged in favor of mutual cooperation. Learn to discern, when communicating and negotiating province dispositions in the game.
Particularly for newer players, if you're going to communicate, it's best to start as soon as possible, and maintain communications from that point forth. Breakdowns in communication tend to strain alliances, and often times result in excuses from your fellow players to the effect of, "Hey, I thought you must have dropped out of the game. Otherwise, I wouldn't have invaded your provinces." Such words bring little comfort to the ears of a player who has just been attacked by kingdoms in their game whom they felt to be friendly toward them, based upon prior communications long since forgotten.
Some unfortunate souls, though, simply are so utterly lacking in diplomatic skills that, even if they have the best of intentions and deal with their fellow players in a forthright manner, end up alienating the people they speak with. It may be a twang in the voice, or an arrogant tone of conversation. In such instances, it is usually best to not communicate by telephone, relying instead upon the written word to carry the day for you.
Sometimes, though, not communicating at all can be an effective strategy, as long as you are consistent in following that tactic, once implemented. Few things can be more surprising than encountering an active kingdom which you had long felt to be non-played. This tactic is best implemented if you also play the game with your address unavailable. Even with your address unavailable, though, your game actions can betray your kingdom as being played, if you opt for aggressive game-play over passive game-play.
Even a threat of full scale nuclear war in the real world is still, technically, an act of diplomacy, and not an act of war. The threat of war can often be a useful tool in exploiting your neighboring kingdoms in a game of Hyborian War. Tact is a very useful tool to employ when using the "direct threat" tactic of communicating with your fellow rulers.
Regardless of which method(s) of communication you opt to use to assist your game-play, just by communicating, whether you are successful or a failure at it, your game-play experience and fun factor can be greatly increased.
The United States Marine Corps says that the key to success in battle is effective communications. Remember that axiom, and it will always serve you well. Forget it, and it may very well seal your doom! Just remember: When in doubt - communicate!