1812 Overture: Game Start And House Rules

[Aeschines]

I didn't realize this was only the 7th game ever! That's super cool.

[NoPunIn10Did]

I didn't realize this was only the 7th game ever! That's super cool.

You might have seen this as something I linked in the Tournament chat, but others might find it useful too:

1812 Overture Map Changes & Power Performance Discussion
See Also
http://www.playdiplomacy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=103&t=56102&p=912611#p912611

Discussion of Map Changes
There have been three versions of the map played so far. Several changes occurred between v1.0 (beta test) and 1.2, but only one minor change occurred between v1.2 and v1.3 (the starting coast of Russia's fleet).

We're playing v1.5 in the tournament, whose changes were mostly European. The borders and units have been arranged to strengthen Napoleon's defensive capabilities. His starting unit in Warsaw is now closer to home, in Amsterdam. Austria has been reduced back to 2 SCs but should be much less vulnerable than its iteration in v1.0. Iberia has been restructured to give that setup a little more historicity; it is intended to be a point of awkwardness for Britain & France (and potentially New Spain) to resolve.

North America received less changes in v1.5. The map changes were minor; I folded a largely unused space back into Mexico City and changed the Great Lakes into water spaces. Unit-wise, there were a few more changes, but nothing terribly drastic. New Spain's fleet in Florida was sent back to Havana. A new army in Florida is now in its place, but it is supplied by an undefended SC in Europe that will very likely get captured in the first year (Cádiz). The USA and Canada have received more flexibility in terms of build locations, and the USA now starts with an army in Charleston (rather than a fleet).

Finally, in v1.5, one major rule change has occurred. The victory conditions, which were too complicated for most players to understand without multiple examples, have been simplified. 18 SCs are still needed to win. 12 SCs on a single continent are also still required, but I've done away with the need for those 12 to belong to a single power.

Discussion of Power Performance
Five sessions have been played so far across three versions of the map, with three solos in total. [Edit: The sixth session is still in progress, and like this session, it's using map v1.5 (the fourth iteration to be played).]

The first was Denmark-Norway + Shawnee, with the Shawnee taking the bulk of the SCs (map v1.0).

The second solo was USA, achieved after he and other powers banded together to stop a strong two-player alliance. The USA made a very well-timed stab and then proceeded to pound the continent (map v1.2). In other sessions the USA has been one of the first eliminated.

The third solo was Austria + Cherokee, with the bulk of SCs belonging to the Cherokee (map v1.3).

The first draw was called for time; it was a face-to-face playtest. At the time, the three detached pairs were in the lead but also in position to start betraying one another (map v1.2).

The second draw was the PbF session on PlayDip, where the remaining three players stopped after eliminating USA, France+Rhine, and Denmark-Norway + Shawnee (map v1.3). That game came pretty close to a Britain + Canada solo, then closer to an Austria + New Spain solo (with the SCs mostly in Europe for a change). It also could have resolved in a Double Win between any two of the remaining players, but none of the three seemed to trust each other enough to follow that through.