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England: Removes 1 unit
France: Builds 2 units
Germany: Builds 1 unit
Italy: Builds 1 unit
Russia: Builds 2 units
Turkey: Builds 1 unit
Message from Germany to Russia
Well it looks like England decided to attack you with my support (something I forgot to give...oops).
I hope you manage to build a fleet in STP(NC). Nice going out east.
Message from Germany to England
Sorry Ben. I got spooked by you and France asking me to cut support from Sweden.
I found it very suspicious that you should both ask for the same thing within minutes of each other.
It was just to much of a coincidence, the two of you are still working together, until that is broken I have to stay with Russia.
Message from Germany to France
Well it looks like Russia is turning into a big bear, am I the only one attacking England or will you be joining in.
Message from Germany to England
And also with both of you asking for me to move to Sweden I forsaw ska - den supported by nth.
Russia clearly indicated that he wouldnt be supporting me and needed to selfsupport himself.
Our moves would have worked but as I stated EF are still working to close together.
Your moves also indicated such, I was hoping to see lon - eng. The move to the NTH would have only meant my downfall.
Message from Germany to England
I would be considering lon - eng supported by nth followed by a convoy of yor - bel in the fall.
I cant consider working with you until I see some firm commitment against France, obviously the same applies for him against you. In fact if you would have gone to ENG last turn then BEL would have been yours in the spring. It can still be done, but it will mean LON - ENG in the spring.
Message from Germany to France
Well looks like the Italian is finally shaping up to come your way. I hope you join me against England.
You dont want to be tied down in Germany. I can last a long time with 4 armies.
Message from Germany to Russia
If I see the fleet in STP(NC) then I would be willing to support you to SKA (if he doesnt disband it). You could even move NWY back and get the fleet from STP into NWY.
Message from Italy to Russia
Eric,
What did you say to me a season ago....
*How can we work together if I dont know what you are doing*
Well, you knew what I was doing and you screwed me.
You didnt need that build. You were already building. And instead all you
have to do is tap Budapest and you guarantee me Serbia...
So...help me out here, how are we working together again??
I just want to hear it...in your words...
Andy
Message from Italy to Russia
And I would appreciate it if you would pull the fleet in Picardy.
Message from Italy to Russia
Sorry about that...wrong game.
Message from Russia to Italy
Oh well,
I'm up at 5:00am because I wanted to undo my moves in the south. Fat lot of
comfort that will give you, but I'm not happy with the move either.
What it comes down to is that I just didn't trust Jason to hold Rum. First
he asked me to tap Rum so that he could get support you to Ser but you
wouldn't get it. Then later -- after I balked at tapping Rum -- he claimed
that he was going to get you to Ser but build F Smy and attack you. That
didn't make sense either -- why would he help you to a center if he was
abbout to attack you.
I pointedly asked him about how we would avoid RT fighting, and expressed
concerns that he would build F Ank and come after me. His response was to
say that he wanted you to have Ser and that you agreed to give him Gre, and
that was fine with him. Not comforting, and I kind of panicked (I know, you
think I'm a good player, but that's only secondhand information). So I
entered the anti-T moves and went to bed. The fact that they hurt you were
an unfortunate side effect. The fact that I hit Jason with a fleet was
probably dumb too -- it gives Philippe a lot more space than I intended.
So, in short, I realize that I screwed you with my moves. They made sense
when I entered them, but they look dumb now.
I'm going back to bed, but I'll look for your response later.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Turkey
Hey Jason,
I know you're not happy with my move. I'm not either. I got up at 5am to
change them, but the moves had already processed.
FWIW, I really was worried about the possibility that you were planning to
come against me. I said that pretty clearly in my last messages. When you
responded by explaining how you were going to work with Andy for the next
three seasons, the support you promised me for getting you Rum just
disappeared without comment, and you wouldn't address how RT cooperation
might take place going forward, I kind of panicked. I truly didn't want to
fight you, and was trying to make clear how we could make a win-win for us
(in particular, Rum-Ser, Bul S Rum-Ser) I would have tapped Bud to make it
happen), but you seemed intent on moves that kept me without longer term
issues.
So that's my reasoning for the moves.
FWIW, I had changed my mind and am only up now (I checked the results at
5am local time, and I am NOT a morning person) because I had seen that the
moves were late last night, and I thought I could change them. But it's too
late for that now. So we're left with this mess.
I'm going back to bed, but wanted to drop a line first.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Italy
Not back in bed yet.
Clearly I was not primarily focused on helping you, I was just trying to
defend my own position.
As noted, I didn't want the build. I wanted to make sure Jason did not have
A Rum, F BLa and a build while he was sounding anti-Russian. A better move
would have been to either take it with the Army (so I could support you to
Ser next season) or just let it go through and hope that you kept Jason in
line.
So I agree with you that I screwed up. It just that my acknowledgement and
apology doesn't help the board position much.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Russia
FWIW, I am up at 5am (i's more like 6 now) for the reasons advertised to I
and T. I shouldn't have hit Rum and wanted to undo that move in the hopes
that Erik was still late. Too bad it took sleeping past the deadline to
realize the silliness.
Now in addition to pissing off I and T, I'm also the leader, but am
encouraged to do the ever dangerous two fleet Russian builds, which only
invites Philippe to come after me too. I imagine you folks have already
commented on this ("I can't believe he's really thinking of doing that!")
but there you have it.
I still don't understand why I like this game. Nowhere else in my life do I
get as much anguish out of pretending to harm complete strangers in a
fantasy environment than I do in Dip.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Italy
If it isn't clear, the first of my messages came before getting your
message. The second was sent after seeing your.
Okay, I'm really going to bed now.
--- Eric
Message from Italy to Russia
Eric,
>
> Clearly I was not primarily focused on helping you, I was just trying to
> defend my own position.
Clearly...:-)
Your second statement makes no sense though, you werent threatened by
anyone. At least no threat you couldnt rebuff.
> As noted, I didn't want the build. I wanted to make sure Jason did not have
> A Rum, F BLa and a build while he was sounding anti-Russian. A better move
> would have been to either take it with the Army (so I could support you to
> Ser next season) or just let it go through and hope that you kept Jason in
> line.
Well, the plan was to get my two builds and hem him in. I cant do that
with just one build and Austria dying to attack me.
> So I agree with you that I screwed up. It just that my acknowledgement and
> apology doesn't help the board position much.
Very true.
What can we do to fix it.
Message from Russia to England
How about that Tony? Lied to both of us, we both knew he was lying to us,
and he still surprised us both. When he told me that he offered to support
Ska-Swe and you refused it, I was sure that Swe was going down.
You are in a tough position, and it's clear you're going to need to think
about how much you trust Erik and me when choosing your disband and forward
path. While I wish you had hit Tony (I know, not as much as you), what I
said about not being upset about you attacking me still holds.
Anyway, I really need to get to bed. Long deadline, more later.
--- Eric
Message from Austria to France
Erik,
Good moves, but be warry of Andy. His relation with
Jason is very strong and if he decide to move against
you, it will be difficult for me to help you.
Good luck,
Philippe
Message from Austria to England
> I would appreciate it if you would keep this morsel between us. The image
> of an RT is very helpful to me right now. Thank you for the excellent
> insight.
I didn't tell anyone, but it seem other did. I guess
you expected Tony to support you in Sweden?
Regards,
Philippe
Message from Austria to Russia
Hi Eric,
So, how's the discussion with Jason going? Anyway,
with two fleets in the south, it shouldn't be to secure
the Black Sea.
Regards,
Philippe
Message from Austria to Turkey
Hi Jason,
I try real hard to work with you since the start of the
game, and failed miserably. If there's anything that
could change that, do let me know because I ran out
of idea.
Hopefully, you will use this opportunity to build
yourself a fleet since the Med. is going to be full of
them soon.
Regards,
Philippe
Message from England to France
Erik -
Well, in a big surprise, Tony lied to me again. . . As I see it, we should
still be ok, as I am inclined to believe I will get Russian help against
Germany now. What harm am I, after all, and Tony has grown too much & been
lying his butt off to everyone, as far as I can tell.
F MAR and A PAR? I'm not sure why you would want to build F BRE, but if
you have reasons, let me know, so I can discourage you. ;o)
Ben
Message from England to Russia
Eric -
> How about that Tony? Lied to both of us, we both knew he was lying to us,
> and he still surprised us both. When he told me that he offered to support
> Ska-Swe and you refused it, I was sure that Swe was going down.
I made a mistake not switching to an attack against DEN, which I almost did
last night after our correspondence yesterday. Looking back on it I'm not
sure why I didn't. . .
Anyway our position is good against Germany and you are clearly engaged in
the south again.
No doubt you are building F SEV - what are your thoughts for your second
build?
Ben
Message from England to all
Greetings all. I will be travelling through Friday - maybe Saturday - and
will correspond as much as I can.
Ben
Message from Germany to all
Hahahahahaha I hope none of you are observers to the PINNACLE VGFP 2002-2004
tournament via yahoo groups.
I posted my password, moves and press to the user group. Thanks to Doug for
pointing that out.
Message from Russia to Austria
Hi Philippe,
Well, I wasn't able to get Jason to change his mind, so just went with the
brute force method. I thought there was a good chance that he would break
with Andy, but apparently I was wrong. I think you can see that if there
wasn't an IT before, there will be now.
I have no idea how negotiations will go prior to the builds. I told you from
early on that I'm interested in an AR, and I've been honest about each of my
moves with you (even the move that lost you Rum in the first place). I'm
hoping that counts with you when you look at the new board arrangement that
provides you so many more options than you had before.
Unfortunately, things are not easily laid out for an AR vs IT, because
there's a logjam around Bul. There's a decent chance that we could have
fleets bouncing in Bla and armies bouncing in Bul for some time to come.
My early thought is that we could each try to appeal to Andy for help. If I
push RI and you push AI, then perhaps he could be persuaded to take Bul and
move on Turkey (perhaps even with both of us offering him support for the
move). That seems like a big risk for me, because you could really go for an
AI, whereas I've already put a big damper on RI.
Depending on how Jason reacts, there might be other options. Certainly you
could pursue AT. If you could get Bul moving, or perhaps if you offered to
support Con-Bla-Rum, that would allow one of us to take Bul even without
Andy's help.
What's your take on things?
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Germany
Tony,
I don't see the reply I thought I sent you earlier this AM.
Odd about that forgotten support with Ben. :) I think perhaps it ended up in
another game I'm in. (I expect that at least one player in that other game is
following the press from this game, so that's really a joke for the
observers). All in all, I'm happy with the way both moves turned out.
F Stp/nc seems a reasonable choice. What are you looking to build and how
would you move forward? I can see you supporting me to Ska, but are you going
to get enough position on France that way?
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Russia
I may be overestimating observer interest in these matters, but had I gotten
the chance to change my orders, I was considering Ukr-Rum. That would still
allow me to put pressure on Austria, which would have made the "I was
spooked, but still want to work with you" discussion with Jason much more
plausible.
I'll be interested to hear responses. I could imagine going a route where I
leave Sev open and build A Mos or A War, then order Rum-Sev, Gal/Ukr-Rum,
War/Mos-Gal/Ukr, but only if I'm pretty sure Jason can be brought back on
side.
I not so sure that attacking Jason was a bad call, all of the warning signs
that he was ready to attack me were there. I'm just unhappy that I used the
fleet. I think I may have had the thought that Austria was going to build,
and so was showing more deference than necessary.
Oh well, I came into the game saying I should try to be more aggressive than
I like. I guess I'm doing that so far.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Italy
> [paraphrase] those two statements don't make sense. There was no attack
> that you couldn't have rebuffed.
If they made lots of sense then I wouldn't be compaining that my moves were
bad. It was basically a misorder because it came so late. I was just
explaining where it came from, not that it made sense.
> [paraphrase] how do we fix it?
Well, I've set up a situation where either I give up my gains or press
against T. If I press the attack, you could shift your focus to Turkey
(temporarily), you should be able to pick up easy gains since I'd be pinning
him. I think a true AR vs IT which could get bogged down easily, but if we do
some moves that make those look to be the case, maybe we could get you into
Bul or me into Bud/Rum, at which point we've got the initiative back is
pretty much stuck. I could also see you considering AI. While I don't like
the idea that AI might encourage Philippe to attack me overland (I imagine
AIR vs. T would be a hard sell), if you could get him to take Bul, then
Philippe's be in no position to support all of his centers.
Basically, the good news for you is that I am now probably everyone's
lightning rod down here. That more than anything is why I think that was a
bad move on my part. Much better to have you get all of the builds and have
everyone screaming about you, both because you're not me :) and because we'd
be better positioned.
--- Eric
Message from Germany to Russia
Hi Eric,
>>I don't see the reply I thought I sent you earlier this AM.>>
Me neither, this is the first one I have seen. Mind you I did receive a
message I sent yesterday. I received it long after the
moves processed yet it was sent in plenty of time. We will have to take that
into the equation.
Well my Fleet in Denmark doesn't have much else to do. If England keeps his
fleet there (which I suspect) then I may as well support you to SKA. If he
removes it then we can look at meaningful moves for Denmark. I can't really
use it in an attack on France just yet. I am happy to watch you grow into
the NWG and convoy to England.
As for my build, it will be an army in BER. As long as I don't have to much
hassle from England then I can hold back the Frog. Italy will no doubt be
building an army in ROM...
Good to see I was correct on the GRE - SER supported by BUL move. Not really
surprised to see you move on RUM ;-)
Interesting developments out east. As you could see from the English moves
he is still taking long hot showers with France. In return for my support he
was meant to move on ENG. France was meant to go to IRI. How the world turns
hey. They are still a force to be reckoned with, I hope you do build in
STP(NC). Tally ho, tea and crumpets in London by 1905.
Message from Germany to Austria
Enjoying yourself down there, it seems like fun. Wish I was there.
Message from Germany to Italy
Interesting little war going on down there.
Message from Germany to Germany
Hahahahaha, I guess you guys/girls (if any of you are actually out there)
missed out on one press unless you are also signed up for the VGFP 2002-2004
tournament in yahoo groups.
Apparently I sent press to the yahoo user-group by mistake, this included my
password, moves and press.
Thank you to Doug for pointing it out.
Well I guessed right regarding England and France. I really messed up when I
lost Munich when I could have so easily kept it. I am putting my money on
England disbanding YOR.
For now, and for as long as the Russian will put up with me we are destined
to work together.
Lying continuously to England (and France) as they do me ;-) doesnt seem to
be helping any of us. I hope one of them crack soon. The developments in the
east are interesting to say the least. Italy should be building an army in
ROM.
The AI relationship seems a little difficult now. Maybe IRT will start to
carve Austria up.
Message from Turkey to Austria
I appreciate that you've been trying to work something out. AT is just
hard to do in the long run. It's not over for anyone yet, though.
jason
Message from Turkey to Italy
Well, Russia claims he panicked, and Austria is giving me his sad story
once again.
Not sure what to do here. France has two builds, and is breathing down
your neck. Russia has two builds, and might decide I'm too much trouble.
Germany's in no position to counter anyone.
I'm going for a fleet this turn, not to go against you, but mostly
because an army will only freak Russia out completely.
jason
Message from France to Germany
Tony:
My apologies. I had some last-minute information that seemed to indicate
that England was going to recover Norway and not have to disband. Given
that, I thought it best to go for the additional build and do everything
possible to encourage England to move out of a position where he could
defend against me.
In any case, I don't think we're in terribly bad shape. I have two builds
coming, one of which I think I can manage to place in Brest with Ben's
consent, especially given the support England will need against Russia
soon. I'm hoping to get A Yor or F Lon disbanded, and had I moved to Eng
or Iri, that probably wouldn't have happened.
So, F Bre and F Mar. That gives Andy something to consider as he decides
whether he wants to start venturing West, and gives me F Bre - Eng and
Por - Mao. I'm then in a position to help you into Nth and continue on to
Lvp the following year.
Make sense? Meanwhile, you can, ideally, begin preparing to deal with
Russia, because once Austria's dispatched, he'll be looking your way.
Erik
Message from France to England
Ben:
Okay, so trusting Tony was a little naive of us. At least I got Belgium,
which keeps him toned down a notch.
Not sure where you should head now. You need to take a center back, sure;
maybe it's worth trying for Holland or Denmark instead. I'm sure Russia
would help you move Ska - Den; the last thing he wants is EG cooperation.
The only reason for F Bre is to build fleets to deal with Andy without
alarming him immediately; F Mar is a little troubling for him, whereas F
Bre - Mao, Por - Spa (sc) achieves almost the same position but with less
initial threat to him.
Erik
Message from France to Russia
Eric:
That turned out rather well. Tony just killed any chance he might have
had of working with England; Ben is unlikely to trust him at all for a
while. They remain divided. Meanwhile, I've picked up two builds,
including Bel. I'd say we're looking pretty.
I am trying to convince Ben of the necessity of building F Bre. We'll
see. In any case, it may be time for you to meddle in Den. What's on your
build plan this turn?
Erik
Message from Austria to Turkey
> I appreciate that you've been trying to work something out. AT is just
> hard to do in the long run. It's not over for anyone yet, though.
In case you don't know, were as an AT is hard to work out,
an IT is nearly impossible. To be safe, Italy need to maintain
as big a navy as those from France & Turkey require of him,
while possessing the armies necessary to make gains further
inland; but for Turkey to be safe, he need to be in control of
the sea spaces surrounding his empire.
Basically, alliance between land power & sea power are
more stable then alliance of the same type. You can pretend
all you want that Italy or Turkey can become a land power,
but doing so when your homeland consist of coastal sc mean
that you expose yourself to a massive stab whenever your
ally feel like it.
More then that, even if you could take over all of the Balkans,
Austria & Russia for yourself, it would still leave you with 14
sc. Since the Med. is easy to blocked and hard to progress
through at best of time, your current strategy would never
allow you to secure a solo victory, so I would suggest trying
to insure you last long enough to be part of a draw instead
of rushing to your death.
Regards,
Philippe.
P.-S. Since I thought you didn't trust me, I suggested going
with Russia instead, God knows that it would be preferable
to working with Italy; but your safest bet, if you ever feel
like it, is to work with me.
Message from Italy to Turkey
> Well, Russia claims he panicked, and Austria is giving me his sad story
> once again.
You know that is crap.
> Not sure what to do here. France has two builds, and is breathing down
> your neck. Russia has two builds, and might decide I'm too much trouble.
> Germany's in no position to counter anyone.
I would suggest defending yourself. AR is coming. I will hinder A as much
as I can.
> I'm going for a fleet this turn, not to go against you, but mostly
> because an army will only freak Russia out completely.
I dont recommend it. But its your call
Message from Observer to Observer
There you go. England's breaking. Tony is being very shrewd. Lucky for Ben
that Erik decided to leave IRI free, but F BRE, F STP/NC and he is dead.
Oscar
Message from Austria to Russia
Hi Eric,
As far as I'm concerned, Jason's a lost cause and Andy is
gunning for me so much that I can't trust him, so I'm happy
to see you're someone that I can work with.
Regarding that logjam, I would simply count on Andy's
position to force his hand. While the situation is blocked
in the southeast, you can pursue your expansion in the
north while Andy risk getting attacked by France. Because
of this, if Jason build the fleet in Ank that would allow him
to resist you, I wouldn't be surprise to see Andy stab him
to keep the game moving in the east and get the build he
will need to resist the eventual invasion from France.
Philippe
Message from Russia to France
Erik,
Sorry, I've been sketchy about sending press the last two days. I should have
written you sooner. In case you didn't look at it closely, I hope you
appreciate my moves in the east. I think you are the person who most benefits
from that, in that Andy does not get the two builds he expected and really
wanted to allow him to come after you. That move pissed off both Andy and
Jason, so I thought you might be willing to throw some props my way. :)
Really, I wanted to point it out to make it clear that I'm serious about FR
cooperation.
As to builds, well, if you think you have a hard time convincing Ben about F
Bre, what do you think my chances are of convincing him of StP/nc? :) I think
that given his size, I'd like to work with you two to continue to hit Tony,
and I'm assuming that still works for you. Now that England is smaller, I
have fewer long term concerns. Once Tony is handled, we can pinch out Ben and
both move south.
What I like about StP/nc is it can get to Swe as fast as /sc, but it's much
less threatening to Tony. But I can't imagine how I could put it out there
and not become a lightning rod for his (Ben's) fleets. Right now, Tony is the
last one to stab him, and I'd like to believe that puts me more on Ben's good
side than Tony is; I'd hate to lose that good will by trying to be too
clever.
So we'll see. What's your take on the menu? I think beer and bratwurst sounds
better than fish and chips, but I'd like to take your tastes into account as
well. :)
Thoughts?
--- Eric
Message from Observer to Observer
OK, about time I threw in some random ill-conceived musings on the game.
I'll leave power rankings and the like to Greg, so just some thoughts on
each power...
Austria:
Position still not great, but RA is more of a possibility now than a season
or two ago. Is starting to let his frustration with Jason's intransigence
and 'uncomplicated' view of the world show through. Looking back, may feel
that his fairly uncompromising negotiation position with Italy in 1901
caused him more prblems than it solved, though if I was Austria and had Andy
B playing Italy next to me, I would probably take the same approach.
Normally the mutual threat of all encompassing holy war between IA while RT
enjoy themselves is sufficient to ensure a neutral (at least) IA
relationship, but in this case Andy's ambition perhaps was too strong.
Having said that, if he can keep Russia on his side for a season or two
longer, then he has better prospects (since by definition that is likely to
result in problems for Turkey). But the likely second Italian army will give
him problems.
Turkey:
Jason seems to be taking an overly simple view of the world. Whilst his
switching of sides hardly marks him out as a game-long alliance player, he
has pre-conceived views about which alliances can work and which can't, and
doesn't seem too willing to work things through in a particular game
situation. (He seems fairly set on the fact that AT is a non-starter, which
makes the fact that he initially went with that plan in 1901 all the more
strange). Philippe's recent messages to him have offered an opportunity to
rectify the situation, but he isn't taking advantage of this. Seems to me
that it is essential for him to build F Ank - if he believes what Russia is
teling him, maybe it's unnecessary, but if Russia does build a southern
fleet and Jason builds F Smy or similar, he's got big problems. Andy may
well be able to make progress against Austria with or without Jason's help,
so Jason should be arguing strongly for Turkey to capture Ser. Trouble is,
as he's doing that, he may find a Russian unit or two sliding into Ank.
Italy:
My suspicion is that Andy may have come into this game with pre-conceived
intentions about how he will play. Maybe that's a little unfair, but his
repeated attacks on Austria seem to indicate that he sees his only route to
victory as including an early bath for Philippe. Feel free to shoot me down
on this one. Suspect some of the problem between him and Philippe is a clash
of press styles, Andy's abrupt FtF style certainly has the potential to irk
other players who prefer more detailed press, and vice versa. I think Andy
may well be working on the basis that he can deal with Jason as and when he
needs to (particularly whilst Jason neglects to build Med fleets). Much of
his press to EF has concerned trying to get them to eliminate Turkey, and
early on he seemed to have Tony and Philippe pegged as major threats to him.
Perhaps the approach is therefore to try and use diplomatic means to
emasculate Tony, whilst he concentrates on ensuring that Philippe in Austria
does not trouble him by more direct means.
Russia:
Obviously doing well, especially considering how he was attacked straight
off the bat by AT in 1901. Seems to be establishing an excellent cross-board
relationship with Erik, which could be crucial in a season or two when the
hammer may fall on EG. Needs to pick his next victim carefully - encouraging
France to move on England as he helps England to attack Germany could be a
good ploy, especially as his relationship with Ben seems to be improving
again. Early Leader Syndrome shouldn't strike here, simply because the
likelihood of AT co-operation seems to be low at present. Plenty of options
for expansion towards 18, through a combination of England, Germany, Austria
and Turkey. Building in StP and Sev would be fun, and gives plenty of optons
for attacking England or Germany. Personally I quite like Stp-Nwy, Nwy-Swe,
Swe-BAL, Gal-Sil - especially if France joins in on the assault on Germany.
To allow these moves could well require the removal of F Ska, though, which
is unlikely.
England:
Perhaps a little unfortunate to be in his current position, though to be
duped two seasons in a row could be seen to be careless (to paraphrase Oscar
Wilde). In hindsight, should probably have worked much more closely with
Erik this season against Germany, but I can see the logic of the moves he
followed. Is now heavily dependent on continued peace with France over the
coming seasons if he is to survive. Could probably do with Andy sending a
fleet or two west to keep Erik from sending a fleet or two into IRI or NAO.
Best bet now is probably to work with Erik and Eric to attack Tony, but
leaves himself very vulnerable to an FR pincer attack. Remove F Lon would
probably be my option, and hope to either convoy Yor to Holland or use Nth
and Ska (with Russian assistance) to capture Den. Extremely vulnerable to a
French stab, and if it comes, has probably had it unless Germany and Russia
both lay off him.
Germany:
Don't know what to make of Tony. He has deceived somebody different every
season so far (some twice!), but doesn't seem to have suffered for it, and
therefore I guess he has to be given credit for maintaining his position.
Needs to work on getting Erik to turn north soon, but may have some success
in doing so, especially if Erik can negotiate a build of F Bre with Ben.
Having said that, the most dangerous partnership on the board at the moment
appears to be FR, and he is sat directly between them. Is spending less time
on his relationship with Austria than I might expect, given the conventional
wisdom that a strong Austria is good for Germany.
France:
In my view, has the best current position diplomatically, in that the only
nation he has really attacked is Germany, and he hasn't been forced to tell
a major lie at any stage. Everyone wants to be his friend (aart perhaps from
Andy, who is involved elsewhere and therefore is just interested in
neutrality). As with Russia, plenty of options for further expansion. F Bre
and A Par/Mar seem his best builds, allowing flexibility to go against E, G
or I. His occasional periods of silence cause concern to his neighbours, but
he seems to be able to rescue those situations so far.
So there are my musings. Probably complete rubbish, and I fully expect the
forthcoming builds and press to disprove everything above, not to mention
the learned wisdom of my fellow commentators.
Fire away ...
Alastair
Message from England to France
Erik -
I made a big mistake not attacking DEN. Still I am hopeful for Russian cooperation.
As you say he does not want EG cooperation, and I am sure he does not want Tony to
grow any more.
So I will reach out to him - already underway.
Your moves have been exclusively anti-Germany. Andy can live with a F MAR; hold it
back if you like. I can write him of your defensive intentions, if you like.
Ben
Message from England to all
Ok, I have *occasional* access - maybe about once per day, evenings my
time, for short periods, while I'm away.
I'll be up to full speed over the weekend.
Ben
Message from England to Germany
Tony -
Sorry for not getting back sooner - I ended up leaving in a big rush.
I may have done the same thing as you did, in your shoes. The fact
is, our plan did not have on its face a big enought benefit for
Germany, and you wanted to retake MUN.
Next time we work something out, I will try to keep out a better eye
for your own interests, & I will count on you complying if the deal is
indeed, good enough for the deserving German people.
Ben
Message from England to Austria
Philippe -
I do not have your note in front of me, though as I recall you
sent me a nice one.
Yes things could be better for me. A great deal will depend on
Russia - if Eric wants to work with me then, despite my small
size, I will be on good terms with F and R, most importantly.
Assuming I am on good terms with F.
Anyway, good for you; RT conflict is surely not a bad thing for
Austria. . .
Ben
Message from England to Italy
Andy -
Eric screwed me in 02. Still if you can help repair that bridge, I
think Eric wants to see me attack Tony & I will comply, if Eric will
assist me, instead of taking my dots.
What do you think
and
What can you do to help.
Thanks.
Ben
Message from Italy to France
Erik...
That wasnt nice.
England says you screwed him. But is still willing to work with you
against Tony.
Go make nice with him. Please
Thanks
Andy
Bones Heal
Chicks Dig Scars
Pain is Temporary
Glory is Forever
- Rugby Proverb
Message from Italy to England
> Andy -
> Eric screwed me in 02. Still if you can help repair that bridge, I
> think Eric wants to see me attack Tony & I will comply, if Eric will
> assist me, instead of taking my dots.
Im working on it.
I want to see how he responds to my note.
Message from Russia to Austria
Philippe,
It sounds like we see things similarly; I also think that Andy won't be
able to pass up Turkey if Jason is deployed against me. That's why I
suggested seeing if we can get Andy to attack him (or support an attack on
him) in Bul. Jason was way too firmly under Andy's influence for my liking.
I just wanted to make sure you see you know I'm very happy to help you take
on Andy, and focus north for my growth, so you don't get tempted to listen
too closely to Andy when he talks AI talk.
--- Eric
Message from Turkey to Turkey
Sigh. What a total mess.
I thought AT would work great to get me a couple of Russian centers.
Junk. Then, I thought running the RT would work well. Crap. Now what do
I have? IT? Sheesh. AT is hard enough to run in the long run. IT is even
worse, as Austria says.
I want to build F Smy to try and keep a balanced force, but if I do face
AR, which is certainly likely, that's almost useless except to defend
Bul. A Ank could always convoy to Sev, but Russia's likely to block that
one. Of course, AIR is always a possibility.
If Russia does build in Sev, he's coming after me. A War means AG. StP
is England. We'll see what combination he chooses.
jason
Message from Turkey to Italy
So, do you think A Ank or F Ank makes more sense?
Obviously, I could use a support in Bul as well, if you could.
jason
Message from Germany to England
I bet France is pushing for a disband of the army or of the fleet in London.
You are at a crossroads once again.
If the fleet in SKA is removed then I will start to believe that EG can have a meaningful and mutual benificial relationship.
Message from Italy to Turkey
> So, do you think A Ank or F Ank makes more sense?
> Obviously, I could use a support in Bul as well, if you could.
>
You have my support, and I would build an army, its a bigger threat to
Russia.
Message from France to Italy
Andy:
> Erik...
>
> That wasnt nice.
Taking Belgium wasn't nice? Taking Portugal wasn't nice? What? Is there a
Portugese player that I don't know about?
> England says you screwed him. But is still willing to work with you
> against Tony.
I'm not sure how. I certainly haven't screwed him as far as I can tell. In
fact, I put a lot of effort into trying to get Norway back to his control.
If I screwed anyone in the process, it was Tony, but I've been messing
with him all game.
So where did you reach these, uh, conclusions?
> Go make nice with him. Please
>
Just a reminder, Andy: this is c2, the comments game. You must be playing
in multiple games and getting confused, because your comments to me aren't
really reflective of any reality I can see.
Of course, maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture. In that case, I'd love
to be filled in.
Erik
Message from Italy to France
> >
> > That wasnt nice.
>
> Taking Belgium wasn't nice? Taking Portugal wasn't nice? What? Is there a
> Portugese player that I don't know about?
>
I think they were both very nice.
> > England says you screwed him. But is still willing to work with you
> > against Tony.
>
> I'm not sure how. I certainly haven't screwed him as far as I can tell. In
> fact, I put a lot of effort into trying to get Norway back to his control.
> If I screwed anyone in the process, it was Tony, but I've been messing
> with him all game.
>
> So where did you reach these, uh, conclusions?
>
From the press the English sent me asking me to mediate getting you two
back on the same page.
His words were....France screwed me in 02', but I still want to work with
him.
> > Go make nice with him. Please
>
> Just a reminder, Andy: this is c2, the comments game. You must be playing
> in multiple games and getting confused, because your comments to me aren't
> really reflective of any reality I can see.
>
> Of course, maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture. In that case, I'd love
> to be filled in.
Im not confusing anything, I am just passing on the request of the
English.
You should talk to him.
Andy
Message from Italy to Russia
Eric...
So what is the plan.
Message from France to England
>
> Erik -
> I made a big mistake not attacking DEN. Still I am hopeful for Russian
> cooperation.
True. Last turn could have gone better all around, I think, despite my
gains in Belgium. Actually taking Munich sort of threw me for a loop, and
the Russian's wacky set of moves really kind of derailed your efforts.
>
> Your moves have been exclusively anti-Germany. Andy can live with a F
> MAR; hold it
> back if you like. I can write him of your defensive intentions, if you
> like.
>
I suppose you're right. Speaking of Andy, he's been sending me messages
urging me to "make nice" with you, and claims that you've been claiming to
him that I somehow screwed you in '02. What's the story with that?
Erik
Message from Russia to Italy
I thought I sent you a long-ish note yesterday or the day before.
In any case, I had asked you much the same thing. Clearly after the move I'm
in a position to press Jason. You could take advantage of that (with or
without trying to get Philippe's help) to pick up a quick build or two -- if
he builds F Ank, which is likely, he's open in Smy, especially if you force
Bul to disband. That would give us enough to pressure Philippe while still
letting you head west.
That seems like the best bet currently for IR cooperation, given that Jason
hasn't sent me any press (thus I assume we're at all-out war). I don't like
it, but as noted earlier I kind of dictated that with my move.
Alternately, you could see if Jason will still help you against Philippe
(whether or not he is coming after me) and try for Ser again. That might be
successful in the Spring, and depending on how the Spring moves go I should
be able to help ensure it come Fall.
--- Eric
Message from Observer to Observer
Seems that the Eric/Erik nomenclature has got on top of Andy (and maybe Ben)
....
Message from England to Italy:
***
Eric screwed me in 02. Still if you can help repair that bridge, I
think Eric wants to see me attack Tony & I will comply, if Eric will
assist me, instead of taking my dots.
***
I think Ben means that Russia screwed him in 02. It's probable that he means
Eric in Russia throughout the message, although the very final phrase could
also apply to Erik in France.
Messages between Italy and France ...:
***
I: England says you screwed him. But is still willing to work with you
against Tony.
F: I'm not sure how. I certainly haven't screwed him as far as I can tell.
In fact, I put a lot of effort into trying to get Norway back to his
control. If I screwed anyone in the process, it was Tony, but I've been
messing with him all game. So where did you reach these, uh, conclusions?
I: From the press the English sent me asking me to mediate getting you two
back on the same page. His words were....France screwed me in 02', but I
still want to work with him.
***
Unfortunately, Andy has misconstrued Ben's message to mean that France
screwed England. As Erik's final response indicated, his comments don't
really mirror the board position.
I can't believe that Andy is deliberately doing this, EF conflict isn't
really what he has been driving for all game. Indeed, it's probably his
desire to help keep the EF relationship strong that saw him dive straght in
with things.
This is perhaps one of those situations that wouldn't have arisen so easily
in gunboat ...
Alastair
Message from Italy to Russia
> I thought I sent you a long-ish note yesterday or the day before.
>
> In any case, I had asked you much the same thing. Clearly after the move I'm
> in a position to press Jason. You could take advantage of that (with or
> without trying to get Philippe's help) to pick up a quick build or two -- if
> he builds F Ank, which is likely, he's open in Smy, especially if you force
> Bul to disband. That would give us enough to pressure Philippe while still
> letting you head west.
I think I have an idea....but I need your help.
Can you tap Budapest in the spring?
Message from Italy to Turkey
Jason....definitely ....build the Fleet in Ankara,
I have a plan....it gets me SErbia in the spring and you Rum (and maybe
SEV) in the fall
Andy
Message from Russia to Turkey
Jason,
Following up on my last message. I haven't heard from you since the moves and
don't know if it's due to you being too busy or if you're not talking to me.
--- Eric
Message from England to France
Erik -
Interesting about Andy. What I told him was, *Eric* screwed me. He must have
heard, *Erik*. :-)
Still it works to our benefit. Tell him you had to build F MAR (instead of
BRE) to make up with me.
It gave me a laugh anyway - I had to dig up the press I'd sent him. Pretty funny.
Do me a favor and don't build F BRE. It will force me to keep A YOR, which I'd
rather not do.
Ben
Message from England to Italy
Andy -
Thanks.
Keep me posted. Russian & French interests seem to be that
I should attack Germany - I should think it's what they both
want.
They just need to know it.
Ben
Message from England to Germany
Tony -
Erik isn't asking for anything. But right now I'm not going to push a plan
with you - burned too many times. I'm glad to work with you, if you have
something suitable to your interests, but lay it out for me & I'll let you
know.
Not saying I won't do it - quite the contrary - just saying, don't ask me
to take a leap of faith right now.
We have plenty of time - let me know what's on your mind.
Ben
Message from Turkey to Italy
Gotcha. F Ank ordered.
jason
Message from Turkey to Russia
Sorry about not getting back with you. We had high winds over here last
night that knocked out our power.
So, how do you want to reconstitute RT? With you in Rum, and a build in
Sev, I have to assume that AR is coming down the pike. Obviously, I'd
prefer to avoid that. How should we now push west?
jason
Message from Russia to Italy
I *can* tap Bud. What's that gonna help? (That's a normal question, not an
indignant one).
--- Eric
Message from Italy to Russia
>
> I *can* tap Bud. What's that gonna help? (That's a normal question, not an
> indignant one).
It gets me Serbia.
Assuming you dont attack Bulgaria.
Message from Russia to Turkey
Jason,
I had started a longish message to you when I saw yours. I think some of it
is a repeat from what I had said before.
My main concern last season was the "how is RT going to move forward"
question. I asked a couple of times about how we would cooperate, and even
said that I was concerned enough to consider attacking you (I believe I said,
"Are you trying to goad me into attacking Rum?"). When you sent that last
minute message saying that you were giving Andy Ser and he was going to give
you Gre in return, that just looked like you were going to come after me. In
particular, I don't see how you would expect to get Gre uncontested if you
build F Smy -- Andy would see that as hostile. Unfortunately, getting that
message from you right before the deadline I didn't have time to talk it out
with you, so went with the move that Philippe suggested.
Had I really had more time to think about it, then even if I didn't have the
chance to negotiate with you, I would have *at least* used the army to take
Rum, because then I could guarantee you getting Ser in Spring.
If you are willing to cooperate, here's what I think we could do:
If neither of us builds fleets on Bla (that is, you build F Smy and I build A
Sev) I can shuffle my units so that I put an Army into Rum, while you move to
Aeg to threaten Gre (if you bounce with Andy, that's no big deal, Gre is
still unprotected). In Fall, we can do what I suggested last season -- I
support you to Ser and tap (or maybe attack) Bud. You get a guaranteed build,
I get a "maybe" build. You put in a fleet, and by S04 you have Gre (Andy
won't be able to stop that), and then we get you Tri and me Vie, and the
Juggernaut is off and rolling.
Now that first part, where you build F Smy and I build A Sev, is the hard
part. It takes a lot of initial trust. But if you are willing to commit to
it, then I think it puts us in a very strong position, and gives you a clear
direction for growth. With Austria dead, you should get some fairly quick
growth into Italy, while an obvious RT will cause GE to combine against me,
so you shouldn't even have to worry about getting "overshadowed" by me.
That's my thinking in a nutshell. I'm sure there's details to work out.
What do you think?
--- Eric
P.S. I hope everything's alright with you. Don't know where you are
physically, so don't know which storms you are referring to. I've been really
busy myself, or you'd have had much more substantial mail in your inbox
already.
Message from Russia to Italy
Gotcha. By "I've got a plan" I thought you meant something grander. :)
I expect that should work out fine, presuming you are willing to use that
position to squeeze Jason, and not help him against me. In any case, I have
no plans to tap Bul at this point.
--- Eric
Message from Italy to Russia
> Gotcha. By "I've got a plan" I thought you meant something grander. :)
>
> I expect that should work out fine, presuming you are willing to use that
> position to squeeze Jason, and not help him against me. In any case, I have
> no plans to tap Bul at this point.
Excellent then...we are on
Message from Observer to Observer
"Alastair Tomlinson" <alastair@mosscottage.org.uk> wrote:
>OK, about time I threw in some random ill-conceived musings on the game.
>
>I'll leave power rankings and the like to Greg, so just some thoughts on
>each power...
>
>Austria:
>Position still not great, but RA is more of a possibility now than a season
>or two ago. Is starting to let his frustration with Jason's intransigence
>and 'uncomplicated' view of the world show through. Looking back, may feel
>that his fairly uncompromising negotiation position with Italy in 1901
>caused him more prblems than it solved, though if I was Austria and had Andy
>B playing Italy next to me, I would probably take the same approach.
It's a tricky question, isn't it. Philippe is certainly not in a
comfortable position. Personally, I think Andy would have responded
better to a more relaxed attitude in S1901.
>Turkey:
>Jason seems to be taking an overly simple view of the world. Whilst his
>switching of sides hardly marks him out as a game-long alliance player, he
>has pre-conceived views about which alliances can work and which can't, and
>doesn't seem too willing to work things through in a particular game
>situation. (He seems fairly set on the fact that AT is a non-starter, which
>makes the fact that he initially went with that plan in 1901 all the more
>strange).
It does, rather, doesn't it? personally, I think Jason is the weakest
player, from what we've seen so far. He doesn't do anywhere near
enough to get broad support for his moves, and he doesn't keep open
lines of discussion with his enemies.
>Philippe's recent messages to him have offered an opportunity to
>rectify the situation, but he isn't taking advantage of this. Seems to me
>that it is essential for him to build F Ank - if he believes what Russia is
>teling him, maybe it's unnecessary, but if Russia does build a southern
>fleet and Jason builds F Smy or similar, he's got big problems. Andy may
>well be able to make progress against Austria with or without Jason's help,
>so Jason should be arguing strongly for Turkey to capture Ser. Trouble is,
>as he's doing that, he may find a Russian unit or two sliding into Ank.
Well, F Ank will guarantee a hostile Russia, but will give him
defensive options. F Smy might not guarantee a friendly Russia, but
leaves no defensive options against Russia. Tough call.
>Italy:
>My suspicion is that Andy may have come into this game with pre-conceived
>intentions about how he will play. Maybe that's a little unfair, but his
>repeated attacks on Austria seem to indicate that he sees his only route to
>victory as including an early bath for Philippe. Feel free to shoot me down
>on this one.
I think he's gone anti-Austrian due to a lack of support from Austria.
With an AT going, what hope does Italy have? And of the two, it's
Jason that's giving him support. Sure, an IT is not a stable
alliance, but you take what you can get, eh?
>Suspect some of the problem between him and Philippe is a clash
>of press styles, Andy's abrupt FtF style certainly has the potential to irk
>other players who prefer more detailed press, and vice versa.
I don't know about irk, but I'd be wondering if he's sending more
detailed press to neighbours all the time, suspecting duplicity. I
think his "kill him" messages would annoy me the most.
>I think Andy
>may well be working on the basis that he can deal with Jason as and when he
>needs to (particularly whilst Jason neglects to build Med fleets). Much of
>his press to EF has concerned trying to get them to eliminate Turkey, and
>early on he seemed to have Tony and Philippe pegged as major threats to him.
>Perhaps the approach is therefore to try and use diplomatic means to
>emasculate Tony, whilst he concentrates on ensuring that Philippe in Austria
>does not trouble him by more direct means.
Seems a working plan, but one wonders if Andy is underestimating the
players he doesn't know from FTF.
>Russia:
>Obviously doing well, especially considering how he was attacked straight
>off the bat by AT in 1901. Seems to be establishing an excellent cross-board
>relationship with Erik, which could be crucial in a season or two when the
>hammer may fall on EG.
Oh, definitely. I've always found FR relationships to be very hard to
effectively develop. Far too many players don't play the whole board.
>Needs to pick his next victim carefully - encouraging
>France to move on England as he helps England to attack Germany could be a
>good ploy, especially as his relationship with Ben seems to be improving
>again. Early Leader Syndrome shouldn't strike here, simply because the
>likelihood of AT co-operation seems to be low at present.
Agreed. Also, he's only got six centres as Russia, which isn't as bad
as France's six.
>England:
>Perhaps a little unfortunate to be in his current position, though to be
>duped two seasons in a row could be seen to be careless (to paraphrase Oscar
>Wilde).
Yes. My answer to his "is Swe _and_ nwy too much to hope for?" was
"Of course it is, you moron!"
> In hindsight, should probably have worked much more closely with
>Erik this season against Germany, but I can see the logic of the moves he
>followed.
Can you? I wouldn't have believed Tony even if I was on acid,
personally. Ben had just moved significantly anti-Germany. There was
clear EF coordination. Russia was not being helpful, or sounding
exceedingly worried. Tony has shown himself to be completely
untrustworthy, even without incentive. Hitting Denmark would have
been a much better idea.
>Is now heavily dependent on continued peace with France over the
>coming seasons if he is to survive.
Indeed, though even that may not be sufficient if France is working an
FR as well as a putative FE.
>Could probably do with Andy sending a
>fleet or two west to keep Erik from sending a fleet or two into IRI or NAO.
That would certainly help matters, but would probably result in Tony
and Eric having a free hand.
>Germany:
>Don't know what to make of Tony. He has deceived somebody different every
>season so far (some twice!), but doesn't seem to have suffered for it, and
>therefore I guess he has to be given credit for maintaining his position.
I fear he's going to end up burning too many bridges.
>France:
>In my view, has the best current position diplomatically, in that the only
>nation he has really attacked is Germany, and he hasn't been forced to tell
>a major lie at any stage.
Absolutely Agree. France is definitely in the number 1 spot at the
moment.
--
Mike Dowling
(http://politas.blogspot.com)
Message from Turkey to Russia
Doing fine over here. We've just had some high winds near Philly, and
it's knocked down some trees.
I'm not sure I follow how this shuffling will work. If you build A Sev,
where does F Rum go, so you can move A Sev into Rum? It seems I'll have
to vacate Bla, which I'm obviously not a fan of.
Unfortunately, your direct attack last turn has made me a little wary.
jason
Message from Russia to Turkey
Jason,
Glad to hear you are doing okay.
It looks like all the mail I got and sent yesterday was eaten by my ISP
last night, so I don't have my original message to you on hand. Oh well,
I'll know what I said when I get eliminated and can read the archives. :)
>I'm not sure I follow how this shuffling will work. If you build A Sev,
>where does F Rum go, so you can move A Sev into Rum?
F Rum would go Sev. I could either rotate my three units (Sev Ukr Rum) or
you could convoy Sev to Rum. Probably the former.
>It seems I'll have
>to vacate Bla, which I'm obviously not a fan of.
I never said that F Bla would leave; besides, that would be unrealistic to
ask of you at this point. Down the line -- once we are actually working
together and have built up some mutual trust -- obviously I'd like that,
but for now you'll need it for defense -- against me if you don't trust me,
and to support Con or Bul if you end up fighting Andy. My thinking was that
you get Ser, then build another F Smy, then you've got two fleets on the
EMed, and can take Gre. It's several seasons before you "need" to leave Bla.
>Unfortunately, your direct attack last turn has made me a little wary.
Well of course it did, but that comment can go both ways. Your move to Arm
in S01, you helping Austria into Rum in F01, and you pulling your promised
support for Gal while announcing you had a long term deal with Andy in S02
has made me wary of working with you. Still I made an honest effort last
season to set up an RT that got rolling quickly. When you said no to us
working together directly and instead wanted to support Andy, I tried to
get you to explain how RT would benefit from the moves you suggested.
Of course you should be wary of me, but despite my attack I've been
straight with you all along. When I was worried about your moves I told you
about it. I've offered and followed through on agreements that actually
help you (and got you Rum). Yes, I know that I attacked you, but as I've
said a couple of times, I told that if I hit Rum I'd have to do it harder
than a tap, and that your plans with Andy had me considering an attack. So
while it was an attack, it would be a stretch to call it a stab. It's not
like I sat here thinking "ha, ha, he's fallen into my trap, now I'll just
blindside him in Rum". I tried hard to change your mind and craft an
arrangement where we both benefited. It was only when it became clear that
you were set on an agreement where you and Andy got centers while I was
stuck on the sidelines that I took the more drastic step of attacking you.
On the other hand, I know you were nervous about Andy, but you'd be crazy
not to consider Andy a threat right now. Just imagine how he's salivating
over there. If you and I build fleets on Bla, then we fight while he gets
Ser, and then he's got enough units to move west, while dictating things
(and taking the lion's share of the gains) in the east. Since neither of us
is going to get builds without his help, he gets his choice of allies. And
realistically, it's going to be easier for him to take Turkish centers than
to take Russian centers. From my point of view you are actually much more
directly threatened by us fighting than I am, because once Andy is in Ser,
he doesn't need your help to expand any more. He'll just have a bunch of
units staring down at Bul/Con/Smy, and thinking, "gee, if I work with
Russia, I'll get twice as many Turkish centers as he will".
So the question isn't "should you be worried about me". The question is who
is in a better position to really hurt you, me, Andy or Philippe, and
therefor who should you be MOST wary of. The last thing I want to do is
spend a lot of effort fighting you and going nowhere while Andy grows. I'm
hoping you see RT conflict at this point the same way.
Sorry, I know this got long winded -- but (a) I'm a windbag and (b) I've
been so busy at work that I haven't gotten much press to you recently and
this is a make-up message. And I probably sound a little hostile because
I'm pulling out every bit of history between us and dissecting it. But I'm
not trying to be hostile. I know that we're beyond the "just trust me"
point -- probably have been since the S01 moves -- so I want to make it
really clear that my actions have made sense in the context of trying to
create an RT.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to England
Hi Ben,
This has been a tough week for Diplomacy. I've had time to get out a few
notes, but mostly it's been reply quickly to whatever comes in (which ain't
been much either). So my apologies on that front. Next week I have Jury
Duty. I honestly don't know if that's going to help or hurt the problem.
So it will come as no surprise that Tony wants to see me build F StP/nc.
Normally (if you were in a better position) I'd think about suggesting we
do it. If I can get Bal without Tony expecting it, that would be great, and
while StP/nc is a threat to you, it's just as close to Swe as StP/sc, and
may be important if Tony builds a second fleet. I'm guessing you won't like
this idea, so I'm just talking at this point. Feel free to rebut, concede,
whatever, but please don't feel threatened by me throwing the idea out there.
My dilemma is that I'm trying to figure out how not to telegraph my intent
to Tony. Any build that is not StP/nc will be worrisome to him. Any ideas
on how to play that?
There are two longer term points I'd like to cover with you:
(1) Assuming we go through with taking out Tony, how do you propose we go
forward? I know you said that you are of the "let's not argue over things
that may not happen" persuasion, but I have to admit that part of the
thinking in taking Nwy in Spring was the apparent strength of the FE
alliance. I didn't want to help you into Germany without some sense that
you were seriously considering moving on France as Germany falls. Because,
frankly, if you are not, then I SHOULD be building StP/nc regardless and
sticking with Tony a little longer, hoping that as you fall, maybe France
and Tony won't get along. That's not my preferred course of action, and I
don't expect you to say anything but that you would consider moving on
France, but I'd like to get somewhat more specific about things.
(2) Along those lines, as a strawman outline of longterm ER cooperation I
propose the following. I keep Nwy, but unmanned or perhaps with just an
army there, unless we get into a situation where center swapping is
important. In Spring, you order Ska-Den with support, while I move Swe-Bal,
Nwy-Swe. If you are successful taking Den, you help me into Germany (which
probably will unsuccessful until 04) and we try to lock up Germany before
France can get too far entrenched. If you are unsuccessful taking Den, then
I'll have F Bal, A Swe, and we'll be able to overpower him there, and the
"lock up Germany quickly" plan continues. Then basically we DMZ
Scandinavia, keep some token troops in Germany proper, and you go west
while I go south.
Sorry, I'm trying to make up for days of not being available here. If my
grand planning is too much to take at once, or if I'm overlooking some
obvious problem just point it out.
Good luck this week. The phins are good, but they are weak enough that the
Ravens may be able to take them. With Gannon and Tui both out for the year,
I think our draft positions are looking pretty strong. Yet another reason
to root against Tampa! (I think we still get a couple of their first round
picks from the Gruden trade).
--- Eric
Message from Russia to France
Erik,
This AM is make-up press time for me.
I was thinking that I should also throw in some comments in case you are
trying to set up an FG vs E(R). No idea whether or not you are, but I know
Tony is looking for you to let up on him, but probably worth addressing
just in case.
Tony is not to be trusted. It is not surprising that he clearly lied to Ben
about support to Swe. It *is* interesting that most everything he told me
(his apparent ally) about what was happening last season was also made up.
He told me that you had sworn to attack Kie. He also told me he had offered
to support Ska-Swe from Den but Ben *refused* and therefore (Tony) told Ben
that the offer was cancelled. Based on the move results and what you and I
discussed about you taking Bel, that was all inaccurate information.
He told me all this because he really wanted me to order Swe S Den, by
thinking that there was no chance that Ben would attack Nwy (something
which I also doubted based on conversations I had with Ben).
So what's my point? Don't all Diplomacy players lie? Well, sure, to some
extent a good player will color the truth, or maybe lie to set up the
devastating stab. But I prefer the kind of ally that I can talk to directly
-- like you and I did last season about how to manage Ben's situation now
that I was in Nwy -- rather than one that tries to maneuver me into doing
something I'd be willing to do cooperatively.
That's all a long way of repeating what I said in my last message, which is
that I'm really hoping we can make FR work well. I think our discussions
have gone well to date, I've shown a willingness to help you by slowing
Andy's growth in the south, and we have good position on EG.
Which brings me back to the question of how you'd like to move forward. If
you want to take on Ben, we can do that. If you think you can get his okay
to build F Bre, maybe we should work on Tony first, and then hit Ben as
soon as Tony's defenses are weakened. Or we can split our forces and have
me press Ben while you hit Tony.
So, what are your thoughts at this point.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Austria
Philippe,
Well, I've had a lot of trouble getting ahold of Jason. That's not all his
fault, as I've had trouble sending any press in any game this last week,
which you've no doubt noticed from the lack of press you've seen from me.
Jason and I have had some short exchanges, but we're really not past the
basic trust issues that you would expect from Turkey opening to Arm in S01
and me attacking him in Rum last season. We'll see how it goes, and I'll
keep you in the loop if anything important surfaces.
I had not taken your comments in your last message (writing off Jason and
thinking Andy was gung-ho to attack you) seriously at first; I assumed they
were more of a placating kind of a message. However, press that I'm getting
now makes it clear that IT are still seriously gunning for Ser (I've been
asked to tap Bud), so I guess maybe you were being pretty straightforward
about that.
Given what I'm hearing, I think you are correct -- trying to get Andy to
attack Jason is job one. That shouldn't be too hard as long as I don't tap
Bud, and that move is not on my to-do list. Do you have any thoughts as to
how we can help speed up that process?
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Italy
Andy --
Sorry, I got pulled into 5 hours of meetings after my last message to you,
and then lost a bunch of mail (only mail from yesterday was affected). I
think I had the chance to read it all once before it got deleted, but I'm
playing a little catchup since then.
In my last messages I had asked was what comes of me tapping Bud. You
indicated that means you get Ser. I get that. I said something about
expecting a "grand scheme". The point of that statement was to ask what Ser
does once you are there. I am very aware of the fact that once AA Ser is
gone, Philippe will not like me anymore and may be of a temperament to use
those two armies in AA Bud/Vie against the nearest overland targets.
What I'd like is some sense of a plan that keeps Jason pinched between us
while keeping Philippe from turning on me. The best way I can imagine that
is by seeing some move that makes it clear that Jason regrets ordering Bul
S Gre-Ser. Without an Italian fleet pressuring Bul/Con/Smy, things look
dicey for me around the Bla.
So what's the plan beyond IA Ser?
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Germany
Tony,
Sorry, I've been *terrible* about sending press this week. I'm still trying
to figure out the situation in the south -- I've really not heard much from
Jason, so don't really know what's coming from Turkey, though there is an
obvious guess. Haven't heard from Ben in the last few days too, so I have
no idea what his disband will be (not that I really expect him to tell me,
but still).
If what Erik tells me is true (and again, I haven't heard from him in a
bit), he might be willing to consider splitting off with England. Then
again he's being so coy with his responses that I can't tell if he's
serious -- he might just be trying to keep me friendly in case GR breaks
England down fast enough to get him in trouble.
On to matters closer to home:
I will admit that I am a little worried about you having so many armies
stacked up near our DMZ, so I'm trying to figure out ways to make it worth
your while to work with me for the long term, especially if we manage to
break up EF. I'd like our cooperation to be more than an arrangement of
convenience. But I've been so focused on the IAT triangle that I haven't
given as much thought to our situation as I should, and have really just
responded to your ideas.
You had talked about getting me into Nth this year. Assuming that happens I
think that F Nth should be used to help you hit the coastal areas of France
(Bel/Hol, etc.) rather than press an attack on England. You need to get
into Bur or Bel to really start to press France and break through the Army
logjam he's setting up, and that's probably more important than me getting
builds off of an England who is already suffering.
Alternately, we could look at getting you into Nth. You could try to go
through Nth to Eng, then I'd take Nth behind you. That gets me in Nth a
season or so later than you suggested, but again, getting you past those
French armies is probably more important than having me get access to
England, especially given how battered he is already. In many ways I think
that would be a superior arrangement. It gives us more equivalent growth,
it keeps your units moving west, and keeps my defense from getting spread
too thin.
These are obviously only initial thoughts, and are much too late in coming,
but what do you think? Does it make more sense for you to take Nth first?
Is there anything else we should be looking at?
Hope your weekend is going well.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to Russia
Not a whole lot has changed in the way I'm looking at the board recently,
and why should it with all the press that's not flying. :) So far I have no
real idea how to anticipate what's going to happen with my neighbors. The
good news is that I have LOTS of options, but ironically, that is not my
forte -- I'm better playing out of a tight spot (frinstance, after F01,
when AT denied me Rum I had a better idea of how to react than I did in F02
when I gained the upper hand). Just about any build but maybe A StP has a
lot to recommend it, depending on how people are lining up.
I also remembered that one of the things I promised myself coming into this
game was that I was going to try being a lot more aggressive than normal,
both in moves and in press. I don't mean that in the sense of
"belligerent", but more in the way I really pushed at Jason last season
about how RT was going to work. Typically I listen to what people say and
react based on their comments, instead of jumping in and pushing my
viewpoint. (I believe this is related to why I'm better at playing out of a
tight spot -- my perceived need to reign in on aggressiveness is gone if
I'm in a threatened position). I tried to infuse some of that
aggressiveness into this last round of press, but I'm not clear if it's too
late -- in particular in that it changes the personality I've been showing,
which can be good or bad.
On to tactics:
I honestly doubt that Jason will take me up on my offer, but if he does
agree, I will consider following through. While I think it really is a good
plan, the trust required for him not to build F Ank is tremendous. He has
far more to lose by me getting the fleet advantage on Bla than I do by him
getting it. I can afford not to build F Sev even if he went with F Ank,
since I'm already worried about fleet overload. The main concern would be
keeping Philippe onside if I don't build a fleet -- but he may not have a
choice. Getting Andy to attack Jason, or Jason to line up against Andy
seems the best bet for the moment in the south.
In the north pressing Ben seems like a bad idea, as much as I like the idea
of getting a fleet into Nth. Tony knows he can't push past a wall of French
armies as long as Italy is tied up on the east, so has got to be looking
for FG vs. E to allow his armies to go against me. Erik and I have talked
well, but my silence may have given Tony an in; and Erik did try to set up
the western triple earlier (though that may work against Tony as much as
for him). I think it's a risk to be so explicit about my distrust of Tony
with Erik, because I have a sense that in c1 he did do some press passing,
and the info I put in there would be hard to fake. As to Tony, my problem
is that ANY build in Ber is pretty unfriendly to me, so asking him to build
a fleet instead of an army may not make sense. But I do like the idea of
getting him to take the Nth instead of me. If he agrees, it would even give
me a passable excuse not to build F StP/nc, and I would *really* like to
put another army on the ground if I can.
I still wish I had put the army into Rum, because then I'dve had an
excellent excuse to build A War or A Mos (I'm just not good at letting that
milk spill or the water go under the bridge).
Overall, everything I've said in my various presses -- especially this last
round -- expresses my actual view on the board. Obviously some of the
recommendations I've made are conflicting (having Andy and Jason each
attack the other for instance). I have not tried to say anything patently
false, just to play up the pro-work-with-Russia side of every argument. But
that's all to be expected and is the art of playing this game. The question
is more whether or not I'm seeing the right things and then
arguing/portraying them effectively.
That's it for now. If all goes to form, no one will hear from me again for
awhile. :(
I hope you guys are commenting on our press, strategy and moves frequently.
I know the idea of the comments series is to give the observers insights,
but I expect to learn a lot from your comments when this game is over, too.
Don't disappoint me!
--- Eric
Message from Turkey to Turkey
As much as I agree with Andy about not wanting to screw up a good thing,
and as much as I hate going back and forth between allies, Russia makes
lots of sense.
Andy promises me Rum and Sev, which is clearly exactly what he wants me
to take. All my armies sit in the middle of Russia, while his fleets hit
me from behind. I can't afford for that to happen.
Message from Turkey to Russia
Very well. I do see the threat that Andy poses to me, and I'm sure he
wants nothing more than for me to march everything I've got north, while
he takes over Turkey. I'll build F Smy.
jason
Message from Germany to Russia
Hi Eric, good to hear from you.
Yes, the weekend is going fine. Hope yours is too.
Well I am sure you feel better with an army than a fleet of mine in Berlin.
I am more than willing to break throught the French line. That's one reason
I need the army. I am still in a lot of trouble with EF. Until they break up
I am totally pinned down.
I too have been trying to get France to turn on Ben, but to date everything
he has said (except for s1901) he has done the opposite.
A fleet in STP(NC) still has my vote. I dont mind moving on the NTH once you
get to SKA next spring. I dont even mind convoying you to England. I just
need to break up the EF alliance. No doubt he will disband London or
Yorkshire.
At the moment its a deadlock in Europe with the FG armies, it will be a
guessing game if he once again decides to move against me. I hope we can
stick together for some time. Dont worry about my armies they are all
heading west.
Message from Italy to Russia
Eric,
> In my last messages I had asked was what comes of me tapping Bud. You
> indicated that means you get Ser. I get that. I said something about
> expecting a "grand scheme". The point of that statement was to ask what Ser
> does once you are there. I am very aware of the fact that once AA Ser is
> gone, Philippe will not like me anymore and may be of a temperament to use
> those two armies in AA Bud/Vie against the nearest overland targets.
No problem. I am building an army in Rome.
I suspect his moves will be ADR - TRI, VIE - TYR in order to bounce me
either place.
I am going to let him make those moves
Move ION - ADR, TUN - ION, and convoy the other army to GRE in the Fall.
I get SER and build 1.
Once I am in SER and *hopefully* his army is in Tyrolia, I simply support
you to Budapest.
We each get 1.
then we get to figure you how I am going to catch up to you in center
count.
I am currently 2 behind you.
> What I'd like is some sense of a plan that keeps Jason pinched between us
> while keeping Philippe from turning on me. The best way I can imagine that
> is by seeing some move that makes it clear that Jason regrets ordering Bul
> S Gre-Ser. Without an Italian fleet pressuring Bul/Con/Smy, things look
> dicey for me around the Bla.
I think I can help keep Jason in check, he has pretty much listened to
anything I have said for a while now.
He asked me what to build, and I left it up to him, I didnt want to tip my
hand. But we can keep him in circles for a year there, and then move on
him...
Is this suitable to you
Andy
Message from Austria to Russia
> I had not taken your comments in your last message (writing off Jason and
> thinking Andy was gung-ho to attack you) seriously at first; I assumed they
> were more of a placating kind of a message. However, press that I'm getting
> now makes it clear that IT are still seriously gunning for Ser (I've been
> asked to tap Bud), so I guess maybe you were being pretty straightforward
> about that.
I assure you there's no "maybe" about what I told you.
> Given what I'm hearing, I think you are correct -- trying to get Andy to
> attack Jason is job one. That shouldn't be too hard as long as I don't tap
> Bud, and that move is not on my to-do list. Do you have any thoughts as to
> how we can help speed up that process?
I think pushing for an attack on Turkey can only delay
it. As long as you make it clear to Andy that you aren't
going to favor his expansion into Austria, I'm sure he
will change his plan accordingly.
Philippe
Message from Observer to Observer
> Message: 12
> Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2003 18:40:45 +0000 (UTC)
> From: USTX Diplomacy Judge <ustx@spencersoft.com>
> Subject: USTX:c2 - F1902M Press from R to R
>
> USTX Diplomacy Judge
>
> now running njudge 1.4.0
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Please report judge problems to judgekeeper@spencersoft.com
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Message from ericgood@pacbell.net as Russia to Russia in 'c2':
>
>
> Doug and Greg,
>
> Apologies -- I sort of brainfarted and failed to realize that even
> that minor comment I made about "pinnacle" press was probably
> inappropriate, given that some players in "pinnacle" might be reading
> my press. I will try to remember not to make any statements about
> that game here.
>
> I'd be really curious to know how many observers there were just
> before and just after pinnacle got started. My guess is that it
> probably has greater draw and star appeal than this game.
>
> --- Eric
I was here from the start, but am a bit behind at present both on this one and pinnacle which I am also observing.
I'd just say don't undersell yourself, I am enjoying reading the press for this game very much, and I think that the
quality of press in this game with perhaps the exception of Turkey is very high.
Regards
Peter
Message from England to Russia
Eric -
Stayed away & extra day & arrived home to 368 e-mails in the in-box.
Your plan looks good - hold onto NWY.
I am coming to the realization that Tony makes his money moving while
everyone around him tries to appear neutral. If you want to go against him
then STP/sc, though really I think we'd be find with two southern armies.
Your call.
Ben
Message from England to England
A few small - though some important - points.
First of all, Andy mistaking "Eric" for "Erik" could get me in some big
trouble. If Erik is alienated then there will be a F MAR and I will soon
be the walking dead. He write so rarely - I will have to wait for his
response to my last note - mustn't bother him too much. One way or the
other I will write him tomorrow.
Second, I should have taken DEN. I thought about it as the deadline drew
near and I didn't do it. I don't even remember why not.
Third, my plan has shifted to the more short term goal of, surviving the
opening.
This board is making me feel like a newbie. . .
Ben
Message from England to France
Erik -
I am at work & don't have my archives here. Where were we? Did you decide
not to build F BRE?
Ben
Message from France to England
>
> Erik -
> I am at work & don't have my archives here. Where were we? Did you
> decide
> not to build F BRE?
>
Yes. I'll build F Mar and tell Andy that you forced me not to build in Bre
as part of my trying to win you back from "screwing you." Just don't
correct his mistake if you haven't already.
So, A Par and F Bre. What are you going to remove?
Erik
Message from France to Italy
Andy:
I don't know why England's miffed, but I'm doing my best to make nice. I
do NOT want him cooperating with Tony, I can tell you that much.
So once you guys chew up Austria, what then? Obviously, I'd be more
comfortable seeing you and Russia take on Turkey than see you head west,
but I'm also getting a little wary of unchecked Russian growth. What do
you think?
Erik
Message from France to Russia
Eric:
Don't worry. I am very committed to seeing FR cooperation. I am well-aware
of Tony's tendency to tell fibs, starting with turn one. Of course, I've
been promising him an attack against England for years, but at least he's
the only one I've been less than truthful with.
I think we should finish Tony off while England's still weak. Better that
than killing off England and finding Tony recovered. As such, I'm going to
build A Par and F Mar. That will kill my chances with Tony, but so be it.
As long as Tony thinks you're on his side, we're in a great position: an
apparent FE vs RG with the two of us keeping them small while we slowly
expand around them.
What's your build plan? I won't get much more of a chance to write today,
but we can discuss our plan in more detail once we get to the moves. In
general, I'd say I should continue going for Holland or assisting England
go for Holland while you prevent England from taking Denmark. In the
process, see if you can marshall some forces closer to the German border
in preparation for a second phase.
Thoughts?
Erik
Message from France to Turkey
Sorry I haven't talked to you in a while -- we've clearly both been busy.
Nice work on the diplomatic redirect down there. Very well done. Would you
like to talk about Russian growth?
Erik
Message from France to Austria
Phillipe:
So what's up? Things aren't looking so hot in Vienna these days.
Erik
Message from Italy to France
> Andy:
>
> I don't know why England's miffed, but I'm doing my best to make nice. I
> do NOT want him cooperating with Tony, I can tell you that much.
Did you get my email over the weekend.
He isnt miffed at you, I misunderstood him, and he is miffed at the other
Eric.
> So once you guys chew up Austria, what then? Obviously, I'd be more
> comfortable seeing you and Russia take on Turkey than see you head west,
> but I'm also getting a little wary of unchecked Russian growth. What do
> you think?
Unchecked Russian Growth is not good....Turkey is the plan
Message from England to France
Erik -
> Yes. I'll build F Mar and tell Andy that you forced me not to
> build in Bre
> as part of my trying to win you back from "screwing you." Just don't
> correct his mistake if you haven't already.
Good, good. No, I didn't tell him - I thought it might work to our
advantage this way.
> So, A Par and F Bre. What are you going to remove?
A LON.
I'm hopeful Eric will work with me now - I'm agreeable and his easy gain, in
NWY, he already has.
Ben
Message from England to Russia
Eric -
Sorry that last note was so short - I just wanted to get something out to
you.
In some more detail:
> This has been a tough week for Diplomacy. I've had time to
> get out a few
> notes, but mostly it's been reply quickly to whatever comes
> in (which ain't been much either).
I'm pleased to hear it's not just *me*. I would have expected more press in
an exhibition game. I was worried I was just out of the loop. . .
> So my apologies on that front. Next week I have Jury
> Duty. I honestly don't know if that's going to help or hurt
> the problem.
Let me know how that goes. I have some familiarity with juries. . .
> So it will come as no surprise that Tony wants to see me
> build F StP/nc.
> Normally (if you were in a better position) I'd think about
> suggesting we
> do it. If I can get Bal without Tony expecting it, that would
> be great, and
> while StP/nc is a threat to you, it's just as close to Swe as
> StP/sc, and
> may be important if Tony builds a second fleet. I'm guessing
> you won't like
> this idea, so I'm just talking at this point. Feel free to
> rebut, concede,
> whatever, but please don't feel threatened by me throwing the
> idea out there.
I don't think there's anything to be gained by STP/nc. Long term of course
it has certain advantages for Russia, short term I do not think we have have
much to gain from trying to sneak up on Tony.
> My dilemma is that I'm trying to figure out how not to
> telegraph my intent
> to Tony. Any build that is not StP/nc will be worrisome to
> him. Any ideas on how to play that?
You do not need to build a northern fleet. With the chaos in the Balkans
two southern armies could serve you well. Then support me into DEN; BER for
you is a matter of time, and your northern garrison ought to be enough to
keep me at bay, should I decide to attack. Then you have preserved
neutrality another season, and set yourself up nicely in the south *and* for
a ground attack against Germany in the spring.
> There are two longer term points I'd like to cover with you:
>
> (1) Assuming we go through with taking out Tony, how do you
> propose we go
> forward? I know you said that you are of the "let's not argue
> over things
> that may not happen" persuasion, but I have to admit that part of the
> thinking in taking Nwy in Spring was the apparent strength of the FE
> alliance. I didn't want to help you into Germany without some
> sense that
> you were seriously considering moving on France as Germany
> falls. Because,
> frankly, if you are not, then I SHOULD be building StP/nc
> regardless and
> sticking with Tony a little longer, hoping that as you fall,
> maybe France
> and Tony won't get along. That's not my preferred course of
> action, and I
> don't expect you to say anything but that you would consider moving on
> France, but I'd like to get somewhat more specific about things.
:-) Apparently I have an undeserved reputation as some kind of carebear, as
this is not the first time someone this game has made a comment like this to
me. I am quite sure you have me mistaken for someone else.
Geographically speaking, ER makes more sense than EF. I vaguely recall this
is born out in some 'Zine statistical analysis, though I could be wrong
about that. The best allies are the ones who are distant, is my thinking.
> (2) Along those lines, as a strawman outline of longterm ER
> cooperation I
> propose the following. I keep Nwy, but unmanned or perhaps
> with just an
> army there, unless we get into a situation where center swapping is
> important. In Spring, you order Ska-Den with support, while I
> move Swe-Bal,
> Nwy-Swe. If you are successful taking Den, you help me into
> Germany (which
> probably will unsuccessful until 04) and we try to lock up
> Germany before
> France can get too far entrenched. If you are unsuccessful
> taking Den, then
> I'll have F Bal, A Swe, and we'll be able to overpower him
> there, and the
> "lock up Germany quickly" plan continues. Then basically we DMZ
> Scandinavia, keep some token troops in Germany proper, and you go west
> while I go south.
I love this plan. This is exactly why E and R can be allied for so long.
My thinking is, perhaps you will not build the second northern fleet, as
sooner or later it will have nowhere to go but the STP quay, which will not
do you much good. An army in WAR may serve our goals - short and long term
- better.
> Sorry, I'm trying to make up for days of not being available
> here. If my
> grand planning is too much to take at once, or if I'm overlooking some
> obvious problem just point it out.
No no no. You have hit the nail on the head, as far as I'm concerned, with
ER relations.
> Good luck this week. The phins are good, but they are weak
> enough that the
> Ravens may be able to take them. With Gannon and Tui both out
> for the year,
> I think our draft positions are looking pretty strong. Yet
> another reason
> to root against Tampa! (I think we still get a couple of
> their first round picks from the Gruden trade).
Hate the Bucs. Nice game for the Raiders - the Vikings are taking their
turn in the cellar; maybe the Raiders get to come out. Our defense played
like Super Bowl champs, second week in a row. Griese had 126 yards passing,
or something like that, and *awesome* Miami field position turned into nine
lousy points for them. Unfortunately, it was enough. Boller was (& will
be) the real deal - better & better every week, with a huge upside - but for
the third year in a row we have lost a key starter to a lengthy injury.
2001 - Jamal Lewis 2002 - Ray Lewis 2003 - Kyle Boller. Oh well, it's the
NFL.
Ben
Message from England to France
Erik -
Oops. Remove the army in YOR, I meant - there is of course no army in LON.
Ben
Message from Austria to France
Hi Erik,
> Phillipe:
One l & two p please, if you don't mind.
> So what's up? Things aren't looking so hot in Vienna these days.
Well, it depend on what everyone else is doing isn't it?
Now, I'm probably reading too much into it, but it
sound like you are happy to see me in a tough spot.
Have I done anything to deserve this?
Philippe.
P.-S. Whatever the case, my warning regarding Andy
still stand. It doesn't seem like he has anything to fear
from Turkey in the coming years, so he could be going
your way anytime now.
Message from France to Austria
> One l & two p please, if you don't mind.
>
> > So what's up? Things aren't looking so hot in Vienna these days.
>
> Well, it depend on what everyone else is doing isn't it?
> Now, I'm probably reading too much into it, but it
> sound like you are happy to see me in a tough spot.
> Have I done anything to deserve this?
You're reading way too much into it. I just haven't heard much from you in
a while, so I thought I'd get your attention.
>
> P.-S. Whatever the case, my warning regarding Andy
> still stand. It doesn't seem like he has anything to fear
> from Turkey in the coming years, so he could be going
> your way anytime now.
I know. Which is why I thought it might be best if we communicated a
little more often. From what I hear, you did something to cause Turkey to
stop thinking it was wise to work with you, but I don't know what.
Obviously, if you crumble, it makes it hard for me to deal with Andy, so I
don't want to see you get eaten up by those three. What can I do to help?
Erik
Message from Austria to France
> You're reading way too much into it. I just haven't heard much from you in
> a while, so I thought I'd get your attention.
OK. After having been attacked by Jason for no reason, I'm
a bit warry of everyone. Not seeing the logic of his actions
really cramp my style in the south. Putting out fire is part of
the game I guess, but it's no gameplan.
> I know. Which is why I thought it might be best if we communicated a
> little more often. From what I hear, you did something to cause Turkey to
> stop thinking it was wise to work with you, but I don't know what.
> Obviously, if you crumble, it makes it hard for me to deal with Andy, so I
> don't want to see you get eaten up by those three. What can I do to help?
Short story is that Jason got convinced to work with Andy
for whatever reasons. I don't know the details and I'm done
trying to figure it out, but you are welcome to try if you like.
Tactic wise, not leaving yourself open to Andy and making
sure your are ready to go for an opening of his own is all I
can ask from you at the moment.
Regards,
Philippe
Message from Russia to France
I've been agonizing over the builds, especially F StP/nc. The advantage of
not doing so is that it allows me to put an extra army on the ground
(something I need anyway). The downside of not going with F StP is that it
just begs Ben to come after me in Nwy/Swe. He has said that he's more
interested in punishing Tony than in coming after me at this point. I tend to
believe that is true, and that such an intent may last as much as a season or
two (that is, until Tony actually gets pruned down a center or two) before
he'd reconsider it. If you are going to get another build in that time, it
might not be a problem, though (and it would give you an excuse to take Hol
rather than Ben).
What would be the impact to you if I don't build F StP? As with your builds,
it would certainly get Tony's attention in a bad way. He'd be pushing for EG,
but may have burned too many bridges for that to work at this point. Can we
make it work if I leave Tony flopping but don't really help Ben much? In this
scenario, I would tell Ben that I'm pro-E, but wouldn't let him take Den when
it comes down to it.
I'm also only available briefly today (meetings from morning through 2:30 and
more meetings and class from 4:00 through 8:00pm tonight). I will almost
certainly see any replies you send, but am not sure I'll have a chance to
reply to anything prior to the builds.
Sorry, I know I'm jumping around ideas here, I'm just trying to balance my
build needs in the north with those in the south, and not end up too wide
open to overland attacks in case anyone (G or A in particular) decide I'm to
blame for their circumstances.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to England
Ben,
On the low press volume, it's a problem I almost always run into in PBEM. My
work schedule is so wildy variable that at some times I can send tons, and at
others it's difficult just to check in.
On you being a carebear, I certainly didn't mean to imply that. What I meant
was just that there were two ways you could expand as Tony falls, one of
which is to keep moving east, and the other is to push on France. I agree
with your comments that being not-close neighbors makes cooperation easier,
which is what makes NOT building a northern fleet look like a good idea to
me. I certainly don't want to give you any reason to join up with Tony, and a
northern fleet would not help me pick up a center for at least two years.
However, with no build in the north I was concerned that I might be painting
a tempting target. I thought it important to point out reasons why I thought
I would be a more tempting ally (because you get the same number or more
centers out of cooperation, with better overall position and fewer enemies)
than target (because it's unlikely you'd get much further than StP, and doing
so puts you out of position if France gets any ideas). In my mind G or F are
both more of a threat to you than Russia, and so my idea made a ton of sense,
but never having played England, I'm not sure that's how you would see things
from your side.
--- Eric
Message from England to Russia
Eric -
> On you being a carebear, I certainly didn't mean to imply that. What I
meant
> was just that there were two ways you could expand as Tony falls, one of
> which is to keep moving east, and the other is to push on France. I agree
> with your comments that being not-close neighbors makes cooperation
easier,
> which is what makes NOT building a northern fleet look like a good idea to
> me. I certainly don't want to give you any reason to join up with Tony,
and a
> northern fleet would not help me pick up a center for at least two years.
I agree on this point. I do not think, short term, a northern fleet would
help you very much. Long term it is hostile to England; short term I do
not think you need it for Germany. Thus spake England, giving the reason
against a northern fleet build.
> However, with no build in the north I was concerned that I might be
painting
> a tempting target. I thought it important to point out reasons why I
thought
> I would be a more tempting ally (because you get the same number or more
> centers out of cooperation, with better overall position and fewer
enemies)
> than target (because it's unlikely you'd get much further than StP, and
doing
> so puts you out of position if France gets any ideas). In my mind G or F
are
> both more of a threat to you than Russia, and so my idea made a ton of
sense,
> but never having played England, I'm not sure that's how you would see
things
> from your side.
Why would I attack you. Tony's been lying to me since S'01 and as you know
I have another neighbor - France - who also would like to see Tony go down.
You do not need to build a northern fleet to show me you mean business.
You are well enough defended there, I think. What I would ask, rather than
showing me you are prepared to defend yourself, is that you are prepared to
cash in on the benefit of our ER.
Ultimately it is your call. Now you know how I feel.
Ben
p.s. Only just a few hours ago observed Oakland on the schedule in a few
weeks. . . Game is here, I think.
Message from Observer to Observer
----- Original Message -----
From: <c2f@yahoogroups.com>
To: <c2f@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2003 3:30 PM
Subject: [c2f] Digest Number 62
> Message: 3
> Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2003 02:06:12 +0000 (UTC)
> From: USTX Diplomacy Judge <ustx@spencersoft.com>
> Subject: USTX:c2 - F1902M Press from E to E
>
> USTX Diplomacy Judge
>
> now running njudge 1.4.0
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Please report judge problems to judgekeeper@spencersoft.com
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Message from benjamin.harris@mindspring.com as England to England in 'c2':
>
> Is it too much to hope for NWY *and* SWE this fall?
>
> Ben
It'd seem optimistic to me (but since I am a week behind this may look a silly comment in light of the F1902M
results :-) )
> Message: 7
> Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2003 05:33:41 +0000 (UTC)
> From: USTX Diplomacy Judge <ustx@spencersoft.com>
> Subject: USTX:c2 - F1902M Press from R to A
>
> USTX Diplomacy Judge
>
> now running njudge 1.4.0
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Please report judge problems to judgekeeper@spencersoft.com
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Message from ericgood@pacbell.net as Russia to Austria in 'c2':
>
>
> Eliminating someone who's helping you is bad for business (I'm having a
> Tzarface flashback with that statement!).
I wondered where the Tzarface guy went. I think that this the first comment I have seen about his departure.
Presumably Russia thought this contributed to his difficult start to the game. I did not get that impression, I
think it was more of a case of Jason decided off the bat which way he wanted to go, but maybe superstition came into
play as well. :-)
Regards
Peter
Message from Turkey to France
Good to hear from you.
Not sure how much is diplomatic maneuvering and how much is me just
being confused. :-)
As for Russian growth, certainly. His position in the north is much more
advanced than I would have expected. How are you and England looking to
keep him in check?
jason
Message from England to Russia
Eric -
I do not know how much time we will have before Erik's moves come in.
But if you would still like to build a F STP, I'd be curious to know your
reasons, so I could try to address them.
Ben
Message from England to Russia
Eric -
Oops! Didn't really mean two southern armies - I'd overlooked SEV was
vacant. I imagine you will be building a southern fleet. . .
Ben
Message from England to Turkey
Jason -
Sorry I didn't write sooner - I'd been away. Unfortunately I hadn't known
about the attack, either. Hopefully you will be able to survive in a shell
for alittle while - with A and I at war already, relief may be in sight.
I haven't heard from A or I in ages, but I'll let you know if I do.
Ben
Message from England to Austria
Philippe -
Well, good for you, my friend. Hopefully the crack in the door will widen
and you will emerge the stronger for your early challenges.
Now if only you can hold off Italy. . .
I haven't heard from any of the eastern powers in ages, except for the
occasional note about Scandinavia, from Russia.
But I'm sending out some press now & I'll let you know if I hear anything.
Ben
Message from Russia to Turkey
Jason,
In this brief respite, just wanted to confirm that we're still on for no
fleet builds on Bla. Andy has told me that his plan is to take Ser and then
convoy a second army into Gre, so he's definitely coming after you if you
come after me. Whereas I have plenty of places to move if I focus north,
which gives you lots of options to take Balkan centers.
--- Eric
Message from Russia to England
Ben,
I've decided not to go with F StP, so no need to convince me.
--- Eric
Message from England to Russia
Eric -
> I've decided not to go with F StP, so no need to convince me.
Now if only we could find Erik. . .
Ben
Message from Russia to Russia
Argh! I didn't want more time to think over my builds. Currently they are: A
Sev and A War. A very dangerous choice, I think.
If Jason goes through with F Smy, and if Ben follows through against Tony, it
could work really well. We shall see. I still think it unlikely that he will,
but it's a gamble that has a lot of upsides if he does. And even F Ank isn't
that bad for me. I could try to convince Jason to move Ank-Con with my "good
faith" show of A Sev. The problem with F Sev is that it gives me no leverage
against Philippe if AT or AI forms, but I was thinking that when I was
seriously considering F StP. Now I just can't decide whether combined with A
War it's overkill. As the morning goes on, I may decide to change to F Sev.
A War is a nasty one, and was hard to commit to. Threatens Tony, and along
with A Sev also threatens Philippe. I will likely move it against Tony, but
could also see using it with Gal to support Philippe against Andy, or just
straight up attacking Philippe.
--- Eric
Message from Austria to England
> Well, good for you, my friend. Hopefully the crack in the door will widen
> and you will emerge the stronger for your early challenges.
>
> Now if only you can hold off Italy. . .
>
> I haven't heard from any of the eastern powers in ages, except for the
> occasional note about Scandinavia, from Russia.
>
> But I'm sending out some press now & I'll let you know if I hear anything.
Hi Ben,
Not sure I follow where this is coming from. Has anything
happened recently wich I should know about?
Regards,
Philippe
Message from Russia to Turkey
That last message was more theoretical than it should have been. My build
order is for A Sev. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I was still in.
I didn't mean it to be a question.
I think this (A Sev, F Smy) will work very well for both of us, and put us in
a position to expand in opposite (well, technically parallel) directions.
Good luck!
--- Eric
Message from England to Austria
Philippe -
> Not sure I follow where this is coming from. Has anything
> happened recently wich I should know about?
I had thought there was an RTI against you. Now I see you and Russia
ejecting Turkey from Rumania. Surely that is some kind of improvement,
right?
Ben
Message from Austria to England
> I had thought there was an RTI against you. Now I see you and Russia
> ejecting Turkey from Rumania. Surely that is some kind of improvement,
> right?
Since it's now been a week since those results came in, I
thought you might be refering to something else and I was
curious to know what it might be.
Anyway, thanks for your conforting words and let's hope
for a better future for Austria.
Philippe
Message from England to Austria
Philippe -
> Since it's now been a week since those results came in, I
> thought you might be refering to something else and I was
> curious to know what it might be.
Nah. I'd been away & we hadn't corresponded.
What do you hear from Tony?
> Anyway, thanks for your conforting words and let's hope
> for a better future for Austria.
My friend, I think it is on the way.
Ben
Message from Austria to England
> What do you hear from Tony?
Nothing really. I've mostly kep to myself,
waiting to see what's going to happen.
Philippe
Message from England to Italy
Andy -
I'm removing the army & pressing on.
Put in a good word for me with Russia, please.
Ben
Message from England to England
Kind of sad to see MAR - PIE - TYR - MUN - RUH. . .
Ben
Message from Turkey to England
Thanks, I should be fine over here. Italy talks to me occasionally, but
I think he's just setting me up for the stab. Austria will probably be
going down in flames soon.
jason
Message from Turkey to Russia
Confirm F Smy. We're a go.
jason
Message from England to Turkey
Jason -
> Thanks, I should be fine over here. Italy talks to me occasionally, but
> I think he's just setting me up for the stab. Austria will probably be
> going down in flames soon.
:-)
You know, when Eric took Norway from me, he was very nice about it, too.
Godspeed, my friend.
Ben
Message from Turkey to England
No doubt. :-)
Trouble is, Italy will get me if Russia doesn't. Rock and a hard place,
as they say!
Godspeed to you as well.
jason
England: REMOVE Army Yorkshire
France: BUILD Fleet Marseilles
France: BUILD Army Paris
Germany: BUILD Army Berlin
Italy: BUILD Army Rome
Russia: BUILD Army Sevastopol
Russia: BUILD Army Warsaw
Turkey: BUILD Fleet Smyrna
Centers
Austria: 4
England: 3
France: 6
Germany: 5
Italy: 5
Russia: 7
Turkey: 4
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