I made the large map first, is this a problem?

No. Just make sure you have both ready.
I helped quite a lot of people to implement their variants, but so many didn't bother to finish their maps that I require now both maps before I start working on this.
It's quite a lot of work, and requires some commitment, so I make sure you will be able to finish your map.

I will don't worry, as you can see I'm very committed to completing this.

Synapse.. welcome to vDip!

Looks like your maps are coming along quite nicely!!

I'm guessing this will be a 5 player variant?

Have you considered putting neutral armies on the map for some of the more heavily defended neutrals? Poland/Greece/Yugoslavia/Sweden/Norway/Denmark/Belgium/Holland/Turkey/Spain, etc.? (Check out the Known World 901 variant here for an example http://www.vdiplomacy.com/variants.php?variantID=57).

If you are looking for historical accuracy (hard to do on a diplomacy map), Hungary/Rumania/Bulgaria/Finland's status as minor allies to Germany might be another thing to consider as well as the USA's involvement.

Just ideas, I don't wish to tell you how to do your variant, just wanted to share my thoughts!

Good luck!

Damn, looks like an awesome map.

welcome to the site :) looking forward to seeing this variant in action!

http://www.vDiplomacy.com/wiki/

Thanks for the support guys. I really want to keep this variant simple, so having considered the options I don’t think there will be many neutral armies, except with perhaps Poland and Spain. My vision is hopefully for a larger scale game with lines of battle which may require more diplomacy in order to bypass. The early game will be a dash for many neutral territories including all of Eastern Europe, before hopefully the powers balance out to larger fronts.

That said, it would definitely need some test games to iron out imbalances. I made the large map first and I am not sure how to make the small map and keep enough information in all the provinces, some of which are quite small. And I know next to nothing of coding, so I’m going to be relying on advice to make this variant a reality.

Here are drafts of both my large and small map. Does somebody have a patient eye to look and compare them both? I'm looking for border inconsistencies, particularly along the coast. If you spot anything please let me know.

http://s2.postimage.org/ve89xesd4/map.jpg
http://s2.postimage.org/dkhd9uyop/smallmap.jpg

I would recommend a small font (9px) and using the Scs from the other smallmaps.
Some good advice for placing the names and SCs are here: http://forum.webdiplomacy.net/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=432#p2241

Thanks, can you reset my lab? I was an idiot lol sorry.

Synapse, I have a question about your map. Does Tripoli connect to Libyan Sea? It looks like it does, but the connecting boundary is extremely small. Maybe move the border of Tripoli a bit to the right so that it's more obvious?

Welcome to vdiplomacy, Synapse !

It seems like you are making a great job ! Thank you very much !
If you wish someone to check the geographical accuracies of your map, I would gladly help you.
For example, I have noticed this mistake : you have placed Novgorod in the Southeast of Moscow but in reality Novgorod is Northwest of Moscow.

If you need any geographical help, please write me a PM.

I can help too, if needed, I have done a lot of studies on the WWII time period and I have experience in variant design.

Hi Retillion, just to clarify that is actually supposed to be Nizhny Novgorod. Thanks

Updates:
http://s18.postimage.org/9qbnakmt5/image.jpg
http://s7.postimage.org/5vwneg63f/image.jpg

Nearly ready for play-testing.

I just noticed there appears to be a four-way border between southern Norway, southern Sweden, Skagerrack area and Sealand area. You may need to specify in the rules which of these connect to one another...

http://s11.postimage.org/7zud3cjnn/preview.jpg

***UPDATE***

This mod is now available for playtesting. I'd like at least a few games to see how balanced the game is and to receive feedback. Please take part on lab.vdiplomacy

http://lab.vdiplomacy.com/board.php?gameID=19 Here's a game for starters

@Synapse :
Your variant seems very interesting :)
Would you please like to give some clarifications about the variant rules, please ?

1° What are the victory conditions ?
2° Is it build anywhere ?
3° Is movement possible between Tripoli and Libyan Sea ?

Also, every country starts with 7 SCs, except Germany that has only 6. Is that a mistake or is there any reason ?

One last thing, Nizhny Novgorod is misspelled : you forgot the *n* in Nizh*n*y.

Right now to me, it looks like there are a whole bunch of free SCs for USSR.

For some reason I can't get onto labdiplomacy, when I tried to go to the link it says "You are using an invalid log on cookie, which has been wiped. Please try logging on again." and when I try to go to the home page to get an acount it says the same thing, any idea what's wrong? (oh, and this is relevant because I'm interested in how the variant turned out because it looks interesting, but I agree with General Cool that it seems that the USSR has a lot of free supply centers)

I like the map. Retillion Germany has 7 SCs, you may have missed the East Prussia enclave on the Baltic.

Personally I would like to see the neutral countries of the war (eg Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Eire/Ireland and Portugal) blacked out and impassible, like Switzerland in Classic.

But I'm a stickler for historical accuracy.

Depending on the start date perhaps a new non SC territory for the Sudetenland in the present Czech/Prague territory?

Ill join

It started

@The Ambassador: I agree, but in accordance with Sudetenland, I think Austria should be a German SC regardless of the start date. Austria was firmly under German control a few years before WWII.

There are quite a few bugs with this first version that I didn't expect, mainly Italy is broken. So please keep your concerns coming in and I will be revising some things.

Although I don't agree with Austria, as the game starts 1937, and Germany can annex Austria in the first move if they so wish, or invade the Low Countries, or Denmark. I'm trying to recreate the choices that Hitler's Germany had, not to force players to re-play out the war move for move.

I'll be interested to see in this first test game whether USSR is too strong as I am playing Germany.

Oh, 1937. In that case, I think this variant is set up correctly then.

Yes Synapse that's correct. I guess the question - as always - is where is the starting point. A balanced equal game of SCs amongst players may be fair in 1937, but doesn't Germany gobble up Austria etc. So I think the issue is not promoting it as a WW2 representation. Its more a pre-war variant that reflects what may have happened if the allies didn't appease and take Germany on a lot earlier.

If historical accuracy is desired a 1939 start where Germany is unbalanced (more SCs) gives him an advantage, but this reflects reality.

Just my two cents.

Sorry! Should have proof read that! For some reason a heap of sentences mysteriously disappeared!

I meant to say:
A balanced equal game of SCs amongst players may be fair in 1937, but doesn't reflect the realities of appeasement. Historically the French and British sat on their hands while Germany gobbled up Austria etc. I don't think in Dip players would do that.

So I think the issue is not promoting it as a WW2 representation. Its more a pre-war variant that reflects what may have happened if the allies didn't appease and take Germany on a lot earlier.

Exactly ambassador. ONE of the possible outcomes from the map is WW2 as it panned out (excepting the inclusion of the US), but players have the ability to change history. For example what if Italy and German were enemies? What if the USSR invaded Germany from the start?

If you're going for full historical accuracy, Nizhny Novgorod was known as Gorky at that time I believe. Balancing a WW2 map proved to be rather tough when I tried, and I've not really had much time since to improve it (I made the Europe 1939 map). I found that neutral armies are the most useful way of balancing it out, particularly for those pesky Balkans that had no power to sit nicely in them.

Hellenic, very cool. I hope you don't think I'm insulting your map by making a WW2 one, as I think you'll agree we've got different ideas of how to do this (and the more the merrier!)

Are there any other things that you can recommend at this point? I think in terms of balance, France is the most disadvantaged, and I'm not sure if there's a way to remedy that.

Oh I don't mind. I think France will be better off in yours than mine as there won't be a Spain, but discouraging Italy from hitting it is still difficult. I think a stronger French presence in North Africa compared to Italy would be the best way. Maybe a second French SC if you divided Algeria and Morocco up slightly.

Yeah, as France in the test game, I feel that with good diplomacy, France could do quite well!

Leaves a ton of open space between countries. I would suggest countries start controlling more of the open SCs, so that the action can start sooner.

Ive uploaded all my files, I have however also broken the server. I'm waiting for Oli to fix it before creating the test game again. :D

Works again now.

Test game is back up and running for anyone who wants to join,

Open game for anyone to join is http://lab.vdiplomacy.com/board.php?gameID=28

For anyone who was in the previous test game, see PMs

We just need 1 more player on http://lab.vdiplomacy.com/board.php?gameID=28

gameID=12486 just one person!