The Replay Variant

[Garagon]

Back in 2006 or so when I was first here I ran two games of a variant I named Replay. It was an unusual variant of a traditional anonymous gunboat game in which the retreat and build phases were normal, but the two movement phases each year ran very differently.

In the Replay variant, each movement phase actually has two phases. First, a communications "movement" phase occurs in which each player communicates intentions through moves, convoys, supports, etc. After this part 1 is run, the game is manually reset by the game moderator. With the season reset, in part 2 the real movement phase for that season occurs. There is no obligation by any player to use the same moves from the part 1 communication "movement" phase and the part 2 real movement phase.

Of course, this must be an anonymous player game with hidden draw votes, because the only communication allowed is through the Part 1's of every season.

It's been nearly 20 years after I ran these, and though they went well I am interested in hearing what others with much more experience than I have to say about this lost variant of Diplomacy. Thank you.

[Garagon]

Ah, I see.

Never mind, the software no longer supports this variant, there is no way to have a moderator that can reset phases. Perhaps I was on the other server long ago, no matter.

[JECE]

1. If you have another account, you really should report that using this new feature (apart from multi-accounting concerns, it's honestly really interesting that you were such an early adopter of phpDiplomacy and users should know that): https://webdiplomacy.net/group.php
2. As far as I know, you can still be given mod powers in a game. You just need to ask the mod team. If you don't want to ask the mod team, you can do it yourself when creating a game on our sister website vDiplomacy
3. Really interesting idea for a variant!

[Garagon]

1. If you have another account, you really should report that using this new feature (apart from multi-accounting concerns, it's honestly really interesting that you were such an early adopter of phpDiplomacy and users should know that): https://webdiplomacy.net/group.php
2. As far as I know, you can still be given mod powers in a game. You just need to ask the mod team. If you don't want to ask the mod team, you can do it yourself when creating a game on our sister website vDiplomacy
3. Really interesting idea for a variant!

Thank you.

I must have been over there all those years ago, because I did run Replay and Replay2. I had an account here too, getting it reactivated was... challenging. Perhaps I'll try to get my account over there reactivated.

[JECE]

1. If you have another account, you really should report that using this new feature (apart from multi-accounting concerns, it's honestly really interesting that you were such an early adopter of phpDiplomacy and users should know that): https://webdiplomacy.net/group.php
2. As far as I know, you can still be given mod powers in a game. You just need to ask the mod team. If you don't want to ask the mod team, you can do it yourself when creating a game on our sister website vDiplomacy
3. Really interesting idea for a variant!

Thank you.

I must have been over there all those years ago, because I did run Replay and Replay2. I had an account here too, getting it reactivated was... challenging. Perhaps I'll try to get my account over there reactivated.

Well phpDiplomacy = webDiplomacy. vDip is much newer.

I'm sure that you know about the ModForum already, but message the mods here for help (on regaining your old account or on setting up your variant):
https://webdiplomacy.net/modforum.php

[Garagon]

Hmm. Maybe I ran them over at the Pouch or thereabouts, it was somewhere, I just don't remember where.

But you have inspired me. I'll request that the mods let me run a Replay3 game and see who shows up to playtest this variant on this website. It won't be until after the new year, because I'm traveling and I can tell you from experience that the game moderator has to be absolutely on top of this game when running this variant. The game moderator has to both set replays as soon as possible after the communication/move phase ends, and if possible to always let players know exactly what phase the game's at, so someone doesn't retreat after a communications phase, for example. I hope there's a setting for that for game mods, I have no idea. But I'll find out.