Sorry for the late reply! I got distracted by Skyrim.
Honestly, I’m not sure. There have been problems in the past that might be ameloriated by excluding new players- initial negotiations are really important, and so figuring out how everything works while battle lines are being drawn can be an unpleasant experience for all involved. As well, the time commitment necessary for a game is somewhat large, especially for games with longer turn lengths, and if someone backs out after a few weeks that can upset the balance of power.
What I would recommend is playing a practice game or two on WebDiplomacy, and coming back in December.
Is this an appropriate opportunity for someone who’s never played Diplomacy but would like to try?
Sorry for the late reply! I got distracted by Skyrim.
Honestly, I’m not sure. There have been problems in the past that might be ameloriated by excluding new players- initial negotiations are really important, and so figuring out how everything works while battle lines are being drawn can be an unpleasant experience for all involved. As well, the time commitment necessary for a game is somewhat large, especially for games with longer turn lengths, and if someone backs out after a few weeks that can upset the balance of power.
What I would recommend is playing a practice game or two on WebDiplomacy, and coming back in December.
I had never played before September (I did play another game on that site to practice before the LW game started).