Diplomacy Walkthrough

From Vanguard WikiSpheres

This is a simple walkthrough of a diplomacy parley, the structured conversation that allows you to influence others. The parley is modeled as a card game with each card being a statement that can advance your goals. marshal your resources to make a strong point, or, even, undermine your opponents position.

Setting Your Strategy

Go to the abilities book (or press “P�) and select the "Diplomacy" tab. At the bottom, press the button marked "Strategy." This will open a group of five boxes to hold your Statements (cards).

From the diplomacy abilities page, you must select five cards to make your current Strategy. A good approach is to choose:

• your best Comment,
• an Evaluation and two Assertions form the cards for your primary expression type; your primary expression type is based on your race (for instance, if you are a Goblin, your primary Expression is Reason, which is green),
• an Assertion of another Expression type (color). Knowing what your opponent is playing will help you determine which Assertion to place here; if you have no information about your opponent, choose an Assertion that catches your eye.

The Gameboard

Hail the NPC, choose the parley option. Once you do you should have the folloing windows visible:

• the gameboard
• the dialog window
• your Strategy window

Take a moment to position them such that you can see your opponent and your own character.

On the right of the gameboard is the influence display and in the middle is the expression display; in parley, up is your opponent and down is you. Each Statement has a cost in Expression (or zero cost), and the amount they add or subtract Expression from your opponent and yourself. Also, there is a refresh timer range, and a wax seal in the upper right of the Statement which represents how much influence you gain (or lose).

The Parley

Beginning Steps

• Play your Comment Statement by selecting it and then pressing the "Speak" button. Notice several things happened. First, some dots of Expression appeared on your opponent's side of the gameboard (fuel to fight back against you). Also, the marker on the right side of the gameboard moved down by 2. The number at the bottom next to the speech bubble went down by one. A line of dialogue appeared in the Dialogue Window.

• Your opponent may play a Comment back at you to move the indicator back to zero, or he may play an Evaluation to build up Expression for an Assertion on you.

• Whatever your opponent decides, it's time to gain Expression yourself! Choose your Evaluation and press "Speak." You've gained two Expression in the color your Assertions can use. It's time to take the fight to your opponent!

• If your opponent played a Comment on his first turn, he likely played another Comment or an Evaluation on his second turn. If he played an Evaluation on his first turn, then you likely just got hit by an Assertion, and the tide has turned in his favor!

• Parley is a tug-of-war. You need to pull the indicator back to your side of the line, and you'll do it now by playing your 2-cost Assertion. You're back in command of the board!

Ongoing Tactics

Play your Evaluations to build up Expression to play Assertions. Use a Comment for a quick gain when you can. If you chose an Assertion in a type of Expression your opponent gives you through his actions, play those as well! Don't forget to Listen (pass your turn) if you are ahead or if you have nothing you can play this turn. You can score two points each round if the marker remains on your side during both your turn and that of your opponent.

Later, your Repertoire of Statements will have Repeals and Rebuts, which gives you more flexibility to build new Strategies and take on tougher opponents.