Deadlines

Very simply, in Diplomacy the deadline is the time by which your orders have to be submitted. But what deadline lengths are there? What happens if you don’t get your orders in on time? And which deadlines are best for a Dip game?

Deadline Length

Let’s start with the FACE-TO-FACE game, the way it was designed to be played. The rules have changed somewhat over the years.

Diplomacy has always been split into game years of two TURNS: Spring and Fall (or, occasionally, Autumn in the UK). In each turn there was an Orders Phase (in which players negotiated with each other, wrote orders down, and submitted them to be adjudicated) and a Retreats Phase (in which units that had been DISLODGED were either ordered to retreat or disbanded). The Fall turn had the same format, but added an Adjustments Phase, in which units could be built and added to the board (if a player owned more SCs than units on the board and could build units) or were DISBANDED and removed from the board (if a player owned fewer SCs than units).

Each Orders Phase lasted fifteen minutes with the exception of Spring 1901, when it lasted thirty minutes. This exception was because this is the first turn and players were likely to be talking to other players a lot in this turn, trying to negotiate agreements, DMZs, etc. Good players would always try to talk to everyone, whether they would be working with others directly or not. The game’s called Diplomacy for a reason!

In 2000, however, the Orders Phase was split into three separate phases: a Diplomatic Phase (for negotiations), an Order Writing Phase, and an Order Resolution Phase. In effect, it meant that the rush to negotiate and write and submit orders at one time was split off, allowing players to spend a full fifteen (or thirty) minutes focused on diplomacy.

The current rules for Diplomacy split the Adjustments Phase off from the Fall turn, making it a Winter turn. This is really nothing of any consequence.

In a face-to-face game, whether you’ll find this ‘new’ set of phase lengths being used is unsure but, outside of the Diplomatic Phase, the Order Writing Phase was set at no more than five minutes. The Order Resolution Phase would take as long as it took! The Retreats Phase has always been five minutes (no discussion in this phase, simply write and submit orders), and the Winter turn is always five minutes (again, no discussion).

These deadline lengths might also be reflected in the other form of IN-PERSON play, VIRTUAL FACE-TO-FACE (vFTF) Diplomacy. However, in vFTF play, it is common for the deadline lengths to shorten at some point in the game, often a set year, occasionally by agreement, when the number of players still in the game has dwindled or when alliances are more solid. As vFTF games usually use a games site (Backstabbr is commonly used) to adjudicate orders, once orders have been entered there is no need for a separately timed Order Resolution Phase.

REMOTE Diplomacy, however, has always been very different! Originally, Remote games were played by post, known as either POSTAL DIPLOMACY or PLAY-BY-MAIL (PBM) DIPLOMACY. Back in the PAPER AGE Dip games were played through ZINES and deadlines were dictated by publication deadlines. You were given a date by which you had to have submitted your orders to the GM. The sheer length of these deadlines meant that many GMs ran games in which Retreats and Adjustments had to be included with movement orders, something I never really got my head around I have to admit. Other people seemed to do OK, though, which means my dislike for this kind of deadline is all down to me! Alternatively, some GMs would have deadlines shorter than the publication deadline, issuing resolution reports between issues of their zine.

With the rise of the ELECTRONIC AGE came PLAY-BY-EMAIL (PBEM) DIPLOMACY and automatic adjudication engines known as JUDGES. Now players didn’t have to rely on the postal system to get their PRESS through – email communications were significantly quicker. However, games were often still run through zines, and many zines retained their postal format. So, either GMs would have more interim game deadlines or games were still shackled to the publication deadline of zines.

PBM and PBEM deadlines were long. There’s really no point in trying to say how long as they were often dependent on the zine hosting the game. With the advent of the DIGITAL AGE, however, deadlines became much more flexible.

The Digital Age saw games move online. Diplomacy sites, dedicated to playing the game, arrived and games were run completely automatically. As these sites developed, a much wider range of deadlines appeared, from minutes to weeks. The shortest deadlines might be a minute… which is really no time at all! Especially later in the game. Even with the most simplistic order-entry method (most sites use a POINT AND CLICK method, although some allow you to write your orders) issuing and checking orders for a large number of units is problematic. Imagine doing well in the game, having a number of units in double figures, and not having time to issue each unit with an order or to check that your orders match-up! Frustrating!!!

There is a form of Diplomacy called BLITZ DIPLOMACY. In this variant, the Orders Phase lasts for just five minutes. In that time, you have to talk to other players and enter your orders. For me, this is utter madness. Five minute deadlines are fine for GUNBOAT or SPEEDBOAT games, when there’s no negotiation, but to have to get a full discussion done in five minutes simply shorts my circuits.

A more typical deadline online is twenty-four hours. This has become popular on Dip sites and, lamentably, in ARENA games. This is something to do with a type of Dip play I call PUSSYCAT Diplomacy. Rather than involving players who are small and cuddly, these players don’t want to ‘waste’ time on discussion, they simply want the game to move on. But more on that below.

Other deadlines commonly used are forty-eight hours or three days. These are often for Orders Phases, however; for Retreats and Winter phases deadlines might be shorter. Some players will try to play to twelve hour deadlines for negotiations, which is even more silly than a day.

Often on sites you can select different deadline lengths for Retreats and Winter. Some sites will automatically allow you to select full-length deadlines or deadlines at one-third of the Diplomatic Phase length. Others will let you choose deadlines independently for each phase.

On Playdiplomacy there is a variant of Dip they call LIVE Diplomacy. In this game, the deadlines are as for an FTF game. Every player has to be online and active for the duration of the game – or until they’re eliminated, at least. Online, this is a difficult type of game to play, for the same reason it’s difficult to get seven players together for an FTF game. Other sites may allow you to create a similar game without it being a specific game set-up.

NMR

One of the ways you can spoil a game of Diplomacy is by not getting your orders in on time. This can have a devastating effect on your game, affect the game for other players, and even see you removed from the game. Failing to get your orders in is often referred to as NO MOVES RECEIVED (NMR). This is from the days of PBM Dip, when GMs would use the abbreviation to indicate the difference between failed orders and units being issued with deliberate HOLD orders.

The consequence of an NMR differs depending on HOUSE RULES or SITE RULES. Sometimes a number of NMRs may be allowed before the player is removed from the game; otherwise the player may be removed immediately. On Playdip, a regular NMR is allowed once but do it twice in a game and you’re AUTO_SURRENDERED from the game. If the game has SPRING 1901 NMR PROTECTION in place, you’re Auto_Surrendered if you NMR in Spring 1901. On other sites, the process might be different. On webDiplomacy, for instance, the deadline will be extended to allow you to get your orders in but, once the extension passes, your power will be in CIVIL DISORDER; on this site the player creating the game will allow a delay from zero to four times before you’re removed and your power becomes an ABANDONED POWER. (I’m not sure what the rules are for Diplicity or Backstabbr.)

An NMR may also invoke a GRACE PERIOD; this is when a deadline is extended and the player who NMRed has another chance to get their orders in by the new deadline. Failure to do this will result in an NMR. On Playdip, they have something similar, known as a PROTECTED GAME. This, they insist, is not a Grace Period, because if this option was selected when the game was created, it extends the deadline and all players benefit from the extension; on this site, it still counts as one NMR and, if the player NMRs after the extension, they’re removed from the game.

If a player is removed from a game, again House Rules or the Site Rules may allow for a new player to join the game. Other times this isn’t allowed, which is a shame because it’s often better to let a new player take up an open position, given that the game is best played without an Abandoned Power (and without an NMR in the first place!).

Suitable Deadlines

Getting the length of deadline right is hugely important in a game of Diplomacy, especially in the EXTENDED DEADLINE (XD) format. Set it too short you run the risk of increased NMRs due to real life issues getting in the way. Set it too long and you’re likely to dissuade people from playing. Join a game with deadlines you’re going to struggle meeting and you’re likely to NMR and probably be removed from the game (and this is likely to have some affect on the games you can enter in the future). And, if you’re one of the Pussycat players I mentioned above, joining a game with a deadline that is going to make the game boring for you, resulting in you nattering at and harassing others to get a move on, isn’t going to make the game enjoyable for anyone.

So, what is a good deadline length?

Well, despite a sizeable proportion of XD players seeming to struggle with this, it isn’t rocket science. Think about it:

1. Online, players could be from all over the world. This means different time zones. One might be in Australia, another in the UK, a third in California. This means that someone will be asleep when a message is sent and won’t be able to reply until they wake up. You need to allow for this when deciding on a deadline length.
2. Players need time to carry out their diplomacy. I’ve said it before, now let me reiterate: the game’s called Diplomacy for a reason. The action takes place on the map but what happens there depends (or should do) on what happens during the Diplomatic Phase. People need time to discuss things, persuade others, etc. If you want to play Diplomacy, allow time for diplomacy!
3. Allow players to have the option to end a deadline early. Each site allows this functionality: when every player has entered their orders, and indicated that they are ready for the deadline to process – even if it’s early – the deadline will process. That way, if the deadline for a particular phase is proving to be too long, it can be ended early. No problem!
4. Don’t join a game with deadlines you’re going to be frustrated playing towards. Always check the deadline length(s) before joining the game. If it’s too short for you, don’t join. If it’s longer than you’re happy with, don’t join. NMRs and Pussycat players are annoying! NMRs unbalance the game – surrenders and abandoned powers are worse. Players who are regularly moaning about other players taking ‘too long’ come across as whining idiots… and may even encourage players to not FINALISE their orders early out of spite!

A decent length of deadline might be two or three days, with longer for Spring 1901 (if the site lets you do this – neither webDip nor Diplicity allow it). Two days (for me, as I work somewhere where I can’t take time out to go online – and, let’s face it, nobody should really be doing that!) might be fine for a relaxed game; three days is better for an arena game, where the stakes are higher. Anything less than two days makes a real game of Diplomacy online impractical, not allowing players to play effectively. However, if you can play to shorter deadlines – maybe real life is easier for you! – you’re better off doing that than joining games with longer deadlines that you’re going to find frustrating!

I always find it disappointing, personally, when I see arena games with deadlines of one day. This seems to be capitulating to the desires of players who really don’t play Diplomacy that well. You can play a game in which you don’t talk to others as much as you could, and do well in it… but that isn’t what the game ought to be about and, when everyone is forced to play at that level, it’s easier. I simply won’t join that type of game. If I’m playing Dip, I want to play to the best that I can, and that means having the time to talk to others.

The most important thing is to play to the deadlines. Too short and you’re going to annoy players when you NMR and are eventually removed from the game. Nothing spoils a game of Diplomacy more than that other than cheaters. If the deadlines are longer than you enjoy, and you’re winding yourself up to try to hurry other players alone, you’re not doing yourself any favours. Play to the deadline, whatever it may be.