Diplomacy, 1897 proposed variant From: westerm@aclcb.purdue.edu (Rick Westerman) Date: Thu, 06 Aug 1992 15:28:32 +0000 I have a proposal for a Diplomacy variant that I would like feedback on. The variant is called "1897". The normal map and 7 powers are used. Play begins in the winter of 1897 (build phase) with each power having 1 home center and *no* units. The game continues as normal except that through the end of fall of 1899 each center that is controlled acts as a home center; e.g., you can build at it. At the end of fall 1899, all centers currently controlled by a power become that power's permanent home centers. Potentially each power could have 4 home centers at this point in the game. The starting centers would be: England - London France - Brest Germany - Kiel Italy - Venice Austria - Trieste Russia - Sevastopol Turkey - Constantinople Note that each of the above centers is a coastal region; this gives the most flexibility in early builds. Also, England/France/Germany are opposing each other, Italy/Austria oppose, and Russia/Turkey oppose so that there is conflict from the start. One advantage of the above "1897" variant over the similar "1898" variant is that the "1897" variant allows the creation of new nation boundaries. It seems that a very common tactic in the "1898" variant is to simply re-establish the original Diplomacy boundaries; consequently when the spring 1900 turn rolls around, an "1898" game often looks the same as a normal Diplomacy game. I believe the "1897" variant would provide for more interesting variations in the configuration of nations. Over a year ago, I asked Ken Lowe (creator of the Diplomacy Adjudicator) if it would be possible to modify the Judge to run the above variant and he said that it might be possible but that, at the time, he was busy with the Machivellian variant. Before I ask him again, I'd like to get some comments from the Net. Is the above variant different enough to be interesting? Do the starting positions need to be modified? Other comments? Even a simple "yes, a good idea" or "no, it stinks" would be helpful. Thanks, -- Rick Rick Westerman System Manager of the AIDS Center Laboratory westerm@aclcb.purdue.edu for Computational Biochemistry (ACLCB), BCHM (317) 494-0505 bldg., Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN 47907 Headline seen on a SUN tabloid: "AIDS killing the world's vampires!" Referenced By Up