CC Diplomacy! Spring 03 updated may 13th!

[Neoteny]

It's ok, Greek, if you need any help, I'll be happy to walk you through your first few turns.

[Just_essence]

Don't believe him. He'll walk you through two steps, and it'll be too late before you realize he was just ordering you to become a buffer against everybody else, and then takes over your supply centers.

[pancakemix]

*grabs popcorn*

[DoomYoshi]

Ok, so me and greekie are noobs. Sackett, essence and neo are old hand. BBS is brilliant. FT is ...? How would you describe yourself FT?

[Neoteny]

How many turns would it take to set up a convoy to get greek's army to Trieste?

[Sackett58]

Ok, so me and greekie are noobs. Sackett, essence and neo are old hand. BBS is brilliant. FT is ...? How would you describe yourself FT?

I better open the box and read the rules.

Britain let us divide up Fra...... Maybe I should discuss this in private.

[Neoteny]

WOOOOODRUFFFFFF!!!

[Just_essence]

You've read it in the rules; Diplomacy is where morality is nonexistent, and not backstabbing anyone means you lose. Worst idea ever, unless you're just lying to the world to get them to make a mistake, is to openly reveal your intentions.
How long would it take to convoy Greek's army to Trieste?
Alright, practicality first. Remember, if greek's army is ordered to convoy across four seas and reaches Trieste, but there's still an army there, and you have no armies/fleets adjacent to Trieste to support the convoy (since there's an enemy in the province you're trying to take over), it would be a waste of time; one army vs. one army results in a standoff, and greek's army stays where it was before the convoy.
Two, impossible to do in 1901 Spring/Fall phase, unless you had one more ally (Italy. Austria-Hungary would be pissed that you just invaded a home supply center). You and greek combined have three fleets total, and four fleets are needed to convoy an army there.
Three, even if you did have Italy as an ally, remember that this is like trench warfare, but with territories that are unoccupied. It's going to take some time to move all four fleets into position, and by that time, Austria-Hungary will be even more pissed and forming allies for a counterattack.
That, plus the fact that Italy, as a common opening move, immediately forms allies with Austria-Hungary (although only in preparation against the Ottoman Empire).

As a general conclusion: At any point in the game, don't feel afraid to backstab an ally. This is not CC, where backstabbing will earn you a one-star rating and secret diplomacy earns you a warning or a ban. Be careful of when you backstab, so you aren't becoming generally mistrusted. But if you don't backstab, it will lead to your defeat. This is a diplomatic simulation, not a military simulation; there is no chance, no dice, involved. If one army is greater in strength, it will beat the opposing army no matter what. The only true weapon of chance is if you trust your allies or not. So use diplomacy. If you're usually quiet in games, be prepared to become the opposite. This. Is. Diplomacy.

EDIT: One more note, in case you missed this in the instructions manual: Switzerland is not a playable territory. You cannot move troops onto there. Why? Because Switzerland is a nice place, it's been neutral in both World Wars, everyone likes the nation, and it will ruin your bank accounts if you try to invade it, along with calling up international sanctions.

[DoomYoshi]

How do I get more armies/fleets? 4 isn't enough.

[Just_essence]

Each turn (Diplomatic phase, movement phase, retreat/disband phase) represents one Spring (or Fall) Phase in a year (so every two turns, it's been a "year"). At the end of each year, you count how many "supply centers" you have. If you have more than you had since the beginning of the year, you make a (or several) new units (Armies/Fleets) to accomodate that. If you have less than you had since the beginning of the year, you disband the corresponding number of units (of your choice). If you have the same amount, nothing happens.
NOTE: You can only make new armies/fleets in your "Home Supply Centers", which are the centers you started out with at the beginning of the game. If the supply center's region is landlocked, you can only make a new Army. If it's on a coastline, you can make a new Fleet or a new Army.
However, if you (or another player) has occupied all of your "Home Supply Centers", well then, too bad, can't make any new ones. So don't occupy all of them if you intend to make new ones by the end of the year. And make sure the other players don't occupy them. If an enemy player occupied the "HSC" and left, it's still in their possession until you take it back.

[DoomYoshi]

Baron, can you keep the OP updated with relevant info?

[DoomYoshi]

Also, can players "support" other players' armies and fleets?

[Just_essence]

Yes. Most definitely.

[DoomYoshi]

This is my new avatar for the duration of this game:



It is too big to fit in the avatar box, so you should print it out and tape it to your computer monitor when interacting with me.

[Funkyterrance]

Ok, so me and greekie are noobs. Sackett, essence and neo are old hand. BBS is brilliant. FT is ...? How would you describe yourself FT?

I'd consider myself fresh meat if you want to know the truth.

[Just_essence]

This is my new avatar for the duration of this game:



It is too big to fit in the avatar box, so you should print it out and tape it to your computer monitor when interacting with me.

Russian Empire- Now armed with time traveling leader.

[Sackett58]

I remember back in the 80's(that is 1980's) when game conventions were starting to become popular. Diplomacy was one of those games that was played in tournament fashion at least twice in a 3 day weekend. They would have 49 people with a waiting list to play this game. The winners from each game advancing to the championship table. One time me and my friend signed up to play. It is a good game but one I didn't want to play all the time. My friend on the other hand loved to play. Well anyway there was this one particular individual who was getting a reputation as an expert Diplomacy player amongst the players. My friend remembered him from a previous game convention where he won. This particular individual won the first tournament and was coming back to play the second one. My friend signed up for both. Just before the second tournament was to begin my friend pointed him out to the players at his table. Needless to say he was the first eliminated in the game. Reputation is everything.

[Baron Von PWN]

Updated OP. added Just esences commentary, though the link in op leads to the rule book which doese a good job of explaining things.

[DoomYoshi]

thanks pwn.

[BigBallinStalin]

Your deadline to submit your orders is next Friday February 8th. Feel free to send them in early, I will be very forgiving and let you guys know if your orders have any problems with being invalid or anything like that. I will try to be fairly strict with order deadlines if no orders are submitted I will simply have all units hold.

Do you have a time machine? If so, can I borrow it?

[x-raider]

*grabs popcorn*

squashes in next to pancakemix
...if I may.

[Just_essence]

That reminds me. Baron von PWN, how are you going to show territorial changes?

[Baron Von PWN]

Your deadline to submit your orders is next Friday February 8th. Feel free to send them in early, I will be very forgiving and let you guys know if your orders have any problems with being invalid or anything like that. I will try to be fairly strict with order deadlines if no orders are submitted I will simply have all units hold.

Do you have a time machine? If so, can I borrow it?

If you check the OP I've changed the date so no time machine needed! Move orders are due March 8th

[Baron Von PWN]

That reminds me. Baron von PWN, how are you going to show territorial changes?

I will update the map each round. The updated map will show the adjusted territories in the appropriate colour .

I'm using a program called Realpolitik for the orders.

[Just_essence]

Somehow, Realpolitik just sounds like something from 1984.