DerMißingno
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Welcome to Bulbagarden Diplomacy Beta Version 0.01!
Diplomacy is a game of strategy and negotiation. When playing this game, you MUST interact with other players. Forming alliances and negotiating with others is the only way you will advance your empire. If you try to stand alone, you WILL lose.
I've tried to present the rules as simply as I could (I'm sure they could be explained more simply, but I'm an engineer, what do you want). If you would like to read the full rules, they can be found here.
Let's start with the basics.
The Setting
The game board represents the boundaries of the major powers of Europe during the World War One era. This game is inspired by the cobweb of alliances and agreements that led to the outbreak of the war. The Great Powers which are playable are Russia, Turkey, Germany, Great Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The game begins in 1901.
The Board
The Diplomacy board is a map or Europe separated into different areas called “provinces.” Provinces containing a major city or area are called Supply Centers, and are denoted on the board. Capturing Supply Centers allows you to build more units. There are a total of 34 supply centers on the board.
Here is a detailed board denoting all of the provinces by full name, for reference.
Here is the board that we will be using.
The Win Condition
When a player controls 18 or more supply centers, he or she wins the game.
Alternatively, the remaining players may all agree to end the game, which will result in a draw between all remaining players (players who are out of the game still lose). Please try your best to win, don't use this option unless the game has seriously stagnated.
The game board represents the boundaries of the major powers of Europe during the World War One era. This game is inspired by the cobweb of alliances and agreements that led to the outbreak of the war. The Great Powers which are playable are Russia, Turkey, Germany, Great Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The game begins in 1901.
The Board
The Diplomacy board is a map or Europe separated into different areas called “provinces.” Provinces containing a major city or area are called Supply Centers, and are denoted on the board. Capturing Supply Centers allows you to build more units. There are a total of 34 supply centers on the board.
Here is a detailed board denoting all of the provinces by full name, for reference.
Here is the board that we will be using.
The Win Condition
When a player controls 18 or more supply centers, he or she wins the game.
Alternatively, the remaining players may all agree to end the game, which will result in a draw between all remaining players (players who are out of the game still lose). Please try your best to win, don't use this option unless the game has seriously stagnated.
Next, how to move your units
Units
There are two types of unit that you may control on the board: Armies and Fleets. Armies may be placed on landlocked provinces and coastal provinces, but not waterways. Fleets may be placed on coastal provinces and waterways, but not landlocked provinces.
Movement
There are four possible orders you may give to a unit.
Hold – A unit remains on its current province
Move – A unit moves from one province to an adjacent province.
Convoy – An order given to a fleet that is on a waterway separating two coastal provinces. The “convoy” order allows an army unit to cross the waterway containing the fleet to which the order was issued.
Support – Strengthens an attack on a province by a different unit
Only one unit may occupy a province at a time. If an unsupported unit tries to move onto a province where another unit is holding, or if two unsupported units try to move to the same province, a standoff occurs, and both units return to the province that they were moved from. A standoff also occurs between equally supported units.
You may issue an order to every unit you have on the board.
There are two types of unit that you may control on the board: Armies and Fleets. Armies may be placed on landlocked provinces and coastal provinces, but not waterways. Fleets may be placed on coastal provinces and waterways, but not landlocked provinces.
Movement
There are four possible orders you may give to a unit.
Hold – A unit remains on its current province
Move – A unit moves from one province to an adjacent province.
Convoy – An order given to a fleet that is on a waterway separating two coastal provinces. The “convoy” order allows an army unit to cross the waterway containing the fleet to which the order was issued.
Support – Strengthens an attack on a province by a different unit
Only one unit may occupy a province at a time. If an unsupported unit tries to move onto a province where another unit is holding, or if two unsupported units try to move to the same province, a standoff occurs, and both units return to the province that they were moved from. A standoff also occurs between equally supported units.
You may issue an order to every unit you have on the board.
Now about attacking
In order to take a province that has a unit in it or that you think someone else is going to move to, you must support that unit. A unit may support any province that it would be able to move to. If a unit moves into an occupied province and is supported by another unit, then the unit that was already in the province is now “dislodged.”
If your unit is dislodged, then you must retreat to an open province during the following “retreat” phase. A retreat cannot be supported or convoyed. If there are no available provinces to retreat to, then that unit is destroyed and will be removed from the board.
If your unit is dislodged, then you must retreat to an open province during the following “retreat” phase. A retreat cannot be supported or convoyed. If there are no available provinces to retreat to, then that unit is destroyed and will be removed from the board.
Here's how the board will change
While unit locations are updated after every phase, supply center ownership will only change at the end of the Fall retreat phase. At this point, if a unit occupies a supply center, then that supply center is captured and now counts towards your total number of supply centers.
You may also build (or have to destroy) some units at the end of the Fall retreat phase. The number of units you have may match the number of supply centers that you own. If you own fewer supply centers than units on the board, you must choose units to be destroyed. If you own more supply centers than units on the board, you may build. To build, you will place a unit on one or more of your Great Power's original supply centers. If that supply center is already occupied by a unit, then you may not build a new unit.
You may also build (or have to destroy) some units at the end of the Fall retreat phase. The number of units you have may match the number of supply centers that you own. If you own fewer supply centers than units on the board, you must choose units to be destroyed. If you own more supply centers than units on the board, you may build. To build, you will place a unit on one or more of your Great Power's original supply centers. If that supply center is already occupied by a unit, then you may not build a new unit.
Here's how the phase updates will work
The phases are as follows:
1) Spring 1901, negotiation phase (24 hours), board update
2) Spring 1901, retreat phase (24 hours), board update
3) Fall 1901, negotiation phase (24 hours), board update
4) Fall 1901, retreat phase, unit creation/destruction (24 hours), board update
After that, it will become 1902 and the cycle will repeat.
If no units are dislodged, then the retreat phase will be skipped and it will go directly to the next season.
24 hours is a maximum time. If I log on and see that everyone has their orders in, then I will end the phase.
1) Spring 1901, negotiation phase (24 hours), board update
2) Spring 1901, retreat phase (24 hours), board update
3) Fall 1901, negotiation phase (24 hours), board update
4) Fall 1901, retreat phase, unit creation/destruction (24 hours), board update
After that, it will become 1902 and the cycle will repeat.
If no units are dislodged, then the retreat phase will be skipped and it will go directly to the next season.
24 hours is a maximum time. If I log on and see that everyone has their orders in, then I will end the phase.
Almost there! This is how you carry out your orders
When giving your orders, armies will be denoted with an “A,” and fleets will be denoted with an “F.”
For reference, here is the opening board:
-Say you're Germany. If you want your army in Berlin to hold, you would write:
A Berlin Holds, or A Ber Holds
-If you want to move your army in Berlin to, say, Prussia, You would write:
A Berlin – Prussia, or A Ber – Pru
-Supporting is a bit more tricky, but the game is for ages 12 and up so you should be able to handle it
First, specify the unit that is going to support. In this case, let's say your army in Berlin is going to attack Silesia with the support of your army in Munich. You would start with:
A Munich S, or A Mun S
Then specify the unit's movement that you are going to support, so in this case that would be A Ber – Sil. So the full order would be
A Munich S A Berlin – Silesia, or A Mun S A Ber – Sil
So basically what your order is saying is “my army in Munich supports the army attacking Silesia from Berlin.”
Simple, right?
-Say you have a fleet in the English Channel that you want to use as a convoy.
F English Channel Convoy, or F Eng Convoy
Then you or your allies will be able to move an army from Belgium, Picardy or Brest to London or Wales.
For reference, here is the opening board:
-Say you're Germany. If you want your army in Berlin to hold, you would write:
A Berlin Holds, or A Ber Holds
-If you want to move your army in Berlin to, say, Prussia, You would write:
A Berlin – Prussia, or A Ber – Pru
-Supporting is a bit more tricky, but the game is for ages 12 and up so you should be able to handle it
First, specify the unit that is going to support. In this case, let's say your army in Berlin is going to attack Silesia with the support of your army in Munich. You would start with:
A Munich S, or A Mun S
Then specify the unit's movement that you are going to support, so in this case that would be A Ber – Sil. So the full order would be
A Munich S A Berlin – Silesia, or A Mun S A Ber – Sil
So basically what your order is saying is “my army in Munich supports the army attacking Silesia from Berlin.”
Simple, right?
-Say you have a fleet in the English Channel that you want to use as a convoy.
F English Channel Convoy, or F Eng Convoy
Then you or your allies will be able to move an army from Belgium, Picardy or Brest to London or Wales.
Negotiations
Although the rules primarily pertain to unit movement, by far the most important part of the game is negotiations with other players.
As far as negotiations are concerned, pretty much anything goes. You can make agreements, betray people, post in thread, make a QT, talk on skype, write a treaty, make a legally binding contract, break a legally binding contract, take screenshots, make a flag and come up with a name for your alliance, cede your units and supply centers to another player, whatever you want as long as you don't break Bulbagarden's rules.
Remember that you will NEED to form alliances in order to win the game. If everyone tries to work on their own, then no one will get anywhere. Also, if you are trying to stand alone and everyone else is forming alliances, then you are going to die very quickly.
Please send all private correspondence to me via PM or Skype.
As far as negotiations are concerned, pretty much anything goes. You can make agreements, betray people, post in thread, make a QT, talk on skype, write a treaty, make a legally binding contract, break a legally binding contract, take screenshots, make a flag and come up with a name for your alliance, cede your units and supply centers to another player, whatever you want as long as you don't break Bulbagarden's rules.
Remember that you will NEED to form alliances in order to win the game. If everyone tries to work on their own, then no one will get anywhere. Also, if you are trying to stand alone and everyone else is forming alliances, then you are going to die very quickly.
Please send all private correspondence to me via PM or Skype.
And with that, let's get started!
It is now Spring 1901.
Although a shaky peace exists between Europe's great powers, tensions have been rising lately. There have been military buildups on many of the countries' boarders, and a tangled web of alliances have been forming. The stage is set for a major conflict, the only thing that's missing is a spark to set it off...
Although a shaky peace exists between Europe's great powers, tensions have been rising lately. There have been military buildups on many of the countries' boarders, and a tangled web of alliances have been forming. The stage is set for a major conflict, the only thing that's missing is a spark to set it off...
@Feralize;, you are Austria-Hungary
@Mijzelffan;, you are Germany
@Ryuutakeshi;, you are France
@Soulmaster;, you are Italy
@Exor;, you are Russia
Current unit locations (A = Army, F = Fleet):
This phase will end at 11:59:59 PM EDT (GMT-5) on Saturday, August 4, 2012. The phase will end early if all orders are sent in. Unclear or illegal orders will be counted as a “hold” order.
This phase is extra long so you can familiarize yourself with the game a little bit and ask any questions about anything you're confused about. If you have a question about the game, please post it in thread as opposed to privately because someone else may have the same question.
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