Colonial Diplomacy (7 players)
Diplomacy with the colonial countries sparring over the lands and riches of the Far East.
Open large map

Search for games:

Variant Parameters (Version: 2.2 / Code: 2.2.2):

Special rules/information:

The Colonial Diplomacy variant of diplomacy follows the most of the rules as standard diplomacy with a modified map, and with 5 additional rules. The game is the first commercially published true simple Diplomacy variant.

Rules (version 2.2):

  1. Except as noted below, the standard rules of play for Diplomacy apply.
  2. Cebu looks like a body of water with islands inside of it, which is accurate. It is analogous to Kiel, Constantinople or Denmark in the standard diplomacy.
  3. The Caspian Sea, Lake Baykal and any other unnamed space is not passable.
  4. This version of Colonial is based on the Moulmein Convention, so land bridges have been added between Otaru and Akita, and Sakalin and Otaru.
  5. Hong Kong is a British home supply center. It counts as a supply center for any country except China. If China is in possession of Hong Kong, it counts as a non-supply neutral territory.
  6. There are neutral SC's on the starting map on coloured territories. These SC's are marked with a neutral coloured box () drawn around them. Once occupied they count as any other SC.
  7. The Suez-Canal:
    The player who controls Egypt with a unit can move an own or foreign fleet directly from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea (and vice versa), through the Suez Canal. Therefore the player can set an extra order to accord permission to a fleet in the Mediterranean or Red Sea.
    A fleet can only move directly between the Mediterranean and Red Sea if it gains permission by the player of the unit that occupies Egypt. If there is no unit in Egypt, there is no way to use the Suez Canal.
    On the map the given permission will be symbolized by a blue arrow around the Suez Canal pointing into that direction, a fleet could pass the Suez Canal (e.g. pointing towards the Red Sea, if the fleet in the Mediterranean Sea is allowed to use the Suez Canal).
    Important: Unlike stated in the original rules, you do not have to hold Egypt for the whole turn to be able to use the Suez Canal in this implementation. This decision was made to avoid tons of paradoxes which could occur with such conditional moves.
    Apart from this rule Egypt is analogous to Kiel, Constantinople or Denmark in the standard diplomacy.
  8. The Trans-Siberian Railroad (TSR):
    The Trans-Siberian Railroad (TSR) runs from Moscow to Vladivostok and may be used by the Russian player to quickly move units across his empire. But of course there are some rules that specify how this movement is happening:
    • Only the Russian player may use the TSR.
    • Only one unit may use the TSR per turn.
    • A unit using the TSR can move from one territory with access to the TSR to any other territory along the TSR. However, foreign powers can block parts of the route by occupying the territories along them (check out v12.TSR.B1a and follow-up for examples).
    • A move with TSR may never be used to attack a unit. It is therefore impossible to cut supports with the TSR move or dislodge a unit (v12.TSR.C2). Though one can still try to enter a territory with unit speculating that it will leave the territory in the same turn (v12.TSR.C4). Or one can try to bounce units out (v12.TSR.C5).
    • If a territory on the route is blocked, the TSR move will not have any effects on territories beyond the blockade. Instead the TSR unit will travel as soon as it gets and stops before the blockade (possibly queueing behind other Russian units; v12.TSR.D1). The same happens, if just the destination is blocked by an occupier or a standoff.
    • Russian units along the route do not block the TSR.
    • Though a foreign unit will block the route if
      • it actively holds (i.e. hold or support order) on a territory on the route (even if dislodged in the turn),
      • it moves along the route (from a territory on route to a territory on route),
      • it moves into a territory and is not held out by a standoff with a third unit, a holding unit or is blocked half way by a head-to-head move,
      • it tries to enter the territory and is only hold back by a returning unit (i.e. it is possible to block the TSR move with move chains).
      However, a foreign unit that at least tries to leave a territory of the TSR and is not moving along the route is not blocking route. Instead it leaves the track temporary open as it tries to enter the new territory (no matter if successful or not). For examples check out v12.TSR.B1a and follow-up.
    • If a foreign units try to enter a territory on the route and the TSR is not blocked before, it will be bounced back by the TSR move and the TSR unit stops before the standoff territory (v12.TSR.C5).
    • It is possible to support a TSR move. Although the support only counts for the final destination and it will not be used to dislodge a unit. However, it can be used to hold back an opposing party. This is even possible, if the destination is occupied as the support will be used to prevent third units from entering but not to attack the occupier (v12.TSR.C9a).
    • The TSR can be used for neighboring territories on the route, as well. As Russian units do not block the route it is possible to swap to Russian units with the help of the TSR (v12.TSR.E2).
    • Special care should be taken, if the other unit in such a Head-To-Head-Move is non-Russian. In this case a swapping is not possible. Instead the route is blocked even half way between the territories. That also means that no supports for the TSR move will have any effect (v12.TSR.E3 and follow-up).
    TSR orders are set like convoy orders but with 'via TSR' instead of 'via convoy' in the order interface. If there is already one TSR order set, the Russian player will not be able to set another move via TSR unless he unsets the first one.
    TSR moves are displayed as orange arrows on the top of the map. They will always display the initial target and the actual destination of a (blocked) TSR move.

Rules revision (version 2.2):

The rule about temporary left territories along the TSR route was altered in the following way: A non-Russian unit that tries to leave a territory on the TSR is not considered to unblock the TSR in all cases anymore. Unlike before a move along the route now blocks the free movement of a TSR move.
Additionally, a unit that tries to enter the route and is only bounced out by a returning unit does indeed block the route. So a move chain can now actually block the route even if it is not successfull.

Reasoning for deviation from original rules:
The rule of temporary unblocked TSR-territories can be found in a clarification by Avalon Hill (The General, Vol 30, No 4) and was further discussed in this article by Andy Schwarz.
This clarification was probably introduced to avoid paradoxes that can occure if an army is blocked by a unit that bounces the TSR unit at a later stage of the route. If the TSR move would be blocked by the first army that cannot leave, there would be no bounce with the second unit at the later section of the TSR. This, however, means that the first army will leave resulting in the bounce at the later section, resulting in the blocked route again. A classical Diplomacy Paradox.
The "temporary leave rule" solves this problem by letting the TSR unit skip through the territory which is temporary free. Because of this interpretation of the initial rules there will always be a bounce with the second unit at the later stage and the paradox is avoided.
The clarification by Avalon Hill, however, emphasizes in the given example that this rule does not only apply to units that are temporarily leaving the route but also to those that are moving along. As pointed out by Schwarz this cannot only cause a bounce behind the blocking unit but can also be used to pass by a blocking unit if the TSR unit received the needed support.
While this resolution seems to be rediculous and unnecessary for avoiding paradoxes, one can even get a step further and consider two non-Russian armies on the TSR e.g. in Perm and Krasnoyarsk that bounce Omsk. According to Avalon Hills clarification a TSR move from Moscow to Irkutsk would be successfull as both enemy armies temporary leave the territories on the route and Omsk is staying free because of the bounce of those two armys. So even though all action takes place along the route, the Russian unit can pass by without any interference. On the other hand the Russian unit would have been blocked, if one of the two non-Russian units had moved somewhere else and the other would only bounce with the TSR move. One of the two units might even be Russian and the Russian player could actively unblock the TSR by seeking the bounce with the foreign unit.
As this feels rather unintuitive and much too powerful for Russia in my opinion, this might frustrate the players who did not thought about all quirks of the TSR rules. So I decided to restrict the "temporary leave rule" just to units that really try to leave the TSR route (which is needed to avoid paradoxes). After all this means that the TSR move above will be unsuccessfull while e.g. a situation with armies in Perm and Omsk bouncing Orenburg will not block the route. A TSR unit can pass by while those armies confront each other offside the railroad in Orenburg (which would also be the case if there was only one unit that is not bounced back, so the Russian player cannot activly improve the chances of success for the TSR apart from supports in the targetted territory).

Colonial Variant Test Cases

Test ID #12000 map thumbnail

v12.SUEZ.A1
TEST CASE, SUEZ PERMISSION WITH UNIT IN EGYPT

(Invalid test)

v12.SUEZ.A2
TEST CASE, NO SUEZ PERMISSION WITHOUT UNIT IN EGYPT

(Invalid test)

v12.SUEZ.A3
TEST CASE, NO SUEZ PERMISSION WITH FOREIGN UNIT IN EGYPT

Test ID #12003 map thumbnail

v12.SUEZ.A4
TEST CASE, SUEZ PERMISSION EVEN VALID IF UNIT LEAVES EGYPT

(Invalid test)

v12.SUEZ.A5
TEST CASE, SUEZ PERMISSION NOT VALID IF UNIT JUST ENTERS EGYPT

Test ID #12005 map thumbnail

v12.SUEZ.A6
TEST CASE, SUEZ PERMISSION IF EGYPTIAN UNIT IS DISLODGED

Test ID #12006 map thumbnail

v12.SUEZ.B1
TEST CASE, SUEZ CANAL NAVIGABLE WITH PERMISSION

Test ID #12007 map thumbnail

v12.SUEZ.B2
TEST CASE, SUEZ CANAL NOT NAVIGALBE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Test ID #12008 map thumbnail

v12.SUEZ.B3
TEST CASE, SUEZ CANAL ONLY NAVIGABLE IN ONE DIRECTION

Test ID #12009 map thumbnail

v12.SUEZ.C1
TEST CASE, SUPPORT MOVE FOR SUEZ MOVE VALID

Test ID #12010 map thumbnail

v12.SUEZ.C2
TEST CASE, HEAD-TO-HEAD THROUGH SUEZ WITH SUPPORT

Test ID #12011 map thumbnail

v12.SUEZ.D1
TEST CASE, NO SUPPORT HOLD THROUGH SUEZ CANAL

Test ID #12012 map thumbnail

v12.SUEZ.D2
TEST CASE, NO SUPPORT MOVE THROUGH SUEZ CANAL

Test ID #12013 map thumbnail

v12.SUEZ.D3
TEST CASE, NO CONVOY THROUGH SUEZ CANAL

Test ID #12014 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.A1
TEST CASE, BASIC USAGE OF TSR

Test ID #12015 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.A2
TEST CASE, ONLY RUSSIA MAY USE THE TSR

(Invalid test)

v12.TSR.A3
TEST CASE, ONLY ONE UNIT MAY USE THE TSR

Test ID #12017 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.A4
TEST CASE, ONLY ARMIES MAY USE THE TSR

Test ID #12018 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B1a
TEST CASE, IGNORE HOLDING RUSSIAN UNIT ON ROUTE

Test ID #12019 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B1b
TEST CASE, IGNORE RUSSIAN UNIT MOVING ALONG ROUTE AGAINST TSR MOVEMENT

Test ID #12020 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B1c
TEST CASE, IGNORE RUSSIAN UNIT MOVING ALONG ROUTE WITH TSR MOVEMENT

Test ID #12021 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B1d
TEST CASE, IGNORE RUSSIAN UNIT ENTERING THE ROUTE

Test ID #12022 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B1e
TEST CASE, IGNORE RUSSIAN UNIT LEAVING THE ROUTE

Test ID #12023 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B2a
TEST CASE, FOREIGN UNIT HOLDING/SUPPORTING ON ROUTE BLOCKS ROUTE AND A SUPPORT IS NOT CUT

Test ID #12024 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B2b
TEST CASE, FOREIGN UNIT MOVING ALONG ROUTE AGAINST TSR MOVEMENT BLOCKS ROUTE WITH STANDOFF

Test ID #12025 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B2c
TEST CASE, FOREIGN UNIT MOVING ALONG ROUTE WITH TSR MOVEMENT BLOCKS ROUTE

Test ID #12026 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B2d
TEST CASE, FOREIGN UNIT ENTERING THE ROUTE BLOCKS ROUTE WITH STANDOFF

Test ID #12027 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B2e
TEST CASE, FOREIGN UNIT LEAVING THE ROUTE DOES NOT BLOCK THE ROUTE

Test ID #12028 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B3a
TEST CASE, A MOVE CHAIN BLOCKS THE ROUTE

Test ID #12029 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B3b
TEST CASE, A BLOCKED MOVE CHAIN STILL BLOCKS THE ROUTE

Test ID #12030 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B3c
TEST CASE, A BLOCKED MOVE CHAIN WITH RETURNING RUSSIAN STILL BLOCKS THE ROUTE

Test ID #12031 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B3d
TEST CASE, A BLOCKED MOVE CHAIN WITH ENTERING RUSSIAN DOES NOT BLOCK THE ROUTE

Test ID #12032 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B4a
TEST CASE, A STANDOFF ON ROUTE DOES NOT BLOCK ROUTE

Test ID #12033 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B4b
TEST CASE, A STANDOFF ON ROUTE WITH RUSSIAN DOES NOT BLOCK ROUTE

Test ID #12034 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B5a
TEST CASE, A STANDOFF ON ROUTE WITH RETURNING UNIT AGAINST DIRECTION

Test ID #12035 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B5b
TEST CASE, A STANDOFF ON ROUTE WITH RETURNING RUSSIAN UNIT AGAINST DIRECTION

Test ID #12036 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B6a
TEST CASE, A STANDOFF ON ROUTE WITH RETURNING UNIT WITH DIRECTION

Test ID #12037 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B6b
TEST CASE, A STANDOFF ON ROUTE WITH RETURNING RUSSIAN UNIT WITH DIRECTION

Test ID #12038 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B7a
TEST CASE, A STANDOFF ON ROUTE WITH BOTH UNITS ON ROUTE

Test ID #12039 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B7b
TEST CASE, A STANDOFF ON ROUTE WITH BOTH RUSSIAN UNITS ON ROUTE

Test ID #12040 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B8a
TEST CASE, A BOUNCE BY A HOLDING RUSSIAN UNIT DOES NOT BLOCK THE ROUTE

Test ID #12041 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B8b
TEST CASE, A DISLODGED HOLDING RUSSIAN UNIT RESULTS IN BLOCKADE

Test ID #12042 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B9a
TEST CASE, A TEMPORARY LEFT TERRITORY DOES NOT BLOCK THE ROUTE

Test ID #12043 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B9b
TEST CASE, MULTIPLE TEMPORARY LEFT TERRITORY DO NOT BLOCK THE ROUTE

Test ID #12044 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B10
TEST CASE, A DISLODGED UNIT STILL BLOCKS THE ROUTE

Test ID #12045 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B11
TEST CASE, JUST TRYING TO STANDOFF DOES NOT UNBLOCK ROUTE

Test ID #12046 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.B12
TEST CASE, A SUPPORT CANNOT CIRCUMVENT BLOCKADES

Test ID #12047 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C1
TEST CASE, NO ATTACK IN TARGET TERRITORY, NO CUT OF SUPPORT

Test ID #12048 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C2
TEST CASE, NO DISLODGEMENT IN TARGET TERRITORY

Test ID #12049 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C3a
TEST CASE, NO DISLODGMENT EVEN IF TEMPORARY LEFT

Test ID #12050 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C3b
TEST CASE, NO DISLODGMENT EVEN IF TEMPORARY LEFT (SPECIAL CASE: MOVE AGAINST SUPPORTER)

Test ID #12051 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C4
TEST CASE, SUCCESS IF LEFT

Test ID #12052 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C5
TEST CASE, STANDOFF IN TARGET TERRITORY

Test ID #12053 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C6
TEST CASE, BOUNCE AGAINST SUPPORTED MOVE

Test ID #12054 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C7
TEST CASE, BOUNCE WITH SUPPORTED MOVE

Test ID #12055 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C8
TEST CASE, STANDOFF DUE TO SUPPORTS

Test ID #12056 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C9a
TEST CASE, DEFEND WITH SUPPORTED TSR

Test ID #12057 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C9b
TEST CASE, DEFEND WITH SUPPORTED TSR (SPECIAL CASE: DEFENDED TRY TO CUT THEIR DEFENSE)

Test ID #12058 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C9c
TEST CASE, DEFEND WITH SUPPORTED TSR (SPECIAL CASE: DEFENDED BLOCK THEIR DEFENSE)

Test ID #12059 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C10
TEST CASE, TRIPLE STANDOFF

Test ID #12060 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C11a
TEST CASE, TRIPLE STANDOFF WITH SUPPORT FOR TSR

Test ID #12061 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C11b
TEST CASE, TRIPLE STANDOFF WITH SUPPORT FOR TSR AND OTHER

Test ID #12062 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C11c
TEST CASE, TRIPLE STANDOFF WITH SUPPORT OTHERS

Test ID #12063 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C12a
TEST CASE, NO STANDOFF WITH FOREIGN UNIT MOVING ALONG TSR

Test ID #12064 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.C12b
TEST CASE, STANDOFF WITH RUSSIAN UNIT MOVING ALONG TSR

Test ID #12065 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.D1
TEST CASE, TSR BLOCKED ON ROUTE STOPS BEFORE BLOCKADE

Test ID #12066 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.D2
TEST CASE, TSR BLOCKED IN TARGET STOPS BEFORE TARGET

Test ID #12067 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.D3
TEST CASE, TSR IMMEDIATELY BLOCKED HOLDS

Test ID #12068 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.D4a
TEST CASE, A HOLDING RUSSIAN UNIT BLOCKS RETURNING TSR

Test ID #12069 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.D4b
TEST CASE, A MOVING WITH RUSSIAN UNIT BLOCKS RETURNING TSR

Test ID #12070 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.D4c
TEST CASE, A MOVING AGAINST RUSSIAN DOES NOT BLOCK RETURNING TSR

Test ID #12071 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.D4d
TEST CASE, AN ENTERING RUSSIAN UNIT BLOCKS RETURNING TSR

Test ID #12072 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.D5
TEST CASE, A FOREIGN UNIT OF TEMPORARY LEFT TERRITORY BLOCKS RETURNING TSR

Test ID #12073 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.D6
TEST CASE, A STANDOFF BLOCKS RETURNING TSR

Test ID #12074 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.D7
TEST CASE, MULTIPLE BLOCKS

Test ID #12075 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.E1
TEST CASE, A HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH RUSSIAN UNIT NOT BLOCKS ROUTE

Test ID #12076 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.E2
TEST CASE, A HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH RUSSIAN UNIT CAN SWAP UNITS

Test ID #12077 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.E2a
TEST CASE, BLOCKED SWAPPING

Test ID #12078 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.E3
TEST CASE, A HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH FOREIGN UNIT DOES BLOCK ROUTE

Test ID #12079 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.E4
TEST CASE, A HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH FOREIGN UNIT CANNOT SWAP UNITS

Test ID #12080 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.E5
TEST CASE, A SUPPORTED HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH FOREIGN UNIT DOES BLOCK ROUTE

Test ID #12081 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.E6
TEST CASE, A SUPPORTED HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH FOREIGN UNIT MAY NOT DISLODGE

Test ID #12082 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.E7
TEST CASE, A SUPPORTED HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH FOREIGN UNIT MAY NOT DEFEND THE FOREIGN UNIT

Test ID #12083 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.E8
TEST CASE, A HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH SUPPORTED FOREIGN UNIT DOES RESULT IN DISLODGEMENT

Test ID #12084 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.E9
TEST CASE, A SUPPORTED HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH SUPPORTED FOREIGN UNIT DOES RESULT IN DISLODGEMENT

Test ID #12085 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.F1
TEST CASE, A BLOCKED AND RETURNING UNIT HOLDS TERRITORY

Test ID #12086 map thumbnail

v12.TSR.F2
TEST CASE, A BLOCKED AND RETURNING UNIT CAN BE DISLODGED