Play Diplomacy Online

Hi Guys!

So over the past 2 weeks I decided to revamp 1900 Diplomacy with a touch of the Edwardian variant. Then I added an 8th player (Spain)



Any points for revision, especially how to buff France and Spain (and even how to nerf Germany?)
Also, is the SC count too much? (There are 64 SCs)

Rules: All standard 1900 Dip rules apply
Map clarifications: There are 3 land bridges, Egypt-Jordan, Clyde-Belfast, Sweden-Denmark
The Caspian Sea is not a playable space
A fleet can't cross from Jordan to Damascus in one move.

What do you think about my first variant?

Edit: Please notify me if the map size is too large.

Well, it seems like Spain is squished into France, which makes life very boring for him and very hard for France. It's hard to see how they can ever coexist. Short-term, maybe, but France is in Spain's way just like Austria is in Turkey's.

I'm not a variant designer, but if you got rid of the Tyrrhenian Sea, maybe that would help make Italy more of a neighbor? Of course, it would cause other problems.

Aurelia1 wrote:Well, it seems like Spain is squished into France, which makes life very boring for him and very hard for France. It's hard to see how they can ever coexist. Short-term, maybe, but France is in Spain's way just like Austria is in Turkey's.

I'm not a variant designer, but if you got rid of the Tyrrhenian Sea, maybe that would help make Italy more of a neighbor? Of course, it would cause other problems.

Hmm...

Guess I'll need to find a way to make Spain and France more powerful and lessen the tension

I'm not a variant designer either but how about making Britain a viable target for Spain and vice versa by having a British SC that gives access to MAO.

Is Russia overpowered? He gets Swe in Spr 01 and can support himself into Nwy in the fall, England is likely to let him get Nwy so he can take Iceland. That puts Russia at 9 with a chance of getting Rum if Aut goes for Serbia first.

Also, I don't see how anyone ever solos on this map. 64 centers on a vaguely normal map creates about a billion stalemate lines.

Jegpeg wrote:I'm not a variant designer either but how about making Britain a viable target for Spain and vice versa by having a British SC that gives access to MAO.

Is Russia overpowered? He gets Swe in Spr 01 and can support himself into Nwy in the fall, England is likely to let him get Nwy so he can take Iceland. That puts Russia at 9 with a chance of getting Rum if Aut goes for Serbia first.

You mean Gibraltar?

Also yes, Russia's dangerously overpowered. How about I lessen his starting supply centers?

AKFD wrote:

Jegpeg wrote:I'm not a variant designer either but how about making Britain a viable target for Spain and vice versa by having a British SC that gives access to MAO.
...

You mean Gibraltar?
...

No, he probably means British centers at home. Bristol and Cork are old harbours and thus good candidates.

Old Spanish harbours are La Coruna and Cadiz.

Jack007 wrote:

AKFD wrote:

Jegpeg wrote:I'm not a variant designer either but how about making Britain a viable target for Spain and vice versa by having a British SC that gives access to MAO.
...

You mean Gibraltar?
...

No, he probably means British centers at home. Bristol and Cork are old harbours and thus good candidates.

That is correct another option is Cardiff (and I would tend to rename Ireland as Dublin as it is the largest city (and also a port), in the same way we have London not Dover.
Taking the fleet away from Lon or Edi (? sorry when I look at the map place names are not very clear) significantly limits Britain's options going East so maybe the best option would be to make Ireland and SC instead of Belfast (?) and give it a navy. I am not sure if that means Gibraltar should have an army for balance.

Regarding Russia either remove Russian SC or make Sweden not an SC.

condude1 wrote:Also, I don't see how anyone ever solos on this map. 64 centers on a vaguely normal map creates about a billion stalemate lines.

Ding! The density of dots is a HUGE problem for this variant. Tons of stalemate lines leading to static tactical situations, in addition to players fearful to make a move because they will be worried that they will apppear hostile to multiple players not all of whom are the intended target.

Less is more.

David E. Cohen wrote:

condude1 wrote:Also, I don't see how anyone ever solos on this map. 64 centers on a vaguely normal map creates about a billion stalemate lines.

Ding! The density of dots is a HUGE problem for this variant. Tons of stalemate lines leading to static tactical situations, in addition to players fearful to make a move because they will be worried that they will apppear hostile to multiple players not all of whom are the intended target.

Less is more.

Okay then, how many SCs are ideal?