> I always wondered why they didn't just play Diplomacy[0] instead, but play for real countries instead of the imaginary ones in the boardgame. They still get to do all the scheming, backstabbing and other diplomatic shenanigans that politicians seem to love but without the loss of life and destruction.
The reason is, of course, the metagame. The first one to drop a real H-bomb on the other or launch a real assault would win, hence both sides need to play at the least simulated level available.
Also, you have just reminded me of ST:TOS episode "A Taste of Armageddon", where two planets fought a virtual war in which computers simulated the mutual bombing and after such fire exchange a computed number of people were euthanized.
The reason is, of course, the metagame. The first one to drop a real H-bomb on the other or launch a real assault would win, hence both sides need to play at the least simulated level available.
Also, you have just reminded me of ST:TOS episode "A Taste of Armageddon", where two planets fought a virtual war in which computers simulated the mutual bombing and after such fire exchange a computed number of people were euthanized.