Federation Commander

Falconer · Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:20 pm Post subject: Diplomacy

In recent years I have been really interested in the Diplomacy Variants hobby of the 1960s-70s. These were often played by mail, with results printed in fanzines. I tried out a Middle-earth variant last year, which was rad! It was also quite illuminating to see how much of modern gaming ultimately grew out of this scene.

You would think there would have been a Star Trek variant, since Trek also had a strong fanzine tradition. But I am coming up dry, up until some which date from the 90s. These have TNG empires like Ferengi and Borg, which do not interest me. Anyone have any memories, or leads, regarding a Diplomacy variant which sticks to basically the SFU empires?

Steve Cole · Site Admin Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 3828

Sounds like the guys who wanted us to do an SFU version of RISK.

I couldn't see investing the money in doing a formal milton-bradley version but a fanboy PDF version might happen.
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

ncrcalamine · Lieutenant Commander Joined: 23 Feb 2010 Posts: 272

I would buy a pdf version of SF diplomacy

Sgt_G · Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 9:52 pm Post subject:

I'd buy it in PDF, too.
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Garth L. Getgen

Master Sgt, US Air Force, Retired -- 1981-2007 -- 1W091A

Steve Cole · Site Admin Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 3828

Note to myself, see if I still have a copy of diplomacy in the closet.
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

Falconer · Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2020 10:08 pm Post subject:

Just curious if you've given this any more thought. Cheers!

Steve Cole · Site Admin Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 3828

More thought, yes, but too many other irons in the fire this month.

I am not entirely sure how I would do it since space isn't really two exclusive terrain types. Or rather, the solid bits are too small and too far apart to matter. One of the dynamics of Diplomacy is that ships do X and armies do Y and Star Fleet Diplomacy doesn't really have any way for the armies to move except by ship, so they become irrelevant, leaving one kind of unit and one kind of terrain.
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

Steve Cole · Site Admin Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 3828

I thought about this while walking the dog (some game designers create new games in the shower, but I think they're all wet) and came up with a sort of a concept.

1. Get the diplomacy game out of the closet. Count the number of provinces/areas and the number of cities/resources. (Anyone who wants to do this for me speeds things along.)

2. Take a clone of the computerized F&E map. Delete the hex layer. Combine provinces until getting "about the right number" and pay attention to the planets so that we end with "about the right number" of planets.

3. Figure out seven starting countries (Lyran, Kzinti, Hydran, Klingon, Fed, Gorn, Rom) each with three planets/capitals/cities/resources.

4. All areas/provinces are "space/ocean" and the only units are fleets. Planets/capitals/resources are sort of islands. Fleets count to control space, but you have to have a "marine division" to control a planet (and hence build a newfleet there). Your home planet comes with two Marine divisions and the other two planets you control each have one. You can create a new one on the home planet every turn. Rules do not allow you to create a new division unless the extra division at the home planet has been moved somewhere and do not allow multiple divisions on other planets. If you lose your capital you pick a new one. [Simpler Alternative, do not create or convoy marine divisions. Just create them out of thin air to mark a planet you hold.] ((The Marines are there just to create some kind of dynamic and not just have endless water and nothing but fleets, but may be too complicated to bother with.))

5. If you move a Fleet into a planet/resource area, you do not get to count the planet as owned and producing a new fleet unless you have ships convoy a marine division there (see alternate above). If you capture a planet area and there is an enemy Marine unit there, the fleet that captured the area wipes out the Marines with no extra effort allowing you to bring in your own Marines.
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

Falconer · Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 6:38 pm Post subject:

Paraphrased from Wikipedia:

There are 56 land regions
and 19 sea regions.
42 of the land regions are divided among the Great Powers,
and the remaining 14 land regions are neutral at the start.

34 of the land regions contain supply centers.
23 of these are home supply centers, i.e., are located within the Great Powers.,
and the remaining 12 are in provinces which are neutral at the start.

Sgt_G · Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:31 am Post subject:

Also of note, 14 of the 56 land areas are land-locked; six of these are home supply centers. There is one impassible land area: Switzerland.

One sea area (the Black Sea) is segregated from the rest; Fleets need to go thru Constantinople to get to/from the Aegean Sea.
_________________
Garth L. Getgen

Master Sgt, US Air Force, Retired -- 1981-2007 -- 1W091A