Rules

[Pedros]

The two TestBed trials of the Wing units are almost at an end and the full game of Modern is about to begin. Those who took part in the trials had first refusal on the game and five have taken the spots. Modern is for 10 players so there are five spaces left. It won't be quite first come first served - I'll be making some limited selection. Game will start as soon as I have ten provided the trial is over. Countries will be allocated by Blind Auction. If you haven't used this before I'll be posting details shortly so don't worry - but for now the key thing is not to say anything which might even hint at your preferences, or else you'll be disqualified.

Deadlines will be 3 day movements and 24 hour retreats and builds. I will be making one important change to my usual house rules: all draw proposals and voting will be in principle anonymous (by which I mean that I won't post the name of the proposer and who voted Yea or Nay; if players wish to make it known (truthfully or not!!) that's up to them.

Rules of Modern
In what follows, notes referring to the original Wings and setup have been removed to avoid confusion. The game will be played with an initial build phase; some nations had Wings in the original setup but since the new units are very different this may not be appropriate.

Modernblank.gif (63.91 KiB) Viewed 2502 times

Modern Diplomacy is intended to be diplomacy with an updated map, circa 1994, taking place in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Any country with more than 30 million inhabitants was made a power. Those with more than 60 million inhabitants were given 4 home centers, while Russia (with 200 million plus) was given 5. Iran would have qualified as a 4 supply center power, but this would have made it necessary to extend the map into Asia, so it was not done.

Historically, we have to consider that the European Community and all international alliances and organizations such as NATO and the UN were broken down. Perhaps the United States suffered a major cataclysm, or simply decided to ignore the outside world - but in any case, it will not intervene in Europe.

Other than this, borders and neutral supply centers were distributed to even out the game. Monaco was made a neutral SC (it has lots of money) even though it's size does not warrant it, and Gibraltar was made a British home SC, bot to give Britain a port in the Mediterranean, and to give Spain more than one neighbour).

Game Powers:

3 center powers:

. Egypt (E)
. Poland (P)
. Spain (S)

4 center powers:

. Britain (B)
. France (F)
. Germany (G)
. Italy (I)
. Turkey (T)
. Ukraine (U)

5 center powers:

. Russia (R)

Winning Conditions:

38 home centers + 26 neutral = 64 total centers

33 needed to win

Notes On Geography:

Cairo, Hamburg and Istanbul behave as Kiel and Constantinople did in the original game: they have no coasts but fleets can pass through them to bodies of water of both sides.

There is another canal linking Rostov and Volga, thus permitting access to the Caspian Sea to ships. Rostov is situated along the Don River which empties into the Black Sea, while the Volga empties into the Caspian Sea. In the real world there is a canal at Volgograd linking the two rivers, somewhere in the southern Volga region on the map. This is the only way to get ships into and out of the Caspian Sea.

Iran is the only territory with multiple coasts in the game - the south coast touches the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf, while the north coast touches the Caspian Sea.

Wing Rules

1. There is a third type of unit, the "Wing"
2. Wings require support from one Supply Centre just as Armies and Fleets do, and are built in home SCs (except in Build Anywhere) just as armies and fleets are
3. Wings have three possible orders apart from Hold; They can "Move", "Attack" and "Support"; it is important for players to be clear about the distinction between "Move" and "attack", sine this is very different from the position for armies and fleets, where the two terms are interchangeable.
   
   1. Move orders simply attempt to move the location of the Wing one land space in any available direction; Wings move with a strength of 0, although they can be supported just like other units; in addition, Wings can be convoyed in the same way and under the same rules as Armies (apart from the fact that their zero strength). Movement represents relocation of the Wing and its Base. An order for an unsupported Wing (ie total strength 0) into a space occupied by an enemy unit cannot cut support provided by that unit;
   2. Attack orders have a range of 1 or 2 spaces in any direction, including over water, and have an attacking strength of 1. Their attack can be supported in the same way as the attacks of ground units and they cut support provided by an enemy unit in the target space; they can also cause a standoff with a unit on the ground provided they have sufficient support; they cannot however dislodge an enemy unit already in the space. If they are attacking over a distance of two spaces then the intermediate space must be specified or the order is invalid; if they are attacking/support an adjoining province then they cannot journey via an intermediate space - orders which include such a space will be invalid;
   3. Support orders also have a range of 1 or 2 spaces in any direction (and the route taken must similarly be specified) including over water, and provide support with a strength of 1 for a ground attack by an army or fleet, for a an army or a fleet ordered to hold, support or convoy, for the base of a Wing which is not ordered to move, including its own base, or for an aerial attack by another Wing.
   4. Where a Wing orders an attack or support over a distance of two spaces, the first space must not be occupied at the start of the turn by an enemy unit or else the order is invalid;
   5. Wings which are attempting to attack or support but which meet one or more enemy Wings in flight bounce and return to base with its mission unsuccessful.
   6. After an attack or a support order, the Wing is assumed to have returned to its original location ("its base") provided that the base was not destroyed during that turn.
4. Wings which are dislodged from their base location are immediately destroyed although an aerial mission ordered for the Wing continues to its conclusion.
5. A wing which successfully moves to an enemy-held SC and remains there after a Fall season gains control of the SC
6. A wing ordered to support, but whose order does not correspond to the other unit's order, is considered to Hold.
7. {added during Spring retreats 1998} An attack on a space by a Wing prevents a retreat to that space during the same season.

Above items in blue were added/modified following discussion in this thread.

Players
kevinsmith4
SaltySailor
traitor651
XerxesPraelor
Zadaron
Thorondor
Aeilko
stalin813
mambam14
Diadem

Reserves
ColesD
luckythirteen

[Pedros]

Here are my House Rules for this game. Apart from the anonymous draw rule they are my usual ones (for those who've played with me before). It is important that you are familiar with them because they explain how the game will run, what I will expect from you, and what you can expect from me.

Please note especially my approach to deadlines and NMRs. I'm pretty tough on NMRs - I find it's the only way to keep the game moving.

Orders Please title your orders "(GAME NAME) - England - orders/retreats etc Spring 1901" (or something similar that I can recognise!) And send them to me by PM. Please don't just hit the reply button! (if you do I don't know what you've sent me!) If you title your orders wrongly and I don't find them it's your fault and the NMR will stick. I always check to see whether missing orders are floating around somewhere unexpected, but if I don't find them you have no cause for complaint.

It's up to you to make sure they're accurate. I won't read orders in detail until the deadline (this is so that if somebody else asks a question there's no chance of me betraying your secrets! - also because it's the way original Dip rules worked) If it's clear what they mean (I'll accept any recognisable abbreviations so long as they aren't ambiguous) then no problem; but if they're at all ambiguous they're invalid (issues like not specifying a coast when there's only one option I'll accept, but an argument like "You could see from my convoy order what the army was supposed to be doing" I won't!) If you spot an error in my adjudication please report it publicly as soon as possible. Any error not reported before the next movement deadline will not be corrected.

If two different orders are given for the same unit, then I will use the last order and ignore the others, except when too many builds are ordered, in which case the corect number from the beginning of the list will be allowed.

Other messages Please title them something different, so I know which is which - otherwise I'll probably assume they're orders and not read them before the deadline! If you ask a rules question then if it's clear I'll answer it; if it's something not clearly covered by the game rules I'll do my best, but in the light of argument from other players I might change my mind after the adjudication. If you think I'm wrong, I expect you to say so loudly and with clear reasons; if you do, I'll listen and consider the arguments (and allow an extension whilst it's sorted out). If a question is asked privately then it will be answered privately.

Deadlines 72-24-24 from the time the new map goes up. I'll send a PM at the same time so there's no excuse for not noticing! but I recommend you subscribe to the new sub-Forum as soon as it's in place so there's no chance of you missing a new topic. And post provisional orders early, just in case!

For phases longer than 24 hours I'll also send a reminder about 24 hours before the deadline (give or take a few hours), and a separate message (BCC) to those players who have not yet submitted orders.. This is because I'll then be strict about NMRs - see below. nb: after a recent case in Zeus, if at any time I fail to send one of these reminders and I don't realise that but post the orders, an NMR will stand. You will have had two PMs about the deadline, and after all it is up to you to know the deadline and get orders in.

Speed deadlines: Once I have orders from all players I will process them as soon as possible, unless they are marked 'Provisional' or similar. (I encourage provisional orders where appropriate to reduce the risk of NMRs, and I don't mind how often you change them - I will only open the last ones I receive.) But if you do send in provisionals, please let me know once you're happy to finalize them, just to move the game along. I may write to check if yours are the only orders waiting to be finalized, but if I do, then this is a reminder not a hassle! Don't feel pressurized into finalizing before you're ready!

Requests for delays: Where there's a good reason I'm happy to accept a delay of deadline, but I don't want this to happen too often - one of the biggest reasons for games failing is that they don't move along quickly enough and players lose interest. But please give as much notice as possible for everybody's sake! In particular, extensions will not be granted at the last minute on 72-hour deadlines simply because access is difficult. Get your provisionals in early!

Finally, please note: if you want a substitute whilst you're away it's your job to find one!

NMRs I will usually aim to process the orders fairly soon after the deadline, though there may be exceptions. I take the same view as the main site software - if you get orders in a few minutes late but before I begin, you'll get away with it. Once I start opening up orders, it's too late. No exceptions.

NMRs on retreat and build phases I don't count, but I do take notice of and if they mount up together with your main NMRs I will be thinking about a replacement anyway. When your NMR total reaches three you're out. Two in successive movement phases and you're out. Any NMR on the first phase and you're out and the game will hold for a replacement, after which the first phase will run again. For retreat and build phases I take the view if you don't submit it's your problem - you've missed the chance but that's all. If somebody's NMR leads to expulsion then there will be a pause while I try to replace them, and the new player gets a day minimum to talk and post orders. If replacement is difficult I reserve the right to put the faction into Civil Disorder (although I don't like doing this).

I also check a player's last logon time when they NMR. If it's several days ago it makes me wonder whether they've left the site altogether, and I'll try to contact them. If this doesn't work then I reserve the right to replace them without further warning.

Errors in adjudication I'm only human, so check the map after orders to make sure I have it right! If there's a substantial error it will delay the deadline, so I'll try to be perfect! Any error not reported by the next movement deadline will stand.

Draws The standard rules regarding draws in DVFGs will apply with one exception. I will treat both the draw proposal and the voting as anonymous - in other words, I will not announce at any time the proposer nor who voted which way. This is not intended to prevent any player from making this public (although other players should be aware that there may be false claims made!), only to say how I will act.

And, as always, the GM's decision is final

[Pedros]

Thanks to Dirk Kirkmeier for these rules (although the numbers involved have changed). Those new to them should read the examples at the end.
If it helps, you will find an example of a completed auction (in a six player game) with the calculation of the results at viewtopic.php?f=586&t=38659#p678094

PROCEDURE
1. Each player has 200 points to spend on bids for all of the powers in your game

2. You must spend at least one point on every power in your game and no more than 160 on any one specific power

3. You must only bid in whole numbers, no fractions or decimals are allowed

4. You must spend all 200 of your points and will be asked by the GM to re-submit if your total is less or more than 200

5. Your bids will be evaluated from the highest points allocated to the lowest, regardless of the order you put them in. However, in cases where you bid the same amount on more than one power, whichever is listed first is considered your "highest" bid, all the way down to the bottom-most being considered your "lowest" bid, and this ranking will affect the order in which your bids are evaluated (see para. 8)

6. Players not interested in bidding may express "no preference". In this case they will receive 20 on each power, with their order from "highest" to "lowest" randomly generated (See para. 8)

7. Players may change their bids up until the moment the GM has received the bid from the last player, after which bids may not be changed

8. The GM will then review the bids of all players and identify the most points spent on any power or powers. Where a player has more than one bid of that value for powers not already allocated to any player, only his highest ranking bid of that value will be considered

9. If only one player has the high bid on any of the highest bid powers, that player is assigned that power for the game and both the player and power are removed from the bidding. This process is then repeated for the next highest number of points bid on any power

10. In the event of a tie bid, where two or more players have bid the same high amount on the same power, the GM will randomly determine which player receives the disputed power

11. The process continues until every player in the game has won a power

12. Players are forbidden to discuss their bidding, strategy, or even if they are simply choosing "no preference", with any of the other players in the game. By design this process is intended to be completely blind and force the player to deeply consider risk and reward


EXAMPLE (using the original numbers with a total of 100 points to allocate in a Regular game)
In a game of Standard Diplomacy, Joe very badly wants to play Russia. To have the maximum chance at securing Russia, Joe assigns his 100 points as follows:

Russia - 80 Austria - 4 England - 4 France - 3 Germany - 3 Italy - 3 Turkey - 3

As long as no other player submits this precise bid, Joe will get Russia. If one or more other players submit this precise bid, Joe will have a chance to get Russia, but he also has a chance to get stuck with a leftover power at the very end.


EXAMPLE
Jane has played Austria, Germany and Italy each three times in Standard Diplomacy but has only played each of the other four powers either never or once. If Jane knows one thing, it's that she doesn't want to get stuck with one of her three old standbys. So, Jane decides to bid her 100 points like this:

England - 25 France - 24 Russia - 24 Turkey - 24 Austria - 1 Germany - 1 Italy - 1

Jane is a little worried because she figures that a lot of other players will only bid one on the rarely popular Austria or Italy, but she is optimistic that with 24 or 25 points on four different powers one of them will slip through the cracks to her.


EXAMPLE
Jerry doesn't want to play Italy in his upcoming game of Standard Diplomacy. Bottom line. No way, no how. He can bid one on Italy but a lot of other people will probably do that, too. He thinks he needs to get creative. England and Russia are the two most popular powers so he is going to just give them one point, too. That gives him 97 points to spend on four powers. Thinking about which of them he likes best he decides to bid his 100 points like this:

Turkey - 51 France - 16 Austria - 15 Germany - 15 England - 1 Italy - 1 Russia - 1


EXAMPLE
Harvey doesn't care who he plays in the new game of Standard Diplomacy. What's up with this crazy bidding anyway? "No preference," he writes to the GM. So the GM assigns his points based on the prescribed formula:

100 points, divided by 7 powers in Standard Diplomacy and rounded down to the nearest whole number, is 14. The GM randomly determines the order of those powers, making Harvey's bids:

Austria - 14 Germany - 14 England - 14 Italy - 14 Russia - 14 France - 14 Turkey - 14

He is thus most likely to get Austria, least likely to get Turkey.

[ThorondorNL]

Hey, this looks really good!

One question: can the colors of France and Italy be changed into a bit more difference? make Italy a bit more dark green is my suggestion, because it seems to me that the colors are similar right now.

Thorondor.

[Gooderian]

question: is the northern part of sinai part of cairo?

[Pedros]

Yes:-

Cairo, Hamburg and Istanbul behave as Kiel and Constantinople did in the original game: they have no coasts but fleets can pass through them to bodies of water of both sides

[Diadem]

Just posting here to put this thread in my egosearch.

Though I suppose I do have a question. Can you clarify the rules for cutting Wings one more time? Support given by a Wing unit is not cut if the base of the wing unit is attacked, but only if an enemy wing unit wants to travel through the same space as the wing unit, correct? But 'travel through' only happens for distance 2 moves, right? So if I support a unit next to, I can't be cut. And if I travel through a province that another wing is atttacking or supporting into, that doesn't cut the support (since the other wing is not moving through the province, but into). Do I have that correct?

[Diadem]

Map question: Does Sin border Sau? (in the south-east corner).

While we're at it. What about Gib and Mor?

[stalin813]

Looking at the map, no and no. They are clearly separate with no distinctions otherwise.

[Diadem]

More questions:

- Can wings attack an empty territory, for the purpose of making sure no-one else can move or retreat into it? I was assuming they could, since fleets and armies can, but I realized the rules don't actually say it, so now I'm not sure.