is there a FAQ for this area

[Rasputin]

hi there sorry to interupt down here, but is there a FAQ section for the stories/diplomacy section so i can see what /how you are playing... This is not spam, this is a serious attempt to learn !!

[MDR]

FAQ?

I don't think there's a FAQ for this site, but this is how it basically works:

Diplomacy:

This is a Play-By-Email game of a boardgame that's been around since the mid-50s. The standard map is Europe circa 1900, though you'll notice that there are other variants based on other maps. The game is played by the required number of players (7 for standard) and a GM. The GM posts deadlines for moves and the players must send in there moves by that deadline or pass for the turn. Moves work lie this -- You have two unit types at your disposal (armies & fleets). Armies may move in inland and coastal territories. Fleets may move in sea and coastal territories. Only one unit may occupy a territory at a time. All units move simultaneously (hence the deadlines). Each unit has a power of one...no unit is stronger than any other unit. A conflict occurs when one unit moves into a territory occupied by another unit, or two (or more) units all enter the same space at once. Defender wins all ties. Now, here's where it gets a little tricky. Support -- One or more units may be ordered to support another unit (either attacking or defending). So a unit moves into a territory with support from another unit, the moving unit now has the power of two (instead of one) for that order. Supporting units must be in a territory adjacent to the moving unit and the territory that unit is moving into. If it is supporting a defending unit, it must simply be adjacent to that unit it is supporting. Bounces -- Bounces occur when two or more units move into the same territory at the same time, and everyone has the same power. These units automatically return to their starting territories as if they never moved. So if you daisy chain a group of units through the same group of territories and the lead bounces, they all bounce. You can never dislodge your own units. Fleets have the special order "Convoy". it can transport a single army across a sea zone for that turn, provided you order the army to be convoyed. A convoy may be blocked by either dislodging the fleet or occupying the territory the convoyed army is supposed to land. Dislodging -- whenever a territory is attacked by a force greater than the power of the units defending, the defender's unit is dislodged, and it must retreat to an adjacent open territory or off the board. Territories that have been contested that turn are not consider eligible for retreating units. The economics of the game are based on Supply Centers. Each player starts the game with a number of Supply Centers (they're noted on the map). The combined number of armies and fleets a player may own is equal to the number of supply centers (4 supply centers=4 armies & fleets). You need a set number of supply centers to win the game. Game Turns are done like this: Spring (units move), Summer (Units retreat), Fall (Units move), Winter (Units retreat, countries build units or disband units). If you have fewer Supply centers than you do units, you must remove the appropriate number of units from the board during the winter turn. That's basically the game mechanics of diplomacy. All the players roughly start out equal, so it's up to the players to make deals with each other to try and gain the number of supply centers needed to win. Watch one of the ongoing games to get a rough idea of how these rules work out in play.

As for stories: These thingsshow up every once in a while, but seem to disappear just as quickly. It's a round-robin deal where one guys writes a segment for a story, then someone else picks up where the first person left off. It runs through whoever's interested in writing a part of that story.

[Rasputin]

thankyou for that... I actually found Diplomacy on special at a toy store last month and bought it , but cant convince any one i know to play, they think it looks too involved...

is there a group of newbies who play, or would i be required to play against the pros ... dont think i would enjoy that.. would like to paly though ....

as for stories, thjey sound fun too , will look out for one

[Defiant]

There were a band of newbies who are about to finish a game they were all in. There are generally games looking for a player as a replacement. You probably won't get too far as a replacement but it is an EXCELLENT learning tool. I would encourage you to join any replacement spot you see, contact every other player and just start talking, amazing what talking can do. Good Luck

[Rasputin]

thanks for the advice guys... to paly do you setup your board game at home and move the pieces as emails come in .... ??

[Defiant]

I think some do, just to get a feeling of where you are and how the game works, but generall the GM(Game Manager) who runs the game but does not participate will do a map for the players after each turn and load it out to a thread deligated to the game, we try to make it as simple as possible for the players so they can concentrate on negociating and tactics.

[MDR]

Defiant:

God, I wish I had a copy of Imperial or 20th Century printed out. Just to keep track of where everything is. You do know how much of a pain in the butt it is to keep track of builds and disbands on those things, don't you?

Rasputin:

For a short while between high school and jumping into the online stuff, I used to do solitaire games against myself...mainly it was for game mechanics and tactics. You can't recreate the actual "diplomacy" part of the game when you're playing solitaire. However, it'll get you an idea of how the pieces move on the board. Too bad you can't find anyone willing to play at home, though. This game has a very low learning curve. It's the mastery of it that takes time.

However, I've found that I can keep track of everything else (execpt builds & disbands) with just a computer map. If you need more info on the PBEM aspect of diplomacy in general, check out The Diplomatic Pouch at (http://www.diplom.org). It'll have some really good stuff...tactics articles, variants, how to play online, etc.