DiploStrats
@diplostrats.bsky.social
YouTube Channel focused on the board game Diplomacy!
https://www.youtube.com/@DiploStrats
https://www.youtube.com/@DiploStrats
Imperial Diplomacy is at Carnage!
It's the first time this giant 25-player variant has been played in person over a board. And when I say giant I mean it - it's 9 meters lengthways!
Very sad I couldn't be there but I'll be following the commentary - will link that when it's up
It's the first time this giant 25-player variant has been played in person over a board. And when I say giant I mean it - it's 9 meters lengthways!
Very sad I couldn't be there but I'll be following the commentary - will link that when it's up
October 25, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Imperial Diplomacy is at Carnage!
It's the first time this giant 25-player variant has been played in person over a board. And when I say giant I mean it - it's 9 meters lengthways!
Very sad I couldn't be there but I'll be following the commentary - will link that when it's up
It's the first time this giant 25-player variant has been played in person over a board. And when I say giant I mean it - it's 9 meters lengthways!
Very sad I couldn't be there but I'll be following the commentary - will link that when it's up
I'm not sure if this was the worst first turn anyone has ever had but it's got to be close
June 16, 2025 at 6:05 PM
I'm not sure if this was the worst first turn anyone has ever had but it's got to be close
I really love sharing something non-diplomacy related and getting these comments.
Diplomacy will always be my focus for the channel, but there's so much that really appeals to me as Diplomacy-adjacent, and it's awesome to see that it appeals to other Dip players too
Diplomacy will always be my focus for the channel, but there's so much that really appeals to me as Diplomacy-adjacent, and it's awesome to see that it appeals to other Dip players too
March 9, 2025 at 10:23 AM
I really love sharing something non-diplomacy related and getting these comments.
Diplomacy will always be my focus for the channel, but there's so much that really appeals to me as Diplomacy-adjacent, and it's awesome to see that it appeals to other Dip players too
Diplomacy will always be my focus for the channel, but there's so much that really appeals to me as Diplomacy-adjacent, and it's awesome to see that it appeals to other Dip players too
Something I'd never thought about until I saw this (really good) comment - as per 5D Diplomacy mechanics, the original timeline will never have any evidence of their technology's success. To them, anyone who attempts to time travel just vanishes forever.
Fun to think about from a story perspective.
Fun to think about from a story perspective.
February 21, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Something I'd never thought about until I saw this (really good) comment - as per 5D Diplomacy mechanics, the original timeline will never have any evidence of their technology's success. To them, anyone who attempts to time travel just vanishes forever.
Fun to think about from a story perspective.
Fun to think about from a story perspective.
It took. So. Long.
But we've now got the full 5D game fully sandboxed for commentary!
But we've now got the full 5D game fully sandboxed for commentary!
February 15, 2025 at 3:31 AM
It took. So. Long.
But we've now got the full 5D game fully sandboxed for commentary!
But we've now got the full 5D game fully sandboxed for commentary!
Oof, that map res got crunched. You can find a high quality version here: cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/...
January 4, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Oof, that map res got crunched. You can find a high quality version here: cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/...
Tomorrow, Ezio and I will be playing the first ever Blitz Imperial Diplomacy game, as England!
I have no clue how on earth I'm going to edit that into a video, which typically means I'm not going to edit it at all. So I hope you're all ready for an 8 hour recording of nothing but furious typing.
I have no clue how on earth I'm going to edit that into a video, which typically means I'm not going to edit it at all. So I hope you're all ready for an 8 hour recording of nothing but furious typing.
January 4, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Tomorrow, Ezio and I will be playing the first ever Blitz Imperial Diplomacy game, as England!
I have no clue how on earth I'm going to edit that into a video, which typically means I'm not going to edit it at all. So I hope you're all ready for an 8 hour recording of nothing but furious typing.
I have no clue how on earth I'm going to edit that into a video, which typically means I'm not going to edit it at all. So I hope you're all ready for an 8 hour recording of nothing but furious typing.
Got my sister a board game for Christmas. It's apparently already being used for a greater purpose
January 2, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Got my sister a board game for Christmas. It's apparently already being used for a greater purpose
Some friends and I have a contest on predicting Game Awards every year - there seems to be a pretty heavy consensus on the indie game section for 2024
December 5, 2024 at 6:52 PM
Some friends and I have a contest on predicting Game Awards every year - there seems to be a pretty heavy consensus on the indie game section for 2024
Diplomacy Hard Mode: you may only negotiate through sending screenshots from Paradox Interactive's Diplomacy (2005)
November 12, 2024 at 5:33 PM
Diplomacy Hard Mode: you may only negotiate through sending screenshots from Paradox Interactive's Diplomacy (2005)
Also TIL that before 1971, you were not allowed to choose to disband a dislodged unit unless it had no possible retreats.
Funny to see the backlash to something that now feels so natural to Diplomacy's tactics. I'd never have guessed it didn't exist until 12 years after the game was published.
Funny to see the backlash to something that now feels so natural to Diplomacy's tactics. I'd never have guessed it didn't exist until 12 years after the game was published.
October 29, 2024 at 10:40 PM
Also TIL that before 1971, you were not allowed to choose to disband a dislodged unit unless it had no possible retreats.
Funny to see the backlash to something that now feels so natural to Diplomacy's tactics. I'd never have guessed it didn't exist until 12 years after the game was published.
Funny to see the backlash to something that now feels so natural to Diplomacy's tactics. I'd never have guessed it didn't exist until 12 years after the game was published.
Found in a Diplomacy Zine from 1971
some things never change
some things never change
October 29, 2024 at 10:23 PM
Found in a Diplomacy Zine from 1971
some things never change
some things never change
Nope!
Because this impacts none-paradoxical situations too. For example, if our embattled Italian in the first post decides to 'help' the French convoy by ordering their own fleet to convoy the French army too...
Because this impacts none-paradoxical situations too. For example, if our embattled Italian in the first post decides to 'help' the French convoy by ordering their own fleet to convoy the French army too...
October 28, 2024 at 1:42 PM
Nope!
Because this impacts none-paradoxical situations too. For example, if our embattled Italian in the first post decides to 'help' the French convoy by ordering their own fleet to convoy the French army too...
Because this impacts none-paradoxical situations too. For example, if our embattled Italian in the first post decides to 'help' the French convoy by ordering their own fleet to convoy the French army too...
The publishers thought this was a simple fix too. In 1971 they added the line:
"If a convoyed army attacks a fleet which is supporting a fleet which is attacking one of the convoy fleets, that support is not cut."
...and then someone discovered Second Order Paradoxes.
"If a convoyed army attacks a fleet which is supporting a fleet which is attacking one of the convoy fleets, that support is not cut."
...and then someone discovered Second Order Paradoxes.
October 28, 2024 at 1:36 PM
The publishers thought this was a simple fix too. In 1971 they added the line:
"If a convoyed army attacks a fleet which is supporting a fleet which is attacking one of the convoy fleets, that support is not cut."
...and then someone discovered Second Order Paradoxes.
"If a convoyed army attacks a fleet which is supporting a fleet which is attacking one of the convoy fleets, that support is not cut."
...and then someone discovered Second Order Paradoxes.
When the first Diplomacy rulebook was published in 1959, it contained no resolution for the 'Simple Convoy Paradox'.
The support in Edi should be cut by the convoyed move, but the convoyed move should be cut by the support dislodging its convoy.
A simple little rule rewrite would surely fix this?
The support in Edi should be cut by the convoyed move, but the convoyed move should be cut by the support dislodging its convoy.
A simple little rule rewrite would surely fix this?
October 28, 2024 at 1:29 PM
When the first Diplomacy rulebook was published in 1959, it contained no resolution for the 'Simple Convoy Paradox'.
The support in Edi should be cut by the convoyed move, but the convoyed move should be cut by the support dislodging its convoy.
A simple little rule rewrite would surely fix this?
The support in Edi should be cut by the convoyed move, but the convoyed move should be cut by the support dislodging its convoy.
A simple little rule rewrite would surely fix this?
My favourite piece of Diplomacy Rulebook trivia is that between 1982 and 2000, you could disrupt a convoyed attack on yourself by assisting the convoy.
Here, Turkey and France are allied against Italy. In 2024, there are no orders for Italy that successfully defend Ionian. But there used to be!
Here, Turkey and France are allied against Italy. In 2024, there are no orders for Italy that successfully defend Ionian. But there used to be!
October 28, 2024 at 1:25 PM
My favourite piece of Diplomacy Rulebook trivia is that between 1982 and 2000, you could disrupt a convoyed attack on yourself by assisting the convoy.
Here, Turkey and France are allied against Italy. In 2024, there are no orders for Italy that successfully defend Ionian. But there used to be!
Here, Turkey and France are allied against Italy. In 2024, there are no orders for Italy that successfully defend Ionian. But there used to be!
Saved my favourite til last!
Miocene Park is a world map with an east-west wraparound. How on earth did they manage that? Well, the impassable South Pole is the regular outside of the Diplomacy board, while the impassable North Pole is actually Switzerland stretched out!
Miocene Park is a world map with an east-west wraparound. How on earth did they manage that? Well, the impassable South Pole is the regular outside of the Diplomacy board, while the impassable North Pole is actually Switzerland stretched out!
October 20, 2024 at 10:35 AM
Saved my favourite til last!
Miocene Park is a world map with an east-west wraparound. How on earth did they manage that? Well, the impassable South Pole is the regular outside of the Diplomacy board, while the impassable North Pole is actually Switzerland stretched out!
Miocene Park is a world map with an east-west wraparound. How on earth did they manage that? Well, the impassable South Pole is the regular outside of the Diplomacy board, while the impassable North Pole is actually Switzerland stretched out!
Voltaire's Dream stays in Europe, and Russia and France are both even mapped to themselves!
But they're flipped upside-down, so England maps to North Africa, Turkey is now in Scandinavia and (perhaps my favourite quirk of the map) Italy is incredibly well disguised as the Netherlands.
But they're flipped upside-down, so England maps to North Africa, Turkey is now in Scandinavia and (perhaps my favourite quirk of the map) Italy is incredibly well disguised as the Netherlands.
October 20, 2024 at 10:31 AM
Voltaire's Dream stays in Europe, and Russia and France are both even mapped to themselves!
But they're flipped upside-down, so England maps to North Africa, Turkey is now in Scandinavia and (perhaps my favourite quirk of the map) Italy is incredibly well disguised as the Netherlands.
But they're flipped upside-down, so England maps to North Africa, Turkey is now in Scandinavia and (perhaps my favourite quirk of the map) Italy is incredibly well disguised as the Netherlands.
If you want a variant set in the Middle East, Rep_Melior's got you covered there, too.
It's always easiest with these to find England first and use that to orient yourself. There is a 'Britain' in this variant, but it's actually Russia's equivalent - the real England is Mahra.
It's always easiest with these to find England first and use that to orient yourself. There is a 'Britain' in this variant, but it's actually Russia's equivalent - the real England is Mahra.
October 20, 2024 at 10:25 AM
If you want a variant set in the Middle East, Rep_Melior's got you covered there, too.
It's always easiest with these to find England first and use that to orient yourself. There is a 'Britain' in this variant, but it's actually Russia's equivalent - the real England is Mahra.
It's always easiest with these to find England first and use that to orient yourself. There is a 'Britain' in this variant, but it's actually Russia's equivalent - the real England is Mahra.
Diplomacy's a great game, but you know what would make it better?
Ohio.
Ohio.
October 20, 2024 at 10:22 AM
Diplomacy's a great game, but you know what would make it better?
Ohio.
Ohio.
Stealing my favourite Reddit post of all time, by Rep_Melior - Diplomacy variant maps that are all just the standard Diplomacy board in disguise!
First up, Triangular Diplomacy. England is still mapped onto England but is rotated, Russia is now New Spain, and the Turks are now in Canada:
First up, Triangular Diplomacy. England is still mapped onto England but is rotated, Russia is now New Spain, and the Turks are now in Canada:
October 20, 2024 at 10:18 AM
Stealing my favourite Reddit post of all time, by Rep_Melior - Diplomacy variant maps that are all just the standard Diplomacy board in disguise!
First up, Triangular Diplomacy. England is still mapped onto England but is rotated, Russia is now New Spain, and the Turks are now in Canada:
First up, Triangular Diplomacy. England is still mapped onto England but is rotated, Russia is now New Spain, and the Turks are now in Canada:
The podcaster was Amby from diplomacygames.com - he forwarded me the email a while ago:
October 19, 2024 at 6:13 AM
The podcaster was Amby from diplomacygames.com - he forwarded me the email a while ago: