Rules v.2.0

[President Muffley]

Diplomacy of the Empire (Version 2.0)
A variant of Diplomacy based on the game Conquest of the Empire by Hasbro (1984) and Eagle Games (2005). Modified for diplomacy by Zachary Jarvie (2009).

Unless otherwise stated normal diplomacy rules apply.

Background
Julius Cesar the dictator of Rome was assassinated in 44 BC. This game simulates a pseudo-historical power struggle following that assassination.

Board set up
Diplomacy of the empire can be played with a Conquest of the Empire (here after referred to as C.o.t.E.) map and game pieces, or it can be played with a digital map.

There are 7 players representing claimants to the title of emperor. Their home territories are Hispania, Italia, Macedonia, Galatia, Mesopotamia, Egyptus, and Numidia. Each player begins the game with an Infantry unit in his/her starting territory. Additionally Each player starts with a fortified city in his/her home province. This is the player’s capital city (see rules for home provinces and capital cities).

Note: If played with 6 instead of 7 players the Macedonian player is eliminated and Syria is considered a 5 (instead of 10) talent territory as it is in the 2005 edition of C.o.t.E.

Game Phases
Like standard Diplomacy the game is divided into Spring and Fall phases, with retreat phases as needed and a build phase following each Fall turn. The game begins with the Spring 43 B.C. phase move (years will count down until AD is reached).

The Legions
There are 4 types of military units, or Legions, that can be purchased during build phases they are Infantry, Cavalry, Catapults, and Fleets. Each unit has its own unique costs and abilities that are discussed bellow.

Because there are no “supply canters” military units are built at cities. However a player may only build military units in their capital city or at any cities that are connected via roads to their capital city. As in standard diplomacy only one unit may occupy a territory at any given time. So territories that contain a city that have a legion in them during a build phase are not available to build at. (Roads and cities are discussed in greater detail bellow.)

Each unit has a cost to build that must be paid during the Build phase. Additionally units must be maintained during each build phase for 10 talents each. Units are maintained automatically (no orders need be issued) so long as the player has enough money to maintain each unit.

During any given build phase a player may opt to disband one or more of his/her units. This is done with a standard “destroy” order. Disbanding a unit during a build phase allows the player to not to have to pay the maintenance cost (wages) of that unit during the following year. If a player has insufficient money to maintain all of his units in an upcoming year he/she must destroy enough units so as not to have less than zero talents at the end of the build phase. Under no circumstances can a player both build new units and disband exiting units during the same build phase. Only one or the other may be done.

Infantry
Infantry operate the same as armies in a standard game of diplomacy. They have a standard “weight” of 1 for al move, support and HOLD orders. Infantry move one territory per turn except when affected by roads (see rules for roads). Infantry may only make over land movements except when crossing over a strait (see rules for straits) or being convoyed by a fleet. Infantry have a base cost of 10 talents to build.

Catapults
Catapults represent Legions that carry a division of powerful siege engines with them. Like infantry they move only one territory per turn except when affected by roads (see rules for roads). Like Infantry, Catapults may only make over land movements with the exception of crossing over straits or being convoyed by a fleet. Unlike Infantry, Catapult units perform all actions (moves, support and HOLD orders) with a “weight” of 1 and ½, rather than 1. Catapults have a base cost of 30 talents to build. If a Catapult is ever forced to retreat it becomes an ordinary infantry unit.

Cavalry
Cavalry, like infantry, perform all actions (moves, holds and supports) with a standard “weight” of 1. Cavalry move over land Infantry do. However, unlike infantry they can move 2 spaces. This is explained below in the section on Movement Rules for Cavalry And Fleets. Cavalry units have a base cost of 20 talents to build.

Fleets
Fleets operate the same as in standard fleets in diplomacy except for the fact that they can move 2 spaces similar to cavalry(see below). Fleets have a base cost of 20 talents to build.

Movement Rules for Cavalry And Fleets
• During the Spring and Fall phases a player may choose to include a second move order (following a first move order) for their Cavalry and Fleet units.
Example of a two stage Cavalry or Fleet move:
Numidia move to Ceasarienis then Tingitana
• This “second move” applies to Move orders only, and does not apply to other orders such as Support, HOLD and Convoy orders.
• The first Move order of all Cavalry and Fleet unit takes place during the standard movement phase and can be supported by other units. Cavalry may use this order to be convoyed.
• The Second Move order must be written as a continuation of the First move during the Spring or Fall phases. (see the above example) The second move order is always made public during with the first order during the processing of orders.
• The second move takes place during the retreated phase. As such the second move cannot receive support and does not cut support.
• The second Move order can be written for any location the unit could legally move to from its first move destination, with the exception of the starting location of its first move.
• If the destination of the second Move is occupied or was left open due to a bounce, then the second move is a bounce and the unit does not finish its second move.
• If a Cavalry or Fleet is bounced from its first move it cannot proceeded to its second move.
• If a Cavalry or Fleet is forced to retreated from its starting location it makes a single move retreat order as in standard Diplomacy.
• Units that are using the retreat phase to actually retreat are able to see the “second move” orders of players from the previous phase. Issuing a retreat order to a province that a second move is issued to causes a bounce, and prevents the Cavalry or Fleet from competing its second move. Bouncing a second move in this manner results in the destruction of the retreating unit. Attempting to retreat to a province in which two “second moves are bouncing likewise results in the destruction of the retreating unit.

Territories
There are 42 land territories, 16 of which provide 10 talents of tribute. These 16 provinces are Hispania, Aquitania, Britania, Italia, Neapolis, Macedonia, Achaia, Asia, Galatia, Syria, Mesopotamia, Egyptus, Cyrenaica, Africa Procons, Numidia, and Caesarienis. The remainder provide 5 talents of tribute each. All land and island territories may also have a single city built within it. Each city provides 5 additional talents of tribute to its owner.

Previously unoccupied or “blank” territories are placed under a players control by occupying them at the end of in either the Spring or Fall phases.

To capture or place a territory under another players control players must occupy that territory at the end of the fall turn, just as in standard diplomacy.

Tribute
A players yearly tribute is determined by the sum of the players territories and cities. Tribute is assessed and collected after all of movements of the Fall phase (including retreats) have taken place. Tribute is available to build legions and raise structures during the Fall build phase.

Tribute not used to maintain the legions may be used during the build phase to build cities, roads and fortified cities. (See rules for cities, roads, and fortified cities.) Money not spent by the player is kept in the players treasury. This money is available to spend in the future.

If a player orders more build orders (in Legions or structures) than he/she has money to cover, then all build orders for that build phase fail and the money remains unspent.

Additionally, if the player chooses, they can give money to other players. This is done by adding a “PAY” order. The paid tribute is subtracted from the payers total and added to the recipient’s treasury, during that turn. “Pay” orders can be written in any phase, but they cannot be for more money than the player has on hand at the time. Players can not have a negative balance in there treasury.

Example order: “PAY 35 Egyptus”
In this example a player has paid Egyptus 35 talents.
Payments must be sent to a players home province. If a pay order is issued in a Fall turn in which the intended recipients home province is captured, the money is intercepted and taken by the invading player.
Payments are a common occurrence in the game of C.O.T.E., usually as ransom for a captured generals. “Generals” are not a feature of this game, however players may exchange money for any reason including, giving aid, paying for safe passage through another players territory or just good old fashion bribery and extortion! All monetary exchanges must be multiples of 5.

Inflation
During the build phase following the first time any player collects more than 100 talents of tribute, the cost of maintaining leagions as well as the prices for building legions, cities and fortifications double from their original base value. Once inflation occurs it cannot be reversed, even if every player’s individual tribute drops below the inflation marks.

Inflation also happens at the less commonly reached 205 talent tribute mark as well, this results in all prices being set at triple the base value during the next following build phase.

Cities
A single city can be built in any given on land province or island the player controls. A new city adds +5 talents to the tribute assessed for the province that it is located in. Once a city is build the owner of the city may use that province to assemble new military units if the city is connected to the player’s capital city by roads. Players may even build a city and use it to build a military unit during the same build phase. The base cost of building a city is 30 talents.

To build a city a player mealy writes an order to build city followed by the name of the province of the intended build. Example: - “build city SICILIA”.

Players should remember that while they may build cities in any territory they control, they may only build military units at cities that are connected by roads to their capital city.

Fortified Cities
In addition to the normal benefits of a city, a fortified city automatically adds +1 to the value of any unit of the provinces owner to HOLD in the province the fortified city is located. This support is applied to all orders that result in a HOLD such as support orders or illegal orders. Support from a fortification is not applied to legal orders that result in a bounce out of the intended province the unit was moving to.
Only the provinces owner may receive support from a fortification. Other players do not receive this support in the fall after occupying the territory in the spring.

The base cost of building a fortified city is 50 talents. Alternatively a fortification can be added to an existing city for a cost of 20 talents (base value).
To build a fortified city a player mealy writes an order to build a fort followed by the name of the province of the intended build. Example: - “build fort SICILIA”
If there is no city in SICILIA this would build a fortified city on the island (50 talents). If a city already exists on SICILIA then this order adds a fortification to the city (20 talents).

Fortifications do not prevent other players from moving into an empty province, they can’t HOLD or be supported to hold. Fortifications must be built on a city. A player may not build a fortification without a city and players may not “stack” multiple fortifications onto a single city.

Roads
Any time a player builds or captures a city located in a province adjacent to any other city they posses, a road is automatically built between the two cities. Roads cannot connect cities in two provinces separated by sea zones or straits (Example: no roads can go to Sicily).

What roads do for you.
Players can only build legions at cities that have roads that connect (directly or through other cities) to one’s capital city.

Additionally units (except Fleets) located in a city can move to any other city connected by roads to that units starting city.
Example: let’s say that there is a stretch of roads that connect Hispania and Macedonia going through Narbonesis, Italia, and Dalmatia.
In such a situation an Infantry, Cavalry or Catapult could move from Hispania to Macedonia (as a single move) by issuing the following orders . . . .
“HISPANIA move to Nar, Ita, Dal, MACIDONIA”
Or (along the same stretch of roads) you could move from Macidonia to HISPANIA by issuing this order. . .
“ MACIDONIA move to Dal, Ita, Nar, HISPANIA”
Note: If those two orders were issued simultaneously the armies would bounce each other at the border between Italia and Narbonesis.

Road rules
• Units cannot use roads to create a loop. Once a unit has passed through a province on a road its path may not enter that province again. Attempting to enter a province twice during the same phase is an illegal order.
• If another unit moves from an adjacent province into a province on your road route, then the two units bounce. The road travelling unit is stopped in the province before the province in which the bounce occurred. If two units have their road routes cross then to determine if a bounce occurs each unit is moved along its route simultaneously one province at a time. If each of the units never contests the same province at the same time, then there is no bounce and both units arrive at their destinations. If they bounce then each will be stopped in the last territory they entered prior to the bounce.
• Roads cannot be used to deliver support over long distances! Support works the same as in standard diplomacy. Pick the unit being supported (by naming the units starting province) and select the single province that the unit will be supported into. A unit travelling along a road can be supported into any province along its route.
• Roads cannot be used to retreat over long distances all retreat orders are one province only movements. Cavalry, however, when making their second move, that takes place in the retreat phase, can move along roads if uninterrupted.
• In C.o.t.E. when one of your a cities was captured by another player, all roads leading from that city to your other cities were removed. This is not the case in this variant. Roads can only be removed by razing cities during the build phase.

One last note on roads. In the ordinal C.o.t.E. game a players could only build armies in their home province. As such building roads was extremely important. Roads originally cost 10 talents per segment however to encourage their construction they are free (and automatic/they cannot be refused) in this variant. Additionally players are only allowed to build military units at cities that are connected by roads to their home city. This is intended to help simulate units originating in the players capital.

Razing cities
If fighting a losing battle, you may wish to deny your cities and roads to the enemy.
During a build phase (after all tribute is collected) a player may issue a raze order for any City in any territory the player controls (those the player collects tribute from). These orders are designated as raze orders to avoid confusion with destroy orders that may or may not be given to legions located in the same territory as a city that the player may wish to demolish.

Example: “raze JUDIA”
this order would destroy any city or fortified city in Judia (it also destroys all connecting road segments.

• Fortified cities can only be razed in their entirety neither the city nor the fortification can be pulled down independently. Additionally any roads that are connected to a city are removed once that city is razed.
• Roads cannot be individually razed. To destroy a desired road segment a city must be razed.
• unlike in C.o.t.E., no money is gained from razing a city.
• Issuing a raze order for a capital city (both your own as well as ones you capture) is permissible. Destroying your own capital city will make it impossible for you to build new legions (in any city) but you will still be able to collect tribute, pay maintenance, build cities and issue PAY orders as normal.


Special areas of the board
Provinces with Two coasts
Hispania, Italia, and Macedonia have two separate coasts. Standard Diplomacy rules for provinces with more than one coast apply to these territories.

Straits
There are 4 maritime crossings on the board which have historically been considered easy or tactically very important. These crossings are between . . . . .

THRACIA and ASIA
NEOPOLUS and SICILY (think Spartacus)
TINGITANA and BEATICA
BELGICA and BRITANIA

Land based units (Infantry, Cavalry and Catapults) can make these crossings without the aid of Fleets to convoy them. Fleets may also make these crossings as a single movement. Fleets in the surrounding Sea provinces may support movement made over these crossings or support units at either side of a crossing to HOLD. The mere presence of Fleets in the sea zones containing the crossings does not “block” the movement along these crossings from being made. No unite may issue a retreat order across these crossings, doing so results in the retreating unite being destroyed.

Home Provinces
The province each player begins with is his/her home province. If it is ever taken (occupied in the Fall) by another player, you cannot build (in any city) until the home province is recaptured with its capital city intact or rebuilt.

If a player looses their home province to another, the treasury and all that years’ incoming tribute from all that players provinces not occupied by one of his legions is also captured by the invader. Those provinces in which the player has legions stationed the player will collect tribute from, as normal. The player may have to adjust the number of his legions to accommodate the loss of income. The invader only receives this extra-tribute the first year after taking another players home province. It is considered a bonus and is not used for determining inflation.

A player who has lost his/her home province must recapture it! No other province may function as a players home province. While your home province is controlled by another player you are subject to the following effects. . . . . .
After having lost your home province . . .
•You can only collect tribute from those provinces you have a military unit stationed in at the end of the Fall Turn.
•You cannot maintain a Treasury. That is all money you collect must be used to maintain your legions any excess money is lost at the end of each Build phase.
•You cannot receive PAY orders.
•If the city in your home province is ever destroyed (by a raze order) you cannot build (in any city) until you have built a new capital city in your home province.

Winning conditions
A player has won the game when all other players have surrendered or have otherwise been eliminated. The winning player is declared the emperor of the newly unified empire and will be reminded that they "are mortal" upon their victory. Draws can include 2 or 3 players(but are highly discouraged). A 2-way draw splits the empire in two. A 3-way draw forms a triumvirate government. Such players need not be reminded that they are mortal as it will be all too clear.


Examples of written Orders. (using the sugested order writing format)
Single space move orders
"Italia move to Rhetia"
"Thracia move to Asia"

Example of a convoy order
"Galaita move to Egyptus" (applicable to Infantry, Cavalry or Catapults)
"Mare Rhodus convoy Galaita to Egyptus"
"Mare Alexandria convoy Galaita to Egyptus"

Move orders along roads(Spell out the starting and ending province and use initials for each province inbetween. Use commas to separate each province)
“ HISPANIA move to Nar, Ita, Dal, MACIDONIA”

Move orders for cavalry and fleets (for clarity, please underline any second moves if they are made)
"Numidia move to Ceasarienis then move to Tingitana"

2 Examples of a two stage cavalry movement including roads from Tingitania to Africa Procons
"Beatica move to Tingitana then move to Cea, Num, Africa Procons"
or
"Africa Procons move to Num, Cea, Tingitana then move to Beatica"

Build orders
"Build Infantry Italia"
"Build Fleet Hispania(SC)"
"Build Catapult Numidia"
"Build Cavalry Egyptus"
"Build City Neapolis"
"Build Fort Asia"

Destroying a Legion
"Destroy(or Disband) Sicilia"

Destroying cities, forts and all connecting roads (designated as Raze orders to aviud confusion with disbanding orders)
"Raze Galatia"

Province Names___Abriviations_________Sea Names________Abriviations
ACHAIA____________ACH_______________Mare Adriaticum______mAd
AFRICA PROCNOS____AFR_______________Mare Aegeum_________mAe
AQUITANIA_________AQU_______________Mare Alexandria_______mAl
ARABIA PETRRA_____ARA_______________Mare Amisus__________mAm
ARMENIA___________ARM______________Mare Baliaricum________mBa
ASIA______________ASI________________Mare Cantabricum______mCa
BALEARES__________BAL_______________Mare Epirus___________mEp
BEATICA___________BEA_______________Mare Hispalis__________mHi
BELGICA___________BEL_______________Mare Libycum__________mLi
BRITANNIA_________BRI________________Mare Narbo___________mNa
CAPPADOCIA_______CAP_______________Mare Numidia__________mNu
CEASARIENIS_______CEA_______________Mare Pelusium_________mPe
CILICIA____________CIL_______________Mare Pontus Euxinus____mPo
CORSICA__________COR_______________Mare Rhodus__________mRh
CRETA____________CRE_______________Mare Sabrata__________mSa
CYPRUS___________CYP_______________Mare Tyrrhenum________mTy
CYRENAICA________CYR_______________Oceanus Atlanticus______oAt
DACIA____________DAC_______________Oceanus Britannicus_____oBr
DALMATIA_________DAL
EGYPTUS__________EGY
GALTIA___________GAL
GERMANIA ________GER
HISTANIA_________HIS
ITALIA___________ITA
JUDEA___________JUD
LUGUDNENSIS_____LUG
LUSTINIA_________LUS
MACEDONIA_______MAC
MESOPOTAMIA____MES
MOESIA__________MOE
NARBONENSIS_____NAR
NEAPOLIS________NEA
NORICUM________NOR
NUMIDIA_________NUM
PANNONIA________PAN
PONTUS ET BITHYNNA___PON
RHETIA__________RHE
SARINIA__________SAR
SILICIA___________SIL
SYRIA____________SYR
THRACIA_________THR
TINGITANA________TIN

[rayhond]

The new rule about building a road to connecting cities is a good one I think which kinda gives more realism and how they had to rely on the capital city for stuff. I also think it will give people more of a reason to build roads since we didn't build any last game. I also like the revised sail orders and how the second moves are now in the retreat phase instead of having their own special phase to work in. Adding the special convoy spaces to the map is also nice.

One question: are all upkeeps the same for all units?

Changes from original rules (from what I read):
The new units and costs
Infantry: 10 talents, moves as a regular army
Catapult: 30 talents, moves with 1.5 strength, turns into a regular legion when forced to retreat
Cavalry: 20 talents, like army that can move 2 spaces
Fleet: 20 talents, like normal fleet that can move 2 spaces

New Build rule: new cities must be connected with roads to capital city to be able to be built at. (what happens if you capture an enemy capital?)

New road rule: roads are automatically built between two cities if controlled by the same person and are adjacent

New movement for Cavalry and Fleet: The first move is now the main move and the second move is now done during the retreat phase.

Did I miss anything?

[President Muffley]

You seem to have gotten the “jist” of it.
I think the best change I made was to make the labels of 10 talent countries gold so I could get rid of all the 5’s and 10’s in each province. It makes the map a lot less littered.

There are a few other changes you missed but it’s all minor stuff.
•Inflation happens at 105, instead of one year later. I just want it to hit sooner.
•You are now allowed to “raze” any city, including capital cities (one you just captured or even your own if you wish to deny it to a player who you are not able to stop).
•Players who lose their home territory can no longer declare a new capital city some ware else. They must recapture their home province.
•No more first winter build, every one now starts with an Infantry (the only thing they can afford, puss its less of a tactical mess the first year).
•Also, (just to be clear) there are no more “special convoy/crossing “ zones. Land units can just simply move across the "dotted" straits marked on the board(Thracia to Asia , Beatica to Tingitana, Neapolis to Sicilia and Belgica to Britannia).

One question: are all upkeeps the same for all units?

Yes, upkeep (wages) for all units is the same, 10 talents.
( I originally was going to have it be different for each but 5 would have been to cheep[the map already gets flooded with units befor the inflation hits] and more than 10 would have made some units far too expensive, no one would ever build a city.)

New Build rule: new cities must be connected with roads to capital city to be able to be built at. (what happens if you capture an enemy capital?)

If you capture an enemy capital it becomes a regular fortified city and will connect by roads to any of your adjacent cities(preexisting roads to enemy cities also remain intact). If those roads lead back to you home province then you may build at that city. Roads can’t cross water so Hispania will never be able to build at Numidia but Egyptus (if he captures it) could build at Numidia if he has a cities in Cyrenaica and Africa Procons as well.