What is Diplomacy?
Diplomacy is a strategic board game set in Europe in the years leading to the Great War, Diplomacy is played by two to seven players, each controlling the armed forces of a major European power. Each player aims to move their few starting units and defeat those of others to win possession of a majority of strategic cities and provinces marked as "supply centers" on the map; these supply centers allow players who control them to produce more units. Following each round of player negotiations, each player can issue attack and support orders, which are then executed during the movement phase. A player takes control of a province when the number of provinces that are given orders to support the attacking province exceeds the number of provinces given orders to support the defending province.
So what's the big deal about it?
No units are inherently stronger than any other in a game of Diplomacy, which means that after the starting neutral supply centers have been taken over, a player is forced to rely on their literal diplomatic ability to ensure they continue to grow and thrive within the game through the direct intervention of their neighbors and allies. This also means that backstabbing someone is a real strategy that can have serious implications (both positive and negative) as you will rely on your ability to keep your allies aligned with you.
And what does this game have to do with RPing?
Not much to be fair. But I think it could provide a wonderful backdrop for a RP, specifically a WWI-based NRP. Particularly if we rely on RPing through our press messages rather than relying on just run-of-the-mill press on a website like Backstabbr. Furthermore, it'll allow for more of a flamboyant game if we simply increase the expectation of roleplaying in what will essentially be public press messages, and that should make things incredibly fun and interesting!
And what does the board look like?
The state of the major European powers in Spring 1901.
Circles are armies. Triangles are fleets. Smaller circles are supply centers.
Supply centers provide additional troops. Armies can move through land (tan-colored) tiles. Fleets can move into sea (light blue) tiles and coastal tiles, but note! They can only move along the coast, so a fleet would not be able to travel from Marseille, to Spain and up to Gascony, it'd have to travel to Spain (sc) and through Portugal and Spain (nc) first!
(Note too Bulgaria and St. Petersburg).
(Note too Bulgaria and St. Petersburg).
You got me, I'm in! So how are we playing?
We'll have to play on the Backstabbr website (I think strictly-speaking I'm not supposed to link it based on the rules, Google it), however, we will be playing with Press completely turned off in that website, so as to force the open RP diplomacy here! For now, just tell me you are in. I hope that sounds as cool to you as it does to me!
