|
|
Austria: Builds 2 units
England: Builds 1 unit
France: Builds 1 unit
Germany: Builds 2 units
Italy: Builds 1 unit
Russia: Builds 1 unit
Turkey: Builds 1 unit
Message from Italy to France
Erik...
Spain(SC)....help me out here.
Message from Italy to Austria
What can I say....
If the 2 of you take down Russia as fast as it looks like you will, where
does that leave me.
I will behave myself....what would you like to see in order to create at
least a truce between us.
Andy
Message from Italy to Turkey
Howdy....
What do you want to do...
I think that I have a decent position on keeping the Austrian in check.
Message from Italy to Italy
Well...m plan half worked....which isnt good.
I have a strong gut feeling that it would have worked totally if there
werent the continual delays, when turns get drawn out, people get nervous
and conservative.
Which means I probably should have done what I told him I would do....but
you dont ever make anything without risk, so here goes.
Message from Germany to France
Hmmm once again strange moves. Interesting to see how this develops. I
wonder if you will be facing a strong AI soon.
Let me know your reasoning.
Message from Germany to England
Interesting to see how this develops. Anything other than an army build
spells trouble.
Message from Germany to Russia
Well you are certainly under pressure down south. We can arrange a definite
build for you from NWY. Build in STP and we are in business. At worst you
lose SEV sometime in the near future but with the build from NWY then at
least you will have a stable rear. With me supporting you in WAR if need be
we have quite an army front running from WAR/MOS/SIL. It would cost AT a
great deal to advance against you.
I can cut support from NTH allowing you to take NWY. I will be building two
armies so if need be I can help support WAR. Let me know.
Message from Germany to Germany
Well that was in a way to be expected. I was expecting the move on HOL in a
way as you noticed in my earlier mail.
It will be interesting to see how things develop. The press from EF should
be interesting to say the least.
Message from Germany to Austria
Looks like you have a good deal going on down there.
Message from France to Italy
>
> Erik...
>
> Spain(SC)....help me out here.
>
Andy:
Hey, don't focus on Spain (sc), focus on A Tyr and A Bur -- pretty darned
anti-German, right? Which, I believe, is what you were gunning for.
Spa (sc) was just to cover myself in case you decided you'd be better off
coming after me after I moved to Piedmont. My build will *not* be in
Marseilles, and as such, I'm not really that threatening to you right now.
Besides, F Spa will be heading to Portugal next year to pick up another
build.
I would have given you more warning of the plan that England I were
developing, but with Tony as the receiving end, I figured the less people
who had word, the better. As promised, though, I did vacate Piedmont.
Anyway, I've only just glanced at the results, so I'm not in a position to
discuss too much right now. I wanted to reassure you sooner rather than
later, though.
More soon,
Erik
Message from France to England
Nice. Germany's worried now, wants to know what I'm doing. He was
expecting F Mao - Eng.
Erik
Message from England to France
Erik -
> Nice. Germany's worried now, wants to know what I'm doing. He was
> expecting F Mao - Eng.
Beautiful. I am very pleased with our position.
Tony's already complained to me - I wrote him that I didn't want him to
build an F KIE and now I don't have to worry about it. Really the big
surprise for him came from you - I am very pleased with our position now.
I will look things over & get back to you with a proposed build for me. I
will tell you right now I am thinking of F LON, with your permission, which
will permit us - through ENG - to exert force against BEL. Perhaps set as a
goal that I get BEL with that fleet, or something like that.
But I haven't given it a whole lot of thought yet & certainly have no
attachment to anything yet.
You had an excellent plan and I have a smile on my face, which is more than
I could have said after the spring moves. . .
Ben
Message from England to Germany
Tony -
> Interesting to see how this develops. Anything other than an
> army build spells trouble.
For me it was an easy choice - I didn't want to see an F KIE - I know you'd
promised an F BER; this way I worry less. . .
Ben
Message from England to England
I am pleased things went more or less as I'd thought. An Italian GRE is
fine as long as we are not looking at Go Fasta; I do not want to see Austria
go down hard & fast. It looks like Russian A WAR is forced. . .
I suppose Jason is scheduled to get SEV, which would be good.
Ben
Message from England to Italy
Andy -
Greece was a nice pick-up for you - you get to spend another year neutrally
while you wander off for TUN. Let me know if there is some information you
would like distributed to your neighbors.
We are nicely positioned in the West, I hope; I wonder what you have in mind
for your build so as not to antagonize any of your several friendly
neighbors. I'll see for myself soon enough, I guess. I continue to need
Erik to work with me, obviously. . .
Ben
Message from England to Russia
Eric -
I will continue to be your friend in the North - do not worry about me. God
knows you have your hands full elsewhere. . .
We may be able to get you a dot or two, even, as things sort themselves out,
without you having to suffer a counterattack.
Good luck, my friend. I am pleased to see the Raiders did not lose this
weekend - hopefully they will be closer to full strength when they return on
Sunday.
Ben
Message from England to Austria
Philippe -
Well I think it was a beautiful year for the Austrian people. GAL assured
in the spring with the complete collapse of Russia to come soon after.
You were brave to put Andy in GRE but I think it was a good choice, as it
permitted you to do what you needed to do against Russia.
Ben
Message from England to Turkey
Jason -
I am pleased to see things working out in the East, unfolding along the
lines you'd told me. I imagine you are to get SEV? It looks like Italy
will be in position against Austria pretty soon. . . The timing actually
makes a difference to me, so if you can, could you give me a sense of what
to expect?
Good work so far. Let's grow. ;-)
Ben
Message from Germany to England
And you promised an army build for convoying.
Message from England to Germany
Tony -
> And you promised an army build for convoying.
I don't much care for quibbling - after the spring I didn't think you would
either - I will say I do not concede this is the case; later on if you
insist we can parse through our earlier press & debate what exactly was
promised. But I am at work now & not so inclined.
Let us look forward and not backward. I knew I wasn't denying you a build,
I was just denying you the opportunity to build F KIE.
I am as usual all ears.
Ben
Message from Austria to Germany
> Looks like you have a good deal going on down there.
I wouldn't say that Tony. Even though you had offered it,
I didn't believe you would have bounced Sweden and so
didn't ask you to do so; but if you had, I would have been
better off.
Also, getting attacked by Italy isn't very positive.
Philippe
Message from Austria to Italy
Andy,
The last thing I want is an AI war, so if you are prepare to
do what's necessary to turn the situation around, I will
gladly cooperate with you later on.
Specifically, I don't want to see you build armies and don't
want to see italian armies in the Balkans. Send Greece
wherever you want, but please move it away from my
border.
Philippe
Message from Austria to England
Hi Ben,
> Well I think it was a beautiful year for the Austrian people. GAL assured
> in the spring with the complete collapse of Russia to come soon after.
>
> You were brave to put Andy in GRE but I think it was a good choice, as it
> permitted you to do what you needed to do against Russia.
In truth, maybe I was a bit naive. I was hoping that
Italy wouldn't attack Austria. Can you believe that ;-)
Anyway, now that I see that Tony can't build a fleet in
Kiel, I would like to congratulate you for your moves,
especially with France going for Bur & Tyr. Hopefully,
France won't stay in Tyrolia too long.
Philippe
Message from England to Austria
Philippe -
> In truth, maybe I was a bit naive. I was hoping that
> Italy wouldn't attack Austria. Can you believe that ;-)
So much in Dip is a gamble - I'm not saying he will or won't attack you. I
think you made a choice & I am hoping for both our sakes that it will pay
off. But it was a tough choice, and for your decision, I applaud you. We
will know more when Italy builds; I will be surprised if he builds anything
other than F NAP, which will be pretty neutral and keep his options open.
And if that's what he does, he won't be in a good position to attack you
right away.
> Anyway, now that I see that Tony can't build a fleet in
> Kiel, I would like to congratulate you for your moves,
> especially with France going for Bur & Tyr. Hopefully,
> France won't stay in Tyrolia too long.
I think it is safe to say the French A TYR is more concerned with the
affairs of the West than affairs of the East. . .
Ben
Message from Italy to Austria
Philippe,
> The last thing I want is an AI war, so if you are prepare to
> do what's necessary to turn the situation around, I will
> gladly cooperate with you later on.
Ok.
> Specifically, I don't want to see you build armies and don't
> want to see italian armies in the Balkans. Send Greece
> wherever you want, but please move it away from my
> border.
I will do what I can. But it will not likely move until fall.
Andy
Message from Italy to France
Erik,
>
> Hey, don't focus on Spain (sc), focus on A Tyr and A Bur -- pretty darned
> anti-German, right? Which, I believe, is what you were gunning for.
>
Yes. But its not like you arent still in a position to attack me.
> Spa (sc) was just to cover myself in case you decided you'd be better off
> coming after me after I moved to Piedmont. My build will *not* be in
> Marseilles, and as such, I'm not really that threatening to you right now.
> Besides, F Spa will be heading to Portugal next year to pick up another
> build.
Ok.
> Anyway, I've only just glanced at the results, so I'm not in a position to
> discuss too much right now. I wanted to reassure you sooner rather than
> later, though.
>
please do.
Message from France to Italy
> Yes. But its not like you arent still in a position to attack me.
Andy, if I'd wanted to actually attack you, I would have lobbied Austria
for cooperation this turn, and I would have ordered F Mao - Wes and Gas -
Spa. A Pie certainly wouldn't have gone to Tyrolia, where it's threatening
to Germany. I know you're worried, but I have absolutely no interest in
attacking you right now.
I do have a very strong interest in attacking Tony, though, which is why A
Mar - Pie has turned out so fortuitous in the end -- A Bur and A Tyr,
while not a decisive force against Germany, certainly put England and I in
a better position than other sets of moves would have.
I appreciate your willingness, so far, to accept my word and continue
focusing on the east. I can assure you that such trust is not without
reward -- I am, as you desired, taking on Tony, and that A Pie opening is
just an unpleasant memory now.
Erik
Message from Italy to England
> Andy -
> Greece was a nice pick-up for you - you get to spend another year neutrally
> while you wander off for TUN. Let me know if there is some information you
> would like distributed to your neighbors.
>
I wasnt that nuetral, I attacked Trieste. And the Austrian is pissed.
> We are nicely positioned in the West, I hope; I wonder what you have in mind
> for your build so as not to antagonize any of your several friendly
> neighbors. I'll see for myself soon enough, I guess. I continue to need
> Erik to work with me, obviously. . .
Well...Eriks move to the South coast of Spain was a surprise, but we shall
see.
Message from England to Italy
Andy -
> I wasnt that nuetral, I attacked Trieste. And the
> Austrian is pissed.
Ah. I had thought you expected it to bounce - I guess you did - but it
didn't seem like a big deal. This is what I was talking about - if you want
me to talk to him, recommend he try to work with you or whatever - let me
know.
> Well...Eriks move to the South coast of Spain was a
> surprise, but we shall see.
In the context of his other moves - I don't think you need to be too
worried. You make him nervous but as you can see he has other fish to fry
right now.
Ben
Message from Austria to Russia
Eric,
Sorry, but once Andy told me you suggested he go for Greece,
I wasn't about to pass on Rumania, even though he told me he
didn't intend to follow your suggestion; and it seem it was the
right thing for me to do.
Philippe
Message from Austria to France
Erik,
I'm pleasantly surprise to see you in Tyrolia. I would
have prefered to know about it in advance, but I
suppose you still didn't trust me in regard of Italy.
For my part, since there was to be no attack on Italy,
I saw no problem in supporting Apu-Ven; but we did
lose a good opportunity to bring down Italy a notch.
Philippe
Message from Germany to Austria
> Also, getting attacked by Italy isn't very positive.>
Hmmm I thought the pair of you had agreed on those moves when I saw them.
Message from Germany to England
Well I had mentioned to France that I was expecting a bounce in HOL, it
seemned the most logical. In hindsight I am glad I didnt force the HOL move.
Message from Germany to Italy
Interesting moves mate.
Message from Germany to Russia
An army build in STP will allow you to support SWE - NWY in the spring. It
is also a good backup for our front of armies in the east as it can be used
to good effect in defence of MOS if needed later.
No doubt england will build a fleet in EDI.
Message from Russia to Austria
Philippe,
>Sorry, but once Andy told me you suggested he go for Greece,
>I wasn't about to pass on Rumania, even though he told me he
>didn't intend to follow your suggestion; and it seem it was the
>right thing for me to do.
Well, I can see how from your position it would have made sense. I
was just surprised you used so transparent a deflection to my
question.
FWIW, it's been pretty clear to me (whether I am actually correct or
not) that you have been focusing on AT cooperation, and because of
that, I'm happy to see that Andy moved to Gre (though I didn't expect
it). Even though I suspect he moved there with your blessing, it
still leaves you with a concern to pay attention to, and as long as
there is an AT, I will do whatever I can to take advantage of his
position there.
I trust you are a better player than to have made a decision about
moving against me based on the possibility that I may have suggested
an anti-Austrian move to Andy. Whether or not I actually made any
such suggestion (I did in fact ask him if he thought there was a
strong AT, and if so, whether he thought that taking Gre was a good
counter), I'm in for a very unpleasant game if Andy can manipulate
your moves by making such a straightforward comment. And it's not
like you're not out there talking about anti-Russian moves with other
players yourself.
Obviously I don't like your moves, but as you say, they turned out to
be the best moves you could make given the situation, at least from
the point of view of maximizing SCs. FWIW, had I gotten Rum (which
clearly I did try to take with the fleet) I would have built a fleet
as promised, so without knowing your thinking on longer term issues,
I'm not sure it was the best move for you. I'm just frustrated that
yet again a neighbor has chosen to stifle discussion with comments
like "let's just see how the moves go". Not a very satisfying way to
play the game.
On to more productive points: was Andy's move to Gre something you
negotiated? Despite the hypothetical discussion he and I had, he told
me he would not be moving to Gre. It seems odd to see A Gre there --
F Gre is more conducive to an AI.
--- Tzarface
Message from Austria to Turkey
Hi Jason,
Things aren't going too bad for us. Of course, I would have
prefered not to get attacked by Austria and see Russia get
bounce in Sweden; but in all, we did ok.
Regards,
Philippe
Message from Italy to Germany
>
> Interesting moves mate.
>
Like I told him.
It just looks like I am next on the menu once the Russian is dead....
Message from Russia to Italy
I wish you would have admitted that you were going to Gre. Had you, I
would have taken Gal. Thinking that you were not going to be there
(whether you got there by trickery or through negotiation) made
attacking Austria straight out seem stupid given Turkey's position.
Not blaming you for my position, just saying I wish you had told me
that you were taking Gre. There was no reason that I would have
passed that information on to Austria (and if I wanted him to think
you were, I could have just told him you were doing it anyway).
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Germany
Tony,
There is no one on the board more interested than I am to see me get
another center. But I don't see how a build in StP makes sense at the
moment. With France having done the Alpine Chicken maneuver, I don't
see how you are going to have any units to spare to help me against
AT. Austria has to build two armies, and that will allow him to force
Gal in Spring. StP is needed to take Nwy, but also to hold it in
Fall. And your armies are going to be needed against all of France's
forces, and so don't seem to be available to defend War.
Am I missing something? Can you spell out more specifically how I can
take Nwy and hold it in Fall, while still defending War? I don't have
a problem with attacking England, but I want to make sure that
however I do it makes sense.
--- Tzarface
Message from Italy to Russia
Eric,
> I wish you would have admitted that you were going to Gre. Had you, I
> would have taken Gal. Thinking that you were not going to be there
> (whether you got there by trickery or through negotiation) made
> attacking Austria straight out seem stupid given Turkey's position.
It was the kind of move that I couldnt tell anyone about. Its way too easy
to stop and I think the slowdown is what kept him from moving Tri - Alb
like he was supposed to.
> Not blaming you for my position, just saying I wish you had told me
> that you were taking Gre.
I didnt know I was, the Turk was supposed to support me in.
There was no reason that I would have
> passed that information on to Austria (and if I wanted him to think
> you were, I could have just told him you were doing it anyway).
True.
But where are we now.....
What can we do.
Message from England to Germany
Tony -
> Well I had mentioned to France that I was expecting a bounce in HOL, it
> seemned the most logical. In hindsight I am glad I didnt force the HOL
move.
Well I am glad to hear it. Under the circumstances I think you would
likely have done the same.
Now what?
Ben
Message from England to France
Erik -
I have put in F LON for my build, as I described earlier. But I also set
wait & will understand perfectly well if you would like me to do something
else; just let me know.
Again, my thinking with F LON is ENG - BEL. Also in the spring I order the
convoy to HOL again, forcing the German defenses to be spread too thin.
Let me know your thoughts.
Ben
Message from Turkey to Turkey
Hmm, Italy got Greece. Not part of the plan. Gotta build a fleet to keep
him from trying anything tricky.
jason
Message from Turkey to Italy
That went fairly well, although I would have preferred the army in Tun.
Agreed that Austria in pretty much bottled up right now. I need his help
to get Sev, but after that he's fair game.
BTW: I'm building a fleet. Since it's my first in the Med, I trust that
won't be a problem.
jason
Message from Turkey to Austria
Yep, we did ok, aside from Italy in Greece. Now we need to get Russia
out of Sev.
jason
Message from Turkey to England
Yep, heading for Sev. It'll probably take 2 seasons, though. Italy's
gearing up for anti-Austria as you say. I've got to try to keep everyone
in balance for now.
Right now, I don't know exactly what to expect, but I want Sev before
Italy goes after Austria. Not sure if that will happen.
jason
Message from Turkey to France
Nice one. Germany never saw that coming....
jason
Message from France to Austria
>
> I'm pleasantly surprise to see you in Tyrolia. I would
> have prefered to know about it in advance, but I
> suppose you still didn't trust me in regard of Italy.
Italy wasn't really the issue for me, but my joint planning with other
powers was. What exactly do you think I'm planning to do with A Tyr,
anyway?
> For my part, since there was to be no attack on Italy,
> I saw no problem in supporting Apu-Ven; but we did
> lose a good opportunity to bring down Italy a notch.
Well, it looked to me like you and Turkey had formed some sort of anti-
Russian plan, and I think I'm right about that, yes? I certainly
suggested taking Italy down a notch, but you didn't seem very interested
last season or the season before.
Let me look over the map a little more and get back to you.
Erik
Message from France to Germany
Tony:
Well, frankly, after your erratic opening, I just didn't feel that I
could trust you to undertake any kind of joint attack on a neighbor. You
demonstrated paranoia, an extreme willingness to lie and a propensity for
spreading misinformation all before the end of 1901. While these are all
certainly elements of any player's game, I just couldn't move forward
with you given your initial play.
I am always open to suggestions, though, and you've certainly followed
through as promised this turn, so perhaps I've made a mistake. Luckily,
my armies are in a position to move in a number of directions, so if I do
change course, they need not be as threatening to you as they seem.
It's late over here, and I need some sleep. I will write more tomorrow.
Erik
Message from Germany to England
> Now what?>
Good question, Russia is in trouble. France gets just one build. Not sure of my builds yet. France has approached me but I am waiting to gere some more. Austria claims Italy attacked him.
Not much else happening, what lines of thought were you having.
Message from Germany to Russia
Well this is how I look at it. You will need all 3 units just to even hold SEV in the spring.
As you pointed out Austria will build two armies. This means that one unit will be in GALthis spring.
This means that by fall SEV will fall as UKR can be cut.
Even if you built in WAR you would still be in trouble up north.
Why wouldnt England just go for STP?
If I see an army in STP then I will attack the NTH cutting support. England can never get more than two units on NWY by fall. My unit in DEN can ensure that. I cant see how NWY can be denied to you.
SEV will fall, UKR can be cut, RUM can be covered GAL will be taken by Austria.
You and I both need a friend. If England builds a fleet in EDI and I dont have an ally then I may just as well ask him to push for BAR and convoy YOR to Norway whilst I push two armies at PRU and SIL. I could even offer him SWE. I have to build two armies, I can push one to SIL and still have two covering MUN.
I will have to give up BEL. The sooner French and English units meet up the better. Then I just make sure I say to both that I will only allow one of them my SC's.
If EF are against me then England will see Russia as an easy target if he groes quickly. I would have to offer my SC's to England to deter France. Its the thing to do in a crisis.
SEV is lost but not all is lost. NWY is guranteed this year. I know Italy is a little worried about his fate. He sees AT coming after him once you fall. Build an army in STP and you have yourself an ally and a build to compensate for SEV. I am desperate. As stated I may have to move on you too if I have no one to turn to, what else can I do? Then surely trying to pick up WAR and offering Sweden to England would be my best bet.
I didnt bounce you for a reason and that reason is I anticipated we would need each other.
Luck is France only gets one build. I can always pick up Holland if need be.
I would rather carry on with an ally. Let me know.
Message from Germany to England
Well Ben things are looking good for England. I am not to bad off.
I could offer you SWE for friendship to start with. As France only gets one build he is not to much of a worry for me. He has also indicated that he can still move anywhere.
His one build will no doubt be in PAR. If need be I could then push BEL - PIC. Two army builds would give me some bargaining power with him.
We could even still get the EGF on the road. He can still head south, you can still head north and I can still head east.
I will just be a little cautious with France as he was ment to move on the ENG ;-) and grab SPA with the army.
Me and you knew what would happen around BEL/HOL. If france would have done what we discussed then that would have left me and you in an interesting position. Still its all part of the game so its nothing personal against England ;-)
Now you are looking pretty good and GE or EFG can still hammer out all kind of deals.
Speak soon.
Message from Italy to Turkey
> That went fairly well, although I would have preferred the army in Tun.
>
sorry...I went for the big move, it didnt work.
> Agreed that Austria in pretty much bottled up right now. I need his help
> to get Sev, but after that he's fair game.
Well...I think he is coming for you now.
> BTW: I'm building a fleet. Since it's my first in the Med, I trust that
> won't be a problem.
It shouldnt be, but if I were you I would get a feel for whether the
Austrian is coming for you.
He has already mentioned that he plans on taking BUL this year to the
German...
Message from England to Turkey
Jason -
> Yep, heading for Sev. It'll probably take 2 seasons, though. Italy's
> gearing up for anti-Austria as you say. I've got to try to
> keep everyone in balance for now.
Yes, I see what you mean. A crippled Austria is not much good to you. . .
> Right now, I don't know exactly what to expect, but I want Sev before
> Italy goes after Austria. Not sure if that will happen.
I think you thoughts are pointed in the right direction. Fortunately for
you Italy cannot build in VEN and France is in Tyrolia. Perhaps it will
help if you ask France to work against *Germany* & stay neutral between A
and I. Frankly I suspect it's what he's thinking anyway, but there's no
harm in asking.
Ben
Message from England to Germany
Tony -
> > Now what?>
>
> Good question, Russia is in trouble. France gets just one
> build. Not sure of my builds yet. France has approached me
> but I am waiting to gere some more. Austria claims Italy attacked him.
This is interesting to me. The capture of GRE could not have been a
surprise and VEN - TRI was hardly a massive attack. I guess there probably
is really an A/I conflict on the rise, but its beginning is pretty tepid.
> Not much else happening, what lines of thought were you having.
I am trying to stay flexible. I probably will build a fleet but I hardly
agree with you that it's a bad sign for GE relations.
Ben
Message from France to Russia
Eric:
Looks like you're staring down the barrel of an AT alliance. Not pretty.
On the plus side, you won't have to worry about Germany for a little
while. England and I (as the moves have demonstrated) are making a run at
taking him down, though I suspect it's going to be a protracted fight.
Do you have any idea what Italy's position is right now via-a-vis AT? Most
of his messages to me have been along the lines of "please don't attack",
but I don't actually know much about what he's planning. I'd love to see
him provide you with a little relief, because I definitely don't want to
see you get chewed up by AT.
I know you probably can't afford to make an enemy of G right now, but if
you can spare F Swe for a support move against Tony, it would be very
helpful to me. I'm doing everything I can to keep England out of the north
while you get your southern border taken care of, and as long as Ben and I
are working together against Germany, I think I can do that. If you could
lend a hand, it would probably help me argue to keep English fleets from
venturing further than they've already gone into Scandanavia.
Erik
Message from France to England
Ben:
Well, frankly, I *am* a little uncomfortable with the thought of F Eng,
but at the same time, I can see its tactical benefits. I suppose an army
in London, while the most re-assuring thing for me from a long-term safety
perspective, just wouldn't do much good against Germany.
So, I suppose F Lon is your best build. We can always discuss its
disposition, and I can bring F Spa up to Mao as a comfort measure to cover
Brest. As for me, A Par seems the obvious choice.
We've got a lot of guessing going on. Assuming that Austria doesn't boot
me out of Tyrolia (which may be a big assumption, if he is indeed friendly
with Germany), I can either grab for Munich or try to head for Ruhr and
move Par - Bur. You can use Nth to tap Bel or try to convoy to Hol.
I'm thinking this for the spring:
A Bur - Ruhr (will probably bounce but keep Ruhr clear)
A Par - Pic
A Tyr - Mun (to kill any support Munich might be giving for, say, Kiel -
Ruhr)
You should order:
F Nwy - Ska (if you're comfortable with Russia, but given his southern
mess, he can't be looking to irk you right now)
F Nth - Hel
F Lon - Nth
I think this gives us maximum attack coverage while keeping Eng clear and
free of potential worry on either side.
If Germany moves Kiel - Hol, he leaves Kiel open, and you've got F Hel
there to threaten it. If he leaves Kiel in place, you've got a convoy op
in place with support from Hel OR from Pic (if you convoy to Bel). F Ska
is there to threaten / tap Den. Tyrolia probably won't make it to Munich
and Burgundy won't make it to Ruhr, but as long as they're there, Mun and
Ber are tied up in defense.
Thoughts?
Erik
Message from Germany to England
>>I probably will build a fleet but I hardly agree with you that it's a bad
sign for GE relations.>>
Good to hear. I also sent you a more lenghtly press. Didi it ever arrive?
maybe its still on its way?
Message from England to France
Erik -
> Well, frankly, I *am* a little uncomfortable with the thought
> of F Eng,
> but at the same time, I can see its tactical benefits. I
> suppose an army
> in London, while the most re-assuring thing for me from a
> long-term safety
> perspective, just wouldn't do much good against Germany.
I'm inclined to agree - A LON wouldn't do either of us much good.
> So, I suppose F Lon is your best build. We can always discuss its
> disposition, and I can bring F Spa up to Mao as a comfort
> measure to cover
> Brest. As for me, A Par seems the obvious choice.
I have no problem with SPA - MAO, if you're comfortable with Andy. We can
discuss that more in the spring.
> We've got a lot of guessing going on. Assuming that Austria
> doesn't boot
> me out of Tyrolia (which may be a big assumption, if he is
> indeed friendly
> with Germany), I can either grab for Munich or try to head
> for Ruhr and
> move Par - Bur. You can use Nth to tap Bel or try to convoy to Hol.
Tapping BEL could make a big difference. Tony is no doubt considering both
BEL s MUN - BUR, which would make it a breeze for him to recapture MUN in
the fall if TYR - MUN succeeds, and BEL s KIE (or MUN) - RUH.
> I'm thinking this for the spring:
>
> A Bur - Ruhr (will probably bounce but keep Ruhr clear)
> A Par - Pic
> A Tyr - Mun (to kill any support Munich might be giving for,
> say, Kiel -
> Ruhr)
I think these moves should do the trick.
> You should order:
>
> F Nwy - Ska (if you're comfortable with Russia, but given his southern
> mess, he can't be looking to irk you right now)
> F Nth - Hel
> F Lon - Nth
>
> I think this gives us maximum attack coverage while keeping
> Eng clear and free of potential worry on either side.
Yes but the success of your moves depends to a large part on the success of
NTH - HEL. If it fails then LON is stuck in LON and we make no headway in
'02. So what do you think of YOR - NTH - BEL and LON - ENG. I know you are
not comfortable with me in ENG but it gets the most out of all our units.
Here is your analysis below; consider what happens if I bounce in HEL, which
is not at all unlikely:
> If Germany moves Kiel - Hol, he leaves Kiel open, and you've got F Hel
> there to threaten it. If he leaves Kiel in place, you've got
> a convoy op
> in place with support from Hel OR from Pic (if you convoy to
> Bel). F Ska
> is there to threaten / tap Den. Tyrolia probably won't make
> it to Munich
> and Burgundy won't make it to Ruhr, but as long as they're
> there, Mun and
> Ber are tied up in defense.
>
> Thoughts?
You have 'em. We have plenty of time - I'm in no rush & have no great
attachment to anything yet.
Ben
Message from England to Germany
Tony -
> >>I probably will build a fleet but I hardly agree with you
> that it's a bad
> sign for GE relations.>>
>
> Good to hear. I also sent you a more lenghtly press. Didi it
> ever arrive?
> maybe its still on its way?
I'm sure I did get it - I had this feeling I'd overlooked one from you - but
I'm at work. If it's convenient could you resend it? Otherwise I'll dig it
up this evening (*my* time) & respond then.
Ben
Message from Russia to Austria
So from what I'm hearing it was actually Turkey who arranged with
Italy to see Gre taken. Jason apparently offered to support Andy
there, but realized it would be less hostile-looking to you if
instead he got you to use Ser against Rum.
Any chance you are worried about IT cooperation? You know that I'm
not a threat to you now or for several turns, and now I have a vested
interest in seeing you focus south. Are you willing to consider
cooperation? At this point it wouldn't be more than you going south
and me not moving in behind you, but I'll take what I can get at this
point.
--- Tzarface
Message from Russia to Germany
Tony,
I really don't want to alienate you, but I still am not convinced
that building in StP makes sense. With A StP, I still can't hold War
against AT, so long as A StP is needed to support Nwy. If Italy takes
action against Austria (and I'm hoping he will) then I'll have some
flexibility, but with two neighbors fighting me in the south I cannot
afford to invite a third to come assault me in the north.
>If I see an army in STP then I will attack the NTH cutting support.
>England can never get more than two units on NWY by fall. My unit in
>DEN can ensure that. I cant see how NWY can be denied to you.
My point wasn't that it will be denied to me, but that I will require
StP to hold it. The end result is that I would be able to build A
War. And from that point on, I'd be forced to cover my remaining home
centers indefinitely.
I have not entered my builds yet because I am seriously considering
the possibility of building A StP despite my reservations. I'm not
trying to be difficult, but obviously, my own defense has to take
priority in my planning, as yours does for you. Keep in mind that
even if I do build in War, there is still the possibility that I
could move Mos-StP in spring (sacrificing F Sev, obviously) and then
taking Nwy in the Fall. Whatever happens, we can keep that on the
table.
--- Tzarface
Message from Germany to England
I am at home at the moment, I think I sent it from work via webmail.
Unfortunately sent mail is not kept.
I cant resend if. If you cant find it then we will just have to re negotiate
;-)
Message from England to Germany
Tony -
> I am at home at the moment, I think I sent it from work via webmail.
> Unfortunately sent mail is not kept.
> I cant resend if. If you cant find it then we will just have
> to re negotiate
> ;-)
I thought we are *always* renegotiating. ;-)
Anyway I think I have it at home.
Ben
Message from Germany to Russia
Thanks for the reply.
> My point wasn't that it will be denied to me, but that I will require StP
to hold it. The end result is that I would be able to build A War. And from
that point on, I'd be forced to cover my remaining home
centers indefinitely.>
You will be doing this anyway. SEV cant be held. The sooner AT forces meet
up the more likely they are to turn on each other if they cant make a
breakthrough. Building an army in WAR wont help the situation now.
I will move to SIL to help you, I have the resources. I am being up front
when I say at the moment I wish to ally with you. But I will have no choice
but to ally with England by offering him Sweden now in the spring and I
would have to try and get a piece of you too to survive. You would have to
bounce me in SIL or PRU. I really am desperate.
Sorry about this but I thought it best to be up front. You have no friends
down south for now unless you can diplome your way out. I am not weak but
neither am I strong. England hasnt commited himself yet to attacking me, he
is still being flexible. The bounce in BEL or HOL was agreed upon just not
decided which one.
If he sees me and you working together then he wont be to willing to move on
STP himself. Build in WAR and have austria, turkey and me attacking you then
he will want a piece of the action.
SEV is lost. UKR should just bounce in GAL or RUM and retreat when need be.
They cant force anything but SEV this year. You will have 4 armies and mine
to protect your homeland until they turn on each other.
> I have not entered my builds yet because I am seriously considering the
possibility of building A StP despite my reservations. I'm not trying to be
difficult, but obviously, my own defense has to take
priority in my planning, as yours does for you.>
And that is where our problem yet opportunity lies. We are both in trouble
if we dont team up. I am just lucky enough to be able to drop back on an
attack on you to survive another year or two.
I also dont mean to be difficult but I am being up front.
> Keep in mind that even if I do build in War, there is still the
possibility that I
could move Mos-StP in spring (sacrificing F Sev, obviously) and then
taking Nwy in the Fall>
I think by then I would have convinced England (after seeing your build) in
taking Sweden as a gift and I would have to attack WAR and HOL just to try
to survive. I will be doing all I can to keep the peace with EF. Luckily
France only has one build.
>Whatever happens, we can keep that on the table.>
I am not sure of this. Building in WAR ensures that England doesnt have to
be friendly towards me, I would have to convince him. Sorry to be putting
this pressure on you but I rather it this way than having let you believe
building in WAR would be ok to then give england sweden and attack you
myself. Its going to take 3 units to remove SEV even if you dont use UKR in
its defense. Pushing UKR to GAL ensure he has to use two to get to GAL. So
by the end of this year your worst scenario is the loss of SEV. A build, and
an ally.
A desperate for survival, will sell my soul to anyone,
Germany.
Message from Germany to Germany
Do you guys/girls/women/others get the idea I am desperate ;-)
To tell you the truth if I was Russia I would have come up with this plan of
Germanys, it seems the logical thing to do.
I really am lucky that France only has one build, i will have to consider
EF(R) as enemies and work out the best possible defense. I am knowingly
cutting down on press to EF to await their press. I have sent both press so
the ball is in their court. Not sure what to do about AIT. Must spend more
time on this game.
Message from Austria to Russia
> So from what I'm hearing it was actually Turkey who arranged with
> Italy to see Gre taken. Jason apparently offered to support Andy
> there, but realized it would be less hostile-looking to you if
> instead he got you to use Ser against Rum.
Haven't had much time to get back to you, but I must say I didn't
expect this one. I had assume that Andy took your suggestion as
an indication to attack me.
> Any chance you are worried about IT cooperation? You know that I'm
> not a threat to you now or for several turns, and now I have a vested
> interest in seeing you focus south. Are you willing to consider
> cooperation? At this point it wouldn't be more than you going south
> and me not moving in behind you, but I'll take what I can get at this
> point.
I'm always open to cooperation with my neighbours and will
accept all the help I can get to defend myself from Andy.
Philippe
Message from Austria to Italy
Hi Andy,
I'm hearing strange things and I do hope that you're
sincere about wanting peace. Anyway, I won't have
to wait too long to know what's really happening.
Regards,
Philippe
Message from Italy to Austria
Phillipe,
> I'm hearing strange things and I do hope that you're
> sincere about wanting peace. Anyway, I won't have
> to wait too long to know what's really happening.
Currently my options are attacking you, which I sincerely want to not do.
or
Attack Turkey, which I have to set up a bit.
France is not an option right now.....
Message from England to Russia
Eric -
Congratulations on making it to the VGFP semi-finals, an achievement in itself.
Ben
Message from Austria to France
> Italy wasn't really the issue for me, but my joint planning with other
> powers was. What exactly do you think I'm planning to do with A Tyr,
> anyway?
I assume you are planning Tyr-Mun, but why don't you
simply tell me what you want to do?
> Well, it looked to me like you and Turkey had formed some sort of anti-
> Russian plan, and I think I'm right about that, yes? I certainly
> suggested taking Italy down a notch, but you didn't seem very interested
> last season or the season before.
Things become alot clearer with hindsight ;-( I went
against Russia while still hoping there might be a small
chance of remaining neutral with Andy for the moment.
Very naive of me, I know.
Philippe
Message from England to Germany
Tony -
I think this is the press you mentioned. . .
> Well Ben things are looking good for England. I am not to bad off.
> I could offer you SWE for friendship to start with. As France only gets
> one build he is not to much of a worry for me. He has also indicated
> that he can still move anywhere.
Yes, we are still flexible.
> His one build will no doubt be in PAR. If need be I could then push BEL -
> PIC. Two army builds would give me some bargaining power with him.
> We could even still get the EGF on the road. He can still head south,
> you can still head north and I can still head east.
> I will just be a little cautious with France as he was ment to move on
the ENG ;-)
> and grab SPA with the army.
Yes. It's too bad he didn't go with *that* plan. ;o)
> Me and you knew what would happen around BEL/HOL. If france
> would have done what we discussed then that would have left me
> and you in an interesting position. Still its all part of the game so its
> nothing personal against England ;-)
If you were to tell me you took it personally, I would know for sure you
are a liar. :-)
> Now you are looking pretty good and GE or EFG can still hammer
> out all kind of deals.
> Speak soon.
Most flexible might be F LON. I really don't know why I'd build an army .
I'll be curious to see what some of the other powers - particularly Italy -
build & will take it from there.
What do you think?
Ben
Message from Turkey to England
Good to hear from you.
Have you heard anything about Austria's intentions? Italy claims he's
about to stab me, so I'm hoping for some confirmation either way.
jason
Message from Turkey to Italy
You really think Austria is gunning for me? Interesting, I figured he'd
want a bigger piece of Russia first.
jason
Message from Italy to Turkey
>
> You really think Austria is gunning for me? Interesting, I figured he'd
> want a bigger piece of Russia first.
He hasnt even bounced in Galacia during 01'
Does that look like someone who is goign to attack Galacia anytime soon.
Message from Turkey to Italy
He and Russia negotiated the no-bounce in Gal, but I agree that
supporting Bud instead of Ser is curious.
jason
Message from Germany to all
Yup, that was the press I was on about.
Well you are at a little crossroad. As we are sure France will be an army then there is no pending threat for you. Usually when playing England its always difficult to get the right amount of armies into play. Usually you need fleets to keep pace with GER fleet build.
This is not the situation in this game. Not only would an army build make me feel more comfortable ;-) but a move nwy - bar, yor - nwyand depending what happens after that edi - nwy sets you up firm in northern russia. Usually to get 2 armies up there is quite a challenge.
But if I were England at this point I too would go for a fleet, probably in EDI but maybe for the show in London ;-)
I will be playing safe and I will be considering all neighbours as hostile in the spring.
Depending on that outcome then anything can happen.
First we have to awit the interesting builds (Italy, Russia, France).
As for me, two armies it has to be. I dont see the point at this stage for a fleet in BER to go after Sweden. If we so decide then either of us can pick it up in the spring or leave it till fall.
It will be interesting to see what the realionship is between AIF.
Speak to you after the builds
Message from England to Germany
Tony -
> Subject: USTX:c2 - F1901B Broadcast from G
I don't see how it changes anything. But did you mean to broadcast this?
I'll respond later.
Ben
Message from England to Turkey
Jason -
> Have you heard anything about Austria's intentions? Italy claims he's
> about to stab me, so I'm hoping for some confirmation either way.
I've heard nothing. I would be surprised if he did, but he's surprised me
already this game. Does he really want to have irritated all three of his
closest neighbors?
I'll fish around & get back to you.
Ben
Message from Italy to Turkey
>
> He and Russia negotiated the no-bounce in Gal, but I agree that
> supporting Bud instead of Ser is curious.
What is the second biggest lie in Diplomacy.
*I wont go to Galacia*.
For 2 Turns. Noone has entered Galacia.
The Austrian is getting you sidetracked and involved with Russia, while he
sets you up for the fall in the fall.
He has demanded that I vacate Greece immediately. I told him I would see
what I could do.
The DMZs he is demanding from me would have me vacating Venice and almost
vacating Rome
He wants space to work on you, that is the only thing it can be.
Message from Italy to England
That press that Tony sent, that looks like he meant to send it elsewhere
and *accidentily* broadcast it. I a load of crap.
Kill him.
And just for the record, I still dont believe that the French dont want to
attack me, I am expecting Tyr - Ven with Austrian support and a fleet in
the Western Med.
Message from Observer to Observer
I just looked at the messages using:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/c2b/post
So I missed that the moves had processed.
Movement results for Fall of 1901. (c2.002)
Austria: Army Serbia SUPPORT Army Budapest -> Rumania.
Austria: Army Budapest -> Rumania.
Austria: Fleet Trieste SUPPORT Italian Army Apulia -> Venice. (*void*)
England: Army Yorkshire -> North Sea -> Holland. (*bounce*)
England: Fleet Norwegian Sea -> Norway.
England: Fleet North Sea CONVOY Army Yorkshire -> Holland.
France: Army Piedmont -> Tyrolia.
France: Army Gascony -> Burgundy.
France: Fleet Mid-Atlantic Ocean -> Spain (south coast).
Germany: Army Kiel -> Holland. (*bounce*)
Germany: Army Ruhr -> Belgium.
Germany: Fleet Denmark SUPPORT Russian Fleet Gulf of Bothnia -> Sweden.
Italy: Army Apulia -> Ionian Sea -> Greece.
Italy: Army Venice -> Trieste. (*bounce*)
Italy: Fleet Ionian Sea CONVOY Army Apulia -> Greece.
Russia: Army Moscow -> Sevastopol. (*bounce*)
Russia: Army Ukraine SUPPORT Fleet Sevastopol -> Rumania.
Russia: Fleet Sevastopol -> Rumania. (*bounce*)
Russia: Fleet Gulf of Bothnia -> Sweden.
Turkey: Army Bulgaria SUPPORT Austrian Army Budapest -> Rumania.
Turkey: Army Armenia -> Sevastopol. (*bounce*)
Turkey: Fleet Ankara -> Black Sea.
Ownership of supply centers:
Austria: Budapest, Rumania, Serbia, Trieste, Vienna.
England: Edinburgh, Liverpool, London, Norway.
France: Brest, Marseilles, Paris, Spain.
Germany: Belgium, Berlin, Denmark, Kiel, Munich.
Italy: Greece, Naples, Rome, Venice.
Russia: Moscow, Sevastopol, St Petersburg, Sweden, Warsaw.
Turkey: Ankara, Bulgaria, Constantinople, Smyrna.
Unowned: Holland, Portugal, Tunis.
Message from England to France and Italy
Andy -
I hope you do not mind me copying Erik here:
> That press that Tony sent, that looks like he meant to send
> it elsewhere and *accidentily* broadcast it. I a load of crap.
I agree. He suspects I'm working with Erik & is trying to split us.
I'm at work - will have more of a chance to write you each later.
Ben
Message from Russia to Germany
Tony,
Against my better judgement I have put in build A StP. I have set wait to
give me a chance to pain over it for an hour or two and maybe change my
mind again. If I do this, you had *better* come through on your promise of
support. If you support England against me, I will suicide against you.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to England
Ben,
I don't have much time but really wanted to get a message out to you.
(Well, actually I don't want to send this, but I feel compelled to).
Late yesterday Germany's press got much more desperate. At this point, he
is threatening to attack me directly (via Pru or Sil) if I build in War
instead of in StP. On the flip side, if I build in StP, he offers to help
me against AT (in addition to offering you support to Swe). His messages
have enough of a ring of truth that I believe that he is as desperate for
an ally in the north as I am in the south. Unfortunately I didn't have time
to check in with you about this yesterday (recall that Mon and Tues nights
I'm usually unavailable). While I tend to doubt the threat, I am hoping
that he would actually follow through with the support he's offered.
The result is that I would like to consider putting in an order to build A
StP (NOT F StP). I feel like a total shit raising this idea, but hopefully
you will take this message combined with my actually desperate situation as
evidence of my sincerity when I say I'm NOT interested in RG vs. E. Also,
if you check the timestamp on this you'll see it's earlier than any other
message I've sent you -- I got up early to allow me to send it and give you
a chance to respond.
The only purpose of A StP is to let Germany think I am on his side, which
may buy me some time against AT. I have two potential plans for A StP
should I build it, depending on how much risk you are willing to take. The
first is to just move StP-Lvn and set up a defense. This would be best for
you, but if Germany follows through on his "promised" to move a unit to
help me support War in return for A StP, he'd still be able to hurt me,
which I'm afraid he'll do in a suicide mode.
The second possibility is what I'd prefer, but a real risk for you. I could
take Germany's offer to cut support from Nth and evict you from Nwy. If you
move Nth-Hel and retreat to Ska, you could then take Swe and Nth in Fall
which sets you up for and attack on Den in 03. I would use Nwy to support
you to Swe, while moving StP-Lvn a season later. If France gets a
sufficiently advanced position (so he can tap Kie) you can actually attack
Den directly, and maybe I can get to hold Swe and get a build to help me in
the south.
The ONLY reason I am asking you to consider this is that I really need an
ally in the south that can help me break up AT. The real point is to get
Germany to work with me long enough to try to shake up the southern situation.
What's in it for you? Well, it's a lot riskier than me staying out of the
way, but the advantage is that if Germany really does assume that you are
under control, he may send units my way to help me. That would make your
attack on him in the Fall a complete surprise, and more effective. Is it
worth the risk? I don't know, it's hard for me to tell from my
Russia-centric viewpoint whether or not it's a stupid thing to even ask
this, but I can't see what else I can do. I will try to get AT fighting,
but it's going to take a season or two for anything to come to fruition.
I doubt that you are going to like this message, and it's hard for me to
tell from my Russia-centric viewpoint whether or not it's a stupid thing to
even ask. As I said, at a minimum, I can move StP-Lvn and take up a
defensive position. If I am being totally crazy, please point out the
errors of my ways, which I'm sure are legion.
I'm going to repeat that I absolutely hate that I feel driven to this
desperate move, but I really am desperate at this point. Again, I hope that
giving you a heads up -- which gives you a chance to change your builds if
you *really* don't like this message -- is evidence to my sincerity. I
should have a chance to see any response you send before the deadline hits.
--- Eric
P.S. I appreciate all the comments you made in the last several messages,
though I haven't had a chance to respond. I particularly appreciated your
comments about the Raiders not losing over the weekend. I hope we can keep
up these conversations even if this message leads you to decide you need to
side with Germany against me; they've been the most enjoyable element of
this game for me so far.
Message from Russia to Turkey
Jason,
I'm disappointed to have not heard from you after my last message.
I'm hoping Andy's move to Gre makes you think about taking on Austria.
Obviously, I cannot hope to hold out against a combined AT. If you are
willing to take Sev with your fleet, then I would be willing to use my
remaining units to help you attack Austria (initially by pressuring Ukr, if
I get there, cutting support in Gal, etc.) That means that I would not be
trying to retake Sev.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Italy
Andy,
I don't see an obvious way for us to cooperate directly at the moment. I
will certainly be moving north, unless AT break up. Don't get me wrong -- I
was very happy to see you take Gre. All I was saying was had I known it was
coming I would have bounced Bla, which would have given us both better
negotiating leverage with Turkey against Philippe.
The point was to get you thinking that in the future it might actually be
useful to coordinate planning, because there is still no incentive for me
to do anything that would inhibit you from successfully attacking AT.
What can I do (moves or negotiation) to help you be effective against one
or the other of them? Unless France makes a surprise move, I won't be
making any progress towards you on the board.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Austria
>Haven't had much time to get back to you, but I must say I didn't
>expect this one. I had assume that Andy took your suggestion as
>an indication to attack me.
Yes, I'm sure he didn't see the possibility on his own. :)
>I'm always open to cooperation with my neighbours and will
>accept all the help I can get to defend myself from Andy.
Well, if you are coming after me, it's in my best interests to see Andy
attack you. I'm not clear what I can do to convince you that working with
me is a good idea. The best I can say is that Jason knew A Gre was coming
and didn't tell you, so he's probably looking to use you for a quick build
in Sev, get your units embroiled against me, and then turn on you. If you
are worried about this (I would be in your case) the I'm hoping we can work
something out. For instance, you could take Bul (I doubt Jason will be
defending it) and Gre this year. I could complete my capture of Rum with a
fleet, and line up against Jason. You end up with a new build, and lots of
leverage over both me and Turkey.
It's largely dependent on how seriously you take the threat from Andy in
Gre, and his ability to influence Jason.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Russia
That message to England will probably seal my fate in this game. I am
really not sure it is a good move, but realistically I can't see how
England could leave an undefended F Swe alone if he's got no pressure from
Germany or me. And maybe it will buy me an ally in Tony. Given that I am
leaning (though very uncomfortably) towards A StP, I felt it is better to
give warning than to spring it as a complete surprise. I will soon know
whether that was the right call.
All in all, it is looking like a quick exit for me.
--- Eric
Message from England to Russia
Eric -
> I don't have much time but really wanted to get a message out to you.
> (Well, actually I don't want to send this, but I feel compelled to).
You did the right thing.
> Late yesterday Germany's press got much more desperate. At
> this point, he
> is threatening to attack me directly (via Pru or Sil) if I
> build in War
> instead of in StP. On the flip side, if I build in StP, he
> offers to help
> me against AT (in addition to offering you support to Swe).
> His messages
> have enough of a ring of truth that I believe that he is as
> desperate for
> an ally in the north as I am in the south. Unfortunately I
> didn't have time
> to check in with you about this yesterday (recall that Mon
> and Tues nights
> I'm usually unavailable). While I tend to doubt the threat, I
> am hoping
> that he would actually follow through with the support he's offered.
The chances of him following through with assistance to you are zero. He is desperate *to you* because he knows he may be in trouble from me. If you build in STP you will be destroyed by AT and he will never have to repay his debt to you. He is not worried about promises to you - particularly this one. Why would he keep his end of the bargain? Once you've done yours, GAL is lost and everything else soon after.
> The result is that I would like to consider putting in an
> order to build A
> StP (NOT F StP). I feel like a total shit raising this idea,
> but hopefully
> you will take this message combined with my actually
> desperate situation as
> evidence of my sincerity when I say I'm NOT interested in RG
> vs. E. Also,
> if you check the timestamp on this you'll see it's earlier
> than any other
> message I've sent you -- I got up early to allow me to send
> it and give you a chance to respond.
I believe you but I think you are getting set up.
> The only purpose of A StP is to let Germany think I am on his
> side, which
> may buy me some time against AT. I have two potential plans for A StP
> should I build it, depending on how much risk you are willing
> to take. The
> first is to just move StP-Lvn and set up a defense. This
> would be best for
> you, but if Germany follows through on his "promised" to move
> a unit to
> help me support War in return for A StP, he'd still be able
> to hurt me,
> which I'm afraid he'll do in a suicide mode.
Tony is much too slick to go into suicide mode. If you build a WAR, which I think is a *must*, the worst-case scenario for him is perfectly playable. You do not have to sell your soul to work with him - why would he suicide on account of A WAR?
> The second possibility is what I'd prefer, but a real risk
> for you. I could
> take Germany's offer to cut support from Nth and evict you
> from Nwy. If you
> move Nth-Hel and retreat to Ska, you could then take Swe and
> Nth in Fall
> which sets you up for and attack on Den in 03. I would use
> Nwy to support
> you to Swe, while moving StP-Lvn a season later. If France gets a
> sufficiently advanced position (so he can tap Kie) you can
> actually attack
> Den directly, and maybe I can get to hold Swe and get a build
> to help me in the south.
Let's table this discussion - I think it's premature.
> The ONLY reason I am asking you to consider this is that I
> really need an
> ally in the south that can help me break up AT. The real
> point is to get
> Germany to work with me long enough to try to shake up the
> southern situation.
He won't help you. If you build in STP he will never have to fear your retribution.
> What's in it for you? Well, it's a lot riskier than me
> staying out of the
> way, but the advantage is that if Germany really does assume
> that you are
> under control, he may send units my way to help me. That
> would make your
> attack on him in the Fall a complete surprise, and more
> effective. Is it
> worth the risk? I don't know, it's hard for me to tell from my
> Russia-centric viewpoint whether or not it's a stupid thing
> to even ask
> this, but I can't see what else I can do. I will try to get
> AT fighting,
> but it's going to take a season or two for anything to come
> to fruition.
I think it's bad for you. How will he help you defend WAR and SEV?
> I doubt that you are going to like this message, and it's
> hard for me to
> tell from my Russia-centric viewpoint whether or not it's a
> stupid thing to
> even ask. As I said, at a minimum, I can move StP-Lvn and take up a
> defensive position. If I am being totally crazy, please point out the
> errors of my ways, which I'm sure are legion.
I tried to point out what I see as the weaknesses. Tony says lots and he has a way with his tone - try to look at it from his point of view, too. Do you really think he'll suicide if you build in WAR? He didn't get this good by playing that badly. . .
> I'm going to repeat that I absolutely hate that I feel driven to this
> desperate move, but I really am desperate at this point.
> Again, I hope that
> giving you a heads up -- which gives you a chance to change
> your builds if
> you *really* don't like this message -- is evidence to my sincerity. I
> should have a chance to see any response you send before the
> deadline hits.
I hope you have time to reconsider. . .
Ben
Message from Russia to England
Sadly, as of now (about 20 minutes to 10:00AM my time) I haven't seen
anything from you, and am about to leave for three+ hours of
meetings. I'll expect to hear from you on my return whether the build
of A StP is simply a major problem for ER relations or spells the end
of them completely.
Yours,
--- Eric
Austria: BUILD Army Budapest
Austria: BUILD Army Vienna
England: BUILD Fleet London
France: BUILD Army Paris
Germany: BUILD Army Berlin
Germany: BUILD Army Munich
Italy: BUILD Fleet Naples
Russia: BUILD Army St Petersburg
Turkey: BUILD Army Constantinople
Centers
Austria: 5
England: 4
France: 4
Germany: 5
Italy: 4
Russia: 5
Turkey: 4
|