All
a very interesting game.
it is my first in this format and the first dip game that i have played since ... college some 20 years ago.
I was a bit rusty with the moves at first and the hurricane on the east coast of the US left me without power for a week to start and then scrambling at work to make up for not having power for a whole week.
I was a bit put off with Italy in that he declared both friendship and the desire to open with a Lepanto opening .. the mutual exclusivity of the stated goals kind of threw me into the arms of russia
It worked well with russia for the most part but the northern flank was his undoing.
when france NMRed and dropped the game quickly went out of balance and when italy refused to even contest southern france and the iberian peninsula i knew the writing was on the wall.
At this point ... Russia was really in trouble in the north and i considered a stab and grab for the bud, bul and stp ... which i think i would have gotten .. but again italy's refusal to look to the west as England gobbled up 3 scs meant i had to cast my lot with russia and try to force into the ion when i got the chance.
all in all
well done to england and germany ... and i wisg that france had not bailed.
good luck
steve

On Oct 11, 2011, at 10:50 AM, Mike Hoffman wrote:
I was only in the game a short while, and I think my response to Maslow's request for commentary sums it all up:
"commentary: Really? From a guy who only took the position to keep the game moving? Who expects to be killed off within 3 turns? Let's just say my chances of surviving are on par with the US economy recovering in the same time period. "

Good Game, David and Dan! Come join DipCorp!

Mike
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"Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often" -- anon
"Shared Pain is lessened, Shared Joy is increased" --- Spider Robinson