[MLB-WIRELESS] OT : Email Diplomacy anyone ?

[Phil NodeHPL]

Hi Guys,

Myself and Several friends, friends of friends, friends of friends etc... have gathered to together and organsied a game of diplomacy played via email, using specific email address's and based about my webserver.

The current game just finished but some progressive screen shots of board action are visiable here : http://www.users.on.net/~zoi/dip/currentgamehistory/

If your not sure what Diplomacy is then :

Basically diplomacy is played on a map http://www.users.on.net/~zoi/dip/standard.jpg where each area on the map has a name http://www.users.on.net/~zoi/dip/standardfull.jpg though these names are generally shortened to simplify ie http://www.users.on.net/~zoi/dip/standardshort.jpg

Looking at the map, each of the seven initial countries starts with 3 units (except Russia with 4).

All nations create orders and submit them to the GameMaster, who will at the end of the turn finalise movements and return new positions as an ' all-at-once ' move.

The Aim of the game is to own more than 50% of the Supply Centre's. A Supply centre is an Area with a Black Dot, like those where all units Start, and some extra Neutral ones, like Spain and Portugal. http://www.users.on.net/~zoi/dip/standard.jpg

Taking ownership of a Supply Centre is done by having a unit there at the end of a year, 2 turns make 1 year, so every other turn.

Moving to different area's is done by commanding your units with orders for Example :

France has 3 units Initially : PAR (Paris) BRE (Brest) and MAR (Marsielles) and Frances first turn moves might be :

PAR to PIC      <- ( Short for: Unit Currently in Paris Moves to Picardy.)
MAR to SPA
BRE to MAO

http://www.users.on.net/~zoi/dip/standard1.jpg

in short Paris moves to Picardy, Marsielles moves to Spain, Brest moves to Mid Atlantic Ocean. Assuming no-one challenges any of those moves (they cant challenge these particular first round moves as no-one is close enough yet) then all units move. 

http://www.users.on.net/~zoi/dip/standard2.jpg

Second Round Frances orders might be :

PIC to BEL
SPA Holds    <- ( Short for: Unit Currently in Spain Holds ).
MAO to POR

http://www.users.on.net/~zoi/dip/standard3.jpg

Basically as its the end of the Year, all units over a Supply Centre take ownership of that centre and since Picardy moves onto Belguim which is centre, France gains one, Spain holds which then takes ownership as well, France gains two, and MAO moves to Portugal taking a third new centre for France.

http://www.users.on.net/~zoi/dip/standard4.jpg

Now France Owns 6 supply centre's ; PAR, BRE, MAR, BEL, SPA and POR, while only holding 3 units France is then able to build 3 new additional units. 

At the end of every year, all countries balance out the number of units they own VS the number of Supply Centres they own. Any country with more Supply Centre's than Units may build additional Units on their HOME Supply Centre's. Any country with MORE units than Supply Centre's must then DISBAND the additional units until their country is balanced.

In this case France has gained 3 additional Supply Centre's and is therefore able to Build 3 new units in its HOME Supply Centre's.

http://www.users.on.net/~zoi/dip/standard5.jpg

In this senario France has moved without care for it borders and without anyone else trying to move to the same end location. for this example thou you can see how France Manages in two Turns to increase the number of centre's is owns by 3.

This however is not always the case, Often other countries need to be guarded against, and units left forward to protect your borders.

It is highly possible that 2 units might try to move to the same place, if this occurs and neither unit recieves support than as its 1:1 both units fail and neither unit moves. If however a unit is supported, then it becomes 2:1 and the supported unit moves in.

A quick Summary of moves a Unit can do.

1) Move : moving from one area to another, (must border), exceptions include Armies can not move to water areas, boats are only able to move to water areas, or areas next to water. A special rule exists where a Fleet in a water area can move to a land area, where that Land area has to water fronts, an example of this is, The Mid Atlantic Ocean, It borders Spain, but both above and below Portugal. In this case the Movement of a fleet have have which 'coast' that it moves to defined. ie, Fleet in MAO moves to Spain (NorthCoast). Having a Fleet in an area with a Coast then limits where it can move and support to further.

2) Hold : A unit does nothing but defends its own area.

3) Support : A unit may support another unit to move or to hold, if the supporting unit could also move to that area. Fleets can not support inland, Armies can not support out to sea.

4) Convoy (limited to Fleets) : A fleet can Convoy an Army unit from 1 area to another. If Army (X) is on a land area (A) which is next to Water Area (B), which is next to Land Area (C) and Fleet (Y) is in that water area (B), then Fleet (Y) can convoy Army (X) from (A) to (C) even though (A) and (C) are not next to each other. This convoy order can be carried on via multiple fleets. ie Army (X) moves via Fleet (Y) and then Fleet (Z) from Land Area (A) to Land Area (D).

Although I'm not the best at explaining things, (even though the pictures help tell the story), thats about all there is to Diplomacy game play wise.

Otherwise the real trick is the ability to be a good ' diplomat ' and curve possible enemies away from your areas but forming alliances, lieing to your enemies, and basically trying to talk your way out of any given situation.

There's a ton of websites which support the game and playing the game via email, but first have a good look at my website at http://www.mydotnet.net 

We play using a java application called ' jDip ' (downloadable from my download area, and what I used to create those screen captures), using this program is optional although very helpful.

Otherwise heres a few sites I've had a look through :

http://www.diplom.org/
http://www.diplomacy-archive.com/
http://www.juraj.com/diplomacy/email.htm
http://daanz.org.au/

Certainly you'll find alot more using http://www.google.com.au as its a very popular game worldwide.

If your interested in joining our discussion group, I can create an email for you on the mydotnet.net server, which will then receive emails sent to all group players c/o the players at mydotnet.net discussion group.

We are looking to start the next game (or games) of Diplomacy around the start of May.

Let me know if your interested at all

Phil, NodeHPL. (the email server should be the same one available via my Node sometime soon).
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