Re: Diplomacy zine -- Quiz issue

From: steveb@ihlpy.ATT.COM (S.R. Bodenstab)

Date: Wed, 03 May 1989 21:05:51 +0000

In article <59207@yale-celray.yale.UUCP> Martin-Charles@cs.yale.edu (Charles Martin) writes:
>In article <17824@cup.portal.com>, Eric_S_Klien@cup writes:
>>Rule XII.5 says the following:  "A CONVOYED ATTACK DOES NOT CUT
>>CERTAIN SUPPORTS.  If a convoyed army attacks a fleet which is
>>supporting an action in a body of water; and that body of water
>>contains a convoying fleet, that support is not cut."

>This seems highly bogus to me.  The whole idea of cutting support is
>that the supporting unit has to "turn and face its attacker."  Hence
>you do not cut support for an attack into your own province.  It is
>irrelevant whether support is given into a body of water; the fleet
>must still beat off the attacking marines.

Ummmmmm... not quite.  See below.

The wording of Rule XII.5 that Eric quoted above is presumably
from an Avalon Hill version of "Diplomacy".  I do not own the AH
product and so cannot verify this.  The rules governing the
conduct of any game should be specifically noted prior to play.
In the case of a play-by-(E)mail game the particular rules to be
used is best left to the discretion of the Game Master.  In view
of this, it should be noted that there exist subtle differences
in rule wording among the various versions of "Diplomacy"
marketed over the history of the game.  These differences can
and do lead to distinct changes in the circumstances under which
a rule may apply.  This appears to be the case here.

Avalon Hill apparently chose to reword Rule XII.5 for some
unknown reason, and in the process wound up allowing what was
specifically disallowed in versions of "Diplomacy" available
prior to AH's purchase of the game.  This rewrite does more to
obscure what is being talked about in this rule and opens the
situation up again to the argument that the rule was originally
intended to settle.  The following is Rule XII.5 as worded in the
version of "Diplomacy" I own, published by Games Research Inc.
and copyright 1971:

"5. A CONVOYED ATTACK DOES NOT PROTECT THE CONVOYING FLEETS.  If
  a convoyed army attacks a fleet which is supporting a fleet
  which is attacking one of the convoying fleets, that support is
  not cut.

"Example 13.  FRANCE: A Spa-Nap, F Lyo C A Spa-Nap, F Tyr C A
  Spa-Nap;  ITALY: F Ion-Tyr, F Nap S F Ion-Tyr.  Without this
  rule, France could argue that the army cut the support of the
  fleet in Naples, thus protecting the convoying fleet from
  dislodgement, while Italy could argue that dislodgement of the
  fleet disrupted the convoy so that the army could not arrive at
  Naples to cut the support."

Clearly, this rule has to do with interdiction *at sea*.  The
correct result of example 13 above is the disruption of the
convoy by the dislodgement of the French fleet in the Tyrrhenian
Sea by the Italian attack from the Ionian Sea with support from
the Italian fleet in Naples.  The rule also limits the support
*not* cut to that given to a *fleet* which is attacking one of the
steps the convoyed army must pass through in order to attack the
*supporting* fleet.  Any OTHER attack against the supporting
fleet WILL cut its support.

Unfortunately, the rule as Avalon Hill revised it can now apply
to the support given to a wholly unrelated convoying action,
i.e. one not involving an attack upon a fleet convoying the army
that is attacking it, but allowing the fleet's support of a
second convoy to another destination stand uncut in spite of the
attack upon itself.  To allow such an occurrance is insane.
--

Steven R. Bodenstab		       UUCP:   ...!att!homxb!srb
AT&T Bell Laboratories		       ...!att!homxb.ATT.COM!srb

References

Diplomacy zine -- Quiz issue
Eric_S_Klien@cup.portal.com
Tue, 02 May 1989 00:27:07 +0000
Re: Diplomacy zine -- Quiz issue
Martin-Charles@cs.yale.edu (Charles Martin)
Tue, 02 May 1989 20:58:58 +0000

Referenced By

Diplomacy zine -- Quiz issue
Eric_S_Klien@cup.portal.com
Tue, 02 May 1989 00:27:07 +0000
Re: Diplomacy zine -- Quiz issue
Martin-Charles@cs.yale.edu (Charles Martin)
Tue, 02 May 1989 20:58:58 +0000