Versailles Unseen
by Brian Lawrence Clark
Those who have never played the Versailles variant of Diplomacy have been missing out on, arguably, the most exciting of all the available variants.
The Versailles Map
This is similar in some ways to the map used in the 1900 Variant but without the movement/convoy facility between MAO and Egypt/Hejaz.
Probably the greatest difference between Versailles and Standard Diplomacy is that each of the seven players controls TWO Powers – a Major power and a randomly-allocated Minor power – and only the major player knows which minor country they have been allocated. The game starts in 1931.
The Majors are:
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland (reconstituted after World War I, Austria-Hungary was partitioned), Turkey, USSR.
The Minors are:
Czechoslovakia, Egypt, Greece, Rumania, Spain, Sweden, Yugoslavia.
Configuration at the start of the game
Britain – F(Lon), F(Edi), A(Lpl)
France – F(Bre), A(Par), A(Mar) Germany – F(Ham), A(Ber), A(Mun) Italy – F(Nap), A(Tri), A(Rom) Poland – F(Den), A(War), A(Kra) Turkey – F(Ank), A(Con), A(Smy)
USSR – F(Len)[sc], A(Mos), A(Kie), F(Sev)
Czech – A(Pra)
Egypt – F(Egy)
Greece – A(Ath)
Rumania – A(Buc)
Spain – F(Mad)
Sweden – F(Swe)
Yugoslavia – A(Beo)
If my calculations are correct I think that allows an impressive 5,040 possible major/minor combinations.
One important point to remember is that the target for a solo win is not 18 centres as in the Standard game, but a combined major/minor count of 22 centres.
[Find Versailles rules in greater detail at DipWiki.]
For those of you who enjoy the diplomacy in 'Diplomacy', you can imagine the mayhem that you can cause with diplomatic messages sent from your minor until your fellow players are able to correctly associate it with your major. Add to this the fact that there are 43 centres on the board and you will realise, unless you are aiming for a solo win, that the negotiations needed to achieve a two-way draw will be quite a challenge, since agreement by a third player is required. When you and/or your ally hold(s) 21 centres, the easy stab and the lure of a solo win might become uppermost in your mind AND in that of your ally!
Now, throw in Fog of War, in which only provinces adjacent to your units (and your SCs) are visible, and the mayhem multiplies again.
A 2007 analysis of 8,525 games (presumably Postal/PBEM games) by Josh Burton using the FRIGATE programme showed the following Calhamer Point Count (1 point for a win, and 1/N points for an N-way draw) as a percentage for each of the seven Countries.
Italy Austria Russia England Germany Turkey France
CPs 11.11% 11.68% 12.97% 14.29% 14.81% 16.12% 19.02%
In a poll of 16,769 players the least desired Countries in Standard Diplomacy were Italy 29%, Austria 25%, Turkey 16%, Germany 9%, England /Russia 8%, France 5%.
In the Versailles Variant, Austria does not exist as a power, Major or Minor, so Italy may still be the least desired country. But if one agrees that 'information is power,' we can see how Fog of War could alter the attraction of each of the Major Countries by examining the number of SCs that each can see at the start of the game: Britain 0, France 1, Germany 5, Italy 1, Poland 1, Turkey 1 & USSR 1.
The same exercise for the Minor Countries reveals: Czechoslovakia 2, Egypt 0, Greece 0, Rumania 1, Spain 1, Sweden 3 & Yugoslavia 2.
Based on these figures, and taking into account the proximity of Minor to Major, I suggest that the order of the least desired Majors might now be Britain, France, Turkey, Italy, USSR, Poland, Germany.
You can imagine how a drawing a Minor far from your Major, for instance a Britain/Egypt combination, might seem disadvantageous. It would take a full six seasons for Britain to aid faraway Egypt even if there were no obstructions in MAO or Med. Maybe a hybrid Versailles/1900 map would improve matters for Britain. On the other hand, Britain might parlay that Egyptian fleet into good relations with Turkey, Italy or USSR.
On the face of it, USSR/Spain seems to be another poor combination, and would require delicate diplomacy with Britain and France to keep Spain in the game unless the minors held by Britain and/or France would benefit from the protection that USSR could offer. But that would require Britain, France, and/or USSR revealing their minors.
To tell or not to tell? That is the question, and difficult to answer - but it adds another exciting dimension to the game.
But maybe Build Anywhere added to the mix would offset a faraway Minor/Major draw.
With all that fun lying in wait, I just had to give Build Anywhere, Foggy Versailles a try.
Game Report
A Minor Tale
Playdiplomacy.com game 91794. I can’t see a thing
In this Foggy Versailles game I was given USSR and Spain – a pathetic combination. USSR started with armies in Moscow and Kiev, fleets in Leningrad(sc) and Sevastopol. Spain started with a fleet in Madrid.
For Spain to survive into the second year there would need to be some tricky diplomatic negotiations with Britain, France, and Italy, so first I need to see if I recognise any of the players.
Oh, no! DarthWader has Britain. He stood 10th in the Rankings with a score of 2191 compared to my 1,577th position and a score of 918. He will eat me for breakfast! Italy (max24 at 2102th position with a 780 score) and France (Karakoo at 829th position with a 1005 score), another well above my lowly position, are not making things look any easier.
Pre-Spring 1931
Let's see how Spain fares.
The only way that Spain can make a gain in year one is to move from Madrid to Portugal, but by moving there in Spring it makes it impossible to see if the French fleet or army that starts in Marseilles has moved to Catalonia. But if I stay in Madrid in Spring I can't see if anyone has moved to the Mid Atlantic Ocean. Talk about Catch 22.
So the answer had GOT to be… toss a coin to decide whether to stay in Madrid or move to Portugal (Lady Luck told me to stay), and to attempt diplomacy on a grand scale!
Fall 1931
The fleet in Madrid sees that France didn't move from Marseilles to Catalonia in Spring, which means that I could safely have moved from Madrid to Portugal and been guaranteed a build in Winter. 'Thank you, Lady Luck', I don't think!
But, surprise, surprise! Madrid to Portugal succeeded in Fall and there is not a sign of anyone in MAO or Navarre. The Grand Diplomacy must have worked – OR – DarthWader, max24, and Karakoo ain't as good as I thought they were – OR – all three consider my puny fleet to be no immediate threat and just something they can sink without trace at their leisure. Whatever! At least I get a build this Winter.
Winter 1931
The time has come to make a couple of important decisions. Should I build an army or a fleet in Madrid? And should I let Lady Luck choose? She got it wrong the first time; surely the odds are that she will get it right THIS time, so here goes – flip the coin and she tells me to build an army. Given a free will I would have chosen to build another fleet, but it is too late now, the die is cast; an army will be built in Madrid.
Pre-Spring 1932
So, Britain, France and Italy have underestimated the fighting capabilities of their Spanish neighbour. Portugal to Mid Atlantic Ocean (MAO), and Madrid to Catalonia will be a good start and should give France plenty to worry about.
Pre-Fall 1932
This isn't going to be as easy as I thoughtMadrid to Catalonia succeeded but the army in Catalonia can see an Italian fleet in the Western Mediterranean Sea heading my way, and my fleet in Portugal hasn't moved because someone else must be trying to get into MAO. Already, after just one year, I’m beginning to feel like the meat in a sandwich. What happened to all the Grand Diplomacy? Don't they trust me? I'd better start begging – and retreating! Catalonia to Madrid is a must, and Portugal to MAO is definitely needed in order to keep out whoever has been keeping me out.
Winter 1932
I don't believe this! A French fleet has shown up in MAO. France must have supported it there and must
consider it pretty damned important to be there, otherwise he would not have tied up another French unit in order to ensure its success. The Italian fleet in the Western Mediterranean bounced Catalonia when my army tried to return to Madrid – so begging didn't work either. Back to diplomacy instead.
I shall tell Italy that Iberia is impregnable and suggest (for 'suggest' you could use 'plead') that France would be an easier target for him.
Spring 1933
YESSSS! Italy has moved to Catalonia (I managed to retreat from Catalonia to Madrid) and hopefully is giving France problems.
Fall 1933
The diplomacy has really started to kick in. My ally, the fearsome DarthWader, has moved into MAO (with support from Portugal) and destroyed the annoying French fleet that had been anchored there.
Wait a minute! I'm no better off – maybe I should have allowed France to remain there if France is being weakened by my other ally, Italy. Britain and Italy are making gains in sea and on land while Spain is languishing in Iberia. I'd better move from Madrid back to Catalonia.
Pre-Spring 1934
I have made a momentous decision: I am going to put my faith in DarthWader's reputation as a trustworthy ally and I shall leave Portugal undefended. Moving Portugal to Straits of Gibraltar (SOG) gets me out of the Iberian straight-jacket and into a position to move against Italy. Also, remaining in Catalonia will give Italy the impression that I am there to support his unit in Marseilles. But watch out - even a worm will turn!
Pre-Fall 1934
My fleet that moved to SOG has managed to enter Algeria unnoticed and finds that Italy's Tunisia is unoccupied. Great! I shall take Tunisia in Spring and Spain will get another build in Fall.
However, I think I had better move Catalonia back to Madrid just in case DarthWader decides to join with Italy and both try to pick up some easy centres at my expense. Another bout of delicate diplomacy with both Italy and Britain is needed. If I can persuade Britain that by moving from MAO into SOG he will, with my assistance of course, be able to gain a foothold in southern Italy – Britain has told me that he has crossed through France and is already threatening Italy's northern border.
If that is true then DarthWader is living up to his reputation as being virtually unstoppable.
I guess you don't get to be 10th in the Playdip Ratings without shredding other countries on the way.
Spring 1935
Damn! Italy must have smelled a rat and has moved fleets into the Western Mediterranean AND into the Ionian Sea, so my successful, previously undetected Fall move into Tunisia will soon be turned into an ignominious retreat.
It is not ALL bad news though: Britain HAS moved his fleet from MAO into SOG as he promised he would although he has moved another fleet into MAO.
It looks like the lone Catalonia army now has to try to defend Iberia against two British fleets (MAO and SOG), an Italian fleet (W.Med) and an Italian army (Marseilles). The coup-de-grace cannot be long in coming.
Fall 1935
Back to Madrid for the final stand!
Britain has moved his fleet from SOG into Morocco, and has moved his MAO fleet into SOG. My fleet in Tunisia is destroyed – No! Wait a minute – the fleet can retreat to the Tyrrhenian Sea. It does so and sees that Rome and Naples are both unoccupied. Yippee!
1936
The army in Madrid takes a well-deserved Spring breather after moving to and from Catalonia over the last few years, and watches as friendly British fleets push our Italian enemy's fleets over the eastern horizon.
My fleet in the Tyrrhenian Sea arrives in Naples having met with no resistance whatsoever from the green hordes, and remained unmolested in Fall. Finally, the 3rd Spaniard was built!
But I could hear that train a-comin’…
And – as they say – the rest is history. So was the game in 1937.
But what about USSR, my Major, you say? That is a different story entirely.