Matt, I think such rivalry for the Arctic is a very good topic for a game considering this being an area of conflicting national interests. The ice rules add an interesting tactical problem, though I would have thought you'd have the ice gradually receding on account of global warming rather than merely waxing and waning as the seasons dictate.
In any case, I suggest you add some visual cues as to what areas freeze only in winter, are permanently frozen etc. to the map, rather than referring players to the rules.
You may wish to also consider conforming to the 1 to 2.0-2.5 unit-space ratio recommended by Stephen Agar. Your variant is a lot less dense, which makes for a really long game and it taking a really long time to get anywhere. Now, I recognise remoteness may have a thematic appeal, but from a gameplay perspective it leads to a less exciting game, imo.
It's one reason, quite frankly, why I would not play this design in its current incarnation. But then, that also applies to the vast majority of Diplomacy variants since I'm notoriously picky about what I like to see in a Diplomacy variant.
In any case, I like the thematic premise and think this project holds promise.
Charles
Mikael and I are also both playing in the DC playtest of David Cohen's
Known World 901.
Also, if any of you have a hankering for more playtesting, I am
currently recruiting playtesters on DC for my new variant, Arctic
Diplomacy. I'll admit it does not have the draw of DPs, but it does
have the cool new feature of ice territories that melt and freeze over
the course of time. There are three spots left if anyone is interested.
Matt
