Have you check out the help page? It contains answers to most of your potential questions in a very easy to read (and understand) format.

http://webdiplomacy.net/help.php

if you need anything else, feel free to message me or just post again here. I'm new to the site also, but so far people here have been awesome. Hopefully you'll have as much fun as I'm having.

Welcome!

I love this site, I had never played diplomacy before I joined and some people helped me get the hang of how to play.

Killer, I think I'll be up for a new live game soonl

When?

Dunno, the game I'm in now is in the endgame.

http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=33880#gamePanel If your interested.

Why did Russia stab Italy when he should be forcing a stalemate?

No idea, and Italy moved away from Germany. Which was a foolish move. He should have pressed the attack.

I would be up for a live gunboat.

Thanks !
I have an instinct that i would love this site,for the game and for people here being so nice. Be back here after my first game. Thank you again!

RW, originally this site didn't have any real support for "live" games. The shortest phase length you could use was 1 hour. So a lot of people play games with phase lengths of 1 or 2 days and sometimes longer. Then support for shorter phases (down to 5 minutes) was added and "live" games have been very popular.

Just letting you know that live games aren't the only way to play.

Well thank you again. Does that mean I could return to the site after lunch or anything that takes me away from the computer, without clicking "leave the game"?

Yes - you can save your orders, leave, and come back before the next phase - i.e. if you are in a 1day/phase game, you just have to log in once a day to get every phase. If you're going to be away longer than one phase, then you can ask players to vote for a pause (but they don't have to give it to you)

There isn't a 'leave the game' option once a game has started.

Many games are set up with phases that last a day or longer. That way, you can log into the site, check your game messages, enter your moves in any games where you need to, and then not log in again for hours or even the next day.

Hi RW,

if you want to learn something of the basics of gameplay, join my game:

http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=33844

I started it for a friend of mine who is also new to Diplomacy. Phases are 25 hrs however. When you don't think you can make that, better not join.

Welcome RW,

I also suggest you read this: http://webdiplomacy.net/rules.php

Despite the name, it's the rules of this particular website, not the game, so it should be helpful.

When thinking about what phase length you want for non-live games, keep in mind that you'll likely want to check in more than once per phase. Because not everyone is on at the same time, you'll send questions, answers, threats and such and then have to check back later for answers, more questions, and responses to your threats. :) So if you can only log on once each day, you might want a game with 2 day phase lengths.

I usually log on a couple times a day and play 1 to 2 day phase length games. And usually not more than 4 games at a time or it gets too confusing for me, although some people happily juggle a lot more.

Thank you all for taking those minor quetions that I had. Honestly it's a little bit hard for me to read thoroughly the rules that may be able to answer most of my questions,because as a non-English speaker I am still trying to get myself more familiar with the language itself and so with websites in English language .
So I'd be very grateful if help can be found here though I will also try to figure out through the links put above.
I'm in a game now which has reached Autumn 01. Always found out that I often made meaningless moves.

@Ursa
Thank you for the invite but now it seems that maybe I join next time or another game that your friend is in if you have one.

Richard Sharp's the Game of Diplomacy is a good start.

You've got mail.

welcome RW
I'm one of the greatest players and the official troll of the community.
Be prepared as I'm coming for you.
Har Har Har

I'll second the reference to Sharp's GoD. http://www.diplom.org/~diparch/god.htm

Having first encountered the game a month ago, this was probably the best resource I found.

RW - After looking at your game, I'm wondering if you know what supporting is?

@ largeham
Thanks. :)

@hellalt
...You sure coming for me? some newbie who may even have no idea what a support move can tell me more than the movement itself?

@tarspaceheel
Thank you for offering help! Well I am now worrying about that how i would feel when I looked back again at my own game after reading it. Maybe ...I don't know.

And finally!
Conservative Man, I guess I know the basic rules of the game, however I don't quite get it. Maybe would you please explain a little more in detail why you have the doubt?

While commenting on ongoing games is bad form unless they are teaching or public forum games, I will say that I agree with Conservative's question for this reason. You attempted to move two units into the open SC which is a self bounce, rather than supporting the move in to make certain you took it. Your actions took nothing for you. They just made certain Austria couldn't take them as well.

May I ask a question not relative to this topic here?
How do English native speaker ,as a large part of you guys here are, memorize so many different words and vocabularies used in talking about a wide variety of topics in detail?
This quetion caught me up when I was reading another thread post here demonstrating how the gunboat (ps, what is a gunboat?) is played by commenting on every step of a finished but back then ongoing game. The point is that I tried to make some comment on it however failed to organize what I had in mind precisely except in my mother language.
So I would love to know what's your opinion.
:)

I have the same problem when reading the instructions to some of my German import boardgames. It's a matter of just knowing the meaning and what the intent behind certain words are versus having to translate it in your head.

Gunboat is diplomacy without any language based communication. In other words, your moves do your talking for you. You can use them to indicate intended support to someone or intent to assist in attacking a common enemy, for instance.