Realizing this thread and forum is dead for ages, but who knows, for the anonymous future player I'll write this:
Para can make really interesting and tough games.
It's not an easy play for the paramancer, or the defender
There are ways to defend it, that make para chains risky, and at least sometimes a losing strategy
Basically, you're kinda limited to 'S' 'W' and '>' as a defender.
'P' usually leads to nothing because PSDF/PSFW get useless easily turned to PSDD, and PPws is impossible. PDWP and PSDD are the only useful 'P' spells.
'FFF' is easily turned to 'FFC', and 'D' becomes much less powerful with 'DPP' repeating the FFF, 'DFFDD' turned 'DFC' or countered being too long, and 'DSF' used mainly for defense.
Also long spells on both ends become very risky, because FFF turns the game to a single hand game, and so long spells are more easily defended against, and can be painful to the caster if well bluffed.
So basically defending against para chains means:
1. Every P/F is a risk for paraOgre or paraFoD and be carefully protected/bluffed
2. 'S' 'W' and '>' are your friends. 'P' 'D' 'F' 'C' are not.
3. You will be inflicting damage almost only with 'SD' '>' and some 'WFP' 'SFW'.
4. You will be using a lot of WWS (better) or WPP (when forced, or needed)
5. 'SWD' is one of your best attacks, sometimes bluffed to 'SWW' 'SWS' 'SWF' ('SWP' is usually inferior to 'SWW')
6. 'PDWP' 'DSF' when used wisely can be powerful protections offering a way to disarm the FFF with 'PDWPP/PDWPS' 'DSFF/DSFW'.
7. 'PSDD' is effectively an 'SD' and a self counter combined, often following your 'WPP'
8. 'FSSDD' can sometimes be used as a threat being FFFsafe from the second S.
Gentlemen's game?
Even with all this in mind winning against a great paramancer's hand is really tough. So everyone should try it
It also means that to succeed with para against all this defense you need to be a great paramancer, and it's wrong to say that low skilled warlocks can make great paramancers.
So you can be a gentleman playing para or not.
Does para make the game better?
Para is a super important spell, because that's the only tool to turn a 2 handed combat to a 1 handed one, which is a full dimension on its own.
But having said that, long para chains are strong and they limit the game to a very small number of spells
So it puts a higher focus on tactics than strategy.
It creates a lot more play repetition.
It nullifies most of the spell book.
It makes games very long.
My Suggestion?
My suggestion is the paraFCnF variation, described in a separate post.
The basic idea is that you can keep your para chain as long as you make the right guesses. Make a wrong guess and you have to break the chain.
So if you are a great paramancer, you can continue your chain forever and try to win with it. But if you're not, then you'll be forced to break the chain and pay the price.