Diplomacy 4: Tale of Ekonia

Capitals: Your capital city provides a bonus of 10 gold to the normal city’s 15 Gpt for a total of 25Gpt. Capturing an opponent’s capital will revert it to a basic city and one of your opponents remaining cities will become their capital. If they have no other cities they lose their capital until they capture a new one.

Cities: Cities provide 15 Gpt.

Tiles: Tiles without cities on provide 10Gpt.

Sea lanes: When one player has a sea lane, they gain a 15% increase on their base tile income (BTI) (the amount you get from cities, capitals and other tiles).

Triremes controlling a Sea lane receive a 20% combat penalty.

Trade: When two nations border each other they may trade. In this case each player gains 25% of the amount equal to their partner’s BTI, in addition to their own BTI. Two players who both control SLs may also trade. Trade may begin on the same turn as the circumstances to do so are created, so for example, you may begin to trade with other players holding Sea lanes on the same turn as you capture them. However, to do so you would have to reveal your plans to capture the SL to other people. If the owner found out, they could use their Gold to reinforce the SL or bring ships in from elsewhere, if you were unable to capture the SL for this reason then, of course, your trade agreements will not be applicable. For a trade to begin, both players involved must put it in their orders. This will not be necessary in subsequent turns after trade is established.

Units have an initial cost, which you pay upon buying them, and an upkeep cost, which you then pay for each subsequent turn you control these units. Please note that in this variant of diplomacy, having a large standing army may not be the best plan long-term and it may be better to mainly draft units in when you need them. This is to increase the reliance on strategy and to give smaller countries a chance. It is recommended that you defend Forts and cities well however.

Infantry: Strength=1 Movement=1 Cost=10G Upkeep=4 May be disbanded for 5 G refund.

Cavalry: Strength=1.5 when attacking, 0.5 when defending, Movement=2, Cost=25, Upkeep=10 May be disbanded for 5G refund.

Trireme: Strength=1, Movement=1, Cost=20, Upkeep=4, May be disbanded but give no refund.

Transport: Strength=0, Movement=1, Cost=15, Upkeep=3, May be disbanded but give no refund. It is possible to load and unload a ship in the same turn or move and load or unload in the same turn. Can carry a combined strength of 6 (for this purpose cavalry count as 1.5.)

Airship: Airships can drop 3 infantry anywhere within a 3 tile radius, sea tiles count as 2 tiles. They must always be based at a fort or a capital and each fort may only hold 2 at any one time. When not dropping units they may rebase to other forts or the capital. You may not control more airships at any time then the number of AB’s you have, doubled. Airships may be disbanded but give no refund. Cost=20, upkeep=10

Transports and airships may not transport units on the turn they are made.

firstly you don't need to keep money aside to pay for your unit upkeep, this is deducted from your BTI at the start of the next turn, therefore it is not necessary to include it in your orders. Also, income from disbanding units is not readilly available on that turn and is added at the begining of next turn.

Income is calculated: Turn Start Gold - (Cost of buying units + costs of improvements + Gold trade) + (BTI - upkeep) + Trade and SL income + Gold trade.

In your orders it is only necessary for you to deal with the costs section (Red). Upkeep is not actually a cost, more like a negative income if that makes sense. All the blue stuff is handled by my spreadsheet. The amount left over after this calucualtion is the amount of gold you start with next turn.

Fort: Forts are a very versatile improvement but a single player may not control forts in adjacent tiles so choose their position wisely. They provide a 15% penalty to enemy units attacking tiles adjacent to the fort controlled by the same player as the fort and a 30% penalty to enemy units attacking the fort’s tile (while the fort is manned). They can produce Cavalry and Infantry, and with upgrades, Ships and Airships. Forts have a hidden strength value (HSV) of 8. They cost 40G to build.

Ship yard (SY): This in an upgrade that may be bought for forts and the capital. It allows the construction of ships. It also allows for up to 4 triremes and 2 transports to be stored in the fort which will not be shown on the map. Ship yards cost 20G.
SY’s may also be built in non-improved tiles for the same price, however these cannot store ships.

Gas Vent (GV): This upgrade may be bought for the capital or a fort. It allows the construction of Airships, and the storage of 2 Airships in the fort. Gas Vents cost 20G.

Note:
SY’s and GV’s are not shown on the map and are automatically razed when the fort or capital is captured.
Forts may be razed or kept when conquered. A player may not raze a fort under their control.

Hidden strength value is the combined (living) strength limit a fort or city may hold before the units are shown on the map. For example, if a fort contains 5 Infantry, the combined strength is 5 and none of the units are shown on the map. If a fort contained 5 Infantry and 3 Cavalry, the combined strength would be 9.5, so all the units would be shown on the map.

The HSV’s are as follows:

Forts: 8
Cities: 3
Capitals: 5

Temporary increases to a player’s HSV’s may be bought using espionage.

Espionage

Espionage is key in this Diplomacy Variant because the public map is far less informative then in normal forum diplomacy games. There are many different espionage missions and without using them a player may find themselves falling behind. Listed are all the costs of the different missions along with their chance of success.

Investigation:

Investigation missions reveal what living units are contained in the target tile. It costs an additional 10G to investigate a capital or fort’s fleet and the success chance is reduced by 15%. The cost varies depending on the improvement.

Cities cost 15G to investigate. 70%
Capitals cost 20 G to investigate. 70%
Forts cost 30G to investigate. 70%


Steal Map:

Stealing a map will reveal the location of the target player’s SY’s and GV’s. It costs 40G and has a success rate of 55%.

Steal Records

This mission can be used to reveal the amount a player spent in each city or fort, giving you an idea of what hidden units these tiles may contain. It costs 25G and has a success rate of 70%.

Counter-Espionage

This mission can be used to tell you what espionage missions have been used on you this turn. There are two levels of counter inteligence.

Level 1: Reveals which espionage missions were used on you by one target player. Cost 25G / 75%
Level 2: Reveals which missions have been used on you by all players. Cost 70G / 505

Hide Units

This espionage mission can be used to increase the HSV of improvements and hide units in the field. Very useful for attacking players when they least suspect.

20G to increase the Hidden strength limit of all cities and forts under your control by 3 for that turn.
40G to increase the Hidden strength limit of all cities and forts under your control by 5 for that turn.
10G per unit to hide the position of units in non-improved tiles. (Can only be used on Infantry.)

Privateers:

For a one-time payment of 5G (per ship) you may hide the nationality of a Trireme, these will then appear on the map as Privateers. You may use this on ships stored in forts. It may be best to ''build'' Privateers in SY's bordering the same sea as an opponent’s SY. Remember that SY's built on non-improved tiles are not shown on the map so in theory any coastal territory could have a SY in. You can use privateers to sabotage opponents' sea lanes and other ships without declaring war but be wary of them finding out who controls the ships. Privateers can control sea lanes themselves, this will mean that your opponents won't know you have a sea lane etc. For every ship you destroy with your Privateers you gain 20G. Privateers may share the same tile with other players' ships if that's what you want but if they land in the same territory as another player's ships by chance then they will attack them, you may tell me players that you do not want to attack with your privateers, in which case if this happens they won’t attack them. Bear in mind that any player may attack your privateers without declaring war. Privateer controlled Sea lanes may not be used for international trade.

Combat is resolved territory by territory.
Forces are matched by Strength, bonuses are added, and random factor is added.
Highest total wins. Difference between winner and loser equals winning survivors.

Defence: 30% only works if the unit is entrenched, meaning it hasn't moved this turn.

Flanking: 20% each direction from which an invasion attacks a territory adds 20% to the total attacking force

Blitz: 20% When a Cavalry unit (or group of Cavalry units) and an Infantry army attack the same territory from the same direction the infantry are given the 20% bonus.

Naval Bombardment: Triremes attacking with other forces grant their strength to the attacking force, with a strength cap set at 4, as well as adding Flanking if applicable. This strength is added after other bonuses have been applied.

Amphibious: -10% to the attacking force if it has just landed during the turn it is involved in combat; this applies to Airship drops as well.

Unprepared: -10% to all defending troops if the attack is totally unexpected.

Surprise! : If the attacking units were hidden from the enemy using espionage, (not including hidden unit strength from forts + cities) the attacking units get a bonus of 50%.

Inexperienced: -20% to units that go into combat on the turn they were made. They also wont recieve defensive bonuses. Transports and airships may not transport units on the turn they are made.

Ambush: If a player moves an army onto an enemy, non-improved tile that had enemy troops that are hidden using espionage on, the hidden player gets a 60% bonus.

Fort: Provide a 15% penalty to enemies attacking or defending in neighbouring tiles and a 30% penalty to enemies attacking the fortified tile.

Last Stand: If the outcome of the fight would destroy a player. That player’s troops gain a 100% bonus.

Morale Level 1: Purchasable bonus. Costs 5G per unit under the player’s control, and gives a 25% bonus to all battles they take part in that turn. Duration = 1 turn

Morale Level 2: Purchasable bonus. Costs 10G per unit under the player’s control, and gives a 50% bonus to all battles they take part in that turn. Duration = 1 turn

Morale Level 3: Purchasable bonus. Costs 15G per unit under the player’s control, and gives a 100% bonus to all battles they take part in that turn. Duration = 1 turn

Inspecting Trade: Triremes defending a SY have a 20% combat penalty, making them harder to defend and easier to attack

Randomness
There will be a dice roll for each side. Winner gets +1.5 strength. A roll of 6-1 will give +2.5 to the side that gets the 6.

Rounding
Defenders have a high rounding: 1,5 and higher = 2
Attackers have a low rounding : 1,5 and lower = 1

In updates, it will be given how much each player has spent during that turn but it will not mention what things that player spent the gold on.

The person who plays each state will be chosen randomly.

Neutral Tiles require a strength of 2.5 to be captured, which takes 1 turn.

Enemy tiles take one turn to be changed to neutral and then another to be changed to that player.

You do not pay upkeep on units the turn they are created.

When forts are captured, all fleets stored in them are destroyed, as well as the SY and GV if they are present.

Start gold is 50G

The only way a player may gain more gold to use during the current turn is if another player trades them some gold. Money from disbanding units does not become available until the following turn.

Ninerest
Anesia
Vieren
Lonarc
Paresque
Thade
Chalein Coast
Inesterl
Metoan Fields
Thornpire
Lerforth
Nikea
Tios Mountains
Mernesia
Dermore
Kremarsh
Hitillia
Kienore
Tralinas
Eastlome
Treharn
Herlorne
Gedeia
Clobeck
Noroah
Rheme
Bacanae
Wanefork
Izina
Loemarsh
Sedilla
Ligeska
Lenmoor
Daron Coast
Fenor
Miaske
Flein
Tenshores
Helask
Taslin
Cateina
Serlea
Murlane
Arelton
Meineria
Ornesia
Pinalta
Markon Wastes
Tunport
Uresea
Inorn
Nrein
Freitan
Einora