I'm from the Midwest, but I've not been following this World Cup stuff. What's the commitment? (Don't really want to go read the 150 replies in the thread.)

@Diplomat33 Are you ok with being the gunboat player? If so, let me know so that you can be added to the google doc
@jmeyersd the only spot open is the sub (should diplomat choose it) so you would be responsible for filling infor any CD I will post the rules in a second.

World Cup Format
You have 4 player teams:

2 Standard Diplomacy Players
1 Public Press
1 Gunboat.

Teams each represent one country, however you may have many teams from the same country.
If there are fewer than four players from a particular country, you can create groups of countries that play as if they were a single country.

You have either 14 or 21 teams. There may be swing teams necessary to make it up to one of those numbers.

You have 2/3 Groups of Seven. The teams in a group play games against each other:

2 Standard (1 per standard player)
1 Public Press
2 Gunboats (both played by the same player)

The games are anonymous, to avoid metagaming from same country teams or from swing teams.

The points are scored as follows.

420 for a win
420/n for a draw
0 for defeat.

Plus the SC count (any win has an SC count of 18)

With half-points for the Gunboat games

Then:

If 2 Groups, top 3 non swing teams plus better point scoring 4th non swing team from the 2 groups.

If 3 Groups, top 2 non swing teams in each group plus best point scoring 3rd place team from the 3 groups.

Go through to the final.

In the final, the same thing takes place again, so it is like one of the groups. The winner of that wins. In the event of a tie, the team that scored more in the group stage wins.

Pauses: if a pause is needed then all players must vote pause. Pauses can only last up to seven days. if a player will be gone more than two weeks he will have to get a substitute to take his place. It is requested that all teams have a substitute from the geographic area in mind. if they cannot find a substitute from the geographic area then another substitute will be allowed, however that substitute should not be a stronger player than the player being substituted (by the most recent Ghost-Ratings)

Civil Disorder: If a player civil disorders they will be forced to leave the tournament. Teams may substitute a player if this happens.The substitute will take that players spot for the remainder of the tournament.

Cross-gaming: Players may not enter into alliances spanning over more than one game under any circumstances.

36 hour phases
The above post was by Yonni. All credit to him or her.

OK that's good. I'll be the sub. (Somebody will let me know if I'm needed, right?)

I'l be the Gunboat player.

jm you seem a high point player you should be a main player.