G vs. B in previous editions was all but inevitable. Much work was
put in to changing that. It seems I accomplished my purpose in the
last round of revisions all too well


So let's hear some thoughts on the following...

1) the redraw that would allow an Anglo-Saxon army (currently Kent) to
reach Lindsey (but not Mercia) in Spring 825, enabling them to offer
Bretons support into Deira. Intended to promote A/B cooperation
mildly, without making G/B conflict inevitable again.

2) Isle of Man - SC on the line of GaS/CaB. Reachable by G and B, but
not C. This could be good, but I am concerned that this defeats the
purpose of Strathclyde, and the intent is to get the Gaels on the
continent as soon as possible. But Strathclyde was meant to be a
Gaelic launching point against *either* the Scots OR the Bretons - but
it seems that it steers the Gaels strongly against the Scots. The old
offset for this was Cardigan Bay - the key to two Breton home SCs.
Ideally, this would create enough tension between G/B that they would
at the very least have to constantly worry about each other, as
Britain and France do about the English Channel.

An alternative concept for the Isle of Man could be to make it like
Roskilde. (i.e. a "bridge" for armies to cross over from Leinster to
Pengwern or Chester). This could work - and in this case, it might
not even need to be an SC to have appeal.

3) The other option I see is to indirectly massage the B/G
relationship. It seems that C/G is strongly encouraged, which has two
problems. One, the Scots don't embrace their role at sea, as we saw
here. Two, it strengthens the likelihood of B/A conflict, again as we
saw here. So if I decrease Gaelic/Scottish tensions, it could also
ease B/A relations. Thoughts on how to do that/if I should do that?

B.

On 12/27/09, Nigel PHILLIPS <nephilli99(at)hotmail.com> wrote:

Guys,
just a brief one from me: Nick has covered pretty much all the ground.
I fancied playing Scotland out of general interest in all things Scots (my
wife's ancestry), and to see what could be done with it. Central location
between Gaels and Norse, and potential rivalry to the south with Bretons and
to a lesser extent Angles meant that I was keen to find a secure border, and
somewhere to exert maximum pressure. Hence turning my back on Zetland
immediately, and heading south. Picking a fight with the Norse at this stage
would have been suicidal. Plus it was just more fun to extend scotland south
rather than west or east.
For several years I sought to make gains from the 4 way dance on the island.
I tried to make gains from the gaels to secure a solid back-door, but could
not hold the dot I gained. Hence falling back on to the main island, and a
solid alliance with the Angles, which allowed me to come far south. It was
with some regret that eventually I surrendered the major scots base in
Birmingham / Mercia, in order that the Angles could better block the Dames.
I agree that there is a predisposition in the map to S vs G, B vs A
initially, and that the 3 way fight should be resolved more quickly than the
4 way, leading to an imbalance.
As to how to make the dynamics change, I have wondered about adding the Isle
of Man, to draw G vs B as a larger possibility. Modifications to the seas
could make S vs N, or A vs D more likely early on. Maybe an eighth player in
northern France (or a substitute for the Danes?)
I enjoyed the game enormously, thanks to great GM'ing and good play from all
parts.
cheers
NigsRe Alban



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