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David E. Cohen (1000 D)
15 Sep 20 UTC
Comments Wanted for new Variant: Unconstitutional
I am looking for comments and criticism for Unconstitutional, a variant in development.
This is a much smaller variant than my last few, at 5 Powers and 29 Supply Centers in total. It is also more dense, being almost exactly as dense as Standard Diplomacy, so, unlike Dawn of the Enlightenment, there are likely to be some stalemate lines, though I have not looked for them. Simple rules, with navigable rivers, neutral holding armies and the ability to build in any owned Supply Center being the notable deviations. The variant map may be found here:
https://davidecohen.wixsite.com/diplomi ... titutional .

By way of background, play starts in the Spring of 1805 and the scenario is that the United States Constitution was not ratified (which very nearly happened) so the nation continued to operate under the weak Articles of Confederation. The states did not drop their conflicting land claims, border disputes flared into armed conflicts, and western expansion is stunted. The Louisiana Purchase still occurs and Haiti is thrown in, but it takes two years before the payment is made, so French troops do not leave until the end of 1804. Many of the state governments have ceased to effectively function and the Western Confederacy of Native American tribes has formed to oppose American settlement.
Swede03 (1517 D)
15 Sep 20 UTC
The link doesn't work for me.
Swede03 (1517 D)
15 Sep 20 UTC
I think the problem is that I can't see the middle characters in the link, and wix doesn't recognize the link without the missing characters
Fake Al (1747 D)
15 Sep 20 UTC
(+1)
Here's the link: https://davidecohen.wixsite.com/diplomiscellany/unconstitutional
Sorry about that. Thanks, Fake AI.
bsiper (1281 D)
15 Sep 20 UTC
A strange historical issue on the map is that Delaware actually owns the entirety of the Delaware River on their border up until the NJ coast: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-Mile_Circle
David E. Cohen (1000 D)
15 Sep 20 UTC
(+1)
NOT something I am worried about for this variant. LOL
drano019 (2710 D Mod)
15 Sep 20 UTC
One initial comment I'd have is regarding New Orleans:

As it stands, it's impossible for Western Confederacy to capture New Orleans given the standing neutral army. They can only put a unit into Lower Louisiana, which does not allow a capture, and they cannot get into Gulf of Mexico until they capture New Orleans. In fact, the only power realistically who will capture New Orleans is South Carolina...but even then, it's easy for someone to ensure New Orleans cannot be captured by simply putting a unit into Lower Louisiana.

Overall, I'd question whether there should be an additional adjacency by New Orleans, as currently it takes both adjacent territories to capture it, and it's hard to see how one power can do that without it already being the end game.
That is an excellent point. It has already been added to my mental list of possible revisions.
Swede03 (1517 D)
15 Sep 20 UTC
Have you considered adding Canada as a British player or possibly Florida as a Spanish player for more of an 1812 scenario? plus that would get you 7 players.
Swede03 (1517 D)
15 Sep 20 UTC
Also, I'm concerned that right now, New York can only feasibly fight Pennsylvania. Adding Canada would also help fix this.
As I mentioned in another platform, Britain and Spain in this period were so much larger and more powerful than the entire United States, much less the broken up pieces which are the Powers in this variant. I am also not looking to making this variant as large as Standard. I want something more intimate here. I am open to reworking the provinces around New York,
drano019 (2710 D Mod)
15 Sep 20 UTC
Are neutral standing armies a "must"? It seems to limit the flow of the game.

For example, the only SCs people can guarantee are:

W Confed - Chickasaw
S Carolina - Cherokee
Virginia - None (although N. Carolina is likely unless South Carolina is willing to give up their build to block it for sure on turn 1)
Penn - None
NY - Massachusetts

I could easily see W. Confed and S. Carolina many times teaming up to claim the 7 southern SCs that noone else can gain while also using spare units to stymie Virginia and Pennsylvania due to the neutral armies being support held.
I am not *completely* married to the concept of standing neutral armies. There is also no particular reason why some neutrals could be garrisoned and others vacant.
Swede03 (1517 D)
15 Sep 20 UTC
Yes, I understand that Britain and Spain were far more powerful overall, but in their colonial power centers, not necessarily. The British weren't able to conquer the Americans in the war of 1812.
LOL They were a little preoccupied.
KingOfSwords (1497 D)
16 Sep 20 UTC
That might be the biggest problem with this idea, though. If the US descended so quickly into warfare between states, they would have been much easier for Britain to reconquer. A third of the population of the 13 colonies had been loyal to Britain during the revolution, and while many of those people had relocated to Canada after the war, this level of chaos would still have convinced a huge number of Americans that they had been *so* much better off as British colonies.

Another thing is that maybe, with the USA failing, the New England states would have found a greater degree of regional unity. It seems a bit extreme to limit them to a single neutral center and unit.
I envision it having been a rather gradual process. Things have only really just started to hit the fan in a major way and as mentioned, Britain is a little preoccupied. This is in the middle of the Napoleonic Wars.
drano019 (2710 D Mod)
16 Sep 20 UTC
I feel like some neutrals being garrisoned and some empty might be a good plan. Looking more at the board, the neutrals seem weighted in favor of Western Confederacy and South Carolina.

Currently, there are 7 neutrals that can realistically be captured by them only:
New Orleans
Choctaw
Chickasaw
Cherokee
Muscogee
Saint Louis
Port au Prince

There are 3 that are kind of "in the middle" of 4 powers:
Western Reserve
Westsylvania
North Carolina

And there are 4 that are in the realm of the north-east 3 powers:
Maryland
New Jersey
Massachusetts
New Hampshire

That seems to skew the balance of power (long-term) towards W. Confederacy/S. Carolina in that they have many more uncontestable neutrals than the other powers.
Thank you for your analysis. I think a neutral or two will be moving around, along with some province borders.
Fake Al (1747 D)
16 Sep 20 UTC
Yes, I think there's a strong imbalance between the interior and edge powers. The edge powers can easily stifle the interior powers by using two units to take a neutral uncontested while using a third to support hold a neutral army if they wish. They can then leisurely gobble up the distant neutrals. New York might have less neutrals in its neighborhood than SC or WC, but it has the benefit of only one neighbor to worry about early on. Even if British Canada isn't a power, it might be worth it for the territory to not be impassable to give NY and WC more interaction. Maybe a power or two should be added to the southeast to fill the void there, Cherokee, Muscogee, Chocktaw, Chickasaw, and Seminoles are all options.
KingOfSwords (1497 D)
16 Sep 20 UTC
I meant to say New England has only 2 neutral centers/units, not 1.
A revised draft, based upon comments received, is at the link above. Comments are still welcome.
The map has been further revised and I believe is close to being ready for a playtest. In addition to various cosmetic changes, Pennsylvania and Virginia have each been given a 4th Supply Center and unit, and the unit in New York City has been switched from an army to a fleet. The new draft can be viewed at

https://davidecohen.wixsite.com/diplomiscellany/unconstitutional

Further comments are of course welcome.
Swede03 (1517 D)
23 Sep 20 UTC
Much better than previous versions. Do PaP and SDo support each other? That would seem accurate.
In what way or ways is thisversion better, Swede03?

In answer to your question, no, the Hispaniolan units do not support each other.
Swede03 (1517 D)
23 Sep 20 UTC
I think its better to have VA and PN with 4 units since otherwise they are too weak. One thing I think is still missing is that I'd like to have Western Reserve border Detroit and Wapakoneta. I think that will break the stalemate line mentioned on webdip and it will also help New York and the Western Confederacy interact more
drano019 (2710 D Mod)
23 Sep 20 UTC
I'd agree that a little more ability for W. Confederacy/PA/NY to interact would be helpful i think. As it stands, Western Confederacy can only move east through Ohio and Kentucky, which makes blocking them relatively simple given the 2 neutral armies in Western Reserve and Westylvania and the home SC in Pittsburgh. That area is likely to be heavily militarized, and Western Confederacy getting bottled up in Ohio could become and issue in terms of them having a feasible path forward to the east.
I had extended Ohio to the edge of the map in order to make it easier for Pennsylvania to defend itself against the Western Confederacy. But with Pennsylvania having that 4th unit, perhaps I should reexamine this and consider a connection to Detroit and/or Wapakoneta.
Swede03 (1517 D)
23 Sep 20 UTC
Yeah, I'd extend it to border both.


30 replies
David Hood (976 D)
23 Sep 20 UTC
Sept 2020 edition of Deadline News from the Diplomacy Broadcast Network
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sgo2TXUHNs&t=192s
0 replies
Open
umbletheheep (1023 D)
20 Sep 20 UTC
The Briefing's Anniversary Issue
Hey everyone. This last issue - https://mailchi.mp/acc5851825e2/anniversary-edition was our 52nd edition. That's 52 Diplomacy strategy articles, tournament updates, and other hobby news.

I know many of you here on vDip subscribe to the Diplomacy Briefing - https://www.diplomacybriefing.com. Thanks for your support. Here's hoping for another year.
0 replies
Open
Caustic (827 D)
13 Sep 20 UTC
Bitcoins and Gambling
Anyone into free?
Anyone Into Gambling?
2 replies
Open
ghostronin (2282 D)
05 Sep 20 UTC
Pirates Variant - Privateer vs Authorizing Nation Help
See thread.
3 replies
Open
CBro27 (1453 D)
04 Sep 20 UTC
Sea Lanes Proposal/Discussion
See thread.
14 replies
Open
jason4747 (1633 D)
04 Sep 20 UTC
Request for Replacement
Europa Renovatio variant, 1 day 12 h deadlines, decent but not great position, fantastic allies, lots of drama, and good Diplomacy fun. Game is currently on a 3 day delay, next orders due Monday at 3pm, so lots of time to jump in and chat. Please PM if interested.
0 replies
Open
idk how to design maps
pls help lmao. I want a map put into Badfrog's "Conspiracy" app and they get their maps here but i don't know how to do anything apart from draw and colour the map in paint.net
1 reply
Open
the_majesty (1383 D)
26 Aug 20 UTC
(+1)
Another Public Press Divided States game
Hey folks! After the thrilling Draw conclusion of State Your Business, I've started up another Public Press Divided States game, this time with the win condition of 50 SCs. The last one was a lot, and presumably this one will be too!

?gameID=45509
0 replies
Open
CorvidKN (955 D)
25 Aug 20 UTC
Need sub
Can't play, need sub. PM me if interested. Okay position. Europa Renovatio. 24hr turns.

Name is CorvidKN
0 replies
Open
Ancapistan (1000 D)
23 Aug 20 UTC
I don't see the option to play against ai.
When I went to create a new game, there does not seem to be any option to play against ai. Did I miss something? Where do I find the option to play against ai when creating a new game?
5 replies
Open
salisbury (839 D)
10 Aug 20 UTC
Average age on this server?
Hello all, I was just curious if people had a sense of the general demographics of vDip?
11 replies
Open
piegoodpibetter (971 D)
20 Aug 20 UTC
Test Cases
Does anyone know of a tool where I could enter unit locations and some orders to see how it plays out? I have a situation I'm in and I'm not sure what the result will be for certain orders. Thanks!
2 replies
Open
Flame (1073 D)
13 Aug 20 UTC
(+2)
Map Germany vs Russia
Maybe we should start the game with 3 russian units instead of 4.
F Stp is to be abolished...
21 replies
Open
Bonatogether (1209 D)
21 Aug 20 UTC
Replacement needed by Sunday
I'm in an anon Pirates game (so I can't link it here) and I have to be out of town from Sunday to Tuesday. It's early in the game and I would feel bad extending so early, so if anyone could PM me, I can switch it over to you temporarily. Thanks!
2 replies
Open
umbletheheep (1023 D)
22 Aug 20 UTC
(+1)
Cold War Strategy Resources
The Briefing is has stepped in to satisfy the much needed drought of Cold War articles. Go to https://www.diplomacybriefing.com/cold-war-resources for articles on openings and midgame strategy along with an interview with bsiper and myself.
0 replies
Open
Anon (?? D)
22 Aug 20 UTC
Need replacement
Some things have come up which renders me unable to play. As such, I require a replacement for this game- gameID=44844 . It's a decent position. DM me for more info.
1 reply
Open
Caustic (827 D)
20 Aug 20 UTC
I want a donation badge
Wasn't there a way to make a donate to vdip? I believe long ago I seen donation badge icons next to ppls name's. I want one. How do i donate?
6 replies
Open
Need a country switch
Due to my upcoming schedule (busy), I won’t be able to consistently enter orders, and I don’t want to CD out of this game. If anyone wants a very solid position in a Modern Europe map, PM me. (It’s anon so I won’t link it here)
1 reply
Open
Anon (?? D)
15 Aug 20 UTC
Looking to be replaced in a game
Due to limited time, i need to leave this game, so i need someone to replace me.
https://www.vdiplomacy.com/board.php?gameID=44844, i'm lithuania.
3 replies
Open
David Hood (976 D)
15 Aug 20 UTC
(+1)
Newest edition of Deadline News from the Diplomacy Broadcast Network
Here we go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIB1oKzYiGw&t=7s
0 replies
Open
Miletius (1000 D)
05 Aug 20 UTC
Middle Eastern Map
Is there a map variant in vDiplomacy that is centred in the Middle East?
7 replies
Open
Pally (996 D)
07 Aug 20 UTC
Sandbox?
What's the best way to make a sandbox game with a variant here?
2 replies
Open
Flame (1073 D)
07 Aug 20 UTC
(+1)
How to post as Anon?
How to post in this forum anonimously?
6 replies
Open
Melior (800 D)
06 Aug 20 UTC
Where is the correct place to contact Oli for a variant?
I have created smallmap and smallmapnames files and the next step in the variant creation process appears to be to contact Oli and have him set up the DevTools. Is admin@vdiplomacy.com the correct place to request a variant? It has been three days since I have e-mailed him. Is this a normal amount of time to wait?
1 reply
Open
december16 (1214 D)
04 Aug 20 UTC
Public Press Logs
Is there a way of exporting all of the public press messages from a single game into an external document, or perhaps concatenating them into a single web page?

Thanks in advance :)
1 reply
Open
Anon (?? D)
04 Aug 20 UTC
Inequality
I know I shouldn't be posting comment on ongoing anonymous game, but I couldn't hold myself on publicly noting that all the top 16 powers on 'Quarantinovatio' got at least one build this year!
gameID=43323
0 replies
Open
Bonatogether (1209 D)
03 Aug 20 UTC
Losing vpoints for a match I did well in?
So I'm in a Modern Europe game, and I did pretty well - coming in 2cd place in terms of centers ( https://vdiplomacy.com/board.php?gameID=43216 ). But my Vpoints went down, from 1253 to 1229. I'm not sure why this is, and if someone could explain why that happened I would really appreciate it.

If it matters, I CDed out and was returned the spot using the country switch tool by a very generous guy.
4 replies
Open
vPoints system
How does this work exactly?

Can someone please explain/give the code.
1 reply
Open
Cornlord (1000 D)
02 Aug 20 UTC
(+1)
Private Messages
I'm curious to whether there's a feature that allows players to see if private messages are taking place, and between who (but not the actual contents of the messages). Sort of how in face-to-face Diplomacy, one can usually see people heading off into a separate room for a private discussion.

This isn't really a request, but a query.
2 replies
Open
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