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Austria: Removes 1 unit
France: Builds 1 unit
Italy: Builds 1 unit
Turkey: Builds 1 unit
Message from France to Italy
Roberto:
I welcome your presences in the Western Mediterranean. I
look forward to your help. I hope that it will be
agreeable to follow my requests. I will of course be
willing and interested in discussing the situations with
you. I do not expect it to just be my servant. However,
it is my homeland at stake and I hope to have the final
vote. Is this reasonable?
I expect that you will be building an army in Venice.
Another fleet in the west end of the Mediterranean is
probably not necessary.
Congratulations on your success.
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to Germany
Fredd:
Welcome to Burgundy. It is a wonderful spot. I know
that you wanted to get in there for so long, but then
when I left it available you hesitated. I am glad to see
that you finally took up the opportunity.
Why is England in the North Sea? Did he insist as a
necessary move to break into Burgundy (i.e. support for
Belgium so that Ruhr could support Mun to Bur?) That
sounds like a fishy argument to me, since I have been
leaving Burgundy open for you. There must be more to it
that I do not understand.
-- Prince Boar
PS: I did not understand the support for Liv to StP?
Why did it need support? It seemed better to support
yourself to Livonia. I would ask the Dauphin to explain
it to me, but he is busy at the funerals of those poor
soldiers who gave their lives in Burgundy. Therefore I
humbly request an explanation from you.
Message from France to Russia
Czar Nicholas:
Before you ask, yes I know that I could have saved
Burgundy. But I choose not to do so.
Germany has certainly decided to take you out. He is
even supporting Austria against you. That is kind of
rotten of him, isn't it.
I do not know what to make of England's move to the North
Sea. I wonder if it was with Germany's blessing? I hope
that England see that Germany will grow without much
resistance and attack him. That would take pressure of
us. My brother was cordial to Ivy, but he continued his
attack on France, nonetheless.
Were you expecting help from Turkey against Budapest? I
thought that you would order Galicia to Ukraine.
-- Prince Boar
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 Observer to Observer
Wery Wery Interesting...
A couple of points to ponder in looking at the map after results.
1) E/G outguessed the good guess around Belgium. A Standard attack
would have been Bel-Pic to cut support, with Ruh and Mun attacking
Bur. France correctly played Pic S Bur-Bel to counter that, but E/G
correctly guessed that move, so played Ruh S Bel, Bel S Mun-Bur.
2) France makes the correct tactical move of disbanding the retreat
since he can only retreat to Mar/Par. This keeps people guessing
where he'll build, or maybe he'll build a fleet (riiiight)
3) I see no reason for Germany to order Bot S Lvn-Stp(sc), Bal-Lvn as
opposed to Bot S Bal-Lvn. With the orders he made he risked Russia
just holding in Livonia (not likely but possible). Perhaps he is
playing mindgames? (I KNOW what you're going to order).
4) Italy appears to be moving towards France, but is he coming to
help out France, or to join in on the spoils?
5) What should Austria remove? He can't hold Sev anyways, and Aeg
would tie down 5 I/T units (the ones in Gre, Ion, Bul, Bla and Smy).
dan.
Message from Master to all
Okay -- our absent player has a winter adjustment, so I'm extending
the deadline until Monday.
Doug
Message from Germany to France
Prince Boar:
Ask the hand and all shall be answered. Then I might have a question
or two of my own.
Thanks for the welcome. I had a hankering for some fine wines. Now I
hear that they are in Bordeaux. Nuts.
I'd like a do over. I'm not happy with some of my moves. GOB
supporting LVN to STP is not an example. I did that because it had
nothing else to do. I couldn't support BAL to LVN and dislodge the
RUssian fleet because then he would have just rebuild an army. much
worse. If I had a do over, I wouldn't have gone to LVN. But that's
in hindsight.
England is NOT supposed to be in the North Sea. Yes you see the first
clink in EG. I'll have to make a move or two to cover my ass now.
Perhaps that is what Ivy wants. To slow my expansion eastward down. I
wonder if I wouldn't make the same move in his shoes.
I still believe that Ivy isn't planning on attacking me, but instead is
positioning himself to better get at you.
However, if that fleet doesn't leave the North Sea (for a location SE)
it will be time to talk seriously. If this had been a spring move, we
would be talking now.
Fredd
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 France to Germany
Fredd:
>Thanks for the welcome. I had a hankering for some
>fine wines. Now I hear that they are in Bordeaux.
>Nuts.
I have moved them to Marseilles. You are welcome to
sample them there. :-)
>I'd like a do over. I'm not happy with some of my
>moves.
Hah! I make this request every turn! :-) Hindsight
always shows me better moves (i.e. MAO -> Eng s by Bre
and not the opposite. I failed my 50-50 guess. I also
should have ordered MAO -> NAO rather than waste the
effort on the support for Bre to Eng.)
>I couldn't support BAL to LVN and dislodge the
>Russian fleet because then he would have just
>rebuild an army.
Ah yes, I see. I was actually hoping that he would
have to retreat and would build an army. I wanted
the army for an attack on Norway. But you were
probably concerned about his supporting Moscow or
building in Moscow and supporting Warsaw. I knew that I
was missing the obvious.
>England is NOT supposed to be in the North Sea.
Interesting.
>I'll have to make a move or two to cover my ass now.
I suggest Bur -> Bel supported by Ruh :-) But I suppose
that Bur -> Ruh, Ruh -> Hol is OK too.
>Perhaps that is what Ivy wants. To slow my expansion
>eastward down. I wonder if I wouldn't make the same
>move in his shoes. I still believe that Ivy isn't
>planning on attacking me, but instead is
>positioning himself to better get at you.
Well, if he were attacking you those were his only moves
(Lon -> Nth and a fleet to Eng). Getting you out of
position by moving to Burgundy would be a good move as
well. By staying in MAO (and helping you to Bur) he can
claim that he is not attacking you and make you wonder.
An important aspect of a good stab.
>However, if that fleet doesn't leave the North Sea
>(for a location SE) it will be time to talk seriously.
>If this had been a spring move, we would be talking now.
I am not real certain why the spring move makes that much
difference, but I am always available for discussions.
My only words of advice are that I was betrayed by Ivy in
that he made me completely believe in his words and
assurances. I know that you are more savvy that I, so
you may not be fooled so easily. Just be careful.
Your best course of action may be to take the Russia
centers for potential builds and replacements in case
England does stab you. It also eliminates Russia from
your back in case you must turn and fight England. But I
would not help him take my centers until you are sure of
him. In fact, you need units from somewhere to cover
your backside. I suggest that you take that unit out of
Burgundy. By moving to North Sea, he has not earned your
support. Let him figure out how to fight me on his own.
-- Prince Boar
Message from Russia to Turkey
Ali,
>I just chickened out. I had you, Italy and Austria all asking different
>things of A Ser. I knew that whatever I did, I'd piss off two out of
>three.
No, had you told me that you felt you had to
support Italy, I would have argued against it, but
I would have accepted it and adjusted. Lying to me,
left me screwed, though.
>I decided that it would be best for Turkey to keep
>Italy on the friendly side, and I acted with purely selfish motivations.
I disagree with your conclusion, but I understand
your motivation.
>I tried to sell you on the Vie plan, which it turns out would have worked.
Yes, but Ser S Gal-Bud would have worked, too,
against both Vie S Bud, and Bud S Vie-Tri.
>In retrospect, I should have had the balls to tell you I couldn't support
>your attack,
Yes, you should have known that I wouldn't work
with Austria, so you'd lose nothing by being honest
with me.
>in the spring, you didn't do what I expected. If you had, we could have
>bounced in Sev and you'd have been
>guaranteed a build without worrying about Bud.
That assumes that Austria wouldn't order Ukr S
Bla-Sev, just to screw me over. It also would have
left me with zero growth potential.
>I would still rather see you in Bud than Austria or Italy.
I'm going to lose StP next year, unless I can manage
War-Mos, Gal-War next Spring, and I'm likely to lose War
as well. I don't see myself playing in Austria in 1904.
>I don't blame you for being angry, I handled that badly and I know it.
I'm not so much angry as I am disappointed.
Nick.
Message from Russia to France
Prince Boar,
>Before you ask, yes I know that I could have saved
>Burgundy. But I choose not to do so.
I assumed that you made the decision to let
Germany grow while denying England the opportunity to
do so, in the hope that it would force England to
stab Germany. I'll certainly be interpreting it
that way when I write to England. 8-)
>I do not know what to make of England's move to the North Sea. I wonder if
>it was with Germany's blessing?
I can't imagine Germany approving of Lon-Nth,
Iri-Eng. If Ivy builds an Army, Den and/or Hol are
his for the taking.
>I hope that England see that Germany will grow without much resistance and
>attack him. That would take pressure off us.
That's what his moves suggest to me.
>My brother was cordial to Ivy, but he continued his attack on France,
>nonetheless.
Did he? MAO S Iri-Eng is hardly the most
anti-French move Ivy could have made, and Mun-Bur
just makes it more difficult for Germany to sue for
peace with you when England attacks Den.
>Were you expecting help from Turkey against Budapest?
Yes, it was promised, but Ali chickened-out at
the last minute. Ser S Gal-Bud would have allowed me
to build A Mos, and forced Austria to drop to two
Centers.
Your Friend,
Nick.
Message from France to Russia
Czar Nicholas:
I suppose that England's moves were not the ultimate
anti-French moves. But if he was going to be pro-France
he would have ordered F MAO to Eng. I think that he has
hedged his bets and he can go either way. I would not be
surprised to see Bel -> Pic, F Nth to Bel. He can also
go for Holland and Denmark. It will be interesting to
see what he does. Both of them scare me a bit :-)
>Yes, it was promised, but Ali chickened-out at
>the last minute.
I am sorry to hear that. Perhaps he felt that
cultivating his relationship with Italy was more
important. (see below)
>Ser S Gal-Bud would have allowed me
>to build A Mos, and forced Austria to drop to
>two Centers.
I agree that it would have helped you, but it may have
cost Italy Trieste. I know that Vie was ordered to
Trieste. But had Austria ordered Bud to Tri s by Vie,
then Italy would have been dislodged. It is too bad that
he did not have the guts to go for it.
-- Prince Boar
PS: An interesting interpretation of my choice to not
defend Burgundy. I have no official comment, however.
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 Germany to France
>
> Your best course of action may be to take the Russia
> centers for potential builds and replacements in case
> England does stab you. It also eliminates Russia from
> your back in case you must turn and fight England. But I
> would not help him take my centers until you are sure of
> him. In fact, you need units from somewhere to cover
> your backside. I suggest that you take that unit out of
> Burgundy. By moving to North Sea, he has not earned your
> support. Let him figure out how to fight me on his own.
Excellent point, all. Great minds must think alike. However, I think
I'm going to give Ivy the benefit of the doubt, this time.
I won't be entirely foolish though. I've seen some classic stabs, but
I've seen a lot more stabs just because someone left himself wide open.
I'm well aware that Holland and Denmark are sitting ducks. I'll have to
cover at least one. Then if I lose the other, I can still pick up STP.
Staying at the same number of units, with a French partner.
Fredd
Message from Russia to France
Prince Boar,
>I suppose that England's moves were not the ultimate anti-French moves.
>Ithink that he has hedged his bets and he can go either way.
Yes, or both, though I doubt he would go that
far. It may b as simple as he expects Germany to
build first and faster and feels the need for a
forward defense.
>Perhaps he felt that cultivating his
>relationship with Italy was more important.
That was his claim, but he could have at least
told me, and given me the chance to change my orders.
>I agree that it would have helped you, but it may have
>cost Italy Trieste. I know that Vie was ordered to
>Trieste. But had Austria ordered Bud to Tri s by Vie,
>then Italy would have been dislodged.
Yes, there was a small chance of that occuring,
but in my admittedly prejudiced view, getting me a
build or two to hold off Germany was more important
to IT, (and certainly to T), than another build for
Italy at this point.
>PS: An interesting interpretation of my choice to not
>defend Burgundy. I have no official comment, however.
I make no claim that it's accurate. 8-) I'm
just going to paint it that way to Ivy, in hopes of
encouraging him to stab Germany, since that's my
only hope of survival, at this point.
Your Cornered Friend,
Nick.
Message from France to Germany
Fredd:
>However, I think I'm going to give Ivy the benefit of
>the doubt, this time. I won't be entirely foolish
>though. I've seen some classic stabs, but
>I've seen a lot more stabs just because someone left
>himself wide open. I'm well aware that Holland and
>Denmark are sitting ducks. I'll have to
>cover at least one. Then if I lose the other, I
>can still pick up STP. Staying at the same number
>of units, with a French partner.
Kind of bold assumption that you are making. You are
assuming that I will readily side with you after you have
just refused to back out of France and actively made
moves that would have helped England carve me up.
I can at least appreciate your candor. I owe you a
honest statement in return. While you have forces in
France, I will be unlikely to work with you. If Ivy
moves out of the MAO and you remain in Bur, I will be
forced to trust, perhaps side with, him until you are out
of France.
If you are not careful, he can easily take both Holland
and Denmark. Your single army in Ruhr and cannot prevent
both. Your armies in Prussia and Bohemia are too far
away. I realize that you could move Pru to Liv and Liv
to Bal, but if Russia moves War to Mos and Gal to War,
then you will not be able to take St. Petes.
I understand that you are probably a better tactician
than I and have an excellent plan. However, there is a
pretty good chance that you could be outguessed and net
minuse 1 center, if not 2. Ruhr -> Kie, Bur -> Ruh would
probably prevent you from losing two. You can always
move back into Bur once England moves out of the North
Sea. You are taking a big chance if you do not.
I admit that it is self interesting speaking for me. I
do want you out of France and want to improve my
defenses. However, I also do not want to see England
grow by two centers, even if it is at your expense and
not mine. Your expense is certainly better than mine,
but it still is not an ideal situation.
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to Turkey
Ali:
Congratulations on your success. I imagine that Russia
is upset with you, but keeping Italy happy was probably
more important to you. You probably will be building an
moving your Army form Smyrna to Armenia to prevent
Austrian backside sneak into Turkey. I wonder if you can
afford to not build at least one more fleet for defense.
It is probably a sticky point between you and Italy. But
at some time you will need it.
Do you have a spin on England's occupation of the North
Sea? He has yet to comment on it to me.
My position is about the same as it always was. Germany
refuses to pull back, even with England in the North Sea.
He still plans to go for centers in Russia and France.
England is either very ingenious in that he has the
perfect stab. He moved towards and sold it as not being
a stab or else his move completely backfired in that it
did not slow Germany down, but just created bad will.
What do you hear about it?
-- Prince Boar
Message from France to Austria
Ms. Felicia:
It has been so long since I have heard from you. I know
that things are not going well for you, but I would be
interested in knowing where you stand. It looks like
Germany was willing to work with you. Are you
considering working with Russia to keep alive? Tough
decision.
My position steadily degrades. I have not lost any
centers, but I continue to lose position. It is partly
due to my not be conservative. I expect to lose a center
to Germany this year and maybe one to England. But I
will do all that I can to prevent the latter.
-- 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 France to Germany
I figured out how to retreive the message. It was from
you. There is no reason to resend it now.
Sorry for any trouble.
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 Russia to France
My earlier note:
Prince Boar,
>I suppose that England's moves were not the ultimate anti-French moves. I
>think that he has hedged his
>bets and he can go either way.
Yes, or both, though I doubt he would go that
far. It may b as simple as he expects Germany to
build first and faster and feels the need for a
forward defense.
>Perhaps he felt that cultivating his
>relationship with Italy was more important.
That was his claim, but he could have at least
told me, and given me the chance to change my orders.
>I agree that it would have helped you, but it may have
>cost Italy Trieste. I know that Vie was ordered to
>Trieste. But had Austria ordered Bud to Tri s by Vie,
>then Italy would have been dislodged.
Yes, there was a small chance of that occurring,
but in my admittedly prejudiced view, getting me a
build or two to hold off Germany was more important
to IT, (and certainly to T), than another build for
Italy at this point.
>PS: An interesting interpretation of my choice to not
>defend Burgundy. I have no official comment, however.
I make no claim that it's accurate. 8-) I'm
just going to paint it that way to Ivy, in hopes of
encouraging him to stab Germany, since that's my
only hope of survival, at this point.
Your Cornered Friend,
Nick.
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 Italy
Roberto,
Once again, a good result. I hope you are as happy with it as I am. I will
be building an army in either Con or Ank, and expect a fleet in either Rom or
Nap. Russia is quite displeased with me, as I expected. I hope and trust
that you and I will go forward in cooperation, to the ultimate demise of both
Austria and Russia.
England's move to Nth was interesting, wasn't it? Apparently Germany isn't
too concerned about it, though of course Den might be beckoning. England has
been trying to get me to query you about your intentions in France, and to
urge you in favor of EI taking France out, rather than your helping France
fend him off. If you could give me something to tell Ivy, it might help glean
information on what Nth is up to. Whether or not that reflects your actual
intention is of course up to you; either way I hope you'll pass along
something for me to tell him.
Please don't hesitate to write with any thoughts.
Ali
Message from Turkey to Germany
Fredd,
An interesting turn. I assume you knew about England's move to Nth? Now that
the south is much more secure from Turkey's perspective, I'll be turning my
thoughts to an invasion of southern Russia. Are you still on board for an
anti-Russian campaign?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts,
Ali
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 France
Boar:
I like the different possibilities that you give for my spring
moves.
Keep them coming if you see anything else. I looked at the fall moves
and immediately phased in my orders for the spring. Naturally I can't
tell you what they are. I suspect that I won't be changing them before
they process.
Fredd
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 Turkey
Ali:
I'm afraid that I didn't know about the move to NTH. Ivy tried hard
and long to convince me of that moves merits. But I never thought it
was a good idea. Unfortunately, Ivy went anyway. Now I have to make
some covering moves.
My anti-Russian campaign might have to wait a turn. I need to make
sure that that fleet leaves the North Sea.
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 Germany and Russia
Thank you for resending your notes. I did find a way to
recover the deleted message. But I do appreciate your
taking the time to resend your messages.
France
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 Russia to France
>Message from France to Germany and Russia in 'titleist':
>
>Thank you for resending your notes.
No problem, but I'm curious as to Fredd's reaction
to Lon-Nth, Iri-Eng, if you care to share. Ivy hasn't
replied to my note, yet, but I'll let you know when he
does.
Your Friend,
Nick.
Message from France to Russia
Czar Nicholas:
>No problem, but I'm curious as to Fredd's reaction
>to Lon-Nth, Iri-Eng, if you care to share. Ivy
>hasn't replied to my note, yet, but I'll let you
>know when he does.
Germany was mad, but not to the point of war. He appears
willing to give Ivy the benefit of the doubt. I think
that England put a spin on it that his move to the North
Sea was because he was worried about your building an
army in St. Petes (something I was secretly hoping you
would be able to do :-).
I would say that GE are still aligned and that we are
still in trouble. Germany may pull something back so if
England does stab him, he can minimize the damage. But
at the same time he will hope to take something from us.
Shall we each allow him to take a center and see if
England chokes on that? ;-) The key will be my being
able to deny England a center. I will try my best.
You may resign yourself to do what you can to save
Mos/War and accept the loss of St. Petes.
-- Prince Boar
Message from Russia to France
Prince Boar,
>Germany was mad, but not to the point of war. He appears willing to give
>Ivy the benefit of the doubt.
As you did in 1902.
>I would say that GE are still aligned and that we are
>still in trouble.
We should operate under that assumption, but do
what we can to encourage England to stab Germany.
>Shall we each allow him to take a center and see if
>England chokes on that? ;-)
I fear I have no choice. :-|
>The key will be my being able to deny England a center.
If you build F Mar, and order Mar-Spa, Por-Spa,
Gas S Pic-Bre, Bre-Eng, England will not get a build
in France this year without German help. Given the
reported level of EG disharmony, that help seems
unlikely.
>You may resign yourself to do what you can to save
>Mos/War and accept the loss of St. Petes.
Yes, saving StP would require War-Mos, Gal-War,
and it seems unlikely that both those moves would
succeed.
Your Friend,
Nick.
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 Russia to Austria, Italy, and Turkey
Archduke,
>Austria: 3 Supply centers, 4 Units: Removes 1 unit.
>Italy: 6 Supply centers, 5 Units: Builds 1 unit.
>Russia: 3 Supply centers, 3 Units: Builds 0 units.
>Turkey: 6 Supply centers, 5 Units: Builds 1 unit.
Disband your Army in Sevastopol. If you do not I will
give Sev to Turkey, and we will destroy your Army there
in the Spring. I will then return to Galicia, and do
everything in my power to make sure that you are
eliminated before I am, up to and including supporting
Italian and Turkish attacks on your Home Centers. You
might consider this an idle threat, but remember that
if I promise something to an ally, I keep my word, and
I remain allied with Italy and Turkey.
Czar Nicholas II.
Message from Russia to Italy
Roberto,
>Austria: 3 Supply centers, 4 Units: Removes 1 unit.
>Italy: 6 Supply centers, 5 Units: Builds 1 unit.
>Russia: 3 Supply centers, 3 Units: Builds 0 units.
>Turkey: 6 Supply centers, 5 Units: Builds 1 unit.
>The next phase will be Adjustments for Winter of 1903.
*sigh* Not exactly what I had hoped to see in
F1903B, and the ironic thing is that it is largely
your fault. ;-) You have out-negotiated me at every
turn, and used Ali to cripple me. It may not have
been intentional, and I don't hold it against you, or
even against Ali, but I do wish that you had worked
toward our proposed IR Alliance a bit harder.
I do hope that you will build A Ven, and move to
Tyl in S1904M, since pressure on Germany is the only
thing that will keep him from overrunning my position.
What are you hearing from Ivy and Fredd? Ivy seems to
think that IF WMed is a good thing, which I don't
understand, since it seems obvious to me that you're
there to help France defend Iberia. Please drop me a
line when you get the chance.
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 Italy
Roberto,
It appears as if the game is about to get rolling again. I'd very much like
to hear from you at your earliest convenience with your thoughts on the coming
year.
I have entered a build order for A Ank. Obviously my exact plans for spring
will depend on what Austria disbands, but either way I hope to take Sev this
year and get you into Bud.
Write when you get a chance,
Ali
Message from Turkey to Germany
Fredd,
I'm surprised that the move to Nth was made without your foreknowledge. From
my communication with Ivy, I had the impression all was well with GE alliance.
For what it is worth, I have urged him not to rock the EG boat; indeed, I had
been hoping that you and I could begin to cooperate openly this year.
In any case, as negotiations for the spring move unfold, I hope we can stay in
close contact regarding our eastern endeavours.
Regards,
Ali
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 Turkey
I just returned and am trying desparately to catch up (both personal and
work related issues).
I got your message about building a fleet and that's what I had intended to
build but looking at the map, I'm thinking an army might have some practical
purposes - namely Tyrolia or Piedmont (France has requested Ven-Pie). I'm
assuming France disbanded so that he could build a fleet in Marseilles.
That hopefully will be enough to keep England at bay for the time being
until I can get more fleets west (quickly if Austria disbands Aegean).
Would you be completely opposed to army Venice being built this phase
perhaps with an eye to acquiring Vienna instead of Budapest?
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Turkey to Italy
Roberto,
I would not be completely opposed to an Italian army build, though I can't
deny I would feel more comfortable with a fleet. Part of the balance of power
we had discussed was that you would be dominant at sea, while I would focus on
land. However, I do appreciate your need to not only acquire centers, but be
able to hold them as well.
In any case, the most important factor is that we continue to cooperate. An
additional Italian army would be very useful in the effort to take down
Austria. Whether you build an army or fleet, though, I'd still prefer an
emphasis on Bud rather than Vie, for tactical reasons. Bud is in a crucial
strategic position, and I'd rather not see it fall to Russia.
Regards,
Ali
Message from Russia to Master
Russian EoY for 1903:
Another year without a build. This is getting
monotonous. Turkey should have supported me into
Bud, as he promised to do. A Bud would have been
destroyed, and Austria still would have to disband
one, while I built in Mos, leaving Austria
ineffective in '04, and me in a position to hold off
Germany. Now, I'm likely to collapse under German
pressure unless England stabs him in S1904M. It
seems as though Italy has been working against me,
at every turn, and he has been much better at
influencing Turkey than I have been. IR seemed like
such an ideal alliance for this game, that I wonder
why Italy hasn't been more supportive of my position.
I sent a "Chainsaw" letter to Austria, demanding that
he disband his Army in Sevastopol, or I would destroy
it with Turkey's help and make sure that Austria was
eliminated this year. It will be interesting to see
how he reacts. If Austria does not disband A Sev, I
think that the October Revolution of 1917 will occur
13 and a half years early, just to try to shake up
the diplomatic scene.
Czar Nicholas II.
Message from Italy to Turkey
>
> Part of the balance of power we had discussed was that you
> would be dominant at sea, while I would focus on land.
>
I know and that's why I came very close to entering a phased fleet build
before I left but my quick glance at the map showed a glaring hole in
Tyrolia as well as a possible opportunity in Piedmont to either prop France
up or move to GOL and get involved offensively. Decided it was best to wait
until I got back to discuss it with you.
>
> In any case, the most important factor is that we continue to
> cooperate.
>
You have my complete pledge of cooperation.
> An additional Italian army would be very useful in the effort to
> take down Austria.
True if I can get it to Tyrolia. Not knowing what Austria will disband (I'm
hoping for the fleet but Russia's message may influence his decision), an
army becomes more flexible for me. With a Naples fleet build, I'm having
trouble envisioning how I stop Vie s Boh - Tyr which causes me to get an
ulcer each time I look at the map.
> Whether you build an army or fleet, though, I'd still prefer an
> emphasis on Bud rather than Vie, for tactical reasons. Bud
> is in a crucial strategic position, and I'd rather not see it
> fall to Russia.
>
This makes sense and I understand that. My hesitation with Budapest is
that's not the direction I want to be moving my units. Do you see Bud-Vie
the following year with you taking up residence in Budapest? I could live
with that scenario as ultimately I see Budapest being Turkish property.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Turkey to Italy
Roberto,
It sounds like we're thinking along much the same lines. Your army build has
my blessings. I certainly would agree to Bud-Vie next year, with me moving
into Bud. I hadn't really gotten that far in my planning yet, since what will
happen in France is such a big question mark. I figured the division of
spoils in Austria would depend on the presence or absense of spoils in France.
The bottom line is that as long as we're cooperating in the field, and
maintaining an even growth rate, then I'm happy. Go ahead and build the army;
no matter what Austria disbands it will give us numerous opportunities.
How is your relationship with Russia? He's still pretty testy with me, I
don't think I can count on anything from him this year. However, he should
bear no grudge to you. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on which way
he'll jump.
Regards,
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!"
Message from Italy to Russia
>
> *sigh* Not exactly what I had hoped to see in
> F1903B, and the ironic thing is that it is largely
> your fault. ;-)
>
I seem to recall suggesting Mos s Gal-War. :)
> You have out-negotiated me at every
> turn, and used Ali to cripple me. It may not have
> been intentional, and I don't hold it against you, or
> even against Ali, but I do wish that you had worked
> toward our proposed IR Alliance a bit harder.
>
I tried everything I had to get Austria to concentrate on Turkey but for
whatever reason he felt he had to attack you. Even after I stabbed him
eliminating his only ally, he still moved into your home center.
As for Turkey, there was nothing I could have said to get him to issue the
support order. He didn't want to see you get a build either. I don't think
it was me out-negotiating you but rather Austria/Turkey fearing a powerful
Russia more than they feared a powerful Italy. Your fate was almost sealed
from the get-go. That's not to say your position isn't salvageable but I'd
have to think not too many observers are giving you a chance to survive.
> I do hope that you will build A Ven, and move to
> Tyl in S1904M, since pressure on Germany is the only
> thing that will keep him from overrunning my position.
I've ordered an army build in Venice against the wishes of Ali. It's
heading to Tyrolia or Piedmont depending on the next round of negotiations.
> What are you hearing from Ivy and Fredd? Ivy seems to
> think that IF WMed is a good thing, which I don't
> understand, since it seems obvious to me that you're
> there to help France defend Iberia.
>
Well, I have two choices in Iberia. I'll most likely not participate in
French destruction until Austrian elimination. In the meantime, I'll
support France as best as possible. Ivy knew about my move to the West Med
and its purpose. I think he still has hope that I will help take France
out.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from Italy to France
>
> I hope that it will be agreeable to follow my requests.
> I will of course be willing and interested in
> discussing the situations with you. I do not expect
> it to just be my servant. However, it is my homeland
> at stake and I hope to have the final vote. Is this
> reasonable?
>
More than reasonable. Unless there is a very compelling reason for me not
to order your suggestion, I'll follow your request.
> I expect that you will be building an army in Venice.
> Another fleet in the west end of the Mediterranean is
> probably not necessary.
>
This implies that you will be building a fleet. Am I correct? Ivy thinks
you will build an army in Paris and that the disband was just to keep
everybody guessing.
Life is Beautiful,
Roberto
Message from France to Italy
Roberto:
I will indeed be building a fleet in Marseilles. I do ask that you not
share this with England. In fact, I hope that you have not mentioned my
comments to you about not needing another fleet. I like to keep the
English in the dark as long as possible. It would be nice to surprise
him, even if the surprise is not that big a deal. It is the fun of it
that I am after.
-- Prince Boar
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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