# SDMB Modern Diplomacy Game \*players only please\* **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 4, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770 "2011-05-04T23:20:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/21 "2011-05-06T14:45:15Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > But it would be helpful to have a list of which regions produce what type of army. For example, I can’t find anything that tells me what type of army Saudi Arabia produces. Isn’t the unit produced in your home CP’s, creating whichever unit is needed/possible? ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/22 "2011-05-06T14:45:20Z")
Only your home centres produce new units, and any home centre can produce either a fleet or an army, although there would be little point in me constructing a fleet in Moscow, as it can’t go anywhere… ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/23 "2011-05-06T15:05:52Z")
For those new to the game - [Realpolitik](http://realpolitik.sourceforge.net/)is an app that you can download and track the turns of the game as it unfolds. Once you have plotted your moves, you can cut and paste your orders to \*\*wevets \*\*so as to be sure to avoid any confusion. It also allows you to play out scenarios to see what works and what doesn’t. Grim ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/24 "2011-05-06T16:47:38Z")
> [@grimpixie](#): > > Only your home centres produce new units, and any home centre can produce either a fleet or an army, although there would be little point in me constructing a fleet in Moscow, as it can’t go anywhere… What about other supply center regions? AKA Saudi Arabia on the modern map. Capturing them doesn’t increase the amount of units you can have per turn? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/25 "2011-05-06T16:56:32Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > What about other supply center regions? AKA Saudi Arabia on the modern map. Capturing them doesn’t increase the amount of units you can have per turn? Your number of units cannot exceed your number of supply centers. All new units are created at home - so your strategy must include a way to get those spaces clear when you need to use them. Sorry - not a player in this game. I’ll get out. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/26 "2011-05-06T17:03:42Z")
Can Britain build in Gibraltar? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/27 "2011-05-06T17:09:23Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Your number of units cannot exceed your number of supply centers. All new units are created at home - so your strategy must include a way to get those spaces clear when you need to use them. > > Sorry - not a player in this game. I’ll get out. OK, gotcha. 🙂 So when in the OP it says I’ve got a fleet in Alexandria it’s just referring to what I start with. If that fleet is destroyed I could use the Alexandrian supply center to build an army in any of my starting regions. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/28 "2011-05-06T17:20:34Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > OK, gotcha. 🙂 > > So when in the OP it says I’ve got a fleet in Alexandria it’s just referring to what I start with. If that fleet is destroyed I could use the Alexandrian supply center to build an army in any of my starting regions. Or you could capture an extra SC and build a new unit in a home SC. Non-player press: Hey Europe, would you please make sure your fight stays within Europe? Yours truly, the Americas. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/29 "2011-05-06T17:20:58Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Can Britain build in Gibraltar? Yes it is. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/30 "2011-05-06T18:13:05Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Yes it is. …going to? ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/31 "2011-05-06T18:22:39Z")
Spain would like a clarification on that as well… ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/32 "2011-05-06T20:44:36Z")
…can. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/33 "2011-05-06T21:04:05Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Can Britain build in Gibraltar? > [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Yes it is. > [@John\_DiFool](#): > > …can. :smack: > [@wevets](#): > > **John diFool** = **Britain** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/34 "2011-05-06T23:03:12Z")
\ For the newer players, [this article](http://www.diplom.org/Zine/W1995A/Tactics/) is an excellent primer on Diplomacy tactics-dirty tricks, sneaky moves, unexpected but useful manuevers. There are also tons of strategy articles to be found at the linked site as well. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/35 "2011-05-06T23:34:49Z")
PROVINCE = ABBREVIATION, Supply Center? Atlantic Islands Iceland = Ice Ireland = Ire, Yes Clyde = Cly Edinburgh = Edi, Yes Liverpool = Lpl, Yes Yorkshire = Yor Wales = Wal London = Lon, Yes Scandinavia Lapland = Lap Norway = Nor, Yes Sweden = Swe, Yes Finland = Fin Former Soviet Union Murmansk = Mur, Yes Urals = Ura Siberia = Sib Volga = Vol Central Russian Plateau = Cen Moscow = Mos, Yes St Petersburg = Stp, Yes Gorky = Gor, Yes Rostov = Ros, Yes Caucasus = Cau Georgia = Geo, Yes Armenia = Arm Azerbaijan = Aze Kazakhstan = Kaz Kharkov = Kha, Yes Donbas = Don Sevastopol = Sev, Yes Odessa = Ode, Yes Podolia = Pod Moldova = Mol Kiev = Kie, Yes Eastern Europe Rumania = Rum, Yes Bulgaria = Bul, Yes Greece = Gre, Yes Macedonia = Mac Albania = Alb Serbia = Ser, Yes Hungary = Hun, Yes Bosnia = Bos Croatia = Cro, Yes Slovakia = Slo Belorussia = Bie, Yes Krakow = Kra, Yes Warsaw = War, Yes Gdansk = Gda, Yes Silesia = Sil Prussia = Pru Lithuania = Lit, Yes Latvia = Lat Estonia = Est Czech Republic = Cze, Yes Middle East Iran = Irn, Yes Iraq = Irq (or Irk) Saudi Arabia = Sau, Yes Jordan = Jor Syria = Syr Israel = Isr, Yes Ankara = Ank, Yes Adana = Ada, Yes Anatolia = Ana Izmir = Izm, Yes Istanbul = Ist, Yes Sinai = Sin Cairo = Cai, Yes Alexandria = Ale, Yes Aswan = Asw, Yes North Africa Eastern Sahara = Esa Libya = Lib, Yes Tunisia = Tun, Yes Algeria = Alg Western Sahara = Wsa Morocco = Mor, Yes Central Europe & Low Countries Austria = Aus, Yes Saxony = Sax Berlin = Ber, Yes Hamburg = Ham, Yes Denmark = Den, Yes Frankfurt = Fra, Yes Munich = Mun, Yes Switzerland = Swi, Yes Venice = Ven, Yes Apulia = Apu Naples = Nap, Yes Rome = Rom, Yes Tuscany = Tus Milan = Mil, Yes Piedmont = Pie Ruhr = Ruh Holland = Hol, Yes Belgium = Bel, Yes Western Europe & Iberia Monaco = Mon, Yes Marseilles = Mar, Yes Auvergne = Auv Lyon = Lyo, Yes Alsace = Als Picardy = Pic Paris = Par, Yes Brittany = Bri Bordeaux = Bor, Yes Navarre = Nav Madrid = Mad, Yes Portugal = Por, Yes Seville = Svl, Yes Gibraltar = Gib, Yes Andalusia = And Barcelona = Bar, Yes SEA ZONE = ABBREVIATION Arctic Sea = ARC Barents Sea = BRN White Sea = WHI Norwegian Sea = NWG North Atlantic = NAT North Sea = NTH Heligoland Bight = HEL Skagerrak = SKA Bornholm Sea = BHM Baltic Sea = BAL Gulf of Bothnia = GOB English Channel = ENG Irish Sea = IRI Mid-Atlantic = MAT Bay of Biscay = BIS South Atlantic = SAT Straits of Gibraltar = SOG Western Mediterranean = WME Gulf of Lyon = GOL Ligurian Sea = LIG Tyrrhenian Sea = TYR Maltese Sea = MAL Ionian Sea = ION Adriatic Sea = ADR Libyan Sea = LBN Aegean Sea = AEG Eastern Mediterranean = EME Western Black Sea = WBS Eastern Black Sea = EBS Caspian Sea = CAS Red Sea = RED Arabian Sea = ARA Persian Gulf = PER ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/36 "2011-05-06T23:57:09Z")
Many thanks to **Munch** , **Scuba\_Ben** , **grimpixie** , and **John diFool** for helpful answers to the questions posed… 🙂 Let’s do an example. Russia starts with the units posted in post #2. Let’s imagine Russia orders: _Spring 1995 Order: Army Murmansk to Lapland_ _Fall 1995 Order: Army Lapland to Norway_ (since Norway is a supply center, if Army Lapland to Norway is successful, Norway becomes an occupied supply center for Russia, adding to Russia’s 5 starting centers a 6th supply center) _Winter 1995 Order: Build Fleet Murmansk_ (now Russia has both Murmansk and Norway, it can build an extra unit. Russia gets to choose whether that unit is a fleet or an army. The unit **must** be built in one of Russia’s starting supply centers; no building in Norway. Russia could have built an army in Murmansk instead. However, while Russia could build an army in Moscow instead of in Murmansk, it cannot build a fleet in Moscow because Moscow has no coastline.) Let’s imagine a second set of orders with another power intervening: \*Spring 1995 Orders: RUSSIA Army Murmansk to Lapland BRITAIN Fleet Edinburgh to Norwegian Sea Fleet London to North Sea\* \*Fall 1995 Order: RUSSIA Army Lapland to Norway BRITAIN Fleet Norwegian Sea to Norway\* (at this point, both Fleet Norwegian Sea and Army Lapland bounce off each other and neither gets to occupy Norway) _Winter 1995 Order: neither Russia nor Britain gets a build_ \*Spring 1996 Orders: RUSSIA Army Murmansk to Lapland BRITAIN Fleet Norwegian Sea to Norway Fleet North Sea supports Fleet Norwegian Sea to Norway\* (At this point, the 2 vs. 1 advantage means Britain gets into Norway, while Russia’s army stays in Lapland) \*Fall 1996 Order: RUSSIA Army Lapland to Norway BRITAIN Fleet North Sea to Norway Fleet Norway to Norwegian Sea\* (Silly Britain! Now since Britain moved out of Norway, it doesn’t get to occupy the supply center - you must occupy a supply center **during the Fall turn** for it to revert to your control. Again, no one gets to build.) I hope that helps. In this simple example, I’ve only showed one or two moves for each nation, but the actual game will be more complicated because every unit gets one move for every turn. So, in a real game, Russia’s Spring 1995 orders might look more like this: Army Murmansk to Lapland Fleet St Petersburg to Gulf of Bothnia Army Moscow to Central Russian Plateau Army Gorky supports Fleet Rostov to Volga Fleet Rostov to Volga The abbreviations make this a little easier, so with abbreviations, the above set of orders becomes: A Mur to Lap F StP to GOB A Mos to Cen A Gor supports F Ros to Vol F Ros to Vol Does that help? I strongly recommend that anyone who hasn’t read the rules: [Wizards of the Coast](http://www.wizards.com/avalonhill/rules/diplomacy.pdf) and **John diFool** ’s link. 🙂 … and yes, with Gibraltar as an initial supply center for Britain, the British player can build fleets or armies in Gibraltar during the Winter turns if the British have more supply centers than they have units. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/37 "2011-05-07T00:05:29Z")
There are also such things as invalid moves. If a player submits them, nothing happens because the action requested is impossible. Some examples of invalid moves: _Spring 1995 Army Rostov to Volga_ Since there is no Army Rostov at the start of the game, this move will fail, and the fleet in Rostov will stay in Rostov. Another example: _Fleet Iran (north coast) to Iran (south coast)_ The fleet in Iran will stay in the same position because it is impossible for the fleet to cross the land in Iran. _Army Moscow to Rumania_ Army Moscow won’t go anywhere because Moscow doesn’t touch Rumania. **grimpixie** ’s suggestion about downloading Realpolitik (or jDip, which is a similar program) is a good idea for anyone trying to get a feel for how the game works. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/38 "2011-05-08T05:35:29Z")
When’s the deadline for the initial turn? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/39 "2011-05-08T05:38:35Z")
> [@grimpixie](#): > > When’s the deadline for the initial turn? I came into the thread thinking I had missed it! :o ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770/40 "2011-05-08T06:13:48Z")
Still have a little while til the deadline: **Spring 1995 - will be due 10 PM PDT on May 10th (that’s 1 AM, May 11th, EDT or 6 AM, May 11th GMT or 8 AM, May 11th SAST)** Extra time for the first turn is usually a good idea, since the negotiations take a little longer. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-modern-diplomacy-game-players-only-please/580770.md?page=3)