Pure strategy gaming (Diplomacy)

Member Name: RussellC

Product:	Diplomacy
Date:	25/07/00 (171 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Pure strategy and diplomacy.

Disadvantages: Takes a long time, needs lots of players.

Diplomacy uses a very simple rules set to provide a game that is almost pure strategy and as its title implies diplomacy. Essentially this is a war game, the objective to take control of as much territory as possible within Europe. You control one of the European powers and must build and move your units in order to capture territory. This probably doesn't sound that different to games like risk, but the strong elements of Diplomacy come in when you play in a larger group.

All moves happen simultaneously and to achieve this each player writes down their moves before the turn and then these instructions are revealed together. The board is updated according to these instructions. This should give a good indication that this is not a fast game and neither is it an easy game to play. You must remember the set of commands for different maneouvers. The rules for winning territory are very simple if you attack a teritory with more units than those that occupy it then you capture it. Combat always costs units, equal to the number of units occupying the captured territory. Simple rules in this case don't make for a simple game.

To stand a chance of winning you must make deals with your fellow players. By combining forces, often only temporarily you can increase your territory far more rapidly. The interesting aspects of the game take place between turns. Making deals and planning your moves is what this game thrives on, you can't be certain your new alllies will actually maintain their side of the bargain. One aspect of this mode of play is that the game can be played over a long period, a turn a day. I remember playing this at school each day giving in my written instructions for that days turn and at the days end getting back a newly photocopied map of the board and who controlled which territory.

There's a lot of fun in this game if you enjoy serious strategy, it isn't a quick game to play it's one that you
should take time over. Don't even try to play it with just two players, all of its strength comes from the multiplayer version.

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