Speed Diplomacy House Rules

HOUSE RULES

I. GM Discretion, Rulebook:

(1) GM Discretion:

The GM has the discretion to disregard specific provisions of these House Rules in order to reach a result in keeping with the spirit and character of the game of Diplomacy, but will do so only after concluding that less drastic alternatives would be unsatisfactory.

(2) Rulebook:

Except as set forth in these House Rules, the GM will follow the [1982] rules, published by [Avalon Hill].

II. Status of Orders:

(1) Preliminary and Final Orders:

Submission of preliminary orders is strongly encouraged, but not required.

Alternative B: All orders will be considered preliminary unless marked "Final".

i.e. don't label them as either, at the deadline, I use the last submitted orders.

(2) Transmission and Identification of Order Sets:

All order sets submitted must be addressed "To" the GM (not "CC" or "BCC") at an address supplied by the GM for that purpose unless the GM instructs otherwise, and must contain the following information and/or adhere to the following format in the Subject line of the email:

[game name abbreviation + space + year abbreviation + season abbreviation + country abbreviation]

e.g. FOR A GAME NAMED "SPEED EUROPA DEBUT":

"SED 01SA" = 1901 SPRING MOVE AUSTRIA

"SED 02UE" = 1902 SUMMER RETREAT ENGLAND

"SED 03FF" = 1903 FALL MOVE FRANCE

"SED 04WG" = 1904 WINTER RETREAT & ADJUSTMENT GERMANY

The GM is not required to accept order sets that do not meet these requirements, nor will the GM be required to search for nonconforming order sets.

(3) Orders Submitted by Proxy:

Alternative A: Orders submitted by proxy will not be permitted.

(4) Perpetual Orders:

Alternative A: The GM will not accept instructions designating an order set as perpetual.

(5) Contingent Retreat or Adjustment Orders:

ALTERNATIVE C:

SUMMER (U) = a separate order phase for post-spring retreats.

WINTER (W) = a separate order phase for post-fall retreats combined with adjustments.

REMEMBER, there is NO negotiation outside of the spring and fall phases, so contingent retreats and adjustments should be negotiated during the spring/fall negotiation phases. You should report anyone who attempts to negotiate with you outside of spring/fall to the GM.

Spring/fall phases that end without the need for retreats/adjustments automatically skip to the next spring/fall phase.

You can submit retreat/adjustment orders early; at the deadline, I use the last submitted orders. For fun, submit your fall 1914 retreat orders in 1901 and spend the rest of the game trying to engineer that situation--it confuses the heck out of your opponents.

(6) Public Orders:

Alternative A: The GM shall not request that any orders be submitted publicly, nor shall the GM be required to accept public orders unless those orders have also been transmitted directly to the GM in accordance with the requirements of these house rules for transmission and identification of order sets.

III. General Adjudication Rules:

(1) Interpretation of Orders:

Alternative B: Order sets and individual orders will be adjudicated with a presumption being made that each player wishes to submit a complete set of valid orders.

(2) Abbreviations and Typographical Errors:

Spelling out province names and other words used in orders is preferred, but

Alternative D: any abbreviations that are not ambiguous, in the sole opinion of the GM, are acceptable. A typographical error in an order that is nonetheless understandable by the GM will not cause the GM to rule an order ambiguous. A typographical error that results in an order containing either an abbreviation or the fully spelled out name of another province shall be adjudicated as an order pertaining to the province correctly abbreviated or spelled out.

ABBREVIATIONS SPECIFIED BY A PARTICULAR VARIANT IN A PARTICULAR IMPLEMENTATION (E.G. SPEED EUROPA FOR REALPOLITIK) ARE STRONGLY PREFERRED.

(3) Inferred Orders:

If a unit or units of a particular player are not ordered by that player, the GM will

Alternative A: not look to the orders of other units for the purpose of inferring an order for an unordered unit.

(4) Multiple sets of orders:

The last set of orders received before the [adjudication takes place] [deadline] will be used. In the event a partial set of revised orders are received,

Alternative A: previous order sets will be disregarded when the GM receives a revised order set. The GM will not look to an earlier order set to fill in missing orders in a revised order set.

(5) Movement Orders:

*Alternative A: A unit ordered to move will not be allowed to receive support to hold, irrespective of whether the unit is able to move in the manner stated. A misorder not implying movement will be adjudicated as an order to hold. An unordered unit or units will be considered to have been ordered to hold, and may receive support to hold.

(6) Multiple Orders for Units:

In the event that a unit is ordered more than once within the same set of orders,

Alternative C: the unit will be deemed to have been ordered ambiguously, and will be considered to have been ordered to hold, however all illegal orders will be disregarded before a determination is made as to whether a unit was ordered more than once. Duplicate orders will be treated as a single order for purposes of adjudication. A unit will not be adjudged to have been ordered illegally, if, before the turn was adjudicated, such movement would have been possible with the aid of other units on the board, irrespective of nationality of such other units.

IV. Specification of Unit Type, Unit Nationality and Coast in Orders:

(1) Omitted or Inaccurate Designations:

An omitted designation of the type of a unit (A or F) in orders other than build orders will not invalidate the order. An inaccurate designation of the type of a unit (A or F) will:

Alternative B: not invalidate the order.

UNIT DESIGNATIONS ARE STRONGLY PREFERRED.

(2) Omitted or Inaccurate Nationality of Units:

An omitted designation of the nationality of a supported or convoyed foreign unit will not invalidate the order. An inaccurate designation of the nationality of a supported or convoyed foreign unit will

Alternative B: not invalidate the order.

(3) Omitted Specification of Coast in Movement, Support or Hold Orders of the Subject Fleet:

For a fleet located in a province having two coasts, an omitted specification of the coastal location of that fleet in an order for movement of that fleet to or from, for holding in, or for support from that province will:

Alternative B: not invalidate the order if legal movement to or from only one coast of the province is possible for the fleet.

(4) Inaccurate Specification of Coast in Movement or Hold Orders of the Subject Fleet:

For a fleet moving to or from, or holding in, a province having two coasts, an inaccurate specification of the coastal destination or location of that fleet in an order for movement of that fleet to or from, or for holding in, that province will:

Alternative B: not invalidate the order if legal movement to only one coast of the province is possible, or if the fleet is located in that province.

(5) Inaccurate Specification of Coast in Support Orders of the Subject Fleet:

For a fleet located in a province having two coasts, an inaccurate specification of the coastal location of that fleet in an order for support by that fleet will:

Alternative B: not invalidate the order.

(6) Omitted Specification of Coast in Orders for Support of a Fleet:

An order for support of a fleet to, from or for holding in a province having two coasts, in which there is no specification of the coast of the province will

Alternative C: be a valid order for support of the fleet being supported, from, to or in either coast.

. . . PROVIDED THAT THE SUPPORTING UNIT CAN MOVE TO THE TARGET PROVINCE.

(7) Non-Corresponding Specification of Coast in Orders for Support of a Fleet:

An order for support of a fleet to, from or for holding in a province having two coasts, in which the coastal specification does not correspond to the coastal specification of the order for the unit being supported will

Alternative C: be a valid order for support of the fleet being supported to, from or in either coast.

. . . PROVIDED THAT THE SUPPORTING UNIT CAN MOVE TO THE TARGET PROVINCE.

V. Adjustment Orders:

(1) Omitted Build Designations:

If a player fails to designate the type of unit to be built in a build order,

Alternative C: No unit will be built based upon that order if the Supply Center specified by the player can produce armies or fleets, but an army will be built if the Supply Center can produce armies only, except that if a legal coast is specified, a fleet will be built on that coast.

(2) Excess Builds or Disbands:

If a player attempts to build or disband more units than the position would allow,

Alternative B: the builds or disbands will be followed in order, from [bottom to top] of the order set until the correct number of builds or disbands are reached.

(3) Multiple Builds in a Center:

If a player attempts to build more than one unit in a single turn in the same Supply Center,

Alternative C: the first build order, reading from [bottom to top] of the order set will be followed.

(4) Civil Disorder Removals:

If a power in civil disorder is required to remove a unit or units in an adjustment phase, the unit most distant from the

ALTERNATIVE C: nearest Home SC by shortest legal route including convoys, fleets before armies, ties broken by alphabetical order of province name.

(5) Impermissible Designation in Build Order:

If a player orders a fleet to be built in a Supply Center that cannot contain a fleet,

Alternative B: an army will be built based on that order.

VI. Convoy Orders:

(1) Retreat of Units After Dislodgment by Convoyed Armies:

If a unit has been dislodged by a convoyed army, the dislodged unit

Alternative A: may not retreat to the province from which the dislodging convoyed army originated.

(2) Possible Convoy to an Adjacent Province:

If movement by an army to an adjacent province is possible, prior to adjudication, both directly and by convoy,

*Alternative B: and a fleet of the same nationality as the army is ordered to convoy the army to the same destination as is stated in the order for that army, then the order for movement of that army will be adjudicated as an attempt to move by convoy. If no fleet of the same nationality is ordered to convoy the army to the same destination as is stated in the order for that army, unless the army is explicitly ordered to move by convoy, then the order for the movement of the army will be adjudicated as an attempt to move by land.

(3) Convoy Route Specification:

If multiple convoy routes for an army from the present province of that army to the ordered destination province are possible prior to adjudication, a player

Alternative B: may not write an order for that army that limits or specifies the convoy route that army is to attempt to take.

. . . UNLESS REQUIRED TO DO SO BY AN E-JUDGE.

HOWEVER, THAT UNIT CAN BE CONVOYED ONLY BY FLEETS THAT HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO CONVOY THAT UNIT.

(4) Disruption of Attempted Convoys with Multiple Possible Routes:

If multiple convoy routes for an army from the present province of that army to the ordered destination province are possible prior to adjudication, the attempt to convoy will be disrupted

*Alternative D: only if fleets necessary for all the possible convoy routes to the destination province of that army are dislodged.

(5) Cutting Support by Convoy to an Adjacent Province:

If an army attempts to move by convoy to a province in which a unit is supporting an attack by another unit on the province from which that convoyed army originated, the convoyed army will

Alternative A: cut the support.

(6) Adjudication of Paradoxical Convoy Situations:

In any adjudication in which a possible convoy disruption is either unresolved or has more than one possible resolution when following the appropriate rules in the Rulebook or elsewhere in these House Rules,

ALTERNATIVE C: The involved convoyed armies are rated at half-strength and re-resolved; residual ties or paradoxes rate all involved fleet actions from, in, or into land provinces at half-strength and are re-resolved; residual ties or paradoxes cause all involved convoyed armies to fail (hold and without support) and are re-resolved; and residual ties or paradoxes cause the failed convoyed armies to hold at half-strength and without support and are re-resolved.

(7) Convoy of an attack against a unit of the same nationality as the convoying fleet:

If a player convoys another player's unit to a space occupied by one of the convoying player's units, the convoyed unit will

Alternative C: succeed in dislodging the unit being attacked if it has received enough valid support to do so, and will succeed in cutting the support being given by the unit being attacked if it is otherwise allowed to do so.

(8) Effect of a unit convoyed to an adjacent province if a unit originating in the destination province of the convoy dislodges the convoyed unit.

If a unit convoyed to an adjacent province is dislodged by a unit originating in the destination province of the convoy,

Alternative A: the convoyed unit may have an effect on a move by another unit to the destination province.

VII. Deadlines, Length of Turns, NMRs:

(1) Order Submission:

It is the responsibility of each player to make sure that a set of orders is submitted as required before the deadline for each turn. Time of submission of orders will be considered to be when the GM receives the orders, not when the orders were sent, however, the GM will have the discretion to accept late orders if it is proven to the satisfaction of the GM that the orders were sent prior to the deadline. Individual and/or broadcast reminders may be given, but the lack of a reminder will not serve to excuse failure to submit orders.

(2) Timing of Adjudication:

Adjudication of a turn

Alternative A: will never take place before the deadline.

(3) Orders After Deadline:

Alternative B: Orders will be accepted until the start of adjudication.

(4) Length of Turns:

At least [3] days will normally be allowed for each movement turn. At least [1] days will normally be allowed for each retreat or adjustment turn, if there are separate retreat and adjustment turns. The GM may speed up or slow down the timing depending on the perceived complexity, to the GM, of the game situation, but will adhere to the original schedule if a faster pace is a hardship to any player.

(5) Delays:

Requests for delay received before the deadline will generally NOT be granted. The GM reserves the right, after a warning is given, not to grant further delay requests if the play, in the sole opinion of the GM, is being unduly or excessively disrupted. The GM may replace any player whose extended absence, or repeated absences, in the sole opinion of the GM, would unduly or excessively disrupt the flow of the game.

SUBMIT PROVISIONAL ORDERS OR IMPROVISED ORDERS TO AVOID NO MOVES RECEIVED (NMR).

(6) NMRs and Replacement of Players:

Alternative A: The GM will adjudicate with orders missing from one or more powers. Players failing to submit orders must contact the GM within [24] hours of the publication of the adjudication, or the GM will arrange for a replacement. The GM will normally attempt to contact the NMRing player publicly and privately before arranging for a replacement, but the GM, in the sole discretion of the GM, reserves the right to immediately replace an NMRing player after one or more NMRs.

VIII. Adjudication Correction, Review:

(1) Correction of Adjudication:

Players discovering errors in adjudication can bring them to the attention of the GM, who will correct any errors. However,

Alternative B: if another adjudication is published, without correction of an error, the error will stand.

(2) Extra Unit (Flying Dutchman) in Published Adjudication:

If it is discovered that an extra unit is present for a player, and that unit has existed for more than one adjudication, the imbalance between the number of units present and the number of units to which that player is actually entitled will be rectified,

Alternative B: the extra unit will be removed immediately upon recognition that such a unit exists, if the unit was added to the board (or a unit remains on the board which should have been adjudicated as having been disbanded) through an error of the GM. If the unit exists due to too many units having been built, the rule set forth in these House Rules pertaining to excess builds shall be employed to determine the unit that should be removed. If the unit exists due to not enough units having been disbanded, the rule set forth in these House Rules pertaining to civil disorder removals shall be employed to determine the unit that should be removed, with the determination of distance for civil disorder purposes to be made pursuant to the most recently adjudicated position.

(3) Multiple Units in One Province:

Any unit located by reason of an erroneous adjudication in a province correctly containing another unit shall be disbanded immediately, if that would have been the correct result, or relocated in the province in which it should have been located if another unit is not correctly occupying that province, otherwise the unit will be disbanded immediately. Any conflict in these house rules between this rule and any rule set forth in these house rules pertaining to an extra unit listed in a published adjudication shall be resolved in favor of this rule.

(4) Review of GM Decisions:

If a player feels that an adjudication error has not been corrected after having made a request for correction, the GM, in the sole discretion of the GM, may publicly or privately request advice from one or more persons of the GM's choice who are not involved with the game, employ an adjudication program or programs, and/or consult with written rule supplements or guides, but the final decision as to any adjudication shall rest solely with the GM.

IX. Voting Procedures, Game Endings and House Rule Changes:

(1) Wins:

Wins may be conceded only to a single player. All players remaining in the game must agree upon a concession unanimously, other than players who specifically advise the GM that they wish to abstain from the vote. A single negative vote will defeat the proposal. All games are presumed to continue until a player wins by reaching eighteen Supply Centers, so an uncast vote (other than an abstention) counts as a negative vote and defeats the proposal, however, a player for whom a conceded win is proposed will be held to have voted for the proposal.

(2) Draws:

Draws may or may not include all survivors, but must be agreed to unanimously by all players remaining in the game, other than players who specifically advise the GM that they wish to abstain from the vote. A draw that does not include all survivors presumes the elimination of the players not included in the draw. All games are presumed to continue until a player wins by reaching eighteen Supply Centers, so an uncast vote (other than an abstention) counts as a negative vote and defeats the proposal.

Alternative A: If, after a period of [2] game years, no Supply Centers have changed ownership, the GM reserves the right, after a warning is given, to declare a draw including all survivors, but will only do so if no prospects exist for a player to win either by reaching eighteen Supply Centers or by concession of the other players.

(3) Changes to House Rules:

Proposals may be made to change any specific House Rule or rules. The GM and all players remaining in the game must agree to any rule change unanimously, other than players who specifically advise the GM that they wish to abstain from the vote. All House Rules are presumed to remain unchanged, so an uncast vote (other than an abstention) counts as a negative vote and defeats the proposal.

(4) Confidentiality and Finality of Proposals:

Votes will be due simultaneously with the next due date for orders. The results of all votes will be published instead of the relevant adjudication if the proposal is approved, or together with the adjudication, if the proposal fails. All votes may be submitted confidentially, and players may submit revised votes. At the conclusion of a vote,

Alternative B: the GM will reveal the number of votes for each alternative in a proposal, but will not reveal any information as to the specific vote of any player, except that the GM will reveal the vote, but not the identity of the author of the proposal.

(5) Limitation of Proposals:

The GM, in the sole discretion of the GM, may refuse to conduct votes on repetitive or humorous proposals.

Alternative C: Players may vote for or against proposals that they submit.

X. Press and Other Communications, Integrity of Identity and Email Systems:

(1) Acceptable Press:

The GM, in the sole discretion of the GM, reserves the right to refuse to publish a piece or pieces of press for any reason. In general,

Alternative C: press correctly identifying the author (white press) and press to be published anonymously (gray press) will be accepted. Press attributed to any person unofficially (dark gray press) or officially by the GM (black press) will not be accepted. The GM will publish all gray press in an "Anonymous Press" section of the adjudication separate from the orders of the individual players. White press will be published with the orders of the author.

(2) Disclosure of Authorship of Gray, Dark Gray or Black Press:

Authorship of gray, dark gray or black press

Alternative A: will never be revealed by the GM.

(3) Forwarding of E-Mails:

E-mails and other communications are the intellectual property of their author, but the GM and players, by virtue of agreeing to GM or play in the game, freely give permission for the use of those e-mails and communications by other participants as part of the play of the particular game for which the e-mails or other communications were sent, subject to the restrictions of this Section.

Alternative A: Forwarding of e-mails will not be restricted by the GM.

(4) Prior Restrictions on Communications, Crossgaming Prohibited:

Except as otherwise provided for elsewhere in these House Rules, the GM will not impose any prior restrictions on the form or content of direct communications between any player and any one or more other players, or one or more persons not playing in this game, except that crossgaming (metagaming) will be grounds for immediate replacement. In addition, certain types of communications may be prohibited by law, or by the rules of the forum or community under the auspices of which this game is being played. Such communications are also prohibited under these House Rules.

(5) Communications Found Objectionable by the Recipient:

Alternative A: Each player acknowledges that he or she may receive one or more messages with content objectionable to the receiver from another player or players during the course of the game. Except as provided for elsewhere in these House Rules, the GM will not become involved in disputes arising from communications between players.

OBJECTIONABLE COMMUNICATION THAT IS PUBLIC OR TO THE GM IS NOT ALLOWED.

(6) Impersonation of Players or GM, Subversion of E-mail Systems and Adjudication Software:

Alternative B: Impersonation of one player by another, attempted deception or impersonation of the GM, or subversion of the integrity of the e-mail system or adjudication software of the GM, another player or a third party will be grounds for immediate replacement.