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Message from France to Russia
Nick:
I believe that Ivy is going to help you get St. Petes. I
am encouraging that. I need a strong Russia to balance a
growing England (and Turkey). I am a bit worried that
Turkey could try to pull a fast one (help Germany). What
do you get from that side of the board? I am trying to
convince Turkey that he needs a viable Russia.
I see no opportunities for us to work together. I look
foward to a time when you can make England nervous in
Scandinavia and weaken Italy. I have a long road ahead
of me.
--Xavier
Message from England to Russia
Nick,
My moves are in. At France's insistence, I am convoying the army to
Holland instead of attacking Denmark.
He doesn't quite say it so boldly, but he is concerned by my proximity to
Brest and Paris. I can't imagine why. 8-) Anyway, the convoy does get me
out of his hair. He admits that this provides a weaker attack on Germany
than we might have had, but I do understand his concern for his own safety.
You have Norway->StP from me. One complication could occur if Germany
tried the shift StP->Bothnia & Livonia->Stp. You might have to do some
guessing next fall. Nevertheless, I don't see better options. Other moves
leave Moscow or Warsaw vulnerable.
France is also a bit nervous about the aftermath. If you project far
enough into the future everyone is a potential enemy, though. The trick is
not to let that kind of thinking spoil good moves for the present. We all
improve our lot greatly by removing Germany.
I can't really see the future. Will Italy still be a big threat? Will
Italy stumble while fighting France and Turkey become a monster
again? Will you and France team up against me? I just know that five
remaining players is an improvement over six, which is better than seven.
Suppose I actually have a choice of what to do after Germany is gone. It
could be counterproductive to attack France if Italy is still powerful. It
could be counterproductive to attack you if it is Turkey who will really
benefit. Dare I sit on my hands and watch and wait? Yes, I've done that
before, too.
This I do know. There is nothing in our history that suggests that you and
I shouldn't work together. Given the opportunity I could well be happy
with both of us working to the south.
Anyway, let's both enjoy the German feast while we have it. We are still,
after all, the weakest two powers.
Ivy
Message from Master to all
I'd like to encourage End-Of-Year statements from all the players (in
"press to m" format) and from any interested observers as well (in
posts to the vgfp_titleist Yahoogroup.
Doug
Message from Russia to England and France
>Message from England to Russia in 'titleist':
>
>At France's insistence, I am convoying the army to
>Holland instead of attacking Denmark.
>but he is concerned [I think] by my proximity to
>Brest and Paris. He admits that this provides a weaker attack on Germany
>than we might have had, but I do understand his concern for his own safety.
>From my perspective, ECh S Pic-Bel, Bur S Bel-Ruh,
Swe S Nth-Den still get you out of his hair, and is
far superior, but I can't force you two to listen
to me. Prince Boar, what problem do you see with
taking Ruhr this Spring?
Your Friend,
Nick.
Message from Russia to England
Ivy,
I hope you don't mind my including France in the
first part of my reply.
>France is also a bit nervous about the aftermath.
Yes, realistically you'll have to attack me or
him once Germany is gone, though I suppose you could
build Armies and head for Italy through Germany.
>This I do know. There is nothing in our history that suggests that you and
>I shouldn't work together.
It seems unlikely that I'll be able to ignore IT once
Germany is gone, so I see no problem in our continuing
to remain friendly.
Nick.
Message from England to Russia
Nick,
> I hope you don't mind my including France in the
>first part of my reply.
Paraphrasing is safer. I used the word "insistence" in the note to you,
but would not have used that word in writing to France. In fact, I used
the word carelessly. France didn't have to insist. He suggested and I
agreed. I agreed without debate, because France is in a messy position
until I get Picardy out of there. Picardy->Holland does the job.
> >France is also a bit nervous about the aftermath.
>
> Yes, realistically you'll have to attack me or
>him once Germany is gone, though I suppose you could
>build Armies and head for Italy through Germany.
As I indicated earlier, I am wary of doing either if I think that Italy or
Turkey will be the real beneficiary. It will be a delicate situation that
may call for more foresight than I actually have. What often happens in
such a situation, though, is that someone will make the decision for me by
attacking me first. Or maybe Italy or Turkey or France or Russia will be
so strong that there will be a consensus among other powers that will
dictate my action -- just as my moves in 1905 (and France's too, I dare
say) were almost totally dictated by Italy's power.
Ivy
Message from Russia to Turkey
Ali,
How are things in Constantinople? Have you heard from Fredd and/or
Roberto? France is coming after Roberto, so things should ease up for
you this year, and England is helping me against Germany, so we may be
able to stage a come-back. Please drop me a line when you can.
Thanks,
Nick.
Message from Russia to Italy
Hello Roberto,
So much has changed since we last talked, both in the real world, and
in 'titleist', that I don't quite know what to say. What have you been
hearing?
Nick.
Message from Russia to Germany
Well, Fredd,
Is there anything your care to discuss? If you move StP/SC-GoB,
Den-Bal,
I'll support Lvn-Den from Sweden this Fall.
Czar Nicholas II.
Message from Russia to Master and Observer
> Russian EoY for 1904:
> >Russian EoY for 1903:
>
> > Another year without a build. This is getting monotonous.
>
> The monotony continues... :^(
And continues...
> >Now, I'm likely to collapse under German
> >pressure unless England stabs him in S1904M.
>
> Well, the appearance of a stab was enough to save me,
> though I still don't understand why England didn't stab.
I worked hard to convince Germany that he needed to pull back,
but he refused to see the sense in it, and he's now paying the price.
The threat of an Italian runaway FINALLY got England to commit
to attacking Germany, and EFR should take three German Centers
in 1906. That means I'll finally get back to four Centers if I can
keep Turkey from accepting German support into Mos/War.
I haven't heard from GIT since we resumed the game, and
silence is always worrying, but I just wrote to IG for the first time
tonight, so I suppose it's at least partially my own fault. 8-)
Czar Nicholas II.
Message from France to England and Russia
Nick, Ivy:
I am a bit uncomfortable walking out of a center that
England will fill, given my extreme amount of exposure.
There would be no guarantee of my taking a center to
replace it and I cannot afford to have only 1 center
guarding my entire homeland. The move to Holland takes
one Germany center. St. Petes will also fall this year.
There is less of a chance to take a third German center
this year, but either way 3 were probably not guaranteed.
The bottom line is that I have my hands full with Italy
and I do not mind Germany taking a bit of time to
eliminate. I also feel more comfortable disentangling
England and my forces.
I hope that Nick can bear with us. I have a lot of
Italian units to deal with down here. It is more
important to prevent his getting even larger than
crushing Germany in record time. Savor the steady
crushing of Germany Nick, savor it.
--Prince Boar
Message from Russia to England and France
> I hope that Nick can bear with us. I have a lot of
> Italian units to deal with down here. It is more
> important to prevent his getting even larger than
> crushing Germany in record time. Savor the steady
> crushing of Germany Nick, savor it.
Obviously, I'm not in a position to insist on anything,
but those Italian Units are fully engaged with Turkey,
while I have to worry about GT cooperation, so I view
rapid German destruction as a plus. ;^} Speaking of
GIT, has anyone heard from them since the game
started again?
Nick.
Message from England to France and Russia
> Speaking of
>GIT, has anyone heard from them since the game
>started again?
Germany, no.
Turkey, yes, but it wasn't his best effort. He simply asked if I were at
war once again with France. I would have expected him to be delighted with
events and to resume diplomacy with renewed vigor. His prospects are now
much brighter. Even though he doesn't need to coordinate any moves, he
should be constantly cultivating friends.
Italy, yes. Immediately after the moves, which surely took him by
surprise, he wrote me. Surely, he said, you [England] are not going to
let France and Germany and Turkey grow at the expense of Italy. In my
response I told him that Germany would not be growing at the expense of
Italy. 8-) I said that I hoped that balance would soon be restored to the
game -- an obvious reference to Italy's threatened dominance. I thought
my note was polite. He hasn't written back. In his position I would find
lots to say.
Ivy
Message from Turkey to Russia
Nick,
Good to hear from you. I'm obviously very pleased to see the French pressure
on the Med. Hopefully that will pull my fat from the fire, so to speak. I've
not heard from Fredd since before the last move result. I don't think he's
very happy with me for refusing to support him against you. I have given him
some hints that I would support him against Italy, but he's not replied, and I
don't think that would make England or France very happy.
Roberto wrote just after the move result to suggest I disband F Smy, promising
to throw all his efforts agaisnt France and support my own advances if I did.
As you've seen, I did not choose to disband the fleet. After the build
result, he wrote that his offer was withdrawn and he would make the same offer
to another player. The most likely candidates, I think, are you and Germany.
I do hope you will not join forces with Roberto at this point.
I was glad to see cooperation between you and England. You and he can do much
now to help each other. I hope you will be supporting him to Denmark, and he
supports you to StP. If France joins the effort, Germany could face a tough
year. For myself, I really don't have a lot of options. My moves will be
similar to my last fall move, in an effort to shore up my defenses and put
pressure on Italy wherever I can.
I hope all is going well on your end. I once again give you every assurance
that I will be doing nothing even remotely anti-Russian. All my efforts will
be against Italy. Best of luck to you in the result, and if there is anything
I can do on the diplomatic front please let me know.
Ali
Message from Italy to Russia
> What have you been hearing?
>
Very little. Seems nobody wants to talk to the big bad bully.
Anyway, I'm still open to supporting you to any Turkish center when you are
ready.
Roberto
Message from England to Russia
Nick,
Interesting message from Italy. I am going to break one of my own
principles and give you his message in full and my response in full.
************
First Italy's message:
Message from Italy to England in 'titleist':
>
> My moves are in and, once again, I am doing what France
> requests. [That was me (Ivy) talking]
>
Good, nothing more I'd like to see than France prosper. (Roberto replying)
> My goal is not the destruction of Italy,
Odd since that is my goal. I offered up my centers to Turkey but he refused
so now I've offered them up to France. We'll see if he accepts or not.
> Once it is clear that the game is balanced again,
I really don't see how the game will ever become balanced again. Once the
balance of power shifts over to France with a weak or non-existant Germany,
whom do you expect to stop France? It won't be Italy. I'd just assume this
game be over. It might be bad sportsmanship but quite honestly I'm not in
the mood to play this game anymore. Here's hoping France takes me up on my
offer.
Roberto
**************
Here was my reply:
Roberto,
> quite honestly I'm not in the mood to play this game anymore.
This is more than understandable, given all that has transpired.
>It might be bad sportsmanship but ...
I am not convinced that we are about to witness any bad sportsmanship; we
all have too much respect for each other. So I must conclude that you are
trying to influence my stance. Why not?
I don't believe you expect me to attack France in order to preserve Italian
superiority. I do believe that you should expect me to attack France to
prevent French superiority and to preserve an Italy who could help me do it.
> Once the balance of power shifts over to France ...
I don't want France to have a dominant position any more than I wanted
Italy to have a dominant position. Perhaps I may misjudge what it takes to
control France or when to do it, but I will be watching and thinking. You
might ask how I expect you to help against France if you are weakened and
besieged by Turkey in the rear. For starters, I talk to Turkey and request
that he desist any attack against you. Am I naive? I don't think so. Not
with the players in this particular game. Not with this Turkey.
I was about to be squashed by France and Germany when the world realized
that something had to be done about Italy. The same should happen if
something needs to be done about France.
Hang tough.
Most courteously,
Ivy
*******************
Nick, the reason I forward all of this to you is that there remains the
possibility that Italy will indeed throw centers to France, not out of bad
sportsmanship, but as a ploy to get the world to react. If this does
happen, then you and I need to be very wary of whether or not France tries
to take advantage of the situation. France admits that the current moves
are designed to "go slower" in Germany and we know that is already to
France's advantage.
Ivy
Message from France to England and Russia
I had only heard from Germany and Italy, but just heard
from Turkey today.
I tried to send a note earlier, but it failed.
good luck tonight
--Prince Boar
England: Fleet English Channel CONVOY Army Picardy → Holland
England: Fleet North Sea CONVOY Army Picardy → Holland
England: Fleet Norway → St Petersburg (north coast)
England: Army Picardy → English Channel → North Sea → Holland
France: Army Belgium SUPPORT English Army Picardy → Holland
France: Army Burgundy → Munich (*bounce*)
France: Fleet Marseilles → Gulf of Lyon
France: Fleet Mid-Atlantic Ocean → North Africa
France: Fleet Spain (south coast) → Western Mediterranean
France: Fleet Western Mediterranean → Tunis
Germany: Fleet Denmark → North Sea (*bounce*)
Germany: Army Holland SUPPORT French Army Belgium (*cut, dislodged*)
Germany: Army Livonia → Prussia
Germany: Army Munich → Silesia
Germany: Fleet St Petersburg (south coast) → Gulf of Bothnia
Germany: Army Tyrolia → Munich (*bounce*)
Italy: Fleet Aegean Sea → Constantinople (*bounce*)
Italy: Fleet Apulia → Ionian Sea
Italy: Army Budapest → Galicia (*bounce*)
Italy: Fleet Greece → Bulgaria (south coast) (*bounce*)
Italy: Army Serbia SUPPORT Fleet Greece → Bulgaria (south coast)
Italy: Army Trieste → Vienna
Italy: Fleet Tyrrhenian Sea → Rome
Italy: Army Venice → Tyrolia (*bounce*)
Italy: Army Vienna → Bohemia
Russia: Army Moscow → Livonia
Russia: Fleet Sweden → Denmark (*bounce*)
Russia: Army Warsaw SUPPORT Army Moscow → Livonia
Turkey: Fleet Black Sea SUPPORT Army Bulgaria
Turkey: Army Bulgaria SUPPORT Army Sevastopol → Rumania (*cut*)
Turkey: Army Constantinople SUPPORT Army Bulgaria (*cut*)
Turkey: Army Galicia SUPPORT Army Sevastopol → Rumania (*cut*)
Turkey: Army Sevastopol → Rumania
Turkey: Fleet Smyrna → Aegean Sea (*bounce*)
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