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Message from Russia to France
Erik,
Well, I could have spared the dot and it was a hard call not to let it
fall. One of the reasons was just lack of time to talk about it. The other
is that I play a waiting game, and as long as you and Ben were cooperating,
I didn't want to do anything to stabilize your border. My hope was that Ben
would make himself the aggressor (so that there wouldn't be ongoing EF
cooperation) but that he wouldn't make a strong enough run at you to
eliminate you.
You are also absolutely correct that Andy now stands a good chance of
coming back. He keeps telling me that he's looking to help me solo (to
punish you), but I expect that he's just using that to get my units even
further from the Balkans while he builds up forces.
I agree that you can't hold your position on your own. Whether Andy is
trying to get me to solo or not, it's pretty clear that you and he are
destined for ongoing fighting. While I haven't been a ton of help to you
directly throughout this game (as noted, I'm a wait-and-see kind of
player), I have tried to make sure you stay strong, keeping Italy weak and
hitting Ben each time he's moved against you. My thinking is that working
with me closely is your best chance of getting back dots. The selfish part
is that I don't think you can hold your position without giving me a
significant positional advantage somewhere (meaning, getting me close to a
solo). With Jason's disband, I have a lot more southern flexibility. I
could afford to throw a few units at Andy, which would get us both some
dots. In France proper, I think you need an extra army to help you, and Mun
is the only one I see as close enough to come to your aid (Mun-Bur or
Mun-Ruh, and then supporting action into Par/Bel/Hol/Kie). You would
probably hold even, and may even pick up a build, you'd just have that
damned Russian's units all around you.
The question is really what you are shooting for, and whether you're more
frustrated for me with sitting back and letting Ben come after you, or at
Ben for actually coming after you, and how you want to play it from here.
I've given a decidedly Russian offering view of the board, but trying not
to go so far that I'm asking you to actually throw me the game (not that I
wouldn't accept that, of course!) Let me know what you think.
--- Eric
Message from Italy to France
Erik..
So...are you going to throw all your dots to the English while trying to
kill me or are you going to defend yourself.
Andy
Message from France to Russia
How I'm feeling is pretty moot at this point, as is what I was once
shooting for. You may be close to a solo, but Ben's the immediate
threat, so if your solo means getting help against him, so be it. He
should have thought of that when he changed direction.
Could you maybe, possible, order sil - ber, mun s ruhr - Kiel? Might as
well make it interesting for him.
I'll keep this brief in light of the deadline.
Erik
Message from France to Italy
Andy:
> So...are you going to throw all your dots to the English
> while trying to kill me or are you going to defend yourself.
I thought you'd given up and commited yourself to the Russia solo.
Interested in sticking around? Now that there's more heat on me, I don't
find that surprising.
Well, I'm kind of darned if I do, darned if I don't. If I attack
England, you get to take advantage of me, and if I attack you, Ben gets
to take advantage of me. Of course, if you keep pressing west, you can
bet that Eric will grab a few of your centers when the time is right.
Anyway, all I'm saying is that I'm open to any suggestions you might
have. It's really just a question of who I want to slow down a little.
If I withdraw and give you back Tunis, are you willing to turn back
against Russia and what's left of Turkey?
Erik
Message from France to England
Ben:
So are you actually going to carry on with this foolishness? Do I really
have to do whatever Eric asks (and he's making demands, believe me) just
to defend myself against you?
Erik
Message from Italy to France
> > So...are you going to throw all your dots to the English
> > while trying to kill me or are you going to defend yourself.
>
> I thought you'd given up and commited yourself to the Russia solo.
> Interested in sticking around? Now that there's more heat on me, I don't
> find that surprising.
>
Well.. how do I put this politely.
If there werent more heat on you, would typing this be worth ANYTHING.
> Well, I'm kind of darned if I do, darned if I don't. If I attack
> England, you get to take advantage of me, and if I attack you, Ben gets
> to take advantage of me. Of course, if you keep pressing west, you can
> bet that Eric will grab a few of your centers when the time is right.
If you move off me, I am not going to attack you. Im in no position to
attack you, but with a move to Mar and a convoy to Spain, he wont be able
to cripple you before you can get back to defend yourself.
> Anyway, all I'm saying is that I'm open to any suggestions you might
> have. It's really just a question of who I want to slow down a little.
I am not moving on you. I see Russia as a MUCH bigger eminent threat,
assuming you arent all over me like a white on rice.
> If I withdraw and give you back Tunis, are you willing to turn back
> against Russia and what's left of Turkey?
Absolutely. I will even give tactical recommendations if you want them
Take care
Andy
Message from Russia to France
Erik,
I'm not clear why you would want to go to Kie. Ben's bound to have 4 units on
it come Fall. You would annoy him by going there, but won't that give him
free reign to take Bre, Bel AND retake Kie? I think you are better off
protecting Bel and Par. In Fall we can try to get you into Kie, but doing it
in Spring seems to just put you in a bad position from my point of view.
--- Eric
Message from France to Italy
>
> Well.. how do I put this politely.
>
> If there werent more heat on you, would typing this be worth ANYTHING.
>
> > Well, I'm kind of darned if I do, darned if I don't. If I attack
> > England, you get to take advantage of me, and if I attack you, Ben
> gets
> > to take advantage of me. Of course, if you keep pressing west, you can
> > bet that Eric will grab a few of your centers when the time is right.
>
> If you move off me, I am not going to attack you. Im in no position to
> attack you, but with a move to Mar and a convoy to Spain, he wont be
> able
> to cripple you before you can get back to defend yourself.
I'm aware. I suppose I don't have much of a choice. Obviously, I appreciate
any sincerity on your part in this offer, and it will be repaid, if
possible, but on the other hand, I suppose I can't blame you if you decide
just to try and grab what you can from me. All I can do is assure that
given England's history with me, I don't see how I can do anything but
slap him back as quickly as possible, before Russia takes advantage of the
situation and slips into Scandanavia. Any help you can give me by not
providing other worries for me means more resources I can throw north.
I think I know what I need to do, but I'm always open to suggestions.
Erik
Message from France to Russia
Point taken. Guess I'll just try to cover my home bases.
FYI, Andy's being awfully friendly since England's change of direction.
Either he's about to grab a few dots from me or your janissary isn't as
long term as previously indicated. Not that you ever thought otherwise, of
course.
Erik
Message from France to England
Seriously. Just give me a sign that you see the errors of your ways.
Anything. I'd hate to think we just gave this game up over one piece not
moving to Ruhr.
Erik
Message from Italy to France
Erik,
> I'm aware. I suppose I don't have much of a choice. Obviously, I appreciate
> any sincerity on your part in this offer, and it will be repaid, if
> possible, but on the other hand, I suppose I can't blame you if you decide
> just to try and grab what you can from me. All I can do is assure that
> given England's history with me, I don't see how I can do anything but
> slap him back as quickly as possible, before Russia takes advantage of the
> situation and slips into Scandanavia. Any help you can give me by not
> providing other worries for me means more resources I can throw north.
>
> I think I know what I need to do, but I'm always open to suggestions.
I am just going to defend myself.
I am not coming for you.
I gave you some suggestions in my last message...that is what I would do.
Andy
Message from Russia to France
If you remain in Ruh after the Spring, we can look to get you into Kie in
Fall -- it just seemed like sending one of your two local armies away was a
sketchy idea.
As to Andy -- yes, that's a tough call. I expect him to make a move
eventually, the question is: when?
You might want to consider hitting Nap in Spring, even if you pull back Pie
to Mar. I don't think your fleets can get back home faster than you can build
a new unit from Nap. Besides, even if he's friendly with you now, I know he
and Ben are on good terms, and that Andy had more to do with Ben attacking
you than I did -- if you back off completely he'll probably work out a split
of Turkey with me and then sail after you to cement a spot in a 3-way.
Has he made any agreements with you, or is he just being friendly?
--- Eric
Message from England to France
Erik -
I am finally looking at the computer after too long away - I will write more
in alittle while.
Ben
Message from England to France
Erik -
> I am finally looking at the computer after
> too long away - I will write more in alittle
> while.
Sorry to make it so late. As you will see from the press archive, when we
are finished, I've gone through a period of low press-volume. Real life
unfortunately intruding on my Dip career.
For right now, I don't think I'm going to back off.
You will do what you have to do. You may find your best chance of being in
a draw is focussing on the Med., as you told me you would do, particularly
if you think E and R will be the big players. As you have probably guessed,
I am glad to change directions from time to time, and I would not be at all
surprised to see me needing you & you needing me to be in a draw.
But after all the distrust between us, mostly I suppose my own fault, I
don't think I can back off right now.
Ben
England: Fleet Baltic Sea CONVOY Army Sweden → Kiel
England: Fleet Berlin SUPPORT Army Sweden → Kiel
England: Fleet English Channel CONVOY Army London → Brest
England: Army Holland → Belgium (*bounce*)
England: Army London → English Channel → Brest
England: Fleet North Atlantic Ocean → Mid-Atlantic Ocean
England: Fleet Norway → St Petersburg (north coast) (*bounce*)
England: Fleet Skagerrak → North Sea
England: Army Sweden → Baltic Sea → Kiel
France: Army Burgundy SUPPORT Army Ruhr → Belgium
France: Fleet Gulf of Lyon → Spain (south coast)
France: Fleet Ionian Sea → Tunis
France: Army Piedmont → Marseilles
France: Army Ruhr → Belgium
France: Army Tuscany → Piedmont
France: Fleet Tyrrhenian Sea → Western Mediterranean
Italy: Fleet Eastern Mediterranean → Aegean Sea (*bounce*)
Italy: Fleet Greece SUPPORT Russian Army Rumania → Bulgaria
Italy: Fleet Naples SUPPORT Army Rome
Italy: Army Rome SUPPORT Fleet Naples
Italy: Army Venice SUPPORT Army Rome
Russia: Fleet Armenia → Black Sea
Russia: Fleet Bulgaria (east coast) → Constantinople (*bounce*)
Russia: Army Moscow → Livonia (*bounce*)
Russia: Army Munich SUPPORT Army Tyrolia
Russia: Army Rumania → Bulgaria (*bounce*)
Russia: Army Serbia SUPPORT Italian Fleet Greece
Russia: Army Sevastopol → Armenia
Russia: Army Silesia SUPPORT Army Munich
Russia: Army St Petersburg → Livonia (*bounce*)
Russia: Army Tyrolia SUPPORT Italian Army Venice
Turkey: Fleet Aegean Sea SUPPORT Italian Fleet Eastern Mediterranean → Ionian Sea (*void*)
Turkey: Fleet Ankara HOLD
Turkey: Army Constantinople SUPPORT Fleet Ankara (*cut*)
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