Gerald Todd

Updated 10/25/10

1. Expectations

   Players are expected to conduct themselves as adults. If they cannot maintain their participation in a game, say so! If an extension is needed, ask! If you have a question, suggestion, or problem, speak up! This game is about communication, and your GM expects you to communicate, especially about issues that affect your participation or the game's continuing on schedule.

   Players are expected to exercise civility and courtesy in my games. The usual banter of opponents poking each other is allowed and encouraged, but slander and deliberately injurious commentary will not be tolerated and that player will be booted from the game.

2. Deadlines

   As players may live in various parts of the world, deadlines will be set at 2359 (11:59pm) Greenwich, UT, Zulu. It is the players responsibility to determine his/her local time from Greenwich time.

   The timeframe for move orders (Spring & Fall) will normally be a minimum of 5 days and 3 days for retreats/adjustments. That may be longer or shorter because of volume of orders, number of players, variant played, stage of the game, to avoid weekends, holidays, etc, etc.

   It is a player’s responsibility to submit correct moves by the deadline. I am under no obligation to check moves to see if they are correct prior to the deadline, or send out a reminder to submit moves.

3. Extensions

   Short extensions may be requested by players or imposed as deemed necessary by the GM. The idea is to accommodate players with temporary problems but maintain the flow of the game.

4. Adjudications

   There are no grace periods. Once a deadline has passed, you are subject to NMR whenever I adjudicate. However, you can always revise moves up until I start to run the turn! So if I'm a day late in getting to the game, do not assume the turn is over, or moves are locked. One can revise up until the results come out. That will usually be within a few hours of the deadline.

5. NMR's

   Any NMR will result in units being unordered and any unit dislodged will immediately disband. An NMR on a retreat phase means the unit disbands. An NMR on a build phase means builds waived. An NMR where disbands are required will be handled by the adjudication software. An NMR in the first game year may be cause for removal from the game, at GM discretion.

6. Civil Disorder (CD)

   Two consecutive spring or fall season NMR's with no retreats or builds in between will put a player in CD. They are then out of the game, and all units will hold and disband if dislodged.

7. Replacements

   Player may be replaced if the abandoned position is viable and playable at the GM's discretion. If I feel it's a borderline call I may call a council of war among the players to decide if the player is replaced or left in civil disorder. This will be considered case by case as what is best for that game.

8. Retreats

   If I can skip a retreat phase because all retreating units only have 1 possible retreat, I will order the retreats and skip to the next phase. Players can opt within 24 hours to change to disband, but otherwise the retreat will stand. This is just to skip some usually pointless phases waiting for orders that only have one option. If there seems to be some diplomacy involved, (like say if 2 retreating units can only retreat to the SAME one space) I'll post the turn instead. It's really just to keep the game moving in no-brainer situations.

9. Proxy Orders

   A player may NOT proxy his units to another player in the same game.

   • A player may seek a temporary replacement of themselves (a stand-in) by another player who is not a current or past player in that game to cover any periods of vacation or absence.
   • The stand-in: A player may designate someone to play on his behalf if he will be away for some time. If the stand-in fails to submit orders, the owning player suffers the NMR and all results forthcoming. The owning player is the player of record for all that transpires, tho the stand-in has full authority over the country so long as he is declared the stand-in.
   
   
10. Order Format

    It is strongly advisable that players label their moves with AT LEAST the DC number and season/year. Eg. DC155 Russia Spring 1901.

    I use software (RealPolitik/RealWorld) to adjudicate games by pasting the orders, as given, into the software. Orders should submitted in a format that is condusive to that process which includes using standard abbreviations, specifying coasts, Army, Fleet, or other, as-the-case-may-be. Failure of the player to format their orders properly will increase the chance of error, misinterpreted orders, or unordered units.

    Orders should be formatted so:

    Adapted from the Orders Format portion of the RealPolitik manual.
    • Movement Orders should be in the following format.

      "Unit Type" "Location" "Move Order" "Destination"

      Where "Move Order" may be: "->" "-" "MOVE" "MOVES" "M" "to" "moves to" or "attacks"

      Examples
      A Mun - Ber
      A MUN -> Ber
      ARMY Munich to Berlin
      F mao -> spa(sc)
      A Mun attacks Ber

    • Hold Orders should be in the following format.

      "Unit Type" "Location" "Hold Order"

      Where "Hold Order" may be: "HOLD" "HOLDS" or "H"

      Examples
      A MUN HOLD
      ARMY Mun H
      note: No "-"

    • Support Orders should be in the following format.

      "Unit Type" "Location" "Support Order" "Country and order for the unit being supported, in the normal format"

      Where "Support Order" may be: "SUPPORT" "SUPPORTS" or "S"

      The orders for a unit supporting a unit contolled by a different country, may refer to the nationality of the foreign unit, but it's not required.

      Examples
      A Mun S French A Par - Bur
      A Mun Support A Par - Bur
      A mar S F mao -> spa(nc)

      Examples of support for a unit holding in place
      A mar S A bur Hold
      A mar S A bur

    • Convoy Orders should be in the following format.

      "Unit Type" "Location" "Convoy Order" "Country and order for the unit being convoyed, in the normal format"

      Where "Convoy Order" may be: "CONVOY" "CONVOYS" or "C"

      The orders for a fleet convoying a unit contolled by a different country, may refer to the nationality of the foreign unit, but it's not required.

      Examples
      F bal C A pru -> swe
      F BAL Convoys Russia ARMY prussia to sweden
      

    • Parenthesis are only used to designate coasts.

      Examples of invalid orders because of parenthesis
      F (bal-nwg)
      f bal s (f ech-nth)
      (A)Mun-Bur
      F Spa(sc) S F (Ech-Mao)

11. End-Game Proposals (EGP)

    Any active player can make an End-Game Proposal. It should be turned in with his/her regular orders, and will be proposed for a vote during the NEXT season. Once a turn has begun, it is too late to propose an EGP for the turn already in play. Players may then vote with their next season's orders.

    Eliminated players or countries in Civil Disorder have no vote. To pass, the end-game-proposal requires a yes vote from all active players. Any single no vote will cause the proposal to fail. Any non-vote or NMR will be counted as a no-vote. (one cannot accidentally miss a turn due to a vacation to come back to find out he unwillingly assented to end a game). There are two possible end-game proposals:

    • Solo -- All players must vote to cede one player a solo victory. All other players ranked by center count.
    • Draw -- All players must vote to agree to a proposed draw. The proposed draw may include any two or more active players. It may or may not include all players. All players in the draw finish equally, with those players not in the draw getting a loss ranked by center count.
    • DIAS -- A DIAS is just a "Draw Including All Survivors". It is the same as any other draw, the name just tells you you're voting to share the draw equally among all remaining players.
12. GM Impersonation

    Any attempt to forge a GM email or communication will be cause for immediate removal from a game.

13. Changes

    If there are changes to these rules that effect play, the GM will notify the players in current games of the changes.

14. The GM Rule

    Any points not explicitly governed by these house rules are to be adjudicated according to the discretion of the GM. All GM decisions are final.