Earning centers. The centers are small yellow dots. One owns a center when one occupies it, IE a places a unit above it. This occupation is decided only autumn, IE a one turn ever other (even turns)
Each player directs all its units (armies and fleets) in secret. Then we examine all orders of all players simultaneously and determine what happens (the resolution)
You can:
- remain in place: A PAR H
- Attack: A PAR - BOU (a fleet has access to the seas and coasts, an army has access to land and coasts, one attacks a neighboring region - or by convoy (see below)
- support to stay in place: A PAR S A BUR (condition: to access the region of the unit supported - here PAR accesses BY BUR)
- support to attack: A PAR S A BEL - BUR (condition: to access the area the destination of the attack unit supported - here PAR accesses to BUR and does not need access to the starting region, Ie BEL)
- convoy : F ENG C A LON - PIC This means, for a fleet in the sea, contributing to the displacement of a army from coast to coast, hence (the) fleet (s) is (are) to form a chain connecting the army to its destination.
a) Successful completion of an attack
An attack succeeds if it is stronger than what is opposed to this attack.
- a unit that goes to an empty area and is alone to do so is not opposed, so it necessarily succeeds.
- a unit going into an empty area but while another one is also trying to reach it can only succeed if this attack has more support than the other unit also trying to access it.
- a unit going into an area occupied by a unit that wishes to remain there is only successful if this attack benefits from more support than the defense of the attacked unit.
Example 1:
FRANCE: A PAR - BUR; A S A PIC BY - BUR
GERMANY: A BUR H
=> two against one: it goes
Example 2:
FRANCE: A PAR - BUR; A PIC S A PAR - BUR
GERMANY: A MUN S A BUR, A BUR H
=> two against two: it does not go
b) Uncertainty of supports
A unit that supports but is under attack "from somewhere else" is, in some way, "distracted" and support is not provided (it is said to "cut")
Example 3:
FRANCE: A PAR - BUR; A PIC S A PAR - BUR
GERMANY: A MUN S A BUR, A BUR H
AUSTRIA: A TYR - MUN
=> two against one: it goes! (because the support of MUN is cut)
c) Woe to the vanquished!
A unit attacked by a successful attack is said to be "dislodged", it must move backwards (one says "retreat") to free the region. Retreats are expressed simultaneously and in secret, then solved simultaneously in a separate phase.
Note: One can not retreat to an area that has been the object of a fight with no winner:
Example 4:
FRANCE: A PAR - BUR; A PIC S A PAR - BUR
GERMANY: A BUR H
AUSTRIA: A TYR - MUN
ITALY: A BOH - MUN
=> success of A PAR - BUR (two against one); failure of A TYR - MUN and A BOH - MUN (one against one)
=> BUR must retreat, but not in MUN since this area is "blocked" (object of fight between TYR and BOH)
d) And the Ship Sails On!
A convoy will require an army of such PIC LON one (or more) fleet (s)) on the way (for example, ordering the convoy NRD)
A convoy is successful if:
- The attack on the army succeeded (as a conventional attack)
- None of the fleet ensuring the convoy is dislodged (they can be attacked without damage to the convoy)
e) Profit and Loss
One turn every other one, one counts for each player / country / power units and centers owned. A center is owned if it is occupied, or one is the last occupant during a even turn.
The occupations at odd rounds are unimportant.
Note: initially each player / country / power has exactly three units and three centers (except Russia, which has four units and four centers)
Consequences of the statement:
- Blessed players with more centers than units build.
=> They have the right to add as many units they have centers more on the centers they occupied early in the game (the centers 'national')
- Unhappy players who have more units than centers destroy.
=> They have obligation to withdraw the remainder of unit just to keep the same number as the number of centers they own.
It is essential to get help to win, that is to say make mutually beneficial alliances. Each ally makes another (or several other) benefit of a (or several) support(s), or cuts an opponent's support, or provides information or anything else.
The game is to build alliances and decide exactly when to break them. Breaking a covenant by surprise is called a "stab".
Predicting and anticipating the stab is the salt of the game
Diplomacy is as much a game of personality and psychology than strategy and tactics ...
Spring 1901: phase 1
Summer 1901: Retreats
Fall 1901: phase 2
Winter 1901: Retreats
Review in 1901: Adjustments
Spring 1902: phase 3 etc. ...
The ending conditions are:
- A player has 18 centers
- All players who have a center agree to stop the game
- Expiry of number of turns fixed in advance (typically late 1907 or 14 turns)
VOILA! Hoping that this is clear, it is an essential but not exhaustive start, and subtleties remains that will come gradually.
Good game!