Interview with Robert Hillier

Gavin landed back in Australia just the day before recording, and he and Ken settle in for a full debrief on WDC 2026 in Athens. From the venues and the social activities to all four of Gavin's games and the top board, this one covers it all. Intro Ken sets up the episode – this one is going to be almost entirely about WDC 2026 Athens, because Gavin was there and has only just landed back in Australia (as at the time of recording) (15 secs) He notes the DBN coverage gave a strong account of the boards and Ed's player interviews, but plenty of the magic from Spyros Dovas and his organising team didn't make it to the stream (45 secs) Drinks are introduced: Ken is on one of his home-brew lagers with a kick, and Gavin is working through a leftover Sicilian Nero d'Avola that has turned a little sour – a fitting metaphor, he suggests, for how his first round went (1 min 45 secs) The tournament in aggregate Ken asks Gavin to give a broad overview – location, numbers, facilities, atmosphere (2 mins 45 secs) Around 106 players registered, though some didn't show due to last-minute issues. Approximately 5 Australian players couldn't attend because their original flights were routed through the Middle East (3 mins 30 secs) The geopolitical context: as of recording, the Middle East airspace situation was in week nine of its shutdown, forcing Australian travellers to reroute via Singapore, Hong Kong, or Malaysia. Some also baulked at the US transit option due to the documentation requirements (4 mins 30 secs) Despite the drop-outs, the turnout was excellent and genuinely representative – a heavy European component split between the UK and the rest of Europe, a strong French contingent, players from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland, and Norway, a good number of Americans and a couple of Canadians (including Chris Brand), around 10 Australians, and a couple of Kiwis (Dominick Stephens and Craig Purcell). The local Greek contingent, given the Athens club had only been running for about 18 months, was especially impressive (3 mins 30 secs) Tournament format: three regular rounds followed by a fourth round of tiered top boards. Rather than a single top board, the format featured seven simultaneous top boards – the top 7 players went to the premier board, players 8–14 played the second tier, 15–21 the third, and so on down through the field. Crucially, players who volunteered to sit out for round four to help with numbers kept their ranking position (7 mins) Ken and Gavin discuss how the tiered format means the fourth round is never a dead rubber – every board is still competing for something meaningful (8 mins 15 secs) Discussion of the central clock arrangement: effectively federation-based rather than a literal single clock, with the two main venues coordinating their start times by communication (9 mins 30 secs) The venues The main venue was the upstairs function space of a beachside restaurant operation – excellent location right on the waterfront, but somewhat cramped for negotiations once all the boards were in (9 mins 45 secs) As a result, boards were redistributed to the secondary venue: the Anchor bar, about 150–200 metres down the road. Gavin played two games in each location and considered the Anchor the better play space – more open, well ventilated, and with a large covered outdoor area next to a (drained) pool (11 mins) The colour-coded sash system made it easy to identify players by country but created the amusing challenge of locating your specific Italy in a room full of Italys from different boards (13 mins) The third venue – an outdoor shaded area – was reserved for the premier top board. Unlike Milan's car park, this one had good shade and plenty of room for spectators around the giant shadow board (13 mins 30 secs) Pre-tournament social activities Gavin outlines the structure: you could do as much or as little as you liked. He landed well due to a useful 5.5-hour Singapore layover that helped reset his body clock, and flew over on the same flight as tournament director Jamal Blakkarly (16 mins) They were met at Athens airport by Spyros, his wife, and daughter, who drove them to breakfast at a beautiful harbour-side restaurant in one of the small inlet bays east of Piraeus (18 mins 15 secs) Pre-tournament island stay: Gavin spent two days on Serifos, the island Spyros recommended and which has personal significance to his family (his grandfather was christened there). Spyros provided a detailed Google Map of the best spots. With the tourist season barely starting, Gavin got excellent last-minute accommodation at a family-run hotel and had the beaches almost entirely to himself (18 mins 45 secs) The island was so off-season that locals were literally still painting their furniture and kerbs in preparation. Gavin did the recommended hikes and swims, and the hotel gifted him a dry-bag left behind by a previous guest (20 mins 30 secs) Back in Athens overnight, Gavin caught up with a multinational squad of players including Shane, Brandon, Max, Zoe, Justin Law, Bradley Grace, and Karthik. They had dinner at an Italian restaurant with the Acropolis lit up above them (22 mins 30 secs) Hydra day trip (Wednesday): players caught the fast ferry from Piraeus out to Hydra (about 1.5 hrs). The island has a refined Venetian-Greek port feel, with rustic paths and rock beaches beyond. The group visited the Museum of the 1821 Greek Revolution, full of local history and artefacts. Gavin wore one of his Diplomacy shirts and ended up being an ambassador for the hobby to an American grandmother and her debate-champion granddaughter from North Carolina – and pointed them towards David Hood and the local hobby there (24 mins 15 secs) The water temperature at the beach was about 4–5 degrees colder than Australia, which meant the Europeans loved it and Gavin did not go in (26 mins 30 secs) Acropolis and Athens tour (Thursday): guided tour of the Acropolis by what Spyros described as the best guides operating there, followed by a walk through the Plaka and past the Panathenaic Stadium (venue of the first modern Olympics in 1896), then a seafood lunch at a beautiful harbourside restaurant (30 mins) Temple of Poseidon (Thursday evening): the most popular activity – the bus was packed. About halfway there, Spyros took everyone on an unannounced detour to a beach bar where they had the place to themselves, a wonderful surprise. The Temple itself sits on a peninsula with 270-degree sea views. Spyros told the story of how the Aegean got its name from that location, and a huge group photo was taken (31 mins 15 secs) Tournament production values Gavin describes the production as setting new high-water marks for tournament organisation – high enough that the Chicago 2027 organising team would be wondering how to match it. Every player had a colour-coded sash matching their country, a branded WDC Athens notepad in their country colour, and a matching pen for every round (33 mins) The awards were 3D-printed Greek god statues for the podium finishers, complemented by a full suite of themed awards for the top players in each country and for notable gameplay (34 min) Special awards included: the Ajax Award for 8th place overall (the brilliant fighter who just missed out); the Archimedes Award for the most innovative play; the Leonidas Award for the player who fought on against insurmountable odds; and professionally screen-printed awards for best performance as each of the seven Great Powers (35 mins 45 secs) Gavin's games Round 1 – France – Board: Agkystri (View game) Gavin introduces his first game and the board composition: he played France, with Danae Stamataki (Austria-Hungary, local Greek player who topped the board on 10 supply centres and won best Austria), Sabrina Ahuja "Sabi" as England, Brian Ecton as Germany, Jean-Louis Delattre as Italy, Teo Ananiadis as Russia, and Frank Oosterom from the Netherlands as Turkey (37 mins 15 secs) The plan was a Western Triple working with England and Germany, with the goal of neutralising a strong-looking Italy early. It didn't come together as intended (37 mins 45 secs) The infamous mis-order: Gavin had two builds and intended fleet Brest plus a second build. Instead he built fleet Brest and placed the build directly in MAO, effectively waiving his second build. The DBN commentators interpreted this as a genius strategic waive; Ken's interpretation was somewhat more grounded. Gavin confirms Ken was correct (39 mins) The other players on the board didn't share DBN's generous reading of the situation. Germany immediately moved into Burgundy and kept flipping between fronts as his position allowed. Italy kept pressing France throughout. Gavin found himself squeezed down to a single unit in the English Channel (40 mins 30 secs) Final turn plan: England agreed to convoy an army across to Picardy to support Gavin back into Brest. Instead, Sabi walked into an open Paris. Gavin ended the game with zero supply centres and was eliminated (42 mins 15 secs) Gavin notes he made his disappointment known professionally, and that he subsequently had a drink with Sabi – but not that night (44 mins 15 secs) Round 2 – England – Board: Lemnos Not covered by DBN. Gavin played England; the board included Dominick Stephens (New Zealand) as Germany, Chris Brand (Canada) as Russia, Ruben Sanchez as Italy, Roberto Perego (Italy) as France, Robert Schuppe as Turkey, and Anastasia "Nastja" Styles as Austria-Hungary (46 mins) The plan was a Northern Alliance of England, Germany, and Russia. It unravelled immediately when Chris opened Moscow to Livonia and Dominick interpreted it as aggressive – resulting in a Germany-Russia war from the outset (46 mins 15 secs) Gavin adapted: knowing Germany was occupied in the east, he gave Russia some space and opened into Belgium, with Dominick and Chris both honouring his request to take Norway unopposed via fleet (46 mins 45 secs) Dominick and Gavin worked to grind down Roberto Perego's France, who ground out a hard-fought game staying alive on 2 centres. Ruben Sanchez's Italy played a deft game, flipping between alliances with Turkey and Austria (49 mins 15 secs) Dominick topped the board on 10; Ruben came in at 9; Gavin finished at 7. The game was meant to run to 1909 but drew earlier when the position stabilised. Gavin reflects he may have drawn too early, with both Dominick and Ruben suggesting he had room to push for another two centres (50 mins) Round 3 – Germany – Board: Symi (View game) Gavin played Germany. The board included Shane Armstrong (Australia) as France, Mikalis Kamaritis as Italy, Alex Maslow (USA) as Russia, Steven Hogue (USA) as Austria, Alex Lebedev (Russia) as England, and Jack Johns as Turkey (51 mins 15 secs) The strategic context: only Mikalis Kamaritis and Alex Lebedev were realistically in contention for the top board from this game. Shane and Gavin identified this early and committed to supporting the player they believed deserved to be there (52 mins 45 secs) Shane and Gavin opened with a Sealion against England, while Gavin also walked a careful line with Alex Lebedev, who initially felt more threatened by France than Germany. Austria was eliminated in 1903, and England in 1904 (53 mins 45 secs) A notable moment: Gavin slipped an army from the North Sea into an unoccupied London – a move he acknowledged was unnecessary, created friction with Alex Lebedev, and which he would not make again. He apologised on the day (56 mins 15 secs) Mikalis told Gavin and Shane to wait until 1905 – and delivered. He launched from his eastern position, took two dots off Russia and one off Turkey in a single year, then steamrolled from there. Alex Maslow was a strong and enjoyable player who nearly flipped the alliance but ultimately couldn't (56 mins 15 secs) The game agreed to a draw of 10-10-14 (Shane-Gavin-Mikalis), which the three felt would get Mikalis comfortably onto the top board. In the final adjudication Mikalis took one extra dot away from Shane, making the final scores 15-10-9 (58 mins 15 secs) Round 4 – Austria – Board: Myconos (View game) Gavin made it onto the fourth round, placed into the 6th top board. The board featured Shane Armstrong again as Turkey, Emmett Wainwright as England, Patrick Jacobson as France, Nathan Lester as Germany, Cameron Taylor as Italy, and Richard Bolton as Russia (59 mins 30 secs) The standout introduction: Nathan Lester, son of Dan Lester (who Gavin played against at Bangkok WDC). Same voice, same playing style, same persuasive meta-game arguments – but with a mullet and dressed like he's in an 80s rock video, and without the beard-stroking (1 hr 0 mins 45 secs) Gavin and Shane, having just played together in Round 3, ended up as Austria and Turkey respectively – not a natural alliance. Gavin didn't trust it but it held. Italy and France both kept fighting hard throughout (59 mins 45 secs) The game drew in 1906, with Shane and Emmett both finishing on 8, Gavin on 6 as Austria. Everyone then rushed across the road to watch the top board (1 hr 3 mins 45 secs) The top board Ken asks about Mikalis's diplomatic style. Gavin: exceptional situational awareness, communicates clearly and directly, asked and answered the "what do you want from this game?" question in a way that built immediate trust, and was good to his word on timing (1 hr 4 mins) Gavin arrived at the top board mid-1906 (his own game had just drawn). The top board was played outdoors under a well-shaded tree with plenty of room for negotiations, guarded by two or three people ensuring other players and passing members of the public couldn't crowd the board (1 hr 5 mins) The giant shadow board: a massive life-size replica board was set up nearby so all spectators could follow the game without approaching the real board. Andrew Goff read out the orders and the shadow board was updated after each adjudication – the same setup used at Milan WDC (1 hr 7 mins 45 secs) When Gavin arrived, he felt Bradley Grace had the game. The shift came late – Mikalis made a decisive move in the endgame that separated him from a closely matched France/Germany contest (1 hr 9 mins) Congratulations to Mikalis Kamaritis – well deserved, Gavin says. And to Bradley Grace: so close, but it will happen (1 hr 9 mins) The awards ceremony included Mikalis receiving both the championship belt and a traditional olive laurel wreath – a detail that was not captured in the DBN stream. Ken flags this as something future broadcasts should consider covering (1 hr 11 mins 15 secs) A Best Shane Cubis Award was also created – won by a Greek player who loudly lobbied Spyros for an award on the basis of how much he'd helped out. An AI-generated image of Shane Cubis in 1901 attire featured on the award, to the complete bafflement of the European and American contingents (1 hr 12 mins 50 secs) Game hobby and future WDCs The Chicago Windy City Weasels delivered a presentation promoting WDC 2027, enthusiastically received by the assembled players (1 hr 13 mins 15 secs) The 2028 bid: Melbourne was the only bid, and it was unanimously approved. Andrew Goff (Goffy) presented it. WDC 2028 Melbourne will be held at the MCG – the Melbourne Cricket Ground – with the conference rooms used for regular play, and the premier top board played on the MCG wicket itself. The countdown timer will run on the MCG scoreboard. Notionally scheduled for the last weekend of February 2028 – the weekend after the Formula One Grand Prix and the weekend before the first AFL round (1 hr 14 mins 30 secs) For international context: roughly equivalent to playing at Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden, the Camp Nou, or Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. English players will recognise the MCG as where English cricket hopes traditionally come to die (1 hr 15 mins 15 secs) Also at the game hobby: a unanimous vote to amend and modernise the WDC charter, which dates from around 2000–2001 and doesn't reflect current online play, email communication, or the organisational structures of the Asia-Pacific and European hobbies. Four representatives (from NADF, the Asia-Pacific Diplomacy Association, and the European and UK hobbies) will draft amendments to be presented at WDC 2027 Chicago, with ratification at WDC 2028 Melbourne (1 hr 18 mins) Wrap up Gavin acknowledges the full organising effort: approximately 10 people working behind the scenes alongside Spyros and Jamal to make everything run. The Greek hobby and Athens Diplomacy Club can be enormously proud (1 hr 20 mins 30 secs) The Armistice Party: held between rounds three and four in the venue near the pool area. A DJ with a custom app allowed all attending players to nominate up to 10 songs each, with the crowd then voting in real time from four options for what came next. Gavin describes it as stunningly well thought through (1 hr 22 mins) Ken summarises: meticulously planned, wonderful venue, brilliant location, great games, fantastic people. Gavin: you got it in one. Thank you to Spyros, Jamal, and everyone they played with (1 hr 23 mins) Addendum – recorded one week later Ken and Gavin explain the addendum: a few things were either forgotten or lost in the original recording, so they've caught up a week later to cover them (1 hr 25 mins 45 secs) The Cane Toad The Cane Toad tournament will not run in 2026 – Gavin has made the decision to rest it for the year and bring it back bigger and better in 2027 (1 hr 26 mins 30 secs) Reasons: Gavin no longer lives in Brisbane where the tournament has historically been based, and several attempts to get a local game going have been completely unsuccessful. He feels it would be unfair to interstate players to travel to Queensland only to play mostly other interstate players rather than a meaningful proportion of locals (1 hr 27 mins 30 secs) He also flags cost-of-living pressures and fuel costs as factors, noting that the fuel excise which had been removed is about to be reinstated (1 hr 28 mins 45 secs) Ken and Gavin have a brief riff on whether cane toads actually hibernate, and whether the tournament might one day move to a different Queensland location (1 hr 28 mins 45 secs) Gavin shares a long-held dream of running the Cane Toad on the beach under a sun-safe setup. Council regulations require public liability insurance – but the Asia Pacific Diplomacy Association is in the process of organising exactly that for tournament directors, which may open the door in future (1 hr 29 mins 15 secs) Tournament news The Sydney Cup is on the weekend of 4–5 July. Gavin would love to go but has used up his diplomacy credits between Greece and starting a new job – it'll have to stay in the bank for now (1 hr 30 mins 45 secs) A New Zealand tournament is being discussed for the week before WDC 2028 Melbourne (late February 2028). Three New Zealand players who attended WDC 2026 in Athens have flagged interest in hosting something, on the logic that if you're travelling all the way from Europe or the US, a short hop across the Tasman to New Zealand is well worth building into the itinerary (1 hr 32 mins) Ken enthusiastically endorses the idea and encourages anyone planning for WDC 2028 Melbourne to factor in a week in New Zealand beforehand (1 hr 33 mins 30 secs) Challenge for next episode Over his birthday lunch, Gavin's son surprised him with an accurate recall of his WDC result. This leads Gavin to issue a challenge for the next episode: both Ken and Gavin will do some homework and come back with three or four online diplomacy resources that people may not know about, to raise awareness of what the community has put together over the years (1 hr 34 mins 45 secs) Around the grounds VDiplomacy gets an introduction for any listeners who aren't familiar: a sibling platform to WebDiplomacy, it hosts classic games but is particularly known for its range of variants (1 hr 36 mins 30 secs) The Dionysus Reimagined game recap – the ancient Greece variant Ken and Gavin set up in the lead-up to WDC Athens. Ken soloed, eliminating Gavin in the final year. Gavin notes that technically his last dot was taken so late that his result registers as a survive rather than an elimination (1 hr 38 mins 45 secs) Gavin played Athens and found himself defending on all fronts from early on: Sparta (who built only armies and had nowhere to go but north), the Macedonians pressing from the north, Byzantium late in the game, and Rhodes. Ken played Byzantium and credits his early token luck as a key advantage, picking up all his bid supply centres including one he expected to bounce – giving him fleet dominance in the Aegean from the start (1 hr 40 mins) The bid mechanics are recapped for any listeners unfamiliar with the variant: each player has 4 tokens to bid on non-core supply centres; outbid or bounce and you don't get the build. Ken's fortunate opening bids gave him a decisive early position (1 hr 40 mins 30 secs) A practical tip for vDiplomacy players: always open the large map after adjudication. The small map can omit orders that didn't go through, making moves look different from what was actually played. Ken noted several instances in the Dionysus game where support orders that failed simply weren't visible on the small map (1 hr 45 mins 45 secs) Ken congratulates himself on the win and notes the ratings gap between the two has now closed to around 100 points (1 hr 47 mins 30 secs) New game announced: Gavin has set up a Pirates game titled Ahoy Mateys on vDiplomacy. Gunboat, 2-day 2-hour phase length. Ken explains the extra 2 hours: it gradually shifts the adjudication time back toward Australian time zones in games where everyone readies up early (1 hr 48 mins) Pirates variant overview: a 13-player variant set in the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean, created by Gavin in collaboration with Ollie (the vDiplomacy site administrator). The 13 players are broken into three factions (1 hr 51 mins 45 secs): Europeans – Spain, England, France, and Holland, who nominally control supply centres across the map but must capture them to make them count Pirates – five pirates, four historical (Montbas, Brasiliano, de la Cueva, and Johnson) and one fictitious: El Guapo, borrowed from the movie The Three Amigos Privateers – one per European power, operating as private navies with letters patent. They can attack anyone except their sponsoring power (and vice versa). The Dunkirkers serve Spain, Henry Morgan serves England, François Le Jones serves France, and the Rocherson serves Holland Unit rules: all units are fleets, but there are two types – Clippers (move up to two spaces, standard attack strength) and Frigates (move one space, attack at 1.5x strength). A single clipper cannot defend against an attacking frigate, but a clipper supported by another clipper can. Five marked spots on the board allow transformation between unit types (1 hr 57 mins 45 secs) Special rules: a voodoo witch's hut in Cuba allows a fleet on the north coast to teleport to the south coast and vice versa. And a 14th non-playing character – a Hurricane – spins up each storm season in a random sea territory, moves randomly in the fall turn, and destroys anything in its path with an effectively unstoppable attack strength, also resetting any supply centre it passes through to neutral (1 hr 59 mins) Ken commits to reading the full rules before play begins, notes Pirates has a genuine following on vDiplomacy with games regularly in progress, and suspects he may get slaughtered (2 hr 1 min 15 secs) Gavin and Ken wrap up the show (2 hr 2 mins 15 secs) Venue: At home Drinks for the interview: Ken: One of his home brews – a lager with a bit of a kick Gavin: A Baliamo Nero d'Avola from Sicily – opened two weeks prior, which he noted had become a little sour and bitter compared to its fresh opening, much like his first round at the tournament Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment… or get the guys more drunk, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.

After five months (maybe more?) between episodes, Gavin and Ken are back – and with WDC 2026 Athens about to happen, what better time to get the tournament organiser, Spyros Dovas, on the show to talk about everything you can expect from rocking up to Greece this year. Intro Gavin and Ken kick off the show with cheers and reintroduce the podcast after a hiatus of over five months (0 mins 10 secs) Gavin explains the gap – his move away from Brisbane has made catching up with Ken less frequent, and a previously recorded episode went out of date before it could be released (1 min 30 secs) Gavin flags he's still searching for employment and shares his brief, unsuccessful foray into applying at Dan Murphy's – though he remains a loyal patron (3 mins) Ken notes that Gavin is heading to a certain upcoming tournament, and Gavin confirms he'll be attending WDC 2026 in Athens – flying via Singapore and living something closer to backpacker than five-star (4 mins 30 secs) Gavin talks about his travel plans, including the Athens itinerary, flying before the Middle East situation affected routes, and his fondness for Singapore's airport (6 mins) Gavin reflects that while he's been to Greece before, it's been about twenty years – and this time he'll be doing things differently (8 mins) Interview with Spyros Dovas – WDC 2026 Organiser Gavin introduces Spyros as the tournament organiser for WDC 2026 (as distinct from Tournament Director Jamal Blakkarly) and hands over to him (9 mins 30 secs) Spyros explains how the venue came to be chosen – rather than a downtown Athens hotel, his wife suggested the beachside suburb of Saronida, about half an hour from central Athens, which he knows well (10 mins 30 secs) Spyros describes the venue logistics: as registrations grew, he booked an auxiliary venue nearby so there's now capacity for even a very large crowd (13 mins) Gavin asks Spyros to make the pitch: why should people come to WDC 2026 in Greece? Spyros covers the competitive angle (previous world champions, strong contingents from the US, Australia, and across Europe), the community experience, the setting, the weather, and the pricing advantages of being just before peak tourist season (14 mins 30 secs) They discuss the FOMO build-up section on the official WDC website (17 mins 30 secs) Spyros outlines the pre-tournament activities organised for Wednesday and Thursday (18 mins 30 secs): Wednesday – a day trip to the island of Hydra, departing from Saronida to Piraeus and taking the fast boat across (approx. 1.5 hrs) Thursday – a guided tour of the Acropolis with what Spyros describes as the best guides operating there, followed by a walk through Plaka and the historic centre, lunch by the sea, and an evening trip to watch the sunset from the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon Gavin enthuses about the Hydra day trip and reflects on the island's significance to Greek identity, noting it's less well-known internationally than Santorini or Mykonos but stunning (23 mins) Gavin shares that he's already visited the Acropolis and Parthenon once before, about twenty years ago with his family, but is genuinely excited to experience it again with expert local guides (25 mins) They discuss accommodation in Saronida – Spyros notes a good range from five-star hotels to Airbnbs at reasonable prices for this time of year, though availability is diminishing and people should book soon. He offers to assist anyone having difficulty (27 mins) Gavin mentions the Athens neighbourhood guide Spyros has put together – a Google Map indicating where to stay, where to avoid, and the character of different areas – inspired by advice Spyros gave his own son who is now studying at Bocconi University in Milan (29 mins) Gavin asks whether anyone stands out as a favourite to win. Spyros diplomatically declines to name names, noting at least a dozen players who wouldn't surprise him as champion – which he says makes the tournament all the more exciting to watch (32 mins 30 secs) They discuss the tournament format: four rounds in total, with a Friday afternoon opening round (around 5pm, to accommodate European day-of-travel arrivals), two rounds on Saturday, and Sunday morning featuring a top board alongside competitive play for all remaining players (35 mins) Gavin asks about the name of Spyros's Athens Diplomacy club – "The Gift Bearers" – and its tagline "Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts," which Spyros explains is a reference to Virgil's line about the Trojan War, chosen for its local resonance and edge. He also confirms there will be a welcome gift bag for all players at check-in (37 mins 30 secs) Gavin admits to attempting to read the Iliad in preparation and finding the going tough; Spyros explains that even modern Greeks find Homeric Greek fairly obscure, and discusses the remarkable linguistic density of ancient Greek compared to contemporary languages (40 mins) Spyros previews content he still plans to publish on the WDC website: a food guide covering local dishes people shouldn't miss and how to approach them, plus recommendations for experiencing authentic Greek nightlife and an Orthodox church service on Sunday morning (43 mins) They wrap up the interview with Spyros reassuring any hesitant attendees that Greece is safe, welcoming, English-friendly, and set up for international visitors (48 mins) Ken wraps up by expressing his jealousy and thanking Spyros (50 mins) Spyros signs off, noting the first round is exactly two months away from the recording date. If you want to attend WDC 2026 in Athens and haven't signed up yet, or want more info, go to https://athensdiplomacy.club/wdc2026/ (50 mins 30 secs) Post-interview chat Gavin and Ken return and reflect on the interview – particular enthusiasm for the Acropolis guided tour and the Hydra day trip (51 mins 30 secs) Gavin reveals a bonus travel tip: on arrival in Athens before the tournament, he'll be visiting the island that Spyros's family originally came from – a recommendation straight from Spyros himself with full insider knowledge of where to go (53 mins) Ken shares a reflection on visiting Venice as a teenager and then studying the Italian Renaissance in Year 12, noting how historical knowledge transforms the experience of being in a place – relevant for anyone heading to Athens (55 mins 30 secs) They confirm the tournament details: four rounds, Friday to Sunday (22–24 May), with a top board on Sunday. Gavin checks in on the 21st (57 mins) Around the grounds Ken mentions he's been quietly plugging away at a couple of online gunboat games, with mixed fortunes (58 mins 30 secs) Ken floats the idea of setting up a game of the vDiplomacy Greek Diplomacy variant – winner of the World Variant Design Contest in 2010 – to coincide with WDC Athens. Gavin enthusiastically signs up - This game has since begun and you can view it at  (59 mins 30 secs) Gavin gives an update on his Europa Renovatio game (a 36-player variant set in pre-fall-of-Constantinople Europe) – he was positioned for a potential solo before getting dogpiled, and is now manoeuvring to encourage a draw - This has since finished in a draw with Gavin now able to reveal he was playing as the Teutonic Order (1 hr 1 min) Ken provides an overview of Europa Renovatio for listeners who haven't played it, and the two discuss a potential improvement: adding sea lanes across the Sahara to fix the unrealistic around-Africa single-move connection (1 hr 5 mins) Gavin asks whether Ken will bring a recorder to WDC – answer: depends on whether everything fits under the 7kg carry-on limit (1 hr 9 mins) Gavin shares his excitement after scanning the WDC 2026 player list – strong contingents from Australia, France, Greece, the UK, and the US, plus many familiar names from the online scene. Tempers expectations about his own chances of making the top board (1 hr 10 mins 30 secs) The guys wrap up the show (1 hr 12 mins) Venue: At home Drinks for the interview: Oops – we forgot to mention what our drinks were and we don't remember, although Ken definitely had one of his homebrews.  Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment… or get the guys more drunk, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.

We chat with Alex Duffy who as Head of AI Training at Every Consulting run an amazing project where different AI models competed against each other in Diplomacy. Plus we discuss the upcoming Australian Open tournament. Intro The guys introduce the show and Gavin flags he'll be moving further away from Ken, so the show will become more online than face-to-face  (0 mins 15 secs) Interview with Alex Duffy They introduce the interview with Alex from Every Consulting and GoodStartLabs about different AI models playing against each other in Diplomacy (4 mins) The interview kicks off with Alex discussing the research project he ran at Every Consulting where various AI Large Language Models (LLMs) competed against each other in Diplomacy (6 mins 45 secs) Gavin asks Alex how he got into Diplomacy originally (9 mins 50 secs) They discuss the thinking behind the project. During his answer he mentions the Twitch stream of the AI models playing against each other - you can view this on their AI Diplomacy Twitch channel (11 mins 15 secs) They look at how data should be structured and presented to the LLMs (15 mins 45 secs) Alex talks about the different style of play adopted by each LLM - you can read their summary on the Every Consulting AI page (18 mins 45 secs) Gavin asks about how different models approached strategy nnd iterative training of the models so they learn from how they perform in games (24 mins) Gavin reflects on how he sometimes plays in cycles of play (32 mins) They discuss why the game Diplomacy keeps being used researched in the AI space (34 mins) Alex introduces his lates project: The Battle of Bots. You can find out more and register your interest on their Battle of the Bots web page (40 mins 30 secs) They reflect on the newer generations of players bringing their enhanced technology experience to the game (45 mins) Alex asks Gavin and Ken what they've learned from playing Diplomacy to apply to real life (48 mins 30 secs) Gavin asks Alex whether he plans to get more into playing Diplomacy face to face (53 mins 45 secs) Alex discusses other games he's interested in getting into more (57 mins) Just a reminder, you can find out more and register your interest on their Battle of the Bots web page (1 hr 0 mins) Ken suggests some games he feels would be appropriate to research. Alex provides his email address to hear listener's suggestions on other games ot look into (1 hr 2 mins) They begin wrapping up the interiew (1 hr 5 mins 30 secs) The guys reflect on the chat (1 hr 7 mins) Diplomacy Chat Gavin is off to compete in the Australian Open, being hosted the weekend of 21 to 23 November. Plus they talk about the Bismark Cup  (1 hr 23 mins) After some tangental talk, they return full circle to the Australian Open. Gavin mentions doing some recordings when not playing, however, with his house move he can't find the recorder which is packed somewhere (1 hr 33 mins) They discuss getting and staying in the right zone, and reflect on Mitchell and Webb's the Inebriati sketch (1 hr 37 mins 30 secs) Gavin incorrectly cites Mitchell and Webb again, but it is actually Stephen Fry and Hugh Lawrie's Treaty of Westphalia sketch (1 hr 39 mins 30 secs) The guys start wrapping up the show (1 hr 40 mins) Venue: At home Drinks for the interview: Gavin: Proximo tempranillo from Rioja, Spain Ken: Poet's Country Crisp lager from Yenda, NSW Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment... or buy the guys a drink, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.

We catch up with Adam Silverman and explore what to think about if you're running a tournament for the 1st time or the 21st time. Plus an overview of how the 2025 Asia Pacific Diplomacy Championship went at the Cane Toad Classic. Intro and Diplomacy chat The guys introduce the venue and their drinks (0 mins 15 secs) Gavin gives a quick update on how the Cane Toad Classic went and introduce the topic of  what do you're thinking about if you want to host a tournament (4 mins) Interview with Adam Silverman on how to run a tournament They start the interview with Adam, host of World DipCon 2025 and begin discussing how his games have been going so far this year  (5 mins 45 secs) Gavin asks Adam about what the difference is like between running a small or regular size tournament - like a standard Whipping tournament - and something as big as World DipCon (8 mins 50 secs) Adam discusses the importance of having people helping tournament organisation and what to be mindful of (11 mins 15 secs) The key things to aim for in tournament attendence (15 mins 30 secs) They discuss space and what to look for in a venue (20 mins 45 secs) Gavin and Adam talk about social activities and how to manage and plan for that (25 mins 30 secs) They talk about covering tournament costs (32 mins 30 secs) Adam discusses responsibilities for those assisting him with the tournament (37 mins) He shares what he's changed over the years based on player feedback (43 mins 15 secs) They discuss the NADF Code of Conduct (46 mins) Ken suggests the idea of a tournament finance officer (47 mins 45 secs) Gavin asks if Adam's taken anything away from our tournaments he's attended and brought to his own (50 mins 40 secs) The interview starts wrapping up before Ken and Gavin give their thoughts on key takeaways for them (52 mins) Cane Toad Classic wrap up: how to improve a tournament Gavin and Ken discuss player feedback from the tournament to help with future Cane Toads, plus the guys' own learnings (1 hr 0 mins 15 secs) Gavin starts sharing his ideas for next year's Cane Toad Classic, including the prospect of it moving to the Gold Coast in 2026  (1 hr 9 mins 30 secs) The guys get another round of drinks - and we get an update on how their next drinks taste as a Diplomacy mid-game before discussing further options to consider for next year and a possible future year venue (1 hr 12 mins 30 secs) Diplomacy chat Gavin has played for the first time in 5 years a virtual game using Backstabbr and Discord in a round of Snake Pit (1 hr 30 mins 30 secs) He discusses how it all went and what his experience was like - Gavin played as Austria and developed a great AIR with Sigurd (Italy) and Rob Hillier (Russia). You can view the game on Backstabbr, including an Austrian army in Liverpool (1 hr 33 mins) Ken mentions the latest DBN Deadline news discussing a new AI Diplomacy model, and we give a big thanks to DBN for covering in Gameday Live the Cane Toad Classic (1 hr 41 mins 30 secs) They talk about upcoming Australian tournaments before wrapping up the show (1 hr 46 mins 15 secs) Venue: Lang's Lounge, Brisbane Drinks for the interview: Gavin: Sally IPA by Your Mates Brewery, Queensland and a cheap and cheerful red Ken: Stone & Wood Hazey IPA, New South Wales followed by a Sally IPA Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment... or buy the guys a drink, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.

We catch up again with Noam Brown about his World Diplomacy Championship win this year in San Francisco and get an update from him. Plus the guys talk more about the Cane Toad Classic being held at the end of August. Intro and Diplomacy chat The guys introduce the venue and their drinks in this Athens inspired venue (0 mins 15 secs) Gavin outlines his plans for travelling on the cheap to Greece for WDC 2026 (3 mins) Interview with Noam Brown They set up the interview with Noam Brown  (6 mins 45 secs) Noam discusses how the WDC this year required a lot of attention and was pretty exhausted (8 mins) He talks about the four WDC's he's been to and what he's learned over the years (11 mins) They talk a little about Cicero and what Noam learnt from his involvment in the project and how he'd approach the issue of a broader reputation and AI  - if you don't want to listen to the technical stuff, fast forward to about 30 mins 20 secs (17 mins 15 secs) Noam discusses how much AI has improved since Cicero launched (23 mins 45 secs) Gavin asks how Noam would approach Cicero differently if he had his chance today and how general purpose models impact that (25 mins 45 secs) Gavin asks how did non-Diplomacy people respond to him winning the World Championship, the scoring structure for the tournament and his games (30 mins 20 secs) Noam is given some hypotheticals if he was on the top board for WDC 2026 in Greece (42 mins 15 secs) They discuss why no-one has ever won back to back WDC's (46 mins) Ken asks about Noam's "meta" approach to building up his skills and gameplay (47 mins 30 secs) Gavin asks how Noam feels about the change from working at Meta to OpenAI and where AI is at now and into the future (52 mins 30 secs) Noam discusses the advice he's given to non-Diplomacy people about what they can get out of the game (1 hr 0 mins 30 secs) The interview wraps up and the guys discuss their thoughts from the interview (1 hr 2 mins 45 secs) Diplomacy chat Ken asks Gavin about what how WDC in Athens is going to be run  (1 hr 6 mins) Gavin discusses his time at the Sydney Cup (1 hr 8 mins) Want to attend the Cane Toad Classic (30 and 31 August)? >> Register using our form << (1 hr 19 mins 45 secs)  Ken discusses why he thinks he tends to play well as Russia (1 hr 24 mins) They grab another beer and reflect on how it is as a mid-game (1 hr 29 mins) Gavin invites our listeners to >> complete a survey about the podcast << (1 hr 33 mins) Around the grounds Ken discusses a Europa Renovatio game he's in (1 hr 34 mins) Gavin talks about his two games. They discuss the way sea lanes are used in the WWIV sea lane variant. Ken discusses how you could remove stalemate lines having overseer zones on a Classic map (1 hr 39 mins) Ken talks about the Diplomacy Variant Club at Discord (1 hr 48 mins 30 secs)  The guys start wrapping up the show (1 hr 52 mins) Venue: Kafenio, Brisbane Drinks for the interview: Gavin: Mythos lager from Greece Ken: Mythos lager from Greece Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment... or buy the guys a drink, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.

We interview English - now Australian player - Robert Hillier about his Diplomacy experiences and more. We also have some great Diplomacy chat about how the game compares to other board games and Gavin points out similarities between Diplomacy and the TV show "The Traitors"

We're joined by relatively new but very experienced player Zoe Cameron as she shares great advice for new and existing players alike. Intro and Diplomacy chat The guys introduce the venue and their drinks (0 mins 10 secs) They set up this episode's interview with Zoe Cameron (3 mins 30 secs) Interview with Zoe Cameron The interview with Zoe kicks off who has only been playing since early 2024 but has got massively into the game and some of her thoughts on the game (5 mins 5 secs) They get into a discussion around the Venn diagram between strategic play, tactical play and relationship play (10 mins) Lizard brain contemplations (15 mins) They talk about their drinks for the interview and DBN After Dark (18 mins 20 mins) Zoe has some great advice for new players (22 mins 45 secs) They discuss the connections created from the game and the "free jazz of social dynamics" (25 mins 30 secs) She discusses the importance of vulnerability whether you're a new or experienced player (31 mins 20 secs) Zoe and Ken share a story - you can also hear Ken's original discussion on our previous episode (37 mins 30 secs) Zoe says she's coming to the Cane Toad Classic, with Ken showing her the Toadiest Toad trophy (40 mins 45 secs) She talks about different  geographic playing styles (43 mins 30 secs) After Ken asks about Zoe's best game she discusses getting the best sense of flow in a game (51 mins 30 secs) She talks about an upcoming Melbourne tournament she's organising for 17-19 October 2025 (59 mins) Zoe gives a shout out to tournament organisers before they start wrapping up the interview (1 hr 5  mins) The guys chat about the interview (1 hr 7 mins) Gavin acknowledges he probably needs to try giving Discord a go again (1 hr 11 mins) Cane Toad Classic - it's happening! They talk about the tournament the weekend of 30-31 August at Meeple and Mug in Brisbane's West End, the social and formal structure for games (1 hr 13 mins) Ken talks about the trophies, including the infamous Toadiest Toad award (1 hr 18 mins) They talk about the upcoming Sydney Cup on 21-22 June (1 hr 21 mins) The guys wrap up the show (1 hr 23 mins) Venue: The Prince Consort, Brisbane Drinks for the interview: Gavin: Pepperjack Malbec Ken: Young Henry's Newtowner Pale Ale Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment... or buy the guys a drink, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.

After three episodes recorded online, the guys at last get the tech working offsite at the bar again. They discuss WDC 2025, their upcoming tournament plans and their latest online games. Intro and Diplomacy chat The guys introduce the venue and their drinks (0 mins 10 secs) They talk about the 2025 World Diplomacy Championship and congratulate Noam Brown (who we interviewed about Cicero) (2 mins) We talk about the upcoming WDC's planned for 2026 (Athens) and 2027 (Chicago) and whether there will be another Asia-Pacific WDC in 2028 (7 mins) They get back to how their beers would be as Diplomacy openings (9 mins 30 secs) A little admin update on the podcast (15 mins) They talk about the challenge of getting 7 players for a local game (16 mins 30 secs) Gavin discusses trying to *maybe* get a family game of Diplomacy happening in Christmas-New Years (19 mins) Gavin gives an update on the Cane Toad Classic for 2025 - that said, since recording we have finalised details. The tournment will be run Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 August, with social activities starting Friday night. Check out the details at the Cane Toad Classic web page  (21 mins) Ken talks about visiting webDiplomacy and saw they had a new forum. They talk about vDiplomacy being spam-bombed with Ken dropping the ball on his Mod responsibilities (32 mins) Around the grounds Gavin is in just one game, with Ken joining some new games (36 mins) Gavin goes on to talk about the Magic Hour at vDip and how he's smashing Ken in the Best vDip player rankings (38 mins) He discussed drawing in a 6 way Imperial game as Holland (42 mins) Ken is playing another Zeus game (43 mins) The guys then wrap up the show (46 mins) Venue: Caxton Street Brewing Company, Brisbane Drinks for the interview: Gavin: Caxton Street Brewing IPA Ken: Caxton Street Brewing IPA Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment... or buy the guys a drink, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.

The guys discuss one of them winning their first Diplomacy tournament and their latest games. Intro and Diplomacy chat The guys start rolling the show early before introducing the episode (after Ken encourages keeping in some pre-show discussion) (0 mins 10 secs) They talk about their drinks (4 mins) The Bangkok New Year's Tournament 2025 Ken won his first tournament! And also scored two best country trophies (6 mins 45 secs) He talks about his game that got him best Russia (12 mins) Ken discusses his final game playing as France (14 mins 30 secs) Ken talks about Kratom (17 mins 30 secs) Gavin talks about catching up with Stuart Barton and Max Roe Banks around his DBNI game (20 mins 10 secs) Gavin mentions he's going to the Melbourne Open {Post recording update - this didn't happen due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred closing Brisbane Airport and cancelling all flights}  (21 mins) He also talks about planning for the Cane Toad Classic in August this year (21 mins 30 secs) Ken asks Gavin around his favourite country preferences (26 mins) Around the grounds Gavin discusses a Colonial 1885 game he's in as France before they move onto the challenges of variants where sea territories get stalemated (27 mins 35 secs) Ken talks about taking advantage of a player's repeated orders (35 mins) They move onto a Europa Renovatio game where there's now only four players left (38 mins 20 secs) Ken discusses the Zeus variant he's playing (45 mins) The tech starts giving out with Gavin not hearing Ken (48 mins) Part 2 The guys are back about a week and a half later. We both went through a cyclone which cancelled Gavin's plans to get to the Melbourne Open - airport closed and flights all cancelled (50 mins) Ken provides an update on game he was hoping to solo in (52 mins 30 secs) Gavin points out in vDip a winner take all game results in vDip rankings all going backward except for being buying in (no change) with the winner getting all vDip points (58 mins) Because of the recording delay, Gavin runs through the Top 3 placed winners at the Melbourne Open - big congrats to Tianyu Sun! (1 hr 1 min) Gavin gives his next interstate tournament plans (1 hr 2 min 15 secs) They start wrapping up the show and flag they're about to record a Patreon episode Venue: At home, Brisbane Drinks for the interview: Gavin: D'Arenberg The Stump Jump Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre from the Barossa, South Australia Ken: Kaner's dark ale home brew Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment... or buy the guys a drink, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.

Following on from last episode we discuss with Peter McNamara and Bradley Grace the fastest Diplomacy solo possible, all the math and all the reality of how to make it possible! Intro The guys introduce the episode and explain the latest comedy of errors plagueing the show. This includes recording at home again (another dumb reason why) and why Gavin is recording on his iPhone's speaker (0 mins 15 secs) Interview with Peter McNamara and Bradley Grace on soloing fast We begin setting the scenes for this episode's discussion with Peter McNamara and Bradley Grace about how to theoretically solo the board as quickly as possible and how to best practically achieve this (2 mins 25 secs) They discuss their drinks in the interview and the reason for the discussion (3 mins 30 secs) Peter talks about the theory behind how to solo as quickly as possible on the board in 1903 (7 mins 30 secs) Theoretically most players can get to 21 SCs in 1903 (9 mins 30 secs) Brad talks about the theory of reaching 21 SC in 1903 as England (11 mins 15 secs) Peter talks about a Backstabbr sandbox with Italy in 1903 with 21 SC (12 mins 30 secs) They discuss the mathematical equation to solo in 1903. Peter doesn't have it at hand, so Gavin finds it on ChatGPT with lots of other useful elements for this strategy (14 mins 30 secs) They all move onto the practical dynamics of being able to solo as quickly as possible, with Brad discussing soloing in 1904 (22 mins) Peter gives his perspective on why he could never solo that fast (26 mins) Ken asks about being able to make 18 with your own units, without other countries convoying (30 mins 45 secs) They talk about the practical aspects for how to convince players to allow you to solo so fast (37 mins 40 secs) Peter blows away the myth of The Return of the Mack (42 mins) Peter manages to find the sand box for the game at the 2020 Poppycon (45 mins) Ken and Gavin pay tribute to both Peter and Bradley as players and ask about their upcoming tournaments - apologies if they talk about tournaments that happened. Remember, things are pretty busy for the guys now so sometimes the podcast episodes come out much later then when they were recorded (50 mins 30 secs) The interview wraps up (55 mins) The guys give their perspectives on the interview and an update on the math sent post-interview by Peter - apologies for the bad audio from the breeze. They ask if anyone is aware of a solo by 1903 (56 mins) Ken talks about heading over to the Southeast Asian New Years Tournament, with Gavin asking if he's going to try a fastest solo ever effort (1 hr 2 mins) They also discuss busting (unfortunately) the Return of the Mack myth (1 hr 5 mins) Around the grounds Gavin discusses buying into a game he didn't remember buying in to (1 hr 6 mins 30 sec) The theory about dogs and their owners and picking up a great position that with some fast talk is doing very well (1 hr 8 mins) Ken discusses his Imperial game (1 hr 10 mins 45 secs) Despite talking about the vDip for podcast listeners, the game is no longer available - sorry folks with all the busy real life stuff tihs episode was recorded about a month before it came out (1 hr 15 mins 45 secs) They touch on the last time they were in Thailand when they came up the idea of Big Stick Diplomacy. They talk about whether to add to the variant the ability to move from one theatre to another, but allowing for a delay getting there eg using David E Cohen's ocean stacking or similar for naval travel (1 hr 19 mins) The guys start wrapping up the show (1 hr 25 mins) Venue: At home, Brisbane Drinks for the interview: Gavin:- Hempranillo Australian shiraz-tempranillo Ken: Kaner's dark ale home brew Bradley: Coors beer Peter: Penfolds shiraz Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment... or buy the guys a drink, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.