This variant is set in Renaissance Europe and played on the standard Diplomacy map. The only difference on the map is that Switzerland is passable, and is a neutral supply center. The great powers and starting positions are as follows:
Holy Roman Empire: F Berlin, A Vienna, A Munich
England: F Brest, A Liverpool, F London
France: F Belgium, A Marseilles, A Paris
Spain: F Spain (sc), A Portugal, F Naples
Venice: A Venice, A Trieste, F Greece
Poland-Lithuania: A St.Petersburg, A Warsaw, F Sevastopol
Ottoman Turks: F Bulgaria (ec), F Smyrna, A Constantinople, A Ankara
It tends to be a more brutal, bloody game than vanilla dip, as the power's get into conflict right from the outset. Makes for a very interesting opening few turns. Otherwise, it plays just like regular diplomacy.
The inspiration for it came from Gilbert Gelinas' Medeival Diplomacy, but
other than the century, the two games are completely different.
The rules are STANDARD, in fact everything is totally standard except for
two little things.
1) the countries are moved around a little
2) Switzerland is added as a neutral SC.
The Game: This is basically just a game of Standard Diplomacy with a few twists:
1) The game starts in 1454, the date traditionally given by historians
for the start of the Renaissance in Europe. (Constantinople fell to
the Turks in 1453)
2) Switzerland is PASSABLE and contains a supply center for the taking.
3) Although the map is the same (except for Switzerland), the countries
are different. (See below)
Powers
(A few liberties were taken with history, which will be outlined briefly below)
Country: VENICE
Capital: Venice
Home Provinces: (* indicates supply centre)
Venice(*),
Trieste(*),
Albania,
Greece(*)
Ruler: Doge Francesco Foscari
Starting Units:
A Venice,
A Trieste,
F Greece
Background:
The 15th century was Venice's 'Golden Age'. After the long war
with Genoa in the 14th century, Venice emerged as one of the leading
powers in Europe. Unrivalled commercially until the rounding of the Cape
of Good Hope late in the century by the Portugese, Venice was
spectacularly wealthy and powerful. It could boast the largest and
best navy in the world (at least in the European world), and had many
overseas colonies, including many former Byzantine possessions in Greece,
Cyprus, Crete, the Black Sea, along with the coast of Dalmatia (modern
Yugoslavia), and even some possessions on the west coast of Asia Minor.
The Republic was to last over 1000 years in total. Unmatched to this day
by any state in Europe (well possibly San Marino).
Country:
SPAIN
Capital: Spain
Home Provinces:
Spain(*),
Portugal(*),
Naples(*)
Ruler: Ferdinand II, 'The Catholic' of Aragon and Sicily (a.k.a. Ferdinand V of Castille, Ferdinand III of Naples)
Starting Units:
F Spain (south coast),
A Portugal,
F Naples
Background:
With the marriage of Ferdinand to Queen Isabella of Castille, Ferdinand
became ruler of most of what we now call Spain, along with the Island of
Sicily. Naples was only added to the Kingdom in 1503, and Portugal was an
independent kingdom (which it still is today), but for the purposes of the
game, they will be incorporated into Spain.
Country:
FRANCE
Capital: Paris
Home Provinces:
Picardy,
Paris(*),
Belgium(*),
Burgundy,
Gascony,
Marseilles(*)
Ruler: King Charles VII
Starting Units:
A Paris,
A Marseilles,
F Belgium
Background:
France had just recently thrown off the English yoke some 20 - 30 years
before and was beginning to re-emerge as a European power. The main
result of the hundred years war, or one of them anyway, was to crush the
nobility. The King could now effectively wield absolute power. Soon his
hand would be grasping southward into Italy to join with Spain in a long
struggle for domination of the peninsula.
Country:
ENGLAND
Capital: London
Home Provinces:
Liverpool(*),
Yorkshire,
Wales,
London(*),
Brest(*)
Ruler: King Henry VI of the House of Lancaster
Starting Units:
A Liverpool, F London, F Brest
Background:
Henry V had conquered France, and had made himself heir to the French
throne upon the death of Charles VI. He never saw the crown, however. He
died soon after; and on the death of Charles VI seven weeks later, his
infant son, Henry VI became king of both England and France. He proved a
weak king, and soon lost his French possessions; all except Calais.
(Note. Calais is not in the vicinity of Brest, it's further east, on the
straits of Dover... but what the hell).
Country:
POLAND-LITHUANIA
Capital: Warsaw [Krakow]
Home Provinces:
Warsaw(*) [Krakow],
Prussia,
Livonia,
St. Petersburg (*) [Novgorod],
Ukraine,
Sevastopol(*),
Galicia
Ruler: Casimir IV
Starting Units:
A St. Petersburg,
A Warsaw,
F Sevastopol
Background:
The Polish-Lithuanian union in 1384 created the largest nation in
Europe. Ruled from Krakow, it stretched from the
Baltic sea to the Black sea. Warsaw became the capital in 1569, and was
second (in Europe) only to Paris in magnificence.
A couple of liberties were taken for the purposes of the game:
1) Although P-L stretched to the Black Sea it only ruled the western
half of Sevastopol. The eastern half was still controlled by the
Mongols (the Golden Horde, to be exact).
2) P-L controlled Novgorod (i.e. StP) as a vassal state for a very brief
period around 1470, but in 1454, Novgorod was an independent republic.
After 1470 it was occupied by Ivan the Great (Ivan III) of Muscovy.
Country:
HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
Capital (at the time): Vienna
Home Provinces:
Vienna(*),
Bohemia,
Tyrolia,
Munich(*),
Ruhr,
Berlin(*),
Silesia,
Piedmont,
Tuscany
Ruler: Emperor Frederick III
Starting Units:
A Vienna,
A Munich,
F Berlin
Background:
The Empire was a loose confederation of german and italian states; the
emperor being little more than a figure head in that he had little or no
control over the actions of his vassals, most especially those in
Lombardy (Piedmont) and Tuscany. e.g. Francesco Sforza, Gian Galeazzo
Visconti, and the other leading figures in 15th and 16th-century north
italian politics were, technically at least, subjects of the Empire.
The emperor himself did rule over his own home state, however, and usually
had a formidable army.
Country:
OTTOMAN EMPIRE
Capital: Constantinople
Home Provinces:
Constantinople(*),
Ankara(*),
Smyrna(*),
Armenia,
Syria,
Bulgaria(*)
Ruler: Mehmet II, 'The Conqueror'
Starting Units:
F Bulgaria (east coast),
F Smyrna,
A Constantinople,
A Ankara
Background:
Having captured Constantinople the year before, and in the process
destroying for ever the last remnants of the old Roman Empire, the Turks
steadily and rapidly advanced on the Balkans and on Europe, up to the very
walls of Vienna. (Twice). The next two centuries would see many great
battles first between Turkey and Venice/Hungary, and then when Budapest
fell, between Turkey and Venice (e.g. Lepanto).
**OTHER POWERS(neutral, no units):
THE PAPACY Rome
HUNGARY Budapest
GRAND DUCHY OF MUSCOVY Moscow
KALMAR LEAGUE Denmark (+ Kiel), Sweden, Norway
SCOTLAND Edinburgh, Clyde