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Message from Germany to Russia
Nik:
> Russia: Removes the fleet in Sevastopol.
You might not believe it but I like this move. It makes me look far
less imposing. All the press that I've been receiving has had a
hysterical tone to it. Mainly because everyone thought that you'd
remove the fleet up north, and then I could walk into STP. Now there's
less chance that they'll gang up on me.
I would ask though, can you tell me who pushed this disband?
Fredd
Message from Observer to Observer
On Tue 31 Jul 2001 at 09:07:18PM -0500, in <200108010207.f7127Iv25308@t...>,
usin@t... wrote:
> Adjustment orders for Winter of 1902. (titleist.007)
> Russia: Removes the fleet in Sevastopol.
> Germany: Builds an army in Berlin.
> Turkey: Builds an army in Constantinople.
> Italy: Builds a fleet in Naples.
Ooooer.
TIR vs A is *on*, methinks.
There's no other good reason for Army Constantinople instead of Fleet
that I can think of.
Mind you, if Turkey was going to be *that* blatant about it, Italy
might as well have built Army Venice... I bet there'll be some words
said about that. :)
Ook,
Thorf
--
<a href="http://tertius.net.au/~thorfinn">thorfinn@t...</a>
"I can't believe I'm still having firsts at this age."
-- Penny@v...
Message from Russia to Germany
Fredd,
> > Russia: Removes the fleet in Sevastopol.
>
> You might not believe it but I like this move.
Keeping F GoB is hardly anti-German.
> I would ask though, can you tell me who pushed this disband?
Ali, obviously. Boar favored F GoB, surprisingly. Austria lobbied for
A Gal. (Like that was gonna happen!) I haven't heard from Ivy recently,
and Roberto and I discussed other things. Can we agree on Bal-Pru,
Swe-Bal, GoB-Lvn, Ber-Sil this Spring?
Nick.
Message from Observer to Observer
>Turkey: Builds an army in Constantinople.
An ARMY? Huh? Are I&T allied and giving I control of the Med (and T the
land) was part of the deal? Or has Turkey just given up up on the naval
battle against AI, and wants SEV instead?
Confused again,
Brian.
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Message from Observer to Observer
On Tue 31 Jul 2001 at 11:36:04PM -0400, in <F23lqgrKQ2CxuP5fEYq0000c173@h...>,
Brian Roberts <bmr335@h...> wrote:
> >Turkey: Builds an army in Constantinople.
> An ARMY? Huh? Are I&T allied and giving I control of the Med (and T the
> land) was part of the deal? Or has Turkey just given up up on the naval
> battle against AI, and wants SEV instead?
There are a myriad of possible reasons. :)
Primarily, a fleet *is* useless in the Med, for Turkey. There are,
count them, four, "enemy" fleets in the Med, three of them Italian.
Turkey cannot possibly win a fleet war in the Med from the position
he's currently in...
As a result, he might as well cede the Med to Italy, and let Italy
deal with it. He *might* well snap up Sevastopol in Fall, too...
depending on how bad Russia's situation is...
Russia shouldn't be in *too* bad shape... I think he can reclaim
Warsaw, if Germany doesn't want it for himself...
But if he does, Russia could be down to Moscow by the end of this
year, and could conceivably be down to nothing at all, if AT work
together, instead of fighting.
But I think odds of that are slim.
Ook,
Thorf
--
<a href="http://tertius.net.au/~thorfinn">thorfinn@t...</a>
"The wombat is a herbivorous mammal that eats, roots, shoots and leaves."
-- Skud@i...'s canned wombat tin
Message from Germany to Russia
> Can we agree on Bal-Pru,
> Swe-Bal, GoB-Lvn, Ber-Sil this Spring?
This is not to put you off. I will certainly consider all of these
moves. It's just late now, and I want to get a message back.
BER-SIL certainly looks like a go.
I'd say that parking a fleet in PRU is a no go. In saying that I'm
thinking of England more than you. Putting a fleet where it can't be
used for a year could tempt him to return.
On the other hand I'd like to get off of SWE so England isn't threatened
in NWY.
What about BOH and GAL? Any ideas there?
Last but not least, why would Ali want you to disband the fleet in the
Black Sea. I thought that you two were allies. If you're not then AI
will roll over you. If you are, I think it would be advantageous to
have a fleet in the Black Sea.
Fredd
Message from Germany to Italy
You're correct, I did write the below.
> The army in Tyrolia is beginning to worry me. I haven't
> decided yet, but I'm considering trying to move it. The plain
> truth is that we've both seen this type of thing before. A unit that
> just sits and sits, then one day it wakes up and attacks.
> I'm even more vulnerable now that France is in BUR.
But I think that you overlooked the below. Where I state that I don't
want to move my armies south.
>
> Truthfully I don't really want to move south. I would just
> like to see TYR clear.
So it's probably a misunderstanding. You were feeling that I was
threatening Venice, while I thought that my message conveyed that I'd
like to see everyone out of TYR.
Fredd
Message from Russia to Germany
Fredd,
> > Can we agree on Bal-Pru, Swe-Bal, GoB-Lvn, Ber-Sil?
>
> This is not to put you off. I will certainly consider all of these
> moves. It's just late now, and I want to get a message back.
>
> BER-SIL certainly looks like a go.
>
> I'd say that parking a fleet in PRU is a no go. In saying that I'm
> thinking of England more than you. Putting a fleet where it can't
> be used for a year could tempt him to return.
Sorry, don't buy it. This Spring Ivy HAS to order Iri S Nwg-NAO,
Lon S Eng, to attack MAO this Fall, and you yourself claimed that he
wants you out of Swe, and not in a position to grow this year. That
almost forces Swe-Bal, Bal-Pru. Additionally, IF we're cooperating
against Austria, and your ordering Ber-Sil, you don't want the
Austrian Army in War retreating to Pru when dislodged.
> On the other hand I'd like to get off of SWE so England isn't
> threatened in NWY.
Fin, GoB, and Lvn all threaten me, and threaten England indirectly.
That leaves Swe-Bal, and Bal-Pru, or Bal-Ber. Bal-Pru makes much
more sense from an anti-Austrian point of view.
> What about BOH and GAL? Any ideas there?
Several, but we need to come to an agreement on the Fleets, first,
I think.
> Last but not least, why would Ali want you to disband the fleet in the
> Black Sea. I thought that you two were allies. If you're not then AI
> will roll over you. If you are, I think it would be advantageous to
> have a fleet in the Black Sea.
You'd think so, and I'd think so, but Ali is the Turk, and Turks have
this ingrained snap response that Russia's first disband HAS to be F Sev,
for the Juggernaut to work. Also, I HAD to disband something, and the
Armies were out for obvious reasons, so I had to choose a Fleet, and if
I disbanded F GoB the ONLY ways to keep you from taking StP in the
Fall were to ask you to be nice, or to move Mos-StP and risk War-Mos.
Had I disbanded GoB, you COULD have ordered Swe-GoB, Bal-Lvn,
Ber-Pru, Boh-Sil, take StP, and quite possibly, War. This MIGHT have
caused an EF vs. G realignment, but I'd still be on my way to elimination,
so I didn't want to tempt you.
Let me know your thoughts on the Northern Fleets, when you get
time, and anything that you hear from around the world. Prince Boar
was lobbying hard for FAIR vs. GET, but Austria refused to retreat to
Sil, and Italy never commented on it publicly, so I think you don't
have anything to worry about, as long as you don't grow this year.
Nick.
Message from Russia to England
Ivy,
It's been two and one half days since we've exchanged letters, we're
slipping! 8-) I've asked Fredd to order Bal-Pru, Swe-Bal, to keep
Austria from retreating to Pru, and to minimize the danger of Germany
attempting a break-away building spree. He claims that moving Bal-Pru
will encourage you to order Nwg-Nwy, Lon-Nth and attack him. (Yes,
that makes as little sense to me, as it does to you.) France remains
worried, Austria remains recalcitrant, and Italy remains almost as smooth
as you are. Hopefully, Turkey will take my disband as a sign of good
faith, and cover Bul with His Fleet, rather than covering Sev. How does
the world look from the misty isle?
Your Friend,
Nick.
Message from England to Germany
Freddy,
That Russia kept the northern fleet instead of the southern was no
surprise. It's probably what was best for him, if not for us.
Here is the danger as I see it. Russia recovers Warsaw (probably good for
us, temporarily) but then builds in StP (very bad). If he builds in StP
you will have a much harder time in the north, and the configuration could
favor eventual Russian/Austrian cooperation against Germany.
Here is a suggestion. Tell Russia you will help him against Austria
provided he puts his fleet immediately this spring in StP and keeps it
there. Tell him honestly that you want to see him build an army in
Sevastopol to use against Austria. If you moved a fleet to Bothnia, you
could then order Bot-StP in the fall to insure that StP remains occupied
and cannot be used for a build.
Just how long you help Russia is another matter. Obviously you want StP
and Warsaw for yourself. Since you cannot get them this year, it seems best
for us that Russia sit quietly in StP and that Austria lose Warsaw to
Russia.
In the west the situation is simpler. Just support Belgium with Ruhr and I
will make moves that guarantee that I get into the Mid-Atl by fall.
******
Austria encourages me to switch sides, unite with France, and attack you.
That's the first time he ever suggested this, and it reflects his increased
fear of you. Obviously this was brought on by his failure to build and the
presence of your army in Bohemia.
******
What is France doing these days on the diplomatic front? Here are my
guesses. (1) he probably is encouraging Russia and Austria to make up and
unite against Germany. This would relieve the pressure France feels on his
German border. All the more reason for you to court Russia, if only
temporarily.
(2) he may be asking Italy for military help, say the new Naples fleet, in
order to make my progress more difficult. I once wanted Italian help
against southern France, but now I think I would rather Italy stay away.
******
>From my point of view, the ideal 1903 would see Russia regaining Warsaw to
offset the probable loss of a Turkish unit. Then the AI vs RT equation
remains balanced. In the meantime you and I both creep forward.
Ivy Wingo
Message from England to Russia
Nick,
> It's been two and one half days since we've exchanged letters, we're
>slipping! 8-)
I have had a semblance of a normal life these past several days. This is
probably a bad sign indicating that I have been neglecting my diplomacy.
>I've asked Fredd to order Bal-Pru, Swe-Bal, to keep
>Austria from retreating to Pru, and to minimize the danger of Germany
>attempting a break-away building spree. He claims that moving Bal-Pru
>will encourage you to order Nwg-Nwy, Lon-Nth and attack him. (Yes,
>that makes as little sense to me, as it does to you.)
Perhaps he is more afraid of Bothnia->Sweden, but doesn't want to say so.
I am confident that Germany is ready for some degree of cooperation with
you, because he sees the greater danger in Austria. Austria's setback in
the south was only temporary and he could grow soon, possibly rapidly.
Anyway, Germany wants you to recover Warsaw, and it looks like you have a
great shot at that.
Germany is feeling pretty confident these days, and he probably will expect
something in return for German/Russian cooperation. He may want help
against Vienna, or he may want you to pull your fleet away from Sweden. I
should be able to influence him a little in this matter, but something
tells me that he will be reluctant to vacate Sewden or Baltic when you can
jump into the resulting void.
>How does the world look from the misty isle?
Speaking selfishly, I just want the rest of the world to freeze in place
(that includes Germany) while I advance against France. I expect to be in
the Mid-Atl by fall 1903, but still cannot see any moves that guarantee me
a build by 1904. This is tough.
Ivy
Message from France to Russia
Czar Nicholas:
I understand your reasoning. I am just anxious to get
some pressure on Engand before I am dead.
I think that Italy would be open to an RIFT alliance. In
the end, I will be a secondary participant no matter what
choice is made in the south. I suspect it will be IRA or
IRT, probably the latter. I just want to join so I can
encourage and remind you all that I am keeping EG from
getting to large and without some help, they will be
montrous.
If I feel that I am left to the wolves, I might just give
up and roll over.
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to Italy
Roberto:
It looks like you have your agreement with Turkey.
Congratulations. You are truly a master diplomat.
I think that Russia would be open to an RIFT alliance.
In the end, I will be a secondary participant no matter
what choice is made in the south. I suspect it will be
IRA or IRT, probably the latter. I just want to join so
I can encourage and remind you all that I am keeping EG
from getting to large and without some help, they will be
montrous.
If I feel that I am left to the wolves, I might just give
up and roll over.
I do appreciate the fleet coming my way. That will
help! I also ask you to attack Munich. I may decide to
support it or I may do something else. Either way it
helps defend Burgundy and that is a good thing for both
of us. If Germany gets to Burgundy, he will certainly
get a build. Attacking Munich also may lull Austria for
a fall stab, if you are taking that approach. I need not
know the details. Just finish it quickly so some
pressure can be put on Germany and England! :-)
-- Prince Boar
Message from Russia to England
Ivy,
> > I've asked Fredd to order Bal-Pru, Swe-Bal, to
> > keep Austria from retreating to Pru,
>Perhaps he is more afraid of Bothnia->Sweden
Whoops, I forgot to mention that GoB-Lvn was
part of the package. At three Centres, with a
hostile Austria occupying Warsaw, I can't afford
to order GoB-Swe at this point, even if I knew
the move would succeed.
>He may want help against Vienna, or he may want you to pull your fleet away
>from Sweden.
I don't see that I can afford to support any
German gains before I get to five Centres, but
GoB-Lvn, Swe-Bal, Bal-Pru secures both Germany's and
Russia's and your northern border, in my opinion
Nick.
Message from Germany to Russia
Nick.
Just a minute before I head off to work. (Where I don't get email from
this game)
> Prince Boar
> was lobbying hard for FAIR vs. GET, but Austria refused to retreat to
> Sil, and Italy never commented on it publicly, so I think you don't
> have anything to worry about, as long as you don't grow this year.
This is exactly why I don't want to grow this year. So STP would have
been safe (This year) even if you had disbanded GOB.
Yes that infers that it wouldn't have been safe next year. But I expect
that I need'nt blow smoke and say something that everyone knows that I
would consider. But a year is a year in this game, and you just knew
know. My point being that STP is and was safe (from me) this fall.
I'll also have to stop talking without looking at the board. I had
overlooked Austria retreating to PRU. That's a good point. For my
next press I'll have a complete strategy laid out.
Fredd
Message from Germany to England
Ivy
Good thoughts on Russia. I've been trying something along those
lines. Strangely enough he acts like he's bargaining from a position of
strength. I do believe that you've hit the nail on the head that he'll
switch sides to Austria at a drop of a hat. (and here I thought that
when you got pissed at someone you're supposed to stay pissed)
Ruh will support BEL.
Fredd
Message from England to Germany
Freddy,
> (and here I thought that
>when you got pissed at someone you're supposed to stay pissed)
Right. You can count on that in most games, but good players (of which
there are seven in "titleist") can put aside past betrayals in order to
meet new threats. This game will be tricky from beginning to end.
Ivy
Message from England to Russia
Nick,
> >Perhaps he is more afraid of Bothnia->Sweden
>but
>GoB-Lvn, Swe-Bal, Bal-Pru secures both Germany's and
>Russia's and your northern border, in my opinion
Yes, indeed.
Getting Germany to trust you will be the trick then. He probably fears
being duped and that you will move GoB->Swe in the spring. And surely he
will want assurances that you will not be building a second northern unit
in StP at the end of the year. Perhaps you might consider the reassuring
GoB->StP in the spring. I don't see any harm in Austria retreating Warsaw
to Livonia or Prussia. An Austria army in one of those positions could be
easily crushed.
Anyway, if I were Russia, my goal this year would be to regain Warsaw while
diploming with all my neighbors. Don't make any more enemies than you
already have.
Good luck.
Ivy
Message from Italy to France
I will let you know if I order Tyr-Mun. I don't want you to waste a support
order for nothing. Right now, I'd say I would not attack Munich but that
may change over the course of negotiations.
Roberto
Message from Italy to Turkey
I hate to scheme behind our Russian friends back, but....I was looking at
ways of recouping my loss in Smyrna and the thought occurred to me that
Sevastopol might be a possibility. How much do we need Russia is the
question?
What I was thinking was:
Spring: smy-arm
Fall: arm-sev; bla s arm-sev
This would allow you to take Smyrna without support giving Con freedom to do
something else (Bulgaria perhaps). Just as important though, I'd be able to
move my fleets (ion-adr; ems-ion) or attack the Austrian fleet (ems-aeg; ion
s ems-ion). Albania would be free for a retreat in case Greece were
dislodged. You'd gain Smyrna without necessarily losing Greece and I'd
replace Smy with Sev while hopefully gaining/holding Trieste.
In time, we could swap Greece for Sevastopol.
I'm sure there are some little details that need to be worked out but what
are your thoughts on that idea?
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Italy to Austria
Let me know if you need/want support into Greece. We'd have to be careful
about a retreat to Albania though.
Roberto
Message from Turkey to Italy
Roberto,
Your proposal is interesting, and if we had arranged it ahead of time in the
framework of IT cooperation, I probably would have gone with it. But I'll
confess I'm still in "once bitten, twice shy" mode at present, so I have
some concerns about it. It's not entirely out of line with continued AI
efforts to dismantle RT; I'd much rather see a clear indication of a
reversal of Italian intentions before acting anti-Russian.
If your concern is that I'm reluctant to give up Greece, then please realize
I'm perfectly serious about trading Gre for Smy. I've been straight with
you from the start, and I still consider honesty to be the best policy. I
believe that Turkey's power base is around the Black Sea, which is why I'm
so willing to embark on a land-based course. But given the current
circumstances, I'd be more comfortable if I were in control of when and how
to hit Sevastopol.
There are three main options that I currently favor for the spring, though
I'm still open to suggestion. The first is Smy-Alb, which gives you
pressure on Serbia and Trieste in the fall, and clearly enables your fleets
to move in the following turn. The second is Smy-Gre, Gre-Bul. However, I
expect Austria to attempt to retake Greece, so that may bounce, and we've no
way to support it. The third is Ion S Ems-Aeg, Gre-Bul, with Smy-Aeg-Gre,
Ank-Smy in the fall. This may have some advantage if Austria attacks Gre
with an army, meaning his fleet would be destroyed. Conversely, if he moves
Aeg-Gre, then you're assured Gre in the fall with Bul and Ion supporting,
although this does tie up your fleets one more turn.
I know you're eager to regain some flexibility with your fleets, and I
understand and appreciate your concerns. From my perspective, though, I
can't help but recall that you could have been in Greece last spring, and we
wouldn't be having this discussion. My fear is that you're planning to
string Austria along for the time being (or that you're trying to string me
along), and if you enter moves that might be in line with AI cooperation, it
will take that much longer to rebuild trust between us.
I'm eager for some hint of what you're planning with A Tyr. From what I've
heard from Germany, it seems you and he are in some contention about it.
The two obvious choices are to support France against Munich, or to attack
Austria. Naturally, from Turkey's perspective, an assault on Trieste would
be preferred. Also, it seems to me that Austria still considers you on his
side, and therefore is no doubt discussing options with you. Since he will
rely on coordination with your forces, it would be a great help if you would
divulge what Austria is planning. His coordination with you will surely
give us an opportunity for an effective Italian attack.
If your expressed desire for FIRT vs. EGA is genuine, then I think the best
course is to coordinate ITR efforts against Austria as quickly as possible,
so that you can build your fleet force and move it west, and so that I can
combine with Russia to push armies north against Germany. Once that's under
way, then I can look at attacking Russia within the framework of our
long-term goals. You've seen me build nothing but armies, and I think your
instincts will probably tell you I'm on the level about wanting long-term IT
friendship. But I'm also sure you can appreciate that, however weak Russia
may be, I have to consider him the only ally I've got until I see on the
board that Italy is no longer hostile.
What do you think? Let's keep discussing this, I'm eager to find a solution
we're both happy with.
Ali Baba
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
Ok, what are you thinking for the spring move? I think we should come up
with a plan that works if Italy really switches sides, but that also
protects us if he doesn't.
What is your relationship with Germany? He seems disposed anti-Austrian,
and he seems pretty unhappy with Italy's unit in Tyrolia. If he can be
convinced to hit Vienna, at least to cut support, it would be a great help.
The obvious combination to me is Gre-Ser, Boh-Vie, Rum S Gal-Bud. This gets
you Bud unless he defends with Ser-Rum, but that seems unlikely to me. If
he orders that, it would likely be with support from Bud, which could be
cut, and even if Ser goes to Rum it gains him nothing due to Gre-Ser. The
biggest risk here is Ser S Aeg-Gre, but if Italy is on board then I'll
regain Smy and can afford to lose Gre.
The other option is to focus on getting you into Warsaw, with Boh-Vie,
Rum-Bud, Gre-Ser, Mos S Gal-War. This has the same risks, namely Bud S
Ser-Rum (in which case Gre moves to Ser), and Ser S Aeg-Gre (which I can't
do anything about anyway). The drawback is that it moves your army away
from Austria, and if Austria loses out this year he may well disband A
Warsaw anyway, allowing you to pick it up uncontested in the following year.
There are other options of course, such as Gal S Boh-Vie. However, this
isn't really along the lines of Italy's proposed FIRT vs. EGA. You could
perhaps entice Germany by promising support for Boh-Vie in the fall if you
gain Bud. Also, Germany may have other plans for Boh, such as dislodging
Tyr. I'm writing Germany today to inquire of his plans; let's touch base
should either of us hear from him, yes?
Anyway, as you suggested I'm presenting a united front to Italy. I will be
writing joint presses to try and get ITR vs. A off the ground. However, I'm
not going to really believe it until I see it.
Please write at your earliest convenience. I'm eager to hear your thoughts
on the above.
Ali
Message from Turkey to Germany
Freddy,
I'm sorry to hear of your troubles with Italy. I had hoped that the
combination of Tyr/Boh/Gal/Rum could be devastating against Austria if the
Italian could be turned. Of course, as you point out, the combination of
Tyr/Bur cannot be taken lightly.
>From your last press, I speculate that you may be planning to dislodge Tyr
soon. Is this the case? The reason I'm asking, of course, is that Boh
would be very useful against Vienna. The two obvious options are Gal S
Boh-Vie in the spring, or perhaps Boh-Vie to cut support in the spring, with
Rum S Gal-Bud, and Bud S Boh-Vie in the fall.
Anyway, as you mentioned, we should be in serious discussion. Austria
affects both our interests, and we'd be well-advised to coordinate our
efforts for our mutual benefit. I eagerly await your thoughts on the above,
or on any other topic that comes to mind.
Ali
Message from Russia to Turkey
Ali,
I'll respond to your letter when I get the chance,
but I suspect that Italy is sincere. I don't know how
closely you coordinated with Austria before S1902M, but
he hasn't moved effectively, and has not negotiated
well, either, so I suspect that Italy is frustrated
with him. Additionally, if he wanted to continue to
attack you, why lie about it? He could have just
build A Nap, had Austria support Smy and Convoyed to
Syr this Spring. He doesn't strike me as the sort
who would lie unnecessisarily. Your mileage may vary,
of course, but I don't see what he'd gain by lieing
to us at this point.
In Haste,
Nick.
Message from Turkey to France
Prince Boar,
How are things going up your way? I know how it looks on the board... but
have you had any luck on the diplomatic front? I've been hearing
interesting things from Italy. Apparently he's concerned about EG, and has
been talking about re-thinking his position. Naturally, I'm hesitant to be
so trusting the second time around. However, if he is on the level, then
he's likely been in communication with you. I know that Germany is
concerned about the combination of A Bur and A Tyr, and I'm sure that hasn't
escaped your attention either.
I don't expect you to divulge any details, nor would I want you to do so in
any case. However, I'm obviously very interested in turning Italy around if
it can be accomplished. Any hint of your communications with him, or any
diplomatic efforts on your part to get him into an FIRT vs. EGA, would be
very much appreciated.
Regards,
Ali Baba
Message from Turkey to Austria
Tamara,
> You were/are facing Italian aggression, not AI aggression.
You can't be serious! Correct me if I'm wrong here...
> Austria: Fleet Aegean Sea SUPPORT Italian Army Tunis -> Smyrna.
If that isn't AI aggression against Turkey, what is?!?
> Smyrna is of course your home center, and would be yours in any AT
alliance.
I should hope so.
> But the eternal question of who stabs their ally first, who walks the
> tightrope without a net, is not easy to answer. The Archduke believes it
> should be you, because you have both the most to gain and the least to
lose.
When it comes to gaining and losing, my only concern is to regain my home
center. Once the home centers are lost, everything is lost. Beyond that,
I'll stick with whoever sticks with me. I'm simply trying to hang on here;
stabbing anyone isn't even in it.
> Your grab of Sev will gain you a build, and Russia is neither vital to
your
> defense nor able to greatly harm you. Your defensive lines are
> well-constructed, and will not fall to a simple assault, and in fact as
part
> of an AT alliance, would be impervious once the Russian fleet is
destroyed.
My defensive lines are in a shambles. I have no way to support my current
holdings, and no way to recover my home center. In the face of continued AI
aggression, I'm in the position of simply trying to hang on. I'll admit Sev
is tempting; but it gains me nothing to rob from Peter to pay Paul.
Especially when Paul is the one who's attacking me.
> Austria, on the other hand, is incapable of taking an Italian center and
> vulnerable to not only Italy and Russia but also Germany.
Well then perhaps it's a good time to get serious about alliance with
Turkey? Trade Greece for Smyrna? That would represent a net gain for
Austria, a loss for Italy, and a wash for Turkey. But in any case, we'd
both be better off.
> Is there any hope available that we can resume our stillborn cooperation?
Absolutely. It's all up to you. As I said, all you have to do is support
Ank-Smy, and you can name your terms. You can have Greece back, I'll attack
Russia and build fleets to attack Italy. If, however, you continue to
support Italy while attacking me in Gre/Bul/Rum, then AT cooperation will be
quite impossible.
Sincerely,
Ali Baba
Message from Russia to Italy
Roberto,
Any word from Austria about this Spring? Are you
committed to RIFT vs. AGE (for this year, anyway 8-)?
Any comments on your build from anyone? Germany and I
are discussing shifting our Fleets south to prevent A War
from retreating northward when I repatriate the Poles, but
he hasn't agreed to anything, yet. Please write when you
can.
Your Friend,
Nick.
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
> I'll respond to your letter when I get the chance,
> but I suspect that Italy is sincere. I don't know how
> closely you coordinated with Austria before S1902M, but
> he hasn't moved effectively, and has not negotiated
> well, either, so I suspect that Italy is frustrated
> with him. Additionally, if he wanted to continue to
> attack you, why lie about it? He could have just
> build A Nap, had Austria support Smy and Convoyed to
> Syr this Spring. He doesn't strike me as the sort
> who would lie unnecessisarily. Your mileage may vary,
> of course, but I don't see what he'd gain by lieing
> to us at this point.
I agree that Italy's press seems sincere, but then again it seemed pretty
sincere when he told me he would not move his fleets my way, and that he was
attacking Austria and Greece. So, I will contiue to be cautious regarding
Italy until I've seen his cards on the table.
As for his possible advantage, I cannot rule out the possibility that it is
simply a ploy to try to learn our moves. Austria continues to write me in
an effort to get me to attack Sev and to learn what it is I'm planning.
Certifiable bullshit, all of it (or so it appears), and it hasn't been
working. Perhaps the Italian is now trying his hand. Austria's in a tough
spot, and his best hope may be to take the guesswork out of it. So, I'm
strongly opposed to revealing any more to Italy than is absolutely
necessary, for this turn at least.
If Italy does turn out to be on the level, then it creates some strange
bedfellows. If we assume he wants FIRT vs. EGA, then that means you
attacking Germany. However, Germany at least appears to be a good candiate
to cooperate with you against Austria. If Italy is lying, then we should
embrace Germany with both arms if he'll help against Austria. If Italy's on
the level, though, then the German question could turn into a bit of a
tight-rope that must be walked with great care.
Write when you get a chance,
Ali
Message from Italy to England
>
> Congratulations on your fifth center. That's supposed to be
> a milestone in Italian progress.
>
Thanks. We'll see how long that milestone lasts.
> I bet you get your sixth before I do. It will impossible for
> me to grow in 1903,
>
Of course, not impossible but you'd need a little help/luck and you'd
certainly give up some position in the process.
Something you might be interested in is France has been lobbying quite hard
for Russia to move Mos-Stp in hopes that will lock down your NWG fleet into
the defense of Norway (as opposed to it moving to NAO). I doubt Russia can
afford that move this year but if things go 100% perfect for him this year,
it's possible he could gain a build from Warsaw and Norway could be
threatened next year.
>
> In spite of a little setback for Austria, I still think our
> two friends, Germany and Austria, are in positions best
> suited for very rapid growth. We need to keep them reined
> in somewhat.
>
I know what I can do to rein in Austria. What are you planning to do to
limit German growth?
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Russia to Turkey
My Dear Ali,
>what are you thinking for the spring move?
I see two possibilities, play cautious, wait to
make sure Italy is with us, and take War in the Fall,
or assume that Roberto will order Tyl-Tri, Smy-Alb,
and we try to take Ser, Bud, War, and perhaps even Vie.
>What is your relationship with Germany?
He's worried about IA at the moment, but if
Italy attacks Austria, I expect that he will rapidly
become interested in War and StP, himself.
>If he can be convinced to hit Vienna, at least to
>cut support, it would be a great help.
If he agrees to the Fleet moves I've suggested,
I'll propose that he hit Vie, and let you know what
he says.
>There are other options, such as Gal S Boh-Vie.
I see no reason to support Germany into a Center
before I'm up to six Units myself, and at that point,
I won't have to. 8-)
>I will try to get ITR vs. A off the ground. However, I'm not going to
>really believe it until I see it.
As I said in my previous letter, I don't see that
Italy gains anything by lying to us about RIFT vs. AGE,
but we'll see for sure this Spring.
In Alliance,
Nick.
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
> I see two possibilities, play cautious, wait to
> make sure Italy is with us, and take War in the Fall,
> or assume that Roberto will order Tyl-Tri, Smy-Alb,
> and we try to take Ser, Bud, War, and perhaps even Vie.
>
> >What is your relationship with Germany?
>
> He's worried about IA at the moment, but if
> Italy attacks Austria, I expect that he will rapidly
> become interested in War and StP, himself.
You're probably right. I wouldn't bet the farm on Tyr-Tri yet, though.
Germany seems annoyed at Tyr, and apparently Italy has refused to move it.
If Italy wants to help France, he may use it to support Bur-Mun. Italy has
certainly not promised me he'll use Tyr to attack Austria; it might be a
good idea to press him on the issue a bit. I myself have asked pointedly
what he intends for Tyr.
> >If he can be convinced to hit Vienna, at least to
> >cut support, it would be a great help.
>
> If he agrees to the Fleet moves I've suggested,
> I'll propose that he hit Vie, and let you know what
> he says.
Likewise, I've written him to inquire about it. Let's compare notes when we
hear from him.
> >There are other options, such as Gal S Boh-Vie.
>
> I see no reason to support Germany into a Center
> before I'm up to six Units myself, and at that point,
> I won't have to. 8-)
Agreed.
It seems we don't have much to go on until we've heard more from Italy and
Germany. I will write as soon as anything develops. The deadline is
tomorrow, so I hope we can keep up the dialoge as much as possible and come
up with the best plan we can.
Regards,
Ali
Message from Russia to Turkey
Ali,
> Austria continues to write me in an effort to get
> me to attack Sev and to learn what it is I'm planning.
> Certifiable bullshit, all of it (or so it appears),
Yes, I've been getting similar letters about the
German threat. My response has been, 'Move War-Sil,
and we'll talk.'
> Perhaps the Italian is now trying his hand.
> I'm strongly opposed to revealing any more to Italy
> than is absolutely necessary, for this turn at least.
Oh, definitely! Tyl-Tri, Smy-Alb, Nap-TyS is
all Italy need to know about RIFT vs. AGE this Spring.
Nick.
Message from Turkey to Italy
Roberto,
By the way, I wanted to state for the record that I have not told Russia of
your proposal, nor do I intend to do so. Russia tells me he believes your
proposals are sincere, and I'm content to keep it that way. Looking at the
board, I can see some tactical advantages to what you suggest. After having
set myself up as a patsy in '02, though, I'm determined not to do it again,
as I'm sure you can appreciate. So, I had promised myself I would not take
you at your word until I saw your moves revealed.
However, it's also true that sometimes when I've been more trusting than I
ought to be, it has payed off handsomely. So I guess I won't rule it out,
though I have to say it's still my least favourite option.
What would really help would be to learn more about your motivations.
Specifically, how does Bla S Arm-Sev fit in with your proposal of FIRT vs.
EGA? How do you see things shaking out in the long run? How can we use
German forces against Austria, while setting up Germany for attack from
Russia? When would you be willing to carry out an attack against Austria
yourself?
Write when you get a chance.
Ali Baba
Message from Russia to France
Prince Boar,
>I think that Italy would be open to an RIFT alliance.
It does seem that way, but I believe that he is
almost as smooth as Ivy.
>I can encourage and remind you all that I am keeping
>EG from getting to large and without some help, they
>will be montrous.
I am well aware of Germany's potential, especially
since I represent so much of his potential, now.
>If I feel that I am left to the wolves, I might just give up and roll over.
The only logical move for F Nap is to TyS and
then WMed, which should protect Iberia and Marseilles.
We might be able to get you into Mun this Fall, which
would let you protect Brest next year, as well. It's
going to be a near thing for both of us, but things
could turn around for us this year.
Your Friend,
Nick.
Message from Italy to Russia and Turkey
Gentlemen,
I have not yet heard from Austria so I do not know his plans to date. I've
started the ball rolling by asking him if he wants/needs support into
Greece. Typically, I hear from Austria on the day of the deadline. I think
he uses the first day to figure out what he wants to do and then the second
day to talk me into doing what he wants me to do.
It may surprise you to know that, other than the fleet orders, I have not
known what Austria's orders were going to be. He hasn't in the past shared
them with me. I've made some guesses/assumptions but I haven't been any
more correct than the two of you.
I suspect, with the new board position, I will have a good idea of the AEG
and VIE orders and possibly SER but I highly doubt I will know any more than
you regarding WAR/BUD.
I will share what I know when I have more information and that should help
solidify our moves this spring.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Russia to Germany
Fredd,
> > I think you don't have anything to worry about
> > as long as you don't grow this year.
>This is exactly why I don't want to grow this year. So STP would have
>been safe (This year) even if you
>had disbanded GOB. Yes that infers that it would
>not have been safe next year.
There was the danger that you would try for
StP AND War, and while that move would likely have
garnered you more attention than you wanted, it
would also have definitely crushed my hopes of
survival. So, that concern, combined with my
desire to prevent War from retreating to Lvn, and
Turkey's desire that I disband F Sev all influenced
my decision.
>I had overlooked Austria retreating to PRU.
That's why I like GoB-Lvn, Bal-Pru, and Swe-Bal
should make England happy, it increases everyone's
security in the north.
Nick.
Message from England to Italy
Good Roberto,
>Something you might be interested in is France has been lobbying quite hard
>for Russia to move Mos-Stp in hopes that will lock down your NWG fleet into
>the defense of Norway (as opposed to it moving to NAO). I doubt Russia can
>afford that move this year
Thank you. For Russia to move an army to StP now would be quite a
sacrifice for him. I am aware that he may want to get Warsaw this year and
build in StP next year.
>I know what I can do to rein in Austria. What are you planning to do to
>limit German growth?
Solicit your help in an anti-German alliance? Just kidding; that's far
down the road.
Right now Germany is in great shape, but I don't expect him to grow this
year. Anyway, the players in this game are too good to let anyone run away
with an easy victory.
Ivy
Message from England to Germany
Freddy,
France is urging Russia to move Moscow->StP in order to draw my fleet back
to Norway. Russia would have to be very stupid to do that because it means
giving up Warsaw. But building an army in StP after regaining Warsaw could
be very tempting for Russia.
I hope you don't vacate Sweden this spring. While Russia probably won't be
so bold as to try Bot->Swe, there is no reason for you to risk it.
I suppose if Russia builds or threatens to build in StP there is always
Lon->Nth->Norway. That protects Norway and helps you get StP. I know, I
know, you don't want me in the North Sea. Just an option. I won't go
there unless you ask me to.
If Russia doesn't play ball this spring, maybe you have to try to keep him
from getting or keeping Warsaw.
[My moves are easy, so I have been thinking about yours.]
Ivy
Message from Russia to Turkey
>Message from Turkey to Russia in 'titleist':
>
>I agree that Italy's press seems sincere, but then again it seemed pretty
>sincere when he told me he
>would not move his fleets my way, and that he was
>attacking Austria and Greece.
My belief in Italy's sincerity isn't based on
his press, though. Telling you that you were safe
to attack Russia and build Armies set you up for
the Lepanto. Lying to us at this point, doesn't
set us up for anything that I can see, though,
unless he leaks our plans to Austria, and he can't
do that since we're not going to tell him our plans.
>Germany at least appears to be a good candiate
>to cooperate with you against Austria.
Yes, but even Fredd admits that that is a very
short-term deal. He'll help me cripple Austria this
year, while England gains position against France,
then he'll attack StP and War.
Nick.
Message from Austria to Italy
> Let me know if you need/want support into Greece. We'd have to be careful
> about a retreat to Albania though.
I was actually thinking Ion-Alb in the spring, and then go after Greece in
the fall. It might even be best if you yourself end up with Greece, but we
don't have to decide that yet.
If Turkey is likely to passively support Con, we can put enourmous pressure
on with Smy-Arm, Aeg s Eas-Smy. He's more likely to use Ank s Con-Smy. We
could try to take advantage of that with Smy-Arm, Aeg-Con, Eas-Aeg.
I would like to get at least a guess for a build. Either Germany or Russia
is likely to pick up Warsaw, so I may exit voluntarily in the spring so that
I have more options in the fall.
Do you have any other suggestions?
Idalia, for Austria-Hungary, by the grace of Archduke Ferdinand
Message from Austria to Turkey
>> You were/are facing Italian aggression, not AI aggression.
>
> You can't be serious! Correct me if I'm wrong here...
>
>> Austria: Fleet Aegean Sea SUPPORT Italian Army Tunis -> Smyrna.
>
> If that isn't AI aggression against Turkey, what is?!?
That was an attempt to convert the Smy army into a fleet.
Note that I didn't quote back to you your Bulgarian support of an
Italian assault on Greece. If you want to argue about who is more
wronged, we can do that, but I'd rather discuss how we can change
direction in favor of cooperation.
> When it comes to gaining and losing, my only concern is to regain my home
> center. Once the home centers are lost, everything is lost. Beyond that,
> I'll stick with whoever sticks with me. I'm simply trying to hang on here;
> stabbing anyone isn't even in it.
Italy is in your home center. The only Austrian move which is even
remotely anti-Turkey was the support you quoted above, and that move and
its desired outcome (turn the useless army into a fleet) were described
ahead of time.
> My defensive lines are in a shambles. I have no way to support my
> current holdings, and no way to recover my home center. In the face
> of continued AI aggression, I'm in the position of simply trying to
> hang on. I'll admit Sev is tempting; but it gains me nothing to rob
> from Peter to pay Paul. Especially when Paul is the one who's
> attacking me.
If you insist on fighting two enemies, you'll probably achieve that. Is
that your wisest course?
> Well then perhaps it's a good time to get serious about alliance with
> Turkey? Trade Greece for Smyrna? That would represent a net gain for
> Austria, a loss for Italy, and a wash for Turkey. But in any case, we'd
> both be better off.
You won't be able to hold Greece, and you can't take Smyrna back without
my help. Without your help, I end up chopped up by Germany and Italy.
Yes, we'd both be better off. But I cannot gain by acting against Italy
while Russia is concentrating on killing me. I need Russia crippled,
and only you are in position to do that.
> Absolutely. It's all up to you. As I said, all you have to do is
> support Ank-Smy, and you can name your terms. You can have Greece
> back, I'll attack Russia and build fleets to attack Italy. If,
> however, you continue to support Italy while attacking me in
> Gre/Bul/Rum, then AT cooperation will be quite impossible.
Impasse, then. We had a good chance to turn Smy into a fleet last turn,
but you chose not to. You took one of my centers, I didn't even attack
any of yours, and indeed left Rumania alone so that you could pick up
Sev without giving up Rum. You prefer to sink with your RT alliance
rather than accept the perfectly seaworthy lifeboat I'm offering you.
I regret your decision, and will eagerly watch the results for evidence
you've changed your mind. I think that if things continue as they are
going, Austria-Hungary will be eliminated no later than two years after
Turkey. But I'm not willing to make that two years before Turkey, which
seems to be your goal.
Tamara, for Austria-Hungary, by the grace of Archduke Ferdinand
Message from Austria to Italy
I tried to get Turkey to stab Russia, claiming I was afraid of you and was
hoping for his help. No luck at all.
Idalia, for Austria-Hungary, by the grace of Archduke Ferdinand
Message from England to Russia
Nick,
My moves are fairly straightforward, so I have given more thought to your
area of the board.
Having looked at the position more carefully, I think it is hopeless to
expect Germany to move Swe->Bal this turn. He is in a comfortable position
where he has no need to take risks. Although I doubt that he thinks you
might cross him with Bot->Swe, why should he take the chance? If you
succeeded with Bot->Swe it would be a major disaster for Germany. He's
just not going to let that happen while you are adjacent to Sweden.
He also worries that you will build in StP. I don't know what you can do
to reassure him that you won't.
Selfishly, I am hoping that you can play off Germany and Austria against
each other and make it difficult for either of them to break away from the
pack. The worst scenerio would be for you to end up with both Germany and
Austria as enemies. Should somehow Germany find a new ally in Austria,
then (1) you are dead and (2) Germany has less use for me.
Ivy Wingo
Message from Germany to Russia
Nick:
Strangely enough we find ourselves back in the same boat again.
Remember back before the first move, when you wanted Sweden but wouldn't
commit to putting that build in STP? (You, of course, couldn't commit
because of the Juggernaut)
Now we are in a similar position. You would like my help in retaking
WAR or VIE. I don't have much trouble with that, UNLESS you use that
build to put an army in STP. If we can agree that you won't build an
army in STP then we should plan an attack.
Let's assume that A and I are working hand in glove. There are five
units that we have to cover. TYR, VIE, BUD, WAR, and SER. We have BOH,
BER, MUN (sort of), GAL, MOS and RUM
It sounds to me that from the moves that you suggest you want to put GAL
into WAR with help from MOS. Which also makes WAR retreat to UKR.
(Unless RUM goes there. Highly unlikely)
Then in the fall it'll be a guess between you and Austria. You try to
leave something open and keep all your pieces, while he tries to get one
back. And he might have a unit in GAL to help.
Not the greatest plan in the world.
I do like the BER-SIL, BAL-PRU, and BOT-LVN part of the plan. Those are
my tentative orders right now.
What about: RUM S GAL- BUD and BOH - VIE.
Or BOH s GAL - VIE and MUN - TYR
What is Turkey willing to do? I'd like to attack in the south this
turn, then support MOS - WAR in the fall (with SIL)
Fredd
Message from Germany to England
Ivy:
Pity the other players. France is turning his press machine on them.
I have heard that he is trying to get FAIR vs GET.
Russia is the wild card right now. I'm just finished my press to him.
Basically telling him that I'll take his advice and make his move on the
condition that he doesn't build in STP. Truthfully, I expect him to
balk. His press to me hasn't been 'encouraging'. Of course, my two
fleets might have something to do with that.
Italy and Austria has also been less than cordial. Italy and I are
'having words' over his army in TYR. I want it out of there before it
can be used against me. He says its only for defense. Something is going
to give.
It really is perplexing. I can classify both Italy and Austria only as
arrogant. They have made almost no attempts at diplomacy with me. At
least nothing realistic. I've got some bull from Austria about attacking
Russia, but it's obvious that he's not serious. And Italy just yells at
me because I want him to retreat TYR. Seems fair to me.
FAIR could be becoming a reality. It all hinges on Russia. IF he hangs
with Turkey or turns against him. I wouldn't be surprised to see Russia
attack Turkey, even this turn. But probably in the fall.
Fredd
Message from Germany to Turkey
Ali:
Quick question, did you suggest that Russia disband F SEV?
I have suggested RUM S GAL - BUD while BOH-VIE to Russia. I believe
that we should be attacking, while we have the advantage of position.
It's my belief that France is trying to turn Russia against you. In
effect forming FAIR vs GET. Certainly it's already FAI VS GET. The
wild card is Russia. Do you think that he'll turn against you? I'm in
a position to help him, and so his press should be designed to give me a
warm and fuzzy feeling. It doesn't. But that could be caused by my two
fleets. I suppose that I'd feel the same way if I were him. He's
probably assuming that I might help him in WAR or elsewhere, but at the
same time helping myself to STP. I certainly would consider that. Just
not this year.
I'm waiting to hear back from Russia about our attack. Let's hope it
goes well.
Fredd
Message from Germany to England
Ivy:
> If Russia doesn't play ball this spring, maybe you have to try to
> keep him from getting or keeping Warsaw.
I'm glad that you don't want me to vacate SWE this turn. I was looking
for ways to move off, but they all threaten Russia.
Nickie should be playing ball. But I think his game plan is to build in
STP. I won't allow that. I will allow him to build in SEV or MOS, but
if he tries anything else I'll make it my mission to take him out at the
knees.
He could pull off quite a coup though if he were to change sides this
year. Austria would probably support him to RUM. (but Turkey would
retreat to SEV, unless MOS moved down) But that would mean that he'd
have to trust A NOT to enter MOS in the fall. I doubt if there's a lot
of trust there.
I've got messages in to Nick and Ali. What happens will depend on their
answers.
On the plus side the Boar has gone quiet.
Fredd
Message from France to France
Spring 1903 Symposium on Philosophy, Europe and
Everything.
- by Prince Xavier Boar
My dear French people, as you all know, things have not
gone well for France. We are under attack from both our
Northern and Eastern Borders. For now the South appears
to be safe, but the Italians may be mustering for war as
well. Our sources tell us of their expanding navy. But
I implore you to keep your hope. The Dauphin and I will
do all that we can to make certain that our betrayers do
not benefit from their treachery.
We shall Protect in Paris, and Battle in Burgundy. We
will Punish in Picardy and berate in Brest. We shall
Garrison in Gascony, Beset in Belgium, Ravage in Ruhr,
Malign in Munich, and Maul in Marseilles. We will
Persecute in Portugal and Skirmish in Spain. Our Navies
will Maraude in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean, Nip at the North
Atlantic Ocean, Invade the Irish Sea, and Engage in the
English Channel. Our people shall never give up!
*****Begin Private Stuff*****
As I stated last spring, my goal was to work with England
against Germany. That plan was dashed with the English
betrayal. I was pretty confident in England and was
surprised that he chose Germany. This is especially true
because of all the German silence. England tells me that
it is because he identified me as the biggest threat and
wanted the EG from the beginning. It did not take much
for him to swing over to Germany. I am not sure if he is
feeding me a line or not. I suspect a bit of both.
It is frustrating to think that I had basically no chance
at succeeding in this game. It is my own fault for
choosing France. My head said to hide in Russia or
Austria. My heart wanted France because I almost never
get it and I like to play it. I enjoy slipping in my
limited knowledge of France from my studies in HS and
College. Next time, listen to my head. :-)
Oh well, I shall play with dignity and honor, and never
give up! Well, when it looks inevitable, I shall
probably choose to punish someone before I have no
resources left. But for now, I will keep trying hard.
I did wonder if I should move the fleet from Por to MAO
in the spring, just in case England betrayed me. But I
was confident in Ivy and I did not want to risk our
relationship. I wanted that relationship built on trust
and complete follow through. C'est la vie. I should
have made the move, in hind sight. I am glad that I
moved Spa to Gascony and not Marseilles. It was designed
at the better defensive choice, just in case England
betrayed me. It can support Brest, Burgundy, and Paris,
as well as cover Spain. Gascony and Burgundy are the
keys to the defense of France.
In the fall I put all my effort into convincing Germany
to stab England. I figured I had little hope. Germany
has been cool to me the entire game. It did not help
that he did not write until a half hour before the
deadline. He was then late and I wrote him the next
morning. But when he replied that he was waiting to turn
in orders and that I could write him again, I declined.
It sounded too much like negotiating after the deadline
to me. I do wonder how Germany and England could have
made such a perfect demilitarization of their border with
Germany being late. But I will just assume that it would
have happened had Germany been on the ball and not worry
that Germany might have been breaking some rules. It
could have simply been Germany agreeing to England's
suggestions made before the deadline.
I told England several times that Germany will let him
down at a critical point, and I believe it. I was
not exciting about the prospects of working with
him anyway. But it was better than being the one
attacked. Perhaps Germany will get his act together and
be more communicative.
I tried very hard to get Russia to defend St. Petes from
England. I did not want England to get a build. I felt
that I had a decent shot if he had only two fleets. I
did not expect the complete demilitarization and missed
that the third fleet was already on the board. Either it
was blindness or my tactical weakness.
As for my fall moves, I risked losing Picardy in order to
increase my odds for Burgundy. I attacked Burgundy from
Paris, so that Picardy had a place to retreat if
necessary. Germany move Munich to Bohemia so I could
simply walk into Burgundy. This does help my defensive
position. With Italy in Tyrolia, Germany must be a bit
more tentative.
This year, I am trying to get the south to resolve itself
quickly (the opposite goal from when I thought I had an
ally) and obtain some help from them. Italy has agreed
to send over a fleet, but it will arrive too late to save
the MAO. Having Italy send help is dangerous in that he
could join with England instead. But given the choice, I
will prefer to give my centers to Italy. In fact if it
looks like I am done, I will try to do just that.
I have a dilemma, whom to I want to benefit more Germany
or England. I prefer the English player and do not want
Germany to succeed because I am not enamored with his
diplomacy style. However, I am entrenched with the idea
of proving to England that he made the wrong choice.
Therefore I will defend against him when I must make
choices. I would not mind Germany growing large quickly.
It may force England to rethink his strategy.
My military goal for the spring is to put everything into
taking Belgium. I will risk England taking the MAO in
the spring, but he will have only a 50-50 shot at it. I
think that he may even choose to support Nwg to NAO and
MAO will be safe. I have not yet decide which I will do
(Bre -> Eng s by MAO or the opposite). I may just flip a
coin. I will also risk losing Burgundy to go for
Belgium. But putting a stress into the GA relationship
(Bel can only retreat to Hol) would be worth it.
*****End Private Stuff********
Philosophy
A neighbor has suggested that France is being attacked
because we were too likeable. That we should have
purposely been less likeable to not make ourselves a
target. The irony is that this neighbor is more likeable
than we are. But it is an interesting philosophy
nevertheless. It is a philosophy, however, that I must
reject. Instead I choose to follow the personal
philosophy of the great Marcus Aurelius. He is a man of
my own heart in that he was both a Caesar of Roman and a
wise stoic philosopher. To him, the wise man "will not
go against the divinity that is planted in his breast;
but rather he will preserve his deepest inner self in
tranquillity. He will, above all, preserve his own
autonomy and integrity, and not let anything alienate him
from himself". Words that I can live by. If I fail
France by being who I am, then I must apologize. But I
shall not fail myself by being myself.
Message from France to all
Spring 1903 Symposium on Philosophy, Europe and
Everything.
- by Prince Xavier Boar
[This is Stuart Scott here. Trey Wingo lost this job
because of his relationship to Ivy Wingo. It is not wise
to be related to someone who betrays the Dauphin. He got
the Axe, had a date with Mr. Guillotine, you get the
picture. After carefully consulting my family tree, and
knowing that I am not related to any of the leaders in
Europe, I accepted this job. I could not resists after
reading all Trey's postcards describing the beautiful
babes.]
[Well it is time to play the uncensored parts of Prince
Boar's speech and add my witty commentary.]
My dear French people, as you all know, things have not
gone well for France. We are under attack from both our
Northern and Eastern Borders. For now the South appears
to be safe, but the Italians may be mustering for war as
well. Our sources tell us of their expanding navy. But
I implore you to keep your hope. The Dauphin and I will
do all that we can to make certain that our betrayers do
not benefit from their treachery.
We shall Protect in Paris, and Battle in Burgundy. We
will Punish in Picardy and berate in Brest. We shall
Garrison in Gascony, Beset in Belgium, Ravage in Ruhr,
Malign in Munich, and Maul in Marseilles. We will
Persecute in Portugal and Skirmish in Spain. Our Navies
will Maraude in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean, Nip at the North
Atlantic Ocean, Invade the Irish Sea, and Engage in the
English Channel. Our people shall never give up!
[Quite the big talker and a guy who knows how to use a
Thesaurus. Perhaps he can toss it at Frederick when he
arrives in Paris at the head of his armies. Next he gets
into some private French strategy, if you call looking up
nasty words that start with the letter 'I' a strategy. I
assure you that no one discussed the color of the
Dauphin's underwear this time. But the rumor has it that
the Dauphin sent a pair of Hot Pink ones with Bats and
Mediterranean Blue with Speckled Eggs to Diploman and Boy
Gambit respectively.]
Philosophy
A neighbor has suggested that France is being attacked
because we were too likeable. That we should have
purposely been less likeable to not make ourselves a
target. The irony is that this neighbor is more likeable
than we are. But it is an interesting philosophy
nevertheless. It is a philosophy, however, that I must
reject. Instead I choose to follow the personal
philosophy of the great Marcus Aurelius. He is a man of
my own heart in that he was both a Caesar of Roman and a
wise stoic philosopher. To him, the wise man "will not
go against the divinity that is planted in his breast;
but rather he will preserve his deepest inner self in
tranquillity. He will, above all, preserve his own
autonomy and integrity, and not let anything alienate him
from himself". Words that I can live by. If I fail
France by being who I am, then I must apologize. But I
shall not fail myself by being myself.
[He may not fail himself, but we wonder if he is full of
himself. He is deluding himself that he is likeable. He
can't seem to convince a soul to do the simplest things.
Maybe we should get that Sport Center Advertisement team
over here to work on his image.]
[Well, thankfully that is all folk. Until next year.
Stuart]
Message from France to Master
Doug:
I wanted to remind you that after this move, I will need my deadline
extension. I will return about 8/12 (sun). I would appreciate having
the next deadline set for 8/13(mon). I do want the opportunity to
negotiate during any retreats and build stages. Therefore I will
probably set wait if the orders come through in time. I will be around
briefly Friday AM (8/3).
Message from Germany to Austria
Grace:
> Austria-Hungary has its own discomfort with the Italian army in
> Tyrolia, but with your army in Bohemia, the Italian army becomes
> more useful than not.
Although if that Italian army hadn't been in TYR, there wouldn't be a
German army in BOH right now.
>
> Russia will presumably remove his northern fleet this winter.
> That allows you to take StP by force: Bal-Lvn, Swe-Bot in the
> spring. If you also move Ber-Pru, Boh-Sil, you will surely reap
> the northern Russian centers, including Warsaw which is currently
> enjoying its recent liberation by
> Austro-Hungarian troops. Can you discuss whether these moves are
> in your plans?
I reached the same conclusion. Great minds must thing alike. Now if only
great minds would think correctly....
At one point before the last turn I was set to move MUN-SIL then, and
add BER-PRU in the next turn. That could still happen, but it's
unlikely. I have to compensate for F A BUR and I A TYR. BOH will have to
stay close for the moment.
I really must admit that I fail to understand the reason to resist the
idea of retreating TYR. I've said twice that I won't go in. I've got
France and northern Russia to worry about. Italy has Turkey. You have
Turkey and southern Russia to game with. We shouldn't be wasting time
and effort against each other, yet. After Russia and France are gone
would be the time for that. ;-)
Fredd
Message from Turkey to Germany
Fredd,
> Quick question, did you suggest that Russia disband F SEV?
Actually I didn't. Although I pushed him early in the game for a way to get
rid of it, in the end I thought it better to let him make the decision
without any attempted Turkish influence. I think he would have chosen
differently had Austria retreated to Ukraine. I also think he feels secure
in the knowledge that given the AI alliance, he and I must stick together or
die. So he probably feels I'm the least likely of his neighbors to attack
him. Indeed, given my defensive needs I currently have no plan to attack
him.
> I have suggested RUM S GAL - BUD while BOH-VIE to Russia. I believe
> that we should be attacking, while we have the advantage of position.
I suggested that to him as well. The big question mark was whether you'd be
up for attacking Vie. If you're on board with that plan, then this is
excellent news indeed. I will further encourage Russia on this matter.
> It's my belief that France is trying to turn Russia against you. In
> effect forming FAIR vs GET. Certainly it's already FAI VS GET. The
> wild card is Russia. Do you think that he'll turn against you?
Unless something drastic and unexpected happens this year, France will be
clutching at any straw he can get. To answer your question, no I don't
think he'll turn against me, at least not in the near term. He and I have
exchanged a great deal of press lately, as you might imagine, and there is a
sense that we are in this boat together to deal with the AI crisis. Once
that crisis is over, and if it is resolved in our favor, then who can say
what he will do? But in the near term, I have a reasonable level of
confidence that Russia will be a man of his word.
I will admit that Sev is tempting, and it's clear to me that if I end up
going against Russia, I'd be better off doing it before he gets a chance to
grow back. But common sense tells me that lacking any other ally, attacking
him now would be suicide. This is no doubt why Austria has repeatedly
insisted that I should attack Sev; a resumption of RT conflict at this time
would give AI a cakewalk.
> I'm in
> a position to help him, and so his press should be designed to give me a
> warm and fuzzy feeling. It doesn't. But that could be caused by my two
> fleets. I suppose that I'd feel the same way if I were him. He's
> probably assuming that I might help him in WAR or elsewhere, but at the
> same time helping myself to STP. I certainly would consider that. Just
> not this year.
He has indeed expressed some concern that you might agree to help him in the
short term, but that in the long run you'll attack him in the north either
way. I think he expects you to attack Warsaw for yourself, rather than help
him back into it. If you were to facilitate his recovery of Warsaw, I'm
sure that Russia would warm up considerably. In any case, Austria seems to
be enemy #1 while Warsaw is occupied, and the Czar did not object to my
suggestion of Bud S Boh-Vie in the fall if he should take Bud in the spring.
Anyway, I believe he would work with you in the near-term. Whether or not
conflict broke out between you afterward would of course depend on you and
Russia, and also to a degree what ultimately happens in the south between me
and Italy.
> I'm waiting to hear back from Russia about our attack. Let's hope it
> goes well.
I will write him again on the matter. Let's touch base again tomorrow if
possible, to confirm everything and compare notes.
Regards,
Ali Baba
Message from Austria to Germany
> Although if that Italian army hadn't been in TYR, there wouldn't be a
> German army in BOH right now.
Were the choice available to me, I would like both armies to evaporate.
Within more realistic constraints, no such happiness is likely to occur,
and I have to work within the possibilities.
> I reached the same conclusion. Great minds must thing alike. Now if
> only great minds would think correctly.... At one point before the
> last turn I was set to move MUN-SIL then, and add BER-PRU in the next
> turn. That could still happen, but it's unlikely. I have to
> compensate for F A BUR and I A TYR.
Why? Surely Ruh s Mun is a sturdy defense against those particular
units. If maintaining that defense reduces the aid you can render to
Lord Wingo, I expect he'll understand that you can't risk your home
centers to ensure his rapid gains. And if your gains are no slower than
his, doesn't such balance strengthen, rather than weaken, your alliance?
> I really must admit that I fail to understand the reason to resist the
> idea of retreating TYR.
Tyr is not mine to retreat, nor has it yet been dislodged. And I fear
that if it is dislodged, the retreat could too easily be into Trieste,
which would be a shame.
> I've said twice that I won't go in. I've got France and northern
> Russia to worry about. Italy has Turkey. You have Turkey and southern
> Russia to game with. We shouldn't be wasting time and effort against
> each other, yet. After Russia and France are gone would be the time
> for that. ;-)
I absolutely agree. Certainly a timely Tyr-Pie-Mar could be a welcome
sight for your eyes. I doubt Italy will follow that course, however, at
the risk of German troops marching in his wide-open Tyrolean doorway.
It would be nice to be able to work with you. But the Viennese feel
quite threatened by the army wintering in Bohemia, and can be expected
to block any possibility of close cooperation until it withdraws.
I'm sure you noticed that the Turkish build was yet another army. If
Russia, France, and Austria are the first three nations eliminated,
which one will be fourth? Can you defend Russian and Austrian holdings,
without creating an irresistable stab target for England?
Grace, for Austria-Hungary, by the grace of Archduke Ferdinand
Message from Russia to England
Ivy,
> Having looked at the position more carefully, I think it is hopeless to
> expect Germany to move Swe->Bal this turn.
You could request/demand it to protect Nwy.
> He is in a comfortable position where he has no need to take risks.
F Swe-Nwy is a risk to you, and Bal-Pru, Swe HOLD risks
GoB-Bal, so Swe-Bal, Bal-Pru,GoB-Lvn makes sense for everyone.
Please endorse it to Fredd.
> Although I doubt that he thinks you might cross him with Bot->Swe,
> why should he take the chance?
To allow me to work effectively with him against Austria.
> He also worries that you will build in StP.
That's more of a worry for you, I expect, but Austria is my enemy, and
StP is a long way from Vie.
> Selfishly, I am hoping that you can play off Germany and Austria against
> each other and make it difficult for either of them to break away from the
> pack. The worst scenerio would be for you to end up with both Germany and
> Austria as enemies. Should somehow Germany find a new ally in Austria,
> then (1) you are dead and (2) Germany has less use for me.
Then encourage him to move as I've suggested. You know that I play an
honest game, and I don't see that GoB-Swe makes any more sense at this
point than StP-Nwy made in F1901M.
Your Friend,
Nicky.
Message from Russia to Germany
Fredd,
> Strangely enough we find ourselves back in the same boat again.
> Remember back before the first move, when you wanted Sweden
> but wouldn't commit to putting that build in STP?
You wanted me to build in StP??? Geeze, why didn't you say so?
> Now we are in a similar position. You would like my help in retaking
> WAR or VIE. I don't have much trouble with that, UNLESS you use that
> build to put an army in STP. If we can agree that you won't build an
> army in STP then we should plan an attack.
Austria is my enemy; I cannot afford to open up a second front at
this point. I need to shore up the South first.
> It sounds to me that from the moves that you suggest you want to put GAL
> into WAR with help from MOS. Which also makes WAR retreat to UKR.
> Then in the fall it'll be a guess between you and Austria. Not the
greatest
> plan in the world.
I've pretty much ruled out attacking War this Spring for just that
reason.
> I do like the BER-SIL, BAL-PRU, and BOT-LVN part of the plan. Those
> are my tentative orders right now.
What about Swe-Bal? (I know, you don't want StP this year, but it is my
capital, and my home, and I worry about it.)
> What about: RUM S GAL- BUD and BOH - VIE.
Ali and I have been toying with this idea, it seems likely.
> What is Turkey willing to do?
He owes me several, so I think I can count on his support for any plan
that stands a good chance of hurting AI.
> I'd like to attack in the south this turn, then support MOS - WAR in
>the fall (with SIL)
This seems like a workable plan, I'll contact Ali, and confirm with
you later this afternoon.
Nick.
Message from Russia to Italy and Turkey
Gentlemen,
> Message from Italy to Russia and Turkey in 'titleist':
>
> I have not yet heard from Austria so I do not know his plans to date.
> It may surprise you to know that, other than the fleet orders, I have
> not known what Austria's orders were going to be. He hasn't in the
> past shared them with me.
That doesn't surprise me, actually. You might offer to coordinate
Tyl with Vie this Spring, though, and see if it generates any Army info.
(What do you plan to do with Tyl this Spring, anyway?)
> I suspect, with the new board position, I will have a good idea of the AEG
> and VIE orders and possibly SER but I highly doubt I will know any more
> than you regarding WAR/BUD.
Partial information is better than no information at all, and I thank
you in
advance for any help you can provide.
In Alliance,
Nick.
Message from Russia to Turkey
My Good Ali,
Germany has offered to order Boh-Vie, so that we can take Bud this
Spring. My inclination is to take it since we can't be as sure of his
support
if Italy attacks Austria as we hope he will. What do you think?
Nick
Message from France to Master
Doug:
I made a mistake in my message last night. I forgot that
this is a spring phase. I will forgo my opportunity to
negotiate during the retreat phase, if I have no
retreats. Therefore I ask you for the following
extension:
*If I have a retreat, set the deadline for 8/12 (mon).
*If I have no retreats, then please set the deadline for
the Fall movement phase to 8/13 (tue). If someone else
has retreats, you can wait until after the retreats occur
to reset the deadline. It is up to you.
Thanks,
France
Message from France to Austria
Ms. Felicia:
I have not heard from you in so long. Perhaps you are
busy dealing with the south. The German move to Bohemia
must have been annoying for you. I was a bit
disappointed as well. I wanted you and Italy to finish
off Turkey and Russia quickly. Oh well, I will just have
to fight harder.
Since Germany has slapped his gauntlet across your face,
perhaps you should make peace with Russia and repay
Germany for that insult? If you happened to be in
Silesia, I bet that you could talk Italy and I into
support for Munich.
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to England
Wingo:
You never did tell me whether the German move to Bohemia
was with your blessing. You seemed to have expected
Munich to do something else.
I hope that you can use your influence to check out long
term the Dickens novels from your national library. Your
admirals will need some lengthy reading materials while
they try to chip away at my defenses. I hope you are
prepared for a long slow battle.
Le DAUPHIN
Message from France to Germany
Fredd:
I must admit that the Dauphin is impressed as all heck
with you. You seemed to be taking on Russia, France,
Austria, and perhaps Italy all at once. Impressive, if
stupid. But I am sure that things are not as they seem.
Of course that can go two ways. Italy may tell you that
Munich is safe, but ..... you never know. How is the
beer there?
Your only hope for a build this year may just be Norway.
Russia can deny you St. Petes until next year. If he
does not see the obvious, I will forward the Dauphin's
analysis to him. At least you seem prepared to defend
against a joint Russian-Austrian attack. The can press
you, but it would take time. Toss in a bitter French
unit who is currently kissing the ground in Burgundy
because they finally made it in, and who knows what might
happen.
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to Italy
Roberto:
I know that I am being too pushy, but I am a bit
desperate. I ask you to make a statement of support for
me. I ask you to attack Munich to break it's support for
an attack on Burgundy. That might be the only thing that
keeps Burgundy free of German units. If he enters
Burgundy, he has a pretty good shot at Marseilles because
I will not attempt to block him. My priority is to hold
Brest and Iberia from England.
This attack on Munich is more important than simply a
good tactical move that helps me defend France. It is a
political statement to England and Germany that they are
in for a long, long battle to slowly erode my position
and take France. This may cause one or the other to
rethink their position. One may eventually stab the
other and this can only be a very good thing for you. It
breaks up a potentially strong alliance that you must
later face. If you stab Austria, your only options for
an alliance to balance it is Russia or Turkey. Russia
may be too weak to be useful. Turkey is not well
positioned to join you against EG. You must also worry
about being between him and England.
I realize that you want to keep a friendly relationship
with Germany for the future. However, you can simply
tell him that it was in retaliation for his move to
Bohemia without your blessing. Tell him that you want to
slow down EG until you are ready to take your share of
France, tell him to go fly a kite if you like. I am sure
that you can put a good enough spin on your move to
pacify him.
I ask this in friendship, I ask this in desperation, I
ask this for our future. If you support me (as I know
you have already agreed to help with your new fleet), but
if I know that you did everything that you could to help
me and I must decide whom to give my last centers to ....
you would obviously be the beneficiary.
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to Russia
Czar Nicholas:
Thank you for your words of encouragement. It seems that
our roles are reversing. At the end of 1901 I was busy
trying to help you, but talking to Turkey and England. I
expect that your efforts were more important than mine,
but I am sure that I helped in some fashion. Now things
look more bleak for me and I hope you will help me
wherever you can. Perhaps soon I will need your help to
keep Italy from stabbing me. Time will tell.
I do agree with your keeping Fleet Bot. My arguments for
disbanding were purely selfish in nature. I wanted you
to try and cost England a center. But the F in Bot is
much better. It can defend St. Petes for this year.
Germany will not be able to take it until next year. And
you may be able to support St. Petes from Mos by that
time.
I am sure that you realize this, but in the Dauphin's
arrogance he insist that I send you my analysis. He says
that Germany must do the following:
Bal -> Bot s by Swe
If he does the opposite, you simply retreat to Fin and
then he must guess whether you will go for Swe or defend
St. Petes. Therefore your best bet is to either hold or
order Bot -> Bal just so you feel that you are
accomplishing something.
If Bal takes Bot as expected, you can retreat to St.
Petes. He then must support himself to Fin from Swe.
But your retreat to St. Pete gives you a chance to at
least try and talk him into taking Norway instead. I
guess that you could also do this from Finland, but he
would be more secure if you were in Bot.
But the advantage of your being in Finland is that you
could take a chance and hold in the fall. If Germany
dislodges you, then you can disband and build an army in
St. Petes. This allows you to threaten Norway. This is
probably the stronger choice. But you can wait for the
retreats to decide.
I do appreciate your signing your letter, "your friend".
I need all the friends I can get. I look forward to the
day when you can act on the statement and threaten
England for me.
As for Roberto. Yes he is probably just as slick as Ivy.
But he is not asking you to do anything that you would
not do anyway, side with Turkey against Austria.
Therefore you do not need to worry about him. It is
Turkey that must be nervous. :-)
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to Turkey
Ali Baba:
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I noticed
your army build. Does this signal peace between you and
Italy? Something has to give in the south if you are to
be prepared for the EG alliance that is growing and
coming to a country near you. :-) France is happy to
join which ever triple appears in the south, but it is
likely that it will be IRT. Of course, I am a bit of an
outsider so I do not know all the facts.
Any thing that you can do to encourage Russia to annoy
England would be very much appreciated. It is also in
your best long term interest to not see England grow too
quickly. Help him get a build if you can.
I may not have directly answered your questions in your
letter to me. I apologize if I could not remember all of
them. I left my copy of your not in my home and have to
no access to them in the castle. If I missed something
important to you, please repeat it and I will answer it
right away.
-- Prince Boar
Message from England to Russia
Nick,
I just got a long note from Germany. It is very clear that he prefers an
alliance with Russia against Austria. He says that Austria is lobbying him
hard to help eliminate Russia.
>> He also worries that you will build in StP.
>
> That's more of a worry for you, I expect, but Austria is my enemy, and
>StP is a long way from Vie.
This has become the critical issue, the key to Russian intentions. It's
another reason why Germany is refusing to vacate Sweden. Sweden might be
needed to protect Norway, which is ultimately German territory. Germany
has asked and I have agreed to Lon-Nth-Nwy in case of war breaking out in
Scandinavia or a Russian build in StP. Let's hope it doesn't come to this.
I need that fleet in the south.
Thus, to the best of my knowledge, here is where matters stand. Germany
truly wants Russian cooperation. Germany fears a build in StP. Germany is
not moving Sweden this turn. Please don't accuse me of deception if am
wrong. Every move Germany has done something that I did not expect. He
makes life interesting.
>> Having looked at the position more carefully, I think it is hopeless to
>> expect Germany to move Swe->Bal this turn.
>
> You could request/demand it to protect Nwy.
Norway is not one of my worries. I cannot defend against a German stab and
French/German cooperation, so I don't even worry about it. I lobby Germany
hard for German/Russian cooperation, for I sure don't want German/Austrian
cooperation, but GR cooperation shouldn't hinge on Sweden holding. I know
that if I were Germany, I would never consider vacating Sweden this turn.
France is trying his best to extract himself from his position. That's to
be expected. Moscow ->StP now!? I have been told that he really asked
that. Is this true? Does he expect you to ruin your chances for Warsaw to
do him a tiny favor?
More interesting is the supposed French proposal to unite Austria, Italy,
Russia, and France against Germany, England, and Turkey. That is actually
feasible, so permit me to comment. Whatever you do, look out for Russia
first. Obvious, of course. That means getting Warsaw this year and
keeping options open.
Another thing. You have exactly one friend you can count on - Turkey. If
you throw him away you are left with no neighbor who owes you anything
except sugar-sweet words whose only purpose is to influence your next
moves.
Germany can be a short-term friend, but he will be a danger to you long-term.
France. France cares only about saving France. France will be intact for
a long, long time, so don't jeopardize your immediate future to make life
rosy for him. Let France sweat a little. He's a big boy.
Austria is still your biggest problem. He is 100% loyal to Italy and must
yield most of the south to Italy. What does that mean? That means that
Austria must have Russia, pure and simple. That's why he is in Warsaw.
England. I am trying to conquer France and it will take forever. Don't
you think the world owes me a lot of gratitude? 8-) I am trying to put a
bell on the cat. It will take me a long time to get anywhere and I want to
come out of this with some chance of advancing afterwards. If that happens
I am more than willing to spin the dice and reallign alliances. Certainly
I don't want a monster Germany any more than anyone else.
Well, I have blabbed enough. Yes, I am trying to influence you. 8-) As
long as we remain open and honest, it will be easier to cooperate in the
future.
Most cordially,
Ivy Wingo
Message from England to France
>You never did tell me whether the German move to Bohemia
>was with your blessing.
I had no idea that Freddy was making that move. Communication with Germany
is now adequate (cross fingers), but last year was a communications
disaster. In addition to the problems that you know about, my modem broke
down again in the evenings and my ISP was down for about a day as well.
>I hope that you can use your influence to check out long
>term the Dickens novels from your national library.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ... "
I prefer Russian novels. I've read "War and Peace" twice, "Karamazov"
three times, ... . Taking your advice, I am issuing a set to my admirals.
You didn't really ask Russia to move Mos->StP this spring, did you? You
could have at least permitted him to get Warsaw first.
Ivy
Message from Master to France
usin@thekleimans.com said:
>I made a mistake in my message last night. I forgot that this is a
>spring phase. I will forgo my opportunity to negotiate during the
>retreat phase, if I have no retreats. Therefore I ask you for the
>following extension:
>
>*If I have a retreat, set the deadline for 8/12 (mon).
>
>*If I have no retreats, then please set the deadline for the Fall
>movement phase to 8/13 (tue). If someone else has retreats, you can
>wait until after the retreats occur to reset the deadline. It is up
>to you.
Fair enough! I will do as you ask.
Doug
Message from England to Italy
Good Roberto,
My German friend tells me that the two of you are 'having words' over his
army in TYR. Apparently he wants you to back away. Please forgive him.
That's what you or I would want if we were Germany, after all. And you do
have to admit that you were the agressor in that you moved next to his
supply center.
Anyway, I am not lobbying you to move. My only request is that you not
take offense at Germany and escalate a war of words. I trust you to remain
calm; I can't be sure of the Germany personality yet. We never know just
who we might want or need for allies a few years down the road. I may want
Austrian help against Germany. You may want German help against Austria.
We both should live that long!
Cheers,
Ivy
p.s. I am getting all sorts of stories about what France is attempting.
One person congratulated me for trying to "put the bell on the cat."
Anyway, France's panic, if it is that, is much premature. He will have his
five centers for quite some time. In the meantime, he can take a little
heat. He's a big boy.
Message from Germany to France
> I must admit that the Dauphin is impressed as all heck
> with you. You seemed to be taking on Russia, France,
> Austria, and perhaps Italy all at once. Impressive, if
> stupid. But I am sure that things are not as they seem.
Yes, I've heard how you're burning up the press wires trying to get all
those that you mention to attack me. Tis one of the complications of
being a center unit. The paranoia can become outstanding. Then with
the right push from the Dauphin and who knows.
The moves will be interesting.
Fredd
Message from Russia to Turkey
Ali,
The other possibility that I see is Ank S Bla-Con,
Gre S Con-Bul, Rum-Ser, which is a strong set of moves for
you. The problem I see with it is, assuming that Italy
orders Smy-Alb, and I think he will, then I doubt we can
count on German support in the Fall, which makes taking
War doubtful. Hopefully, I'll hear something from GIA this
morning to firm up my thoughts. I'll keep you informed,
and trust that you will do the same.
In Friendship, and Alliance,
Nick.
Message from Russia to Austria and Italy
Have you made a decision regarding Sil and Boh? The
deadline approaches.
Czar Nicholas II.
Message from Germany to Russia
> > Strangely enough we find ourselves back in the same boat again.
> > Remember back before the first move, when you wanted Sweden
> > but wouldn't commit to putting that build in STP?
>
> You wanted me to build in StP??? Geeze, why didn't you say so?
>
Oops. I meant the opposite.
> What about Swe-Bal? (I know, you don't want StP this year,
> but it is my capital, and my home, and I worry about it.)
Ivy has asked me to stay in SWE this turn. In case of (the highly
unlikely) move of MOS-STP. This works better for me than moving south.
Fredd
Message [from France] to all
BG> Holey Underoos Diploman. What a nice gift from the Dauphin!
DM> Yes it was. I will wear mine tonight, after I take off my costume. I do
hope that France is not trying to buy us with this gift.
BG> Absolutely Diploman. We must remain impartial observers in our vigil to
bring the betrayers to justice!
DM> Speaking of which, the alliances stayed pretty steady this season.
BG> I agree. Next year could be more interesting though. Say, do you want to
go model our new undies?
DM> Sure, why not. Let's get out of here.
Message from France to England
Wingo:
Feel free to send your Admirals both the Russian and
English novels. They may need both. Perhaps they can
loan them to my brother in exile after France is overrun.
I am glad for you that the communication with Germany is
better. It makes the game more enjoyable for you. I
still expect him to let you down one day, but perhaps I
will be wrong.
Le DAUPHIN
Message from France to Russia
Czar Nicholas:
OK, I admit that asking you to go to St. Petes and then
Norway was obnoxious and selfish. I am sorry for being
both. I was hoping it was done in conjunction with an
alliance with Austria where you could retake your home
centers more easily.
But if you feel that I am being unreasonable and
obnoxious, please tell me so yourself. That way I can
apologize straight out. I prefer not hearing through
England, the obnoxious things that I may ask you.
Besides realizing that you are telling him my requests, I
must also assume that you are complaining about them.
Again, I apologize for my unreasonableness. I realize
that you have your problems too. You just have hope for
the future. Mine outlook is down and as I consider the
likely strength of your bond with England, they look
worse. :-)
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to Germany
Fredd:
> Yes, I've heard how you're burning up the press
>wires trying to get all those that you mention to
>attack me.
This is a bit of an over statement. Certainly I am
trying to get people to put pressure on those that are
attacking me. I have no other choice. I am sure that
this does not surprise you. But in reality I have cut
down on my press quite a bit, as I have been busy, not to
mention a bit disheartened.
I actually have been trying to get people to attack
England. But the problem is that no one is positioned to
do so, except Russia. And he has his own problems. I
may have to instead work on English growth. How many
fleets would it take before you get nervous? :-)
>Then with the right push from the Dauphin and
>who knows.
If you leave me alone, I am willing to leave you alone.
England and I can fight for a very long time, one-on-one,
while you consolidate your power. What do you say?
>The moves will be interesting.
Aren't they always? They typically have many surprises
as well.
-- Prince Boar
Message from Italy to England
>
> My German friend tells me that the two of you are 'having
> words' over his army in TYR.
^^^
There you go again with your Freudian slips. He's not in Tyrolia, I am.
Again you ask? You did the same thing when Russia moved to STP. Your
message to me was "The EFG situation is still all mixed up with the Russian
surprise move to Finland causing us all to figure out what it eventually
means." The odd thing is, this was sent prior to Russia actually moving to
Finland. So, my question is, do you do this intentionally or do you really
know where everybody is planning on moving?
> Apparently he wants you to back away. Please forgive him.
> That's what you or I would want if we were Germany, after
> all. And you do have to admit that you were the agressor
> in that you moved next to his supply center.
>
Aggressor? That's probably where the difference of opinion lies. Let me
give you the history. Prior to S'01, Germany sent both AI a message saying
he wouldn't mind an army in Tyrolia as long as he knew in advance and the
reasons for the move. As the negotiations unfolded and it became clear AI
would take place, I asked Germany if I could move to Tyrolia with the
purpose of eventually moving it north against Russia. I got no response so
I let Germany know that I didn't want to move there without his okay and so
I held. In F'01, I once again against Germany and listed off the reasons
and once again I got no response. So I moved to Tyrolia. Germany still
didn't say a word. Now, all of a sudden, France is in Burgundy and my unit
is a "threat" to Munich. It is my contention that EG could have prevented
France from getting to Burgundy in the first place but Germany, for some
inexplicable reason, ordered 'Kie s Hol' in S'02 instead of moving to Ruhr.
So, just because France is in Burgundy, which could have been prevented,
doesn't, in my mind, give Germany the right to ask me to retreat Tyrolia.
As far as future allies, I have no less than 3 other countries asking me to
remain in Tyrolia. Thus, retreating from the position may placate Germany,
but it will also, at the same time, cause concern for several other
"potential allies". I'm sure you understand the position I'm in. One step
forward, three steps back.
Now, if you want to pass on something to Germany, and I've already told him
this, consider this bit of advice. Prior to his move to Bohemia, the
discussions in the east never even made mention of Germany and what he was
doing. Oh, I imagine Russia would hint at German intentions but nothing
ever made it back to me. Now, after the move to Bohemia, that is all the
east is discussing. Now, there is a rally cry to stop the EG alliance. Is
that what the two of you really wanted to see happen? Certainly there is
something better Germany can do with that army than harrass his eastern
neighbors.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Italy to Germany
>
> So it's probably a misunderstanding. You were feeling that I was
> threatening Venice, while I thought that my message conveyed that I'd
> like to see everyone out of TYR.
>
Actually, I felt more like you were threatening my Austrian ally than you
were threatening Venice.
I will agree to move out of Tyrolia, against the wishes of Austria and
France, after you retreat Bohemia someplace north. Is this agreeable?
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Russia to France
Prince Boar,
>Message from France to Russia in 'titleist':
>OK, I admit that asking you to go to St. Petes and then Norway was
>obnoxious and selfish.
I didn't consider it to be either. I recognized
it as a very pro-France move, but didn't really expect
you to take an anti-French position.
>I was hoping it was done in conjunction with an
>alliance with Austria where you could retake your home centers more easily.
I realized this as well, and had Austria retreated
to Sil as we suggested, I would have considered Mos-StP
more seriously.
>But if you feel that I am being unreasonable and
>obnoxious, please tell me so yourself.
Rest assured that I will, though it seems extremely
unlikely to you will be so rude.
>I prefer not hearing through England, the obnoxious
>things that I may ask you.
The fact that he characterized the request as
obnoxious has no relavance to my view of it.
>Besides realizing that you are telling him my requests, I must also assume
>that you are complaining about them.
Both conclusions would be erroneous. Just because
you and Ivy are now clearly at war, do you expect him
to stop trying to play with your mind? I'm trying to
get Germany to cooperate with me against Austria, and
he questioned my disband decision, asking whom had
requested that I keep F GoB, suggesting that it had
been you. I corrected this mistaken opinion, telling
him that you had been in favor of disbanding GoB and
moving Mos-StP, as part of FAIR vs. EG, but that I felt
I could not do that since I was still faced with a
hostile Austria. I made no value judgements regarding
the reasonableness of your proposal, and saw no reason
to do so, since your requests were made in the interest
of saving France, and working with me, both of which are
laudable goals, in my opinion.
Ivy's latest press to me makes it clear that Fredd
told him what I had said regarding your proposal, and
he asked me to confirm that you had, in fact done so.
I suspect therefore, that his letter to you was an
attempt to gain confirmation by another means, and sour
our relationship, at the same time. Please remember to
stop taking Ivy's letters at face value, and instead
consider what he hopes to gain from it, because gaining
advantage is ALWAYS his intention.
Your Friend,
Nick.
Message from Italy to Austria and Russia
>
> Have you made a decision regarding Sil and Boh? The
> deadline approaches.
>
I can see a great advantage in coordinating an attack to potentially destroy
the Bohemian army or, at the very least, force it to retreat. The question
arises is, who moves and who supports? I can understand Russia not wanting
to move further from his home centers. I can understand Austria not wanting
to leave a home center vacate especially given the fact that Budapest can be
attacked. I'm a bit reluctant to make the move fearing Mun-Tyr thus leaving
Venice undefended.
Bottom line is, I believe, no decision has been reached but Tyrolia is
available to support an attack against Bohemia if either of you so choose to
make the move.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Italy to Austria
>
> Have you made a decision regarding Sil and Boh? The
> deadline approaches.
>
How do we want to handle this situation. Mutually supporting each other
sounds a bit passive but it actually might be the best approach. You have
more at stake than I do so I'll go along with whatever you think is best.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Russia to Austria and Italy
>Message from Italy to Austria and Russia in 'titleist':
>Tyrolia is available to support an attack against Bohemia
Galicia is available to support War-Sil, (or Vie-Boh,
I suppose, but War-Sil makes more sense, if only one of
these moves is going to be made). Given that I would not
be in Gal, if Austria had not occupied Warsaw, I will not
move foward until the Archduke leaves Warsaw, but once
that occurs, I will happily attack Germany.
Sincerely,
Czar Nicholas II.
Message from Russia to Italy
Roberto,
I remain committed to RIFT, but see no harm in
encouraging Austria to attack Germany.
Your Friend,
Nick.
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
I'm entering my order for Rum S Gal-Bud. Given that Germany is on board for
this combination, I don't think we should pass up the opportunity. Just the
fact of the three of us coordinating our efforts in this fashion should reap
political rewards, let alone getting you into Bud. I've also got Bla S Con,
Con S Ank-Smy. I think Aeg-Bul is unlikely, and Ser-Bul might also mean
Gre-Ser, so I think I'm safe leaving Bul open for a possible retreat; I
can't afford to see A Gre destroyed.
Germany's press to me was mainly to push the Gal-Bud combination, to inquire
if I trusted you not to turn on me, and whether I thought you would work
with him. I replied that I did (to both questions), but that you probably
feared German attack shortly thereafter. I implied that his helping you
back into Warsaw would go a long way to improve relations.
I asked France if Italy had approached him on an FIRT; he replied that he
would be glad to join any triple coming out of the south, and he asked me to
encourage you to hassle England. He dodged the question of whether or not
he's been in contact with Italy. It may be that he simply wants to keep his
relations with Italy secret, if they've cooked up an attack on Munich.
I'm really looking forward to hearing some Italian press today. I'll be
most interested in what he has to say. I sincerely hope your optimism about
Smy-Alb is well-founded.
Regards,
Ali Baba
Message from Italy to Russia
>
> I remain committed to RIFT, but see no harm in
> encouraging Austria to attack Germany.
>
Same here. Agreed. Ditto.
Roberto
Message from France to Russia
Czar Nicholas:
I apologize for jumping to the wrong conclusions. I did
say that I was assume those things. I was giving you a
chance to explain them, hoping that I was incorrect.
I knew full well that Ivy was trying to stir up trouble
between us. I was more concerned that there was already
trouble and wanted to try and deal with it directly. I
was falsly imaging your sending a letter to Ivy saying,
"can you believe the audacity of this guy, asking me to
chase after Norway when I need to focus on getting my
home centers back." If that was the case, I wanted to
find out and work it out. I did not imagine the path of
this information going through Germany to England. I did
not think that it would have been relevant. But I
understand your explanation. Thank you for clarifying
it.
I will endeavor to not jump to conclusion and ask before
I assume. I know the danger of assuming. I think that I
fit the bill this time. On your part, do be careful what
you tell Germany. It does go right to England.
For the record, I never replied to England's comments. I
only answered other trivial comments that we make because
he have nothing substantial to talk about.
Again, with apologies,
-- Prince Boar
Message from Turkey to England
Ivy,
Sorry for writing at the last minute. I meant to send a letter yesterday,
but time got away from me. Anyway, I'd like to touch base.
I'm hearing some strange things from Italy, but at this moment I truly don't
know what to expect from him. My current moves continue my pro-Russian,
anti-AI stance. However, if some of the talk floating around comes to
fruition, it could make for some strange bedfellows. If Russian
associations don't work out in the long run, I'd be better off hitting him
before he has a chance to grow back.
Unfortunately, I still don't know what to expect in the north, save what I
see on the board. It seems you and Germany have a pretty solid alliance,
which speaks well for both of you. An EGT end game would certainly provide
us both with interesting opportunities. Any advice, thoughts or words of
wisdom from your perspective would be very much appreciated.
In confidence,
Ali Baba
Message from Turkey to France
Prince Boar,
I have been, and will continue to, encourage Russian pressure in the north.
Unfortunately, he is quite unable to apply any pressure against England just
now, but if he can grow back, it's certainly possible.
The main purpose of my letter was to inquire whether you believe Italy may
be re-considering his position and his anti-Turkish efforts. He has sent me
some talk of forging FIRT, claiming concern about EG. If he's serious about
it, then he must surely have been in communication with you. What I'm
hoping for is some hint as to whether this might be so, or if you think
Italy will stay on his present course.
Regards,
Ali Baba
Message from Italy to Russia
Just so you're aware, the next message (sent to both you and Turkey) was
being penned as our discussion surrounding Austria was taking place. The
context thus may appear a bit out of whack.
Roberto
Message from Italy to Russia and Turkey
I've heard from Austria. He has suggested Ion-Alb with an attack on Greece
in the fall. As I thought, no mention of what his armies would do. I will
continue to press him for further information.
> (What do you plan to do with Tyl this Spring, anyway?)
If I knew, I'd tell you. :)
My problem with moving to Trieste in the spring is, there is a high
percentage that Austria would kick me out in the fall and nothing would be
gained. If I had an unbreakable support, I'd be more comfortable in making
the move in the spring. As far as I can tell, only the ADR quaifies which
means I wouldn't be able to convoy to ALB. Lots of options but I still
don't know which is best.
Turkey has offered to swap SMY for GRE and that's the approach I'm taking
right now. The difficult part is, if I make any moves that look like I'm in
cahoots with Turkey, Austria will be tipped-off and it would be virtually
impossible for me to "sneak" into Trieste in the fall which, of course,
means I should move in the spring and we've come full circle to the
paragraph above.
Is everybody's head spinning yet? :)
Do these moves make any sense:
gal-bud
gre-ser
rum s gal-bud
bla s rum
con-bul
ank-smy
smy-eas-ion-alb
tyr-tri
The hope would be that Budapest would be dislodged without a retreat option.
I'm not certain, but if that happened, I think all of Austria's units could
be attacked in the fall breaking any support he may have to re-capture what
he lost in the spring. There is a possibility that Greece would not have a
retreat if attacked but given Austria's concern about a retreat to Albania,
I tend to believe him when he suggested a fall attack.
I welcome your comments.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from England to Italy
Good Roberto,
>> My German friend tells me that the two of you are 'having
>> words' over his army in TYR.
> ^^^
>
>There you go again with your Freudian slips. He's not in Tyrolia, I am.
>Again you ask? You did the same thing when Russia moved to STP. Your
>message to me was "The EFG situation is still all mixed up with the Russian
>surprise move to Finland causing us all to figure out what it eventually
>means." The odd thing is, this was sent prior to Russia actually moving to
>Finland. So, my question is, do you do this intentionally or do you really
>know where everybody is planning on moving?
Neither, of course. At least I have not yet composed a letter to one
nation and sent it accidentally to another. That's happened to me several
times in the past. Finland is easy to explain. I was obsessed with the
possibility that StP would move there to permit another build in StP. I
have no explanation for this current slip.
>Aggressor? That's probably where the difference of opinion lies. Let me
>give you the history. ...
Clear enough, and your acccount rings true.
>Now, all of a sudden, France is in Burgundy and my unit
>is a "threat" to Munich.
Well, yes, this is true, no matter how your army found its way to Tyrolia
and no matter that France shouldn't be in Burgundy.
>So, just because France is in Burgundy, which could have been prevented,
>doesn't, in my mind, give Germany the right to ask me to retreat Tyrolia.
He always has the right to ask. The tone he takes is another matter.
>As far as future allies, I have no less than 3 other countries asking me to
>remain in Tyrolia.
I did not ask you to depart. I know better than that. I was just trying
to keep the verbal sparring between you and Germany from escalating.
>Now, if you want to pass on something to Germany, and I've already told him
>this, consider this bit of advice. Prior to his move to Bohemia, the
>discussions in the east never even made mention of Germany and what he was
>doing.
Certain moves are guaranteed to irritate. For example, Moscow->StP,
Munich->Bohemia, and yes, Venice->Tyrolia. There are diplomatic
consequences. I did not know that Germany was going to Bohemia, and when I
saw that he had it was clear that he was stirring up a hornets nest.
>Now, there is a rally cry to stop the EG alliance.
They are very dangerous. It's obvious they will pick up two or three new
centers this year.
>Is that what the two of you really wanted to see happen?
The "two" of us? I have yet to persuade Germany do anything that he was
not already going to do. I have yet to know Germany's moves in advance. I
knew I was taking a risk in attacking France. But, hey, it's an adventure.
>Life is Beautiful,
[So are you when you get worked up. I hadn't seen that side of you before.]
Yours,
Ivy
Message from England to Turkey
Ali,
Here is what know or at least believe.
France is trying to orchestrate an FIAR alliance against EGT.
Russia still dislikes Austria and is trying to get German help against
Austria. Germany is worried about Austria and wants some cooperation with
Russia, but the two of them, Germany and Russia, are having trouble
agreeing what to do with the three northern fleets.
Italy and Germany are having words over Tyrolia.
Austria has been quiet.
Italy has been cryptic.
I have reminded Russia that he only has one person he can trust and that is
Turkey. His destruction of the southern fleet instead of his northern
fleet is a good indication of where he stood at the time. I pointed out
that if he believes that IA are solid, then he would be crazy to betray
you. AI would assign Turkish spoils to Italy and Austria would go after
Russia. Why is Austria already in Warsaw, for example?
In short, AI is still solid, so RT have to remain solid.
My self interest in all of this? I think it is obvious. It will take me
so long to get a single center from France that I don't want anyone, not
Austria, not Italy, not Germany, to get up any head of steam while I am
inching along.
Yours,
Ivy
>Ivy,
>
>Sorry for writing at the last minute. I meant to send a letter yesterday,
>but time got away from me. Anyway, I'd like to touch base.
>
>I'm hearing some strange things from Italy, but at this moment I truly don't
>know what to expect from him. My current moves continue my pro-Russian,
>anti-AI stance. However, if some of the talk floating around comes to
>fruition, it could make for some strange bedfellows. If Russian
>associations don't work out in the long run, I'd be better off hitting him
>before he has a chance to grow back.
>
>Unfortunately, I still don't know what to expect in the north, save what I
>see on the board. It seems you and Germany have a pretty solid alliance,
>which speaks well for both of you. An EGT end game would certainly provide
>us both with interesting opportunities. Any advice, thoughts or words of
>wisdom from your perspective would be very much appreciated.
>
>In confidence,
>
>Ali Baba
Message from England to Russia
Nick,
Ali asked me for my thoughts on everything, and this is exactly what I wrote.
Ivy
>Ali,
>
>Here is what know or at least believe.
>
>France is trying to orchestrate an FIAR alliance against EGT.
>
>Russia still dislikes Austria and is trying to get German help against
>Austria. Germany is worried about Austria and wants some cooperation with
>Russia, but the two of them, Germany and Russia, are having trouble
>agreeing what to do with the three northern fleets.
>
>Italy and Germany are having words over Tyrolia.
>
>Austria has been quiet.
>Italy has been cryptic.
>
>I have reminded Russia that he only has one person he can trust and that
>is Turkey. His destruction of the southern fleet instead of his northern
>fleet is a good indication of where he stood at the time. I pointed out
>that if he believes that IA are solid, then he would be crazy to betray
>you. AI would assign Turkish spoils to Italy and Austria would go after
>Russia. Why is Austria already in Warsaw, for example?
>
>In short, AI is still solid, so RT have to remain solid.
>
>My self interest in all of this? I think it is obvious. It will take me
>so long to get a single center from France that I don't want anyone, not
>Austria, not Italy, not Germany, to get up any head of steam while I am
>inching along.
>
>Yours,
>
>Ivy
Message from Russia to France
Prince Boar,
>Germany must do the following:
>Bal -> Bot s by Swe
>If he does the opposite, you simply retreat to Fin
EG are concerned that RT will collapse before
they can break through your defenses, and England
does not want Germany to grow before he has gained
MAO, so I do not believe that Germany will move
toward StP this year. Indeed Fredd has offered his
asistance against Austria this year,(a balanced
East works in EG's favor), and it brings his Armies
East to be positioned to attack me when the time is
right.
>As for Roberto, yes he is probably just as slick as Ivy.
He faked Ali out as completely as Ivy fooled you,
and I suspect that he encouraged Austria's paranoia
toward me so that he would be in control of the East
in 1903, but we both need him.
Your Friend,
Nick.
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
What do you think of Italy's press?
> gal-bud
> gre-ser
> rum s gal-bud
> bla s rum
> con-bul
> ank-smy
> smy-eas-ion-alb
> tyr-tri
Yet another vote for Rum S Gal-Bud. I have to admit his press was all I had
hoped for. However, with his proposed moves I'm not protected against Aeg S
Smy-Con, EMS-Smy. I also couldn't help but notice his suggestion of Bla S
Rum, which is clearly not needed since both Ser and Bud will be cut. I can
only assume Italy gave this combination some serious thought, and I find it
hard to believe he wouldn't have caught that.
So I'd rather stick with Bla S Con, Con S Ank-Smy, since I believe Austria
will attack Greece in the spring, not the fall. However I don't want to say
that overtly to Italy, since it implies that Bul will be left open.
Am I being too paranoid here? I welcome your thoughts.
Ali
Message from Turkey to England
Ivy,
Thanks for your quick reply. It closely matches what I'm hearing. At
least, I've heard rumors that France is floating the FIAR, and also FITR.
FIAR would be difficult with Austria in Warsaw, and also given Russia's
disband. I do expect Russia to attack Austria this turn. But FITR is also
strange, especially given potential GR cooperation against Austria. Oddly,
it seems to me that GR are willing to cooperate with each other for now,
despite the fact that they both seem to anticipate conflict afterward.
So, as I said, strange bedfellows.
Most of the others don't seem to share you pessimism regardin your chances
in France. However, I think you're right that progress in France could be
slow. Be that as it may, Italy might be feeling that if he continues on his
present course, he'll have no say in what happens to France one way or the
other. Part of his reason for moving to Tyr, or so he said, was to
influence the F/G balance of power. Whether he means to ultimately support
France or attack him remains unclear.
One thing most people seem to be banking on is the strength of the EG
alliance. A rock-solid alliance is often perceived as a real threat, for
good reason. If indeed your progress against France is slow, and if indeed
Germany embarks on a southern campaign, Germany might start to present
better opportunities for English expansion, or might start to outpace
English growth. Is your alliance as strong as everyone assumes, and would
you stay the course against France in such a scenario?
I'm not asking you to say more than you feel comfortable with, and I realize
much of what I write is pure speculation. But I enjoy your press for the
simple reason that I don't feel I need to wade through the BS, which I
greatly appreciate. I look forward to hearing your thoughts whenever you
get a chance.
Best regards,
Ali Baba
Message from Italy to England
>
> He always has the right to ask.
>
Correct. Bad choice of words on my part. He can ask anything. He came
across as if he was expecting me to support France into Munich and to
alleviate his fear of attack he was considering forcefully removing my army.
That didn't sit well with the Vatican who is opposed to any type of military
force (unless it is used against the Turks).
>
> I did not ask you to depart. I know better than that. I was
> just trying to keep the verbal sparring between you and
> Germany from escalating.
>
It has calmed down. I sent a proposal to Germany asking him to retreat from
Bohemia and then I would retreat from Tyrolia. Yes, I would expect him to
move first as defense of my allies home centers is vital to my long-term
survival.
>
> Certain moves are guaranteed to irritate. For example, Moscow->StP,
> Munich->Bohemia, and yes, Venice->Tyrolia.
But the critical difference, to my knowledge at least, is that Germany had
prior knowledge of my move and had previously consented to allow either
Austria or myself to occupy Tyrolia. As far as I can tell, you did not know
about Moscow->Stp and Austria and I certainly were unaware of
Munich->Bohemia. When somebody makes an "irritating" move and then
immediately pleads innocent and asks for a favor is not the approach I would
condone.
>
> >Now, there is a rally cry to stop the EG alliance.
>
> They are very dangerous. It's obvious they will pick up two
> or three new centers this year.
>
[sarcasm mode off] :)
It's believed that, if not checked, EG could become a major problem within a
couple of years. It may not happen this year but I could certainly envision
three or more centers going EG's way in a few years.
>
> >Is that what the two of you really wanted to see happen?
>
> The "two" of us? I have yet to persuade Germany do anything
> that he was not already going to do.
>
That's the perception in the east that EG are one and the same until proven
otherwise. Guilty by association I guess.
>
> >Life is Beautiful,
>
> [So are you when you get worked up. I hadn't seen that side
> of you before.]
>
Hey, what can I say, I'm Italian.
Btw, I'll be moving Nap-Tys this spring. If I can get my share of Iberia, I
think I can calm the fears of EG in the east.
Roberto
Message from Italy to Turkey
>
> What would really help would be to learn more about your motivations.
> Specifically, how does Bla S Arm-Sev fit in with your
> proposal of FIRT vs. EGA?
It doesn't. We would only do such a move if we didn't need/want Russia.
He's a weak partner right now militarily and I see no reason to believe he
will last thru the mid-game. It would be better for IT if we controlled
those centers before Germany.
> How do you see things shaking out in the long run?
I would forsee an IT vs EG shaping up. TG with armies fighting for control
of the center and IE with fleets fighting for control of the MAO. Whomever
broke thru first (or got the other to stab his partner) would gain the
advantage.
> How can we use German forces against Austria, while
> setting up Germany for attack from Russia?
I don't have an answer to that question. Russia has stated to me on more
than one occassion that he is unwilling to attack Germany until he controls
Warsaw again. A reasonable argument.
> When would you be willing to carry out an attack
> against Austria yourself?
>
At any time given the correct circumstances. See my previous letter. What
I don't want to do is stab Austria and not gain a build out of the deal.
Stabbing requires the loss of Smyrna so I'd have to get two in return.
Greece and Trieste would be fine but I'd like to see you get a build out of
the deal as well and that would mean you'd have to take something from
Austria (Ser) or Russia (Sev). I understand your reluctance to agree to
Smy-Arm so I'm working on other options as per my last message. Black Sea
moving to Sevastopol would have similar effects but your fleet is overworked
as it is as the sole support for Rumania.
I look forward to your analysis.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Russia to Turkey
Ali,
>What do you think of Italy's press?
>
> > gal-bud
> > gre-ser
> > rum s gal-bud
> > bla s rum
> > con-bul
> > ank-smy
> > smy-eas-ion-alb
> > tyr-tri
>
>Yet another vote for Rum S Gal-Bud.
Not at all unreasonable.
>with his proposed moves I'm not protected against Aeg S Smy-Con, EMS-Smy.
>I also couldn't help but
>notice his suggestion of Bla S Rum, which is clearly not needed since both
>Ser and Bud will be cut. I can only assume Italy gave this combination
>some serious thought, and I find it hard to believe
>he wouldn't have caught that.
Hmmmm, well there is the, "focus on the attacking
Units, and then support with those behind the lines",
theory. Bla-Con is more reasonable, though.
>I'd rather stick with Bla S Con, Con S Ank-Smy,
>since I believe Austria will attack Greece in
>the spring, not the fall
The problem with the Spring attack on Gre is that
Aeg S Ser-Gre let's Gre retreat to Alb, and with
Con-Bul, you have a 3 Army attack on Gre, or Ser, or
2 Army attacks on Ser and Bud in the Fall. Ser S Aeg-Gre
is a little better, since it doesn't leave Ser open,
but the retreat to Alb would still cause him grief.
>Am I being too paranoid here? I welcome your thoughts.
A little too paranoid, perhaps. 8-) Everyone is
saying that Austria has been very quiet since builds,
so it seems unlikely that AI have concocted an
elaborate scheme to fool you. If I was Austria, my
inclination would be towards Vie S Bud, Bud S Ser,
War-Gal, Ser S Aeg-Bul/SC followed by an attack on
Gre or Rum in the Fall. If your willing to risk
Austria taking Bul, Bla S Con, Con S Ank-Smy, or
Bla-Con, Ank S Con-Smy is fine. Let's go with
Rum S Gal-Bud, though.
Nick.
Message from Russia to England and Germany
Gentlemen,
If we can agree to GoB-Lvn, Bal-Pru, Swe-Bal, I will
agree to not build in St. Petersburg this Fall. Is this
acceptable to you both?
Sincerely,
Czar Nicholas II.
Message from England to Germany
Freddy,
> Russia is the wild card right now.
Yes, we need him on our side, if only for a turn or two.
> Italy and Austria has also been less than cordial. Italy and I are
>'having words' over his army in TYR. I want it out of there before it
>can be used against me. He says its only for defense. Something is going
>to give.
I asked Italy about this and he went into a long digression about how he
had your approval to go into Tyrolia. That's past history. What matters
now is the current threat Tyrolia poses. I can't imaging that Italy will
retreat, so you may wish to ease off a little on your request in the
interest of diplomacy. You never know when Italy may be needed as a friend
against Austria. In the meantime Bohemia sup Munich can be considered.
It's actually Bohemia that has everyone riled up. 8-)
> FAIR could be becoming a reality. It all hinges on Russia. IF he hangs
>with Turkey or turns against him. I wouldn't be surprised to see Russia
>attack Turkey, even this turn.
I have tried very hard to persuade Russia not to do that. In all honesty,
I think it would be a huge strategic error. Austria and Italy appear to be
solid. If so, Italy is "assigned" Turkish lands, while Austria "claims"
Russian land. Heck, Russia can see that Austria is already in Warsaw.
Does Russia really believe he has any future in an alliance with Austria?
That's what I said to Russia in so many words.
By the way, lacking anything better for Belgium, I have entered Bel supp
Mun->Burgundy. What you actually do is another matter. One possibility is
Munich supp Bohemia and Bohemia supp Munich, a wait and see ploy that might
ease some worries of EG domination and reduce talk of a FAIR alliance.
I hope you can work something out with Russia. My experience with him is
that once he introduces a suggestion he never backs off. He will probably
insist on Bal->Pru & Swe->Bal right up to the last minute. He reminds me
of a certain party from my last game.
Ivy
Message from Turkey to Italy
Roberto,
Thank you for writing. I was very much looking forward to hearing from you.
> We would only do such a move if we didn't need/want Russia.
> He's a weak partner right now militarily and I see no reason to believe he
> will last thru the mid-game. It would be better for IT if we controlled
> those centers before Germany.
I concur. It's also clear that if I'm going to attack him, this year would
be a good time to do so. If Austria supports Aeg-Gre this turn, then
Con-Bla-Sev in the fall might do the trick.
> I would forsee an IT vs EG shaping up. TG with armies fighting for
control
> of the center and IE with fleets fighting for control of the MAO.
Whomever
> broke thru first (or got the other to stab his partner) would gain the
> advantage.
This certainly works for me. I think in such a scenario, it would be far
more likely that England would attack Germany, who would surely have his
back turned to him. If things go as I hope, you and I will both be too
strong to invite the stab, and we'll have clear and defensible lines between
us, prohibiting any IT stab temptations.
> > How can we use German forces against Austria, while
> > setting up Germany for attack from Russia?
>
> I don't have an answer to that question. Russia has stated to me on more
> than one occassion that he is unwilling to attack Germany until he
controls
> Warsaw again. A reasonable argument.
Indeed. From what I'm hearing, it seems Germany and Russia are tentatively
discussing cooperation against Austria, although both seem to expect GR
conflict immediately afterward.
> > When would you be willing to carry out an attack
> > against Austria yourself?
> >
>
> At any time given the correct circumstances. See my previous letter.
What
> I don't want to do is stab Austria and not gain a build out of the deal.
> Stabbing requires the loss of Smyrna so I'd have to get two in return.
> Greece and Trieste would be fine but I'd like to see you get a build out
of
> the deal as well and that would mean you'd have to take something from
> Austria (Ser) or Russia (Sev). I understand your reluctance to agree to
> Smy-Arm so I'm working on other options as per my last message. Black Sea
> moving to Sevastopol would have similar effects but your fleet is
overworked
> as it is as the sole support for Rumania.
Actually, for this turn at least support of Rum won't be needed, since
Gre-Ser, Gal-Bud cuts any support against Rum. My concern is that if
Austria orders Ser S Aeg-Gre this turn, and I move Con-Bul, then my army in
Greece would be destroyed. I also had planned to order in such a way as to
protect myself against an AI attack, just in case, perhaps with Bla S Con,
Con S Ank-Smy. In any case, your proposal of Tyr-Tri, Smy-Alb was music to
my ears.
The best result would be if Gre were dislodged from Aeg this turn, then
retreats to Bul. This gives you Gre in the fall, with Bul/Ion S Alb-Gre,
Rum S Bud, Bud S Tri, Con-Bla-Sev. Even if Austria doesn't make this
attack, then Gre-Bul, Ion S Alb-Gre should work with Rum-Ser, EMS-Aeg to cut
Austrian supports.
I'm optimistic that Germany may attack Vie this turn, in which case Russia
will gain Budapest. So, I think you'll be pretty secure in Tri in the fall,
as I see no reason why Russia wouldn't give you the needed support. Or,
Rum-Ser, Bud-Vie (or Boh-Vie) serves the same purpose. If all goes as
planned, Austria's A Bud will be destroyed in the spring.
Russia is pushing for Con-Bul, Ank S Bla-Con, no doubt due to his
vulnerability in Sevastopol. My current orders are Gre-Ser, Rum S Gal-Bud,
Bla S Con, Con S Ank-Smy, though I've not yet decided for sure what to do in
Turkey/Bul. I've already revealed much more of my thoughts to you than I
had promised to the paranoid ranting voices in the back of my head. I have
a sense that this is a crucial juncture, but I'm still not convinced of the
best course.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the above. Please write at your
earliest convenience.
Regards,
Ali Baba
Message from Turkey to Italy
Roberto,
Is there any way you can convince Austria to make his attack on Gre in the
spring? He's clearly worried about my retreat to Alb; you could claim that
you don't want your fleet sitting in Alb in the fall, and that with Ion-Alb
in the spring, that's all he needs to get my army out of there. Just a
thought.
Ali
Message from Turkey to Italy and Russia
Gentlemen,
I am greatly encouraged by Italy's suggestion of Tyr-Tri, Smy-Alb, and I
concur in general with his proposed combination. My only reservation is
that if I move to Bul, and Gre is dislodged, then my army will be destroyed.
I had also planned to protect my home centers against the event of continued
AI attacks. So I cannot commit specifically to how Bla, Con and Ank will
move; but I do agree to order Gre-Ser, Rum S Gal-Bud.
Whatever happens, I'm confident that we'll be able to cut any Austrian
support against Trieste, or else possibly support the unit directly from Bud
if Russia's attack succeeds. I also agree to help Italy into Greece, in
return for his withdrawal from Smyrna. I am confident that with the three
of us working together, Austria can be destroyed quickly, and all three of
us will benefit.
Regards,
Ali Baba
Message from Italy to Turkey
>
> Is there any way you can convince Austria to make his attack
> on Gre in the
> spring? He's clearly worried about my retreat to Alb; you
> could claim that
> you don't want your fleet sitting in Alb in the fall, and
> that with Ion-Alb
> in the spring, that's all he needs to get my army out of
> there. Just a
> thought.
>
I will try. Do you prefer Aeg-Gre or Ser-Gre? I think it would be fairly
difficult to convince him of the latter.
Roberto
ps: give me a few more minutes to digest your previous message
Message from Turkey to Italy
Roberto,
> I will try. Do you prefer Aeg-Gre or Ser-Gre? I think it would be fairly
> difficult to convince him of the latter.
Many thanks. I very much prefer Aeg-Gre, since it gives opportunity for
Con-Sev in the fall.
> ps: give me a few more minutes to digest your previous message
No problem. Write when you get a chance.
Ali
Message from Turkey to Germany and Russia
Gentlemen,
I'm just writing to confirm the discussions I've had with each of you. I
have ordered Gre-Ser, Rum S Gal-Bud. I am counting on Gal-Bud, Boh-Vie, as
per our conversations. The only way this can be defeated is with Ser-Rum,
which I'm not expecting. Once Russia is in Bud, then I see no reason why
Bud S Boh-Vie wouldn't work in the fall.
Please write at once if anything has changed.
Regards,
Ali Baba
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
Your assesment seems pretty sound. I agree, it's looking more and more like
Italy will come through. Thank you for putting up with my paranoia (which I
haven't entirely lost, yet).
I do think Austria's nervous; his latest press to me sounded much less
cocky, and I think his nerves are getting frayed. In any case, it's looking
pretty good for a quick take-down of Austria. With so many people talking
about Gre-Ser, Rum S Gal-Bud, though, I guess it's possible Austria might
catch wind of it and order Ser-Rum to cut support. But it seems unlikely.
I'm still not sure what I'll do in Turkey/Bulgaria, but it will either be
Con-Bul, Ank S Bla-Con or Bla S Con, Con S Ank-Smy. Hopefully you'll be in
Bud this turn, and the tide will truly have turned.
Regards,
Ali Baba
Message from Turkey to Austria
Tamara,
Sorry, I didn't mean to hit a nerve or piss you off there. The bottom line
is, we're both in a bit of a tough spot, and we could both help each other
out. My concerns are the AI fleets off my shores and the Italian army in my
home center. Your concern is RT pressure against your own home center and
in the Balkans.
My attacking Sevastopol would solve your problems, and would make Turkey
stronger overall. But I must have at least something from you, to alleviate
my above-listed concerns, before I can go through with it. Obviously, my
preference is for Aeg S Ank-Smy. Failing that, though, if you would at
least withdraw your fleet from Aeg (and no I don't mean to Bul), then it
would be a step in the right direction.
Ali Baba
Message from France to Turkey
Ali:
I sincerely believe that Italy will turn on Austria. I
have been encouraging a break in your two-on-two in the
South. I first suggested IRA vs. T because I thought
that there would be more support. But it seems that
Russia and Austria cannot work together. Therefore I
have been supporting IRT. Italy first suggested it to
me. You need to get out of the current dynamic in the
south or EG will dominate. I obviously do not want this,
so I have been encouraging Italy to side with you.
I hope that this helps. I do not actually know what he
will do. But you have a pretty good shot at him siding
with you. I think that he almost has to.
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to Russia
Czar Nicholas:
I am forever getting the Scandinavia area wrong, so I
hope that I am wrong yet again. I still suggest that you
at least hold in Bot. If you retreat to St. Petes,
Germany could take both Fin and Bot and then have a shot
at St. Petes in the fall. Be careful.
Well, my FIRT alliance is doing very much for me. You
all want to help Germany, that does me no good :-) If
you are going to go that route, make sure to get him a
build this year. The larger the Germany, the more
nervous the England.
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to Germany
Fredd:
I believe that Russia has explained that I was not trying
to incite him against you. I was trying to direct
Austria's retreat your way, which would help Russia, as
well as annoy you. As I explained, my biggest goal was
trying to hurt England. But distracting you is not bad
either.
The south talks about worries about EG, but aside from
possibly Italy, all I get is moral support. Russia even
talks about working with you. Maybe Italy will come
through.
Perhaps Friendless in Paris,
-- Prince Boar
Message from Turkey to France
Prince Boar,
My sincere thanks for your press. This is exactly what I was hoping for. I
have a strong feeling that the dynamic in the south will indeed change this
year.
Thanks again. Hang in there.
Ali
Message from Turkey to England
Ivy,
I've been considering the political situation, and I had to write with one
additional thought. I am beginning to think it likely that Italy may indeed
change course, attack Austria and form an alliance with France. Russia and
I were quick to ally in the face of AI pressure; but once that pressure is
gone, it is likely that RI will combine their efforts to squeeze me out. FI
are more likely to want Russia as their "third leg", since he can still
build northern fleets to attack you, and he can build much closer to
Germany.
I am determined not to let this happen, and so I'm starting to worry that my
associations with Russia are about to take a turn for the worse. Let's just
say that if, in the fall, your F Nwg has been moved into position to attack
StP, I would not be disappointed. After all, France isn't your only avenue
of expansion.
If all goes well this turn, there is a slim chance I may be able to hit Sev
in the fall as well. Of course, the result might be very different from the
one I'm hoping for, in which case I might very well be unable to prevent a
Russian build. And there's at least a reasonable chance that Russia will
gain Budapest and/or Warsaw this year, so I think some pre-emptive action on
our parts would be well-advised. Neither of us really wants to find out the
hard way what Russia would build, if he builds.
Of course, I write this in the strictest of confidence. I look forward to
your reply,
Ali
Message from England to Turkey
Ali,
>it seems to me that GR are willing to cooperate with each other for now,
>despite the fact that they both seem to anticipate conflict afterward.
They are still having a difficult time with fleet arrangements.
>Most of the others don't seem to share you pessimism regardin your chances
>in France.
Its the _rate_ of progress that worries me.
> Germany might ... start to outpace English growth.
>Is your alliance as strong as everyone assumes, and would
>you stay the course against France in such a scenario?
I think the alliance is strong. I would definately NOT "stay the course"
if Germany outpaced me. He knows that that is a no-no. My goal in this
game has been stated very clearly to Germany. It is to survive with
strength equal to, but not greater than, other survivors. I don't want a
target on my back because I am dangerous. I have no hope of growing
rapidly, and I don't want to. Germany knows that he must not grow while I
inch across the Atlantic. I don't expect Germany to make a play for any
centers this year.
When I say that the alliance is strong, those words have to be taken within
the context of "titleist" and the quality of players in the game. We are
not going to see silly stabs or entertaining novelties. We may see
alliance switching based on sound strategies. For example, if I am a
survivor and France is not, I am completely open to reconfigured alliances
afterwards. I have no idea at this writing if it would be better to have a
Mediterranean strategy or a northern strategy.
By the way, you have a most interesting tactical situation down there.
Ivy Wingo
Message from England to Italy
Good Roberto,
>It has calmed down. I sent a proposal to Germany asking him to retreat from
>Bohemia and then I would retreat from Tyrolia.
Not too different from what I suggested. I suggested that he calmly use
Bohemia to support Munich and make no further agressives moves with it.
>It's believed that, if not checked, EG could become a major problem within a
>couple of years.
Well, I certainly hope so.
>It may not happen this year but I could certainly envision
>three or more centers going EG's way in a few years.
Again, I hope so. Just enough to match Austria/Italian progress. No more,
no less.
Look, I want the EG partnership to work. My goal in this game has been
stated very clearly to Germany. It is to survive with strength equal to,
but not greater than, other survivors. I don't want a target on my back
because I am dangerous. I have no hope of growing rapidly, and I don't
want to. Germany knows that he must not grow while I inch across the
Atlantic. I don't expect Germany to make a play for any centers this year.
If Germany races ahead of me, then our alliance is over -- and I am in
deep trouble.
What does this all mean in the long run? Given the quality of players in
the game, we are not going to see silly stabs or entertaining novelties.
We will see alliance switching based on sound strategies. For example, if
I am a survivor and France is not, I am completely open to reconfigured
alliances afterwards.
>That's the perception in the east that EG are one and the same until proven
>otherwise. Guilty by association I guess.
Yeah. Fair enough. But read the moves. Notice the perfect EG
coordination. Communication has stunk, but we are getting better.
>Btw, I'll be moving Nap-Tys this spring. If I can get my share of Iberia, I
>think I can calm the fears of EG in the east.
And/or Marseilles?
I would be delighted with Nap-Tys-Lyo. Even more with Tys-Pie. You know
that Germany is not really going to attack Italy.
Can we agree that Western Med is off limits?
I like this, Roberto. This is getting interesting!
Ivy
Message from Turkey to England
Ivy,
> By the way, you have a most interesting tactical situation down there.
I have to ask, what are your thoughts on it? My moves are fairly well
shored up at this point, but I'd love to hear an "outsider's view" of the
tactical situation. I'm too close to it, and I've gone around in cicles
enough that it's hard to think straight. Time permitting, of course.
Ali
Message from Turkey to Germany
Fredd,
Well, what do you think? Are you on board with Boh-Vie? There is at least
a slim chance that I may be able to work out an arrangement with Italy, in
which case I will no longer be joined at the hip to the Czar. It might turn
out that we'll have an opportunity to combine our forces sooner than I
thought. However, I'm still firmly committed to the plans we have in place
for the coming turn.
Of course, what happens in the fall all boils down to what Italy does in the
spring. Either way, though, I'm counting on close relations with Germany
going forward.
Write when you get a chance,
Ali Baba
Message from England to Turkey
Ali,
>I've been considering the political situation, and I had to write with one
>additional thought. I am beginning to think it likely that Italy may indeed
>change course, attack Austria and form an alliance with France.
I would be shocked if Italy attacked Austria. As for Italy/France, they
have been close from the beginning.
>Russia and
>I were quick to ally in the face of AI pressure; but once that pressure is
>gone, it is likely that RI will combine their efforts to squeeze me out. FI
>are more likely to want Russia as their "third leg", since he can still
>build northern fleets to attack you, and he can build much closer to
>Germany.
All this presumes that Austria is gone or no longer threatens Russia. I
would be amazed of that happened anytime soon.
>I am determined not to let this happen, and so I'm starting to worry that my
>associations with Russia are about to take a turn for the worse.
Perhaps you have information that I don't have. Russia is too preoccupied
with Scandinavia and Warsaw this year.
>Let's just
>say that if, in the fall, your F Nwg has been moved into position to attack
>StP, I would not be disappointed. After all, France isn't your only avenue
>of expansion.
I think all the world knows that Nwg has to head for the North Atlantic.
If I tried to expand to the north, France would rip me to shreads from the
rear. I respect your request, but I just can't oblige.
>If all goes well this turn, there is a slim chance I may be able to hit Sev
>in the fall as well.
Only if Italy hits Austria in the spring would this be a sane thing to do.
Ooh, too strong; I am sure you are sane. 8-)
> And there's at least a reasonable chance that Russia will
>gain Budapest and/or Warsaw this year,
Budapest, no. Warsaw, yes indeed! Is that so bad?
Look, you have to have an ally. You have to. Who is it going to be? I
can't do much for you, even if I sent a fleet north. You must have either
Russia or Austria or Italy. If all three of them are against you, it's
over. Right now you have Russia, no matter how tenuous. Is Austria or
Italy promising you something if you stab Russia? Why should you believe
them? Ask Italy to stab Austria in the spring. Then you will happily turn
on Russia. Or ask Austria to support you back into Smyrna in the fall.
Then you will happily turn on Russia. But if one of them is expecting you
to stab Russia with only promises of a future alliance, ... .
>Of course, I write this in the strictest of confidence. I look forward to
>your reply,
I don't think I wrote what you wanted.
Still your friend. Hang in there.
Ivy
Message from England to Germany and Russia
Nick and Fred,
> If we can agree to GoB-Lvn, Bal-Pru, Swe-Bal, I will
>agree to not build in St. Petersburg this Fall. Is this
>acceptable to you both?
I cannot in good conscience recommend that Sweden be vacated while a
Russian fleet is in Bothnia, at least not at this early stage of the
German/Russian relationship. I say this because, I don't think I would
want to move Sweden in the spring if I were Germany. Bothnia threatens
Sweden but Sweden does not threaten anything that belongs to Russia.
If the two of you want to consider Swe holds, Bal-Pru, GoB-Lvn, I see that
as a plausible compromise. After all it is the occupation of Prussia and
Livonia that should matter most in an anti-Austria campaign.
Why does Sweden have to be in Baltic? It is no farther from StP in the
Baltic than it is in Sweden?
Just my two cents.
Ivy
Message from Austria to Italy
> How do we want to handle this situation. Mutually supporting each other
> sounds a bit passive but it actually might be the best approach. You have
> more at stake than I do so I'll go along with whatever you think is best.
I don't want to tell Russia that Vie won't be supporting Bud. As far as I
can tell, T and R are still jointly attacking me.
If I tell Russia that Vie *is* supporting Bud, then if Germany is willing to
cooperate with him, he can order Boh-Vie to cut that support.
I expect I'll be making a collection of support-cutting moves, such as
Ser-Rum, Bud-Rum, etc, trying to not lose any centers and then pick up
Greece in the fall.
Do you have any other suggestions?
Idalia, for Austria-Hungary, by the grace of Archduke Ferdinand
Message from England to Germany
Freddy,
In my earlier dialog with Russia over his move Moscow->StP, I learned that
he is incredibly pig-headed. Once he asks for something, he never backs
down. He thinks that if he says something 20 times that everyone is
supposed to believe him.
I DO believe him, but you have to decide for yourself. I really cannot
recommend vacating Sweden. Anything else is OK.
Ivy
Message from England to Turkey
Ali,
>I have to ask, what are your thoughts on it? My moves are fairly well
>shored up at this point, but I'd love to hear an "outsider's view" of the
>tactical situation.
Rum & Gre supp Con-Bul
Ank supp Black->Con
Expect Aeg s Ion-Gre, but Greece can retreat to Albania and be very
effective there in the fall. I doubt that Austria will go for Romania in
the spring, but Romania can always retreat to Sev and attack back in the
fall. Its important that you get an army in Bulgaria to connect your
units.
Easy for me to say!
Ivy
Message from Turkey to England
Ivy,
> Perhaps you have information that I don't have. Russia is too preoccupied
> with Scandinavia and Warsaw this year.
Here is what I am hearing. Italy has written to me and Russia, proclaiming
he's changed sides. The jist of it involves Tyr-Tri, Smy-Alb, with Alb-Gre
in the fall in exchange for Smyrna. He has also proposed Gre-Ser, Rum S
Bud-Gal. Indeed, there has been discussion between GRT about this very
combination, together with Boh-Vie to cut support.
France has confirmed that he's been lobbying Italy hard to change the 2-on-2
dynamic in the south. It could be that it's all just a big ploy to gain
some AI advantage against RT, but the more I hear, the less likely this
seems. So, it is at least possible that Gal will move to Bud, in which case
War-Gal, Mos-War may follow. Russia would go from being "on the ropes" to
being quite viable in a big hurry.
> I think all the world knows that Nwg has to head for the North Atlantic.
> If I tried to expand to the north, France would rip me to shreads from the
> rear. I respect your request, but I just can't oblige.
I think that until Italy is in place to assist him, France is purely in
defense mode. MAO-NAO gains him nothing if IRI S Eng-MAO, Lon-Eng. You'd
be able to bounce him in Lpl and still waltz into Por unopposed, then build
F Lpl and it would be over before it began. I fully expect Gas/Pic S Bur,
Bur S Pic, Bre S MAO or something along those lines. But of course, I also
recognize that this is entirely your call, and I'll respect whatever
decision you make.
>
> >If all goes well this turn, there is a slim chance I may be able to hit
Sev
> >in the fall as well.
>
> Only if Italy hits Austria in the spring would this be a sane thing to do.
> Ooh, too strong; I am sure you are sane. 8-)
Well... sometimes I wonder about that myself. I agree, the planets would
have to line up just right in order for it to happen. But if they do line
up just right, I'm not ruling it out. Just wanted you to be aware in case
it affected your plans.
> I don't think I wrote what you wanted.
Heh heh, as long as you wrote what you really think, that's what I wanted.
I'd much rather get honest replies that "aren't what I want to hear" than to
be strung along on false promises.
I have no wish to be duped by Italy for a second time, and I'm determined to
defend against it. As I said, I will be ordering pro-Russian and anti-AI
this turn. However, I also want to be prepared for the possibility that
Italy might change course. Again, I ask for strictest secrecy on the above
for obvious reasons.
Regards,
Ali
Message from France to Germany
Fredd:
Just in case you have not noticed this, it is not too
late to crunch England. All you need do is the
following:
Ber -> Bal -> Swe
Swe -> Nor
or
Swe -> Nor
Bal -> Den
You can also move Ruhr to Holland, but that can wait for
fall. If you take Norway and help me take Belgium in the
fall, England will be down to 3 centers, primarily on my
side of the Isle. He will fall a lot faster than I will.
-- Prince Boar
Message from Russia to England and Germany
Gentlemen,
I Wrote > >
> > If we can agree to GoB-Lvn, Bal-Pru, Swe-Bal, I will agree to not
> > build in St. Petersburg this Fall. Is this acceptable to you both?
>
> I cannot in good conscience recommend that Sweden be vacated while
> a Russian fleet is in Bothnia, at least not at this early stage of the
> German/Russian relationship. Bothnia threatens Sweden but Sweden
> does not threaten anything that belongs to Russia.
Oh, come now, am I likely to trade German cooperation against
Austria, and StP, for Sweden? Do I really strike you as that much of
a fool? I'm offering to remove the potential threat to Swe, and agree
to not build in StP, in return German support in my attacks on Austria.
I know that Austria is lobbying Germany for cooperation against me,
why would I give Germany the least excuse to work with him?
> Why does Sweden have to be in Baltic? It is no farther from StP
> in the Baltic than it is in Sweden?
It increases the security of Norway, and opens the option for
Pru S Bal-Lvn, rebuild F Lvn as an Army, in the Fall.
Sincerely,
Czar Nicholas II.
Message from England to Turkey
>> Perhaps you have information that I don't have.
>Here is what I am hearing. Italy has written to me ...
Wow! What do you have to lose as long as Italy goes first? Let him make
those moves.
Here's what you can say to help him along. You've probably said it already
anyway.
(1) If he went against Austria he could count on your help 100%. Obviously
true.
(2) You only have one fleet, ideal for a trusting relationship between
Italy and Turkey. Turkey would concentrate on interior Austria and Russia
with armies.
(3) Italy would be more compact. She often has a great problem with being
spread too thin between Turkey and Iberia.
(4) Italy could more easily turn west and request or demand part of France
from England. That would keep England from getting too big. [I could use
some help with France. 8-)]
Ivy
Message from England to Germany and Russia
Nick,
> Oh, come now, am I likely to trade German cooperation against
>Austria, and StP, for Sweden? Do I really strike you as that much of
>a fool?
I think you and I have met before in a pre-existence. Only a guess. 8-)
It may be tough going at times, but I know we can work together.
As for the issue at hand, I now leave it to the two of you. Please don't
let small differences ruin the big picture.
I soon have to go out until late this evening.
Good luck.
Ivy
Message from Turkey to England
Ivy,
> Wow! What do you have to lose as long as Italy goes first? Let him make
> those moves.
>
> Here's what you can say to help him along. You've probably said it
already
> anyway.
As you surmised, these arguments (or some verion of them) have indeed been
discussed. At first I was hesitant to believe Italy, and I'm still far from
convinced, but it all fell into place when I received France's press. He
admitted that he at first pushed for IAR vs. T, but Austria and Russia
couldn't get along, so it became ITR vs. A. But in the long run, FIRT
doesn't hold water. IRT armies are going to dismantle Austria, then all
work together to fight Germany? Maybe in a care-bear game, but I don't
expect to see such a thing here.
Of course, it's impossible to say what will really happen. But France says
he's pretty confident Italy will attack Austria. If Tyr-Tri, Gal-Bud,
Mos-War all go, then Austria will be decimated quickly, and only Russia and
Italy benefit. After that, I think Italy will pick an ally in either me or
Russia. If I come out of this strong, and Russia weak, then I've reason to
believe he'll side with me. On the other hand, if Russia looks viable, then
he presents a more attractive ally to both Italy and France.
Italy tells me that long-term, he envisions IT vs. EG, with G/T competing
for the center, and E/I competing for the seas. He is likely saying the
same thing to Russia about IR. Either way, it would imply that he may turn
on France sooner than later; but if he continues with the AI vs. RT, he
won't have the resources to influence France either way.
So, if this all comes about... and I realize it's still a big "if"... then
EGT cooperation against Russia would seem to be in both our best interests.
And given your concerns about slow progress in France, I figured, English
control of StP might solve both our problems.
If it turns out that Italy sticks with Austria after all, then the current
plan could still hurt Austria, especially if Germany and Russia cooperate.
We both know they've been talking about it, and I've certainly been
encouraging it in hopes that Austria will take a hit.
Anyway, I think this is going to be a real interesting turn. It's still
entirely possible that I might be in for a big surprise, and I've got backup
plans in place should that occur. But if Italy makes the turn, then it will
be a whole new ballgame in the south.
Best regards,
Ali
Message from Italy to Austria
>
> As far as I can tell, T and R are still jointly attacking me.
>
I think that is a safe assumption.
> If I tell Russia that Vie *is* supporting Bud, then if
> Germany is willing to cooperate with him, he can order
> Boh-Vie to cut that support.
>
I guess what I need to know is, will Vienna be holding/supporting. If so,
I'd order Tyr s Vie. If not, would Tyr-Boh be of assistance?
> I expect I'll be making a collection of support-cutting moves, such as
> Ser-Rum, Bud-Rum, etc, trying to not lose any centers and then pick up
> Greece in the fall.
>
> Do you have any other suggestions?
>
Not really. Now is not the time to sit around and try to issue support
orders.
I don't think we ever got around to finalizing orders in and around Turkey.
I'm intrigued by Smy-Arm with Eas-Smy support from Aegean but if you think
Turkey will order Con-Smy then the best counter to that would be Aeg-Con
support from Smyrna.
Currently, my orders are:
ion-alb
smy - arm
eas - smy
tyr s vie
Please confirm or adjust as needed.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Turkey to England
I really should proof-read these things *before* I send them...
> He has also proposed Gre-Ser, Rum S Bud-Gal.
Clearly, I meant Rum S Gal-Bud, not the other way around.
Message from England to Turkey
Ali,
I am still scratching my head in disbelief. Why should Italy think he
could survive in Trieste if he went there in the spring?
Anyway, please don't make moves that help AI, just in case AI is still
together. Italy was the agressor against you, so he is required to
make-anti Austrian moves before you can trust him again.
By the way, Italy is moving to the Tyrhennian this turn. That could be
consistent with any Italian plans.
Ivy
Message from Austria to Italy
> I don't think we ever got around to finalizing orders in and around Turkey.
> I'm intrigued by Smy-Arm with Eas-Smy support from Aegean but if you think
> Turkey will order Con-Smy then the best counter to that would be Aeg-Con
> support from Smyrna.
>
> Currently, my orders are:
>
> ion-alb
> smy - arm
> eas - smy
> tyr s vie
Aeg will support Eas-Smy, but Vie will be moving. Tyr-Boh might be
helpful.
Nap-Ion or Nap-TyS probably depends on how much help France has asked for,
but if it's a tossup, Nap-Ion will ease the recovery of Greece.
Idalia, for Austria-Hungary, by the grace of Archduke Ferdinand
Message from Turkey to England
Ivy,
> I am still scratching my head in disbelief. Why should Italy think he
> could survive in Trieste if he went there in the spring?
There are a number of ways to protect Trieste. For one thing, if Gal-Bud
goes, then Austrian A Bud will be destroyed, and Russian A Bud S Tri should
do the trick. Otherwise, Gal-Vie (or Boh-Vie), Rum-Bud (or Gal-Bud),
Gre-Ser (or Bul-Ser, or Rum-Ser) would cut all possible Austrian supports.
That's been the discussion, at any rate.
> Anyway, please don't make moves that help AI, just in case AI is still
> together. Italy was the agressor against you, so he is required to
> make-anti Austrian moves before you can trust him again.
Trust me, I won't do anything until I see Italy's cards on the table. I
figure Gre-Ser, Rum S Gal-Bud serves the RT vs. AI purposes. In Turkey/Bul,
I'm torn between Con-Bul, Ank S Bla-Con and Bla S Con, Con S Ank-Smy. The
best-case scenario is Ser S Aeg-Gre, with Bla S Con. If Italy then moves as
promised, then Gre retreats to Bul, enabling Bul S Alb-Gre and Con-Bla-Sev
in the fall.
> By the way, Italy is moving to the Tyrhennian this turn. That could be
> consistent with any Italian plans.
Yes, and consistent with IRT discussions. Italy's expressed desire is to
move his fleets west as quickly as possible, while trading Gre for Smy,
while gaining the build for Trieste. Under this scenario, my only real
options for growth are either Sevastopol or Serbia. If possible, I don't
want to see Italy and Russia building while I hold even, as I'm sure you can
appreciate.
Any chance any of this might change your mind about F Nwg?
Ali
Message from Italy to Austria
>
> Aeg will support Eas-Smy, but Vie will be moving. Tyr-Boh might be
> helpful.
>
Thanks, orders have been modified.
> Nap-Ion or Nap-TyS probably depends on how much help
> France has asked for, but if it's a tossup, Nap-Ion
> will ease the recovery of Greece.
>
He's asked for a lot including Tyr-Mun. I think it's prudent to move the
fleet that way though so unless it's absolutely critical to the recovery of
Greece, I'm going to order Nap-Tys.
Roberto
Message from England to Turkey
Ali,
>Any chance any of this might change your mind about F Nwg?
No, Nwg->North Atlantic is part of my plans to guarantee entry into the
mid-Atlantic by fall. Without that move, I make no progress against France
whatsoever.
Don't worry too much about Russia. If what you say is true, then Austria
will immediately be a non-entity. Germany will no longer feel the need to
save Russia. You and Germany can slice him apart.
Then we will all have to worry about Germany! Isn't this fun?
Ivy
Message from Russia to England
> Message from England to Germany and Russia in 'titleist':
Ivy,
> > Oh, come now, am I likely to trade German cooperation against
> > Austria, and StP, for Sweden? Do I really strike you as that much
> > of a fool?
> I think you and I have met before in a pre-existence. Only a guess. 8-)
Given that we theoretically played with 21 for the 50 players during
the first two rounds, and each of us played with one or two of the other
finalists in our semifinal game, I would suspect that the odds favor that.
(Karlis said on r.g.d that he had faced 6 of the 7 finalists in his games.)
I doubt that I'm the only player who uses righteous indignation to cover
my true intentions, though. 8-) (I've already speculated to Doug on
the identities of several players in my 1902 EoY, but we probably
shouldn't discuss this further between ourselves.)
Nick.
Message from England to Master
Doug,
I think he is the individual who played Germany in splinter. He argues
endlessly, never giving ground. Actually maybe he is worse than Germany in
"splinter."
I can't believe the stuff that Turkey is predicting about Italy's moves.
We'll see.
Allen
Message from Turkey to England
Ivy,
> No, Nwg->North Atlantic is part of my plans to guarantee entry into the
> mid-Atlantic by fall. Without that move, I make no progress against
France
> whatsoever.
Fair enough. Can't blame me for trying. In a way, that might even work in
my favor, since it may scare the hell out of Italy, and anything that gets
his fleets out of my face is all good.
> Don't worry too much about Russia. If what you say is true, then Austria
> will immediately be a non-entity. Germany will no longer feel the need to
> save Russia. You and Germany can slice him apart.
I hope so. I do wish Germany wrote more often; at this point I'm not even
sure of Boh-Vie, although the last press I received from Germany was
enthusiastic about it.
> Then we will all have to worry about Germany! Isn't this fun?
Heheh, indeed. As long as I'm still around to worry about anyone, I'll be
happy.
Please keep all of this under your hat, things could really go wrong if it
all becomes general knowledge. I'm risking a lot in revealing as much to
you as I have. I can only hope that you share my view that our long-term
interests coincide, and I hope you will treat my confidences accordingly.
Regards,
Ali
Message from Turkey to Italy
Roberto,
Any thoughts as the deadline approaches? If possible, please write to
confirm Tyr-Tri, Smy-Alb. I am committed to doing whatever is necessary to
get you Tri and Gre in exchange for Smy, and to long-term IT alliance after
that.
If you have any concerns, please write at once so we can get them ironed
out. Otherwise, I am cautiously optimistic that we will be able to quickly
rebuild our relations into a strong alliance.
Regards,
Ali
Message from Italy to Russia and Turkey
After consulting with my crystal ball, otherwise known as the Archduke, here
are the optimum moves for the spring:
rum-ser
gre s rum-ser
ank-smy
con-bul
bla-rum
gal-war
mos s gal-war
I don't expect you to make those moves. Heck, nobody expects you to make
those moves. But they counter the following pretty dang well:
ser-rum
bud-rum
vie-gal
mos s vie-gal
aeg s eas-smy
With smy-alb and tyr-tri, Serbia has no retreat. Heck, Trieste wouldn't
even need a support in the fall.
My orders don't change but just a heads-up that Gal-Bud will not succeed.
It's up to the two of you whether you want to change your orders.
Life is Beautiful,
The Mole
Message from Italy to Turkey
>
> Any thoughts as the deadline approaches?
>
Just as I was about to click 'Send', I get your message. Juicy stuff, eh?
Roberto
Message from Turkey to Italy and Russia
Gentlemen,
I thank Roberto for his juicy intelligence. I am inclined to go along with
his suggestion. I have entered the moves he suggests, pending Russian
approval.
Ali
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
What do you think? The "austrian" orders Roberto speaks of sound pretty
legit to me. This could be a golden opportunity to take advantage of
foreknowledge about Austrian plans, an opportunity that will not arise
again. If the intelligence is genuine, that is.
I've received a press from France that seems to support Italy's proposals.
At least, he says he strongly believes Italy will attack Austria this turn.
He says he has indeed been lobbying Italy hard to change the 2-on-2 dynamic
in the south, for fear that it will simply lead to EG dominance in the
north. Anyway, it does seem to corroborate what Italy has been saying.
Anyway, at the moment I'm inclined to go along with Italy's suggestion. I
find this surprising, given my hesitation to date regarding Italian
intentions. In any case, I'm very eager to hear what you think of it.
Ali
Message from Russia to Turkey
Ali,
> Your assesment seems pretty sound. I agree, it's looking more and more
like
> Italy will come through. Thank you for putting up with my paranoia (which
I
> haven't entirely lost, yet).
I've been wrong before (F1901, and F1902 spring to mind), so a
certain level of paranoia is appropriate. Roberto does seem more rational
the Ferdie does, though.
> I do think Austria's nervous; his latest press to me sounded much less
> cocky, and I think his nerves are getting frayed.
Well, at least he's writing to you. 8-) Italy and I have been trying to
get him to move out of position by talking up FAIR vs. GET, (which
France proposed after moves, but before retreats), but he doesn't seem
to be buying it.
> I'm still not sure what I'll do in Turkey/Bulgaria, but it will either be
> Con-Bul, Ank S Bla-Con or Bla S Con, Con S Ank-Smy
At this point Bla S Con, Con S Ank-Smy seems better. Austria
might dislodge Gre, in which case you can retreat to Bul, or he might
take Bul, in which case you'll have three Units adjacent to recapture
it in the Fall. One other thing that just popped to mind. Don't be too
eager to trade Greece for Smy, Italy will/should take Tri, which will
keep him from disbanding, and I'd rather see you grow than Roberto.
In Friendship, and Alliance,
Nick.
Message from Turkey to Italy
Roberto,
> Just as I was about to click 'Send', I get your message. Juicy stuff, eh?
Yes indeed. I'm feeling more and more confident that you're on the level.
I hope I don't discover that I'm just kidding myself. If you move as agreed
this turn, then we'll have a whole new ballgame.
Ali
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
> Well, at least he's writing to you. 8-) Italy and I have been trying
to
> get him to move out of position by talking up FAIR vs. GET, (which
> France proposed after moves, but before retreats), but he doesn't seem
> to be buying it.
Ah, so that's it. I had heard rumors of FAIR, and wondered where they came
from.
> Don't be too
> eager to trade Greece for Smy, Italy will/should take Tri, which will
> keep him from disbanding, and I'd rather see you grow than Roberto.
I've been favoring it in discussion with Italy, since I dearly want him the
hell out of Smyrna. But clearly, once he moves against Austria, we'll have
the upper hand, not him. I'm sure you can appreciate that in my heart of
hearts, I'm actually not all that eager to give up Greece. ;^)
Ali
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
One thing I just noticed:
> rum-ser
> gre s rum-ser
> ank-smy
> con-bul
> bla-rum
>
> gal-war
> mos s gal-war
>
> ser-rum
> bud-rum
> vie-gal
> mos s vie-gal [assuming he means War, not Mos]
> aeg s eas-smy
If the move processes with these orders, then Austria will have lost 4
centers in one move: Tyr-Tri, Rum-Ser, Gal-War, and Boh-Vie. Assuming Italy
and Germany do their parts, of course.
Ali
Message from Russia to Turkey
***Private Message***
Ali,
> Message from Italy to Russia and Turkey in 'titleist':
> After consulting with my crystal ball, otherwise known as the Archduke,
> ser-rum
> bud-rum
> vie-gal
> war s vie-gal
> aeg s eas-smy
>
> With smy-alb and tyr-tri, Serbia has no retreat. Heck, Trieste wouldn't
> even need a support in the fall.
> My orders don't change but just a heads-up that Gal-Bud will not succeed.
> It's up to the two of you whether you want to change your orders.
Hmmm, suddenly Austria reveals his full plans to Italy... Why? On the
other hand, given Austria's situation, the orders mostly make sense, though
I think Aeg-Gre would be better than S EMed-Smy. Can we trust Roberto?
Probably. Is Austria telling Roberto the truth? I'm not so sure. What do
you think?
Nick.
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
> Hmmm, suddenly Austria reveals his full plans to Italy... Why? On
the
> other hand, given Austria's situation, the orders mostly make sense,
though
> I think Aeg-Gre would be better than S EMed-Smy. Can we trust Roberto?
> Probably. Is Austria telling Roberto the truth? I'm not so sure. What
do
> you think?
It may be that Italy hasn't inquired before now, and but has somehow managed
to ferret out Austria's intentions. It may also be that Italy and Austria
have always discussed their moves in detail, but Roberto just wanted us to
think otherwise.
My gut reaction is that it's genuine. For some reason France's press did a
lot to convince me Italy may be on the level. If the scenario plays out as
described in Italy's joint press, then I have to say Italy will be in pretty
damn good shape, so he's got some strong motivation to do it. And, the
Austrian moves he describes do sound like a pretty reasonable Austrian
defense.
At present my orders are as Italy proposes, to the letter. However, I value
your opinion a lot more than Italy's. Bottom line is, with my old set of
orders I still come out ok against the supposed Austrian defense; the big
difference is that Gal doesn't move to Bud. I'm assuming Mos-War, so with
the Austrian combination that Roberto describes, it would all be a big
bounce.
That might not be so bad, actually, if we essentially hold position while
Italy attacks Austria. But, if it's all genuine and we take advantage of it
as Roberto suggests, it would have an enormous payoff. It would also make
it easier for me to hold onto Greece in the fall if that's the decision.
It's a tough call. I should be in e-mail contact right up to the deadline,
so we've still got some time to discuss it.
Ali
Message from Italy to Turkey
The trade of Trieste and Greece for Smyrna (Italy's side); Smyrna and Serbia
for Greece (Turkey's side) is good for the both of us. It gets all of our
units south of a common enemy and we just start pushing north and west.
I anticipate my fleet strength will be sufficient to hold you to the Greece
swap in the fall. I'm sure the last thing you want is my fleets hanging
around the Eastern Med and Aegean.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Russia to Italy and Turkey
> Message from Italy to Russia and Turkey in 'titleist':
> I don't expect you to make those moves, but they counter the following
> pretty dang well:
>
> ser-rum
> bud-rum
> vie-gal
> mos s vie-gal
> aeg s eas-smy
Did Austria tell you he was making these moves? Obviously, that's
the implication, but you didn't actually say so... You have, however,
repeatedly said, that the Archduke never tells you what he's doing with
his Armies, so why now, and why in such detail?
I see three possibilities:
1) He's heard from somewhere that you plan to attack him, and is
spreading disinformation.
2) He's worried and desparate, and was seeking reassurance that his
moves would work.
3) You've decided to stick with Austria, and are trying to turn our
attacks, and open up Turkey to lose Con.
Can you offer anything to support this rather surprizing claim?
A Curious,
Nick.
Message from Russia to Turkey
Ali,
Let's see how Roberto responds to my query. I don't know why, but
something about Roberto's letter just started my "spider-sense" tingling.
Nick.
Message from Italy to France
>
> I know that I am being too pushy, but I am a bit
> desperate. I ask you to make a statement of support for
> me. I ask you to attack Munich to break it's support for
> an attack on Burgundy.
>
I regret to inform you that I have decided not to issue Tyr-Mun this spring.
Analyzing the board, if Germany were planning on capturing Burgundy I
suspect he would move Mun-Bur with support and follow that up with Ber-Mun.
My move to Munich would do nothing but antaganize Germany for no particular
use.
Pic-Bel
Gas s Bur
should be sufficient in holding Burgundy.
As my fleet arrives, we can look at other ways to defend against EG.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Italy to Russia and Turkey
>
> Did Austria tell you he was making these moves? Obviously, that's
> the implication, but you didn't actually say so... You
> have, however, repeatedly said, that the Archduke never tells you
> what he's doing with his Armies, so why now, and why in such detail?
Good questions. I hope I have some answers. [picture Roberto pulling
rabbit out of hat] :)
He didn't actually tell me directly those were his moves. But, when I
queried him regarding 'Tyrolia support Vienna' he replied with 'don't
bother, it's moving'. Where else would it move other than Galicia? Second,
he's been truthful regarding his fleet move to date and he suggested Smy-Arm
and Eas-Smy and taking Greece back in the fall. Third, I'm the Archduke and
I'm looking at the map and thinking Rumania is supporting something to
either Budapest or Serbia so let's cut any possible support with both armies
(he hinted at such a move in an earlier message). The only moves that make
the Austrian moves fail as outlined are the moves I gave you and the odds of
them occurring without intelligence gathering is minimal at best.
> I see three possibilities:
> 1) He's heard from somewhere that you plan to attack him, and is
> spreading disinformation.
In which case my goose is cooked either way I move.
> 2) He's worried and desparate, and was seeking reassurance that his
> moves would work.
I'm quite sure the first part of this sentence is true.
> 3) You've decided to stick with Austria, and are trying to turn our
> attacks, and open up Turkey to lose Con.
>
I did prefice the message with, "I don't expect you to make those
moves....".
> Can you offer anything to support this rather surprizing claim?
>
Other than directly quoting Austrian press (which can be fabricated anyway),
no. They are my assumptions as to what Austria will order from having
pieced together several press messages. I believe the odds are greater than
50% those will be his moves. And if they are, he'd be completely crippled
come winter. I don't often switch alliances very easily. It requires a
great deal of benefit to my nation for me to consider it. Truthfully,
Austria has served her purpose to me. I have fleet superiority throughout
the Med that will be difficult to match anytime soon. Seeing Austria pull
her lone fleet will give that much more security to Italy.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from France to Italy
Roberto:
Thank you for the honest answer, rather than simply
ignoring my request. I was hoping that you might agree
because of your suggestion last turn that if I made it to
Burgundy that we could do something concerning Munich.
I realize that the attack on Munich may not be a
tactically strong move. However, Bur s Tyr -> Mun would
take Munich with the orders you suggested; therefore,
Germany may instead choose Ruh -> Bur s by Mun which is
why I want Tyr -> Mun.
But I was hoping you would say yes for the larger
political statement it would make. You would be telling
England that you will defend France so he is in for a
even longer haul than expected. I do realize the
political price that it would cost you with Germany.
That is why I was throwing in the promise that if I am
about to die, I would pass as many of my centers to you
as possible, because of the boon you gave me. I would
reward your effort with my loyalty.
But as I stated above, I understand your choice, although
I am disappointed by it. I guess that I will have to try
hard to avoid the situation where I have nothing other
than the option of offering my centers to someone. I do
not yet know what I would do.
I wish you good luck this season and do appreciate your
considering my request. I also look forward to the help
that your fleet has to offer me.
-- Prince Boar
Message from Observer to Observer
The following vgfp_titleist poll is now closed. Here are the
final results:
POLL QUESTION: Who do you consider the front-runner in
Titleist after F1902M?
CHOICES AND RESULTS
- Austria, 0 votes, 0.00%
- England, 3 votes, 42.86%
- France, 0 votes, 0.00%
- Germany, 3 votes, 42.86%
- Italy, 1 votes, 14.29%
- Russia, 0 votes, 0.00%
- Turkey, 0 votes, 0.00%
INDIVIDUAL VOTES
- Austria
- England
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- harmanjd@k...
- povisils@y...
- France
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- kavcioglu@y...
- Italy
- thorfinn+dip@t...
- Russia
- Turkey
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Message from Italy to Russia
>
> Can you offer anything to support this rather surprizing claim?
>
I figured one of you would be suspicious but I thought it would be Turkey.
Austria has never been a long-term ally choice. Seems the time is right to
take advantage of his position.
The worry is Germany and what his role in these moves will be. If he keeps
his nose where it belongs, we'll be all right. If he sticks his nose where
it doesn't belong, we could have some troubles.
I hope you realize I'm on the level with this one although I understand your
suspicion.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Italy to England
>
> Not too different from what I suggested. I suggested that he
> calmly use Bohemia to support Munich and make no further
> agressives moves with it.
>
I can live with that. Perhaps we can move at the same time in the fall.
>
> Again, I hope so. Just enough to match Austria/Italian
> progress. No more, no less.
>
Fair enough.
>
> we are not going to see silly stabs or entertaining novelties.
Oh, I don't know about that. Belgium->Holland must look inviting. :)
>
> Yeah. Fair enough. But read the moves. Notice the perfect EG
> coordination. Communication has stunk, but we are getting better.
>
Other than Bel s Mun->Bur (* void *), they look fairly well coordinated to
me.
Just so you know, I have no qualms about the EG alliance. I support it
fully. At least until France is eliminated and then I don't like it so
much.
>
> And/or Marseilles?
>
I kinda usually consider Marseilles part of Iberia. Germany told me he has
no problem with you getting all of France. Obviously, I wouldn't want that
but he seemed disinterested in moving west. What has he asked for out of
France if anything at all?
>
> Can we agree that Western Med is off limits?
>
I can tentatively agree to that but I can't fully commit yet to not moving
to the Western Med. After all, you might actually want my assistance to
reach the MAO or risk leaving yourself exposed in Norway.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Italy to Germany
After having a brief conversation with Ivy, I understand he suggested using
Bohemia to support Munich this spring. I can live with that and, depending
on the results tonight, perhaps we can agree to simultaneously move from the
provinces in question during the fall. Let me reiterate that Tyrolia will
not interfere in activities surrounding Munich this year. Is this a
starting point for further negotiations?
Roberto
Message from Russia to Italy
Roberto,
> > Can you offer anything to support this rather surprizing claim?
>
> I figured one of you would be suspicious but I thought it would be Turkey.
> Austria has never been a long-term ally choice. Seems the time is right to
> take advantage of his position.
It is sort of ironic, I've been reassuring Ali all day, and laying out
why
I thought you were sincere, but that letter had so much more information
than you had given any indication of having before, and it's so close to the
deadline, that I got a major flash of "spider-sense" tingle in my kidneys.
Ali seems confident that it's legit, though.
> The worry is Germany and what his role in these moves will be. If he
keeps
> his nose where it belongs, we'll be all right. If he sticks his nose
where
> it doesn't belong, we could have some troubles.
He's told Turkey and I that he's ordering Boh-Vie.
> I hope you realize I'm on the level with this one although I understand
> your suspicion.
Your follow-up letter makes sense. I was just thrown by the fact that
you didn't indicate how you came into posession of Austria's moves, and
when I combined that with your previous comments about him not
discussing his Army moves, it just set off alarm bells.
In Friendship, and Alliance,
Nick.
Message from Russia to Italy and Turkey
Gentlemen,
> Message from Italy to Russia and Turkey in 'titleist':
> He didn't actually tell me directly those were his moves. But, when I
> queried him regarding 'Tyrolia support Vienna' he replied with 'don't
> bother, it's moving'. Where else would it move other than Galicia?
Trieste is the most obvious alternative....
> I'm looking at the map and thinking Rumania is supporting something to
> either Budapest or Serbia so let's cut any possible support with both
armies
> (he hinted at such a move in an earlier message).
The probem with this is that a you're much better tactician than the
Archduke is. Last Fall, I was sure that he would either order Ukr-Mos,
or Ukr S Gal-War, and attack Rum to protect Ser, and bounce Sev-Rum,
but he didn't, he ordered Gal S Ukr-War, Bud S Ser.
> They are my assumptions as to what Austria will order from having
> pieced together several press messages. I believe the odds are greater
than
> 50% those will be his moves. And if they are, he'd be completely crippled
> come winter.
Fair enough. I don't know that I agree that Austria will make these
moves,
though he should, but you have eliminated the AI stab of Turkey from my
list of explanations.
In Friendship and Alliance,
Nick.
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
Well, it seems your "spidey sense" was right... Italy didn't know what
Austria is planning, he was just speculating. Would have been nice if he
had volunteered that, instead of having it dragged out of him. Still, in a
way it's almost an argument in his favor; if he were simply lying, wouldn't
he have made up some story about why Austria was so talkative?
Gotta love this game, don't you? Schemes within schemes within schemes, and
90% of them are ghosts anyway.
I think it all boils down to the simple question of whether we think Italy
is planning to attack Austria or not. If he is, then chances are he's
genuinely giving us his best advice. If he changes course, he's going to
want Austria knocked out in a single blow, and the scenario he depicts would
do exactly that.
Italy probably does have reliable information about what F Aeg will do. And
again, once we assume an order for Aeg, nearly everything else follows from
it. If Aeg S EMS-Smy, then he cannot dislodge Greece. Greece cannot
support an attack on anything but Serbia, so Ser-Gre doesn't make sense.
If Serbia is not involved with Greece, then it's probably involved with Bul
or Rum. But Ser can't move to Bul or Rum, because that would allow Gre-Ser,
which he cannot permit. Any support Serbia might give is highly likely to
be cut. So if we assume Aeg S EMS-Smy, then Ser will almost certainly
attack Rum to cut support.
Which brings us to Bud. Bud is also likely to have its support cut, and
also cannot be permitted to move. Austria is closely surrounded, and anyone
who picked Austria must surely know that direct supports won't work in his
situation. Rum threatens Serbia as well as Bud, so this means Bud-Rum in
addition to Ser-Rum.
Finally, if Bud is moving, then there's no reason for A Vie to sit still.
Galicia is the natural choice, to cut any support it might offer against
Bud. However, along this line of thinking, War-Gal would also be needed, to
cut Gal's support against Vienna. So, if we start with a premise of Aeg S
EMS-Smy, then the rest seems to follow logically (except for my different
conjecture about A War).
Anyway, long and short of it is if we believe Italy will attack Austria,
then I think we should go with his plan. If we think he's setting us up,
then we should stick with our original plan. If we're not sure, then the
original plan will still work from a defensive standpoint, but we'll have
blown a potential chance for the jackpot. And the more I think about it,
the less likely it seems that Austria would fail to defend against the
attack we've been discussing (you, me, Italy, Germany... ).
I guess in the end I'm in favor of going with Italy's suggestion. What does
your spidey-sense tell you?
If my calculations are right, we've got about an hour before the deadline.
Is that right? Anyway, write when you get a chance.
Ali
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
I'm sure it goes without saying, but I intended to mention it anyway: my
first commitment is to you and to the plans we formed. If you don't feel
comfortable with Italy's plan then just say the word and I'll enter the
orders we discussed. I'll be watching my mail closely through the evening.
Ali
Message from Russia to Turkey
Ali,
Sorry this is so late.
> I guess in the end I'm in favor of going with Italy's suggestion.
Might as well.
> What does your spidey-sense tell you?
Italy's speculative moves for Austria are Austria's best defense,
I just doubt that he will pick the best defense based on his
attack last Fall, but the potential pay-off for us is worth it.
Nick.
Message from England to Italy
>> And/or Marseilles?
>
>I kinda usually consider Marseilles part of Iberia.
Oh. I guess I need a geography lesson.
>Germany told me he has
>no problem with you getting all of France. Obviously, I wouldn't want that
>but he seemed disinterested in moving west. What has he asked for out of
>France if anything at all?
When you declined to get involved with France earlier, Germany suggested
that I get all of France. He would take Norway and possibly Belgium, but
only when that could be done without unbalancing us.
If you want part of France that is fine with me. I think I made that
obvious from the beginning. It means I will be a little smaller, and that
Germany may not be getting Norway and/or Belgium, at least not with my
blessing. I just want to survive. I don't want my head sticking up any
higher than anyone elses. It would just get shot off.
>> Can we agree that Western Med is off limits?
>I can tentatively agree to that but I can't fully commit yet to not moving
>to the Western Med. After all, you might actually want my assistance to
>reach the MAO or risk leaving yourself exposed in Norway.
I will be in the Western Med by fall on my own. I will either leave myself
exposed in Norway or, if I think it advisable, move Lon-Nth-Nor.
Leaving Western Med off limits would be the key to a very profitable
relationship between us. If France were gone, it would be much easier for
me to work in the north nearer to my supply centers than to attempt an
adventure in the Mediterranean. There is a natural defense line between
France and Italy; none between England and Germany.
Ivy Wingo
p.s. Is England part of Iberia also? Just how big is this place?
Message from Turkey to Italy
Roberto,
> The trade of Trieste and Greece for Smyrna (Italy's side); Smyrna and
Serbia
> for Greece (Turkey's side) is good for the both of us. It gets all of our
> units south of a common enemy and we just start pushing north and west.
Indeed, it's a win-win proposition. And it continues to support even growth
between us, which as you know is a primary concern for me.
> I anticipate my fleet strength will be sufficient to hold you to the
Greece
> swap in the fall. I'm sure the last thing you want is my fleets hanging
> around the Eastern Med and Aegean.
Such things will not be necessary. If you act as promised this turn, you
will be in Greece in the fall. I encourage you to support your move there
as you feel is necessary, and I will not oppose you.
Regards,
Ali
Message from Germany to Italy
> After having a brief conversation with Ivy, I understand he
> suggested using Bohemia to support Munich this spring. I can
> live with that and, depending on the results tonight, perhaps
> we can agree to simultaneously move from the provinces in
> question during the fall. Let me reiterate that Tyrolia will
> not interfere in activities surrounding Munich this year.
> Is this a starting point for further negotiations?
Now we're getting somewhere. I've been away from the flood of email
that came in today. That's probably better.
Your earlier idea of moving TYR after I move BOH wasn't met by a great
deal of enthusiasm here in the German homeland. However a simultaneous
move is reasonable. As is your declaration of noninterference with
Munich this year. You're quite right it is a start. Perhaps we can
pull off the retreat in the fall.
In return I can say that I will not attack TYR this turn.
Fredd
Message from Germany to England and Russia
Nick:
I've been away from email since this morning and the press has piled
up. I'm glad that I missed the exchange.
I agree with Ivy. Staying in SWE is the best move for me. It leaves
me no closer to STP than the Baltic. So the threat to you is exactly the
same. Plus as an added bonus I protect SWE and NWY from you. Certainly
you see the possibility of GOB- SWE and then to NWY. While I move to
BAL. Although I'll admit the risk of you actually doing that is small,
the loss if it happens is great.
I can agree to BAL-PUR with GOB-LVN. SWE holds
Fredd
Message from Germany to Russia
This is going to only you.
Ali has said that he'll support you to BUD. But I haven't heard that
you'll go there. It would be bad form for me to BOH-VIE if in fact
there were no attack.
Are you going? Or are there other plans that I need to cooperate on.
Fredd
Message from Germany to Turkey
Ali:
I have your message about your support of GAL-BUD. But I haven't heard
from Russia if that is the order that he's entering. I'd hate to order
BOH-VIE if there isn't any reason for it.
On another note. You said earlier that Italy pulled the wool over your
eyes. Did he make an outright lie? Or was he subtler? I ask because
he has stated that he'll make a specific move. I wonder if I should
trust that. For instance, if he were to say 'I'm retreating TYR away
from MUN' would he do anything except move TYR to VEN or PIE?
Fredd
Message from Germany to France
PB
> I believe that Russia has explained that I was not trying
> to incite him against you.
Actually he hasn't. But then he's got a lot of people to talk to.
> Maybe Italy will come
I hope not. ;-)
What a focal point BOH has become. Everyone wants it to do something.
Maybe it should just sit and take in the sights.
At least I'm feeling better about the next move. At one point it looked
like everyone was going to gang up on me. Now it looks more like nobody
can trust the next guy to cooperate. Perhaps we'll see some shifting
alliances on the next turn.
Fredd
Message from Germany to England
> In my earlier dialog with Russia over his move Moscow->StP, I
> learned that he is incredibly pig-headed. Once he asks for
> something, he never backs down. He thinks that if he says
> something 20 times that everyone is supposed to believe him.
I won't vacate SWE this turn. Unless it's to attack GOB. I've sent a
message to Nick saying that SWE stays. I go along with your assessment
of the Bear. Although there is no good reason to go to BAL over SWE, I
don't expect him to acquiess.
If he doesn't get on board, I might just have to attack. But I will
make sure that he doesn't get around to attack NWY.
Italy is showing the same stubbornness about getting out of TYR. At
least his last press showed some willingness to bend. Thanks for your
help there.
The trouble with both of these is that there's no good reason to take
the tack that they're taking. To me they're sending up a flare saying
'I can't do that, because it'll mess up my plans to attack you , soon'.
Fredd
Message from Turkey to Germany
Fredd,
> I have your message about your support of GAL-BUD. But I haven't heard
> from Russia if that is the order that he's entering. I'd hate to order
> BOH-VIE if there isn't any reason for it.
I'm glad you wrote. Indeed Russia and I have agreed on a different set of
orders than those that we had discussed, since neither of us had heard from
you. However, I still stronly urge you to order Boh-Vie, since there is a
chance you may get in there if things work out as we hope.
> On another note. You said earlier that Italy pulled the wool over your
> eyes. Did he make an outright lie? Or was he subtler?
Unfortunately, an outright lie. He promised not to move any fleets my way
if I built A Ank, and he asked me to support Tun-Gre, which it turns out he
didn't order. His promise and request were both made in clear terms.
However, read below...
> I ask because
> he has stated that he'll make a specific move. I wonder if I should
> trust that. For instance, if he were to say 'I'm retreating TYR away
> from MUN' would he do anything except move TYR to VEN or PIE?
I tell you this in the strictest confidence. What he is telling me and
Russia is that he'll order Tyr-Tri. I have received some press from France
that leads me to believe Italy may indeed attack Austria this turn. Russia
and I have concocted a scheme to take advantage of it. I'm quite nervous
about it, because it's somewhat risky. But if it pays off, then Austria
should be all but gone this year. Part of that hope, though, lies in the
potential for Boh-Vie, if we can trick Vie to move out.
So to answer your question, Russia and I have chosen at this time to believe
the Italian, specifically that he is moving Tyr-Tri. I have to say that if
this occurs, it will significantly change the landscape in the south, and we
will have much to discuss. If instead I am played for a patsy a second time
by Italy, then I'll be eating a substantial amount of crow.
I hope this helps. I know it sounds screwy, but it's the best I've got.
Whatever happens, I'll be looking to Germany as an ally against either
Austria or Russia once the dust settles, unless I am the dust. If you have
any questions, thoughts or concerns, please do not hesitate to write.
Best regards,
Ali
Message from Russia to Germany
> Message from Germany to Russia in 'titleist':
> It would be bad form for me to BOH-VIE if there were no attack.
Boh-Vie would not be bad form, there will be an attack.
Nick.
Message from France to Germany
Fredd:
Thanks for the note!
>Perhaps we'll see some shifting
>alliances on the next turn.
See my previous message about your moving to Sweden.
If no one in the south can get along, why not take down
England while you have the chance. Your window of
opportunity will not be too large though. The south will
resolve itself eventually. So act while you have the
chance. A 3 center England will die quickly. I am
perfectly positioned and prepared to break support in the
fall that will help you take the North Sea.
I realize that I have not requested Bohemia to do
anything. I apologize for not participating in the
derby. Let's see, I want the army in Bohemia to.... go
fly a kite. Yeah, that is a nice spring thing to do :-)
For the record, can you tell me what everyone wanted you
to do with Bohemia. (after the moves of course) Being
friendless, I do not get much press and that would give
me something to do. Also, please send me any unused
crossword puzzles that you might have.
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to Italy
Roberto:
I figure that I should tell you this. I cannot do the
moves that you suggested, for various reasons. Therefore
if Germany orders Ruh -> Bur supported by Mun, he will
take Bur. I am not sure if this concerns you, but as a
potential ally, I thought it best to keep you apprised of
the situation.
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to all
It is too bad that we did not get the results in last
night. I must leave on a trip in a couple of hours. I
will be gone through next weekend. I was hoping to see
what evil was done (to me an others). We were doing so
well with meeting the deadlines :-)
I am not the person late, therefore my absence will not
hold up processing this set of moves. I asked Doug to
advance the deadline for the next set of moves that I
have orders due. If for some reasons you feel that you
must talk to either Prince Boar or the Dauphin during a
retreat phase (if one occurs) and I do not have a
retreat, then you will have to work that out with Doug.
Regards,
France
Message from Russia to Germany and Russia
> Message from Germany to Russia and England in 'titleist':
>
> I agree with Ivy. Staying in SWE is the best move for me. It leaves
> me no closer to STP than the Baltic. So the threat to you is exactly the
> same.
Swe HOLD may be the best move for you, but the threat that F Swe,
F Pru presents to me and to StP is not the same as that posed by F Bal,
F Pru. You may not see the difference, but it is there.
> Plus as an added bonus I protect SWE and NWY from you. Certainly
> you see the possibility of GOB- SWE and then to NWY.
Yes, I also see the possibility of Swe-Nwy, Bal C Ber-Swe, followed
by Nwy-Nth, Bal-Den, Swe-Nwy, but I suppose that if Ivy sees GoB-Swe,
followed by Swe-Nwy as a greater threat, then Swe HOLD makes sense.
(Can you sense the irony dripping off that statement???)
Nick
Message from Russia to England and Germany
> Message from Germany to Russia and England in 'titleist':
>
> I agree with Ivy. Staying in SWE is the best move for me. It leaves
> me no closer to StP than the Baltic. So the threat to you is exactly the
> same.
Swe HOLD may be the best move for you, but the threat that F Swe,
F Pru presents to me and to StP is not the same as that posed by F Bal,
F Pru. You may not see the difference, but it is there.
> Plus as an added bonus I protect SWE and NWY from you. Certainly
> you see the possibility of GOB- SWE and then to NWY.
Yes, I also see the possibility of Swe-Nwy, Bal C Ber-Swe, followed
by Nwy-Nth, Bal-Den, Swe-Nwy, but I suppose that if Ivy sees GoB-Swe,
followed by Swe-Nwy as a greater threat, then Swe HOLD makes sense.
(Can you sense the irony dripping off that statement???)
Nick
Message from Master to Germany
Missed deadline messages are not your cue to send out a flurry of
correspondence and conduct after-hours diplomacy. If you get a
missed deadline message, I expect you to immediately submit orders.
This isn't a 48-hour game for the other six and a 72-hour game for you.
Submit orders now, please.
Doug
Message from Germany to Turkey
Ali:
Amazing. I had checked my email on THursday morning, but then was away
until late Thursday nite. Seems that I was missed over that little
time frame.
RTI attacking Austria. I gotta admit that I'll believe that when I see
it. Although I suppose it's not out of the ordinary. If Grace is
communicating to his other neighbors as poorly as he talks to me, I can
understand it.
But I suppose the biggest problem with the whole idea is that Italy has
you by the balls. Why stab Austria? In the Spring? A far better time
would be in the fall. If he goes to TRI now, he'll just get tossed out
in the Fall.
Fredd
Message from Master to Germany
I think your moves were submitted simultaneous with my message -- thanks!
Doug
Austria: Fleet Aegean Sea SUPPORT Italian Fleet Eastern Mediterranean → Smyrna (*void*)
Austria: Army Budapest → Rumania (*bounce*)
Austria: Army Serbia → Rumania (*bounce, destroyed*)
Austria: Army Vienna → Galicia (*bounce*)
Austria: Army Warsaw → Ukraine
England: Army Belgium SUPPORT German Army Munich → Burgundy (*void*)
England: Fleet English Channel → Mid-Atlantic Ocean
England: Fleet Irish Sea SUPPORT Fleet English Channel → Mid-Atlantic Ocean
England: Fleet London → English Channel (*bounce*)
England: Fleet Norwegian Sea → North Atlantic Ocean
France: Fleet Brest → English Channel (*bounce*)
France: Army Burgundy → Belgium (*bounce*)
France: Army Gascony → Burgundy (*bounce*)
France: Fleet Mid-Atlantic Ocean SUPPORT Fleet Brest → English Channel (*dislodged*)
France: Army Picardy SUPPORT Army Burgundy → Belgium
Germany: Fleet Baltic Sea SUPPORT Fleet Sweden → Gulf of Bothnia
Germany: Army Berlin → Prussia
Germany: Army Bohemia SUPPORT Army Munich
Germany: Army Munich SUPPORT Army Bohemia
Germany: Army Ruhr SUPPORT English Army Belgium
Germany: Fleet Sweden → Gulf of Bothnia
Italy: Fleet Eastern Mediterranean CONVOY Army Smyrna → Albania
Italy: Fleet Ionian Sea CONVOY Army Smyrna → Albania
Italy: Fleet Naples → Tyrrhenian Sea
Italy: Army Smyrna → Eastern Mediterranean → Ionian Sea → Albania
Italy: Army Tyrolia → Trieste
Russia: Army Galicia → Budapest (*bounce*)
Russia: Fleet Gulf of Bothnia → Livonia
Russia: Army Moscow → Warsaw
Turkey: Army Ankara → Smyrna
Turkey: Fleet Black Sea → Rumania (*bounce*)
Turkey: Army Constantinople → Bulgaria
Turkey: Army Greece SUPPORT Army Rumania → Serbia
Turkey: Army Rumania → Serbia
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