The Embassy

I've taken a week's break from The Embassy now, for a couple of reasons. What a week, though.  In that time, the UK has almost shut down due to Coronavirus and my job role has changed to cope with it.  Still, I'm proud to announce I am now classed as a "key worker" so my kids can still go to school.  I'm open to adopt your kids if that helps.  I have cupboard space for sleeping.  They're especially welcome if they can make bread and don't need toilet paper. That isn't why I was away, though.  I've been working on my new Dip zine PERFIDIOUS and PERF#1 is out now.  It was actually out last weekend but then I buggered it up by being an idiot.  Oh well. And, if you're vigilant, you'll have noticed the name change.  It was originally and unimaginatively called "The Embassy Journal".  Is PERFIDIOUS better?  Oh yes.  If you want to subscribe to, send me an email . I have three subscribers already... which is infinitely mo...

You know, I have realised that I probably bang on too much.  What can I say?  I like the sound of my own writing (my voice, until laryngitis kicks in when I begin to sound like Barry White, is slightly too high pitched and squeaky). This led me to realise that I should probably be looking at different ways to put out what I want to put that's longer-winded than the long-winded stuff I publish here. And so The Embassy Journal was born. This is my zine, written to accompany the blog, but with articles and a smattering of other stuff.  You can get it from the link above, which will lead you to the first issue (March 2020).  Let me know what you think. All issues will be published on The Embassy Journal page on this blog, where you can also find subscription and contribution info.

Diplomacy  can be played in one of two formats: Face-to-Face (FTF) or Remotely. Face-to-Face This is the way the game was designed to play and that isn't surprising given that the Allan B Calhamer was developing Diplomacy in the 1950s.  FTF play is around a table with all the players present.  They don't always stay at the table, though; it's usual that, during the Negotiation phase players will disappear into little nooks and crannies to discuss strategy in secret. House Game There are a number of ways to play FTF games but Calhamer had only one way in mind, really, what you might call a House Game.  This is a group of people playing Dip for fun as a one-off game.  Nothing else, no distractions caused by scoring or outside pressures... well, other than the time taken to complete it. Tournament Play A more competitive way to play arrived when tournaments arrived.  These would be organised, open to players to compete against each other in a ...