USDP: DPjudge Ruleset

DPjudge RULE Set

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Rule Topics 1. Rules Affecting All Games

· Rules Affecting All Games
      ·Game Start Rules
      ·Press Rules
      ·Movement Order Rules
      ·Convoy Order Rules
      ·Retreat and Adjustment Rules
      ·Secrecy Rules
      ·Late and Vacant Power Rules
      ·Deadline Handling Rules
      ·Game Conclusion Rules

· Standard Game Rules
      ·Ignored Rules
      ·Unit Order Rules
      ·Late and Vacant Power Rules

· Payola Game Rules
      ·Included and Forbidden Rules
      ·Funds Transfer Rules
      ·Income Rules
      ·Secrecy Rules
      ·Bribe Offer Rules

· Crystal Ball Game Rules
·Included and Forbidden Rules
·Secrecy Rules

1.1 Game Start

POWER_CHOICE
If this rule is used, players may select an (unspoken for) power to play when JOINing the game. (Without this rule, the DPjudge will assign powers to all players randomly.)
MOBILIZE
If this rule is used, then all players will begin with no units on the board, but able to make one build in any of their home centers. If the game's initial phase (from the game's MAP or from the BEGIN line in the game's status file) is not an adjustment phase, then the game will begin with the first adjustment phase that would have occurred before the designated starting phase. (Note that if the game is a Crystal Ball game, the movement phase before the determined adjustment phase is the starting phase instead.)
FLEX_SETUP -or-
BLANK_BOARD
If this rule is used, then the board will begin empty, and the players will be able to build the unit of their choice in each of their home centers. The game will begin in an earlier phase (as described above). Note that the FLEX_SETUP rule only affects units originally located on home supply centers. This means that if a normal game setup includes units that exist on locations that are not supply centers (for example, in the Hundred variant, France begins with an army in Provence), these units will indeed be placed on the map as usual.

1.2 Press

NO_PRESS
Press is only allowed to and from the Master. This rule is invalid when used with PUBLIC_PRESS or other rules that imply that any type of press is allowed. (This rule automatically includes the SILENT_ABSENCES rule.)
PUBLIC_PRESS -or-
NO_PARTIAL
Press is only allowed to and from the Master, and broadcast. (See the descriptions of the TOUCH_PRESS and REMOTE_PRESS rules for other implications of the PUBLIC_PRESS rule.)
MUST_ORDER
No press (except to the Master) is allowed until a power has submitted orders for the current turn. (These need not be that power's final orders, but orders must be submitted before press is permitted.)
LATE_SEND
Private press may be sent by any power that has not submitted orders after a deadline. (Without this rule, private press from late powers is forbidden.)
NO_LATE_RECEIVE
Private press may not be sent to any power that has not submitted orders after a deadline.
FTF_PRESS
Press may be sent only to the Master except during movement phases, enforcing the face-to-face prohibition on negotiation during non-movement phases. Additionally, no private press may be sent after a deadline has occurred (when one or more players are late in submitting orders).
GREY_PRESS
All press (except to the Master) is sent anonymously.
YELLOW_PRESS
All broadcast press is sent anonymously.
WHITE_GREY
The player can choose to have any press (except to the Master) sent anonymously.
FAKE_PRESS
The player can choose to impersonate another player and to have the message claim to be to a different set of recipients than those to whom it is actually sent.
MUTE_OBSERVERS
Observers may only send press to the Master.
TOUCH_PRESS
Private press is only allowed to the Master and to players owning units that the press-sending power could support to hold, or units that could support a hold order of any unit of the press-sending power. Note that if the PUBLIC_PRESS rule is also used in the game, then messages may be sent to all players ("broadcasts"); otherwise (without the PUBLIC_PRESS rule), no broadcasts at all can be sent by the players.
REMOTE_PRESS
Private press is only allowed to the Master and to players owning no units that the press-sending power could support to hold, nor any units that could support a hold order of any unit of the press-sending power, nor any units that could move directly into a supply center owned by the press-sending power, nor any supply centers into which the press-sending power could directly move. Note that if the PUBLIC_PRESS rule is also used in the game, then messages may be sent to all players ("broadcasts"); otherwise (without the PUBLIC_PRESS rule), no broadcasts at all can be sent by the players.
BACKSEAT_PRESS
Map powers have no press capability (except to the Master) and non-map powers have the ability to send public (broadcast) press only.
EAVESDROP
The Master is sent a copy of all private press messages. The fact that this rule is in use does not appear in a game list or summary, or on the Website. If the Master wishes, however, to counteract this and expose the fact that he is eavesdropping, he may append an exclamation point to the name of the rule, like this: EAVESDROP!
PRESS_MASTER
The Master is not sent a copy of all public (broadcast) press messages. To send a message to the Master, the message must specifically include the Master in its addressing.

1.3 Movement Orders

FICTIONAL_OK
Players may submit orders to and involving units that do not exist. This could be because the game is BLIND or (as in the Crystal Ball variant) because the unit may exist by the time the order is processed. If this rule is used, the type (army or fleet) of each unit being ordered must be specified by the player. Players are not told if their orders mention units that do not exist.
Note that this rule obviates any and all LEAGUE settings for a game. That is, orders are not checked to ensure they are compatible with any restrictions placed by the league membership of the owning power.
SHOW_PHANTOM
Supports and convoys offered to non-existent units are announced [note that SHOW_PHANTOM implies the FICTIONAL_OK rule, above]. Without SHOW_PHANTOM, all such orders are displayed as HOLD orders. Additionally, SHOW_PHANTOM modifies the results in that it suppresses (for all orders, not simply those referencing non-existent units) the display of the the nationality of a supported or convoyed unit. For example, an Italian support for a German unit would usually be displayed as:
Italy: Army Rome SUPPORT German Army Venice.
If the SHOW_PHANTOM rule is in force, the same order would be announced without the word "German".
ORDER_ANY
Players may issue orders to units owned by any player, not just those they themselves own. This could be because proxy orders are allowed, or (as in Payola) because all units are subject to acting according to the highest financial bid received.
PROXY_OK
Players may issue the proxy order to any one or more of their units. [If this rule is used, ORDER_ANY is effectively in use as well.] Only the actual original owner of a unit may issue it a proxy order; that is, units may not be "re-proxied" from one power to another. Note also that if a unit receives a proxy order, but then, later in the power's list of orders (if the variant allows this), an order is given to the unit, the unit will follow that order. Units that are proxied to a power that does not issue an order to that unit will HOLD and will be eligible to receive support in place.
NO_PROXY
Players may not issue the proxy order. This rule is in force by default -- it need not be explicitly listed. However, if it is explicitly listed, any PROXY_OK rule is silently countermanded.
COASTAL_CRAWL
A fleet in a province having multiple coasts may swap places with a fleet moving to a different coast of that province. For example, F Spa/sc-Por and F Por-Spa/nc would not bounce each other.
FRIENDLY_FIRE
In games using this rule, the rules concerning self-dislodgement and cutting one's own support are modified. Players may dislodge their own units, and support given by a unit for an attack against a unit owned by the same power will be valid and will be counted towards causing a dislodgement. Additionally, even an unsuccessful attack made by a unit against another unit owned by the same power will cut any support being offered by the attacked unit.
WEAK_BOUNCES
This rule implements "Key's Rule" (named for its developer, Jeff Key, who also created the Italian Key Lepanto opening). Key's rule says that a unit that is ordered to move will have absolutely no defensive strength to hold its original position if its move fails. Thus, if A Vie-Gal fails, a foreign unit that was ordered A Bud-Vie will dislodge Vie even if it attacks without support. A unit will only successfully "bounce" back to a space if no foreign attack (or, if the FRIENDLY_FIRE rule is also in force, any attack at all) was made on the space, or if the space is a beleaguered garrison.
DEFAULT_UNORDERED
Movement phase orders are not checked to ensure that a player has provided an order for each of his own units. Any unit left unordered will receive a default order to HOLD.
UNITS_ADAPT
Some variants use maps on which the terrain of some or all of the spaces can change during the game. Fleets on water spaces that become multi-coast provinces (or whose multiple coasts change) will be landed at the coast whose terrain type (including AMEND) was specified last in the game's .map file directives. Fleets located on a coast of a multi-coast province which becomes a single-coast province will remain in the province. Without the UNITS_ADAPT rule, units located on spaces that change terrain type to a terrain incompatible with the unit will be destroyed. However, if the UNITS_ADAPT rule is used, then units will survive terrain changes by converting, if necessary, to the appropriate type of unit. For example, if a fleet is located in the Black Sea, and the Black Sea becomes a landlocked space, the fleet will become an army. The HIBERNATE rule (below) also affects unit behavior if terrain changes occur; if both rules are used, units will HIBERNATE if possible, but armies finding themselves on water will ADAPT and become fleets.
HIBERNATE
With this rule, if any unit is in a location on the map that becomes impassable (i.e., SHUT), or if any fleet is in a location that becomes LANDlocked, the unit remains a legal unit but may only be ordered to HOLD until the space is no longer impassable. Note that the HIBERNATE rule has precedence over the UNITS_ADAPT rule, meaning that if both rules are used, units will HIBERNATE if possible, but armies that find themselves on WATER will convert to become fleets, rather than be destroyed.
IMMOBILE_DUMMIES
With this rule, all units owned by a power that is marked as a DUMMY will not be eligible to receive any movement orders. All such units may only be ordered to hold, support, or convoy.

1.4 Convoys

COASTAL_CONVOY
Fleets in coastal locations (in addition to those on water) may issue and perform convoy orders. Essentially, this rule causes all COAST spaces to be treated as if they were PORT spaces (see the documentation on map file syntax).
PORTAGE_CONVOY
Armies may "convoy" fleets overland from one coastal space to another. Note that a fleet that is portaged through an army that is adjacent to a multi-coast province may end its move on any coast of that province. Just as with orders that support fleets moving to multi-coast provinces, (portage) convoy orders given to armies may not specify any destination coast for the fleet being moved. (Only the fleet's move order may specify its destination coast.)
SAFE_CONVOYS
If this rule is used, armies may not convoy through fleets that are beleaguered garrisons. Such fleets will behave (as far as the convoying army is concerned) like dislodged fleets. This rule implements an alternate convoy paradox resolution scheme, per a proposal advocated by Simon Szykman.
WEAK_CONVOYS
If this rule is used, a convoying fleet must be better supported than any and all attacks that are being made on it by foreign units, or else its convoy will fail. For example, an unsupported convoying fleet will have its convoy disrupted even by a single unsupported foreign movement.
NO_RETURN
Games using this rule will forbid a unit being convoyed to travel a path that includes a convoying unit more than once. For example, on the standard map, an army in Greece may be ordered to convoy to Naples along a path that travels through the Ionian Sea more than once: A GRE-ION-ADR-ION-NAP. This rule would forbid such an order.
Notice that this rule only invalidates orders given to units that are to be convoyed. Orders given to convoyer units are never invalidated based on whether an offered convoy would require that any convoyer be used more than once. For example, on the standard map, F ADR C A GRE-NAP is never invalidated at order entry, despite the fact that such a convoy would necessarily (provided that the COASTAL_CONVOY rule is not in effect) travel through F ION twice.
[As a historical note, this rule originally was CONVOY_BACK and was used to allow return-pathing in convoy orders. That rule was not permitted in DPjudge games that were being used as simply Web front ends to games on Ken Lowe judges, for the reason that the Ken Lowe judge had a 255-character line limit on orders. When the DPjudge dropped the ability to be used to front-end Ken Lowe judge games, this rule took its current form.]

1.5 Retreat and Adjustment Orders

NO_RETREAT: If this rule is used, all dislodged units are destroyed without the ability to retreat. (This rule is automatically included if the NO_QUARTER rule is used.)
BUILD_ANY: Powers may build new units at any owned supply center, not simply at their home supply centers.
HOME_BUILDS: If this rule is used, players may build in any owned center that was an original home center for any of the powers in the game. Note that this rule may be restricted by the addition of REMOTE_BUILDS and the operation of the GARRISON rule, both described below.
REMOTE_BUILDS: Requires that a power must still own at least one of its original home centers to be eligible to build. Without any other rule that restricts build locations (such as HOME_BUILDS), this rule silently includes BUILD_ANY, meaning that powers will be able to build at any owned center, if and only if they own at least one of their original home centers.
GARRISON: Games that use the GARRISON rule require that at least one home center of each eliminated power be occupied at the beginning of every adjustment phase. The consequence of not doing so is that the eliminated player -- even if that player still has units on the board at the time -- becomes eligible (as long as he has not RESIGNed) to build a unit in any one of his home centers, and the power or powers that own these home centers become ineligible to build there (in games using BUILD_ANY or HOME_BUILDS, where this would otherwise be possible). The eliminated player does not (yet) regain ownership of the center on which he builds, but he is immediately no longer considered eliminated, and participates in any draw and concession votes. Note that if the eliminated power builds a unit, does not use it to gain a supply center in the following game-year, and if the same situation exists at the end of that game-year, the power will be eligible to build yet again, giving that power two units without benefit of owning a supply center, and so on.
NO_RESERVES: A game using this rule will ignore any and all RESERVES settings given for the game in its map file. However, any reserves specified in the game's status file will be honored.
NO_MILITIA: A game using this rule will ignore any and all MILITIA settings given for the game in its map file. However, any militia specified in the game's status file will be honored.
NO_FACTORIES: A game using this rule will ignore any and all factory sites that the map variant might call for in its map file.
NO_PARTISANS: A game using this rule will ignore any and all partisan sites that the map variant might call for in its map file.

1.6 Secrecy

BLIND

In a BLIND game, each player receives individually tailored movement, retreat, and adjustment phase results and sees a map made from these tailored results. Each player's personalized results will contain only:

his own units and their orders,
the units (and possibly the orders of those units) owned by other powers, provided that the unit started or ended the turn adjacent to a space where one of the player's own units either began or ended the turn,
the units (and possibly the orders of those units) owned by other powers, provided that the unit started or ended the turn in or adjacent to a home supply center of the player in question (regardless of whether or not that center is currently owned by the player). See VENETIAN, below, for an alternative.
his own list of owned supply centers,
his own unit-count, center-count, and adjustment phase status (number of builds or removes he is eligible or required to submit).

When a foreign unit is "visible" to a player, the player will either receive full information on the unit's order (if he could "see" the unit both before and after the moves), or will receive one of the following instead (based on whether the unit was visible to the player before the moves or after the moves, but not both):
Army XXX ARRIVES. Army XXX DEPARTS. Army YYY LOST. Army YYY FOUND.
Observers and all other non-map powers receive basically no information from the judge, other than the notice that the game has progressed to the next phase. Notice that this does not apply to any player or observer who is specified to be OMNISCIENT. Such a person receives the same results as the Master and as each of the players (during the period of time that the person is OMNISCIENT). Omniscient persons can also still log in at the Website as any or all of the map powers to see the information at each player's disposal. The BLIND rule also has the following effects:

It is never disclosed in the results if a unit's order was void -- the (*void*) annotation is completely suppressed from appearing in the results. However, convoyed armies that were issued orders that would have been (*void*) are re-annotated in the results with the (*no convoy*) annotation.
The HIDE_ABSENTEES rule is in effect.
The HIDE_LATE_POWERS rule is in effect.
The SHOW_PHANTOM rule is in effect.
The FICTIONAL_OK rule is in effect.
The NO_DIAS rule is disallowed.

Note that visibility is determined by the space, not the coast, on which a unit is located. A unit is visible to, and can "see," any unit that can support it, or that it can support. For example, a fleet in the Western Mediterranean can "see" a fleet on the north coast of Spain, and vice-versa! This rule automatically includes the SILENT_ABSENCES rule. Note also that the BLIND rule may have some further effects if used in different rule variants (such as Payola — see below). Further, note also that any game that is BLIND and that uses a non-standard build rule (BUILD_ANY, REMOTE_BUILDS, or HOME_BUILDS) will also automatically be a VENETIAN (or, if specified, MYOPIC) game (see below).

VENETIAN

A VENETIAN game is a BLIND game (as described above) except that players see activity in and around all their currently-owned supply centers (rather than only in and around their home supply centers, regardless of the ownership of those centers, as is the case in a standard BLIND game). If VENETIAN and BLIND are both specified, the game will be VENETIAN. Note also that any game that is BLIND and that uses a non-standard build rule (BUILD_ANY, REMOTE_BUILDS, or HOME_BUILDS) will also automatically be a VENETIAN (or, if specified, a MYOPIC) game.

MYOPIC

A MYOPIC game is a BLIND game (as described above) except that players never see any units other than their own.

HIDE_EXTENDERS

The power-identity of a player who extends the deadline using the SET DEADLINE command (with the PLAYER_DEADLINES rule in force) is not revealed to the players. Only the Master is sent the identity of that power.

HIDE_LATE_POWERS

The power-identity of players who are late with orders is not revealed to the players, and each late player is told only of his own tardiness. Only the Master is sent the complete list of late powers. This rule is "on" in a BLIND game.

LIST_WAITERS

The power-identity of any and all players who have set their "wait for deadline before processing" flag are made available in the game list and on the game's Webpages.

LIST_UNORDERED

The power-identity of any and all players who have not yet issued orders for the current game-phase are made available in the game list and on the game's Webpages.

NO_REVEAL

In games using this rule, player identities are concealed even after the game is completed. This rule is useful when a game is part of a multi-game tournament, to prevent players from learning the results already achieved by their opponents. The Master can (by e-mailing a REVEAL command to the DPjudge) cause player identities to be revealed (and the game reported to the play-by-email ratings systems) when the time is right. (This rule automatically includes the HIDE_ABSENTEES rule.)

1.7 Late and Vacant Power Handling

CIVIL_DISORDER
Any power that has not submitted orders:

when the game's Master submits a PROCESS command, or
when the deadline has passed (or, if a grace period is specified in the TIMING line of the game's status file, after the expiration of the grace period),
will have its orders entered automatically. During movement phases, all units will HOLD, during retreat phases, all dislodged units will DISBAND, and during adjustment phases, all builds will be WAIVED, and all removals will be entered using random choice from among the power's on-board units, with preference given to retaining units that are situated on supply centers. Note: The CD_BUILDS and CD_RETREATS rules (and, in standard Diplomacy games only, the CD_SUPPORTS rule), each of which is described below, can alter the default orders that are given to units in civil disorder.
Note also that unless the LATE_CHANGES rule is specified, the CIVIL_DISORDER rule also enforces the NO_LATE_CHANGES rule (described below). This is to prevent players from changing their orders after the deadline to take advantage of powers that seem likely to go into civil disorder when a grace period expires.
Individual powers may also be put into perpetual automatic, don't-even-wait-for-the-deadline, civil disorder (assuming no one like the Master enters orders for them) by setting the PLAYER information to DUMMY, and using the CD_DUMMIES rule, described below. CIVIL_DISORDER and CIVIL_PREVIEW are mutually exclusive, as are CIVIL_DISORDER and CD_DUMMIES.
CIVIL_PREVIEW
At the deadline (or the expiration of any GRACE period), if any powers are still late, the game is put into PREVIEW mode. Instead of the phase being processed and announced, the Master (only) is sent a PREVIEW of the results. The phase will not process until the Master submits a PROCESS! command or the game no longer contains any late powers. CIVIL_PREVIEW and CIVIL_DISORDER are mutually exclusive.
CD_DUMMIES
Assuming no powers have set their WAIT flag, orders will be processed as soon as all non-DUMMY players have submitted orders. Any powers having a PLAYER marked as a DUMMY will be considered in civil disorder (as described above) at that time. Note the distinction -- CIVIL_DISORDER will default the orders of all powers (whether dummy or not), while CD_DUMMIES will default the orders only of the dummy powers.
DUMMY_FIRE
With this rule, all DUMMY powers (but only the DUMMY powers) will be subject to the FRIENDLY_FIRE rule.
CD_BUILDS
All powers in civil disorder during an adjustment phase will build units (if eligible to do so) randomly. Without this rule, these powers would WAIVE their builds. Note that if neither the CIVIL_DISORDER nor the CD_DUMMIES rules are specified, all powers (whether dummy or not) will have their adjustment orders default in this way at the deadline if they have not been submitted.
CD_RETREATS
All powers in civil disorder during a retreat phase will retreat any dislodged units randomly, preferably into supply centers. Without this rule, units in civil disorder will DISBAND in retreat phases. Note that if neither the CIVIL_DISORDER nor the CD_DUMMIES rules are specified, all powers (whether dummy or not) will have their retreat orders default at the deadline if they have not been submitted.
SMART_CD
This rule calls for the inclusion of the CD_RETREATS rule, the CD_BUILDS rule (and, in standard Diplomacy games only, the CD_SUPPORTS rule).
VASSAL_DUMMIES
With this rule in use, all DUMMY powers are eligible to become vassals of the other powers. This means that the DUMMY power will never lose ownership of its home center(s). That is, even though the home center(s) of a DUMMY power might be occupied by another power at the beginning of an adjustment phase, it remains owned by the DUMMY power. Instead of losing its home center(s) to an occupying power, the DUMMY power becomes a controlled "vassal state" of that power if every one of its home centers is occupied forces controlled by the same foreign power. Powers receive CONTROL of their vassal states (and are thus able to log in and issue orders for them). This control continues unless and until the home center(s) of the vassal are (all) occupied by forces controlled by some other power at the beginning of an adjustment phase. Victory condition is calculated based on the total number of centers owned by a power and all of its vassals. Vassal states cannot own the supply centers of their own controlling powers, meaning that before adjustments, all home centers of a Great Power that are owned and/or occupied by units of one of its own vassals immediately revert to ownership of the controlling Great Power. Before an autonomous state has been made a vassal, any units that it owns will behave according to CD_BUILDS and whatever other rules are in place governing DUMMY powers. Such uncontrolled autonomous powers are able (in games in which such uncontrolled units can move) to gain supply centers by occupying home centers of the Great Powers or neutral centers, but can never take possession of the home center of another DUMMY power, nor can an autonomous or vassal state become a vassal of another. If a power that controls one or more vassals loses ownership of all of its own centers, that player may continue in the game, still controlling the vassals owned by his (otherwise eliminated) power, and remains eligible to win the game if the victory condition is met. Note also that the VASSAL_DUMMIES rule may have some further effects if used in different rule variants (such as Payola — see below).
HIDE_DUMMIES
If this rule is in use, any DUMMY powers will be listed on the game's main Webpage as powers that can be logged in and will be listed as available to receive press messages sent to them. This rule can be used to keep secret from the players which of the powers are DUMMY powers, and/or to provide the Master with access to the power's data entry Webpage. (However, if a particular player is to be allowed access to any DUMMY power pages, this should be done with a CONTROL directive in the dummy power's stanza of the game status file.) This rule also completely suppresses the display of controller information for any and all powers under the CONTROL of another player, such that the power in control is not listed publicly.
1.8 Deadline Handling and Phase Processing

NO_QUARTER
This rule enforces both of the rules NO_RETREAT (described above) and NO_DRAW (described below).
NO_LATE_CHANGES
In games using this rule, no changes can be made to any already-submitted orders after a deadline has passed.
LATE_CHANGES
This rule (which is in use by default, and therefore need not be stated, in all games that do not use the CIVIL_DISORDER rule) allows players to make changes to submitted orders even after a deadline has passed.
REAL_TIME
If this rule is used, the game will be processed as soon as the last player submits orders (this player will have no opportunity to modify them). Additionally, players will not be allowed to direct that the game wait for any deadline before processing. This rule is used especially for games with very short deadlines (for example, 10 minutes).
NO_MINOR_WAIT
If this rule is used, players will only see (and be able to use) a "wait for processing" checkbox during movement phases.
ALWAYS_WAIT
If this rule is used, orders will never process until the deadline has arrived (unless requested by the Master using a PROCESS command sent via e-mail). This rule is incompatible with REAL_TIME [above].
PLAYER_DEADLINES
This rule allows any participant in the game to issue the SET DEADLINE command. (Without this rule, only a game's Master may modify the current deadline.) Only the Master is permitted to shorten a deadline, however. All other participants may only lengthen the current deadline.
SILENT_ABSENCES
This rule suppresses the absence broadcasts (informing that a SET ABSENCE has been received and processed, introducing a period of time during which no deadlines will be set). Only the Master will receive notice of the planned absence. (The period of time covered by the absence will, however, still appear in the TIMING line for the game, as shown on the Website and in the game LIST.)
HIDE_ABSENTEES
This rule conceals the identity of the power who submites a SET ABSENCE command (requesting a period of time during which no deadlines will be set). Only the Master will be told which power made the request.
NO_ABSENCES
Games using this rule will reject as illegal any use of the SET ABSENCE command by anyone other than the Master.
PREVIEW
If this rule is used, then when any game-phase is ready to be processed, the would-be results are sent only to the Master, and the game is left in its pre-processed state. This gives the Master the chance to check the adjudication and perform any other activity prior to releasing the results to the players (which is done by e-mailing a PROCESS command to the DPjudge). When a game is automatically previewed, a DELAY count of 72 (one day) is introduced into the status file, to prevent the Master's e-mailbox from being bombarded with a repeat of the previewed results every twenty minutes. Note that even games that do not use this rule may be PREVIEWed at any time by the Master using the e-mail interface.
1.9 Game Conclusion

NO_DRAW
If this rule is used, draws cannot be called; the game must end in a solo victory. (This rule is automatically included by the NO_QUARTER rule.)
PROPOSE_DIAS
In games that use this rule, a player makes a proposal to conclude the game with a certain result, and all other players vote on it. The proposal may be a concession to a specific power or a draw including all survivors. Any negative vote on the proposal will cause it to fail.
In games not using this rule, draw and concession votes are never called for. Instead, each player can select a single game ending (concession to his own power or to any other single power, or agreement to a draw that includes all surviving powers), and if ever all votes allow, the game will end. No player's vote is revealed to any other player. Note that if all players are ever found to be simultaneously voting for any result that is not a concession to their own power, the game will end in a draw shared among all surviving powers.
HIDE_PROPOSER
The power who makes a draw or concession proposal is not revealed to the players. For example, rather than saying, "A Concession to Italy Has Been Proposed By Italy," the players' Web pages will simply say, "A Concession to Italy Has Been Proposed." This rule automatically includes the PROPOSE_DIAS rule [above].
NO_DIAS
Games with this rule operate in their voting as do normal (non-PROPOSE_DIAS) games; that is, no proposal is ever made or vetoed. However, games using the NO_DIAS rule may end in a result other than concession to a single player or agreement to a draw that includes all survivors. If this rule is used, each player may vote either for the maximum size of a draw that he will accept which must include his power, or for a solo victory by his power, or for any result that does not include his power. Note that if all players are ever found to be voting for a result that does not include their own power, a draw shared among all surviving powers will be declared.
HOLD_WIN
To win a game using this rule, a player must achieve the winning condition two game-years in a row.
NO_EOG
If this rule is used, broadcast messages sent after the conclusion of the game will not be archived as "End Of Game Statements." Without this rule, the EOG messages will be permanently stored for future reference through the game's Webpage.

2. Rules Affecting Only Standard Games

2.1 Ignored Rules: Any rules that are specific to any other variant (that is, any rules that are listed in section 3 or later, below) are silently ignored.

2.2 Orders

NO_CHECK
This rule emulates face-to-face play, in which players could (by accident or design) issue invalid orders to their units. This rule is also useful in NO_PRESS games to allow for limited player communication. When they are entered, movement phase orders are only very minimally checked for validity. The only checks that are made at the time an order is entered are:

Every component of the order must be understood. That is, the order must appear to be a Diplomacy move, convoy, support or hold order, and all placenames must be identifiable on the map in use. This check catches inadvertant misspellings, such as "URK" for "UKR". In fact, this is known as the "Urk check."
Any placename abbreviation that is potentially ambiguous is declared erroneous and must be changed. For example, the order "TYR H" is rejected because it may be an order for an army in Tyrolia to hold, or for a fleet in the Tyrrhenian Sea to hold.
A support for a fleet move may not specify the destination coast of the fleet. This error must also be corrected.

Therefore, most errors (including the omission of the fleet-path of a convoying army from its order!) are not detected until the phase is ready to process, at which time the erroneous orders will be ignored. All units that had been given erroneous or multiple orders will HOLD (and may receive support), and all erroneous orders will be reported in the results, flagged as (*invalid*).

2.3 Late and Vacant Power Handling

CD_SUPPORTS
This rule causes powers that are in civil disorder in movement phases to issue "sensible support" orders rather than HOLD orders. The power's units will receive orders to support each other, giving support where possible to units that are in danger of foreign attack having the strength to dislodge. Note that if neither the CIVIL_DISORDER nor the CD_DUMMIES rules are specified, all powers (whether dummy or not) will have their movement phase orders default at the deadline as described if they have not been submitted. (Note that this rule is silently ignored in non-standard Diplomacy games, such as Payola or Crystal Ball Diplomacy games.)

3. Rules Affecting Only Payola Games

3.1 Included, Forbidden, and Ignored Rules

Payola games always use the ORDER_ANY rule.

The PROXY_OK and FICTIONAL_OK rules are not allowed. (An exception is made for FICTIONAL_OK if it is included as a by-product of the use of the BLIND rule.)

The DEFAULT_UNORDERED rule has no effect except on actual orders [not bribe offers]. Thus, it has no effect in Payola games unless the players also issue (non-bribe) orders (as is done when the PAY_DUMMIES rule is in used).

Additionally, any rules that are specific to any other variant — such as NO_CHECK and CD_SUPPORTS (which are specific to standard games) — are either not allowed or are silently ignored.

3.2 Funds Transfers

ANON_TRANSFER
All funds transfers are anonymous, meaning that the recipient of the transfer is not told from whom the money was sent.
NO_DONATIONS
If this rule is used, the powers that have been eliminated may not transfer funds. This rule is incompatible with GARRISON.
NO_TRANSFER
Funds transfers are not allowed.
ONE_TRANSFER
Each power may transfer money to each other power only a maximum of one time per game phase.
NO_LOOTING
Funds may not be transferred from DUMMY powers.
VASSAL_DUMMIES
In a Payola game using the VASSAL_DUMMIES rule (see above), the DUMMY powers do not earn income unless they are vassal states (that is, controlled by some Great Power). All income earned by vassal state is added directly to its controlling Great Power's treasury.
3.3 Income

EXCHANGE
This rule implements Bruce Duewer's "Exchange Payola" variant, in which the human players take on the roles of investors rather than the powers on the board, and compete for capital in a fluctuating market of stock futures in each of the powers. Players "float" the various powers like publicly traded companies, and can become the CEO by stockholder vote. Stock may be issued by (and purchased from) the powers and traded between players during specific phases of the game.
FLAT_TAX
Income at year-end is defined to be a specific number of AgP for each center (rather than the figure arrived at using the diminishing returns scheme). The amount of AgP given per center is equal to the number of players originally in the game.
NO_HOARDING
With this rule, players do not retain unspent funds. The treasury of each player is set to zero before any income is awarded.
ZEROSUM
There is no tax income. Players begin the game with 10 AgP for each of their home centers, and as each center changes hands, money moves from one player's treasury to another. Capture of a neutral SC pays 10 AgP to the new owner, and all pre-owned SC's, when changing hands, cause a strict proportion of the former owner's treasury to be paid to the new owner.

3.4 Secrecy

BLIND
(In addition to the effects of this rule as listed above.) The owner of each successfully bribed unit, but not its exact order, is revealed to the bribing party. To learn its exact order, the player must match the accepted price uniquely to his offer sheet. Additionally, orders that are impossible (such as to support a non-existent unit) are allowed [the SHOW_PHANTOM rule], but will be silently ignored at processing time. This rule is incompatible with the ZERO_FOREIGN rule. Blind Payola is known as "Tin Cup" Diplomacy.
EBAYOLA
This variation comes from the mind of Payola creator John Woolley. In eBayola, the total cost of a successful bribe is automatically reduced to one silver piece more than the highest non-winning bribe. Any resulting cost savings for the contributor(s) to the winning bribe are awarded to the powers according to their position in the acceptance list of the bribed unit (then, if necessary, randomly to any contributing observers).
HIDE_COST
In the notices sent after each movement phase, players are not provided with information on the total amount of money accepted by each of his units.
HIDE_OFFERS
In the notices sent after each movement phase, players are not provided a copy of their submitted offer sheet or the details concerning which of these offers were accepted and which were not. The notice provides each player only with the orders that his own units will issue, the total amount paid to each of his own units, and the player's new, adjusted balance. This rule is useful when playing Payola face-to-face and issuing printouts of the turn notices to the players, since the players will not be able to reliably disclose the full details of their offers.
PUBLIC_TOTALS
The total bribe amount paid to each unit is made available to all players on the Web, and is kept at the Website for perpetual reference (no data on the source of funds is made public, however). This rule causes a change in the behavior of the EBAYOLA rule, described in the discussion of that rule.
NO_LEDGERS
No expenditure and balance report is sent to the players after each turn.
3.5 Offers

DIRECT_ONLY
Only one offer may be made by any player to any given unit. Additionally, wildcard bribes (>, @, !, &) are not allowed.
PAY_DUMMIES
Bribes may only be offered to units that are owned by DUMMY powers. That is, each power is in control of his or her own units, ordering them as in normal, non-Payola games, but all unowned powers will operate in Payola mode. [This rule automatically includes the CD_DUMMIES rule.] Note that (even in games that do not use the PAY_DUMMIES rule) acceptance lists for DUMMY powers are not used. Instead, all ties for control of a DUMMY unit and that involve bribes paid for by different powers or different set of powers are decided by HOLDing the contested unit and reporting that the total cost paid for the HOLD was one AgP greater than the amount offered for the bribes involved in the tie.
NO_SAVINGS
The savings request ($) and bribe plateaus (#) are not allowed.
NO_PLATEAU
Bribe plateaus (#) are not allowed.
PAYOLA_CLASSIC
This rule indicates that the game is played using the original rules of the Payola variant. It includes all of the following: NO_SAVINGS, DIRECT_ONLY, FLAT_TAX, and ZERO_FOREIGN. Because of this last inclusion, this rule is incompatible with BLIND.
LIMIT_OFFERS
This rule requires that the sum total of all offers made by a player do not exceed the amount in that player's treasury.
REMOTE_BRIBE
Bribes may only be offered to the player's own units and to any foreign units that are not adjacent to one of the player's own units. Adjacency is determined by the ability of either of the two units to support the other to hold. Note that if the CD_DUMMIES rule is also used, this restriction is disregarded in bribes issues to any DUMMY power. That is, units owned by DUMMY powers may be bribed by any player without regard to adjacency.
TOUCH_BRIBE
TOUCH_BRIBE is the opposite of REMOTE_BRIBE (above). Bribes may only be offered to the player's own units and to any foreign units that are adjacent to one of the player's own units. Adjacency is determined by the ability of either of the two units to support the other to hold. Note that because only certain powers may issue bribes to each unit, there is a stronger chance that a player will know which foreign power purchased hostile control of his unit on a turn. Note that if the CD_DUMMIES rule is also used, this restriction is disregarded in bribes issues to any DUMMY power. That is, units owned by DUMMY powers may be bribed by any player without regard to adjacency.
ZERO_FOREIGN
Players are permitted to offer bribes having a 0 AgP amount to foreign units (units not their own). [This rule cannot be used with BLIND.]

4. Rules Affecting Only Crystal Ball Games

4.1 Included, Forbidden, and Ignored Rules: Crystal Ball games always include FICTIONAL_OK and PROXY_OK. However, if the rule NO_PROXY is used, the PROXY_OK rule is suppressed (thus allowing play of Crystal Ball without the proxy order).
Any rules that are specific to any other variant -- such as NO_CHECK and CD_SUPPORTS (which are specific to standard games) -- are either not allowed or are silently ignored.

4.2 Secrecy

PUBLIC_LISTS
The order lists of all the players are broadcast with each move submission and made available on the Web pages. Without this rule, each power may only see his own order lists until the end of the game. (This rule is pretty much de rigeur for NO_PRESS Crystal Ball games.)

LIMIT_LISTS
This rule is identical to PUBLIC_LISTS (above), except that the maximum number of each power's written orders that will be revealed is the number of supply centers controlled by the largest player on the board. The LIMIT_LISTS rule supercedes PUBLIC_LISTS.