Diplomacy golden

Would-be kaisers and kings will soon be able to carve up an imaginary 19th-century Europe on their PCs, as today Diplomacy went gold. Based on the popular board game of the same name, Diplomacy is being developed by the Swedish strategy specialists at Paradox Interactive. It's the second PC adaptation of the game, following a 1999 version by the now-defunct Hasbro Interactive.

While Diplomacy uses the historical setting of Europe prior to World War I, it's not a typical historical wargame. With looks that are very much like its board-game inspiration, the turn-based title's abstract visuals and simple gameplay put focus on negotiation between nations, in addition to broad strategic maneuvering.

Rated E for Everyone, Diplomacy will ship to stores on October 4 in the US and in Scandinavia, with releases in the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg scheduled for October 28.