Do You Have a Flag?

By JT Fest

Comedian Eddie Izzard does a very funny routine about how the British created an empire with "the cunning use of flags." When they would run into a population who lived in an area that the British wanted to colonize, they would simply ask:

"Do you have a flag?"
"We don't need a bloody flag. This is our country, you bastards!"
"No flag, no country, you can't have one. That's the rules…that I've just made up."

I began to think that maybe this is exactly what our little hobby of Diplomacy needs to create in order to get to the next level. Maybe, just maybe, we need a flag. So I embarked on a mission to create one, and I present the fruits of my labor to a candid world.
The Hoist

For those of you among us who are not professional vexillologists (one who practices vexillology, or the study of flags), let me begin by stating that flags are distinguished by certain characteristics. The left side of a flag nearest the staff (or pole) is known as the 'hoist,' and is usually the area where a canton, or special design, is set. For example, the Union (the blue field with the white stars) on the United States flag is a canton located on the upper part (or 'Honor Point') of the hoist. My first decision was that the hoist of the Diplomacy flag would be a field of color. The question was; what color? I ruled out the obvious seven because I was saving them for a different part of the flag, so I did a web search for colors and their meanings and came across a site that listed a range of colors with some very detailed meanings assigned to each. There was one color, however, that did not have much detail. Instead, all the explanation that was offered was:
Gray (RGB = 128, 128, 128)
DO NOT USE THIS COLOR FOR ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
Used by the dark side

My search was over. The hoist would be a field of gray, as displayed to the right:

But I wanted some symbolism on the hoist as well, something like the stars on the Union. Stars, of course, would not do, as I was trying to create an international Diplomacy Standard; and what do Dip players care about stars anyway? We don't want no stinkin' stars. We want dots! How many dots do we want? Say it with me: Eighteen. What color? Well, the color 'white' was described as "the highest of all colors, angelic in nature." Therefore, the hoist would be a field of gray with eighteen white dots.
I decided to arrange the dots in line with another significant number in Diplomacy: Seven. I found that seven rows of dots totaling eighteen, arranged as 2-3-3-2-3-3-2 made for a very interesting visual pattern. They seemed to weave together almost in a vertical infinity sign, and appeared to surround each other in a flowing intricacy. This, to me, represented the infinite and intricate patterns of negotiation in the game, so the hoist was now a field of gray with eighteen white dots arranged in seven rows of 2-3-3-2-3-3-2, as displayed to the right:

But something was still missing. I needed something to set the hoist apart visually from both the staff and the remainder of the flag. To this end, I placed two vertical bars of the lightest, almost white, gray. Not only did it achieve the visual effect I was looking for, it simultaneously presented some very appropriate symbolism. When I looked at it, I thought of the bars as 'bodyguards,' and was reminded of Churchill's famous words:
"In war-time, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies."

So the final hoist would be a gray field with seven rows of eighteen white dots bordered by two vertical light gray (almost white) 'bodyguards of lies' as displayed to the right:
Having completed the hoist, I decided that this part of the flag would forever be known as the 'Solo.'

The Fly

Returning to our vexillology lesson, the right side of a flag is called the 'fly.' To be honest, I didn't struggle too long with this part of the design. Seven broad stripes offset from the seven rows of dots on the hoist, arranged in the AEFGIRT pattern (Austria, England, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Turkey) and colored accordingly (red, blue, teal, black, green, white, yellow) would constitute the fly and complete the flag. Consisting of the Solo on the hoist and the AEFGIRT on the fly, and named the "Diplomacy Standard," our flag appears as below:

Those of you with keen vision might notice that there is some very small lettering on the fly side of the Turkish stripe. To save you from trying to find your magnifying glass, the lettering appears below in larger face:
Created by
JT Fest

Though not an official vexillology term, I call this the 'ego.' It is the part of the flag that not only forever renders design credit unto Caesar (so to speak), but it stands to represent the ego that all Diplomacy players must have to pursue the hobby.

Differencing the Diplomacy Standard

In order to allow for true universal use of the Diplomacy Standard, a uniform method of 'differencing' is required. 'Differencing' is a vexillology term that refers to a flag that is designed as a variation of another flag, the purpose being to establish an independent identity while acknowledging close cultural, historical, or geographic ties. For example, individual clubs, organizations, or events may wish to use the Diplomacy Standard, but may not wish to sacrifice their identity.
Differencing is usually accomplished by 'defacing' a flag. Note that in vexillology the term 'defacing' does not have the vandalism connotations with which it is usually associated. Rather it is simply a means of differencing by changing or adding something to a flag. Often differencing is accomplished by adding a 'charge,' which can be a design or an emblem, or anything else that is superimposed on the field of a flag (the 'field' being anywhere between the hoist and the fly).
Differencing for the Diplomacy Standard would be allowed by adding a charge to the AEFGIRT, consisting of a rectangular 'device' (vexillology-speak for an emblem or design) that runs from the lower third of the Austrian stripe to the upper third of the Turkish stripe, and from the Solo to the fly spanning 7/9ths of the AEFGIRT (consistent with the '7' theme). A Diplomacy Standard with a blank device would appear as below:

But, of course, the device is not intended to be blank. Within the area provide by the device, the Diplomacy Standard may be differenced by any manner of color, graphics, or wording. This allows the differencing of the Diplomacy Standard for clubs, organizations, events, or even personal use. Just to demonstrate some examples of how this may be done, lets take a look at a possible differenced Diplomacy Standard for the regional club in which I hold membership; the PiggyBack Society for Pacific Northwest Diplomacy (AKA: the PiggyBackers). We are known by our "Trust Me" motto and our excellent website . So perhaps our differenced Diplomacy Standard may appear as below:

On the other hand, our club's big brothers on the east coast (lovingly referred to as the 'Pitkissers') may use a Diplomacy Standard that is differenced as below:

And for Manus Hand and all of you out there sailing the Rockies with him, ARMADA might choose to difference as below:

But let's not forget about organizations, such as the North American Diplomacy Federation, whose differenced Diplomacy Standard may appear as below (though the picture of Buz is really very optional):

Or our overseas DAANZ colleagues, who may difference the Diplomacy Standard as below:

Any manner of differencing may be accomplished this way, including differencing for an event, such as the upcoming World DipCon XIII to be held in Denver in 2003. Such a differenced Diplomacy Standard may appear as below:

And the Diplomacy Standard may also be differenced for personal use. For example, were I to design a differenced Diplomacy Standard for myself, I might want to indicate my local club (the PiggyBackers), my honorary membership in the Pitkissers, and my claim to Diplomacy fame, the 2001 North American Grand Prix championship title. So my personal Diplomacy Standard may appear as below:

And, before we move off topic, let's not forget the differenced Diplomacy Standard for the host site of this zine, which may appear as below:

Use of the Diplomacy Standard

The designer of the Diplomacy Standard (c'est moi) grants free use and distribution of the design, provided that it is not used for commercial purposes without just compensation. To maintain uniformity of the design, however, the following guidelines must be adhered to:

No part or color of the Solo, AEFGIRT, or ego may be altered in any manner, with one exception. Certain editions of Diplomacy have different colors for the countries. For example, Russia sometimes uses purple units. If anyone wishes to alter the colors of the AEFGIRT to match a legitimate edition of the game being used in a specific region of the globe, permission is granted to do so. However, the stripes must retain the top to bottom AEFGIRT orientation.

When using the Diplomacy Standard with the differencing charge, any combination of lettering, graphics, or color may be added, provided that the device itself remains a rectangle with the officially sanctioned dimensions of running from the lower third of the Austrian stripe to the upper third of the Turkish stripe, and from the Solo to the fly spanning 7/9ths of the AEFGIRT. If one wishes to add their personal ego to a differenced Diplomacy Standard, it must be contained within the device. A differenced Diplomacy Standard may only be displayed in the horizontal position, retaining the vertical display of the flag as an honor reserved for the un-differenced Diplomacy Standard.

When displaying the Diplomacy Standard in the vertical position, the flag should hang reversed to maintain the integrity of the AEFGIRT design, as below:

It should be acknowledged that hanging the flag vertically will reverse the ego. Fortunately, the designer's ego is strong enough to withstand a few reversals, and such reversal symbolically represents the reversals that all our ego's will endure from time to time in the game of Diplomacy.

The Solo may be used without the AEFGIRT as a Battle flag or Vexilloid (a rigid sign carried on a pole). When used as a Battle flag it should be fully enlarged and displayed horizontally; when used as a Vexilloid it should be displayed vertically, as below:

Battle Flag

Vexilloid:

Note: If one wishes to identify the Battle flag or Vexilloid with a specific country assignment in Diplomacy, etiquette dictates that this be accomplished with the use of a Battle streamer of the appropriate color consisting of a narrow strip of cloth attached to the staff. No ego is permitted on the Battle flag or Vexilloid, as all egos are considered to be on the line when these are displayed. Battle flags and Vexilloids may not be differenced.

The AEFGIRT may be used without the Solo as a Ceremonial flag for awards ceremonies and such. When used as a Ceremonial flag the AEFGIRT stripes are extended to the hoist replacing the Solo, and the flag is further differenced by the addition of a charge that extends from the lower third of the Austrian stripe to the upper third of the Turkish stripe, is the width of 2/9ths of the original AEFGIRT, and is offset 1/9th of the original AEFGIRT from the fly. The device in the charge is called the 'Board,' and is a top to bottom stack of the Diplomacy nation's flags, bordered by a half-thickness white stripe, and a full-thickness gray stripe. The officially sanctioned flags represented on the Board are the Austrohungarian Empire 1867 Compromise flag, the United Kingdom Union Jack, the French National Colours, the Schwarz-Weiß-Rot German Imperial flag, the Kingdom of Italy with Savoy arms; the Russian Andreyevsky flag, and the Turkish ay yildiz (moon star). The Ceremonial flag appears as below:

The Board may also be displayed on the Diplomacy Standard. When the Diplomacy Standard is differenced in this manner it is used as a 'Top Board' flag to honor the top seven players in a tournament. Tournament identification is accomplished with a Battle streamer (the color of the country played) identifying the name, date(s), and location of the tournament. The Top Board flag appears as below:

Of course, all standard customs and protocols regarding respectful handling and display of an honored flag should be observed.

So, there you have it. My gift to the hobby: the Diplomacy Standard with allowances for differencing, and provisions for Battle flag, Vexilloid, Ceremonial flag, and Top Board. We are now safe from British rule. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or require any assistance with displaying the flag, and long may she wave!

JT Fest
(jtfest@piggybackdip.org)
If you wish to e-mail feedback on this article to the author, click on the letter above.
If that does not work, feel free to use the Dear DP... mail interface.

Comedian Eddie Izzard does a very funny routine about how the British created an empire with "the cunning use of flags." When they would run into a population who lived in an area that the British wanted to colonize, they would simply ask: "Do you have a flag?" "We don't need a bloody flag. This is our country, you bastards!" "No flag, no country, you can't have one. That's the rules…that I've just made up." I began to think that maybe this is exactly what our little hobby of Diplomacy needs to create in order to get to the next level. Maybe, just maybe, we need a flag. So I embarked on a mission to create one, and I present the fruits of my labor to a candid world. The Hoist
For those of you among us who are not professional vexillologists (one who practices vexillology, or the study of flags), let me begin by stating that flags are distinguished by certain characteristics. The left side of a flag nearest the staff (or pole) is known as the 'hoist,' and is usually the area where a canton, or special design, is set. For example, the Union (the blue field with the white stars) on the United States flag is a canton located on the upper part (or 'Honor Point') of the hoist. My first decision was that the hoist of the Diplomacy flag would be a field of color. The question was; what color? I ruled out the obvious seven because I was saving them for a different part of the flag, so I did a web search for colors and their meanings and came across a site that listed a range of colors with some very detailed meanings assigned to each. There was one color, however, that did not have much detail. Instead, all the explanation that was offered was: Gray (RGB = 128, 128, 128) DO NOT USE THIS COLOR FOR ANY CIRCUMSTANCES Used by the dark side My search was over. The hoist would be a field of gray, as displayed to the right:
But I wanted some symbolism on the hoist as well, something like the stars on the Union. Stars, of course, would not do, as I was trying to create an international Diplomacy Standard; and what do Dip players care about stars anyway? We don't want no stinkin' stars. We want dots! How many dots do we want? Say it with me: Eighteen. What color? Well, the color 'white' was described as "the highest of all colors, angelic in nature." Therefore, the hoist would be a field of gray with eighteen white dots. I decided to arrange the dots in line with another significant number in Diplomacy: Seven. I found that seven rows of dots totaling eighteen, arranged as 2-3-3-2-3-3-2 made for a very interesting visual pattern. They seemed to weave together almost in a vertical infinity sign, and appeared to surround each other in a flowing intricacy. This, to me, represented the infinite and intricate patterns of negotiation in the game, so the hoist was now a field of gray with eighteen white dots arranged in seven rows of 2-3-3-2-3-3-2, as displayed to the right:
But something was still missing. I needed something to set the hoist apart visually from both the staff and the remainder of the flag. To this end, I placed two vertical bars of the lightest, almost white, gray. Not only did it achieve the visual effect I was looking for, it simultaneously presented some very appropriate symbolism. When I looked at it, I thought of the bars as 'bodyguards,' and was reminded of Churchill's famous words: "In war-time, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies." So the final hoist would be a gray field with seven rows of eighteen white dots bordered by two vertical light gray (almost white) 'bodyguards of lies' as displayed to the right: Having completed the hoist, I decided that this part of the flag would forever be known as the 'Solo.'
The Fly
Returning to our vexillology lesson, the right side of a flag is called the 'fly.' To be honest, I didn't struggle too long with this part of the design. Seven broad stripes offset from the seven rows of dots on the hoist, arranged in the AEFGIRT pattern (Austria, England, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Turkey) and colored accordingly (red, blue, teal, black, green, white, yellow) would constitute the fly and complete the flag. Consisting of the Solo on the hoist and the AEFGIRT on the fly, and named the "Diplomacy Standard," our flag appears as below: Those of you with keen vision might notice that there is some very small lettering on the fly side of the Turkish stripe. To save you from trying to find your magnifying glass, the lettering appears below in larger face: Created by JT Fest Though not an official vexillology term, I call this the 'ego.' It is the part of the flag that not only forever renders design credit unto Caesar (so to speak), but it stands to represent the ego that all Diplomacy players must have to pursue the hobby.
Differencing the Diplomacy Standard In order to allow for true universal use of the Diplomacy Standard, a uniform method of 'differencing' is required. 'Differencing' is a vexillology term that refers to a flag that is designed as a variation of another flag, the purpose being to establish an independent identity while acknowledging close cultural, historical, or geographic ties. For example, individual clubs, organizations, or events may wish to use the Diplomacy Standard, but may not wish to sacrifice their identity. Differencing is usually accomplished by 'defacing' a flag. Note that in vexillology the term 'defacing' does not have the vandalism connotations with which it is usually associated. Rather it is simply a means of differencing by changing or adding something to a flag. Often differencing is accomplished by adding a 'charge,' which can be a design or an emblem, or anything else that is superimposed on the field of a flag (the 'field' being anywhere between the hoist and the fly). Differencing for the Diplomacy Standard would be allowed by adding a charge to the AEFGIRT, consisting of a rectangular 'device' (vexillology-speak for an emblem or design) that runs from the lower third of the Austrian stripe to the upper third of the Turkish stripe, and from the Solo to the fly spanning 7/9ths of the AEFGIRT (consistent with the '7' theme). A Diplomacy Standard with a blank device would appear as below: But, of course, the device is not intended to be blank. Within the area provide by the device, the Diplomacy Standard may be differenced by any manner of color, graphics, or wording. This allows the differencing of the Diplomacy Standard for clubs, organizations, events, or even personal use. Just to demonstrate some examples of how this may be done, lets take a look at a possible differenced Diplomacy Standard for the regional club in which I hold membership; the PiggyBack Society for Pacific Northwest Diplomacy (AKA: the PiggyBackers). We are known by our "Trust Me" motto and our excellent website . So perhaps our differenced Diplomacy Standard may appear as below: On the other hand, our club's big brothers on the east coast (lovingly referred to as the 'Pitkissers') may use a Diplomacy Standard that is differenced as below: And for Manus Hand and all of you out there sailing the Rockies with him, ARMADA might choose to difference as below: But let's not forget about organizations, such as the North American Diplomacy Federation, whose differenced Diplomacy Standard may appear as below (though the picture of Buz is really very optional): Or our overseas DAANZ colleagues, who may difference the Diplomacy Standard as below: Any manner of differencing may be accomplished this way, including differencing for an event, such as the upcoming World DipCon XIII to be held in Denver in 2003. Such a differenced Diplomacy Standard may appear as below: And the Diplomacy Standard may also be differenced for personal use. For example, were I to design a differenced Diplomacy Standard for myself, I might want to indicate my local club (the PiggyBackers), my honorary membership in the Pitkissers, and my claim to Diplomacy fame, the 2001 North American Grand Prix championship title. So my personal Diplomacy Standard may appear as below: And, before we move off topic, let's not forget the differenced Diplomacy Standard for the host site of this zine, which may appear as below: Use of the Diplomacy Standard The designer of the Diplomacy Standard (c'est moi) grants free use and distribution of the design, provided that it is not used for commercial purposes without just compensation. To maintain uniformity of the design, however, the following guidelines must be adhered to: No part or color of the Solo, AEFGIRT, or ego may be altered in any manner, with one exception. Certain editions of Diplomacy have different colors for the countries. For example, Russia sometimes uses purple units. If anyone wishes to alter the colors of the AEFGIRT to match a legitimate edition of the game being used in a specific region of the globe, permission is granted to do so. However, the stripes must retain the top to bottom AEFGIRT orientation. When using the Diplomacy Standard with the differencing charge, any combination of lettering, graphics, or color may be added, provided that the device itself remains a rectangle with the officially sanctioned dimensions of running from the lower third of the Austrian stripe to the upper third of the Turkish stripe, and from the Solo to the fly spanning 7/9ths of the AEFGIRT. If one wishes to add their personal ego to a differenced Diplomacy Standard, it must be contained within the device. A differenced Diplomacy Standard may only be displayed in the horizontal position, retaining the vertical display of the flag as an honor reserved for the un-differenced Diplomacy Standard. When displaying the Diplomacy Standard in the vertical position, the flag should hang reversed to maintain the integrity of the AEFGIRT design, as below: It should be acknowledged that hanging the flag vertically will reverse the ego. Fortunately, the designer's ego is strong enough to withstand a few reversals, and such reversal symbolically represents the reversals that all our ego's will endure from time to time in the game of Diplomacy. The Solo may be used without the AEFGIRT as a Battle flag or Vexilloid (a rigid sign carried on a pole). When used as a Battle flag it should be fully enlarged and displayed horizontally; when used as a Vexilloid it should be displayed vertically, as below: Battle Flag Vexilloid: Note: If one wishes to identify the Battle flag or Vexilloid with a specific country assignment in Diplomacy, etiquette dictates that this be accomplished with the use of a Battle streamer of the appropriate color consisting of a narrow strip of cloth attached to the staff. No ego is permitted on the Battle flag or Vexilloid, as all egos are considered to be on the line when these are displayed. Battle flags and Vexilloids may not be differenced. The AEFGIRT may be used without the Solo as a Ceremonial flag for awards ceremonies and such. When used as a Ceremonial flag the AEFGIRT stripes are extended to the hoist replacing the Solo, and the flag is further differenced by the addition of a charge that extends from the lower third of the Austrian stripe to the upper third of the Turkish stripe, is the width of 2/9ths of the original AEFGIRT, and is offset 1/9th of the original AEFGIRT from the fly. The device in the charge is called the 'Board,' and is a top to bottom stack of the Diplomacy nation's flags, bordered by a half-thickness white stripe, and a full-thickness gray stripe. The officially sanctioned flags represented on the Board are the Austrohungarian Empire 1867 Compromise flag, the United Kingdom Union Jack, the French National Colours, the Schwarz-Weiß-Rot German Imperial flag, the Kingdom of Italy with Savoy arms; the Russian Andreyevsky flag, and the Turkish ay yildiz (moon star). The Ceremonial flag appears as below: The Board may also be displayed on the Diplomacy Standard. When the Diplomacy Standard is differenced in this manner it is used as a 'Top Board' flag to honor the top seven players in a tournament. Tournament identification is accomplished with a Battle streamer (the color of the country played) identifying the name, date(s), and location of the tournament. The Top Board flag appears as below: Of course, all standard customs and protocols regarding respectful handling and display of an honored flag should be observed. So, there you have it. My gift to the hobby: the Diplomacy Standard with allowances for differencing, and provisions for Battle flag, Vexilloid, Ceremonial flag, and Top Board. We are now safe from British rule. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or require any assistance with displaying the flag, and long may she wave!

JT Fest (jtfest@piggybackdip.org) If you wish to e-mail feedback on this article to the author, click on the letter above. If that does not work, feel free to use the Dear DP... mail interface.