by Nicholas Hoyle

1. All the boring old rules of Diplomacy (1971) apply, except…

2. Movement is sequential, not simultaneous.  For the first seven seasons the GM will draw up a schedule which will be the order in which the moves are to be adjudicated.  After seven seasons the schedule will be changed.  At no time will the players be informed as to what the schedule was for any given season.  Sequential movement would mead that if both Austria and Russia ordered armies to Galicia, and Austria’s move was taken first, the Austrian army would get in, while the Russian move would fail as it would be prevented by the Austrian unit which got there first.

3. Support for the units of another power is permissible by means of a contract.  If both players inform the GM of their co-operation, then the units concerned in supporting each other may do so simultaneously – but their orders will take place with the orders of the country which is the lower of the two on the sequential movement schedule.

4. Retrospective support is permissible – thus Austria may order A(Bud) S A(Vie)-Gal to dislodge a Russian A(Gal), and then order A(Rum) S A(Vie in Gal).  Such support by A (Rum) for the newly arrived Austrian army in Galicia would only work for moves taken after Austria, and would itself be conditional on A(Vie)-Gal succeeding.  Obviously any conventional support for a unit standing would not be effective until that country’s orders have been adjudicated.

5. Note that it is not necessarily an advantage to be higher on the list.  For example, France may come first with A(Par) S A(Mar)-Bur, and then Germany could follow up with A(Ruh) S A(Mun)-Bur which would dislodge the French A(Bur) [assuming no retrospective support was forthcoming for the French A(Bur)].

6. If the GM wishes he can include the odd simultaneously adjudicated season, just to confuse the players.  However, for every season sequential seasons, the schedule drawn up by the GM must put each country first once, second once, and so on.

7. Builds/removals are made simultaneously after every Autumn season.