Eleanor Finch
Diplomacy is a strategic board game created by Allan B. Calhamer in 1954 and released commercially in the United States in 1959. It is set in Europe in the years leading up to World War I, and each player controls the armed forces of a major European power. The game is played by two to seven players, and each player aims to move their starting units and defeat those of others to gain control of a majority of the strategic cities and provinces marked as supply centers on the map. These supply centers allow players to produce more units. While the game is designed for seven players, it can be played with two players, with each player controlling multiple powers. The official rules include a World War I scenario with England, France, and Russia vs. Austria, Germany, and Turkey, with the goal of controlling a combined 24 supply centers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 2 |
| Setting | Europe in the years before World War I |
| Objective | Control a majority of strategic cities and provinces marked as "supply centers" on the map |
| Player's role | Control the armed forces of a major European power (or multiple powers) |
| Game board | Map of Europe and parts of the Middle East and North Africa |
| Supply centers | 34, including major cities like Moscow, Berlin, and Vienna |
| Game mechanics | Negotiation and alliance-building; no dice or random elements |
| Variants | Edi Birsan's Escalation, World War I scenario |
| Online platforms | Backstabbr, PlayDiplomacy |
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What You'll Learn
- The official rules have a World War I scenario with England, France, Russia vs. Austria, Germany, Turkey
- 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
- The game board used in Diplomacy is broken up into 34 supply centres, which are generally major cities, such as Moscow, Berlin and Vienna
- Edi Birsan's Escalation is balanced and better than EFR vs GAT
- Diplomacy is a complex strategic board game created by Allan B. Calhamer in 1954
The official rules have a World War I scenario with England, France, Russia vs. Austria, Germany, Turkey
Diplomacy is a strategic board game set in Europe in the years leading up to World War I. The official rules include a World War I scenario with England, France, and Russia against Austria, Germany, and Turkey. The game can be played by two to seven players, each controlling the armed forces of a major European power. In the two-player version, one player takes control of England, France, and Russia, while the other player controls Austria, Germany, and Turkey. Italy is considered neutral territory, which cannot be entered by either player.
The game begins in 1914, and the players must negotiate and form alliances to gain possession of a majority of the strategic cities and provinces marked as "supply centers" on the map. These supply centers allow players to produce more units, and the player who controls the most supply centers has a greater number of armies and fleets on the board. The map is divided into fifty-six land regions and nineteen sea regions, with forty-two of the land regions belonging to the seven Great Powers: Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Turkey. The remaining land regions are considered neutral at the start of the game.
Players do not take turns sequentially but instead secretly write down their moves after a negotiation period, and then all moves are revealed and executed simultaneously. This negotiation phase sets Diplomacy apart from most board wargames, along with the absence of dice or other elements that introduce randomness. The game can be complex and time-consuming, and players often engage in intense competition, employing tactics such as bribery and blackmail.
In the two-player version, the victory criterion is typically set at 24 units on the board, with the goal to control a combined total of 24 supply centers. This version of the game is a great way for new players to learn the rules and tactics of Diplomacy, as it allows them to focus on the movement and negotiation aspects without the added complexity of multiple players.
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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
Diplomacy is a strategic board game that can be played by two to seven players. Each player controls the armed forces of a major European power, or multiple powers if there are fewer players. The game is set in Europe in the years leading up to World War I.
Each player starts with a few units and aims to move them around the board to defeat their opponents and capture a majority of the strategic cities and provinces marked as "supply centers". These supply centers allow players to produce more units, as each center can support one military unit. To win, a player must capture and possess at least 18 of the 34 nations or provinces on the map with supply centers by the end of a year.
The game proceeds by seasons, with each year divided into two main seasons: Spring and Fall. Each season consists of a negotiation phase, a movement phase, and a retreat or disband phase, followed by an end-of-year Winter phase for new builds or removals. During the negotiation phase, players discuss tactics, form alliances, and share intelligence or spread disinformation.
In the movement phase, players can issue attack and support orders, which are then executed. All units in Diplomacy can only move one space at a time, and only one unit may occupy any space, except in the case of a successful convoy. A convoyed army can travel multiple spaces depending on the length of the chain created by the convoying fleets, but it must embark and disembark at coastal land provinces.
After the Fall move and the subsequent Retreat Phase, a tally is made of the total number of supply centers controlled by each player. A player controls a supply center if they have a unit occupying the province or if their unit was the last to occupy the province at the end of the year.
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The game board used in Diplomacy is broken up into 34 supply centres, which are generally major cities, such as Moscow, Berlin and Vienna
Diplomacy is a strategic board game set in Europe in the years leading up to World War I. The game involves two to seven players, each controlling the armed forces of a major European power (or multiple powers if there are fewer players). The aim of the game is to win possession of a majority of strategic cities and provinces marked as "supply centres" on the map. The game board used in Diplomacy is broken up into 34 supply centres, 22 of which are controlled by one of the seven powers at the start of the game, and the remaining 12 are neutral. These supply centres are generally major cities, such as Moscow, Berlin and Vienna. By controlling these supply centres, players can produce more units.
To win the game, a player must control 18 supply centres (more than half of the total) at the end of a year. This can be achieved through negotiation and forming alliances with other players, as well as through tactical gameplay. The negotiation phases are a key distinction of Diplomacy from other board wargames, as players spend a significant amount of time forming and betraying alliances and developing strategies.
The supply centres are not only important for producing units but also for their strategic value. Players need to carefully consider their tactics and negotiate with other players to gain control of these key locations. The dynamic nature of the game means that any gains in supply centres by one player come at the expense of another player.
The map of Diplomacy generally reflects the political boundaries of Europe in 1914, just before the outbreak of World War I. However, there are some deviations, such as the annexation of Bosnia to the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the inclusion of Montenegro as part of Austria-Hungary.
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Edi Birsan's Escalation is balanced and better than EFR vs GAT
Edi Birsan's Escalation is a balanced variant of Diplomacy, a strategic board game, and is considered better than EFR vs GAT. The base game is played by two to seven players, each controlling the armed forces of a major European power (or, with fewer players, multiple powers). The goal is 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. The game is set in Europe in the years leading to World War I.
Edi Birsan's Escalation is a variant of the game designed for two players. It starts with an empty board, and players take turns placing one piece on the board at a time, anywhere. After each player has placed a certain number of pieces, the game proceeds as usual from that position. This variant is considered more balanced than the default two-player setup, which has one player controlling England, France, and Russia, and the other controlling Austria, Germany, and Turkey, with the goal of capturing 24 supply centers combined.
The default two-player setup is the official rule set for two-player games and is available on PlayDiplomacy. However, some players feel that this setup is unbalanced and that the central powers (Austria, Germany, and Turkey) are at a disadvantage. This has led to the creation of variants like Edi Birsan's Escalation, which aims to provide a more balanced and competitive experience for two-player games.
Edi Birsan's Escalation is well-regarded by players looking for a balanced and tactical two-player experience. It provides a blank slate for players to strategize and form alliances, which is a key aspect of Diplomacy. By starting with an empty board and gradually introducing pieces, players can focus on the negotiation and tactical aspects of the game, making it a great choice for teaching the game to new players or for experienced players looking for a more strategic challenge.
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Diplomacy is a complex strategic board game created by Allan B. Calhamer in 1954
The board depicts a map of 1901 Europe, including Turkey, Syria, and North Africa, divided into 56 land regions and 19 sea regions. These regions are controlled by the seven Great Powers: Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Turkey. The goal is to move your starting units to capture a majority of strategic cities and provinces marked as "supply centers," which allow players to produce more units. Players can issue attack and support orders, with control of a province determined by the number of orders supporting the attacking or defending province.
Diplomacy can be played with two to seven players, and with fewer players, individuals may control multiple powers. The game has been commercially published since 1959 and has seen several editions and revisions. It has attracted a dedicated following, with some players resorting to extreme measures to win, including bribery, blackmail, and mail interference. The game has also been adapted for play by mail and online, with players forming communities to discuss strategies and tactics.
While Diplomacy is a complex game that requires social interaction and strategic thinking, it has received praise from reviewers and notable figures. It has been called a "classic game" and Henry Kissinger's favourite game. The ability to negotiate and deceive other players, as well as the absence of random elements, makes Diplomacy a unique and challenging experience that has influenced other "power politics" games.
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Frequently asked questions
Each player represents one of the Great Powers of Europe in the years just prior to World War 1: England, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Austria-Hungary, Italy and France. 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. The first player to control 18 or 24 supply centers wins.
One strategy is to add neutrals to the board which player influence and gain temporary control of either by a combination of their actions and luck. Another method is with secrecy. By hiding how valuable various resources are to the different players, a strange game of diplomatic guessing with concessions can be created.
During diplomacy periods, a player may say anything they wish. Players usually go to another room or off to a corner in twos and threes. They try to keep the content of their conversations secret. They may try to overhear the conversations of others. The conversations usually consist of bargaining or joint military planning, but they may include such things as exchanging information, denouncing, threatening, spreading rumors, and so forth.
