Diplomacy World #130
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Notes from the Editor Welcome to the latest issue of Diplomacy World, Issue commentary. There is something to be learned from #130. It has now been over eight years since I began every detailed game of Diplomacy, variant or otherwise. my second stint as Lead Editor (at the urging of Jim Actions, reasons behind them…and even mistakes; you Burgess). I have a tendency to be very overly-critical of can learn just as much from watching other players anything I produce, whether it is my own writing or screw up than you can from watching a game played simply editing and compiling. So as each individual flawlessly. issue begins to take shape I am not able to see much of the good; I just see the flaws. But if I take a stap back There is a concentration of World DipCon this time and examine the body of work we have all produced around, as there should be. As far as I’m concerned since Diplomacy World #97, even *I* have to admit I am there can never be TOO MUCH convention and a bit impressed. tournament coverage. But there’s plenty more to read. Strategy and Tactics, a special crossover mystery with First of all I am amazed we’ve managed to keep it going The Diplomatic Pouch, and even the beginnings of a this long. I don’t mean the zine as a whole, which has new section called Meet the Dippers. Be sure to read been around for over 40 years now. I just mean these that and consider participating. The more of a last eight years. Some issues have been weaker, and community we can build, tying various hobby regions some better, but I don’t think any of them have been and playing avenues together, the more oppostunities “bad.” It is hard impossible to please all the people all you will find to enjoy the hobby as a whole. Oh, and of the time, but we have made a concerted effort to provide course that also means more opportunities to make new a wide range of articles every three months. friends. It is no exaggeration to say that I have some friends from the Diplomacy hobby that I’ve known for In a way I miss being able to pull off a “theme” issue as over 20 years, but still have not met in person. But I easily as we once could. It was hard enough coming up count them among the closest friends I have, and we with the topics to begin with. But then to get enough would do just about anything for each other. submissions to match the topic was a real struggle. Sometimes I felt like people held off writing because Like any hobby, that is the true strength of Diplomacy: their ideas didn’t fit the theme…that was a bringing people together with a common interest, in the disappointment, because an issue with a theme still hopes that friendships and relationships will grow far needed material on many other topics to give it depth. beyond that initial similarity. We have such an amazng Do you think we should try to resume doing “theme” range of cultures, nationalities, relions, ideas, beliefs, issues? occupations, and knowledge bases in this hobby. I think it is safe to say that – if you let yourself and if you give of Then again, maybe having themes helped motivate yourself in the same way – it is impossible not to grow as contributors because it gave them a topic to start off a person by participating in this hobby. Diplomacy is the with. What is your opinion? game that brought us together, but as a collective we form Dipdom, a community with so much to share. Even I sometimes forget a lot of Diplomacy World readers if it is something as simple as discovering new books, have not been following the zine for that long. So this is music, movies, other games…take every opportunity to the perfect opportunity to urge you to visit learn what you can about the PERSON across the board www.diplomacyworld.net and peruse the back issues. from you while you plan their demise. Within the game Just about every issue, all the way back to #1, should they may be your enemy, or your ally, or more likely both have something of interest. If you’d like to see the as the game goes on…but it is the ability to stand up “theme” issues we did, check out Diplomacy World #100 from the table when the game has ended and go enjoy a through #112. meal, a drink, or a discussion with that former enemy that makes it worth your time. Everybody has their favorite kind of articles. Is it time for me to revive the “writing contest” competitions, where I I’ll close by reminding you the next deadline for award prizes for the winning entries that fall within a Diplomacy World submissions is October 1st, 2015. given article type or category? I’m willing to give it a go Remember, besides articles (which are always prized if you think there is enough interest out there. and appreciated), we LOVE to get letters, feedback, input, ideas, and suggestions too. So email me at Switching focus back to THIS issue, it turned out to be a [email protected]! See you in the fall, and much longer one that I expected. Of course the happy stabbing! Youngstown Demo Game takes up a chunk of space, and I hope you’ve been following the game and the And help me get the Interview Editor position filled! Diplomacy World #130 – Summer 2015 - Page 2 Diplomacy World Staff: Managing Lead Editor: Douglas Kent, Email: diplomacyworld of yahoo.com Co-Editor: Jim Burgess, Email: jfburgess of gmail.com Strategy & Tactics Editor: Joshua Danker-Dake, Email: jadddiplomacy of gmail.com Variant Editor: Jack McHugh, Email: jwmchughjr of gmail.com Interview Editor: Vacant!! Club and Tournament Editor: Will J. Abbott, Email: wabbott9 of gmail.com Demo Game Editor: Rick Desper, Email: rick_desper of yahoo.com Technology Editor: Thaddeus Black, Email: thaddeus.h.black of gmail.com Original Artwork Nemanja Simic, Email: nemanja.painter of gmail.com Contributors in 2015: Will J. Abbott, Thaddeus Black, Jim Burgess, Joshua Danker-Dake, Rick Desper, Toby Harris, Conor Kostick, Andrew Leavey, Rick Leeds, Jack McHugh, Christopher Martin, Larry Peery, Simon Portegies Zwart. Add your name to the 2015 list by submitting something for the next issue! Contributions are welcomed and will earn you accolades and infinite thanks. Persons interested in the vacant staff positions may contact the managing editor for details or to submit their candidacy or both. The same goes for anyone interested in becoming a columnist or senior writer. Diplomacy is a game invented by Allan Calhamer. It is currently manufactured by Hasbro and the name is their trademark with all rights reserved. In This Issue: Editorial: Notes from the Editor by Douglas Kent Page 2 Feedback: Knives and Daggers – The Diplomacy World Letter Column Page 4 Convention News: Selected Upcoming Conventions Page 4 Feature: Ask the GM by The GM Page 4 New Section: Meet the Dippers Page 5 Face-to-Face: Club and Tournament Report by Will J. Abbott Page 5 Feature: In Diplomacy Truth is Sometimes Stranger Than Fiction by Larry Peery Page 6 Feature: What’s the Hardest Thing for Diplomacy Players to Find? by Larry Peery Page 6 Convention News: China Diplomacy Convention I Dragon Cup Tournament Information Page 8 Convention News: Diplomacy at Necronomicon Information Page 9 Book Excerpt: The Art of Correspondence in the Game of Diplomacy by Conor Kostick Page 10 Face-to-Face: DixieCon 29 (2015) Report by David Hood Page 13 Puzzle: The Last Man Standing by Mario Huys Page 15 Feature: Along Parallel Paths: Crimea, Diplomacy, and diplomacy by Andrew Leavey Page 22 Variants: Youngstown IV – A Flawed Variant by Jack McHugh Page 27 Feature: The Fractured Form of the Diplomacy Community by Will J. Abbott Page 28 Feature: A Paean in Three Parts to French Diplomacy: Part I by Larry Peery Page 29 Feature: The Velvet Glove by Rick Leeds Page 32 Face-to-Face: So What to Do if You Can’t Make it to World DipCon? by Larry Peery Page 33 Scoring Systems: Meta-Sum Scoring by Thaddeus Black Page 35 Strategy and Tactics: Turkey by Joshua Danker-Dake Page 38 Face-to-Face: Hic iacet Tobias, rex quondam, rexque futurus by Toby Harris Page 39 Feature: Xenogogic by Larry Peery Page 42 Demo Game: Youngstown IV – “Reasonland” – 1908 through 1909 Results and Commentary Page 48 Diplomacy World #130 – Summer 2015 - Page 3 Knives and Daggers - The Diplomacy World Letter Column areas. Different victory criteria for each Power. Possibilities of gaining additional home provinces. David Cohen – WANTED - VARIANT COLLABORATOR/MAP EXPERT There will be many provinces which will be very small on the global scale of the variant, and wrapping/projection I have a variant that I have been developing. A global difficulties. I have a few ideas about this, but the variant as of 1700 with several bells and whistles. High mapping involved is beyond my meager skills. Your job Seas provinces allowing multiple units in them, to make would be to work with me to bring this variant to life. stalemates less likely. Colonial provinces and Asian Candidates please contact me at zendip18 AT optonline Powers with initially half strength units (or if you prefer, DOT net. there are double strength units in Europe), with conditions for building full strength units in non-European Selected Upcoming Conventions Find Conventions All Over the World at http://diplom.org/Face/cons/index.php ManorCon / EDC - Friday July 17th 2015 - Monday July 20th 2015 - John Foster Hall, University of Leicester, United Kingdom - http://www.manorcon.org.uk China Diplomacy Tournament I – Saturday August 1st 2015 – Sunday August 2nd 2015 - Huangpu District, Shanghai, China - www.yunsparadise.com DIPCON at the Phliadelphia Massacre - Friday August 7th 2015 - Sunday August 9th 2015 - Philadelpia, PA - http://philadelphiamassacre.com/ Necronomicon 2015 – Friday October 9th 2015 – Sunday October 11th 2015 – Grand Hyatt Hotel, Tampa Bay, FL - http://www.necronomicon2015.com Carnage - Friday November 6th 2015 - Sunday November 8th 2015 - Killington Grand Hotel, Killington, Vermont – http://www.carngecon.com Ask the GM By The GM Dear GM, I am having trouble keeping up any interest up in Diplomacy—I can’t ever seem to win while playing Dear GM, Austria.