This program is an original implementation of the classic board game, DIPLOMACY, for the Amiga. It is being distributed as shareware and may be copied and distributed freely as long as the files listed above are kept together as a set. If you keep and use this program, please send a minimum of $10 to the author:
Steve Douthat
10661 Escobar Drive
San Diego, CA 92124
Comments, suggestions and bug reports are also appreciated. Persons who donate $20 or more will automatically receive any subsequent revisions of this program.
Please note that this program requires at least version 1.2 of AmigaDOS (Workbench) and 512K RAM.
HOW TO START
The game can be started from CLI or from Workbench in the standard fashion.
Type "diplomacy<return>" at the CLI prompt or double-click the workbench icon. The only requirement is that the program expects the current directory to contain the "Data" directory and its files. The program supports multitasking but uses >300K of chip RAM.
The program will display the title screen as it reads in the data and sets up the game. Press any key when prompted to reveal the diplomacy campaign map and start the game.
The game DIPLOMACY is a "conquer the map" type game which is published by Avalon Hill. It is designed for seven players with variations for as few as
two players. This software is designed to enhance this game by keeping track of the various parameters, resolving the orders and controlling the flow. This documentation describes the use of this software only. Please refer to the rule book included in Avalon Hill's game for the complete set of game instructions.
The game of diplomacy is played in years consisting of three seasons: Spring, Fall and Winter. The Spring and Fall turns are when the players issue orders for movement of their existing units (armies and fleets). In the Winter turn, supply center ownership is adjusted and units are built or disbanded accordingly. The game starts in Spring of the year 1901.
HOW TO ISSUE ORDERS (Spring and Fall turns)
There are three possible orders for each unit on the board: hold, move or support. In addition, fleets have a fourth option, "convoy" of an army from one coast to another. In general, orders are issued by selecting the provinces involved. This is done by moving the mouse pointer to the name of
the province and clicking the left mouse button. Each order requires 3 provinces:
the province containing the unit being ordered,
the province containing the unit that is moving,
and the destination province.
Clicking on these three provinces is usually enough to fully describe the order.
HOLD: click three times on the province containing the unit.
(remember to click on the NAME of the province)
MOVE: click twice on the province containing the unit to move;
click the province where the unit is going.
SUPPORT: click the province containing the unit providing the support;
click the province containing the unit receiving the support;
if the supporting unit is a fleet in the water and the supported
unit is an army on the coast, then a requester will ask you to
select between "support" or "convoy"; select "support";
click the province where the supported unit is going/staying.
CONVOY: same as SUPPORT but select "convoy" at requester. Note that a
convoy order is not valid unless the unit being convoyed is ordered
to move to the same province.
A text representation of the order will be constructed in the upper right message area as each order is input. The entire list of orders can be viewed on-screen or printed out at any time during order entry by selecting the proper item on the "orders" menu (see menu commands below). Any order which is incorrect can be changed by simply entering the correct order. Note that all orders, even those which are obviously invalid, are accepted by the computer during order entry. It is important to verify that the orders have been entered as intended prior to ending the order input phase. Orders which are invalid will be flagged as such in the results of the order resolution and the order will be treated as a "hold" order.
When all orders have been entered correctly, a click on the end gadget in the lower right corner will signal the computer to resolve the orders. A requester will ask where to print the results of the orders. Sending this list to the printer ("print") is recommended since on-screen display ("view") is not permanent and can be done for only one power at a time.
After the order results have been listed, the map is adjusted based on these
results and all required retreats, if any, are announced. The computer will
then request the destinations for each retreating unit. The "end" gadget can be used to order a unit to disband.
ADJUSTING UNITS (Winter turn)
At the end of the Fall turn, the computer will automatically adjust supply ownership. Then the numbers of supplies owned will be compared to the number of units deployed for each power. Build or disband orders will be requested from each power as required. These are issued by simply clicking on the appropriate province and, if building on a coastal province, selecting the type of unit to be built. Once all units have been adjusted, the program cycles to the Spring turn of the next year, ready to receive orders.
If the game is quit when the top edge of the map is displayed in the display window, computer memory will be corrupted. The result of this is almost always a fatal software system error when a subsequent program is run. The cause for this is unknown, but quitting the game with the map scrolled partway down seems to work just fine so this is the recommended procedure.
A computer opponent who will play any country or countries independently or as a team. This will allow for a one-player game of World War I or variant thereof.
More elaborate file requester for saving and retrieving files. One that lists files in current directory and allows movement through directories.
Mapmaking utility to aid in the creation of other maps to use in game. By the way, the map.data file was created with Deluxe Paint and is a standard IFF file (8 color, hires, 1000 x 400 pixels). If anyone improves upon the artwork, please send me a copy.
