webdiplomacy.net

I'm new to online Diplomacy, but have experience playing Dip I. Ancient times; back when you either played face-to-face or via postal mail (aka snail mail).
Different zines had different house rules, but I remember most had some sort of standby moves system. When a player didn't submit moves by the deadline, the country immediately went into civil disorder. A new player was recruited to submit standby moves. If the original player missed a
The next deadline, the standby moves would be used and the standby player would become the new ruler.
This allowed the game to continue without delays, which was important when deadlines were once a month.
I wonder if something similar could be used in online Dip. What if some not currently in the game could submit shadow moves for one or more countries for each turn. In the event that someone missed the deadline, the shadow moves would be used and the shadow gamer take over the role.
This could work along with the current "forgiven" late orders by only applying to countries without remaining forgiven lateness.
This would reduce game delays, which are still annoying, even in rapid deadline games.

And who would make the shadow moves? Maybe it could work in a gunboat game, with a bot. But if i want to play with a bot, I play with a bot. 1 day delay is not the end of the world.

I think that’s a really interesting idea, and it feels like a modern twist on a classic system. Having shadow players ready with moves could keep the game flowing smoothly and avoid the frustration of stalled turns. It would also give interested spectators a way to be more engaged, and maybe even help with smoother transitions if someone drops. The key would be transparency and making sure it’s clear when a shadow move is being used. I’d love to see this tested in a casual game to see how it plays out.