108 - Diplomacy

I.  Equipment: None.

II.  Number of Players:

Minimum 2, maximum: Number of Ackanomic players less 1. Referees: 1

III.  Starting an instance of the game:

The game is started upon the completion of the following ordered list
of steps:

A.  A player announces their intent to be a referee for a game of
Diplomacy.  For the purposes of this section, they will be referred to
as the "Referee", athough they do not become so until the game actually
starts.  They may abort this procedure at any time before step F occurs,
by publically announcing this action, in which case no instance of a
game occurs.

B.  The Referee announces the following information:

    1) The minimum and maximum number of players in the game.

    2) Any variations to the Rules of Standard Diplomacy.  Such variations
may not scope beyond the game of Diplomacy.  For the purposes of this
game, "Rules of Standard Diplomacy" means the document entitled "Rules
for Diplomacy", copyright 1976, as published by The Avalon Hill Game
Co.  The variant must at least be recognizable as form of the game of
Diplomacy.

    3) If the variant uses countries, the method in which countries shall
be assigned.

    4) If the variant uses orders or moves, and turns, the time limit
by which orders or moves must be submitted from the announced start of
a turn.  If multiple types of turns exist [eg, "move" and "build"],
different time limits may be specified for each type.  For the purposes
of these rules, "moves" should be construed as any possible game action
that requires notifiying the referee.

    5) The method of adjudication.  The valid methods are "manual" and
"automated".  If manual adjudication is specified, the form of all valid
moves in the game and the manner of communication with the referee must
be specified.  If automated adjudication is specified, the referee must
specify instructions on how to use the "judge", or provide a pointer
to a suitable set of instructions.  In either case, it should be such that
a player may play the game with e-mail only access to the Internet.

   6) The default action for all late, ambiguous, or otherwise invalid
orders or moves, and some sort of discussion of what constitutes a late,
ambiguous, or invalid move.

   7) The conditions, if any, under which the game will be terminated
prematurely [e.g., after the Autumn 1930 move], and the method for
determining a winner or winners in such a case.  It is not required that
a winner be determined in this case.

   8) The actions of any bots playing in the game, as per section V.
Bots can replace players who are on vacation or leave the game. [e.g,
bots always submit unambigious hold orders for all their units, and
never submit build orders.]

C.  The referee announces open enrollment in the game, and the deadline
by which open enrollment shall end.

D.  Ackanomic players other than the referee who wish to play shall e-mail
the referee stating this intention.  This step shall end upon the
occurrance of either of the following 2 events:  The open enrollment
deadline occurs, or, the maximum number of players for this instance
of the game have signed up.

E.  Upon the former event occurring, the game cannot start unless at
least the minimum number of players enrolled, and, in this case, this
procedure is aborted with no game instance occurring.

F.  The referree announces the start of the game, the names and e-mail
addresses of all the players, and any necessary initial data [e.g.
country assignments].

IV.  Rules of the Game:

Standard Diplomacy shall be played, except as modified by the details
announced per section III, and except that no physical board and pieces
shall be used (athough it is permissible, but not required, for a web
page to be maintained that simulates such), and except that a referee
shall adjudicate all game moves and maintain the game state.  The
decisions of the referee are final.

Winning the game:  Unless specified otherwise in the details announced
per section III, the first single player to achieve the winning conditions
of Standard Diplomacy shall win the game.  Also, unless countermanded as
per section III, 2 or more players may claim a win by, as a group,
controlling enough of the game space such that if said control were
achieved by a single player, that player would win, provided all players
involved acknowledge this claim seperately to the referee.  [e.g, if 2
or more players control 18 sc's between themselves, they can announce a
co-win].

Upon a winning condition being achieved, the game ends.  All winners
split 8 points evenly.  If the number of winners does not divide evenly
into 8, however, the number of points split is the greatest positive
multiple of the number of winners that is less than 8.  If no such number
exists, no points are awarded.

If the game ends without a winner or winners being declared, however,
no points are awarded.

Upon the end of a game, the referee receives A$10.

V.  Errata

Upon a player or referee of Diplomacy becoming no longer an active
Ackanomic player, the game is paused until a replacment is found, and
such replacement is acknowledged by the referee, or the GamesMaster in
the cases where there is no referee, or the player in question is
replacing
the referee.  The game becomes unpaused upon all non-active players being
replaced, or upon being in a paused state for 3 consecutive days,
whichever occurs first.  The replacement shall play in the former
players stead until that player once again achieves active status in
Ackanomic.

A player may resign from Diplomacy, in which case they are treated as a
non-active player as above, except they may never participate in that
instance of Diplomacy again.

No game play shall occur while the game is in a state of pause, and
no time in a state of pause shall count towards any durations in the
game, except for counting towards the pause duration, of course.

If no replacement player is found by the time the game becomes unpaused,
a bot shall play in their stead, as specified in section III.  If the
individual in question is the referee, however, the game ends without a
winner upon it beoming un-paused, if no replacement referee has been
found.

An active Ackanomic player may always replace a bot with the approval
of the referee, provided that player has not previously participated
in that instance of Diplomacy.