DIPLOMACY WORLD
THE WORLD
DIPLOMACY WORLD IS A MULTI-PLAYER STRATEGIC NEGOTIATION AND DECISION ENVIRONMENT BUILT AROUND COMMUNICATION, COOPERATION, COMPETING OBJECTIVES, CHANGING RELATIONSHIPS, ALLIANCES, TRUST, POSITIONING, PLANNING AND SIMULTANEOUS CHOICE.
IT IS NOT SIMPLY A BOARD ON WHICH UNITS MOVE.
IT IS A REPEATABLE GOMI ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS COMMUNICATE, INTERPRET OTHER PLAYERS, FORM OR REJECT ARRANGEMENTS, COMMIT ORDERS, EXPERIENCE THE CONSEQUENCES OF INTERDEPENDENT CHOICES AND RETURN TO A NEW COMMON STATE.
THE WORLD CHAMBER PROVIDES THE EXPERIENCE.
THE SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY / STUDY PLATFORM IDENTIFIES WHAT MAY BECOME OBSERVABLE AND STUDYABLE.
THE LEARNING ANNEX / LINK MAP PROVIDES THE LARGER INFORMATION SYSTEM SURROUNDING THE WORLD.
TOGETHER, THEY CREATE ONE CONNECTED DIPLOMACY WORLD.
WHY DIPLOMACY WORLD IS PART OF GOMI
DIPLOMACY PROVIDES AN UNUSUALLY RICH MULTI-PARTICIPANT DECISION ENVIRONMENT.
A PARTICIPANT MUST CONSIDER NOT ONLY THE BOARD, BUT WHAT OTHER PLAYERS MAY WANT, WHAT THEY MAY BELIEVE, WHAT THEY MAY SAY, WHAT THEY MAY ACTUALLY ORDER AND HOW THOSE CHOICES MAY INTERACT.
THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT THAT PARTICIPANTS NEGOTIATE, TRUST, COOPERATE, COMPETE OR PLAN IN THE SAME WAY.
THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT MAKES THE WORLD USEFUL.
UNDER THE SAME DEFINED RULE STRUCTURE, DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION, TRUST, PERSUASION, COOPERATION, COMPETITION, JUDGMENT, RISK, STRATEGY AND ADAPTATION CAN BECOME VISIBLE.
REPEATED PARTICIPATION CAN THEN PROVIDE ANOTHER QUESTION:
WHAT CHANGES AFTER EXPERIENCE, REVIEW AND LEARNING HAVE OCCURRED?
DIPLOMACY WORLD THEREFORE COMBINES:
THE KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCE LAYER MAY CONTINUE EXPANDING.
THE UNDERLYING GOMI CONDITIONS DO NOT HAVE TO.
THE DIPLOMACY WORLD METHOD
DIPLOMACY WORLD OPERATES AS A DIRECT-METHOD WORLD WITHIN THE GOMI METHODOLOGY.
DIPLOMATIC / NEGOTIATION PHASE
- PLAYERS COMMUNICATE, NEGOTIATE, SHARE OR WITHHOLD INFORMATION, PROPOSE ARRANGEMENTS, FORM OR REJECT ALLIANCES AND ATTEMPT TO ANTICIPATE THE INTENTIONS OF OTHERS.
- AGREEMENTS ARE PART OF THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT, BUT THE GAME DOES NOT REQUIRE A PLAYER TO CARRY THEM OUT.
- THE RESULT IS A REPEATABLE PERIOD IN WHICH LANGUAGE, TRUST, PERSUASION, COORDINATION AND STRATEGIC INTENT CAN INTERACT BEFORE ORDERS ARE COMMITTED.
SECRET ORDER WRITING
- EACH PLAYER PRIVATELY WRITES ORDERS FOR THE UNITS THEY CONTROL.
- ORDERS CAN INCLUDE MOVEMENT, HOLDING, SUPPORT AND CONVOY ACTIONS AS PERMITTED BY THE RULES.
- THE PRIVATE COMMITMENT OF ORDERS SEPARATES WHAT WAS SAID DURING NEGOTIATION FROM WHAT THE PARTICIPANT ACTUALLY CHOSE TO DO.
SIMULTANEOUS ORDER RESOLUTION
- ORDERS ARE REVEALED AND RESOLVED TOGETHER UNDER THE SAME RULES.
- SUCCESSFUL MOVES, FAILED MOVES, STANDOFFS, SUPPORT, CONVOYS AND DISLODGEMENTS ARE DETERMINED BY THE DEFINED GAME CONDITIONS RATHER THAN BY DICE.
- THIS CREATES A COMMON STATE TRANSITION IN WHICH EACH PLAYER'S CHOICES INTERACT WITH THE CHOICES OF OTHERS.
RETREATS / ADJUSTMENTS / NEXT TURN
- DISLODGED UNITS RETREAT OR ARE DISBANDED ACCORDING TO THE RULES.
- AFTER FALL, SUPPLY-CENTER CONTROL DETERMINES WHETHER UNITS MAY BE BUILT OR MUST BE REMOVED.
- THE NEXT TURN THEN BEGINS FROM THE NEW COMMON BOARD STATE.
- REPEATED TURNS CREATE A LONGER-HORIZON RECORD OF NEGOTIATION, COMMITMENT, COOPERATION, CONFLICT, POSITIONING, ADAPTATION AND RESULT.
HISTORY OF DIPLOMACY
DIPLOMACY WAS DESIGNED BY ALLAN B. CALHAMER AFTER YEARS OF RESEARCH, EXPERIMENT AND PLAYTESTING. CALHAMER'S OWN WRITINGS DESCRIBE HOW NINETEENTH-CENTURY EUROPEAN HISTORY, BALANCE-OF-POWER THINKING, CHESS, NEGOTIATION AND MULTI-PLAYER STRATEGY CONTRIBUTED TO THE DESIGN.
THE GAME WAS COMPLETED IN THE 1950S, SELF-PUBLISHED IN AN EARLY COMMERCIAL RUN, AND LATER DEVELOPED INTO A LONG-RUNNING INTERNATIONAL HOBBY.
THE LEARNING ANNEX CAN THEREFORE MOVE FROM THE GAME ITSELF INTO THE DESIGNER'S OWN ACCOUNT OF WHY IT WAS CREATED.
OFFICIAL RULES / HOW TO PLAY
DIPLOMACY WORLD IS A DIRECT-METHOD WORLD.
THE RULES ARE NOT MERELY BACKGROUND INFORMATION. THEY DEFINE THE DECISION ENVIRONMENT.
PARTICIPANTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE FROM THE GOMI WORLD INTO CURRENT RULES, QUICK-START MATERIAL AND PUBLISHER INFORMATION COVERING NEGOTIATION, ORDERS, MOVEMENT, SUPPORT, CONVOYS, RESOLUTION, RETREATS, SUPPLY CENTERS, BUILDS AND DISBANDS.
THIS CREATES A DIRECT PATHWAY:
WORLD → RULES → POSITION → NEGOTIATION → ORDERS → RESOLUTION → NEXT STATE
DIPLOMACY REFERENCE / ARCHIVES
DIPLOMACY HAS DEVELOPED A LARGE BODY OF PLAYER-WRITTEN AND HOBBY-PRESERVED MATERIAL.
THE LEARNING ANNEX DOES NOT HAVE TO RECREATE THAT ARCHIVE.
IT CAN CONNECT PARTICIPANTS TO INDEXES, HISTORICAL ARTICLES, OPENING LIBRARIES, TACTICS COLLECTIONS, VARIANTS, MAPS, INTERVIEWS, GAME COMMENTARY AND OTHER REFERENCE MATERIAL WHILE CLEARLY DISTINGUISHING EXTERNAL HOBBY CONTENT FROM GOMI'S OWN METHOD.
NEGOTIATION / TRUST / ALLIANCE LEARNING
DIPLOMACY IS ESPECIALLY USEFUL AS A LEARNING PATHWAY FOR INTERDEPENDENT DECISION-MAKING.
PARTICIPANTS MAY EXPLORE HOW PROPOSALS ARE MADE, HOW TRUST IS BUILT OR LOST, HOW ALLIANCES FORM, HOW INFORMATION IS SHARED, HOW PERSUASION WORKS, HOW COMMITMENTS ARE INTERPRETED AND HOW COOPERATION CAN EXIST ALONGSIDE COMPETING OBJECTIVES.
THE PURPOSE IS NOT TO TEACH THAT ONE NEGOTIATING STYLE IS ALWAYS CORRECT.
IT IS TO MAKE MULTIPLE STRATEGIES AVAILABLE FOR STUDY, PRACTICE, COMPARISON AND LATER REVIEW.
BOARD / MAP / POSITIONAL ANALYSIS
THE DIPLOMACY BOARD IS A STRATEGIC INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT.
A PARTICIPANT MAY STUDY PROVINCES, SEA SPACES, COASTS, SUPPLY CENTERS, HOME CENTERS, ADJACENCY, FLEET AND ARMY MOBILITY, SUPPORT RELATIONSHIPS, CONVOY ROUTES, DEFENSIVE STRUCTURES AND THE CHANGING POSITION OF SEVEN POWERS.
THE POSITIONAL PATHWAY CAN SUPPORT:
BOARD STATE → POSSIBLE ORDERS → NEGOTIATION → COMMITTED ORDERS → RESOLUTION → NEW BOARD STATE
WITHOUT SEPARATING STRATEGY FROM THE SOCIAL DECISIONS THAT HELP CREATE THE POSITION.
TOURNAMENTS / COMPETITIVE PLAY
DIPLOMACY HAS AN ESTABLISHED FACE-TO-FACE AND ONLINE COMPETITIVE HOBBY.
TOURNAMENTS, CONVENTIONS, LEAGUES AND COMMUNITY EVENTS PROVIDE PATHWAYS FOR PARTICIPANTS WHO WANT TO MOVE FROM LEARNING INTO ORGANIZED PLAY.
THE NORTH AMERICAN DIPLOMACY FEDERATION CURRENTLY MAINTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT FACE-TO-FACE EVENTS, ONLINE PLAY, VIRTUAL FACE-TO-FACE PLAY AND TOURNAMENTS.
THIS ALLOWS THE ANNEX TO CONNECT:
LEARN → PRACTICE → PLAY → COMPETE → REVIEW
STRATEGY / TACTICS / OPENINGS
DIPLOMACY STRATEGY IS NOT ONE FIXED SCRIPT.
THE LEARNING ANNEX MAY CONNECT TO MATERIAL ON OPENINGS, POWER-SPECIFIC STRATEGY, SUPPORT, CONVOYS, STANDOFFS, TEMPO, ALLIANCE STRUCTURE, POSITIONAL BALANCE, MIDGAME TRANSITIONS, ENDGAME PLAY AND OTHER TACTICAL OR STRATEGIC QUESTIONS.
THE DIPLOMATIC POUCH PRESERVES A LARGE INDEX OF STRATEGY AND TACTICS MATERIAL, INCLUDING AN OPENINGS LIBRARY AND A LIBRARY OF TACTICS.
OUTSIDE STRATEGY MATERIAL IS A LEARNING RESOURCE.
IT DOES NOT BECOME AN INVARIANT GOMI RULE.
FAMOUS GAMES / DEMONSTRATION GAMES
DIPLOMACY HAS A LONG TRADITION OF PUBLISHED GAME REPORTS, COMMENTARY AND DEMONSTRATION GAMES.
THESE RECORDS CAN BE USED AS LEARNING OBJECTS BECAUSE THEY ALLOW A PARTICIPANT TO FOLLOW A POSITION THROUGH MULTIPLE NEGOTIATIONS AND ORDERS, THEN COMPARE THE ACTUAL OUTCOME WITH OTHER POSSIBLE CHOICES.
A DEMONSTRATION-GAME PATHWAY CAN SUPPORT:
POSITION → COMMENTARY → NEGOTIATION CONTEXT → ORDERS → RESULT → RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS
FAMOUS OR HISTORIC GAMES SHOULD BE LINKED ONLY WHERE THE RECORD IS SUFFICIENTLY DOCUMENTED.
HOBBY HISTORY / POSTAL / ONLINE PLAY
DIPLOMACY DEVELOPED AN UNUSUAL COMMUNICATION HISTORY.
FACE-TO-FACE PLAY EXPANDED INTO POSTAL DIPLOMACY, FANZINES, PLAY-BY-EMAIL, WEB-BASED PLAY AND MODERN VIRTUAL FACE-TO-FACE FORMATS.
THAT HISTORY IS RELEVANT TO GOMI BECAUSE THE SAME UNDERLYING GAME CAN BE EXPERIENCED THROUGH DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION CHANNELS WHILE PRESERVING THE CORE RULE STRUCTURE.
THE ANNEX MAY THEREFORE CONNECT THE HISTORY OF THE GAME WITH THE HISTORY OF HOW PEOPLE HAVE COMMUNICATED WHILE PLAYING IT.
ORGANIZATIONS / COMMUNITY
DIPLOMACY WORLD MAY CONNECT PARTICIPANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL GROUPS, EVENT ORGANIZERS, ONLINE COMMUNITIES, HOBBY PUBLICATIONS AND OTHER VOLUNTARY PLAY NETWORKS.
THE PURPOSE IS CONNECTION, NOT ENDORSEMENT.
AN ORGANIZATION OR COMMUNITY MAY PROVIDE A PLACE TO LEARN, PLAY, DISCUSS, ORGANIZE OR COMPETE WHILE REMAINING RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS OWN RULES, POLICIES, CONTENT AND CONDUCT.
LESSONS / EDUCATION / LEARNING
A NEW PLAYER MAY NEED MORE THAN A RULEBOOK.
THE LEARNING ANNEX MAY CONNECT TO INTRODUCTORY GUIDES, OPENING MATERIAL, TACTICAL EXPLANATIONS, MASTER-CLASS ARTICLES, GAME COMMENTARY, PLAYER REFLECTIONS, PUZZLES, REFERENCE MATERIAL AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT HELP SOMEONE MOVE FROM KNOWING THE RULES TO UNDERSTANDING THE DECISION ENVIRONMENT.
THE PURPOSE IS NOT TO ESTABLISH A SINGLE ORTHODOX STYLE OF PLAY.
IT IS TO MAKE MULTIPLE LEARNING PATHWAYS FINDABLE.
VIDEO / AUDIO / MULTIMEDIA
LEARNING DIPLOMACY DOES NOT HAVE TO OCCUR ONLY THROUGH TEXT.
THE ANNEX MAY LINK TO PUBLISHER VIDEOS, RECORDED GAMES, COMMENTARY, INTERVIEWS, TOURNAMENT COVERAGE, AI DEMONSTRATIONS, MAP WALKTHROUGHS AND OTHER MULTIMEDIA MATERIAL WHERE THE SOURCE IS RELEVANT AND ATTRIBUTED.
VIDEO CAN BE ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR SHOWING HOW A BOARD STATE CHANGES THROUGH NEGOTIATION AND SIMULTANEOUS ORDER RESOLUTION.
BOOKS / PUBLICATIONS / FURTHER READING
THE DIPLOMACY KNOWLEDGE ECOSYSTEM INCLUDES BOOKS, FANZINES, STRATEGY ARTICLES, DESIGN HISTORY, INTERVIEWS, TOURNAMENT REPORTS, ACADEMIC PAPERS AND LONG-RUNNING HOBBY PUBLICATIONS.
GOMI DOES NOT NEED TO REPRODUCE THOSE WORKS TO MAKE THEM PART OF A LEARNING PATHWAY.
THE PURPOSE OF THE ANNEX IS TO HELP SOMEONE FIND THE KNOWLEDGE, IDENTIFY ITS SOURCE AND DECIDE HOW DEEPLY THEY WANT TO EXPLORE IT.
LEARNING STRATEGY / IMPROVEMENT
DIPLOMACY WORLD CAN PROVIDE PATHWAYS CONCERNED WITH HOW TO IMPROVE, NOT ONLY HOW TO PLAY.
A PARTICIPANT MAY EXPLORE NEGOTIATION REVIEW, ORDER ANALYSIS, OPENING THEORY, POSITIONAL JUDGMENT, SUPPORT AND CONVOY TACTICS, ALLIANCE MANAGEMENT, TRUST CALIBRATION, COMMUNICATION, RISK, TEMPO, ENDGAME PLANNING, GAME REPORTS, DEMONSTRATION GAMES, SELF-REVIEW AND REPEATED PRACTICE.
THE PURPOSE IS NOT TO ESTABLISH ONE MANDATORY STRATEGY.
DIFFERENT PLAYERS MAY SUCCEED THROUGH DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF COMMUNICATION, JUDGMENT, TACTICS AND LONGER-HORIZON PLANNING.
DIPLOMACY WORLD PROVIDES THE COMMON DECISION ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THOSE DIFFERENCES CAN BE OBSERVED.
RESEARCH PATHWAY
RESEARCHERS MAY MOVE BEYOND PLAYER-FACING MATERIAL INTO NEGOTIATION RESEARCH, GAME THEORY, MULTI-AGENT SYSTEMS, NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING, HUMAN-AI COOPERATION, TRUST, PERSUASION, STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION, COMPUTATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE AND LONGITUDINAL GOMI OBSERVATIONS WHERE ACCESS IS APPROPRIATE.
DIPLOMACY HAS ALREADY BEEN USED AS A RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT FOR AI SYSTEMS THAT MUST COMBINE STRATEGIC REASONING WITH COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION.
THE SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY / STUDY PLATFORM IDENTIFIES POSSIBLE AREAS OF INQUIRY.
THE LINK MAP IDENTIFIES PLACES WHERE THE UNDERLYING GAME, RESEARCH, HISTORY AND EVIDENCE MAY BE EXPLORED.
THEY ARE RELATED FUNCTIONS, BUT THEY ARE NOT DUPLICATES.
ORGANIZATIONS / CLUBS / GROUPS / PROVIDERS
THE DIPLOMACY WORLD INFORMATION SYSTEM MAY LATER INCLUDE VOLUNTARY LISTINGS OR LINKS FOR TOURNAMENTS, CLUBS, LOCAL PLAY GROUPS, ONLINE COMMUNITIES, HOBBY PUBLICATIONS, EVENT ORGANIZERS, TEACHERS, COMMENTATORS, RESEARCH GROUPS, UNIVERSITIES, AI LABORATORIES AND OTHER APPROPRIATE PROVIDERS.
A LISTING DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN GOMI ENDORSES THE ORGANIZATION, PERSON, OPINION, SERVICE OR MATERIAL.
IT MEANS THE RESOURCE HAS BEEN CONNECTED TO AN APPROPRIATE INFORMATION PATHWAY.
PEOPLE SEEKING TO LEARN
A PARTICIPANT MAY USE DIPLOMACY WORLD SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO UNDERSTAND OR PLAY THE GAME BETTER.
THEY DO NOT HAVE TO BE A TOURNAMENT PLAYER, STRATEGIST, RESEARCHER, HISTORIAN, NEGOTIATOR, SCIENTIST OR AI SPECIALIST.
THE SAME WORLD CAN SERVE A FIRST-TIME PLAYER AND A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PLAYER.
THEIR EXPERIENCE MAY DIFFER.
THEIR STRATEGIES MAY DIFFER.
THE CONDITIONS OF THE WORLD DO NOT HAVE TO.
PEOPLE SEEKING TO TEACH
EXPERIENCED PLAYERS, CLUBS, TOURNAMENT ORGANIZERS, AUTHORS, COMMENTATORS, EDUCATORS, RESEARCHERS AND OTHER KNOWLEDGE PROVIDERS MAY USE THE LEARNING ANNEX AS A ROUTE INTO MATERIAL RELEVANT TO DIPLOMACY WORLD.
WHERE APPROPRIATE, OUTSIDE PROVIDERS MAY CONTRIBUTE OR MAINTAIN THEIR OWN CLEARLY ATTRIBUTED MATERIAL.
GOMI DOES NOT NEED TO BECOME THE AUTHOR OF EVERY STRATEGY ARTICLE, RULE EXPLANATION OR DIPLOMACY LESSON.
IT CREATES THE STRUCTURE THROUGH WHICH RELEVANT KNOWLEDGE CAN BE FOUND.
INFORMATION INTEGRITY
DIPLOMACY WORLD IS DESIGNED AS AN OPEN-ENDED INFORMATION SYSTEM SURROUNDING AN INVARIANT CORE.
THE GAME METHOD CAN REMAIN FIXED.
THE KNOWLEDGE CAN CONTINUE GROWING.
NEW SOURCES, ARTICLES, BOOKS, VIDEOS, RESEARCH, PROVIDERS, ORGANIZATIONS, TOURNAMENT RECORDS, GAME COMMENTARIES, AI STUDIES, LEARNING TOOLS AND FIELDS OF INQUIRY MAY BE ADDED LATER WITHOUT RECONSTRUCTING DIPLOMACY WORLD.
GOMI CONTROLS THE WORLD STRUCTURE, DECISION CONDITIONS, PRESENTATION METHODOLOGY, MEASUREMENT STRUCTURE, ATTRIBUTION STRUCTURE AND CONNECTION TO THE LARGER GOMI SYSTEM.
EXTERNAL PROVIDERS CONTROL THEIR OWN ATTRIBUTED MATERIAL.
SOURCE AND LINK PRINCIPLE
THE LEARNING ANNEX:
ORGANIZES.
INDEXES.
CONNECTS.
IT DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY:
APPROVE.
CERTIFY.
ADJUDICATE.
ENDORSE.
EXTERNAL INFORMATION MAY CHANGE.
EXTERNAL WEBSITES MAY CHANGE.
STRATEGY OPINIONS MAY DIFFER.
TOURNAMENT FORMATS MAY CHANGE.
RESEARCH MAY DEVELOP.
NEW EVIDENCE OR ANALYSIS MAY BECOME AVAILABLE.
WHERE POSSIBLE, THE PARTICIPANT SHOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE OUTWARD TO THE UNDERLYING SOURCE AND EVALUATE THE MATERIAL DIRECTLY.
THE DIPLOMACY WORLD INFORMATION PATH
THE LARGER GOMI CONNECTION
DIPLOMACY WORLD IS ONE ESTABLISHED WORLD WITHIN THE PERMANENT 14-WORLD GOMI CORE.
ITS LEARNING ANNEX USES THE SAME INVARIANT LEARNING-ANNEX CHASSIS ESTABLISHED BY CANADIAN WORLD:
THE SUBJECTS CHANGE.
THE ARCHITECTURE DOES NOT HAVE TO.
DIPLOMACY WORLD
THE ENVIRONMENT STAYS STABLE.
THE KNOWLEDGE CAN KEEP EXPANDING.
THE PARTICIPANTS MAKE THE CHOICES.
GOMI RECORDS WHAT HAPPENED.
GOOD FOR ONE, GOOD FOR ALL.