============================================== RULES FOR PLAY BY ELECTRONIC MAIL FOR THIRD REICH ============================================== Each player has his own board and set of markers. The game is played through the exchange of electronic files detailing moves. At certain points in the turn cycle, opponents meet online in the AOL Conference Hall to conduct activities requiring extensive die rolling and interaction with the opponent. In addition, a referee is required to hold certain information in confidence until it is revealed by one side or the other. ================= I. MARKING BOARDS ================= Given the extreme importance of hex identity in PBEM, each player is expected to either mark every hex with its coordinate designation or to mark guide rows and columns with their designation. Over the course of a full PBEM game, which may last 6 months or more, this can save up to 1/4 of the total time spent on the game. It will also improve the accuracy of final postings. As Section VI indicates, there is a signficant penalty for inaccurate postings. ======================= II. DEFINITION OF A POSTING ======================= A posting is a message stating specific activity, as listed in Section I. It is not any other message mailed by a player exclusively containing game commentary, "color" messages, rules interpretations, or similar content. Players developing color commentary are expected to package them seperately and to post them to the AOL 3R message board as well as sending them to the other players in the group. ================== III. POSTING FORMATS ================== 1. All postings will be done using the AOL mail format. No other word processors will be allowed for postings. A player may choose to develop a color commentary or other illustration using any software desired, but only the AOL mail format will be allowed for game postings. 2. Actions should be posted in the official Sequence of Play order shown on the back of the official rule book. 3. Counters should be grouped by nationality within the Sequence of Play order. 4. Order of unit listings should be by the following sequence of unit types: (1) Air (2) Airborne (2) Armor (3) Infantry (4) Naval 5. Unit format should procede in numerical order within unit type. 6. Abbreviations for unit types should be: Air Airborne Arm Inf Nav 7. The format of an individual line should be Unit ID: Hex Number, as in: "1st Arm: AA23" or "5 Air: Y21: or "9 Nav: AA24" 8. Alternatively, a city name may be substitituted for a hex identification. ==================================== IV. SEQUENCE OF POSTINGS AND MEETINGS ==================================== 0. INITIAL PLACEMENTS Each player posts his initial placements in the proper sequence. 1. YEAR START SEQUENCE a. All players post SW spending. All players can determine the impact of SW upon BRPs once all SW spending from the previous year has been revealed. b. All players elect SW spending, and post this information to the refereree. c. Once the referree has received all SW spendings, he posts a message indicating this. d. All players then post BRPs remaining for the turn and their turn spending limits. 2. ALLIED VARIANTS 9&10, RUSSIAN WINTER ROLL a. If either Allied Variant is to be played, the Allied player must attempt to post this as soon as possible in the turn, before the Axis postings begin, if possible. If Axis posting has begun, the Axis has the right to invalidate any postings and resubmit them. b. If a Russian Winter Roll is required, it will be known by all players in advance. Opponents meet in the Conference Hall to observe the roll. 3. DECLARATIONS OF WAR The moving alliance posts DoWs. 4. MINOR INITIAL PLACEMENTS The opposing alliance posts initial placement of minor forces. 5. OPTION SELECTIONS The moving alliance posts option selections for all fronts. 6. UNDEFEATED MINOR MOVEMENT AND COMBAT a. The opposing alliance posts all movement and indicates attacks. b. Opponents meet in the Conference Hall to observe the rolls. The opposing alliance indicates all advance after combat. The moving alliance selects attrition losses. The opposing alliance indicates attrition hex selections and occupies. The moving alliance indicates retreats. 7. BASE CHANGES a. Moving alliance indicates base changes. b. Opposing alliance indicates interception of base change. c. Moving alliance indicates exact course(s) and whether or not counter- interception will occur. d. Opponents meet in the Conference Hall. (1) Opposing player indicates interception force and hex. (2) All further courses and counter-interceptions are indicated as necessary. (3) Die rolls are observed. (4) If successful, dice are rolled for combat. 8. MOVEMENT a. Moving alliance posts: (1) all movement of ground units (2) staging of air units (3) designation of supply fleets (4) units eliminated due to attrition overstacking (5) ground support missions (6) counterair missions (7) sea transport missions (8) seaborne invasions (9) a complete listing of the hex location of EVERY air and naval unit b. Opponents meet in the Conference Hall to resolve counter-air attacks if any counter-air attack has fewer attacking factors than uninverted defending factors. 9. INTERCEPTION AND DAS a. Opposing alliance posts: (1) defensive air support missions (2) naval interceptions b. Moving alliance posts (1) exact naval course(s) (2) whether or not counter-interception will occur (3) interception of DAS d. Opponents meet in the Conference Hall. (1) All DAS interception is resolved first. (2) Opposing player indicates naval interception force and hex. (3) All further courses and counter-interceptions are indicated as necessary. (4) Die rolls are observed. If successful, dice are rolled for combat. 10. COMBAT a. Moving player posts resolution of sea transport missions and airdrops. At his discretion, he may also post expected attacks. b. Opponents meet in the Conference Hall. (1) Moving player indicates an attack and a die roll is observed. (2) Each alliance indicates losses taken resulting from exchanges. (3) Process continues until all attacks are completed. (4) Any air attacks on naval units in ports are then conducted. 11. EXPLOITATION a. Moving alliance posts: (1) placements of bridgeheads (2) all advances after combat (3) advancements into breakthrough hexes (4) exploitation movement (5) ground support missions for exploitation attacks b. Opposing alliance posts defensive air support missions. c. Opponents meet in the Conference Hall. (1) All DAS interception is resolved first. (2) Moving player indicates an attack and a die roll is observed. (3) Each alliance indicates losses taken resulting from exchanges. (4) Process continues until all attacks are completed. d. Moving player posts advances after combat. 12. ATTRITION COMBAT Attrition rolls may be conducted in the Conference Hall during any of the sessions related to steps 9 thru 11. If no such sessions were necessary, a session in the Conference Hall specifically for Attrition is conducted. 13. END TURN Moving alliance posts: (1) all new unit construction (2) all strategic redeployment (3) elimination of units due to overstacking on breakthrough hexes (4) removal of unsupplied units 14. COUNTER PLACEMENT VERIFICATION a. The moving alliance posts a complete listing of all friendly units on the board and their locations. This listing is taken as the official location of all friendly units at the start of the next turn. b. Opposing alliance examines the posted listing and verifies all hostile counter placements. If any discrepancies are discovered between the moving alliance's final posting and the mapboard of the opposing alliance, a challenge must be posted immediately. c. The moving alliance posts proof of the legitimacy of its placements or accepts the challenge and posts a legal final counter placement. d. If agreement cannot be reached on where counters are placed, then game is considered to be over and to be a draw. ================================== V. COLLAPSING POSTINGS AND MEETINGS ================================== The preceding list of postings and meetings is exhaustive. However, it is often possible to collapse a moving alliance's turn to one posting for option selections and movement, an online meeting for all naval interceptions, combat resolution, and exploitation, and a second posting for unit construction and strategic redeployment. 1. If the opposing alliance has no possibility of posting activity between two steps, they should be collapsed into a single posting by the moving alliance. 2. In addition, the moving alliance may elect to collapse several steps and permit the opposing alliance to post its activity subsequent to the mover's posting. In this situation, the moving alliance MAY NOT change its postings based upon its opponent's posting. 3. All die rolls conducted in the Conference Hall are final. Each specific attack, defined as specified units in specific hexes attacking other specified units in other hexes, is considered final. 4. Any other statements made during a Conference Hall session, within the constraints of 3. above may be modified during an appropriate subsequent posting. Specifically, any advance after combat may be altered, and if exploit movement and combat are collapsed into the same Conference Hall session as normal combat, the particular path taken by an exploiting unit may be modified in an exploit movement posting. Alternatively, exploitation combat undertaken in this session may not be modified. ===================== VI. FINALITY OF POSTINGS ===================== Players are expected to use considerable care planning their postings in advance. 1. All postings are considered final. Once posted, no corrections may be made. 2. Step 14.a must be conducted very carefully. The purpose of this step is to ensure that the mapboard of the moving alliance shows exactly the same counter placements as the mapboard of the opposing alliance. Unit placements as defined in Step 14.a are considered final and official, and override any other results. 3. If a challenge is not posted before the next posting of the alliance which could challenge, the opportunity to challenge has been lost. 4. If an illegal action has been taken and posted and is not challenged in step 14.b or previous to that during the moving alliance's turn, the action becomes legal, regardless of how blatant the violation might be. It is the responsibility of the opposing alliance to recognize illegal activity and to post the challenge, either during the moving alliance's turn or in step 14.b. 5. The opposing alliance may post a challenge at any point during the moving alliance's turn. ================================================== VII. BRIDGEHEAD PLACEMENT AND SEA SUPPLY DESIGNATION ================================================== Moving players are cautioned to always designate bridgehead placement and sea supply as appropriate. Failure to do so after a successful invasion will turn any successful invasion into disaster. No opportunity will be given to correct the failure to post these actions once the appropriate time for them has passed. ================ VIII. HONOR ROLLS ================ A player may perform an offline honor roll in place of meeting in the Conference Hall. 1. It is not necessary to conduct the roll using the AOL Online Host. Instead, a physical die may be rolled and its result posted. 2. The opponent may challenge any honor roll result and demand to observe another roll in the Conference Hall. 3. Good judgement on both sides is required for determining when an honor roll is appropriate. Large battles and important rolls should never be resolved through honor rolls unless the opponent has explicitly given his approval in advance. Minor rolls should be conducted as honor rolls. An exceptional string of good luck may be expected to draw a challenge from the opposition. However, constant challenge to only those rolls that are good may likewise be considered opportunistic and to draw nuisance challenges as well. ============= IX. TIMEFRAMES ============= A one week timeframe for a moving alliance's entire turn is the expected norm. 1. If a player expects to be unable to participate adequately in the immediate future, he is expected to inform the other players of this fact. 2. 5 days are permitted for the moving alliance between the first posting of its turn and the last posting of the other side's turn. 3. 48 hours are permitted for an opposing alliance to post its intervening activity, and for the moving alliance to post its next activity within the context of a single alliance turn. 4. If a player is unable to respond in the timeframes specified in 2. and 3., he must indicate this by sending a message to someone in the player group within those timeframes. 5. If 4. occurs, the other player in the alliance is given all rights to take action for his alliance, and must then endevour to meet the timeframes under 4. 6. If neither player in the alliance is able to meet the timeframes in 2. and 3. through 4., then play will be suspended until the alliance can post. 7. If a player fails to send a message to anyone within the player group within 1 day of missing the deadlines specified in 2. and 3. he is considered AWOL, and the other player in his alliance is given full rights to all action for that alliance. After being AWOL for 7 days, a player is considered to have left the game. If at a later point he choses to rejoin, it is up to the player in his alliance as to whether or not to permit this. ================================ X. INTERPRETATION OF OFFICIAL RULES ================================ If opponents contest the interpretation of an official rule, the dispute is to be settled by a majority vote of the players or, in the event of an even number of opponents, an "even vs. odd" random die roll in the Conference Hall. The verdict of such a vote or die roll is to apply solely for the duration of the game in play and an official rules inquiry is to be sent to Avalon Hill Games by the players to solicit and official ruling for use in future games. ================= XI. SPORTSMANSHIP ================= All players are expected to treat their fellow players politely. No personal attacks are to be permitted. If a player believes he is being attacked personally, he is to post the message(s) which he believes constitutes this attack to the entire player group. If an even or majority vote agrees that a personal attack has been made, the player making the attack is admonished. The next time the group votes in the same manner that a personal attack has occurred, the attacking player is ejected from the game. If this leaves an alliance without players, it loses the game at the maximum