(This is a take-off of Avalon Hill's board game "Diplomacy," which is a cross between Risk and Chess, in which players must forge alliances in order to "conquer the world.")

Pieces: game board, markers, electronic device encrypted with the Bible Decoder (see link).

Summary: each player is a Prophet with a Message. Players secretly draft their Messages and lock them into a box.

Play: the Bible Code is used to identify Bible verses that substantiate their Message. As substantiating verses are identified, they reveal portions of their message.

Alliances: players can "play off" each others' revealed Messages with additional substantiating verses. Similarly, players can "debunk" others' Messages by substantiating contradictory Messages. Players can align to concertedly attack another player's Message with contradictory verses. Conversely, players can align to merge their Messages in a single, stronger Message.

Winning: the player(s) with the strongest Message wins. The strongest Message is the one with the most Biblical "evidence" to support it.
-- danrue, Feb 14 2001

The Bible Decoder http://www.biblecodes.com/
Everything you need to find the answers. [danrue, Feb 14 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Solving the Bible Code Puzzle http://cs.anu.edu.a...dm/dilugim/StatSci/
by Brendan McKay, Dror Bar-Natan, Maya Bar-Hillel, and Gil Kalai, published in Statistical Science magazine, the same that published the paper that sparked the whole thing.
I realize that the game works even if Bible Codes are humbug, if it doesn't intrinsically assume they are - but still, here's some slightly harder science on the subject. [jutta, Feb 14 2001]

Assasinations Foretold in Moby Dick! http://cs.anu.edu.a...m/dilugim/moby.html
More pictures, less statistics. [jutta, Feb 14 2001]

I think that allies should be able to retranslate portions of the Bible to better suit their predictions.

By the way, has anyone been able to use the Bible Code to actually, you know, predict anything?
-- centauri, Feb 15 2001


Diplomacy is a great game. I'm not sure I understand where the game board fits into this take on it though.
-- PotatoStew, Feb 15 2001


Peter: Me? Yes, on occassion and somewhat poorly.

Potato: Of course different regions would have vested interest in showing their prophecy to be right and others wrong. Italy would be hunting for "ITALIAHERMIGHTOVERWHELMING" or some such, while Germany might be happy with "REUNITEDANDALLPOWERFUL."
-- centauri, Feb 15 2001


My favorite are the phrases that "magically" appear as you read from right to left. Gee, what were the chances that THOSE letters would make words?
-- centauri, Feb 15 2001


Yes, I play Diplomacy -- it's one of my favorite games! I also agree with waugsqueke regarding the Bible Code... There is a "tongue-in-cheek" aspect to the game, since you begin with the message, and _then_ try to substantiate it. Centauri, you're seeing it the way I was...
-- danrue, Feb 15 2001


Isn't the problem that bible messages can be interpreted so many ways? Or is that the whole idea? Or am I a moron?
-- git, Jul 15 2003


Yes.
-- RayfordSteele, Jul 15 2003



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