Diplomacy: Game Over

[Zemalac]

Diplomacy, ladies and gentlemen. The game of kings, the game of thrones and power.

Or in this case, the board game.

Diplomacy, an old game, is a game where you take the role of one of seven countries maneuvering for position in the years immediately before and during the First World War. The game is intentionally set up so that no one power can singly gain the upper hand on the others: you must work together to achieve dominance. And then, once things are going your way, you must betray your erstwhile allies. There is no other way to win.

It's like chess if Machiavelli had designed it.

The official rules of the game are here.

Spoiler: Map

[http://imageshack.us]
Dang, seems the image is too big...I'll find a smaller one later.

If there's too much interest in this I'll have to cut people off...which wouldn't be fun. There can only be seven players. Seven countries, you see.

Negotiate through PM or openly on the thread. You'll probably want to do it through PM, though, because the thread isn't exactly secret.

Anyone interested?

EDIT

Full and Complete List of Players

Spartan Bannana -- Italy
Chomesuke -- England
Armitage Shanks -- Austria
jeremyTH
Saskwach -- Turkey
The_Logician19 -- France Later changed to MeatSpace
wesdabigman -- Russia
BoVine -- Germany

All slots are filled.

 

[Spartan Bannana]

I'll think about doing this, give me a little bit.

 

[chomesuke]

I'd like to take the UK for my bedding, of perhaps russia.

 

[Spartan Bannana]

I guess I'll take Russia and if Chomesuke has called dibs on it, then I'll have Spain

 

[Zemalac]

Unfortunately, countries are chosen randomly, because if everyone had a choice they'd choose Russia and no one would choose, say, Italy. I probably should have made that clear.

You can still hope, though.

 

[Brett Alex]

Oh ho ho, I haven't played this in ages. Too bad as I've forgotten a lot of it.

Consider me interested. Oh and will you be posting an updated map at the end of each turn, or will we have to keep track of our own and everyone else's positions?

 

[jeremyTH]

I'll take either Belgium or Ireland.

 

[Zemalac]

Oh ho ho, I haven't played this in ages. Too bad as I've forgotten a lot of it.

Consider me interested. Oh and will you be posting an updated map at the end of each turn, or will we have to keep track of our own and everyone else's positions?

I'll post an updated map at the end of each turn, never fear. That's what Photoshop is for, after all.

I'll take either Belgium or Ireland.

Unfortunately, countries are chosen randomly, because if everyone had a choice they'd choose Russia and no one would choose, say, Italy. I probably should have made that clear.

You can still hope, though.

Maybe I should give you guys a list of the powers that are fighting in the game.

There is:
Italy
Great Britain
France
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Russia
Ottoman Empire

This is WWI, remember. Belgium, Ireland, Spain...they weren't exactly the major powers in the Great War.


EDIT: Complete list of players is in the OP.

 

[Saskwach]

I'll sign up for this. Never played, always wanted to. Thanks for the opportunity, Zem!

 

[Zemalac]

You're welcome.

Players are:
Spartan Dannana
Chomesuke
Armitage Shanks
jeremyTH
Saskwach

We need two more, and then I'll announce how we're going to work this (some minor modifications for playing on a forum, that sort of thing).

 

[000Ronald]

You've piqued my interest. I'm no good at chess, but I might give this a stab (IN THE BACK).

Apologies Abound

 

[Zemalac]

All right, I've recieved a PM that wesdabigman wants to play. Which brings us to a full seven players, which means that this game will be starting as soon as I finish the final preparations.

In the meantime, all players read the rules and PM me when you've done so. If I don't recieve a PM by sometime tomorrow, I'll throw this open again and someone else might take your spot.

Final roster of players is in the OP.

Good luck, and happy stabbing.


UPDATE
Deadline reached. All but jeremyTH made it. Sorry, jeremy.

 

[Spartan Bannana]

That PDF is hard for me to read, I'll try though...

 

[chomesuke]

I'm in. Even if I'd get the Ottoman Epmire...

 

[Saskwach]

I'm in. Even if I'd get the Ottoman Epmire...

What's wrong with the Turks?

 

[Zemalac]

Well, it looks like jeremyTH hasn't been following the thread or checked his inbox today, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to drop him from the players list. Jeremy, if you really wanted to play, I'm sorry. Maybe next time.

Fortunately I've got someone else who expressed an interest in playing, waiting in the wings in case an opening should occur. I'll just let him know that he's in and play will commence. I'll tell him to post soon so you all can PM him easier.

Now, time to lay down some minor alterations and rule changes made necessary by the fact that we're playing on a forum and not face-to-face.

For each turn I will set a deadline by which you must have your orders in. You'll have a couple days or so to negotiate with each other before PMing me your orders. If you send them in early, then there might be enough time for me to tell you if any moves you're trying to do are not physically possible, and if you send them in later you'll have more time to negotiate. Your choice.

Another thing, and one that I can't technically enforce except by proxy. There's a little button on your PM screen called "Forward." Don't use it. Doing so could provide near-total proof of conspiracy, and is akin to having a recording device in your pocket during a live game. It might be effective, but it's unsporting. If you want to send someone the text of a PM you've received, quote it in a different PM. That keeps things more interesting, in that such quotes can be easily altered. Not that I'm suggesting anything.

That's it for rules.

Players, you have now been assigned your countries by random die roll. They are as follows:

Spartan Bannana -- Italy
Chomesuke -- England
Armitage Shanks -- Austria
Saskwach -- Turkey
The_Logician19 -- France
wesdabigman -- Russia
BoVine -- Germany

Also, I found a copy of the rules [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Diplomacy/Rules] that's not a PDF, for those who were having trouble with that.

And now for the main event.

KEY: "A" means Army, "F" means fleet. I think you can figure out which color belongs to which country.

It is the spring of 1901, and war is brewing in Europe. Political intrigues and complex alliances have brought the continent to the brink of war. You cannot win without your allies, you cannot win with your allies, and thus the seeds of treachery have been sewn. You must move with the cunning of a fox, with cold and calculating skill.

Gentlemen: the game of Diplomacy has begun. It will end when one of you controls Europe.

First orders are due by Sunday evening (for those of you in different time zones, I'm reckoning off GMT-5). If you have any questions ask them fast because I'm going to be away on Saturday.

So it begins.

 

[jeremyTH]

Well, it looks like jeremyTH hasn't been following the thread or checked his inbox today, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to drop him from the players list. Jeremy, if you really wanted to play, I'm sorry. Maybe next time.

OH COME ON!!!!! I MESSAGED YOU!!!Apperently The Escapist won't let me send messages.

 

[Saskwach]

I'm in. Even if I'd get the Ottoman Epmire...

What's wrong with the Turks?

I guess now I'll find out. *sheepish grin*

 

[Zemalac]

Well, it looks like jeremyTH hasn't been following the thread or checked his inbox today, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to drop him from the players list. Jeremy, if you really wanted to play, I'm sorry. Maybe next time.

OH COME ON!!!!! I MESSAGED YOU!!!Apperently The Escapist won't let me send messages.

You did?

*checks inbox*

Apperantly I didn't get it. Sorry.

Maybe it's for the best...if your messaging system isn't working, then you couldn't turn in orders or negotiate with other players.

Maybe next game, eh?

 

[jeremyTH]

*sigh*ok in the mean time I'll watch.