DIPLOMACY IN VANCOUVER:
WORLD DIP CON XVII
A Preview of Coming Attractions

How quickly two years goes by!

In the summer of 2005, the face to face Diplomacy hobby gathered on C Street in Washington DC for the 15th World Diplomacy Convention. Somewhere in between Frank Johansen embarrassing the other 85 of us Friday evening, and Frank Johansen continuing to embarrass the other 85 of us Saturday morning, the assembled masses decided that when WDC returned to North America in 2007, it should be held in Vancouver, Canada. This will make WDC 17 both the first to be held in Canada and the first on the Pacific coast of North America.

We tried to get all the basic information about the event out to everyone in a concise and yet visually appealing manner such as:

World Diplomacy Championship 17
August 9^th – 12^th, 2007
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada

For more details check out: www.vancouverdiplomacy.ca

But the people wanted more, so pretty much immediately the questions started. Over the last couple years Nathan, Mike and I have tried to respond to a lot of questions from Diplomacy player about what they should expect this summer in Vancouver. So, when Charles asked us to write this article, I though this would be a good opportunity to go back through my inbox, and share some of this information with the Pouch’s loyal readers.

C.W. in Istanbul writes –

“What’s the best way to get to Vancouver, and how can I do it as cheaply as possible?”

When you’re looking for plane tickets check prices both directly to Vancouver, and if you have a little bit of extra time, into Seattle. Some of the players who’ve already booked found that Vancouver was cheaper, but others were able to save a lot of money by flying to Seattle. It apparently depends on where the place ticket pricing ouija board lands that day. As long as you arrive in Seattle by the morning of Thursday August 9^th, we can get you a ride to and from Vancouver, which is 2.5 to 3 hours by car. Just make sure you have plenty of time before your return flight, as there can be significant delays at customs driving back into the US.

B. In Washington DC writes –

“What are the accommodations like and do they include, for example, some kind of a door that I could close so that I don’t keep my roommates awake all night?”

Yes they do! Rooms are available to players in the Gage Residence Hall. We have currently reserved two full floors of dorm rooms. The rooms are arranged in a 6-pod room structure that share a bathroom and common space, but provide each person with their own small bedroom. We encourage you to get together with friends and book a pod yourselves. Early booking is always best, so that we are able to expand our reservation if needed. The cost to say in the dorms is about $42 CAN per person per night. While other options are available, the dorms are significantly cheaper and probably serve most players needs very well.

D.N. in England writes –

“What’s the deal with this schedule? And who came up with this amazing scoring system? It’s the cat’s pyjamas!”

Um. Right. The basic scoring system is the same style as the one used at WDC 2006 in Berlin, as well as at ManorCon and at WAC in Seattle. The schedule is a little different than what some people are used to. We will run 6 rounds, starting on Thursday night with 2 rounds each of Friday and Saturday, and then a final round on Sunday. Although this number of rounds has seemed daunting to some players, the fact that we’ve added an ante component to the scoring system means that while there is an advantage to playing more rounds, the advantage is relatively small, giving players the freedom to skip a round or two if they wish.

Part of the thinking that went into the decision to start the event on Thursday rather than on the traditional Friday, is so that players could make more of a vacation out of visiting Vancouver. We encourage players to bring their family, and to make the experience not only an opportunity to play some great Diplomacy, but also a chance to get to know the Diplomacy community a little better by playing tourist and visiting what is truly one of the world’s great international cities.

Some of our Canadian hosts are already working on some fun non-Diplomacy activities for players and their families.

E.B. in California writes –

“What’s the venue like and what services are available on site?”

The convention is being held in the Student Union Building on the UBC campus. Since it’s summer, there’s less traffic on campus than during the school year, but most campus services are open all summer. There are a large number of dining options, from fast food to formal dining, to pubs just two floors down from the “Party Room” where the games will be held. Stores and other dining options are also available just off campus. The Student Union Building itself is only about 1 block away from the dorms.

D.L. in London writes –

“Is there any possibility the French won’t win again? I’m just not sure I could take that.”

Not really. But just go on talking in that warm silky voice that we all love. It won’t help, but it makes the rest of us feel better no matter what’s going on.

B.E. in Seattle writes –

“Is there any kind of a pre-con for players who want to start their Diplomacy vacation early?”

Why, yes, there is a pre-con! Buz Eddy, who has run Dragonflight for years, is currently planning to run a tournament in Seattle the weekend before WDC. Exact details are still being worked out, but let us know if you’re interested and we’ll point you in the right direction. The Pre-Con is a great opportunity to visit what is a WDC-worthy city in its own right, before joining up with some of the players from this part of the world for the trip north to Vancouver.

D.M. in Washington DC writes –

Dear Sir, I was formerly the Finance Minister for the Republic of Togo. I was told by a mutual friend that you were someone who could help me to transfer approximately $50 million into my US account. If you can simply provide me with your bank account number, I will gladly offer you a 10% commission.

Glad to help! But don’t forget, I’m still waiting on that check you said I’d received from the Omani Oil Ministry.

C.S. in France writes –

“Is my trophy ready yet?”

No, but it’s due back form the engraver on Tuesday. Sorry about the delay….

Well, that’s all we have time for in this issue. If you have any question we can answer about this summer’s World Diplomacy Convention, drop me an email, or check out the website at www.vancouverdiplomacy.ca.

See you this summer!