Intimate Diplomacy*

	      Intimate Diplomacy the Semi-Automated Way

Intimate Diplomacy played using the Judge and my mini-adjudicator is a
mix of automated, semi-automated, and manual processing.  When the
game starts, you will be told which power you will be playing, and
given a password to use to sign on with.  You may change the password,
but remember what the old one was.  You'll be using it to control your
mercenaries during retreat and adjustment phases.

Sign on to the game using the standard Judge signon syntax.  For
example, suppose you've been assigned to play Turkey in game id97t1,
with a password of Turkeyz:

   example: signon tid97t1 Turkeyz

The judge will tell you that it is currently Spring, but in reality it
is "Thaw", a season which occurs between Winter and
Spring.  Thaw is when bidding occurs.  Every Thaw there will be a
broadcast containing the current credit levels for both players:

example: *** Available credit for bids, thaw 1901 ***
example:     reserve income total
example: R     16       4     20
example: T     17       3     20

To bid, send a message containing your bids via "press to m".  Since
this is a tournament with many games to adjudicate, and i have to
handle the bid mail "by hand", please submit your bids one-per-line,
in the format BID   .  For example, if
you're still Turkey in id97t1, you might say:

example: press to m
example: bid t r 8
example: bid t a 4
example: signoff

Upper vs. lower case doesn't matter.  You may spell out the power
names if you wish.  You may also submit bids via the bidding form.
   
Since Thaw isn't recognized by the judge, the judge won't enforce Thaw
deadlines.  I would prefer to receive your bids within one day after
the previous year's adjustment results.  However, i will accept bids
up until the Spring deadline.  In the event that i receive both
players bids before the deadline, the Spring Movement phase deadline
will be either the remaining time, or two days, whichever is further
away.  If both bids are not received by the spring deadline, the
bidding will be processed, with the delinquent player (or players)
bidding 0 on all mercenaries.

After the bidding is processed, a broadcast will be sent containing
the results:

example: ===== spring 1901 =====
example:  
example: *** Bidding Results ***
example:  
example: --- Player Bids ---
example:    A  E  F  G  I  R  T
example: R  3  2  2  3  2  -  -
example: T  6  2  2  0  2  -  -
example:  
example: --- Reserves ---
example: Russia 17
example: Turkey 14
example:  
example: --- Mercenary Control ---
example: Austria controled by Turkey
example: England uncontroled
example: France uncontroled
example: Germany controled by Russia
example: Italy uncontroled
example:  
example: Proxies for controled mercenaries submitted.

All of units of the mercenaries controled by a power will have PROXY
orders issued.  Uncontroled mercenary units will have HOLD orders
issued.  At this point, submit orders in the usual way, including
orders for the proxied units:

example: signon tid97t1 Turkeyz
example: con - bul
example: ank - bla
example: smy - arm
example: tri - adr
example: bud - rum
example: vie - gal
example: signoff

The Judge will process the turn normally.

If there is a retreat phase, the retreats are processed in almost the
same way as standard Judge games.  The differences are that disloged
units of uncontrolled mercenaries will be disbanded by me "by hand",
and retreats for controled mercenaries must be submitted by the
players.  Since the judge doesn't (yet) allow proxy orders during
retreats, you must sign on to your mercenaries, using the password
originally given to you at the start of the game:

example: signon aid97t1 Turkeyz
example: rum - gal
example: signoff

After retreats (if any) are processed by the Judge, the Fall movement
phase will begin.  A broadcast will be sent:

example: ===== fall 1901 =====
example:  
example: --- Mercenary Control ---
example: Austria controled by Turkey
example: England uncontroled
example: France uncontroled
example: Germany controled by Russia
example: Italy uncontroled
example:  
example: Proxies for controled mercenaries submitted.

Then orders for your units and those of the mercenaries should be
submitted in the same way as for Spring.  In the event of retreats,
they should be handled as described above for Spring.  If there are
Winter Adjustments, the same process is followed:

example: signon aid97t1 Turkeyz
example: build army vienna
example: signoff

Play will continue in this way until one player manages to get a unit
into one of the other player's home centers, or until a stalemate is
reached.  At the end of Spring and Fall (including retreats if any),
the mini-adjudicator will check for victory.  If it determines that a
victory has occured, it will send a broadcast:

example:  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
example:  
example:    Turkey is the winner, with 102 victory points.
example:    Congratulations on a game well played!
example:  
example:  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Victory points" are something i invented to simplify implementing the
victory conditions.  Each oponent's home center you occupy is worth
100 victory points (up to a maximum of 3), and each bidding credit in
your reserve is worth 1 victory point (in fall, you add on the income
from the centers you currently own).  This makes a simple calculation
to give the correct result for all Intimate victories.  The rules also
specify:

  9. A game may develop into a stalemate situation once all neutral
     countries have been eliminated with neither player being able to
     break through a defensive line to meet the standard victory
     conditions. In this case the winner is the player with the most
     supply centres.

In this case, each center is worth 1 victory point.

If you have any questions or comments about this rather lengthy
description, please don't hesitate to contact me.

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© 1998 Jon Stewart-Taylor, all rights reserved. Send comments or questions to