This starts the real game.
Realpolitik
If you don't have Realpolitik, you can download it here:
http://realpolitik.sourceforge.net/
Think of this program as a board game set that enforces the rules. It is very important to have; it will help you understand the rules much faster.
You need to install the 1600 variant. The RP files for the 1600 variant:
1600 RP files
Extract the files to the 'Variants' folder within the Realpolitik directory.
If you need help using the program, don't hesitate to ask. I am currently preparing some tutorials for the program, and you will see them here soon.
Country-player table
These are the countries designations for the practice game.
Poland Thegeneral
England glce2003
Habsburg Empire Kapikulu
Denmark Kilikya
Spain Maju
Ottoman Empire Mixcoatl
France morticia
Sweden Rider
Russia thediplomat
Order Etiquette
Try to send orders at the time that you receive the results of the last turn. This will keep the game going and make it more enjoyable for you.
You can always send another set of order before the deadline. If you do so, make it obvious to me that they are a second order by putting in the subject line of the email: "set number #" with the number of the set there. I will use whatever set number is bigger to process your order.
How to write orders
Each turn starts with an order. Write the order of the moves of your units in the following way:
<Unit Type> <Starting Location>-<target Location>
Army Castille-Navarre
To hold your army or fleet in place write
<Unit Type> <Starting Location> HOLD
Fleet Gascony HOLD
To support a move write
<Unit Type> S[UPPORT] <supported Unit Type starting location>-<target location>
Army Novgorod S Army Moscow-Tula
Feel free to use abbreviation: A-army, F-fleet, H-hold, S-support. To get the proper abbreviations for spaces on the board, please consult the information in Realpolitik by clicking Window->info.
Missing player rules
To make the move of the missing player's country fairer, I want everyone to send me your desired moves to the Ottoman Empire as if you controlled it. I will count each order as a vote.
In case of a tie, I will randomly select the move of the most popular orders. If I only get one order for Ottoman Empire, I will use it. So it is in your best interest to send Ottoman orders too
Rules
We will be following the rules established by Maju in the other game, with some modifications.
The official rules will be the 3rd Edition of Avalon Hill Co. rules, 1992 (PDF document). But some special rules will apply as follows:
1. In order to shorten the game, victory will be declared when any power controls 18 supply centers at the end of any year AND it has at least two more SCs than any other power. Only one major winner will still be possible. But any power controlling 15 or more SCs at that moment will get a partial victory honorific mention. If the leading power has 18 SCs but another power has 17 or there is a tie at 18 SCs, successive extra years will be played until one single power gets 2 center more than any other. If this would not be achieved, the normal rule of 25 centers' ownership will apply.
2.In order to prevent NBRs ("no builds received"), what can handicap seriously the neglected power, a special default-build rule will apply when no adjustments orders are received, as follows:
a. England will always build fleets by default
b. Ottoman Empire and Spain will build alternatively fleet-army, starting by a fleet
c. France, Sweden, and Demark will build alternatively army-fleet, starting by an army
d. Habsburg, Poland, and Russia will always build armies by default
3.The units will be built in the historical capital (if available) and then in any open home center (flipping a coin if necessary). Historical capitals are: Austria(Habsburg Empire), London (England), Paris (France), Castille(Spain), Zealand(Denmark), Cracow (Poland), Stockholm(Sweden), Moscow (Russia) and Constantinople (Ottoman Empire).
4.Excessive build orders will cause all builds to fail and apply the previous rule. Less builds than available will be accepted as such (it's understood that the player wants to waive some of his builds). A player can voluntarily waive all his builds but must specify it.
When no disbands are received, the official rule will apply to determine them but in one aspect: instead of following alphabetic order of provinces, as the rulebook says, I will apply random selection by flipping coins or throwing a dice.
5. The convoy priority rule will only apply if the convoying fleet(s) is/are not dislodged. If the convoy fails but the army can still move because of adjacency of the provinces involved, then normal movement will happen. (This is such a very rare happening that I have never seen it out of the theory, so don't worry much about it).
6. The default retreat is "out of the board" (OTB) or "disband". Players can order that as well if it fits their designs.
Any unit not ordered will hold (preventing this way its automatically disbanding in case it is dislodged).
House rules:
1. In case of doubt the GM will have the last word, always applying the rulebook and any special rules (as for above).
2.If a player fails to send orders (NMR/NBR), he will be notified by the GM and must reply declaring if he wishes to follow with the game. Two successive NMRs in regular or adjustments turns (retreats won't apply) will cause the player to be deposed and replaced - no excuses. If the NMRing player doesn't reply to the GM's mail, he will be deposed and replaced without any second opportunity.
Regular turns (Spring and Fall) will be scheduled with terms of about 5 days. Weekends can stretch these terms a little.
3.Retreats' and adjustments' turns will have a maximum term of 48 hrs. Only for these, the GM will adjudicate earlier if all orders are in. If they fall fully in weekend, the term can be stretched a little bit too. This is up to the players' needs largely.
4. Deadline extensions will be conceded upon request but I ask the players not to abuse of them. Conditional adjustments/retreats can be sent as alternative for short sub-turns extensions and I encourage them.
5. I also encourage to send preliminary orders as soon as you receive the adjudication. You can send as many different sets of orders as you need. The last one arriving will erase the previous. Please send always full sets of orders: it doesn't matter what you sent in previous ones.
6. Orders will be interpreted benevolently but any order that is confusing enough will be declared invalid. Still I will notify the players if there is time for that, so this should not be a problem for novices.
7. Press: I will accept white press (signed) and grey press (anonymous). I won't accept black press (on other's name). The press should be written with the orders' set and will be published with the adjudication. The GM will try to write some press too and "the gallery" (observers) can also write press (white only). Alternatively you can post in the All Empires - General Gaming topic open for this game's purpose (this one).
I may add new rules in the future if necessary, always after consulting the players.
Edited by hugoestr