Newbies Guide to Diplomacy

By Edwin Turnage

This book is a guide for players learning the board game Diplomacy. The first chapter provides general guidance on sound play. Each of the following seven chapters give the player proven early strategy options for each Great Power, a list of moves, and advice you what to say to the other players in the game.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Edwin Turnage
• Release date: Apr 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370765782

Edwin Turnage

Hello. I live in western North Carolina. I enjoy listening to frogs sing and figuring out the constellations. I like a good story. I am married to a wonderful woman who makes me very happy.

Book preview

Newbies Guide to Diplomacy

By Edwin Turnage

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2018 Edwin Turnage

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

General Guidance

Austria

England

France

Germany

Italy

Russia

Turkey

About the Author

Notes

GENERAL GUIDANCE

This is a guide for the new player learning the board game Diplomacy. It provides proven opening strategies for each of the seven Great Powers. Reading The Newbies Guide to Diplomacy increases the probability a new player will succeed. It improves the likelihood of an enjoyable experience with this cutthroat game.

This General Guidance Chapter of The Newbies Guide to Diplomacy contains an overview of game objectives, philosophy of playing, and important rules. The seven following chapters focus on how to play each Great Power. The Great Power chapters each contain a brief overview of strategy options, sample moves, and what to say to the other players during the first negotiation phases. Take the Newbies Guide to Diplomacy with you to a game. When you are assigned a Great Power, review the Chapter about it to refresh your recollection. You're off and running. [1]

OBJECTIVES

To win a solo victory, a player must gain control of 18 out of 34 power centers on the board map [2]. These are indicated by black dots in certain land provinces. How does one go about achieving that objective when six other people have the exact same goal?!

Diplomacy is a game about relationships and political influence. If you've seen the television show Survivor you get the gist of it. Nobody wins a solo victory by herself. You need allies. Like in the Survivor TV show, your success or failure depend on relationships with others in the game.

The negotiation element—the part of the game about human emotions, trust, relationships, influence, negotiation, and power—plays out through an elegant movement mechanism (tactics). The players work in alliances to gain area control and acquire power centers. Accumulation of power depends on trusting the right person and persuading others to help you accumulate it. Loss of power flows from misdirected trust and diminishing political influence.

Solo victories are rare. Most Diplomacy games end in a draw. In rulebook scoring, everyone shares equally in a draw. However, tournaments and Internet scoring systems attempt quantify relative performance with point systems. These scoring systems typically reward players by the size and influence of their Great Power at the end of a game.

In the early game, the important political events relative to your Great Power take place between you and your immediate neighbors. Players scramble to avoid being the odd woman out. They look for people they can trust. They form alliances. Working together in alliances, players gain control over larger areas of the map board and acquire additional power centers. They produce more units. The more units and power centers an alliance controls, the more potential power it wields.

A NEW PLAYER'S APPROACH TO NEGOTIATIONS

Some new players are nervous about admitting that they are learning Diplomacy. They are afraid experienced players will automatically attack them. However, experienced players usually have an opposite reaction. They want new blood in The Hobby. They go out of their way to help new players have a good experience with the game. Additionally, a good, reliable new player makes a great ally. It is self-serving for an experienced player to find a loyal apprentice. Both new and old gain from the relationship.

In your opening discussions, talk to everyone and try to figure out who’s been playing a while and who’s relatively inexperienced. Ask other players, "Do you know any of the other players in this game? Say, What’s that player like? As a new player, favor alliances with experienced players. When you’re comfortable with an experienced player in your game, say, I’m learning Diplomacy. Would you ally with me? I’ll be loyal. I want to learn the game from a good player."

NEGOTIATION

Pay attention to other the player’s body language. Listen carefully to what he says to you. Body language and words are important. Even the best Diplomacy players have trouble lying. Divide the sheep and the goats. Who’re the reliable people and who’re the sketchy ones? Judge people by what they actually do also. Do they do what they say they will do or do they have a lot of excuses? Does what they say about their strategy make sense when you look at their moves? Trust your guts. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

Note: this does not necessarily mean you should confront a player when you figure out he is lying. You are better off keeping your observation to yourself. Let the liar think you don’t know. Plan your defensive tactics. Don’t let him know you’re going to block his stab. Use his lying against him with other neighbors. Explain you’re sick of it and want an