Smid's Diplomacy Game Thread #1

[minionofmidas]

Each season can be one week in length, so I'll adjudicate every weekend.

Is that two seasons a year, with conditional orders for withdrawals and builds given along with the move orders? Or are these separate?

[minionofmidas]

Each season can be one week in length, so I'll adjudicate every weekend.

Is that two seasons a year, with conditional orders for withdrawals and builds given along with the move orders? Or are these separate?

Very good question. Perhaps give conditional orders, but once I put the results in the thread, you can have 24 hours to change them if you wish. Give me the conditional orders, though, so that if you don't get a chance to log on in that 24 hour period, I can still go ahead with withdrawls and builds without slowing down the game.

Sounds reasonable to me.

[minionofmidas]

Fine with me.

[minionofmidas]

Has anyone seen Happy Warrior around? I haven't seen him since we started and I'm a little worried he's not been on and France won't submit orders or something. Anyway, we'll see what happens.

I don't think there is ground to worry.

[minionofmidas]

Yeah, if he's not around, he's not around and we can cross that bridge when we come to it. I just haven't seen him on here in a bit.

Not what I meant actually.

[minionofmidas]

www.diplom.org

[minionofmidas]

Great.

[minionofmidas]

Has anyone seen Happy Warrior around? I haven't seen him since we started and I'm a little worried he's not been on and France won't submit orders or something. Anyway, we'll see what happens.

I don't think there is ground to worry.

It looks like there was ground to worry. If France stays in disorder it will greatly affect the dynamics.

Yeah.
We'd conversed about the game, so I figured there was no ground to worry. Apparently though...

And what's wit'Germany? That's pretty weird as well.

[minionofmidas]

I am perfectly ready to endorse whichever decision Smid takes on the matter.

Provided that I know about the builds before I have to decide my next moves.

[minionofmidas]

Press Release from the government of the Kingdom of Italy:

Prime Minister Mikado expresses his respects to the Heads of State of England, France, Germany, Austria, Turkey, and Russia.  He would like to remind them that their generals cannot function without orders, and that all nations should submit orders this spring.

All glory to the House of Savoy,

Prime Minister Mikado

Thanks for reminding me! Much appreciated! Sentiments echoed!

All glory to the House Divided Unto Itself,

Prime Minister Trondheim

[minionofmidas]

Hello all,

Sorry I've been unreachable - things were a fair bit busier than I'd anticipated. I'll do the spring orders tonight, and if necessary, we can push Fall's orders back a week if you'd prefer.

On the flight up, I gave quite a bit of thought to Gustaf's position re: builds. I believe the fairest thing to do would be to allow him his Winter 1901 builds immediately following Spring 1902. This prevents him from gaining any real advantage of seeing other nations' builds, while at the same time not penalising him too harshly. Effectivley it means he is disadvantaged for one turn, rather than two.

I just got back this evening (and just logged on to 11 new PMs...). I'll sort out the orders after dinner and upload the new maps then.

I sent you two scenarios based on what's done about Gustaf's builds... and this is certainly not a scenario I envisaged. Now I need a moment to think this through.

[minionofmidas]

I think if Gustaf is given his two builds, it is much preferable for me if they're around now, actually.

Meh. Use the "Gustaf has been building just like everybody else" scenario for my moves. Pretend this never happened.

[minionofmidas]

Are we expected to turn in the next move tomorrow, or next week?

[minionofmidas]

Isn't sunday going to be over in a couple of hours in Australia? How many hours is the difference to Europe again, 9? 10?

It's just that I was hoping to be able to check the map this morning.

[minionofmidas]

One thing that's interesting to note - although Austria's last-ditch march on Munich failed, it still impacted on the game, cutting French support of Kiel, resulting in England's capture of that province.

Yes. That was the point.
You may say that I summoned the Army of the Dead to the Stone of Munich.
Thanks Xahar!

There are two retreats required:

Turkish fleet in Greece and French army in Kiel. I'm pretty sure I have provisional retreats for each of those

Besides, there's only one option each (not counting dissolution).

[minionofmidas]

Can you move an army from Norway to St. Petersburg?

Certainly.

[minionofmidas]

Except if Gustaf had moved for Kiel instead of Denmark.

[minionofmidas]

Except if Gustaf had moved for Kiel instead of Denmark.

There are at least SOME limits to the extent that you can dupe me, you know.

Yeah... guarding against such a move on your part was probably a mistake on my part.

[minionofmidas]

Somebody destroy Germany. Please?

No. We want to play with it a little longer before we kill it.

[minionofmidas]

Somebody destroy Germany. Please?

No. We want to play with it a little longer before we kill it.

I never recorded that many NMRs...

You're not a mouse.

[minionofmidas]

I tried that once and got horribly stabbed by Austria who went on to win in a 4-way tie with Russia, England and France.

[minionofmidas]

It's interesting that Italy is considered so poor. When I played this with my friends we were basically all in agreement that Austria was the worse choice. But I suppose I must bow to the Diplomacy authorities.

No, no, you're quite right. Austria is heavy favorite to go out first - although apparently, Italy is just as crappy when it comes to winning outright.

[minionofmidas]

How are the builds affected by the retreats? The Italian fleet can't retreat to Bulgaria, there was fighting (ie a bounce) there, right? It can only retreat to either Albania or the Ionian (or dissolve).
And the Russian Army can retreat only to Vienna (or dissolve), as Albania is where its supplanter came from.

[minionofmidas]

Well the Russian might want to dissolve rather than retreat to Vienna, in order to build one more unit at home... but I guess it's pretty unlikely.

[minionofmidas]

I probably should have given the numbers:

England
Build 1

Russia
Build 2

Italy
Remove 2

If I read it correctly I think Russia builds only 1. They gain Ser, Gre and Con, but lose Swe and Tri.

I had my Sweden fleet disbanded, so I get another 1. Not that it looks likely to help me, of course.

Of course, my bad. I forgot about that spring disband.

Fall disband, actually.