Five player variant

In a message dated 1/20/00 1:42:05 AM Central Standard Time,
timewyrm@suilven.demon.co.uk writes:

<<
Hi,
Gavin's five player variant sounds interesting, I suspect there are some
people out there that might play it... (no, no, I musn't!)

But... I'm unsure about the neutral player. If they were to win they
would need to declare (with all nations) - in which case that side
would almost inevitably win.

Colin.
  >>

Couldn't there be a variant in which the neutrals were played by individuals
and the alliances by a couple of players? Diplomacy with five being wooed by
two or four?

JMS