nmm123 is fully right. i was fully surprised how things are going on here... i know risk for a loooong time now, but this here is completely different. manipulating, chatting, not making someone mad at you, is more important than a good strategy -sad but true.
concerning teamers: sometimes it is necessary for a short period of time to stand up against a super power. sometimes you just screwed up, keep annoying people, so they team up against you. if the team was not planned upfront, i think it's perfectly okay -even if i hate it as well sometimes...
just my 2 cents.