From our very first game, members of the club have been clamoring to spice things up with an occasional Diplomacy variant. But the Prime Weasel was an unrepentant purist, and he squashed such talk with an iron fist.
We’ve played all 109 games on the standard board with the standard rules. Only once, out of necessity, did we play a game with fewer than seven players. For the Weasels, variety has meant spicing up the way we selected powers.
However, we now have a new Prime Weasel as well as a transplanted Buckeye who is chomping at the bit to introduce a few variants into the mix. The time seems right to spice things up.
What do you think?
- Do we need variants to keep things interesting?
- Is there a particular variant you’d like to try?
- Do you really want to play France in Colonial Diplomacy?
Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Remember, you’ll have to log in to comment. Perhaps Nate Cockerill will take your opinions into consideration when he chooses a variant to play for a game he’ll host this fall.
This Post Has 6 Comments
The new Prime Weasel is an absolute loon, so all purity is gone. (Seriously, the minor league team in my home town is the Loons.)
Any variants would not count as club games for standing purposes, but I know you guys are not at all motivated by season rankings. We will also not be giving out club awards for best Carthage in classical diplomacy.
Personally I would love to see some 28-person world diplomacy variant, but I am nuts.
I would like to try Seven Islands Diplomacy, where Iceland, Ireland, Cyprus, Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and Crete become neutrals. There are a couple of land bridges and the number of SCs to win is 22. There is no new map needed.
Regarding seven-islands:
http://www.diplom.org/Online/variants/7-island.html
I think the players provide all the variety that Diplomacy needs. However, it wouldn’t hurt to have variants for five and maybe six players for those rare occasions when we just can’t get seven. Also, in general, I think I’d prefer to play variants where the rules are the same but the map is different. That could level the playing field a bit.
Gentlemen,
I am pleased to see some interest in variant play. The amount of variant play is linked to the interest in the hobby. Over the years the FTF on a large scale waned and so did variant play.
You lucky bastards have the premiere club in the country and with this much play of Diplomacy a variant here and there can only add some fresh air and perhaps some newcomers to the hobby.
As for what Im thinking as far as the first variant I’d like to host this season. I’ve been mulling over Rennaissance Diplomacy or Napoleonic Diplomacy recently awarded a design prize in the latest Diplomacy World.
I’ll keep you abreast of the game time. In the meantime good luck and happy stabbing at the Moot.
I hope the War Weasel supports variants.
If so, let’s try the Declare War Diplomacy variant (summarized below):
1. Acts of aggression against neutral countries (moving in or supporting a move in) require a public declaration of war the previous season. (Could be a Spring 1901 preseason for declaring on the first move, or Spring 1901 could be exempt.)
2. Option A: Acts of aggression against other players require no such declaration.
Option B: Acts of aggression against other players require a public declaration same as for neutral countries.
Option C: Acts of aggression against other players require secret declaration to all other nations the previous season.
3. Option A: Any war declaration remains in place until the end of the game.
Option B: Peace treaty rules missing. Play Option A.