Russian Revolution Varaint

[Chessplayer]

So, you may remember that I was the guy who suggested we do a worldwide WW2 Variant and once I layed out the plans for it being worldwide and including airplanes, I got crickets on the thread . I did a bit of research and found a variant EXACTLY like the one I had described. I learned my lesson, and am now presenting this new idea to the community to see if it is original- a Russian Revolution variant. Right off the bat you have the Red Army, White Army, and Green Armies plus I lot of other countries giving their support to various groups. Thoughts?

[b1wein]

Sounds like it could be cool. I'd be interested in playing it!

[StarkAdder]

TImely, too, on the 100th anniversary of the ultimately unsuccessful Great October Revolution. Reds, Whites, Nationalists, Japanese and other foreign interventionists too. Avalon Hill or SPI had a board game based on this theme with Kolchak's gold, assassins and purges as additional options.

I'd keep the Play Diplomacy version simpler...grab and hold territory, make alliances, and conquer over half the USSR beginning in 1917. But it would be cool to include neighboring powers too (Germany, Japan, UK colonies in the Middle East, America) since they could try to conquer from the edges while the Bolsheviks...a la Austria or Italy in Classic Diplomacy....try to survive with enemies on all sides.

[Strategus]

TImely, too, on the 100th anniversary of the ultimately unsuccessful Great October Revolution. Reds, Whites, Nationalists, Japanese and other foreign interventionists too. Avalon Hill or SPI had a board game based on this theme with Kolchak's gold, assassins and purges as additional options.

I'd keep the Play Diplomacy version simpler...grab and hold territory, make alliances, and conquer over half the USSR beginning in 1917. But it would be cool to include neighboring powers too (Germany, Japan, UK colonies in the Middle East, America) since they could try to conquer from the edges while the Bolsheviks...a la Austria or Italy in Classic Diplomacy....try to survive with enemies on all sides.

Sounds like an interesting idea, but would be limited use of fleets?

[Chessplayer]

The thing is that I want to greatly limit the influence of bordering powers in the game as it is for the most part a struggle between the red and white armies. As an added option, I was thinking about introducing green army units in certain territories that were neutral in the fight. I also wanted to include Russian army units as well as German army units since the civil war was going on against the backdrop of WW1. The war was ended in the treaty of Brest-Litovisk, with Russian armies gradually deserting before then. By the way, please correct me if I am being historically inaccurate as I want to try to make the game an accurate representation of what went on. So far, I am thinking of using a modified Versaille map as a jumping off point.

[Bromley86]

Doesn't that effectively turn it into a 2 player game? Why would I want to play an edge power if I'm limited to helping one of the central powers to win?

If you were going for a 2 player, in addition to your green armies, some of the bordering powers could be represented by an army and a fleet each with automatic support orders. So it'd be a lot harder to dislodge the Allies from Archangel or Vladivostok than it would to beat up one of your normal green units.

[buckielugger]

There are of course many great rivers across Russia, plus oceans and inland seas.
So fleets could certainly be incorporated, around and within Russia.
Would be great to see a map from the Baltic to the Arctic to the Pacific...

And as for effectively two players, i think that whilst history should be represented, nevertheless it will first and foremost be a game u are devising, so that must have several players, with fairly close chances of winning.
I have never attempted any game devising, but i assume the different variants here of Diplomacy will all aim to have a similar ratio of supply centres to overall territories and similar border patterns between territories.

Anyway, good luck - the Russian Revolution has long been a fascination of mine.

[Subotai45]

I'd try and find a period at which the Bolsheviks weren't winning yet, and there were several different White factions which could be separate players.

[Don Juan of Austria]

I'd try and find a period at which the Bolsheviks weren't winning yet, and there were several different White factions which could be separate players.

+1

[joe92]

Having a lack of fleets isn't itself a bad thing. Nopunin10did did a LOTR variant which had very limited fleets. From my spectators standpoint it looked like a fun and balanced map. Of course fleets could be implemented if you considered the northern coast of Russia and some of the huge rivers (Lena, Angara). My main concern would be that this is going to be imbalanced. I think you should follow Subotai's advice and ensure there are enough opposition players to the Bolsheviks and that the Bolsheviks aren't overpowered.

I suggest you put together a rough drawing of the map with how you foresee the power's being. Just a basic rough so we can see what you mean. With a visual element we'd be able to comment a bit better.