I have felt it necessary to explain my position on all situations so there is no confusion once a game starts. Below are my House Rules which will apply in all games I GM. Any game in which other/different house rules will apply will be stated specifically in that game's listing. If anything changes I will endevour to notify all players in all games. Most if not all of the text is derived from Jay Furr's Diplomacy House Rules, but I felt it better to have control over my own page.
(These rules were last updated: October 11, 2002.)
Players in games I GM are required to have read these rules at least once.
While I will not be checking to make sure that players have read them, players will not be excused
breaches on the grounds that they didn't know about the rules.
In general, these rules should be easy to follow, based as they are on common sense, decency,
and on established practice on the Judges.
For those new to PBEM (Play by Email) dip through the judges I recommend you check out this
site: Online Resources. Even for those familiar with the game there are links to a plethora of interesting articles. And there
are some interesting conversations going on at the diplomacy newsgroup,
rec.games.diplomacy.
Maps for all games can be viewed at the Online Mapper, courtesy of Alain Tesio.
As far as contacting me, your GM, please send press through the judge
unless it is down, then send direct to me. Also, I live in Maryland so time-wise I am GMT -5 hrs. I'm online during business hours and I sometimes check my mail again in the evenings.
Thought you might want to see what other GMs are using for their house rules to compare mine too.
Not every GM has a set of house rules (but they should). The links below are just a random sample and
not meant to be all inclusive of every GM that has a set of house rules.
If you sign onto a game, you are expected to stick with it until the bitter end. Do not drop
out of a game just because you're losing! It is extremely rude to drop out of a
game simply because things are not going as you wish. Even if you're too embittered to
exchange press with a former ally who stabbed you, you can at the very least issue
orders. Note that an increasing number of games, run by other GMs, restrict admission
to those players who play games through to the end, specifically banning players with
unjustified abandonments.
Do not sign onto any game until you are have a basic knowledge of with the syntax and process of
submitting orders through the Judge. If you lack this, you are encouraged to visit The
Newbie's Guide to the Judge. While the GM will always be pleased to help out players
who need a little help with the syntax of a command, it is not appropriate to ask the GM
for help on a constant basis when you haven't read the various documents that explain
Judge command syntax.
Players should read the confirmation notices the Judge sends after every order. If
you have a problem with your orders, the Judge will always tell you. If, for example, you
have six units on the board, submit orders, but misspell the destination of one of your
units, you orders will not be marked as "in" until you sign back on and correct the
mistake in that one unit's order. If you fail to correct mistakes in orders, you will be
marked as "late" when the deadline arrives and marked as "abandoned" when the grace
period runs out.
A very large percentage of players who go abandoned go abandoned because they never
read the confirmation notices. These notices are not "spam" as some individuals have termed
them. Responses from the Judge are the only way you'll know if your orders got in at
all. The GM may, if he notices an error flag on a player's orders, clear the error flag if it
can be cleared without altering the orders as currently entered, but he is under no
obligation to notify the player that he has done this and he is definitely not under any
obligation to extend the deadline to give the player a chance to verify his orders. He is,
in fact, under no obligation to even clear the error flag, and may not do so, even if he
notices it. As above, it is the player's responsibility to read the confirmation notice and
make sure that the orders have been interpreted properly. Use the Online Mapper to avoid problems.
Players are required to know how to use 'list', 'summary', and 'history'. If you don't know
that these commands exist, your experiences playing Diplomacy are probably full of
confusion. One place you can look to get information on these commands is the Judge
Command Index. Do not e-mail the GM and say "Can you tell me
where the units currently are?" or "Can you send me the most recent results?" or "Is the
current Germany the same one we had in 1902?" All of these questions can be answered
by 'list', 'summary', or 'history'.
You are expected to sign onto a game as a free agent, not restricted by any pre-existing
agreements you may have made with other players, or for that matter, by any pre-existing
likes or dislikes for other players that may have carried over from another game. For
example, it is not okay to sign onto a game along with your college roommate or a
co-worker, agreeing to work together as one power for the duration of the game. If it can
be shown that this has happened, both players will be removed from the game. A similar
subject involves what is often called "automatic enemies" and "automatic allies". If you
automatically attack a specific player whenever the two of you are in a game together, or
if you automatically ally with a specific player when you are in a game together, that's
"automatic enemies" or "automatic allies", depending on which situation applies. While
this is not grounds for removal from a game (imagine the situation the GM would find
himself in if a player came to him and said "Player so-and-so always attacks me, and he's
doing it again, expel him!"), it's something you should avoid. If you can't put aside what
happened in other games and play each game on its own merits, you probably shouldn't
be playing Diplomacy.
Goofy play is not okay. While it is certainly the right of each player to order his units as
he or she sees fit, it is assumed that each person playing in a Diplomacy game wants,
theoretically, to win. Players who intentionally play to upset the balance of the
game deprive the other players of the fun of playing in a properly challenging
game. Players suspected of intentional goofy play will be asked to cut it out, and if they
refuse, may at the GM's discretion, be removed from the game. Note: Failure to respond
to your messages does not constitute goofy play. Some players simply choose to say
little.
If the game in question is set as "gunboat", this means that the identity of players is to be
kept secret. You must not do anything to disclose your true identity and you must not
attempt to find out the true identity of any other players. This means that you must be
very careful not even to "accidentally" give it away, perhaps by appending a signature
file to a press message. If you DO accidentally give your identity away, the GM will deal
with the situation in a manner consistent with the nature of the breach. Overt, repeated
disclosures of your identity, due to sloppiness OR due to actual intent, will likely result
in removal from the game. Accidental, one-time disclosures will probably be forgiven,
unless one or more other players indicates that they really, really do mind you staying
in the game.
Note: you are not even permitted to pretend to be a specific player. I.e., it's no fair
claiming to be a well-known expert in hopes of scaring your opponents into submission.
Example: If you are not Manus Hand, you may not claim to be Manus Hand in a
gunboat game. Simply make up a game identity, e.g. "Kaiser Fred" or "Emperor Henri"
and use that, or if even that's a little too difficult, simply refer to yourself as, oh,
"Germany" or "Austria" or whatever.
Players should enter orders by the deadline. Players who are consistently late may, at the
GM's discretion, be removed from the game. In the original board game rules, discussions
between players must cease when the deadline arrives. It is virtually impossible to
prevent this in partial-press electronic-mail games, but if a player consistently keeps on
sending press messages after the deadline, without having entered orders, he may be
removed from the game at the GM's discretion. Players who have entered orders may
continue to talk amongst themselves, but players who have not entered orders may not
keep on diploming. It is absolutely forbidden to intentionally miss a deadline on the
grounds that "I haven't heard from so-and-so yet." So-and-so may not want to talk to you,
and even if he did, it's after the deadline. As above, players who ignore deadlines may, at
the GM's discretion, be removed from the game.
Turns will not be replayed, except under circumstances where, due to Judge downtime or
a bug in the Judge code, the turn was not adjudicated properly. Note that the behavior of
the Judge during these conditions is fairly well known by the GM and the GM will know
the difference between a Judge error and a player error. If, for example, you fail to enter
a revised set of orders by the deadline, and the Judge adjudicates your original orders,
that is not a Judge error. If you sent the revised set of orders after the turn was
processed, or you sent it to the wrong address, or you got your password wrong, that's not
grounds to replay a turn. You are expected to have enough of a clue to get orders in on
time, phrased properly, and to be able to send them in to the proper address. It is also
fairly common for players with a poor understanding of the Diplomacy rules to allege a
Judge error when they don't understand the results -- for example, a player claiming
that he should have captured a given supply center, even though his support was
actually cut. The Judge code is able, in virtually all cases, to properly adjudicate a turn,
and if you claim that the Judge has improperly adjudicated a turn, you must be able to
cite the specific rule in the actual rulebook that supports your claim.
A player who needs an extension in the deadline must ask for an extension as far in
advance as possible, in polite terms, and in a level of detail sufficient to permit the GM to
determine if the deadline is truly necessary. If the GM concludes that the requested
extension isn't justified for whatever reason, it is up to the player to enter phased orders
or to seek a replacement. Certain games will be marked as "no deadline extensions
except for ______" and if this is stated in the game listing, the specified conditions must
be met. Players are assumed to sign onto games that have parameters to their liking;
they must not sign onto fast games and then constantly ask for extensions. Finally, it is
rude to ask for lengthy extensions for purely personal, recreational, or vacation reasons.
It is rude to say "I'm going on a three-week Caribbean cruise, extend the deadline, bye!"
if the game in question was meant to have turns due every 24 hours, and the GM is
completely within his rights to turn you down.
For newer Judges the player can set his own deadline extension with the "set absence" command.
As a GM I tend to not extend the deadline after it has expired but to extend the Grace period instead.
This avoids another dedication hit for missing the same deadline but puts the player in jeopardy
of taking a hit for missing the grace period.
The GM will not give extensions on the grounds that you "got busy" and "need more time
to talk." The GM will never give an extension on the grounds that you want to discuss
builds or retreats; diploming regarding these matters is actually against the strict letter
of the rules.
Use of the "Set Absence" command is strongly encouraged on the Judges that support it. But remember that unless the order is sent correctly the GM has no knowledge that you asked for an extension.
Use of the "SET WAIT" command during retreat and build phases is discouraged. The
"SET WAIT" command is intended to allow players to enter orders, then go on
conducting diplomacy without fear that the tentative initial orders would be processed
prior to the deadline. In retreat and build phases, no diplomacy should be taking place if
you go by the letter of the rules, and in any case, you certainly shouldn't be holding up a
game for days during retreat and build phases, hoping to hear from other powers.
Use of the "SET WAIT" command during build or retreat phases will not result in a
player being expelled, but the GM may use the "process" command to override the "SET
WAIT" when he notices.
As above, the GM will never give players more time to discuss builds or retreats. He
cannot stop you from discussing these topics, but he will not facilitate these discussions
either.
If a player cannot continue playing, he should let the GM know if at all possible in order
that a replacement may be arranged. The GM will work with you on this if you give him
as much notice as you can. Without a given reason you risk being added to the GM's blacklist and barred from future games by this GM.
All players must submit valid, honest, and truthful registrations with the Judge server.
Lying on your registration is grounds for expulsion not just from the game in which the
lies are pointed out, but from the Judge itself, and in serious enough cases, from all the
Judges. You must enter a valid name (not a "handle" like "Cycle Hog" but a real name),
site, e-mail address, level, and mailing address. If the GM notes that you signed onto a
game despite having an incorrect or inaccurate registration, he may at his discretion
remove you.
Using multiple accounts, such as free accounts from various Web sites, in order to play
multiple powers in the same game is grounds for automatic expulsion from the game,
from the Judge, and very likely from all the Judges.
Former players, including players who were eliminated, players who went abandoned,
and players who resigned, may not re-enter the game as another power unless specifically
invited to do so by the GM. For example, the GM may invite a former France who was
eliminated early in the game to take over and play a one-center Turkey who has gone
abandoned. The GM will not invite a former player to be a replacement where the former
player would find himself opposing in a meaningful way (in the GM's judgment) the
power responsible for his elimination. The only exception to this rule is that a player
who went abandoned or resigned due to external circumstances may reclaim his original
power if it is available without checking with the GM first.
Replacement players must actually try. No one likes to see a power fight hard, struggle,
be reduced to a handful of centers, go abandoned, and then be replaced by someone who
comes in, surveys the situation, and simply gives up. If a replacement cannot make some
effort to actually play the position to the best of his or her ability, it would be better for
the position to go un-filled a little longer instead of seeing the replacement all but
commit suicide. Just as an NMR game tends to be discounted by those who run the
various Halls of Fame on the grounds that a game in which a power or powers submitted
no orders on certain turns is less likely to have been a good test of skill than a game
where everyone got all their orders in each turn, a game in which a suicidal replacement
wipes out his replacement power on purpose is also not a "good game".
If the game in question allows press (messages sent between players), players must use the
Judge for communication except in those cases where the Judge is actually down or
off-line. It is absolutely forbidden to make up messages that appear to come directly from
the Judge (e.g., with subject lines similar to those the Judge uses, and the usual Judge
headers) in hopes of getting the opponent to reply directly and give away their password
or orders, or in order to send a message that appears to be from another power entirely
(this is called "black press"). Players sending out fake Judge messages in hopes of tricking
other players will be removed from the game.
Obscene or overly insulting language is forbidden. If players complain about press
messages you're sending out you will be asked to cease such behavior. If you persist, and
if the messages in question are overly insulting or obscene, the GM may at his discretion
remove you from the game.
Observers are welcome to sign on and observe the game, but in most cases, however, are
not permitted to send game press. This is usually enforced by the Press: setting "No
Observers (Except To Master)". If this setting is present in the game listing, observers
can't send press, so it's academic. However, in some games this setting may not be on. If
it is not on, observers can send messages -- but must not send messages intended to
affect the outcome of play. In other words, an observer could send out a message saying
"Hi, this is the former France, my PC died and I went abandoned, just wanted to say
'Sorry' and ask if the new France would let me have my position back." An observer must
not send out a message saying "It's obvious that Turkey should attack Albania with
Greece and Ionian while moving his Rumania unit to Budapest."
In no-press games, the GM will not send messages for players. This includes requests for
draw votes, offers to concede the game, and so on. The GM is not obligated to assist
players in their communications.
Press during build and retreat phases is NOT forbidden -- UNLESS you are attempting
to discuss what units you should retreat, what units you should disband or build, or are,
in general, refusing to enter orders for a retreat or build turn on the ground that you're
waiting to hear from another player. This is a departure from the strict letter of the
printed game rules, which dictate no discussion during retreats and adjustments.
However, in that it's currently impossible to stop people from discussing things, this rule
is included here to answer the recurring question "Well, can we talk or not? It's a build
phase..." The only banned aspect of press is, as above, discussing actual retreat or build
or disband orders before entering them, or worse, refusing to enter orders at all on the
grounds that you're still waiting to hear from another player.
In games that do not allow partial press you may not attempt private communication (e.g., cryptography or a foreign language) with another player.
The GM will not, as a rule, announce draw votes. If players wish a game to end in a draw,
it is up to them to announce it and then cast their votes by using "SET DRAW." The GM
will absolutely not call for votes in no-press games. In no-press games, if the players wish
the game to end in a draw, they must all enter SET DRAW on their own, without any
input from the other players, and then keep their fingers crossed. The only exception to
this policy is if a player who has been in a game for a long, long time is faced with a
decision between asking for a draw or leaving the game due to personal circumstances.
All games played under these rules will be "DIAS" games, meaning "Draws Include All
Survivors". This is not subject to change. If a power cannot be eliminated because you
lack the capability to eliminate him, you should not in turn ask that power to exclude
himself from a draw. If that power is part of what has stalemated the game, then that
power deserves a share in the draw. If you don't like this rule, don't sign on.
Draws must be unanimous. A player who does not vote in a draw vote is effectively
voting "No."
Players must use the judge voting mechanism for draw votes. If all players enter "SET
DRAW" on the same turn, the game will instantly end. Note: draw votes do not carry
over from one turn to the next. Players must keep entering "SET DRAW" each turn that
they want the game to end in a draw.
If the GM notes that the game appears to be stalemated, he may at his discretion invoke
the so-called "Three-Year Rule." Simply put, this means that if there is no change in
ownership of supply centers for three or more years after the GM has announced the
invocation of the rule, the GM may unilaterally declare the game a draw. The GM must
invoke this rule for it to be in effect, and the three-year clock starts with the invocation. Players may ask the GM to invoke this rule but he is under no obligation to do so.
Once the GM has set up a game and at least one player has signed onto it, the settings
will not be changed without the players' consent. Unanimous consent is not necessary so
long as there are no dissenting voices. In other words, if five players consent and two say
nothing, the GM is free to say "Okay, since no one minds…" after a reasonable amount of
time has passed. Changes of this sort are rare at best, and are usually intended to
correct an unanticipated problem with the game. Exceptions include deadline and grace extensions
and changing the "list" status of the game.
Any change to the parameters which, in the GM's opinion, is not a good idea, may be
refused. Players are not empowered to force a change to the game settings that the GM is
opposed to. If players don't like the game settings as they find them when they first notice
the game, they should not sign on in the first place. And if drawn from the Queue by the GM be asked to be put back into the Queue.
Players who attempt to overrule the GM, ignoring the status of the GM as the final
authority on game matters, may, at the GM's discretion, be removed from the game. This
is a rule of last resort. It is rarely invoked.
Intentionally circumventing these house rules, the Judge mechanism, or the rules of the
particular variant you're playing in is forbidden. Just because you can find a "loophole" in
one of the above does not entitle you to exploit it. If you're curious if something you're
contemplating doing is actually a no-no, ask the GM.
Playing multiple positions in the same game at the same time is the most serious offense
against these house rules and will very likely result in your being banned from the
Judges. Just because you can register for multiple free web-based e-mail accounts at
places like hotmail and yahoo does not entitle you to use these extra accounts to play
extra positions in the same game. You will get nailed so hard by the Dip Community that
your head will spin.
Under no circumstances may you sign onto a game as another player. If you are playing
power X and power Y accidentally or on purpose gives away his password, you MUST
NOT use this to sign on as power Y, even if you think it'd be an amusing way to let him
know he's given such a crucial piece of information away. Even if power Y says "It's
absolutely okay for you to sign on as me" you MUST NOT DO SO. And before you say
"What if I know player Y, and he's unable to get to a PC to enter his orders, and he
phones them in to me and gives me his password?" understand this: UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO SIGN ON AS ANOTHER PLAYER, EVEN IF IT'S
WITH THAT PLAYER'S PERMISSION. If the situation is as dire as all that, you could
always communicate with the GM and ask for an extension on player Y's behalf.
It is forbidden to attempt to influence a player in game A by offering threats or
concessions in game B. This is called "cross play" and is strongly discouraged.
Abusive behavior of any sort, especially behavior that continues after the GM asks a
player to rein it in, may be grounds for removal from the game and/or banning from the
Judge.
It is also not acceptable to signon as another power once you have been defeated. For example,
if you are Italy and get defeated in 1905 and then in 1907 Turkey goes abandoned it is not ok for you
to take over this position.
The GM may, if necessary, allow abridgements of these rules, but only as an absolute last
resort. This rule should almost never be invoked. Examples where it might be necessary
include allowing a player to use a "handle" in his registration if he has demonstrated a
good track record in other games and really, really, really prefers his real identity to not
be known, or perhaps calling for a draw vote in a novice-only no-press game where it is
obvious that the players don't know about or understand the mechanism for draw votes.
The GM is the final authority in his games. Players who disagree with the GM's decision
on some matter may discuss the decision with the GM, but if after such discussion the
GM continues to feel that the decision was appropriate, the player should simply accept
this and go on. Inasmuch as the GM's #1 goal is an enjoyable and fair game for all
players, sometimes the best way to achieve this goal is to accept a difficult situation,
even if it may not be exactly the way you wanted things to come out, and go on playing.
Everyone's human, after all.
20021011 - Updated GM link for PSmith to Dylan O'Donnell per request. Clarified language on extension requests.
20021004 - Added page to Diplomacy web ring.
20020223 - New ISP, had to move the webpage and redo the webcounter (396 hits). Removed link for Mind-It, they are no longer in business. Fixed some links not corrected when changed from last ISP. Some minor language tweaks.
20001211 - Forgot to redo some of the links to indexes on this page when switched ISPs. Replaced counter with a free counter from WebCounter. The old one was provided by my previous ISP. Started counter at 333 (number of hits from last counter). Revised statement about how often I check my email.
20001113 - Moved website to new host as I switched ISPs. Changed old site to a link to the correct page. Need a new counter as the old one was tied into my ISP - had 333 hits from 19990722 to 20001113.
20000503 - Added Robert Watkins to the "Other GMs House Rules".
20000426 - Have been trying to complete a list of other GMs house rules. Decided to finally post what I have so far. Created "Other GMs House Rules" section.
20000215 - In a continuing effort to make this page and its language my own removed the reference to the "Conrad Minshall" rule under Press #4. Added link to the Automated Online Mapper under Related Resources. Added Revision History section.
20000204 - Posted updated page. Removed link to Jay Furr's page and created my own borrowing much of his text. Tweaked the language to taste.
Have fun. When all is over it is still just a game.
This page has been viewed times since July 22, 1999.
