A basic synopsis for anyone who is still lost. I figured I might as well put it here since I'd already typed it out to one player. Rather not lose it.
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Ok, this is a basic game of "take over the world with your armies/fleets" -- similar to Risk. Basically, you want to control Supply Centers (SC's). For each one you have, you get a build (a new unit). Each turn is divided into 3 phases -- spring movement, fall movement, and winter adjustments. Movement phases are where the combat takes place. Winter is for building and disbanding units -- you equalize the number of SC's you control with the number of units on the board. If you control 6 SC's and have only 4 units on the board, you build 2 units. If you control 4 SC's and have 6 units, you choose 2 units to disband.
Combat is simple in theory, but gets more difficult the more units you have attacking every which way. There are no dice, no luck. 2 units dislodges 1 unit -- the one would be forced to retreat or be destroyed if there are no valid places to retreat to. 1v1, 2 v 2, etc causes a "bounce" -- nobody moves.
Here's the kicker: you can only have one unit per territory. Since you can see from the map that each of us has only a few units to start (probably only 3), it is essential that you team up with other players. That's where the diplomacy comes in. You'll need to negotiate with everyone, and I mean everyone, so you have as much info as possible regarding what's going to happen the next turn. If a player is not talking to you, they're probably plotting against you -- so keep them talking. Regardless, they're probably still plotting against you.
You give orders by typing in the text box of the DPjudge. There are a few basic types of moves - a "move" (can be an attack if the space you're moving to is occupied or someone else is trying to move there). Basically, you'd type "A MEX to TEX" -- this would move Army Mexico to Texas, assuming no other units blocked it. Other important orders are holds, convoys, and supports. Check the rules for explanations.
Armies can move from land territory to land territory, can move over sea if there's a dotted path (like Denmark to Sweden), or can move over sea spaces by getting convoyed by fleets (see convoying rules).
So read the rules, then head to floc.net/dpjudge and login to game oclub_modern as your power (germany). You send presses (notes) to other players from this screen by checking their box. Your presses are anonymous, so be sure to sign them. Be aware that since there are anonymous presses, anything you read could be from anybody. So you have to pay close attention to what they're saying and if it makes sense, because somebody could be messing with you. Plus, even when it is from the right person, they could be flat out lying to you.
