Forum Prisoner's Dilemma

[Alex Steiner]

Wikipedia Article

Each prisoner must make a choice, sell out on their partner, or keep quiet? If they sell out on their mate, and their mate stays silent, they go free while the unfortunate optimist gets 10 years or so. If they both betray each other, they both get 5 years. If they both stay silent, they both get a year. Which would you choose?

Here's how I envisioned it:

Players are paired up from round to round, and must PM their decision to the mod (who can also play, as long as they make their decision without seeing their opponent's). Points are awarded, and scores and actions posted. The mod can change, to make it easier to do. Decisions should be unchangable.

The score matrix should be something like this:

	Prisoner B Stays Silent	Prisoner B Betrays
Prisoner A Stays Silent	A Gets 1, B Gets 1	A Gets 10, B Gets 0
Prisoner A Betrays	A Gets 0, B Gets 10	A Gets 5, B Gets 5

Each player accrues jail time, which should be funny tro compare, obviously the player with the least amount of time is winning. We could keep running averages (ie Alex has an average of 4.65 years per round) to allow players to different round totals to be compared.

I think this could be an interesting experiment, and it's easy for new players to join halfway through.

Edit: New idea. Instead of playing round by round, each player writes a set of instructions for their imaginary representative, eg "Sell out if you were sold out last time, otherwise stay silent" or "Do the opposite whatever you've received most in the last 5 rounds". Unfortunately, if we go rotation we can't get strong pairing strategies going, partners who never sell out. It's a thought though, original idea stands.

Name - Total - Average
Alex* - 0 - 0
Lord - 5 - 5
Eggs - 5 - 5
Darth - 10 - 10
* means current mod.

Round 1
Alex defected on Darth
Overlord and Eggs both defected.

Round 2 Alex with Eggs, Darth with Overlord.

[Supreme Overlord]

I like the idea of standing orders *cough* Tit-For-Tat *cough*. Interesting idea. I'll play for as long as I'm around.

[Alex Steiner]

How can you tit-for-tat if you're playing a different opponent each round?

I suppose you can look at what they did to their last opponent.

Then you have more complex strategies that predict this.

I prefer deciding each round, based on who your opponent is. Bots are boring once you've created them.

Hmmm...blackjack bots next?

[Supreme Overlord]

Tit-For-Tat's an example, not necessarily what I'll always do.
I'll actually always, always cooperate.

[The King of Eggs]

Sure whatever

[Supreme Overlord]

Label PMs more clearly; I have no idea what's going on.

[Alex Steiner]

The game will begin in 24 hours or so. Get in for the first round, join in if you missed it.

If you're playing the mod, place your decision in a spoiler, just in case.

[Darth Skywalkerbacca]

in

[Alex Steiner]

Overlord Vs Eggs

Darth Vs Me

PM your choices to me (optionally to each other, but make sure you don't cheat!)

[Alex Steiner]

Decisions are in for Darth and I.

I defected, turned Darth in and got away scot free (sucker).

Enjoy your 10 years in jail/gaol/Gail.

Edit: Overlord and Eggs both defected, so 5 years each.

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