|
France: Builds 3 units
Italy: Builds 1 unit
Turkey: Removes 1 unit
Message from France to England
Ivy:
Were you privy to Russia's moves? Perhaps you convinced him that I was
going to stab him. I wonder what he will say now? :-) Perhaps this is
where you two wanted to be. Russia did throw away any chance at glory.
I wonder if I should thank you or not. I really did not want to be in
Holland. Can you convoy me to Edinburgh? :-)
--Prince Boar
Message from France to Russia
Nick:
Your moves suggest that you thought that I would betray you. The
results suggest that you betrayed yourself! I am sorry that you could
not trust me more. Perhaps you felt.... Well, I guess that I will just
wait to hear what you felt rather than speculate.
--Xavier
Message from France to Italy
Idalia:
Congratulations on the near Turkish elimination!
Russia wanted, in the worst way, for me to attack you.
I expect to get similar messages from him this year.
You will want to finish off Turkey, but do you want
to continue our relationship with you taking the
Russian centers as well?
I have to go deal with the Screaming and yelling
and will write again later.
--Prince Boar
Message from Italy to France
>
> Congratulations on the near Turkish elimination!
>
Thank you. I couldn't have done it without your support.
> Russia wanted, in the worst way, for me to attack you.
> I expect to get similar messages from him this year.
>
England and Russia have wanted me for years to attack you. I expect to get
similar messages from them this year.
> You will want to finish off Turkey, but do you want
> to continue our relationship with you taking the
> Russian centers as well?
>
The final elimination of Turkey is still my only goal. After that, I have
no excuse not to listen to the screams of ER to prevent a French solo. I'm
comfortable with holding the southeast corner and remaining at 7 units. I
don't plan on attempting to take centers back from you but I don't feel the
immediate need to take any more centers from Russia. At that point, I'd
issue a 'set draw' command. Everybody gets what they want - England and
Russia get a draw in a high-rated game, you get declared the winner of the
tournament, and for me the game finally ends.
Now, if your goal is to gain a solo in the game beyond just winning the
tournament, then you'll probably face a bit more resistance, at least from
my end, in reaching that goal and much more reluctance to 'set draw' without
the existence of a viable stalemate line.
Thus, if your goal is to simply win the tournament, you need do nothing
further. If your goal is to gain a solo victory, you should prepare for an
ERI coalition.
Idalia
Message from England to France
Prince Boar,
>Were you privy to Russia's moves?
Not entirely. The debate between Russia, Italy, and myself was intense
with Russia doing most of the talking.
>Perhaps you convinced him that I was
>going to stab him.
Did you stab him? Was he expecting the snatch of Holland?
>Russia did throw away any chance at glory.
It has been a long time since I felt I had any chance at glory. I don't
think Russia had any chance. What were you offering him? I've only been
trying to lose with honor.
>I wonder if I should thank you or not. I really did not want to be in
>Holland. Can you convoy me to Edinburgh?
There's a nice tower in London where you can have residence.
I am very puzzled by part of your moves. You have benefited enormously by
the conflict between Italy and Turkey. By helping to eliminate Turkey, the
menace at Italy's back, aren't you giving Italy a chance to defend himself
against you?
Ivy
Message from Russia to France
Xavier, My Friend,
> Your moves suggest that you thought that I would betray you.
*chuckle* The one thing I am sure is that you will not betray me
unless it gives you a forced win, and perhaps not even then, if you
have other options open to you.
> The results suggest that you betrayed yourself!
Perhaps. The tactical picture favors my being eliminated by EI
now, but my accepting the English demand that I allow Den-Kie
alters the diplomatic landscape considerably.
> I am sorry that you could not trust me more.
It was not a lack of trust. I was trying to get Italy to vacate
War by agreeing to England's demands. The failure to bounce
you in Hol was an unfortunate oversight. I guess we'll see what
happens this Spring.
Nick.
Message from France to Turkey
Ali:
I guess that the end is finally near. I again apologize
for my part in your elimination. I could have strayed
from my course the last two years, but I guess that you
were too fed up to try and get me to. At this point
there is probably little reason to talk about it. If you
want to take one final stab at Italy rather than die, let
me know and we can ponder it. If you prefer to just die
in silence, that is fine as well. Either way I wish you
the best.
--Prince Boar
Message from France to Italy
Idalia:
Thanks for the note. I always knew that when Turkey fell
that I would face a large Italy that could stop my
growth. I was comfortable with that and still am.
I think that there may be some discussion on the possible
elimiantion of Russia, but that is mostly up to Ivy. He
would have to do most of the work.
It certainly has been a strange game and our relationship
the last few years has been strange. People will
certainly second guess our actions. I wonder what the
observers have been saying? It would be interesting to
know. But by the time that I can actually find out I
probably will no longer care. It has been a long two
years.
Are you going to let me take one or two more center as
you eliminate Turkey, just for old times sake? :-) We
both have been completely true to our promises along this
unusual path.
--Prince Boar
Message from France to Russia
Nick:
I agree that you may have traded your existence for a
chance to prevent my solo. It is really up to Ivy now.
He has the dagger at your throat now, not me. But you
have continued to survive despite the odds, so we shall
see.
I am not certain that I want to be in Holland actually.
But I am here and will have to see what comes of it.
There is always the option of eliminating Italy, but you
probably will not go for it as you worry about my
victory. Then again if you don't go for it, you might be
the one eliminated.
I should have taken your advice and gone for Bulgaria.
:-) Now it may be too late.
Well, I best let the dust settle a bit and reflect before
I get too carried away.
--Xavier
Message from France to England
Ivy:
>Was he expecting the snatch of Holland?
Nick was supposed to bounce me from Holland (from Kiel).
He probably should have done it from Belgium. An
oversight he said.
I guess that I should have grabbed Belgium and/or Kiel as
you threatened that I might. But I am most disappointed
by something else that I did not have the guts to do. It
was low risk, but I was in a risk adverse mode.
As for Italy. Yes, I knew that when Italy eliminated
Turkey that he would turn to face me. I always told Nick
that. Originally I preferred Italy over Turkey because I
could prevent Italy from building, by holding his home
centers. I never intended to let things get this far.
But one thing led to another ... It was a combination of
his attack on Russia, Turkey not doubly supporting
Constantinople as I hoped, and the fact that I realized
that I could not really hold my southern centers if I did
turn on Italy. I had to get more resources down south.
I should have done that rather than support Russia in the
North. I realized that too late.
Right now the game's ending is in your hands. I cannot
win because I cannot take the southern centers that I
need to win. So you get to decide whether this game will
end in a three way draw or a four way draw. Russia could
easily be eliminated, with you taking 3 of his centers.
I would actually take Belgium but you would take Holland.
It would be up to Italy to take Warsaw and end the end
game.
As for what Nick was trying to achieve. I believe that
he hoped that if he could bottle me up in the North and
get Italy to turn to fight me in the South, that he would
have been part of an FIR draw. Or perhaps he had greater
aspirations like a solo. We will have to read his EOY
statements to find out.
--Prince Boar
Message from Russia to France
Xavier,
> I agree that you may have traded your existence for a
> chance to prevent my solo. It is really up to Ivy now.
> He has the dagger at your throat now, not me. But you
> have continued to survive despite the odds, so we shall
> see.
I suspect what I've traded is a shot at EFR for the liklihood
of EFI. Unfortunately, given the diplomatic pressure I was
under, I felt that handing the knife to Ivy was my only chance
to keep him from siding with Italy as Italy worked to eliminate
me. I can't be eliminated this year without your cooperation,
and that's not in your best interest, I suspect, so I should have
another year to try to talk my way above four Units, though.
Italy claims he won't Set Draw unless he has the most Units /
Centers in the draw, so I suspect we're both going to have
problems with him.
> I am not certain that I want to be in Holland actually.
> But I am here and will have to see what comes of it.
Yes, it does make your position more problematic, doesn't it?
That move has caused all sorts of questions from everyone,
though. (Well, not from the Turkey, but everyone else.) Have
you told anyone why you moved there? (I'm trying to think if
I can use the move to my diplomatic advantage, but I'm not
much of a liar, and I'm not sure what sort of story I should
spin about it...)
> There is always the option of eliminating Italy, but you
> probably will not go for it as you worry about my
> victory. Then again if you don't go for it, you might be
> the one eliminated.
Oh yeah, my one real hope remains that you hit Italy full
force. Otherwise, I'm toast. That's why I suggested
Aeg-Bul. The prospect of your solo doesn't frighten me
in the least, you've played a great game, and you deserve
it. I'll try to stop you if I can, but I see no reason to get
eliminated so that EI can stop you. ;^}
> Well, I best let the dust settle a bit and reflect before
> I get too carried away.
I'm here to bounce ideas off of.
Your Friend,
Nick.
Message from France to all
I have an experiment all day today and will have little
time for diplomacy. I will most likely respond to any
mail tonight.
Have a great day.
France
Message from France to Russia
Nick:
The more I think about it the more I think that you are
and I are about to get screwed over. Italy and England
can eliminate you, then I will not be able to hold both
fronts and will slowly get squashed between them. France
is a natural stalemate line.
I made some major mistakes last turn.
Are you willing to work with me, rather than get used by
them? Our goal would be to hold Ivy at bay and eliminate
Italy. Then we end this thing with a three-way draw. I
figure it is better to have a EFR than a EI.
--Xavier
Message from France to Russia
Nick:
Almost forgot, I told Ivy that you were supposed to
bounce me in Holland. I did not want you to spin
something that he knew was false.
I also wrote Ivy last night telling him that he would
decide if the game would end in EIRF or EIF, suggesting
that I would help him eliminate you. I wanted you to
know that. I have since changed my mind.
It is funny that Italy told you that he would not set
draw. He told me the opposite :-)
--Xavier
Message from Russia to France
Xavier,
>The more I think about it the more I think that you are
>and I are about to get screwed over. Italy and England
>can eliminate you, then I will not be able to hold both
>fronts and will slowly get squashed between them.
Yes, I see that danger as well.
>I made some major mistakes last turn.
I was surprised to see you support Italy into Con.
I didn't think you want him to be able to back
into the corner. What do you see as your mistakes?
Mine were certainly legion. 8-(
>Are you willing to work with me, rather than get used by them? Our goal
>would be to hold Ivy at bay and eliminate Italy. Then we end this thing
>with a three-way draw. I figure it is better to have a EFR than a EI.
I think I have to play cautiously this year, to
avoid losing Moscow, but yes, eliminating Italy
seems like a worthy goal, if for no other reason
than to ensure that every Power which attacked
Russia gets eliminated. 8-)
In Alliance,
Your Friend,
Nick.
Message from England to France
Nick,
> ... Turkey not doubly supporting Constantinople as I hoped ...
This suggests that you are not in contact with Turkey. In spite of
attempts to reach him, I have not heard from Turkey since he sent us that
joint message urging the two of us to continue eastward. Immediately after
that we turned on each other. 8-) Then silence from Ali.
>Right now the game's ending is in your hands.
I wish.
>Russia could
>easily be eliminated, with you taking 3 of his centers.
>I would actually take Belgium but you would take Holland.
> It would be up to Italy to take Warsaw and end the end
>game.
You are still a serious threat with 14 centers, and more are available. I
expect to remain dedicated to Russia and Italy in order to prevent the
solo. Any possibility of a 3-way (probably with you as the official
champion) should wait until your prospects for a solo are reduced.
Ivy
Message from Russia to France
Xavier,
>Almost forgot, I told Ivy that you were supposed to
>bounce me in Holland. I did not want you to spin
>something that he knew was false.
Thanks. Given that the move leaves a hole in your
line, I may suggest that it was an intentional
effort to isolate Munich, and expose Ruhr.
Especially since that's less embarassing than
admitting that I screwed up. ;^}
>I also wrote Ivy last night telling him that he would
>decide if the game would end in EIRF or EIF, suggesting
>that I would help him eliminate you. I wanted you to
>know that.
Ouch. Not the best news I've had today.
>It is funny that Italy told you that he would not set
>draw. He told me the opposite :-)
This is why I try to avoid lying. People compare
notes, and stop trusting you. His declared position
didn't make much sense to me, but does that mean it's
a lie, or just that his point of view is radically
different from mine?
Nick.
Message from France to all
Sorry, I thought that I had 23 hours, which should have
been tonight sometime? Oh well, my orders are in.
France
France: BUILD Army Marseilles
France: BUILD Army Paris
France: WAIVE
Italy: WAIVE
Turkey: REMOVE Army Ankara
Centers
England: 7
France: 14
Italy: 8
Russia: 4
Turkey: 1
|