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Diplomacy SIG
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You can get this file by sending a message to usef@igo.org with the body of "get house.rules"
This Diplomacy Adjudicator sponsored by David Kovar.
Report JUDGE Problems to usef-request@igo.org
Report problems with individual games to your GM.
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Any unmoderated games on this judge will be removed.
(I.e., if you don't have a master, the game is in jeopardy.
if in doubt, send a list )
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This document describes the House Rules for the judge. These House Rules
apply to any game not covered by the EP House Rules.
These HRs cover regular and variant games. In the case of variant games
these HRs may be modified by the rules of the variant and the alterations
will be found in the rules of the variant. GMs should announce such
differences at the time of the game creation.
This document supplements Avalon Hill's Diplomacy rules (most recent
American edition.)
General rules:
1) Joining a game implies an intention to play the game through to the end.
Leaving a game without a good reason is considered very disrespectful. Don't
join unless you are willing to commit yourself to an entire game, which
may take several months.
2) Automatic allies or automatic enemies will not be allowed in the same game.
If you violate this rule you risk, at the very least, expulsion from the game.
3) Players may not communicate with each other directly (ie, through
a mechanism other than the judge) in games where the identity of other
players is concealed, or at all in games where communication is
barred. The potential for this arises if they guess at another
player's identity or if the player's identity is accidentally
revealed.
3a) Players in gunboat games may not make any claim, true or false,
as to their real identities.
4) Players are expected to treat each other with dignity and respect. Abusive
language or behavior is frowned on, unless clearly in character in a
roleplayed game.
5) Unless otherwise stated, observers should not offer opinions and
analysis of the game.
6) Players should submit moves by the deadline. It is suggested that players
submit a set of tentative orders as soon as possible and then modify them as
the turn progresses. A player who consistently submits moves after the
deadline risks being expelled from the game.
7) Players should not continue negotiations past the deadline. If they need
more time they should request a deadline extension. If you have already
submitted orders, you may continue to diplome after the deadline has
passed.
8) It is unacceptable behavior to deliberately submit moves late for any reason
(example, while awaiting reply from an ally).
9) Turns will never be replayed. Turns may be reprocessed to correct an
error, but no new orders will be allowed. Turns will only be reprocessed
if there was an error in calculating the results on the part of the judge
software. GMs may change this rule at their discretion without losing EP
status for the game.
10) If a player is unable to continue playing, the player should
notify the GM as soon as possible to allow the GM time to find a
replacement.
11) Computer opponents are not allowed in games without prior permission.
12) A valid registration form is required for all players. Lying on your
registration for is grounds for expulsion from the judge. The following
fields must be valid: Name, Site, Email, Level, Address.
13) A player is responsible for submitting their own orders. GMs are
generally willing to accept orders over the phone if necessary, but the
final responsibility lies with the player.
14) All games must have a GM.
Player Replacement:
1) Players may not reenter a game as a different power under any
conditions.
GM rules:
1) GMs are to remain scrupulously impartial in all matters.
2) GMs should not change the parameters of the game after players
start signing up for the game unless the players unanimously vote to
do so. This includes changing the deadline calculation, victory
conditions, press flags, etc.
3) GMs may not play in their own game. Judge keepers may not play in
any game on their own judge. EP status will not be granted to games
that violate this rule.
Voting:.
1) All votes to change the nature of the game (deadline calculation,
et al) must be unanimous.
2) The GM is responsible for officially announcing a vote and recording the
outcome. He must announce the outcome of the vote but should not announce
the number of votes for each option or how anyone voted.
3) A vote is not closed until the next move has processed.
4) In all cases, if a player does not submit a vote, then that player
is assumed to have voted against the proposal, ie NVR=no.
5) GMs may be ejected by a unanimous vote of the players. The vote will be
run by the judge keeper. This is really a method of last resort and the
judge keeper will only allow this after all other methods have failed.
Draws:
1) A win is defined as a draw including only one player.
2) Draw votes will be managed by the judge where available. If the draw
mechanism is unavailable, the GM will run the vote. The draws will be
DIAS unless otherwise stated when the game was created or unless the
game was changed to non-DIAS by the players.
3) Voting on draws is anonymous. Draws may only include players that
have not been eliminated from the game. Draws may not give order of
finishes such as 2nd place, 3rd place, etc. Players are either
included in the draw or not.
4) The following people can vote in a draw: All players who had not
been eliminated by the end of the game year, i.e. have both no units
and no supply centers.
5) The GM reserves the right to terminate a game in a draw involving
all of the remaining powers if it is clear that the position on the
board has reached a stalemate. (Determined by no changes to province
ownership for the last three game-years.) The GM must announce their
decision to start the three game-year clock one season prior to doing
so. If a player objects to the termination and can convince the GM
that there is still play in the game then the game will continue
6) All players entitled to vote must vote unanimously for the draw
vote for it to pass.
Unacceptable behavior:
1) Cheating:
Intentionally circumventing the house rules, the judge mechanism,
or the rules of the particular game can lead to the player being
banned from the judge.
2) Cross Play:
Attempting to influence a player's behaviour in one game by offering
threats or concessions in another game is called "cross play". This is
strongly discouraged.
3) Press:
a) The following people can submit press in a game: Players currently in
the game plus players who were in the game but were eliminated,
observers, the GM, the manager, and the editor. (But if you resigned
or were kicked out, you have no such privileges.) No player or
observer can claim to be the GM, or judge keeper. Nor can the GM or
judge keeper pretend to be one of the others, or a player, if in fact
that is not the case.
b) You may forge correspondence from other players within the limits
of the press settings unless you are sending correspondence to the GM.
4) Deception and the GM
The GM will not participate in deceptions involving other players.
The GM will delay the game and ask for new orders from a player if the GM
suspects that a player's orders were faked by another player.
5) Violation of Privacy
Anyone violating the privacy of another player or GM may be ejected
from the game. This specifically refers to electronic mail, but
will be used in other situations if justified.
6) Bad Behavior
Players who are known to NMR, deceive the GM, or are simply known
to be abusive may not be allowed to play in this EP games. And players
who become abusive to the GM or other players during a game can be
ejected.
7) Sneaking into a Game
You can not enter a single game as multiple players, use an
alias without prior arrangement, or be related to another player.
All information provided in your registration form must be accurate
as mentioned above.
Disputes:
The following groups or individuals are responsible for resolving the
disputes in the specified areas. Disputes that cannot be resolved at
that level should be promoted to the next level up.
GM - internal game problems and house rules
Judge keeper - technical problems and house rules
AH Rules That Have Been Replaced:
1) VII.3.b
When a fleet can move to two coasts and the coast is not specified,
the adjudicator will pick an arbitrary coast. Actually not totally
arbitrary, but the first one in its movement list.
2) IX.1
Do not specify owners of units in support and convoy orders. This
redundant specification would unnecessarily complicate the parser.
The movement results will indicate the alternate power on support
and convoy orders.
3)IX.7
Based on the second statement after XIV.5, IX.7 does not apply if
either or both of the dislodged or dislodging unit is convoyed.
4) XII
Armies intending to use a convoy must specify the convoy route
in their movement orders as in the examples:
A LON-ENG-BEL,
F ENG C A LON-BEL.
or A LON-ENG-MID-WES-TUN,
F ENG C A LON-TUN,
F MID C A LON-TUN,
F WES C A LON-TUN,
A NAF S A LON-TUN.
5) XII.4
Since convoy routes must be specified, there will never be any ambiguity.
6) XII.5
a) This rule when taken literally can have some unintended results.
For example:
England: F Iri-Mid, F Eng S F Iri-Mid
France: F Spa(nc) S F Mid, F Mid Convoy A Por-Bre, A Por-Mid-Bre
Italy: F Gulf of Lyon Convoy A Tus-Spa, A Tus-GoL-Spa
What happens in the Mid-Atlantic ocean? What about if the additional order:
Italy: A Mar S A Tus-Spa
is entered? With literal interpretation of the rules, the fleet
in Spain would be dislodged, but its support to the fleet in the
Mid-Atlantic Ocean (of an action in a body of water containing a
convoying fleet) would not be cut. This adjudicator makes five
passes to determine what support gets cut:
a) Normal non-convoyed movement cuts support.
b) Any armies being convoyed by fleets that would be dislodged
without further support cuts are flagged "maybe no convoy".
c) Any convoyed armies without the "maybe no convoy" status cut
support provided by units in their destination provinces.
d) Any armies being convoyed by fleets that still would be
dislodged are flagged "definitely no convoy".
e) Any armies still flagged "maybe no convoy" status cut support
of units in their destination provinces. The "maybe no convoy"
status is cleared.
Using this algorithm, Spain's support above would be cut in pass
three. The Mid-Atlantic Ocean's dislodgement would be detected
in pass four. Portugal would be given the "no convoy" status and
thus would have no effect on any unit in Brest in pass five.
7) XII.6
This rule is known to be vague and lead to certain paradoxes when a
unit is given the choice between a land route and a convoy. However,
this does not apply here since an army must specifically specify its
convoy route if it is to be convoyed. Note that convoy between
adjacent provinces are possible, and may be useful certain
circumstances.
8) XIII.2
The rule reads as follows: "BUILDING AND REMOVING UNITS
(ADJUSTMENTS). After the Fall moves have been played, and the
retreats (if any) made, each player's number of units MUST be
adjusted to equal the number of supply centers his Great Power
controls. If he has fewer centers than units, he MUST disband the
excess units only, by removing them from the board. The units
removed may be any of his units he choses. If he has more centers
than units, he MAY build units by placing them..." (Emphasis on MUST
and MAY is not in the original.)
This is vague. Is the rulebook saying that he MUST disband units and
MAY build units because he can always disband units but is not always
able to build units? If not, why is the rulebook saying that he MUST
adjust his units to be equal to the number of supply centers that he
controls?
Here is the replacement rule: You don't have to accept all possible
builds. Possible builds not being using must be specifically marked
using the WAIVE command or your orders will be marked as unfinished.
9) XIV.4
If a power is required to remove a unit and no valid order is
received, the least recently produced unit that is not at a supply
center will be disbanded. This is the first one listed on the
reports which will be the one most likely to be furthest away from
a home supply center. (However, in any case NMR is prohibited by above
rules, so this change should have no effect.)
10) COASTAL DESIGNATIONS FOR FLEET SUPPORT ORDERS
The judge requires that an order for a unit supporting a fleet movement
to a bi-coastal province specify the correct coast, otherwise the support
will be void.
Unusual Board Situations:
Certain extremely rare situations are not covered by the rules of
Diplomacy. (For example, Pandin's paradox discovered by Tony Pandin
in which a convoy causes its own disruption.) In such a situation,
the results of the Diplomacy Adjudicator will be accepted as final.
Other Notes:
1) DIPLOMACY RULES AND COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
Avalon Hill permits us to run Diplomacy games electronically with
the understanding that no copies of the rules will be distributed
electronically and that all Avalon Hill maps retain the Avalon
Hill copyright. If you violate this understanding, you put the
entire Internet hobby at risk.
2) CHANGE OF ADDRESS
The GM is not responsible for problems caused by you changing your
e-mail address without notifying the GM.
Extra eMail addresses can be added with the IAmAlso command.
Your return address can be changed with the SET ADDRESS command.
To remove an address, re-REGISTER.
Judge Info
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