|
While many of you are fond of Diplomacy variants, I suspect that perhaps more of you actually roll your eyes at the very sight of the V-word. Just for today, you can count me among the latter. This article is not for those who enjoy altering the game. It is for those who love Diplomacy, as it is, but who also have a terrible time getting seven people together to play it. Sometimes you just can't get seven players. But that's no reason to cancel your event! Often you will get five players, and believe it or not, five can be the perfect number for a light game of Diplomacy ... assuming you have the right board. Two-Thirds Diplomacy — that's the name of the game! It barely qualifies as a variant because it changes so little in terms of the rules and it uses a version of the standard, published, game board that many of you already own — and if you don't own a copy its readily available on e-bay, for a very reasonable price. To play Two-Thirds Diplomacy you will need a copy of the version of Diplomacy that was printed for the American market in 1976. This edition has a split map, printed in three distinct sections, as I have shown in the picture below.
I own two sets of the 1976 edition and both have the coveted wooden blocks (although in one the French and Italian pieces are both colored green!) There are similar looking editions that were printed in the 1980s. They have the same purple and blue box design but come with plastic game pieces (the Anchors and Stars) which I think look rather nice despite the objections of some Diplomacy purists. But the major issue with the 1980s editions is that they appear to have a folding board that comes printed as single, one-piece, map. I'm sure it's a fine product, but it's useless for playing Two-Thirds Diplomacy... unless you have a pair of scissors handy. So if you don't already have it, go get yourself a copy of the 1976 edition of the game! All that is required to play Two-Thirds Diplomacy is that you fold up and put away either the western or the eastern section of the map. That's it! Allow me to demonstrate in the following picture.
Unlike the official (2008) rules, which suggest removing Germany and Italy to make a five player game, Two-Thirds Diplomacy is played either without Russia and Turkey or without England and France. Any centers that remain from those countries are now neutral supply centers. Other than the obvious map alteration, the only rule changes are as follows:
These three items could easily be optional, but they each make sense. The coin flip prevents any lobbying or meaningless discussion about which version of the map to use. Fourteen (14) is a simple majority of the available supply centers in either version; and the reduction in negotiating time is in keeping with the whole Two-Thirds theme that we are going for. The overall effect should be a lighter and quicker game. Other than what's listed above, the rules do not change. Each of the remaining five countries has the exact same set up as in standard Diplomacy.
Do you remember the rule that says you cannot move to an unnamed province? It's very important. To avoid excess acrimony, you, the game host, would do well to remind the players of that rule before play starts. If the western part of the map is removed, Marseilles becomes a neutral supply center. Parts of North Africa, the Western Mediterranean, Picardy and even tiny bits of London and the English Channel are still visible on the map. But because the names of these provinces are no longer visible you can't move to any of them. Paris is still named on the map, but it has lost its dot! You can move to Paris, but it is no longer a supply center. If the eastern part of the map is removed, Warsaw becomes a neutral supply center. Parts of the Barents Sea, Livonia, Rumania, Bulgaria as well as tiny slivers of St. Petersburg, Moscow, and the Aegean Sea are all still visible on the map. But, without names, they are no longer accessible. The Bulgarian dot remains visible — forever mocking the Austrian player! The sweat city of Sofia (Greek for Wisdom) is still in sight, just over the border from Serbia. The city is well named. Because it lacks a label, Bulgaria is safe from invasion. There will be people who criticize Two-Thirds Diplomacy as being inherently unbalanced and may even complain about having to play it. Unfortunately these naysayers are found in every group of gamers. The point, however, is not to play a balanced game. The point is to play a game of Diplomacy — however you can get it. Veteran players may find it an enjoyable exercise to experience how the elimination of two powers changes some of the fundamental norms of the game. New players, who show up to a shorthanded game, will benefit by being allowed to actually play a game of Diplomacy without any additional complexity or any confusion caused by strange variant rules. Two-Thirds Diplomacy is an easy to implement option for a shorthanded game — all other considerations should be ignored. So, print this article out and have it ready for your next house game ... you know, just in case you have two no-shows. A Post Script and Disclaimer — If you do an internet search you can probably find Diplomacy variants that are similar (or possibly near-identical) to the variant maps presented here. I seriously doubt that I am the first person to have ever noticed that you could make a five player game by folding up part of the 1976 board. While many of you are fond of Diplomacy variants, I suspect that perhaps more of you actually role your eyes at the very sight of the V-word.
Zachary Jarvie lives in Fresno California. Although a beginner, he enjoys the game of Diplomacy. He contributes to the hobby by submitting articles (covering "ill-conceived" topics) to Diplomacy World and to besiege the Diplomacy Cast in-box with emails. This is his second article for The Diplomatic Pouch Zine — the first published under his own name.
If you wish to e-mail feedback on this article to the author, and clicking on the envelope above does not work for you, feel free to use the "Dear DP..." mail interface. |
