For those fans of "Diplomacy" and "A Game of Thrones" (the board game), I believe I've synergized the best of both.
I've been a longtime fan of "Diplomacy". For those who don't know what this board game is, it's an alternate universe WWI scenario where players negotiate alliances with each other, wheeling and dealing their way to become the dominant power of Europe. I say "alternate universe" since all seven powers start on equal footing with any alliance combination being possible. For example, you could have France/Germany teaming up against Britain, Britain/Germany against France or Britain/France against Germany. The map is perfectly shaped so that any two players can ally against any third. I've seldom seen any war scenario games balance things out so nicely.
The problem, and I'm sure most Diplomacy fans would agree, is that the game takes a long time to play (8-12 hours is a good estimate) and frequently the game ends in stalemate.
Then I played "A Game of Thrones" the board game. The game has the same intrigue and negotiation aspect but it is much more fast-paced, playing in 3-4 hours and the rules offer a richer strategic dimension.
The problem, and I'm sure most fans of AGoT the board game would agree, is that the map isn't well laid out to allow as much versatility in alliance combinations. Lannister and Grayjoy, in particular, seem destined to be inevitable enemies.
So you can guess my solution: A Diplomatic Game of Thrones.
This was a bigger project than you might think. The map needed to be somewhat considering that there is unit stacking with the AGoT structure. I started by counting the number of provinces, barrels, crowns and cities in AGoT and used this as my guide to how to redesign the map. Fans of Diplomacy will see some provinces and sea zones combined.
The rules structure also saw a lot of "cosmetic" changes to suit the WWI scenario. On the cards, cannons replace swords and trenches replaced fortifications. In the game, the commies replace the "Wildlings".
Historians should love the cards. I did more research on the First World War than I ever would have considered doing while I was in school.
Feedback welcome.
I've been a longtime fan of "Diplomacy". For those who don't know what this board game is, it's an alternate universe WWI scenario where players negotiate alliances with each other, wheeling and dealing their way to become the dominant power of Europe. I say "alternate universe" since all seven powers start on equal footing with any alliance combination being possible. For example, you could have France/Germany teaming up against Britain, Britain/Germany against France or Britain/France against Germany. The map is perfectly shaped so that any two players can ally against any third. I've seldom seen any war scenario games balance things out so nicely.
The problem, and I'm sure most Diplomacy fans would agree, is that the game takes a long time to play (8-12 hours is a good estimate) and frequently the game ends in stalemate.
Then I played "A Game of Thrones" the board game. The game has the same intrigue and negotiation aspect but it is much more fast-paced, playing in 3-4 hours and the rules offer a richer strategic dimension.
The problem, and I'm sure most fans of AGoT the board game would agree, is that the map isn't well laid out to allow as much versatility in alliance combinations. Lannister and Grayjoy, in particular, seem destined to be inevitable enemies.
So you can guess my solution: A Diplomatic Game of Thrones.
This was a bigger project than you might think. The map needed to be somewhat considering that there is unit stacking with the AGoT structure. I started by counting the number of provinces, barrels, crowns and cities in AGoT and used this as my guide to how to redesign the map. Fans of Diplomacy will see some provinces and sea zones combined.
The rules structure also saw a lot of "cosmetic" changes to suit the WWI scenario. On the cards, cannons replace swords and trenches replaced fortifications. In the game, the commies replace the "Wildlings".
Historians should love the cards. I did more research on the First World War than I ever would have considered doing while I was in school.
Feedback welcome.
Atheist Forums Hall of Shame:
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
