Fleet Rome is _not_ generally accepted to be more balanced, it opens just some new options for Italy. If you want, you can set up a game on http://oli.rhoen.de/webdiplomacy/ (another server, needs new registration / small self advertise, sorry :). But I would recommend to play a Custom-Start game, so everybody can choose what units to build in the first turn.

Oh really? but isn't that more balanced since italy is one of the weakest?

No, it costs you also options, ie to attack Austria first turn.

If you are looking for a more balanced Italy, you should check out the Milan variant, also on http://oli.rhoen.de/webdiplomacy/

http://oli.rhoen.de/webdiplomacy/variants.php#Milan

And to answer the primary question, Kestas, whose site this is, has decided to only offer a handful of the more popular variants. Other webdip servers such as olidip and goondip can choose to offer more selection. And Kestas does allow posting on this site's forum to recruit players for games on those other webdip servers so usually you can find people to play.

I'd love to sign up for that site, Sleepcap. Unfortunately I cannot, for the life of me, understand what I'm supposed to do with that captcha.

-mike

Works now.. Everytime I update my site to the new "webdip-code" I have to make a small change to make the captcha work.

http://tinyurl.com/olidip - place to be for variants.

re Fleet Rome: I've never liked the idea. To me if you're allowing Italy to choose his builds so should other nations. Also this allows him to disguise what he's doing. Having said that, I guess free builds make Russia even stronger?

What is the rational behind not having all the variants on here?

"No, it costs you also options, ie to attack Austria first turn."

Oh no it costs you a doomed option~

jed - Keep things relatively simple I believe.

Also it's quite time consuming to get the "variants" error-free and kestasjk likes improving the technical side of this page more than fixing link-errors and debugging variants.

it also costs you in terms of defence against austria, with only one army it is almost impossible to defend against Trieste - Adr, Bud - Trieste, Vie - tyrolia.

That may be an unlikely senario, so look at the likely - the supposed benifit of two fleets is that you can take tunis while contesting greece - so a likely opening is fleet Rome - Tyr, fleet Naples - ionian, Venice - Trieste/Tyrolia.

given that, an intleeigent austria can open Bud - serbia, Trieste - Adr, Vie having a 50/50 shot of advancing to Tyrolia or Venice.

Nowthat standard Austrian opening might not be very popular but it would be much more succesful in fleet rome.

'fixing link-errors and debugging variants' - is it not fair to say that a minor modification like fleet rome should not suffer from these issues...

"Trieste - Adr, Bud - Trieste, Vie - tyrolia"

That suicidal attack? There's a defense against that - it's called Russia and Turkey. Seriously? You aren't this terrible right?

Nice discussion! I think I would always attack Italy as Austria on the first turn of Fleet Rome. It's a win-win situation :-)

then the game becomes too predictable and ceases to be fun

re Acos - no its not, just make sure they move away from you - names diplomacy!
Definitely wouldn't go as far as alamothe though.

the point i was trying to make is fleet rome prevents italy from attacking Austria AND it weakens Italy's defence against Austria.

italy can not open rome - venice, venice - tryolia (and attack austria, or hit germany while defending against austria, or do that little trick where you head off to piedmont from tryolia... or head to bohemia to help austria/russia with galicia...)

As austria i would love to be playing fleet rome.

i love any neighbour who isn't able to attack me effectively and who also isn't able to defend against me effectively.

It also effectively kills the Lepanto opening since it would be an open invitation for Austria to stab Italy in the first season.