by Rod Wheeler

The standard Diplomacy board is used and the standard rules apply except for the following:

1. Players.  Seven players take Austria, Turkey, and the five Balkan countries (including Albania, which receives a supply center). Major Powers are the seven original powers in Diplomacy, minor powers refers to neutrals etc.

2. Bounds.  Play is confined to the provinces of the participating countries and to the sea.  Non-participating (including minor) countries are impassable, unless and until they join the game.

3. Points.  The game is played for points. Each Winter, Great Powers receive one point (less one in case of Russia) and minor countries four points, for each supply center then held.  Points may be transferred between countries as part of some bargain.  A point ladder is kept.  The object is to get to the “top rung” and stay there.

4. The spread of war.  The conflagration may spread.  Additional (or eliminated) players may join (or rejoin) the game any Winter by submitting build orders for any country adjoining, or bordering a sea adjoining, any country already in the game. First come, first served.  Switzerland become passable receives a supply center and may be played. Similarly North Africa is a minor country with a supply center and may be built in when it becomes eligible. An eliminated player taking a new country keeps his points but a new player receives points as if he has neither lost or gained supply centers since 1900.  A player who has declared anarchy or dropped out may not take a new country.  No player may have more than one country in play at the same time.

5. New players get a back-dated sum of 3 points for each year the country they take on has been standing.  Eliminated players rejoining the game with a new country at a later stage carry over the previously accumulated points, but only receive back-dating for the years they have been out of the game.  Major country players, when eliminated, may not take on a new country, they may only build in exile.  ((See later))  The reason for the back-dating: although new players have missed the ‘struggle and graft’ of the early years, they have also missed the chance to increase their points; some will be above, some below and some equal to others on the ladder.

6. Drop Outs.  If anarchy is declared or if no orders are received for a country, the first orders for the next move received from a new applicant will secure the place; unless the original player submit orders by the next deadline.

7. Minor powers may pay ‘danegeld’ to Great powers, as protection.  The GM transfers points on written instructions from the giving country.  “Please transfer 2 points to x this winter”.  Accumulated points may not be transferred, only future ones.  If these future points for some reason or other are not earned by the minor power, then the major power ‘dips out’.

8. Opening builds.  The opening players will submit builds for Winter 1900/01.  Either armies or fleets on any coast may be built in coastal provinces.