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Austria: Removes 1 unit
France: Builds 1 unit
Italy: Builds 1 unit
Turkey: Builds 1 unit
Message from France to England
Wingo:
Interesting move, Iri to Eng. I honestly did not expect
that. I though that you would support Lon to Eng.
I also was suprised to see you in the North Sea. I
realized that it was necessary for you to be able to
force Burgundy. But I was never denying Burgundy.
It will be interesting to see if the Italian fleet helps
my defense and whether German will use his army in
Burgundy to help you or help himself.
Assuming Germany helps you; Austria and Germany work
together; and Italy helps me, I have the following
assessment:
*In France, the battle is 6 units vs. 6 units.
*In Russia, the battle is 5 units vs. 3 units.
*It will be a question of how many units Germany chooses
to take, not how many he can take.
Le DAUPHIN
Message from Master to all
Okay -- our absent player has a winter adjustment, so I'm extending
the deadline until Monday.
Doug
Message from England to France
>Yes, I did not call it a stab. We did not really have a
>long history of working together as allies. But I
>certainly called it a betrayal.
"Betrayal" is accurate enough. I was pained to discover that in "titleist"
I had gotten myself into a position that, to my surprise, I had never been
in before. In all my previous games, other than the outright disasters, I
managed to cultivate one key friendship at the beginning while making
almost useless "chit-chat" with other neighbors. When I went to war then,
I never felt that I had really betrayed anyone. In this instance, I put
myself in a position where a betrayal of one person or another was
inevitable. I have been on the other end of this situation, having been
betrayed by someone (now known to be a very good player) who I thought I
had carefully befriended.
Stabs, now, that's another matter altogether.
>Assuming Germany helps you; Austria and Germany work
>together; and Italy helps me, I have the following
>assessment:
>*In France, the battle is 6 units vs. 6 units.
>*In Russia, the battle is 5 units vs. 3 units.
Probably accurate. I am guessing that Italy will help you initially until
he sees whether or when he need French centers.
Ivy
Message from England to Germany
Fredd,
Some things went very well; some things didn't. That was a nice piece of
business you conducted in StP. There will be no army in StP and you have
the Russian fleet in your grip. Also, I didn't expect you to be in
Burgundy. That gives us greater flexibility in the next set of moves.
The big disappointment for me was that Italy/Turkey is intact. In fact, I
think we have to assume that we are facing a FIT alliance. I think that
Italy gets the worst of that alliance by far, and I will certainly remind
him of that. Nevertheless, I think we have FIT for now.
>This is easy. My orders are already in for the spring. I'll be
>covering my ass.
Perhaps you are referring to the North Sea. I interpreted your response to
my last plea for the North Sea as follows: "I won't bless the move, but
neither will I expressly forbid it." Or, "I don't like it, but if you
insist I will live with it."
With no army in StP that fleet is going directly for Belgium or the
Channel. With you in Burgundy instead of France we actually have a
choice. Either Bel-Pic & North Sea->Bel or Channel->Pic & North
Sea->Channel. I will want your advice on this. We also have to see where
France puts his army. Paris is my guess.
I must say I was right about one thing, even though it didn't have to turn
out that way. You have an easy new supply center in the east, but even
using Burgundy and North Sea I don't see moves that guarantee a supply
center this year in France. It might happen, but it may take a lucky guess.
Now a confession. My alternate moves would have been better, given that
you are in Burgundy. I was considering Mao supp Gas->Spa & Lon supp
Iri-Channel. With Gascony in Spain we would have some really good moves to
choose from. But I expected Bur supp Pic->Bel, in which case you would not
be in Burgundy, and North Sea would have been essential for protecting
Belgium. Sorry.
On the "ass" business, don't do anything too radical. It's safe to assume
that Russia will work with Turkey and that Austria will work with you.
Write when you get a chance,
Ivy
Message from Germany to England
>
> Perhaps you are referring to the North Sea. I interpreted your
> response to my last plea for the North Sea as follows: "I won't
> bless the move, but neither will I expressly forbid it." Or, "I
> don't like it, but if you
> insist I will live with it."
That would be the wrong interpretation. I didn't want that fleet in
there. Period. Now that it is there, I'll have to deal with that
fact. I don't consider this a stab, but this shakes EG a bit. I think
that if it went in on a Spring move all hell would have broken loose.
As it is I feel everything will be made all better if that fleet leaves
NTH this turn (for points SE) I understand that that was your stated
intention all along. If that comes to pass, I'll just consider this a
slight bump in the road of a successful EG.
However, I will be making moves to cover both HOL and DEN. This will
slow down any advance that I make in the east. (Perhaps that was part
of your plan?)
Fredd
Message from France to all
PRESS RELEASE,
Paris, France
-- Prince Xavier Boar
As you recall, Ivy Wingo won our Tour De France Contest
when the United States Postal Team (i.e. Lance Armstrong)
won several stages as well as the overall race. The
grand prize was a date for his sister with the Dauphin.
I wanted to take the time to report to you on that
fantasy evening.
Ivy's sister arrived across the Channel accompanied by
her guardian. He was introduced as Ivy, and he thanked
France for allowing him to chaperon his sister. It was
obvious that he was an impostor, but we did not wish to
embarrass the dear lady by revealing that we knew it.
Obviously Ivy was concern that his person would not be
safe in France. We were insulted by his distrust for our
word of honor, but choose not to let that spoil the
enchantment of the day.
After touring the many sights in Paris, the Dauphin took
the young lady to a dinner of our best French food and
wine. The Ivy impostor sat across the room with me and
we pretended that we were great friends. After a
delightful boat ride on the Seine, the lady was sent back
across the Channel armed with a French Cookbook, some
decent food supplies and several cases of wine. May she
eat well for months to come.
Unfortunately there was a mix up at the Port and the Ivy
impostor got on a boat destined for Syria. He seemed to
really like his new T-shirt that said "Down with Arabs,
Go ahead, make my day" in Arabic. We hear that he is
having a nice time. Perhaps Ali can go rescue, rather,
help him find his way home.
Again, I thank everyone for their participation in my
Tour de France game. We especially thank Ivy for
allowing us to be charmed for the day by his sister.
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to England
Wingo:
You have been so silent lately. You seem to always be a
message behind in answering me. You have also moved to
the North Sea and did not even put a spin on it for me.
I truly do not know where you will go next. You seem to
have two options. Flexibility is nice.
Germany seems willing to partially trust you. Either you
have made the ultimate stab (moved towards it and sold it
as something else) or else your move to the North Sea
failed (will not slow down Germany but create tension and
some bad will).
France stands willing to side with whomever pulls out of
France or her waters. I define the MAO as French waters.
The Channel I am willing to consider a gray area for now.
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to all
I accidentally deleted my last message from this game
without reading it. I respectfully ask whoever sent one
to me in the last couple of hours (Thursday AM) to resend
it. I apologize for my mistake.
France
Message from Russia to England
Ivy, My Only Hope, 8-)
I welcome your move to Eng and Nth, though I
recognize that it leaves you options for attacking
either Germany or France. If you build A Lvp, it
will look like yours attacking France, but allow
Nth-Den, Eng-Nth, MAO-Eng, Lvp-Yor in the Spring,
and Yor-Nth-Hol in the Fall.
France's letting Germany into Bur, and then
disbanding A Bur, suggests that he intends to
build F Mar, and defend against you while allowing
Germany to make progress. Given Germany's growth
potential in Russia, I don't believe that you can
afford to continue the slow, methodical attack on
France.
Obviously, my only hope for survival at this
point is for you to stab Germany in Spring, 1904,
so I'm not disinterested in this matter, but I do
believe that it is your best chance for success,
as well. As always, I look forward to your letters.
Your Friend,
Nicky.
Message from England to Germany
Fredd,
>That would be the wrong interpretation.
Given that Diplomacy is ultimately such a selfish game, it is difficult to
be objective when reading between the lines.
I wrote, "One last consideration, ... What happens if Russia does build an
army in StP? ...
However, if I am in the North Sea ... Please send a brief response ... .
" When your response didn't mention North Sea, I took that to mean that
you were willing to indulge me. I had alternate moves prepared.
>I think that if it went in on a Spring move all hell would have broken loose.
Oh, yes. That would have been different.
>As it is I feel everything will be made all better if that fleet leaves
>NTH this turn (for points SE) I understand that that was your stated
>intention all along.
Absolutely. I feel a bit foolish, because the two reasons I had for the
move have vanished. France is not in Burgundy threatening Belgium anymore,
and Russia has no army in StP.
This spring Nth will go to either Belgium, as initially planned, or to the
Channel. Not sure which is better.
>However, I will be making moves to cover both HOL and DEN. This will
>slow down any advance that I make in the east. (Perhaps that was part
>of your plan?)
Not part of my plan. I didn't want equality by slowing you, I wanted
equality by accelerating me. You can see, even now, that the first French
center is still tricky.
I got a desperate memo from Russia. He said I am his only hope. He isn't
paying much attention, though, for he thinks that I have a build
coming. He also expects France to build a fleet in Marseilles, which to my
way of thinking is totally unrealistic.
France continues to ply his wiles nonstop. I will not succumb, and I think
he knows that. He is probably working on you just a hard.
Ivy
Message from England to France
Prince Boar,
>You have been so silent lately.
True, but I have been writing to the Dauphin occasionally.
>You have also moved to
>the North Sea and did not even put a spin on it for me.
Reason #1: there would have been hell to pay if Russia had been able to
build an army in StP and I were not in the North Sea.
Reason #2: as long as Ruhr had to protect Belgium, the EG land attack was
stymied.
>Germany seems willing to partially trust you.
Germany wasn't fond of the move, before or after, but I really couldn't
stand the thought of an army in StP.
Italy is in an interesting position. Have you ever seen any Italy thrive
without the decline of either Turkey or France? I hope he thinks about this.
I think after 1904 I will be able to assess the wisdom of my early
strategy. Wish me luck.
Ivy Wingo
Message from England to all
PRESS RELEASE,
London
There appears to be no limit to English duplicity when it comes to dealings
with France.
Recently a report was published concerning a "fantasy evening" between my
sister and the Dauphin. The only correct word in that report was
"fantasy." At the time of the supposed meeting with the Dauphin and Prince
Boar my sister and I were on a sight-seeing excursion in the North Sea in
the company of the Emperor Fredd and his charming niece Princess
Wilhelmina. For you see, Sis was warned aforehand of the practices of
French royalty. Her taste is more towards that of the highly refined Teutons.
What then of this French fantasy? Who travelled from England to charm the
Dauphin? Why it was none other than that imposter, Queen Arabella, the
most delicious transvestite on either side of the Channel. "Bella" reports
that the Dauphin deported himself in the most atrocious manner, much to
his/her delight. She cannot wait for the next Tour de France and hopes
that that hunk Lance will once again bring the prize to Ivy. Perhaps we
will have another go in 2002. Bella can't wait.
Message from Turkey to England
Ivy,
Well as you can see I've gone pro-Italian. I'm sure that Austria and Russia
are both pretty displeased; I know Russia is at least. I've begun querying
Italy on his intentions in France, and will let you know what I get from him.
Although, he doesn't write nearly as much as I'd like. I definitely haven't
been getting that warm & fuzzy feeling I've come to expect from a strong ally.
Your move to Nth was definitely the most interesting move of the season. I'm
sure everyone is curious about your intentions regarding it. If there is
anything you'd like me to pass along to Italy, please let me know.
Regards,
Ali
Message from England to Turkey
Ali,
>Well as you can see I've gone pro-Italian.
You had me guessing; I really didn't know what you were going to do.
> I'm sure that Austria and Russia
>are both pretty displeased; I know Russia is at least.
Russia calls me his last hope, but I cannot help him. I don't want any war
with Germany while France is so strong. Austria hasn't written at all. I
think this will effectively be a 5-person game before too long.
> I've begun querying
>Italy on his intentions in France, and will let you know what I get from him.
>Although, he doesn't write nearly as much as I'd like. I definitely haven't
>been getting that warm & fuzzy feeling I've come to expect from a strong ally.
Roberto and I used to write a lot. Now that he and I are in close
proximity, he says little. Is it possible that he is the person who is out
of town?
>Your move to Nth was definitely the most interesting move of the season. I'm
>sure everyone is curious about your intentions regarding it.
Reason #1: there would have been hell to pay if Russia had been able to
build an army in StP and I were not in the North Sea. His army would have
skipped all over Scandinavia, starting with Norway.
Reason #2: as long as Ruhr had to protect Belgium, the EG land attack was
stymied.
Both reasons have vanished, and Germany pointedly tells me I need to move
the fleet back.
> If there is anything you'd like me to pass along to Italy, please let
> me know.
My message to Italy is that I have never heard of any Italy prospering
without the demise of either Turkey or France. You can't quite say the
same thing to him, of course 8-) Certainly it is France that I want
Italy to attack. Of course, you will decide for yourself whether you wish
France or England to prosper and advise Italy accordingly.
Let me take this opportunity to state the obvious. As "witches" you and I
rarely come into conflict and we have the potential to manage affairs to
our mutual benefit. If France, Russia, and Austria disappeared, we would
have Germany and Italy between us. Folks pretend to be annoyed with the
"steadfast" EG alliance, but deep down everyone knows it cannot last forever.
Ivy Wingo
Message from England to Italy
Roberto,
Well, there you are in the Western Med. Just what that fleet actually does
will be most interesting. I am prepared to support it into Spain, and that
surely will succeed. You just need to decide what is best for Italy.
I do have a request. If you prefer immediate neutrality or even an action
that favors France, please give me some indication. I am not asking for
your actual move in that case, but I would appreciate and respect some
notice of your general intentions.
What I want to avoid is any deception that would make it more difficult for
us to work together in the future. You and I have always had a very open
correspondence and I wouldn't want to spoil that. Who knows what lies down
the road.
Of course, what I actually hope for is that you and I can immediately dig
in and share France. Germany has no claim on any French centers in spite
of his presence in Burgundy. If you and I worked together, I would
continue to respect the natural Gibralter boundary between us. Once France
is gone I would turn to other surviving nations and plan to do battle with
Germany. He and I have helped each other greatly so far, but we both
realize that our partnership will become more difficult as the game progresses.
Also remember, I promise never, never, never to build a fleet in
Marseilles. Let's see France say that!
Most cordially,
Ivy
Message from Turkey to England
Ivy,
> You had me guessing; I really didn't know what you were going to do.
I was fairly torn, but in the end I thought it was more prudent to keep
Italy on the friendly side. I gave serious thought to supporting Austria
and holding onto Greece, but I decided this wasn't the time to get greedy
for one extra build. Not with so much riding on it.
> Russia calls me his last hope, but I cannot help him. I don't want any
war
> with Germany while France is so strong. Austria hasn't written at all.
I
> think this will effectively be a 5-person game before too long.
I hope so. I'll admit that from a purely selfish perspective, I wouldn't
mind seeing EG hold on a bit longer. At least, long enough for Germany to
make my life easier in Russia. I don't know if that's in line with EI
cooperation in France, though, but only you and he know about that for sure.
> Roberto and I used to write a lot. Now that he and I are in close
> proximity, he says little. Is it possible that he is the person who is
out
> of town?
I hadn't thought of that, but even during this last year I didn't really
hear from him as much as I expected to. At least what he does write seems
to be meaningful, if not plentiful. Still, when one embarks on a close
alliance, one likes to hear from the ally on a regular basis. It seems
you've had the same problem with Germany, so I'm sure you know what I mean.
> Both reasons have vanished, and Germany pointedly tells me I need to move
> the fleet back.
I don't doubt it. He's surely worried about Denmark right now. Just as
you'd need to worry about Norway if a Russian (or German) army were in StP.
> My message to Italy is that I have never heard of any Italy prospering
> without the demise of either Turkey or France.
I'm sure this is Roberto's thought as well. At least, if you amend it to
say "the demise [in favor of Italy] of either Turkey or France." France's
demise is a bad thing if he doesn't get in on the feast, and a good thing if
he does. And hence the fleet in WMS.
> You can't quite say the
> same thing to him, of course 8-)
Sure I can. Well, the France part at least.
> Certainly it is France that I want
> Italy to attack. Of course, you will decide for yourself whether you wish
> France or England to prosper and advise Italy accordingly.
On the one hand, it's in my favor for France to be strong so that Italy has
fleet pressure on the other side. On the other hand, that's not as big a
need if I don't have any fleets myself, and France is in no position to do
so in any case. At the moment I'm embarked on a land-based course; clearly,
I need someone on the board to balance Italy in fleets, and I'm counting on
that someone to be you.
If I were in a strong RT, I'd probably be rooting for France. At the
moment, though, my biggest hope is just that Italy dosn't become overheated
if he gains too much from France, a concern I'm confident you share. Be
that as it may, it's in my best interest to have Italy looking for gains in
France, so that he doesn't end up with too much of Austria (and, naturally,
build armies to support such holdings).
> Let me take this opportunity to state the obvious. As "witches" you and I
> rarely come into conflict and we have the potential to manage affairs to
> our mutual benefit. If France, Russia, and Austria disappeared, we would
> have Germany and Italy between us. Folks pretend to be annoyed with the
> "steadfast" EG alliance, but deep down everyone knows it cannot last
forever.
You're reading my mind, pal, reading my mind. =) Likewise, Turkey cannot
live forever with only one fleet. I'm sure Roberto has reflected on this,
and hence his less-than-wholehearted embrace of the IT. But if you and I
can both stay strong through the mid-game, we'll have many opportunities for
mutually beneficial cooperation.
As always, it was good to hear from you. It sounds like we're thinking
along much the same lines.
Best regards,
Ali
Message from Germany to England
> He also expects France to build a fleet in Marseilles, which to my
> way of thinking is totally unrealistic.
I wonder. Why did France disband then. To build an army in the same
place that he could retreat into? Probably. He's got nothing better
to do.
>
> France continues to ply his wiles nonstop. I will not succumb,
> and I think he knows that. He is probably working on you just a
> hard.
You got that right. The level of French press that I've received has
gone up. (Because of the fleet in NTH)
I've flat out told him that I'm sticking with you. Unless the fleet
doesn't leave the North Sea. (In the right direction)
Fredd
Message from Germany to England
Ivy:
Naturally everyone is interested in knowing if I knew about your fleet
entering the North Sea ahead of time. I'm telling the truth, but I'm
embellishing a bit. Perhaps this will sew confusion in their ranks.
Fredd
Message from France to England
Wingo:
Prince Boar filled in for me while I was overseeing the
funerals of the poor men who died in Burgundy. It was
such a tragedy, but one that was unfortunately necessary.
The families blame England more than Germany and I have
scores of new recruits anxious for revenge against
England. I hope that you enjoyed hearing from Xavier.
I hope that you are merely telling me that you are
continuing your attack on France so that an attack on
Germany will be a surprise. I am forced, of course to
assume that you will be continuing your attack.
Therefore I will defend myself against you with vigor.
Also, I must say that your broadcast concerning your
"sister's" visit to France did you a disservice. The
woman was treated with all respect and I assure that I
act in all ways like a gentleman. We are disappointed
that you would believe such lies from a woman that most
likely is trying to ingratiate herself to you by telling
you what you want to hear. What surprises me is not only
that you would believe it, and then make that
horrible broadcast, but that it would be what you wanted
to hear. My brother and sister have always spoken so
highly of your personality, even if we do not like your
politics. They are disappointed as well.
Le DAUPHIN
Message from England to Russia
Nick,
>Ivy, My Only Hope, 8-)
Oh dear! I am still trying to emerge from my own dilemma. France is a
tough nut to crack.
> I welcome your move to Eng and Nth, though I
>recognize that it leaves you options for attacking
>either Germany or France.
This year, I fully intend to work against France. With Germany in Burgundy
and Italy in the Western Med, something different is bound to happen. I
just hope it is good for me.
> If you build A Lvp, ...
Uh, I don't have a build.
> Obviously, my only hope for survival at this
>point is for you to stab Germany in Spring, 1904
Hold out as long as you can. Who knows when I will have to reassess.
I am trying to figure how all this happened, and I am beginning to conclude
that it is very risky to open Moscow->StP in a game at this level. It
makes Germany and England nervous and tempts Austria and Turkey in the south.
Ivy
Message from England to Turkey
Ali,
>but I decided this wasn't the time to get greedy
>for one extra build. Not with so much riding on it.
I concluded some time ago that there was no great advantage in an extra
center or two early in this game. No one will be permitted to run away
with a cheap victory. Of course it would be nice to have enough centers to
guarantee survival ! I suspect that Russia and Austria have fallen below
that threshold.
>I hope so. I'll admit that from a purely selfish perspective, I wouldn't
>mind seeing EG hold on a bit longer.
It would be crazy for me to change course right now. With Germany in
Burgundy and Italy in the Wes Med something interesting is bound to happen
this year.
>I don't know if that's in line with EI cooperation in France, though, but
>only you and he know about that for sure.
No, only Italy knows. It is something that I want, but Roberto has not
replied to my message.
>You're reading my mind, pal, reading my mind. =) Likewise, Turkey cannot
>live forever with only one fleet. I'm sure Roberto has reflected on this,
>and hence his less-than-wholehearted embrace of the IT. But if you and I
>can both stay strong through the mid-game, we'll have many opportunities for
>mutually beneficial cooperation.
It's nice to be able to talk someone whose interests don't conflict with
yours and whose communications aren't forever suspect because of previous
lies. It's much tougher dealing with neighbors.
Yours,
Ivy
Message from England to Germany
Fredd,
>I wonder. Why did France disband then. To build an army in the same
>place that he could retreat into? Probably.
Sure. He's clever. This way we have fewer days to analyze tactics. We
have to think about a retreat to Marseilles or a retreat to Paris. Surely,
though, he will retreat to Paris.
>I've flat out told him that I'm sticking with you. Unless the fleet
>doesn't leave the North Sea. (In the right direction)
I have said the same thing. In response to his inquiry I told him the two
reasons why I did it (worry about a Russian army & need to support
Belgium), but I didn't mention how sensitive the issue was between us.
Right now, I feel that I "owe" you something. I will make any reasonable
set of moves that you choose that (1) moves the fleet in Nth to the south
and (2) advances our cause in France.
One way:
Nth->Channel
Channel->Pic, supported by Belgium & perhaps Burgundy
Another way:
Nth->Bel
Bel->Pic, supported by Channel & Burgundy
In the latter case, support from Burgundy may be essential, because Brest
could cut Channel support.
Let me know if you like either of these or have other ideas.
You have probably noticed that Ruhr is free for defensive purposes. I will
not be insulted if you move it to Holland. On the other hand, be alert if
Italy builds an army in Venice. If he does that, his new army will move to
Tyrolia.
Italy has not responded lately. If he chooses to aid France, then I expect
Port & WesMed to bounce in Spain. I could consider the surprise Mao supp
Wes->Spain. That would cause France and Italy some grief. The other
possibility is that Italy will join us in attacking France. He may
actually request a support against Spain. In this case I may temporarily
go along, but between you and me I still consider all of France my
territory -- with Norway going to you, etc. The old plan is still viable.
Cordially,
Ivy
Message from Russia to England
Ivy,
>I am still trying to emerge from my own dilemma. France is a tough nut to
>crack.
All the more reason to stab Germany. France
can keep you from taking Brest or Spain this year,
unless Germany or Italy supports you, and neither
seems likely.
>This year, I fully intend to work against France. With Germany in Burgundy
>and Italy in the Western Med, something different is bound to happen.
Roberto is there to support France against EG.
He doesn't want the West resolving quickly. He MIGHT
accept support from you into Spa, but he will not
help you. Will Germany help you? Perhaps, but he's
just as likely to take Par, StP and Mos, build three,
and let you sit at five. Even if he supports you into
Bre, a six-Center England facing a nine-Center Germany
and a hostile France is not a place that I'd like to be.
>I just hope it is good for me.
I don't see any way for it to be as good for you
as taking two from Germany and supporting me into Swe
would be.
>Uh, I don't have a build.
Whoops! Still Nth-Den, Eng-Nth, followed by
Den S RF Fin-Swe, Bel S Hth-Hol works nicely.
>Who knows when I will have to reassess.
Now's the time. ;-}
>I am beginning to conclude that it is very risky to open Mos->StP in a game
>at this level. It makes Germany and England nervous and tempts Austria and
>Turkey in the south.
That's certainly true, but it's only a partial
explanation. I think that the biggest factors in my
troubles have been the facts that Roberto has
consistently out-negotiated me with Austria and Turkey,
and Austria has made a series of remarkably
short-sighted decisions. I'd be willing to bet that
Austria has the lowest Full-Press JDPR of the group,
and my opening relied on him seeing the long-term
benefits of the Gal DMZ and eliminating Turkey quickly.
Obviously, my analysis is affected by my
situation, but a good part of my JDPR is based on being
able to see the board from the other guy's perspective,
and I don't see Germany helping you this year, or you
doing well in the long-term without stabbing Germany,
right now.
Your Friend,
Nick.
Message from Germany to England
> but between you and me I still consider all of France my
> territory -- with Norway going to you, etc. The old plan is still
> viable.
That is still my plan also.
As for Burgundy, don't count on any support from it. Like I said before
you moved into the North Sea. I'll have to make some covering moves.
Even though we're on pretty good footing, I'm still going to make those
moves.
I can't tell you what Burgundy will do, but it won't be able to support
you. and it won't attack or support an attack on Belgium.
Ruhr will not be available either. Nor will it attack or support an
attack on Belgium.
If everything works out, I'm planning on having these units return to
their current positions. We will lose a year. There's no way around
that, now.
I've seen way too many stabs where, the first move gets made and the
stabbie makes no counter move. Then the 2nd move is the one that goes
for the throat. I don't believe that you plan a 2nd move, but I will
be prepared nonetheless.
Fredd
Message from England to Germany
>As for Burgundy, don't count on any support from it. Like I said before
>you moved into the North Sea. I'll have to make some covering moves.
>Even though we're on pretty good footing,
Thank you.
>I'm still going to make those moves.
I'll have to live with it. I guess it is my turn to be disappointed.
>I've seen way too many stabs where, the first move gets made and the
>stabbie makes no counter move. Then the 2nd move is the one that goes
>for the throat. I don't believe that you plan a 2nd move, but I will
>be prepared nonetheless.
Fair enough.
One question (a rhetorical question I guess, no need to reply), would any
player of quality have made the move I did in this position with the
intention to stab? I think it would be suicide.
I don't want to debate this, so let me finish with a restatement. I can
live with whatever you do. You are my ally. France is not, and never
will be.
Ivy
Message from England to all
Apparently my modem troubles are over.
Some of you know that I have not had a reliable modem at home in the
evening. After half a year of trouble I finally discovered that the modem
failed precisely when a halogen lamp in the next room was turned on.
Curiously, the modem is unaffected by an identical lamp two feet from the
computer.
Ivy
Message from England to Germany
It occurs to me to request, if it is not already too late, that you not
tell France of your intention not to support me this turn. That
information could simplify France's defence considerably.
Ivy
Message from France to all
Good Neighbors in Europe:
Le Dauphin here. My brother and I have been debating
whether we simple ignore the most recent atrocity of a
broadcast by the English or whether we need to respond.
On one hand we do not want to justify it with a response,
but on the other, my honor requires that we do respond.
It should be obvious to anyone who knows us that Ivy's
message was a fallacy. I of course treated the woman on
the Tour de France date as a perfect gentleman would. A
simply kiss on the back of the hand in greeting was the
only contact between us.
Prince Boar insists that I handle this one.
Unfortunately I am not as eloquent as he. Therefore I
can only offer this little song or poem.
My baloney has a first name
Its I - I - V - V - Y
My baloney has a second name
Its W - I - N - G - O
Oh I love to read it every day
And if you ask me why I'll say
Because Ivy Wingo has a way with
B - O - L - O - N - G - A
Le DAUPHIN
Message from France to England
England:
The game was getting a little slow so I thought that I
would spice it up a bit. To let you know, I did laugh at
your message, but the Dauphin was appalled. :-)
France
Message from England to all
>My baloney has a first name
>Its I - I - V - V - Y
What a hoot!! My wife's maiden name is M - A - Y - E - R, and this ditty
is much too well known in our household. [I don't think you can get my
I.D. from my wife's maiden name.]
Ivy
Message from Turkey to England
Ivy,
Well, hopefully we're about to get going again with the spring move. I'm sure
my build will not surprise anybody. I'll be watching closely to see where F
Nth goes; last I heard from Germany was that his anti-Russian efforts might be
delayed while he worries about Nth. I have no specific information about
what, if anything, he plans to do differently. Clearly, he can't get too
belligerent with you, lest you decide to just take Denmark.
I've asked Roberto twice now what he plans regarding France, but still no
reply. It may be that he was the one who was away. Hopefully I'll hear
*something* from him soon.
I did get a strange press from Russia to AIT, demanding the disband of A Sev
and claiming that Russia is still an ally of IT. I found this terribly
surprising, given Russia's extreme... disappointment... with my fall choices.
Hope all is well in your neck of the woods,
Ali
Message from Italy to England
> Well, there you are in the Western Med. Just what that fleet
> actually does will be most interesting. I am prepared to
> support it into Spain, and that surely will succeed.
>
Actually, I suspect that it would fail miserably. I'm assuming France will
build a fleet in Marseilles and order Por s Mar-Spa/sc. He has told me on
numerous occassions that he will defend Iberia from you even if it means
Germany taking Paris and Marseilles.
> I do have a request. If you prefer immediate neutrality or
> even an action that favors France, please give me some
> indication. I am not asking for your actual move in that
> case, but I would appreciate and respect some notice of your
> general intentions.
>
I must delay my response to this question until after I see the Austrian
disband. My answer will depend on whether or not the Aegean fleet remains
to see the springtime. If there is some string you can pull to get Austria
to disband his fleet, then you're more likely to hear the answer you want to
hear.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from England to Italy
Roberto,
>I'm assuming France will
>build a fleet in Marseilles and order Por s Mar-Spa/sc.
My money is on France building an army in Paris. The disband was just to
keep us guessing.
Let's get back in touch after the build phase.
Ivy
Message [from Russia] to all
Just a reminder, this period of silence is brought
to you to allow you to submit your 1903 EoY to the
Master.
Message from England to Master
England's comments on 1903.
Turkey gave me advance notice of Italy's big decision to abandon the
Austria/Italy alliance. Even then I didn't quite believe it would
happen. Turkey was the big winner. It is almost certain now that Turkey
will be one of the final three nations.
This may have been good for Italy also. He will not have to spread his
units from Turkey to Gibraltar, but he will have to take great pains not to
be trapped between Turkey in the east and either France or England in the west.
France apparently had a great deal to do with the Italian
maneuver. Certainly France could not have liked the status quo, which only
seemed to be leading to his slow death.
Austria and Russia now seem to have little hope of living long.
What about me? What about Germany? Well, I may sorely regret my move into
the North Sea. I begged Germany to let me make that move for two reasons.
(1) I wanted to be able to support Belgium from the North Sea so that Ruhr
could be free to attack Burgundy in concert with Munich. (2) I dreaded the
possibility (slim, but still possible) of Russia building an army in
StP. That would have been a major headache, for that army would have
bounced all through Scandinavia.
Germany made it clear that he did not want me in the North Sea, but when he
did not repeat his stance in his last e-mail, I took it to mean that he
grudgingly would let me have my way. Wrong. Germany is very upset. To
make matters worse, both reasons (1) & (2) have vanished. Russia cannot
build an army, and Munich made it into Burgundy to my surprise. My North
Sea fleet is good for little except to stab Germany. Now Germany says he
will not help me in France, because he has to defend himself against a stab.
Yuk.
I have no intention of stabbing Germany this early and I never moved to the
North Sea with that in mind. I only want to eliminate France.
Is there any chance I can make Germany change his mind and help me in
France in the upcoming turn? I'll see what I can do.
Allen Schweinsberg
Message [from Turkey] to all
> Just a reminder, this period of silence is brought
> to you to allow you to submit your 1903 EoY to the
> Master.
Since this doesn't seem to have been sent by Doug,
the literal translation seems to be "I can't WAIT
to find out what you were really thinking, you
bloody idiot!"
Austria: REMOVE Army Vienna
France: BUILD Fleet Marseilles
Italy: BUILD Army Venice
Turkey: BUILD Army Ankara
Centers
Austria: 3
England: 5
France: 5
Germany: 6
Italy: 6
Russia: 3
Turkey: 6
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