First, many to thanks to Fredrik...did a very nice job of GMing...kept the game moving...was fun and easy to work with.

 

Second, I would like to thank my much larger ally - Jeremy (Austria) for a couple of things...for allowing me to play a screw-ball opening which threatened him for most of '01 and '02...and for graciously offering to include me in the draw and bypassing what may have been an Austrian solo.

 

Third, I'd like to thank all of the players that formed this game and who hung in there until the handwriting was on the wall.

 

My goals coming into the game were to ally with either R or T and snap up easy Austrian centers.  Talks with R and T never seemed to go very far, whereas talks with Austria always seemed to produce a tangible plan with mutual benefit.  For me the turning points in the game came in Spring of '01 when I tried to convince Austria to let me have Tyrolia...and then again in Fall '01 when I had to convince both Germany and Austria that I did not plan to attack them.  The offer of a DMZ from France was a godsend and allowed for all of this to happen without fear of defending against the west.

 

My opening -- The Bohemian Crusher as I have heard it called -- produced a much more interesting game than playing Italy sometimes affords.  What I hope this showed is that the Bohemian Crusher can be anti-Austrian, but can be turned into something that is quite difficult for Russia to handle as well.

 

Take care all,

 

Joe