1940 free for all (Diplomacy mod)

My gaming group has developed a set or rules for 1940 global. It enables each country to make whatever diplomatic moves they want. For example, Britain may declare war on USA or make an alliance with Germany. We have a lot of fun with all the backstabbing and ahistorical alliances that come to be. This is a work in progress so any comments or critique is welcome:

General Changes:

• Any country can make whatever diplomatic deals it wants. A country is never required by the rules of the game to fulfill any promises they make, so long as breaking such promises does not violate the basic rules of the game in some way.

How to win:

• The Game uses a point scoring system. Countries earn points by achieving certain goals. Once any country has attained 8 points, and not before turn 5, any country that has the most points may declare that is has the most points. If said country still has the most points by the beginning of their next turn they win the game.

Points:

• 1 point for holding your starting cities

• 1 point per conquered city

• 1 point for having the most amount of land units

• 1 point for having the most amount of warships

• 1 point for having the highest factory capacity

• 1 point for having the most amount of factory complexes.

• 1 point for having the highest income (after objectives)

• 1 point for winning a battle involving at least 15 units on each side.

• 1 point for conquering and subjugating a player without annexing them.

• 1 point for having the most railroads

• 1 point for having the most technologies

• MINUS 1 point for having all of your territories with a land connection to your capital be blockaded.

• In the case of a tie, no points are awarded.

• An alliance of two nations may win. I.e. if a nation achieves the points necessary to win with the help of an allied nation, then both nations win the game. If a nation achieves the points necessary to win and is allied to more than 1 nation, only the nation achieving the points necessary to win will win.

Major neutral nations:

• Each player chooses or is assigned one country. Any country that is not picked retains its starting military and acts as a neutral country.
• Player countries with no player on them (major neutrals) do not interact with any other country. They collect half of their money but their units do not move. They spend their money on random units to be placed in random factories. If they are attacked, they enter the game and are controlled by a player in the normal fashion for the duration of the war only.
• The player controls the major neutral only for the duration of the war. When the war ends, the major neutral returns to being uncontrolled and collecting no income and moving no units (except to remove its units from foreign controlled land back towards the major neutral’s land).
• The player who controls the major neutral for the duration of the war is determined by a reasonable vote of players or randomly.
• With the consent of a majority of players, a new player may join the game and take over a major neutral nation even if that major neutral nation is at peace.
• If any player is eliminated from the game, they may rejoin as a major neutral with the consent of the majority, but said eliminated player must consent to a “cease fire” with the players that eliminated him (the players that eliminated the player may waive the cease fire)
• A cease fire lasts 2 turns. During a cease fire the eliminated player may not attack any of the players that helped to eliminate that player, nor may they deliberately position their troops in such a way that they could reach the nation that eliminated them in one turn.

Proxies

• It may happen that not all players are able to attend a session. In that case:
• If the nation of the absent player is at peace, it is treated as a major neutral. Meaning that it collects half money and spends it on random units
• If the nation is at war, or war is declared on it while the player is absent, the player must nominate a proxy player to play as their nation in their absence.
• If the player did not nominate a proxy player, the players present will vote on one.
• It is recommended that a proxy be a player who is capable of playing the absent player’s nation in the same way that the absent player would play.
• For example, it could be reasonable that if the absent players country and a present player’s country are at war with the same nation, then the present player may be the proxy as his interests theoretically align with the absent player in fighting the nation they are both at war with.

Alliances

• At game start the allies and the axis still operate as they would normally: France, Britain, and Anzac are members of the allies. Germany, Italy, and Japan are members of the axis (discounting any countries without players, which are neutral).
• The allies and the axis are two separate alliances. More alliances may be created by any country throughout the game.
• In the base game, a pro-axis or pro-allies minor neutral may be mobilized by any member of the axis or allies respectively. In Diplomacy, a minor neutral may only be “pro” one nation. I.e. it will only join one nation and fight all other nations if they move forces in.
• The members of the axis and allies must decide, in whatever way they choose, what country each of their minor neutrals is aligned to. I.e. the axis may decide that Bulgaria is actually “pro-Germany” and Iraq is “pro-Italian”. This is relevant in case one or more nations leave their starting alliance.

Influencing Minor Neutral nations:

• Similar to research, countries can purchase “influence dice”. Influence dice cost 4 dollars each. There is no limit to the amount of influence dice one nation may purchase.
• These dice are rolled at the end of the nation’s turn. On a 2 or less they may change the “influence level” of one minor neutral nation. Only one roll of a 2 or less has any effect. Additional rolls of a 2 or less are discarded. Rolls of 3 or 4 are also discarded. Dice that rolled a 5 or 6 are kept to potentially be rolled again next turn.
• The “influence level” of a minor nation is a term referring to its alignment to a player nation. I.e. how close that minor neutral is to being “pro” that nation.
• Minor nations are treated as wholes. I.e., eastern Persia, Persia, and northwestern Persia are all one single minor neutral nation. The same for Mongollia.
• Example: America purchases four influence dice. They roll all dice. The rolls are 1, 2, 3, and 6. Because America rolled at least one “2 or less” America can change the influence level of a minor neutral nation of their choice (Iraq, Sweden, spain, etc). America chooses to make Spain “pro-USA”. Or they could perhaps choose to make Iraq strictly neutral from “pro-Germany”. The dice that rolled 2 and 3 are then discarded. The die that rolled 6 is kept for next round.
• Every minor neutral has two levels of influence (for the purposes of a single country). Strict neutral, and pro. When a minor neutral nation is “pro-you” it is said to be allied to you. A minor neutral nation cannot jump between being pro-X to being pro-Y but must first become strictly neutral again. I.e. nation Y must change the minor neutral from pro-X to being strictly neutral and on the next turn may potentially influence the minor neutral to being pro-Y.
• In the above example, Spain starts as strictly neutral. Thus, Spain starts not being “pro” anyone. If USA influences Spain at the start of that game, Spain becomes “pro-USA”. Therefore, Spain has moved up from the strict neutral influence level to the “pro-USA” level. A nation other than the USA may influence Spain to drop it back down to strictly neutral, thus making it able to be influenced back to “pro-you” by any nation.
• During a war, a pro-you minor neutral nation may be mobilized in the same way as the base game (though only by one specific nation rather than an alliance unless consented by said nation).
• When the player nation makes peace, the allied minor neutral nation must be granted independence and made independent again. I.e. it is no longer controlled by the player and no longer collects their income. The player nation must IMMEDIATELY or as soon as is possible, restore the infantry of the minor nation. The minor nation remains allied to the player nation, ready to join them again in a future war
• Minor neutral nations may not be influenced while mobilized.
• A minor nation that is invaded and conquered does not need to be made independent. But a player may choose to create a new minor neutral nation for whatever reason they want.

Shared territory

• Nations at peace may place units in shared territories or sea zones. Two nations may find themselves at war with units sharing sea zones or territories.
• The rules for hostile ships sharing a sea zone are described in the rules and followed. Essentially, when war is declared the next player to move must do something with the ships. They cannot remain in the territory. This may be combat or non-combat moves
• If land or air units share a territory and war is declared, then the first player to take their turn after the declaration of war must either fight in that territory (as the attacker) or non-combat move out of the territory. The defender does not get a parting shot as no battle has taken place.
• Land units or air units of one nation may only occupy a land territory belonging to another nation given permission. Unless a war is declared and the units move in on a combat move (permission is not required to go to war of course).

Research:

• Research may be enabled with the consent of a majority of players and is used in the way it is used in the base game.

Railroads:

• Railroads may be purchased for 5 dollars each and placed in any territory like a naval or air base
• A land unit making a non-combat move fully through territories with railroads in them may add 1 extra movement to its non-combat move for that turn provided that the extra movement is into a territory with another railroad in it.
• When two territories containing industrial facilities and an unbroken line of territories between them have railroads, the player controlling the territories may count the number of territories including those containing the industrial complexes and roll a die for each territory at the end of their turn.
• On each roll of a 3 or less, 1 dollar is added to the player’s income.
• The number of dice per factory connection is limited to 5
• A factory cannot be connected to another factory if a third factory sits on the rail route connecting them. In other words, if Novgorod is connected to Moscow and Moscow is connected to Amur, there are only 2 rail connections, not 3.
• A factory may only be connected to another factory once for the purposes of income dice, and the shortest route is always used.

Merchant Ships:

• A player may place UNLOADED transport ships in any convoy sea zone whether that sea zone touches a territory they own or not.
• If the convoy sea zone is free from the ships of any other nation, then for each of their unloaded transport ships in said convoy sea zone the controlling player may roll 1 die at the end of their turn.
• On each roll of a 3 or less, 1 dollar is added to the player’s income.

Trade:

• A nation must transfer money in its “purchase units” phase and only during its own “purchase units” phase.
• As an example, if Britain wants to give money to France, it may only do so on Britain’s purchase units phase.
• Units may be purchased, diplomatic rights can be purchased, territories can be purchased, or money can be exchanged for any variety of services. But only in that country’s purchase units phase.
• A nation cannot transfer more than 50% of the money in its hand in one turn.
• A nation may only transfer money to another nation if it can draw a continuous line through spaces on the board from its own capital to the recipient’s capital and the line does not pass through a space containing units of a nation that refuses to allow the money transfer (blockade)

Alliance Insurance

• The only rule of making diplomatic deals that must be followed is alliance insurance.
• Alliance insurance is an optional aspect of any diplomatic dealing.
• When making a deal, two nations may agree to an amount of alliance insurance. They both declare how much money they are willing to sacrifice in the event that they break the deal and to what nation that money will be paid.
• If one nation breaks the deal, they pay that amount of money to the nation that they specified as per their declaration.
• This is absolutely mandatory. Keep in mind however, that insurance is not necessary to make a deal.
• Insurance may not be higher than the amount of money in a nation’s hand (or expected to be in hand at the end of their turn) at the time of making the deal.
• As an example, Britain and France form an alliance. Britain declares that it is insuring the alliance to France for 10 dollars. France does the same for Britain. Later on, Britain refuses to honor the terms of alliance as specified when the alliance was formed. Britain MUST pay 10 dollars to France. Though the alliance no longer exists, France did not break the alliance so it need not pay.
• Be sure to be specific with the terms of an alliance. If two nations simply “form an alliance” without specifying what that means. It may not be “breaking the alliance” for one nation to refuse to join the other in a future war.

National Objectives:

• A nation must be at war with a major nation in order to collect any national objectives.
• As this game is intended to be an alternate history of 1940 as it is represented in the base game, the political situation including national objectives remains the same. There are a few exceptions, however.
• In general, when a national objective refers to “axis units” or “allied units” treat these as “enemy units” or “friendly units” where appropriate.
• No nation receives ANY national objective income unless they are at war unless specifically mentioned otherwise.

France:

• +3 if there are no enemy land units in Holland Belgium.
• +5 if there are no enemy land units in Western Germany
• +5 for controlling all original French territories (territories negotiated away are excluded)
• +2 per territory if France owns or is allied to: Arabia, Iraq, Persia, and/or Northwest Persia.
• Special Rule: if France (Paris) is being attacked by any units from western Germany, all French infantry in Paris defend at 3 or less for the whole battle.

Britain:

• +5 to Europe economy if there are no enemy submarines in the Atlantic Ocean (Mediterranean and Baltic seas are excluded)
• +5 to Europe economy for controlling all original territories (territories negotiated away are excluded)
• +5 to Pacific economy for controlling both Kwangtung and Malaya
• +2 per territory to Pacific economy if Britain owns or is allied to: Arabia, Iraq, Persia, and/or Northwest Persia.

Germany:

• +5 for controlling both Denmark and Norway while Sweden is not “pro” any other country.
• +2 per territory if Germany owns or is allied to: Arabia, Iraq, Persia, and/or Northwest Persia.
• +5 when not at war with the soviet union representing trade (may be revoked by soviet union)
• +5 if Germany controls Novgorod.

USSR:

• +5 if the convoy in sea zone 125 is free of enemy warships, archangel is controlled by the Soviet Union, and there are no units belonging to allied powers present in any territories originally controlled by the Soviet Union (territories negotiated away are excluded).
• +2 for each territory in Europe that the Soviet Union controls that it did not control at the beginning of the game and is worth at least 1 dollar.
• +2 per territory if USSR owns or is allied to: Arabia, Iraq, Persia, and/or Northwest Persia.

Italy:

• +5 if there are no enemy surface warships in the Mediterranean
• +5 if Italy controls at least 3 of the following territories: Gibraltar, Southern France, Greece, and Egypt
• +5 if Italy controls all of the following territories: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Tobruk, and Alexandria
• +2 per territory if Italy owns or is allied to: Arabia, Ira1, Persia, and/or Northwest Persia

China:

• +6 if the Burma road is open. Each territory with a segment of the Burma road in it must be controlled by a country that consents to China receiving Burma road aid.
• +5 if communist exists and China is at war with communist China
• +2 per territory not controlled by a player nation: French Indochina, shan state, Siam.

Japan:

• +10 if Japan is not at war with the United States, has not attacked French Indo-China and has not made an unprovoked attack against the UK. (may be revoked by USA)
• +5 if Japan controls all of the following: Guam, Midway, Wake Island, Gilbert Islands, Solomon Islands
• +5 if Japan controls all of the following: Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and Celebes

Anzac:

• +5 if a friendly power controls Malay and ANZAC controls all of its original territories (territories negotiated away are excluded)
• +5 if ANZAC controls Dutch New Guinea, New Guinea, New Britain, and the Solomon Islands
• +5 for maintaining an alliance with Britain or the USA.

USA:

• +10 if Eastern United States, Central United States, or Western United States are attacked.
• +5 if the United States controls all of the following: Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Hawaiian Islands, Johnston Islands, and Line Islands.
• +5 if the United States controls the Phillipines
• Special Rule: Isolation. The United States gets -15 unless it is involved in a war which it did not start. Joining an insured allied nation’s existing war constitutes being involved in a war the USA did not start. (the nation must have an insured alliance with the USA). This applies even in peacetime.

General Balancing:

• Option: Canada and South Africa become Anzac territory. Britain unites its economies.
• Option: Britain annexes Anzac into pacific economy.
• Increase in Anzac Army size.
• Decrease in German Army size
• Increase in France Army size.
• Increase in China Army size.
• Decrease in Japanese air force.
• Increase in Italian Army size.