I am so glad this game is over. I came into this game with high hopes for a thrilling game as I took over a Turkey with around 7 dots, and was up against some great players. Little did I know that 10 years would play out, I would end up on approximately the same 7 dots, and the game called a draw.

It started off ok, there was some discussion going on, but ultimately it boiled down very quickly to England and Russia that wouldn’t consider anything other than their own alliance. Therefore I have to say there wasn’t too much Diplomacy in this one. Italy and I came to the understanding that if we flinched at all, we’d simply be overrun faster, and Austria eventually bought in too, that ER were playing everyone else, and so it became the 3 small powers defending, waiting, losing ground bit by bit.

I think had Italy and Austria committed to a trio sooner, while Germany was still alive, we could have gotten a jump on ER and done something w the game. But once Mikael / Germany was out, we had no more forces behind enemy lines and it was over -- the next 5 years were all kind of a drag.

Therefore I’m happy the draw passed, cuz I wasn’t looking forward to another 5 years of slow grinding moves, nothing changing on the Russian front, and England gaining slowly in the west. I’m also happy it passed, cuz the only alternative was that England or Russia would eventually make a solo move, but it would have taken 10 years to get to a point where they had 15-16 ish each.

So good game all, especially to England and Russia for a well deserved draw, I’m happy w the survival – cant complain for enduring such an onslaught. As for the Trout, another flawless game GM’d as usual. See you all next time,
-mike




From: Jason K [mailto:githraine(at)yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 7:36 AM
To: Former Trout; dc116
Cc: Doug Colex; Jason K; Jorge Saralegui; Michael Sims; Neil Smark; Steve Lytton
Subject: Re: DC116 Vogon's Revenge - Fall 1913 - Stacked Crooked


I just wanted to thank all for a great (if long) game.
But especially to my partner Jorge, for sticking with me for a very strong end, to Mike, who stepped into a weak turkish position and held the line far longer then we could have expected (and teaching me a few things along the way) and Doug, who stuck out an impossible position for longer then I can credit, and playing the sides off to perfection to keep his micro-empire alive. No one earned a survivor credit more.
And I would like to note, the turning point, from my perspective was in the first years of the game when I did not take a vulnerable St Petes when Russia would have fallen to Austria and Turkey, forming the alliance that lasted the entire game.
Good Game everyone, see you all on the next board!
Jason