Kibitz Garden ☕ for the Second Diplomatic Go Game

[Vsotvep]

Kibitz logs for Round 2

This post will contain the next batch of kibitz logs.

yebellz

@yebellz

Interesting first move by @kingkaio… I’m not sure if they’ve read the discussion or communicated with any of the other players before playing that. They have been silent to me.

It would be unfortunate if a player is too busy to really participate. We’ll have to work at adjusting to this. This has severely broken the symmetry in a way that will liekly foment conflict.

I’ve started my first group message with this:

Hello @PiggyStardust, @Maharani, @le_4TC,

I think the four of us have shown to be most receptive to cooperation and maintaining peace and joint prosperity. Hence, I would like to open this channel for discussion among all four of us.

Since we are all concentrated in the northern portion of the board, I propose that we name ourselves the Northern Board Treaty Organization ( NBTO ).

Moving forward, I think this channel will be useful to coordinate our plans on a larger scale. The unexpected first move by @kingkaio is a potentially destabilizing force, and I worry about the opportunity for ambitions that this hands to @martin3141.

Warmest regards,

Sky

@yebellz

The communication with @PiggyStardust and the rest of NBTO is going well. I plan to work with Piggy over the long run and hope that NBTO remains stable for a good while as well. We need a clear mission to work towards together, and I think, for now, that is countering the erratic behavior of kingkaio and concern over the possible unchecked growth of martin.

I look forward to reading your responses and lively debate after the game.

bugcat

@bugcat

I’ve just taken a look at the new board state. Of course, my main consideration is the unexpected placement of kingkaio (Orange).

1. Of all players, I’m in the greatest position to benefit from this. The area is very ripe for me to approach martin’s corner – I’m not sure whether to make my intentions known to anyone else privately. Martin has been a little frosty so far in communicating with me, so I don’t feel that I’m rupturing any agreement that already existed.
2. kingkaio’s invasion of the right side is very relevant to my current right-side bloc plan. It’s possible that Haze (Blue) will discuss with me how he intends to react, and I may from there be able to wedge myself into the discussion and also begin forging cooperation with le_4tc (White).

All-in-all, I think that I have an advantageous position and that I cannot afford to be slack in exploiting it. I would need a very good reason not to approach the lower left.

@bugcat

I’ve read all the messages from other players, and the results are good.

Haze has said that he would be comfortable with the idea of inviting le_4tc into the bloc, although how that’s done is going to have to be managed carefully, eg. whether we have an equal-sharing system or one like (me, Haze) – le4tc .

kingkaio has approached me with the intention of working together to attack Haze. I have no interest in accepting his offer, since his position on the side is weak. Instead, I’m sounding out Haze’s intentions with a view to my farming kingkaio for information, in turn to pass to Haze and even le_4tc to strengthen our alliance.

martin appears not to suspect my intentions. I think it may be best to clear my plan of approaching the lower left with Blue and White, so that I don’t appear as a “rogue” player who might be looking to turn on them.

First things first, I think, is to try to reel in le_4tc.

@bugcat

I’m going to try a simple dupe on martin. I will suggest that we avoid conflict by him playing C7 and me playing F3. Of course, I still intend to approach him.

@bugcat

The ruse appears to have been successful: martin will play C7 and I will approach, probably at E3.

I’m now going to try to dissuade Haze from taking the 3-3. I’m happy that KK is going to take some time up from White & Green.

martin3141

@martin3141

I believe I have good prospects to expand in the lower-left corner. I’m concerned that this might put me in the spotlight. If a player gets too strong, there is a risk of getting attacked by multiple collaborating opponents. So I’ll have to be cautious. I don’t believe this will happen as early as next round though, and I generally hope that the fight on the right side will keep the involved players busy for a while.

I wonder if Yebellz and PiggyStardust will team up. That would be a daring strategy that could allow both of them to attain strong positions.

However no matter what teams arise during the course of the game, it is likely that the players will eventually face each other. If you team up with a player next to you, there is constantly the possibility of a devastating betrayal.

@martin3141

bugcat suggested to build a framework together in the lower-left, by me playing C7 and they play F3.

At the same time I have heard from multiple sources that Haze_with_a_Z intends to attack kingkaio, which means I’m the only person to oppose bugcat on the lower side at the moment.

bugcat was very insistent on their proposal, and I felt pressured to agree, but I’m not planning to actually go along (if I did, I would likely get into a conflict with PiggyStardust too). I am expecting to collide with bugcat on F3 first, and then hopefully place a stone at E3 with my second choice.

I’m expecting to have to fight bugcat and hope that PiggyStardust doesn’t decide to collaborate with them in order to attack me simultaneously.

Special message from yebellz:

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I have an important question you kibitzers.

Do you pronounce NBTO like an acronym or initialism??

• Initialism (like En-Bee-Tee-Oh)
• Acronym (like Noboto or something else)