WHEN YOU DO NOT HAVE EXACTLY 7 PLAYERS:
ESCALATION DIPLOMACY
by Edi Birsan

Diplomacy is a time proven classic 7 player game with a fine play balance between all the countries. However, at times players cannot assemble 7 players or there are 8 or more players. Escalation is the system that provides a solution and a unique game experience each time played.

The basics:
Start with a map and no pieces on it.
Each player takes a different color set of pieces, (if you have to have an eight ‘color’ then the pieces up for that player or use coins.)
Decide who goes in what order during the 'Escalation Placement' phase of the game.

Recommended is that the owner of the game places first and then in alphabetical order by player.
Decide on the number of pieces players will place during the Escalation.
One by on, each player places one piece on the map, this is the Escalation Phase as players react to each other's prior single piece placement.
The piece may be an Army or a Fleet and it may be on a Supply Center, a non Supply Center province or a Sea Zone with the classical rules of only one piece per space.
Each player starts owning any Supply Center they start a piece on.
Continue until the agreed number of pieces is placed.
Play the Spring 01 and the Fall 01 seasons simultaneously like a normal game.
At the Winter 01 resolution each player writes down his three 'home' supply centers and may build there if appropriate starting in Winter 01 and for the rest of the game.
Players are not limited to declaring traditional home centers, nor do they have to be adjacent, nor to they have to be owned (but you cannot build there until you own them).
For example a player may declare that Brest, Spain and Naples are his three home centers those centers in the Winter of 1901.

Suggested starting number of pieces:
2 players: 12
3 players: 8 recommended is that no discussions allowed (Gunboat style)
4 players: 6 suggest that no discussions allowed or try no private talks (Wilson style)
5 players: 5 suggest Wilson style or normal
6 players: 4
7 or more players: 3

Discussions can be banned (called the Gunboat style of play) or limited to table side only (all discussions open to all called the Wilson style of play and no one is allowed to leave the table), or traditional secret/private talks. Generally it is recommended that for 4 players or less that there be no discussions other than at the table.

As a teaching device for two players, increase the number of starting pieces to 17 to give players a more intense Escalation Phase of the variant and to teach planning ahead, or decrease the number to 8 to give a more of a sense of a race. However 12 is about right balance between the ideas.

Players may want to limit the time to placing pieces to 30 seconds if it drags on too long.

Order writing phase should also be timed to 3 minutes to train people to write under time pressure basis as exists in Face to Face tournaments.
Remember that the more time people are given to write orders the slower they will learn to quickly assess a game board and make decisions.