This document describes the house rules as used in all Diplomacy games that I, Jay Furr, run. Any game in which further house rules, beyond those rules specified here, are needed will have those rules specified in the actual game listing. If no other special rules are listed, these rules may be assumed to apply in their entirety.
Players in my games are required to have read these rules at least once. While I will not be checking to make sure that players have read them, players will not be excused breaches on the grounds that they didn't know about the rules.
In general, these rules should be easy to follow, based as they are on common sense and on long-established practice on the Judges.
To comment on these rules: send mail to jfurr@furrs.org
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If you sign onto a game, you are expected to stick with it until the bitter end. Do not drop out of a game just because you're losing! It is extremely bad manners to drop out of a game simply because things are going badly for you. Even if you're too embittered to exchange press with a former ally who stabbed you, you can at the very least issue orders. Note that an increasing number of games, run by other GMs, restrict admission to those players who play games through to the end, specifically banning players with unjustified abandonments.
Do not sign onto any game until you are conversant with the syntax and process of submitting orders through the Judge. If you lack this, you are encouraged to visit The Newbie's Guide to the Judge. While the GM will always be pleased to help out players who need a little help with the syntax of a command, it is not appropriate to ask the GM for help on a constant basis when you haven't read the various documents that explain Judge command syntax.
Players are required to read the confirmation notices the Judge sends after every order. If you have a problem with your orders, the Judge will always tell you. If, for example, you have six units on the board, submit orders, but misspell the destination of one of your units, you orders will not be marked as "in" until you sign back on and correct the mistake in that one unit's order. If you fail to correct mistakes in orders, you will be marked as "late" when the deadline arrives and marked as "abandoned" when the grace period runs out.
A very large percentage of players who go abandoned go abandoned because they never read the confirmation notices. These notices are not "spam" as some idiots have termed them. Responses from the Judge are the only way you'll know if your orders got in at all. The GM may, if he notices an error flag on a player's orders, clear the error flag if it can be cleared without altering the orders as currently entered, but he is under no obligation to notify the player that he has done this and he is definitely not under any obligation to extend the deadline to give the player a chance to verify his orders. He is, in fact, under no obligation to even clear the error flag, and may not do so, even if he notices it. As above, it is the player's responsibility to read the confirmation notice and make sure that the orders have been interpreted properly.
Players are required to know how to use 'list', 'summary', and 'history'. If you don't know that these commands exist, your experiences playing Diplomacy are probably full of confusion. One place you can look to get information on these commands is the Judge Command Index. If you don't know what these three commands do, don't sign on to any game abiding by these house rules! Do not e-mail the GM and say "Can you tell me where the units currently are?" or "Can you send me the most recent results?" or "Is the current Germany the same one we had in 1902?" All of these questions can be answered by 'list', 'summary', or 'history'.
You are expected to sign onto a game as a free agent, not restricted by any pre-existing agreements you may have made with other players, or for that matter, by any pre-existing likes or dislikes for other players that may have carried over from another game. For example, it is not okay to sign onto a game along with your college roommate or a co-worker, agreeing to work together as one power for the duration of the game. If it can be shown that this has happened, both players will be removed from the game. A similar subject involves what is often called "automatic enemies" and "automatic allies". If you automatically attack a specific player whenever the two of you are in a game together, or if you automatically ally with a specific player when you are in a game together, that's "automatic enemies" or "automatic allies", depending on which situation applies. While this is not grounds for removal from a game (imagine the situation the GM would find himself in if a player came to him and said "Player so-and-so always attacks me, and he's doing it again, expel him!"), it's something you should avoid. If you can't put aside what happened in other games and play each game on its own merits, you probably shouldn't be playing Diplomacy.
Goofy play is not okay. While it is certainly the right of each player to order his units as he or she sees fit, it is assumed that each person playing in a Diplomacy game wants, theoretically, to win or at least tie, or if neither is possible, take the people who finished him off down with him. Players who intentionally play to lose upset the balance of the game and deprive the other players of the fun of playing in a properly challenging game. Players suspected of intentional goofy play will be asked to cut it out, and if they refuse, may at the GM's discretion, be removed from the game. Note: Failure to respond to your messages does not constitute goofy play. Some players simply choose to say little.
If the game in question is set as "gunboat", this means that the identity of players is to be kept secret. You must not do anything to disclose your true identity and you must not attempt to find out the true identity of any other players. This means that you must be very careful not even to "accidentally" give it away, perhaps by appending a signature file to a press message. If you DO accidentally give your identity away, the GM will deal with the situation in a manner consistent with the nature of the breach. Overt, repeated disclosures of your identity, due to sloppiness OR due to actual intent, will likely result in removal from the game. Accidental, one-time disclosures will probably be forgiven, unless one or more other players indicates that they really, really do mind you staying in the game.
Note: you are not even permitted to pretend to be a specific player. I.e., it's no fair claiming to be a well-known expert in hopes of scaring your opponents into submission. Example: If you are not Manus Hand, you may not claim to be Manus Hand in a gunboat game. Simply make up a game identity, e.g. "Kaiser Fred" or "Emperor Henri" and use that, or if even that's a little too difficult, simply refer to yourself as, oh, "Germany" or "France" or whatever.
Players should enter orders by the deadline. Players who are consistently late may, at the GM's discretion, be removed from the game. In the original board game rules, discussions between players must cease when the deadline arrives. It is virtually impossible to prevent this in partial-press electronic-mail games, but if a player consistently keeps on sending press messages after the deadline, without having entered orders, he may be removed from the game at the GM's discretion. Players who have entered orders may continue to talk amongst themselves, but players who have not entered orders may not keep on diploming. It is absolutely forbidden to intentionally miss a deadline on the grounds that "I haven't heard from so-and-so yet." So-and-so may not want to talk to you, and even if he did, it's after the deadline. As above, players who ignore deadlines may, at the GM's discretion, be removed from the game.
Turns will not be replayed, except under circumstances where, due to Judge downtime or a bug in the Judge code, the turn was not adjudicated properly. Note that the behavior of the Judge during these conditions is fairly well known by the GM and the GM will know the difference between a Judge error and a player error. If, for example, you fail to enter a revised set of orders by the deadline, and the Judge adjudicates your original orders, that is not a Judge error. If you sent the revised set of orders after the turn was processed, or you sent it to the wrong address, or you got your password wrong, that's not grounds to replay a turn. You are expected to have enough of a clue to get orders in on time, phrased properly, and to be able to send them in to the proper address. It is also fairly common for players with a poor understanding of the Diplomacy rules to allege a Judge error when they don't understand the results -- for example, a player claiming that he should have captured a given supply center, even though his support was actually cut. The Judge code is able, in virtually all cases, to properly adjudicate a turn, and if you claim that the Judge has improperly adjudicated a turn, you must be able to cite the specific rule in the actual rulebook that supports your claim.
A player who needs an extension in the deadline must ask for an extension as far in advance as possible, in polite terms, and in a level of detail sufficient to permit the GM to determine if the deadline is truly necessary. If the GM concludes that the requested extension isn't justified for whatever reason, it is up to the player to enter phased orders or to seek a replacement. Certain games will be marked as "no deadline extensions except for ______" and if this is stated in the game listing, the specified conditions must be met. Players are assumed to sign onto games that have parameters to their liking; they must not sign onto fast games and then constantly ask for extensions. Finally, it is rude to ask for lengthy extensions for purely personal, recreational, or vacation reasons. It is rude to say "I'm going on a three-week Caribbean cruise, extend the deadline, bye!" if the game in question was meant to have turns due every 24 hours, and the GM is completely within his rights to turn you down.
The GM will not give extensions on the grounds that you "got busy" and "need more time to talk." The GM will never give an extension on the grounds that you want to discuss builds or retreats; diploming regarding these matters is actually against the strict letter of the rules.
Use of the "SET WAIT" command during retreat and build phases is forbidden. The "SET WAIT" command is intended to allow players to enter orders, then go on conducting diplomacy without fear that the tentative initial orders would be processed prior to the deadline. In retreat and build phases, no diplomacy should be taking place if you go by the letter of the rules, and in any case, you certainly shouldn't be holding up a game for days during retreat and build phases, hoping to hear from other powers.
Use of the "SET WAIT" command during build or retreat phases will not result in a player being expelled, but the GM will use the "process" command to override the "SET WAIT" when he notices this rule being broken.
As above, the GM will never give players more time to discuss builds or retreats. He cannot stop you from discussing these topics, but he will not facilitate these discussions either.
If a player cannot continue playing, he should let the GM know if at all possible in order that a replacement may be arranged. The GM will work with you on this if you give him as much notice as you can.
All players must submit valid, honest, and truthful registrations with the Judge server. Lying on your registration is grounds for expulsion not just from the game in which the lies are pointed out, but from the Judge itself, and in serious enough cases, from all the Judges. You must enter a valid name (not a "handle" like "Cycle Hog" but a real name), site, e-mail address, level, and mailing address. If the GM notes that you signed onto a game despite having an incorrect or inaccurate registration, he may at his discretion remove you.
Using multiple accounts, such as free accounts from various Web sites, in order to play multiple powers in the same game is grounds for automatic expulsion from the game, from the Judge, and very likely from all the Judges.
Former players, including players who were eliminated, players who went abandoned, and players who resigned, may not re-enter the game as another power unless specifically invited to do so by the GM. For example, the GM may invite a former France who was eliminated early in the game to take over and play a one-center Turkey who has gone abandoned. The GM will not invite a former player to be a replacement where the former player would find himself opposing in a meaningful way (in the GM's judgment) the power responsible for his elimination. The only exception to this rule is that a player who went abandoned or resigned due to external circumstances may reclaim his original power if it is available without checking with the GM first.
Replacement players must actually try. No one likes to see a power fight hard, struggle, be reduced to a handful of centers, go abandoned, and then be replaced by someone who comes in, surveys the situation, and simply gives up. If a replacement cannot make some effort to actually play the position to the best of his or her ability, it would be better for the position to go un-filled a little longer instead of seeing the replacement all but commit suicide. Just as an NMR game tends to be discounted by those who run the various Halls of Fame on the grounds that a game in which a power or powers submitted no orders on certain turns is less likely to have been a good test of skill than a game where everyone got all their orders in each turn, a game in which a suicidal replacement wipes out his replacement power on purpose is also not a "good game".
If the game in question allows press (messages sent between players), players must use the Judge for communication except in those cases where the Judge is actually down or off-line. It is absolutely forbidden to make up messages that appear to come directly from the Judge (e.g., with subject lines similar to those the Judge uses, and the usual Judge headers) in hopes of getting the opponent to reply directly and give away their password or orders, or in order to send a message that appears to be from another power entirely (this is called "black press"). Players sending out fake Judge messages in hopes of tricking other players will be removed from the game.
Obscene or overly insulting language is forbidden. If players complain about press messages you're sending out you will be asked to cease such behavior. If you persist, and if the messages in question are overly insulting or obscene, the GM may at his discretion remove you from the game.
Observers are welcome to sign on and observe the game, but in most cases, however, are not permitted to send game press. This is usually enforced by the Press: setting "No Observers (Except To Master)". If this setting is present in the game listing, observers can't send press, so it's academic. However, in some games this setting may not be on. If it is not on, observers can send messages -- but must not send messages intended to affect the outcome of play. In other words, an observer could send out a message saying "Hi, this is the former France, my PC died and I went abandoned, just wanted to say 'Sorry' and ask if the new France would let me have my position back." An observer must not send out a message saying "It's obvious that Turkey should attack Albania with Greece and Ionian while moving his Rumania unit to Budapest."
In no-press games, the GM will not send messages for players. This includes requests for draw votes, offers to concede the game, and so on. The GM is not obligated to assist players in their communications. This is known as the "Conrad Minshall" rule, after a player who conducted a weeks-long flamewar over Jay's refusal to send a spurious concession proposal for him in a no-press game.
Press during build and retreat phases is NOT forbidden -- UNLESS you are attempting to discuss what units you should retreat, what units you should disband or build, or are, in general, refusing to enter orders for a retreat or build turn on the ground that you're waiting to hear from another player. This is a departure from the strict letter of the printed game rules, which dictate no discussion during retreats and adjustments. However, in that it's currently impossible to stop people from discussing things, this rule is included here to answer the recurring question "Well, can we talk or not? It's a build phase..." The only banned aspect of press is, as above, discussing actual retreat or build or disband orders before entering them, or worse, refusing to enter orders at all on the grounds that you're still waiting to hear from another player.
The GM will not, as a rule, announce draw votes. If players wish a game to end in a draw, it is up to them to announce it and then cast their votes by using "SET DRAW." The GM will absolutely not call for votes in no-press games. In no-press games, if the players wish the game to end in a draw, they must all enter SET DRAW on their own, without any input from the other players, and then keep their fingers crossed. The only exception to this policy is if a player who has been in a game for a long, long time is faced with a decision between asking for a draw or leaving the game due to personal circumstances.
All games played under these rules will be "DIAS" games, meaning "Draws Include All Survivors". This is not subject to change. If a power cannot be eliminated because you lack the capability to eliminate him, you should not in turn ask that power to exclude himself from a draw. If that power is part of what has stalemated the game, then that power deserves a share in the draw. If you don't like this rule, don't sign on.
Draws must be unanimous. A player who does not vote in a draw vote is effectively voting "No."
Players must use the judge voting mechanism for draw votes. If all players enter "SET DRAW" on the same turn, the game will instantly end. Note: draw votes do not carry over from one turn to the next. Players must keep entering "SET DRAW" each turn that they want the game to end in a draw.
If the GM notes that the game appears to be stalemated, he may at his discretion invoke the so-called "Three-Year Rule." Simply put, this means that if there is no change in ownership of supply centers for three or more years after the GM has announced the invocation of the rule, the GM may unilaterally declare the game a draw. The GM must invoke this rule for it to be in effect, and the three-year clock starts with the invocation.
Once the GM has set up a game and at least one player has signed onto it, the settings will not be changed without the players' consent. Unanimous consent is not necessary so long as there are no dissenting voices. In other words, if five players consent and two say nothing, the GM is free to say "Okay, since no one minds…" after a reasonable amount of time has passed. Changes of this sort are rare at best, and are usually intended to correct an unanticipated problem with the game.
Any change to the parameters which, in the GM's opinion, is not a good idea, may be refused. Players are not empowered to force a change to the game settings that the GM is opposed to. If players don't like the game settings as they find them when they first notice the game, they should not sign on in the first place.
Players who attempt to overrule the GM, ignoring the status of the GM as the final authority on game matters, may, at the GM's discretion, be removed from the game. This is a rule of last resort. It is rarely invoked. In the last year, it has been invoked only once, and on that occasion it was invoked to remove a player who wanted a lengthy extension in a game, but categorically refused to explain why, saying that it was none of the GM's business. After the GM stated that, if this was so, no extension would be granted, the player threw a tantrum and attempted to get the other players to "overrule" the GM. The GM then removed the player from the game and recruited a replacement to fill the open seat.
Intentionally circumventing these house rules, the Judge mechanism, or the rules of the particular variant you're playng in is forbidden. Just because you can find a "loophole" in one of the above does not entitle you to exploit it. If you're curious if something you're contemplating doing is actually a no-no, ask the GM.
Playing multiple positions in the same game at the same time is the most serious offense against these house rules and will very likely result in your being banned from the Judges. Just because you can register for multiple free web-based e-mail accounts at places like hotmail and juno does not entitle you to use these extra accounts to play extra positions in the same game. We'll nail you so hard your head will spin if you get caught doing this.
Under no circumstances may you sign onto a game as another player. If you are playing power X and power Y accidentally or on purpose gives away his password, you MUST NOT use this to sign on as power Y, even if you think it'd be an amusing way to let him know he's given such a crucial piece of information away. Even if power Y says "It's absolutely okay for you to sign on as me" you MUST NOT DO SO. And before you say "What if I know player Y, and he's unable to get to a PC to enter his orders, and he phones them in to me and gives me his password?" understand this: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO SIGN ON AS ANOTHER PLAYER, EVEN IF IT'S WITH THAT PLAYER'S PERMISSION. If the situation is as dire as all that, you could always communicate with the GM and ask for an extension on player Y's behalf.
It is forbidden to attempt to influence a player in game A by offering threats or concessions in game B. This is called "cross play" and is strongly discouraged.
Abusive behavior of any sort, especially behavior that continues after the GM asks a player to rein it in, may be grounds for removal from the game and/or banning from the Judge.
The GM may, if necessary, allow abridgements of these rules, but only as an absolute last resort. This rule should almost never be invoked. Examples where it might be necessary include allowing a player to use a "handle" in his registration if he has demonstrated a good track record in other games and really, really, really prefers his real identity to not be known, or perhaps calling for a draw vote in a novice-only no-press game where it is obvious that the players don't know about or understand the mechanism for draw votes.
The GM is the final authority in his games. Players who disagree with the GM's decision on some matter may discuss the decision with the GM, but if after such discussion the GM continues to feel that the decision was appropriate, the player should simply accept this and go on. Inasmuch as the GM's #1 goal is an enjoyable and fair game for all players, sometimes the best way to achieve this goal is to accept a difficult situation, even if it may not be exactly the way you wanted things to come out, and go on playing. Everyone's human, after all.
This page last updated at: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 03:58:30 PM -0400