This may not be as detailed as I would like since I'm on the road in
Minneapolis right now (no access to the RP history of this game) but I
think I can talk most of it from memory.
First of all, thanks to Josh and all the players for a very enjoyable
game, and especially to Jorge for stepping in after Bruce's departure
so the game could continue uninterrupted.
Coming in to this game, I had something to prove - an undesirable
reputation for being stab-happy as a result of DC 229. Accordingly, I
played this game with much more firm alliances than I typically do,
and decided very early in the game to forgo a solo run in favor of a 2
or 3 way draw. I had very little history with any of the players
aside from Jim in Austria (who I had played with before), and Mark in
England, who was a player in one of my Dark Ages games here in DC.
I was fortunate to find willing allies in Austria and France. Wasn't
sure if Jim would welcome me as an ally or not coming into this game -
we had quite the scuffle in our most recent previous game. Looking
east, Turkey left a critical vulnerability open early that allowed for
an invasion. Following Austria's lead, we followed through on that
attack to remove Russia from the south as well. Eliminating David was
not one of my goals, but unfortunately he suffered the curse of the
Russian, and faced attacks in the north and south simultaneously. The
alliance with Austria solidified into a two-way draw pact at this
time, and from this point forward we were playing towards that end.
All the same, Jim and I were both quite cautious not to leave
sufficient stab opportunities open to one another that would enable
either of us to reach 18 at the other's expense.
Shifting attentions west, I seriously entertained bypassing France
entirely - my alliance with him was not all smoke and mirrors. And I
must admit there is a strong argument to be made that I *should* have
remained loyal to him, at least longer than I did - that the campaign
against England and Germany would have been concluded much more easily
had I done so. Regardless, I saw an opportunity, and under pressure
to maintain the pace of Austrian gains, I took advantage. Ben L. was
a good ally and very easy to work with - I took no pleasure out of
stabbing him, and hope to have another opportunity to play with him
again in the future.
As the game transitioned into the endgame phase, it kind of got
sloppy. I botched my orders on one occasion, setting A/I plans back a
full three seasons. I would not have faulted Jim for stabbing me in
response to that, and I suspect the thought did cross his mind. Still
- when Jim Rossiter gives his word, you can take it to the bank, and
fortunately for me, the setback was 100% reversible. So we quickly
recovered the lost momentum and position.
The endgame became a slow war of attrition, one that would, barring an
A/I stab, eventually result in guaranteed success. Gascony could be
forced, and then the German Army in Ruhr would be overloaded in its
task to defend both Kiel and Burgundy. Even if I was dislodged from
Gascony, it could be recaptured, and the guessing game could be
repeated indefinitely. So it was only a matter of time until either
Burgundy or Kiel was dislodged, which would have resulted in the
collapse of the EFG line. What happened from there was anybody's
guess, but I believe both Jim and I would have stuck to the agreed
pact and pushed all the way to 17-17.
That said, I commend EFG for their seamless coordination - whoever was
calling the shots in that group did so very effectively, and organized
a strong defense. Your survival points were well earned, and I look
forward to seeing you all again soon in DC.
Thanks!
B.
--
Diplomacy in Texas!
www.texasdiplomacy.com
http://nairenvorbeck.angelfire.com/
Realpolitik files available here for the Sengoku, Balkans1860, South
American Supremacy, and DarkAges Diplomacy Variants
.