Difference between revisions of "WW2-1931"

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A Diplomacy variant by Nick Higgins
 
A Diplomacy variant by Nick Higgins
  
Variant website:  [http://ww2-1931.tripod.com/index.html http://ww2-1931.tripod.com/index.html]
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[[image:WW2_Large_Map_half.gif|800px]]
 
 
[[image:WW2-1931_start.jpg|800px]]
 
  
 
==BACKGROUND==
 
==BACKGROUND==
  
My goal is to create a global World War II variant for Diplomacy that attains the elusive perfect balance between history and gameplay.  The variant is set in 1931 because this is a starting point for World War II with the Japanese annexation of Manchuria.  The unit composition of each power is often unrealistic, such as China having significant naval and aerial power, and having the ability to build aircraft carriers at all.  Also, chaos builds leads to some odd situations, for example the French could build an aircraft carrier in Vietnam.  However, I believe that these concessions to gameplay are necessary in order to make the game more playable.
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My goal is to create a global WWII-era variant for Diplomacy that attains the elusive perfect balance between history and gameplay.  My hope is that the variant will play "smaller" than its size.  Every player on the board has reason to interact with virtually every other player.  Conceptually, the variant is built around numerous diplomatic triangles, as triangles are generally the most dynamic configuration in Diplomacy.
 
 
My hope is that the variant will play "smaller" than its size.  Every player on the board has reason to interact with virtually every other player.  While there are more SCs than Standard, there is a similar ratio (~2/3) of starting player-owned SCs to total SCs, meaning that players are forced to clash early.  Offensive play is encouraged in many ways.  First, there are no corner positions, which limits the effectiveness of defensive tactics.  Chokepoints are kept to a minimum.  "Chaos builds" ensures that players are not waiting for years to move units to the front lines.  Aerial units are far more useful in attack than defense, and should be helpful in breaking any potential stalemate lines.  Finally, a relatively short victory line (1/3 instead of 1/2 of the total SCs) should encourage players to go for the solo victory, instead of the alterative where players decide that victory is impossible on such a large map, and then play for the draw.
 
 
 
Conceptually, the variant is built around numerous diplomatic triangles, as triangles are generally the most dynamic configuration in Diplomacy.  These triangles are: Africa & Med (B/F/I), Atlantic (B/F/A), North Sea (B/F/G), Scandinavia (B/G/S), Western Europe (F/G/I), Balkans (G/S/I), Central Asia (S/C/B), SE Asia land (B/F/C), SE Asia sea (B/J/A), and East Asia (C/J/S).  The one area that couldn't be "triangulated" was the Pacific, where America and Japan are the only two significant powers.
 
  
There are some key relationships that will go a long way in determining the shape of the gameAs mentioned in the previous paragraph, America and Japan is one, because an alliance leaves each with a free hand to go all-out in the opposite directionTo a lesser extent, the Soviets and Germans have a similar relationshipBecause they are the strongest powers on the board and they are entangled everywhere, the British-French relationship is probably most importantIf they work together, they own 1/4 of the SCs on the board to start, and are a juggernaut to be feared.  If they fight each other, then a frantic wooing of allies (particularly Italy) will ensue by both parties.
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Offensive play is encouraged in many waysFirst, there are no corner positions, which limits the effectiveness of defensive tacticsChokepoints are kept to a minimum"Chaos builds" ensures that players are not waiting for years to move units to the front lines.  Aerial units are far more useful in attack than defense, and should be helpful in breaking any potential stalemate linesFinally, a relatively short victory line (1/3 instead of 1/2 of the total SCs) should encourage players to go for the solo victory, instead of the alternative where players decide that victory is impossible on such a large map, and then play for the draw.
  
 
I welcome any feedback on the variant.  Please contact me at congressofvienna1814@yahoo.com.
 
I welcome any feedback on the variant.  Please contact me at congressofvienna1814@yahoo.com.
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==RULES==
 
==RULES==
  
* There are 8 players:
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* There are 7 players:
** Britain (B, 13)
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** Britain (B, 9)
** France (F, 11)
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** France (F, 8)
** Germany (G, 6)
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** Germany (G, 7)
** Italy (I, 6)
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** Italy (I, 7)
** USSR (S, 9)
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** Japan (J, 6)
** Japan (J, 8)
 
** China (C, 7)
 
 
** USA (A, 6)
 
** USA (A, 6)
* Britain and France start with more supply centers because of their colonial empires.
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** USSR (S, 8)
* There are 96 supply centers, with 39 in Europe, 38 in Asia, 10 in the Americas, and 9 in Africa.
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** Neutral (38)
* The victory condition is 32 SCs (one-third of the total).
+
 
 +
* There are 89 supply centers, with 39 in Europe, 34 in Asia, 9 in the Americas, and 7 in Africa.
 +
* The victory condition is 30 SCs (one-third of the total).
 
* There are chaos builds, meaning that units can be built in any open supply center.
 
* There are chaos builds, meaning that units can be built in any open supply center.
* There are two new types of units: planes and aircraft carriers.  These units do everything with a strength of 0.5, including movement, support, and defense.  To compensate for this weakness, they can support actions that are two spaces away.  Example: Plane Gorky can support A Moscow to Poland, and this attack would now have a strength of 1.5.
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* There are two new types of units: planes and aircraft carriers.  These units do everything with a strength of 0.5, including movement, support, and defense.  To compensate for this weakness, they can support actions that are two spaces away.  See the section "Aerial Units" below for more details.
 
* For a plane unit, use the abbreviation P (e.g. P Gor S A Mos - Pol).  For an aircraft carrier unit, use the abbreviation Q (e.g. Q Liv S F Lon - Eng).
 
* For a plane unit, use the abbreviation P (e.g. P Gor S A Mos - Pol).  For an aircraft carrier unit, use the abbreviation Q (e.g. Q Liv S F Lon - Eng).
* Denmark, Gibraltar, Turkey, Suez, and Panama are all canal provinces.  This means that both an army and a fleet can move through these spaces.
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* Denmark, Kiel, Turkey, Suez, and Panama are all canal provinces.  This means that both an army and a fleet can move through these spaces.
* Any unit can move across the "red arrows".  However, a unit cannot retreat across a "red arrow".  "Red arrows" connect the following pairs:  Scotland and Ireland, Taranto and Sicily, Abyssinia and Yemen, Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Kyoto and Hokkaido, Hokkaido and Sakhalin, Sakhalin and Vladivostak, and Kamchatka and Alaska.
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* Any unit can move across the "yellow dashes".  However, a unit cannot retreat across a "yellow dash".  "Yellow dashes" connect the following pairs:  Scotland and Ireland, Iberia and Casablanca, Taranto and Sicily, Abyssinia and Yemen, Yemen and Iran, Kyoto and Hokkaido, Hokkaido and Sakhalin, Sakhalin and Vladivostak, and Kamchatka and Alaska.
 +
* Neutral units hold every turn.  Any neutral unit that is dislodged is immediately disbanded.  If a neutral unit is disbanded in Spring and then the SC is vacated after Fall, then the neutral unit is rebuilt during Winter.
 
* Denmark borders Oslo, and an army can move from Denmark to Oslo.  Essentially, Denmark comprises both Denmark and Skagerrak from Standard Dip.
 
* Denmark borders Oslo, and an army can move from Denmark to Oslo.  Essentially, Denmark comprises both Denmark and Skagerrak from Standard Dip.
* Gibraltar is a much larger space than just the British colony of Gibraltar, extending from the Bay of Biscay and East Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Lyon and Tyrrhenian Sea, while bordering both Iberia and Casablanca as well.
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* Gray water spaces in the Arctic areas are impassable.
 +
 
 +
==AERIAL UNITS==
 +
 
 +
First, some examples.
 +
 
 +
Example 1: German A Bavaria and Italian P Venice both move to Switzerland.  A Bavaria succeeds (1.0 > 0.5), and P Venice bounces.
 +
 
 +
Example 2: German A Switzerland attacks the Italian P Venice.  A Switzerland succeeds (1.0 > 0.5).
 +
 
 +
Example 3: German P Berlin supports Italian A Venice to Switzerland, with a neutral army in Switzerland.  A Venice succeeds (1.5 > 1.0).
 +
 
 +
Example 4: In example 3, French P Paris supports A Switzerland.  The Italian army bounces (1.5 = 1.5).
 +
 
 +
Example 5 ("half-cut", see more below): German A Bavaria supports Italian P Venice to Switzerland, which is occupied by a neutral army.  French P Burgundy moves to Bavaria, "half-cutting" the support to 0.5.  The attack fails (1.0 = 1.0).
 +
 
 +
Now, some clarifications in response to potentially unclear issues.
 +
 
 +
* If an aerial unit (P or Q) attacks to cut the support standard unit (A or F), then it is only a "half-cut" that reduces the amount of the support from 1.0 to 0.5.  Two aerial units can combine to fully cut the support of the standard unit. 
 +
 
 +
* Just like their sea-unit counterparts (fleets), aircraft carriers can convoy land units (both armies and planes).  The convoyed unit attacks with its usual strength (armies = 1.0, planes = 0.5).
 +
 
 +
* Just like their land-unit counterparts (armies), planes cannot convoy units.
  
==PROVINCES==
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* Aerial units can occupy SCs.  For example, P Saxony can occupy the Sudentenland.
  
Abyssinia: Aby
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* Aerial unit support can be projected across map spaces regardless of the composition (land or sea) of the space. For example, Q San Francisco can support F Washington DC to Gulf of Mexico.
Adriatic Sea: Adr
 
Afghanistan: Afg
 
Alaska: Ala
 
Alberta: Alb
 
Alsace-Lorraine: Als
 
Amazon: Ama
 
Angola: Ang
 
Aquitaine: Aqu
 
Argentina: Arg
 
Arabian Sea: ArS
 
Atlantic Southern Ocean: ASO
 
Austria: Aus
 
Azerbaijan: Aze
 
Azores: Azo
 
Baltic Sea: Bal
 
Barents Sea: BaS
 
Bavaria: Bav
 
Bay of Bengal: BBg
 
British East Africa: BEA
 
Beijing: Bei
 
Berlin: Ber
 
Bering Sea: BeS
 
Birmingham: Bir
 
Bismarck Sea: BiS
 
Black Sea: Bla
 
British New Guinea: BNG
 
Benelux: BNL
 
Bay of Biscay: BoB
 
Bolivia: Bol
 
Brazil: Bra
 
Burma: Brm
 
Beirut: Brt
 
Bulgaria: Bul
 
Burgundy: Bur
 
British West Africa: BWA
 
Cameroon: Cam
 
Caribbean: Car
 
Casablanca: Cas
 
Ceylon: Cey
 
Chad: Cha
 
Chicago: Chi
 
Columbia: Col
 
Belgian Congo: Con
 
Corsica: Cor
 
Coral Sea: CoS
 
Cape Horn: CpH
 
Caspian Sea: Csp
 
Dakar: Dak
 
Denmark: Den
 
Dutch New Guinea: DNG
 
Dunkirk: Dun
 
Dutch West Indies: DWI
 
Danzig: Dzg
 
East Atlantic Ocean: EAO
 
East China Sea: ECS
 
El Alamein: ElA
 
Eastern Mediterranean: Eme
 
English Channel: ENG
 
East Pacific Ocean: EPO
 
East Prussia: Epr
 
East Sea of Japan: ESJ
 
East Turkestan: ETu
 
Finland: Fin
 
Gansu: Gan
 
Guadalcanal: Gdc
 
Gibraltar: Gib
 
Gulf of Alaska: GoA
 
Gulf of Bothnia: GoB
 
Gulf of Guinea: GoG
 
Gulf of Lyon: GoL
 
Gulf of Mexico: GoM
 
Gorky: Gor
 
Gulf of Siam: GoS
 
Gulf of Tonkin: GoT
 
Greece: Gre
 
Greenland: Grn
 
Guangdong: Gua
 
Hamburg: Ham
 
Hanoi: Han
 
Hawaii: Haw
 
Hefei: Hef
 
Hiroshima: Hir
 
Hungary: Hng
 
Hokkaido: Hok
 
Houston: Hou
 
Hunan: Hun
 
Iberia: Ibe
 
Iceland: Ice
 
India: Ind
 
Inner Mongolia: Img
 
Indian Ocean: InO
 
Inland Sea: InS
 
Ionian Sea: Ion
 
Iran: Ira
 
Ireland: Ire
 
Irish Sea: IRI
 
Indian Southern Ocean: ISO
 
Iwo Jima: Iwo
 
Jubaland: Jub
 
Kamchatka: Kam
 
Kiel: Kie
 
Korea: Kor
 
Kyoto: Kyo
 
Labrador Sea: LaS
 
Leningrad: Len
 
Libya: Lib
 
Lithuania: Lit
 
Liverpool: Liv
 
London: Lon
 
Madagascar: Mad
 
Mali: Mal
 
Manchuria: Man
 
Mesopotamia: Mes
 
Mexico: Mex
 
Malaya: Mly
 
Mongolia: Mon
 
Moscow: Mos
 
Mozambique: Moz
 
Murmansk: Mur
 
Mozambique Channel: MzC
 
Nagasaki: Nag
 
Nanjing: Nan
 
North Atlantic Ocean: NAO
 
Novosibirsk: Nov
 
North Pacific Ocean: NPO
 
Normandy: Nrm
 
North Sea: Nth
 
Norwegian Sea: NwS
 
New York City: NYC
 
New Zealand: Nze
 
Okinawa: Oki
 
Okhostk Sea: OkS
 
Oman: Oma
 
Ontario: Ont
 
Oslo: Osl
 
Ottawa: Ott
 
Panama: Pan
 
Pacific Ocean: PaO
 
Paris: Par
 
Peru: Per
 
Philippines: Phi
 
Philippine Sea: PhS
 
Piedmont: Pie
 
Poland: Pol
 
Pomerania: Pom
 
Persian Gulf: Prg
 
Pacific Southern Ocean: PSO
 
Red Sea: Red
 
Rhineland: Rhi
 
Rhodesia: Rho
 
Rome: Rom
 
Rumania: Rum
 
South Africa: Saf
 
Saigon: Sai
 
Sakhalin: Sak
 
South Atlantic Ocean: SAO
 
Sardinia: Sar
 
Saudi Arabia: Sau
 
Sichuan: Sch
 
Scotland: Sco
 
South China Sea: SCS
 
Sudan: Sdn
 
Seattle: Sea
 
  San Francisco: Sfo
 
Shanghai: Sha
 
Siam: Sia
 
Sicily: Sic
 
Silesia: Sil
 
Somalia: Som
 
Solomon Sea: SoS
 
South Pacific Ocean: SPO
 
Spratly Islands: Spr
 
Stalingrad: Sta
 
Sudentenland: Sud
 
Suez: Sue
 
Sweden: Swe
 
Switzerland: Swi
 
Sydney: Syd
 
Taiwan: Tai
 
Taranto: Tar
 
Tashkent: Tas
 
Tibet: Tib
 
Timor Sea: TiS
 
Tokyo: Tok
 
Toulouse: Tou
 
Transjordan: Tra
 
Turkmenistan: Trk
 
Trondheim: Tro
 
Truk Lagoon: Tru
 
Tsushima Straits: Tsu
 
Turkey: Tur
 
Tuscany: Tus
 
Tyrrhenian Sea: TyS
 
Urals: Ura
 
Venice: Ven
 
Vladivostok: Vla
 
West Atlantic Ocean: WAO
 
Western Australia: Wau
 
Washington DC: WDC
 
West Indies: Win
 
West Pacific Ocean: WPO
 
West Sea of Japan: WSJ
 
Yakutsk: Yak
 
Yalta: Yal
 
Yemen: Yem
 
Yellow Sea: YeS
 
Yorkshire: Yor
 
Yugoslavia: Yug
 
Yukon Territory: Yuk
 
Yunnan: Yun
 

Latest revision as of 11:53, 29 June 2010


A Diplomacy variant by Nick Higgins

WW2 Large Map half.gif

BACKGROUND

My goal is to create a global WWII-era variant for Diplomacy that attains the elusive perfect balance between history and gameplay. My hope is that the variant will play "smaller" than its size. Every player on the board has reason to interact with virtually every other player. Conceptually, the variant is built around numerous diplomatic triangles, as triangles are generally the most dynamic configuration in Diplomacy.

Offensive play is encouraged in many ways. First, there are no corner positions, which limits the effectiveness of defensive tactics. Chokepoints are kept to a minimum. "Chaos builds" ensures that players are not waiting for years to move units to the front lines. Aerial units are far more useful in attack than defense, and should be helpful in breaking any potential stalemate lines. Finally, a relatively short victory line (1/3 instead of 1/2 of the total SCs) should encourage players to go for the solo victory, instead of the alternative where players decide that victory is impossible on such a large map, and then play for the draw.

I welcome any feedback on the variant. Please contact me at congressofvienna1814@yahoo.com.

RULES

  • There are 7 players:
    • Britain (B, 9)
    • France (F, 8)
    • Germany (G, 7)
    • Italy (I, 7)
    • Japan (J, 6)
    • USA (A, 6)
    • USSR (S, 8)
    • Neutral (38)
  • There are 89 supply centers, with 39 in Europe, 34 in Asia, 9 in the Americas, and 7 in Africa.
  • The victory condition is 30 SCs (one-third of the total).
  • There are chaos builds, meaning that units can be built in any open supply center.
  • There are two new types of units: planes and aircraft carriers. These units do everything with a strength of 0.5, including movement, support, and defense. To compensate for this weakness, they can support actions that are two spaces away. See the section "Aerial Units" below for more details.
  • For a plane unit, use the abbreviation P (e.g. P Gor S A Mos - Pol). For an aircraft carrier unit, use the abbreviation Q (e.g. Q Liv S F Lon - Eng).
  • Denmark, Kiel, Turkey, Suez, and Panama are all canal provinces. This means that both an army and a fleet can move through these spaces.
  • Any unit can move across the "yellow dashes". However, a unit cannot retreat across a "yellow dash". "Yellow dashes" connect the following pairs: Scotland and Ireland, Iberia and Casablanca, Taranto and Sicily, Abyssinia and Yemen, Yemen and Iran, Kyoto and Hokkaido, Hokkaido and Sakhalin, Sakhalin and Vladivostak, and Kamchatka and Alaska.
  • Neutral units hold every turn. Any neutral unit that is dislodged is immediately disbanded. If a neutral unit is disbanded in Spring and then the SC is vacated after Fall, then the neutral unit is rebuilt during Winter.
  • Denmark borders Oslo, and an army can move from Denmark to Oslo. Essentially, Denmark comprises both Denmark and Skagerrak from Standard Dip.
  • Gray water spaces in the Arctic areas are impassable.

AERIAL UNITS

First, some examples.

Example 1: German A Bavaria and Italian P Venice both move to Switzerland. A Bavaria succeeds (1.0 > 0.5), and P Venice bounces.

Example 2: German A Switzerland attacks the Italian P Venice. A Switzerland succeeds (1.0 > 0.5).

Example 3: German P Berlin supports Italian A Venice to Switzerland, with a neutral army in Switzerland. A Venice succeeds (1.5 > 1.0).

Example 4: In example 3, French P Paris supports A Switzerland. The Italian army bounces (1.5 = 1.5).

Example 5 ("half-cut", see more below): German A Bavaria supports Italian P Venice to Switzerland, which is occupied by a neutral army. French P Burgundy moves to Bavaria, "half-cutting" the support to 0.5. The attack fails (1.0 = 1.0).

Now, some clarifications in response to potentially unclear issues.

  • If an aerial unit (P or Q) attacks to cut the support standard unit (A or F), then it is only a "half-cut" that reduces the amount of the support from 1.0 to 0.5. Two aerial units can combine to fully cut the support of the standard unit.
  • Just like their sea-unit counterparts (fleets), aircraft carriers can convoy land units (both armies and planes). The convoyed unit attacks with its usual strength (armies = 1.0, planes = 0.5).
  • Just like their land-unit counterparts (armies), planes cannot convoy units.
  • Aerial units can occupy SCs. For example, P Saxony can occupy the Sudentenland.
  • Aerial unit support can be projected across map spaces regardless of the composition (land or sea) of the space. For example, Q San Francisco can support F Washington DC to Gulf of Mexico.