Guys,
I thought I'd respond to Adam's long piece, and just give my views in brief.
firstly, great players and GM - i've rarely had more fun, and a more challenging game. I'm sure Mike would have enjoyed playing too.Secondly, the variant - good to see a map I knew well, and yet could be so different. It played out very differently for many years, though the later stages were just like standard. I much preferred it to last year's gunboat. Nice to try something different each time. Russia was a hard draw, but not so much as Lowlands...Thirdly, the game and players: Jorge got off to a highly impressive start, worthy of success at the end too - for me the outstanding bit of play. I enjoyed his play throughout, even when he had more of my home centres than I did.Dan - stabby, and very hard to beat: a stake through the heart and chopping the head off required simultaneously. My most difficult neighbour. If we can ever get it together, then like Pinky and the Brain, we get on with the main plan, taking over the world.Drew: i'd have loved to work more with, but our paths were star crossed from the outset.Adam - a pleasure to partner with, and I didn't mind being used as a shield.Joe: didn't speak much until late in the game, and then relatively little. Flame war a bit excessive to my taste, but emotions were running high at that stage.Mikael: always a pleasure to play with - i wish we could have done more together vs AB - his choosing Dan despite Dan's stabs was a pity from my pov.My most pleasure came from wheeling and dealing when down to a single dot, and my recovery back up to 4 - very satisfying. Good to be in at the end, even as the only one who hadn't had a shot at the big time in this game.England, Lowlands, spain, Germany : I had little contact (mostly with Germany), but from my pov they played well enough in a sea full of sharks...  
I need to comment on why I stopped engaging so much (noted by Adam in his EGS) - basically I got ill, and lost energy. I have a recurrence of a long term serious chronic illness, in remission for several years. Not sure how this is going to play out the second time round this particular block, so I'm winding down my dip and other things to a straight edge as swiftly as I can. Thankfully I don't think this had too adverse an effect upon the game. Consequence of illness and treatment was a sharp and prolonged decline in my ability to play actively. Thankfully by the time this really got bad I was in a highly enjoyable three way alliance - great tactical chats. So for a while I went along for the ride (apologies to Jorge and Adam). Latterly I just needed the game to end - any way would have done. I would have preferred the NTR alliance to triumph, but Dip being what it is, I can't say I blame Adam for going for it. "When shall we three meet again" - sometime I hope, all being well.
For myself, I was enjoying the alliance too much to stab, and I was badly lacking concentration too, so if i had tried, i wouldn't have pulled it off. So my quote from Macbeth:"If t'were done, when 'tis done, t'were well t'were done quickly." Adam acted at a great time, with a self-sacrificing ally in Joe, and gained swiftly - deserving of a champion. I had wondered if it was coming, but took no action to deter it - I think usually I would have found a way. Jorge and I considered fighting on, but concluded ending it was better. 
Thanks to Mike for organising and running efficiently a sever. thanks to everyone for playing. 
cheers
Nigs




 
 


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