Diplomacy is too frustrating to learn.

[Darkmoore]

....and I don't know how to fix it. The tutorials just don't explain it well enough. My best friend attempted it, and said forget it. I only muddled through it. I think part of it may be that the playing area is not labeled. Combine that with not really knowing, or being able to see at a glance, what the different colors really are makes it even more confusing. Combine that with not knowing which colors the gear affects and it gets even more frustrating.

To put it in different words learning both Diplomacy and Crafting is not user friendly. Unfortunately things like this need to be explained down to the lowest common denominator for dummies like me.

Just my two cents. If there are really and good "Diplomacy for Dummies" or "Crafting for Dummies" kind of guides out there, I would really appreciate some links to them. (Not as if my Vanguard folder isn't huge already. )

[Iendan]

hmm...ive never really found it confusing and i learned it afore the tutorials were really put in (basic ones but not the in your face ones that are in now)...but perhaps thats just me. More tutorials would not be a bad idea i guess, but eventually it comes down to the person doing it rather than the explanation given in game...

[Siul]

I found myself struggling a bit in order to get it but I think it is not that hard and that the explanations are good. The tutorial should have everything you need, actually maybe it has too much, which might make it a bit more complex. It is possible to get a tutorial to carry around with your character (I don't remember if it was the trainer that had it has an option or if I bought it). Anyway, my personal experience was that for me I could not take it all at once. I did some of the tutorial and then had to step back, wait a day and do the rest. If i tried to get it all at once i just got too confused, so I would say let it sink, sleep over it and then try again slowly without expecting to get it in the first hours you play. I think that since it is a new sphere it is not so trivial as adventuring so it takes a bit more effort. I'm lvl 53 now and I still struggle with low lvl NPC's but i am not quiting. Sometimes it is worth to try and parley with others out there to gain some experience.

As to the clothes, I haven't bothered too much with it yet, I take it slow, I know they influence to whom you can speak (your presence) but I don't think they affect your colors (someone correct me if I am wrong). Actually there is a part of the training that deals with the colors and how each race and their faction (crafter, diplomate, guard, noble) use the colors. These will tell what kind of cards oyu can expect from them and in your strategy you can make sure that if you don't have anything to take points away from them you can at least not give them those points with the cards you play.

Another thing is that each race has their preferred cards. As a raki I use the yellow ones (flatery), and for some reason I don't remember now I always get an extra green (reason) point whenever I parley.

Ok i hopethis sheds some light but I noticed that i'm somehow not being too coherent, which might make it worse....

Just take it easy and don't get too frustated, it will slowly think in

[Rithrin]

To be honest, I found the tutorials confusing as hell. I finished them, but left having no idea how to play. Luckily the game itself is very intuitive and once I tried a normal parley I figured it all out.

[Darkmoore]

Thanks Siul. Really appreciate it.

[Siul]

Originally Posted by Rithrin

To be honest, I found the tutorials confusing as hell. I finished them, but left having no idea how to play. Luckily the game itself is very intuitive and once I tried a normal parley I figured it all out.

True in the sense, IMO, that there is a lot of info that we try to absorb. That's why I say to take it easy (either that or I just am too much couchpotato). But in the your right, it becomes intuitive.

[Siul]

Originally Posted by Darkmoore

Thanks Siul. Really appreciate it.

So I can't multiquote....

No problem, I guess i'm glad it made some sense to someone

[Ragerider]

My initial problem with diplomacy was that I was trying to use the cards I had to answer the npc I was parlaying with. After a bit, I figured out the cards I play don't make a difference to the parlay except to give me points. So, while I read the stories, they're pretty fun, especially the dark elf starting diplomacy, I look at the cards I have and try to keep the ball on my side of the bar.
Point being, just use the cards you have available to keep the ball on your side of the court. A lot of times you'll have to go through the parlay one time to see what the npc is playing and adjust your card strategy accordingly.
Don't know if that helps at all, but when I thought of it in those simple terms, it became a lot easier.

[Brighton]

Originally Posted by Ragerider

Point being, just use the cards you have available to keep the ball on your side of the court.

A simpler explanation, I've never seen. =)

[FEDS-91]

I disagree that its too difficult to learn. Just don't think its explained well. I explained the mechanics of it, levers, etc. to a guy just getting into it in Tursh one day and as soon as I explained why / how things worked, he LOVED it. He said in the 5-10 mins I talked to him he learned more than he had in the 3 days prior of constantly fooling with it and rereading the tutorials. Then I gave him the URL for Vgtact.com and he was even MORE happy. I think its probably fairly easy, its just the in game explanations that need help.