Diplomacy League

[Scott of Hyperborea]

Here's an idea for a new intermicronational organization.

Right now our only sporting league/means of friendly national competition is Craiteman's soccer thing, which is both simulated and soccer and therefore boring on two counts.

So let's make the ongoing diplomacy games into a sport.

Each country that joins the Diplomacy League will get a chance to host a game, as long as they've got someone willing to run it.

As now, anyone who wants can play, but each player will register what countries they're in (dual citizens can list all countries but should give a primary). Players get points for winning games (one point for a solo win, half a point for a two way draw, one third point for a three way draw, etc). At the end of a "season", we add up all the points, and whoever has the most is the winner. That person's country (and the countries of the second and third place winners) get bragging rights for the rest of the season.

After the season, we hold a championship game with the best player from each country (we might have to fudge things a little; for example if Malliki lists himself as Shireroth/Cyberia dual, and there are a lot of Shirerithians but only one Cyberian, and Malliki's the top player in Shireroth, then he might represent Cyberia and the second place Shirerithian represent Shireroth, in order to have as many countries represented as possible). Countries can cheer on their team, and whoever wins that game gets a prize and more bragging rights. Then we start again for the next season.

Does that sound like fun?

[Kaiser Mors VI]

I like the idea. Let's do it!

[Harvey Steffke]

I don't really see why we need to red tape-ify a thing that's evolving very well on its own. Let's just keep playing and having fun.

[Kaiser Mors VI]

Well, I think he wants to organize a sort of Diplomacy Masters Game. Were the best players get together and go at it.

Personally, I think Nationality of the players should be ignored and we just keep track of people's wins. I got a 4th place once! But I'm sure that counts for nothing...

[Malliki Tosha]

I got a second place once. I think a league is a good idea, but let's scrap the nationality stuff just like Erik said.

[Icebreaker]

Non-Micronational Diplomacy

[Scott of Hyperborea]

Non-Micronational Diplomacy

Nah, that's just meant as a reference to the old Micronational Diplomacy.

[Aurangzeb Khan]

Actually I think it owes more to:

I'LL EVEN RUN IT, BUT NO BULLSHIT SHIREROTH MAPS OR WEIRD MODS. EUROPE, 1901, THE END.

Care of our resident voice of reason.

[Harvey Steffke]

Well I'm really enjoying the Youngstown game happening in Antica, though the map seems hopelessly unbalanced in favor of supporting the countries that started with colonies, but it's fun anyway if only because there are so many players.

But I agree that we should skip out on things like the Shireroth map and the Micras world map and what-have-you.

[Aurangzeb Khan]

though the map seems hopelessly unbalanced in favor of supporting the countries that started with colonies

Fairly accurate then in other-words.

[Scott of Hyperborea]

I dunno, I think one on a Shireroth map could be fun.

I'm enjoying Youngstown too. I obviously don't mind the colony part, but I am finding that if one country is completely incompetent, that gives its nearest neighbors a HUGE advantage. Maybe part of the league's purpose could be to find incompetent players and put them where they're least likely to do damage.

[Malliki Tosha]

Russia seems pretty incompetent. It would be cool as hell to have a league table that updates after each game, and then at the end of the season a final between the players ranked 1-7, depending of course on the number of players.

[Scott of Hyperborea]

That would be cool. But how would we handle total vs. average? Should someone who's been in five games and won four be ranked higher or lower than someone who's been in three games and won all of them?

[Malliki Tosha]

I don't really agree with your fractions points. My suggestion is that you get 3 points for a win, 2 points for a two-way win, and 1 points for a three-way-and-more win. This point is then multiplied with the win percentage.

Example:
Mr. Elephant plays in five games. He wins in three of them. One game by himself, one game in a two-way and one game in a three-way. This gives him 3+2+1=6 points. This is then multiplied by the fraction of win games, 0.6 (3/5=0.6), which gives 6*0.6=3.6, Mr. Elephant's table points.

This might look complicated and exaggerated, but it removes the problem Scott mentioned and is really easy to do in Excel for example. This also means that to get a full score you need to win in all the games you play. Also, to avoid points congestion (that many players have the same or almost the same number of points), instead of 3, 2 and 1 points you could get 20, 15 and 10 for example.

Scott's example would with 3, 2 and 1 points and one-way wins give:

3+3+3+3=12, 4/5=0.8, 12*0.8=9.6

3+3+3=9, 3/3=1, 9*1=9

The player with four wins would still lead, but only by 0.6 points, not 3. 20, 15 and 10 points would give:

20+20+20+20=80, 4/5=0.8, 80*0.8=64

20+20+20=60, 3/3=1, 60*1=60

[Malliki Tosha]

LOL, that looks so complicated.

[Harvey Steffke]

Yeeaaaahhhhhhh...

As long it doesn't get in the way of actually playing the games, I don't care what sort of fractions you guys want to throw together.

[Malliki Tosha]

It's just a league technical thing.

[Kaiser Mors VI]

I'd proly be a little more interested if there was a league. Though my real issue with playing was getting so much crap last game for how I was playing it. (don't start with me again. I had my objectives, you had yours.)

Might it be fun to also track what place you win in a game? That way those of us who will never win a game at least have a score in relation to each other.

Maybe just give points based on what place you get, if there is a tie, they get the same number of points? Then do all your fancy percentages...

[Harvey Steffke]

Honestly I don't see how anyone was justified in giving you crap, period. You took over for someone who ragequit. If you had personally run Russia into the ground, then sure, it might be deserved. But joining the game with only two supply centers when your neighbors all have 8 or more is not exactly a position that you're going to come back from.

[phineas elastopon]

This League sounds like a pretty cool idea and I would love to take part if possible.

As long it doesn't get in the way of actually playing the games, I don't care what sort of fractions you guys want to throw together.

This.

I'd proly be a little more interested if there was a league. Though my real issue with playing was getting so much crap last game for how I was playing it. (don't start with me again. I had my objectives, you had yours.)

Terribly sorry if that was taken in such a way that means you're not going to play next time. Dip's just a game, so when me and others were BAWWing about your play style, that wasn't meant to be personally insulting, it was just game banter. But sorry if it was taken the wrong way and I do hope it doesn't get in the way of you playing again.

[Kaiser Mors VI]

If it had stopped when the game ended, I would have just let it stand as such, but it continued a bit after.

Anyways, I'll proly play in the next game.

[Chrimigules]

If I have any decision-making role on the next map, I'm pushing for the Discworld map.

EDIT: As for Youngstown being biased towards colonial powers... true, but it's looking like India and Japan are having a hell of a time reversing that.

[Harvey Steffke]

Then I'm hoping you don't. :/ This Youngstown thing is a fun exercise since it has so many players, but it's shaken my faith strongly in the balance of the game. Discworld too looks grossly unbalanced, not to mention weird with all its special rules like freezing oceans and water supply centers and junk.

I'd rather see more standard variants, like the ones where everyone gets to build units first turn (as to choose between armies or fleets) or even try those quirky wing units out.

[Chrimigules]

True. It might be a good idea to try a more standard version of the game next time... but I'd still like Discworld to be on the horizon. I want to see the dynamics of that freezing ocean at work.

[Kaiser Mors VI]

That would greatly please and amuse my girlfriend...

[Malliki Tosha]

I'm not even gonna say it...

[Kaiser Mors VI]

Good.

[Malliki Tosha]

So, I am most willing to host this league in Cyberia with its gentler forum color scheme.

[Scott of Hyperborea]

So, I am most willing to host this league in Cyberia with its gentler forum color scheme.

I'd like to either have it at the MCS or have it be so unobtrusive that it doesn't really need a forum.

Something like:

GUIDELINES OF THE MICRONATIONAL DIPLOMACY SOCIETY

MEMBERS: Anyone who has played in a Micronational Diplomacy game is a member of the Micronational Diplomacy League. Anyone who is playing in the most recent Diplomacy game is an active member.

HOSTING: Anyone who can gather enough players may host a game under the auspices of the League. Games must be hosted in the forum of an active micronation. A country with a difficult-to-access forum (for example, one that must approve all visitors before they can view the board) may not host an official game. In case of a conflict, where several people want to host a game at the same time but there are only enough players for one, members should get preference above non-members, and people and countries that have not hosted so far this season above people and countries that have.

LEADERSHIP: The leader of the Micronation Diplomacy League is the person hosting the current game. If more than one person is hosting a game, the leader is the person hosting the longest-running current game. Anyone who starts hosting a game but cannot complete it (ie goes more than a week between turns for reasons that are zir own fault) forfeits leadership. The most recent leader willing to retake the position is given the leadership position and is charged with finding a way to rescue the current game. The leader is charged with ensuring the smooth function of the League. In case of a conflict, the leader is charged with deciding who gets to host the next game.

PLAYERS: A leader chooses the players in zir game. Micronationalists / non-micronationalists who are already members of the League have first right to take spots, but if there aren't enough micronationalists, new non-micronationalists may participate. If there are enough people for two games, two games with two different hosts may be played consecutively, but only one host will be leader of the Micronational Diplomacy League.

TABULATION: The leader is responsible for recording results of a game according to the Tosha system. If the leader does not want to do this, ze is responsible for delegating someone who will. Scores will be tabulated for the current season, as well as cumulatively for all time.

SEASON: A season of Micronational Diplomacy is six games. At the end of six games, the leader of the sixth game declares season champions and runners-up according to the Tosha system. In case of unusual circumstances, like unfinished games or poor rank-keeping, a leader may decide not to end a season at the usual time.

VARIANTS: Leaders can decide whether they want their game to be Classic, Youngstown, or Variant. Youngstown does not count as a variant for purposes of the League. In any six game season, no more than two games can be "variants" (ie nonstandard forms of Diplomacy such as unusual maps or altered rules). These two variants cannot be consecutive.

CHAMPIONSHIP: At the end of each six game season, the seventh game will be a championship game. The primary home country of the highest-ranking player has first option to host the championship game; if it declines, the honor will be offered to the second-ranking player's country, and so on (of course, the players themselves may not host). The seven highest-ranking players will be assigned countries at random on a Classic diplomacy map. The players may choose to what degree they want to emphasize their status as representatives of their home countries versus individual players. The winner(s) of this game win the title of "Diplomacy Champion of Micras"

SANCTIONS: A leader who fails at leading a game may not lead another game for one season. A player who is named by a leader as one whose poor behavior ruins a game - for example, one who is consistently late in sending in orders, or ragequits destructively after only a few turns - may not participate in another game for one season. Leaders may choose to bar certain players from their own games at their discretion.

VOTING: Any issue that arises can be addressed by a public vote of all members of the Micronational Diplomacy League. Such a vote must last one week and be performed on a public forum (preferably the forum where the current game is going on or this forum where the Guidelines have been posted) with plenty of advertisement. Any resolution supported by more than fifty percent of members automatically succeeds. Such a resolution can bar players, transfer leadership, resolve disputes, alter rankings or championship procedures, or change these guidelines.

Basically this is trying to make things as simple as possible. There's no elected positions, no forum, and no real organization. Anyone can host a game, but if lots of people want to host the same game, preference is given to new countries. People can't host too many crazy variants. Then there are rankings and a championship.

[Chrimigules]

I'm not entirely sure if we need such a framework. Neutral ground (the MCS forums), sure, though I'm not sure I understand what you mean by so unobtrusive that it doesn't really need a forum. The maps and commentary ought to go somewhere.