FAQs

How far in advance do I need to register?

Unlike many venues, for this facility we can often accommodate new registrants as late as the day before arrival. However, we prefer to receive your registration at least ten days prior to the event to assure availability and for planning purposes.

I am just learning the game, so should I still come?

Absolutely you should. The only way to improve as a Diplomacy player is to play more games, and playing with hobbyists from all over the country and world will give you a wealth of new insights and ideas. Certainly there will be bumps and bruises along the way if you are new to the game, but there is no way to avoid that learning process.

Are there food breaks during the Diplomacy games?

At Dixiecon this is generally left up to the players on each individual board (we do not run a central clock like some events do) but the rule of thumb is that the game is unlikely to be paused for any long period of time except for the 5pm Saturday BBQ dinner when any games still going from the morning round are paused for the BBQ. Bring snacks, order food delivered to Granville during your game, or otherwise plan accordingly to eat between the rounds.

I don’t know how to play the non-Diplomacy Iron Man games.

If you are interested in learning, you won’t be in this situation very long. Dixiecon folk love to teach new games to others. Given the nature of Diplomacy in a tournament setting, eliminated players or those not playing in a particular round will be looking for something to do - other board games are an obvious, and very popular, answer. The side tournaments have been a thing at Dixiecon for as long as the overall event has existed.

How can I participate if I cannot make it this year?

Until recently, there was no good answer to this question. However, with the advent of virtual play and of the Diplomacy Broadcast Network on YouTube, there are now good options. The Speedboat tournament, which starts on Thursday evening, is open to players electronically, whether or not they are live attendees of Dixiecon. You still need to register as usual, but virtual participants will be participating in the Speedboat games using Backstabbr for the moves themselves and through the vWDC Discord server for text messages with GMs and TDs and through video on Zoom or otherwise for the kickoff ceremony. Folk interested in watching Dixiecon from afar will be able to enjoy the full DBN coverage available on YouTube during the weekend itself.