Just to add my own two cents - there are a number of territories in the game that, while having no resource centers are hugely important for their strategic positions.
Off the top of my head the ones that come to mind are: The Black Sea, Silesia, Tyrolia, and the English Channel. Any of these territories can become key for controlling many of the territories around them, and often serve as linch pins for either the defense or capture of surrounding territories. Just for an example - consider how control of the Black Sea would have allowed Turkey to make a very credible attempt to take Sevastopol from Russia. Or you can simply imagine how Italy sweats over the idea of an army in Tyrolia.
In your shoes, control of the English Channel helps assure you of the continued security of your home island. But it also allows you to threaten Brest, as well as the Low Countries. Unless France has a good reason to trust your good intentions, it will have no choice but to protect Brest by returning the fleet in the Mid-Atlantic to Brest, or moving the army in Gascony to Brest. In this game, since you can’t always trust the other players, many players are going to be reacting to what the worst thing the other playes’ positions might allow them to do. So, some players will take care to refrain from doing anything that will look threatening.
ETA: At least until they’re sure that the dagger thrust will be fatal, rather than simply annoying.
I can’t find a link to this game, so that commentators (such as I) can see the map and orders and such?
From what I gather…
Hmm nobody has to worry about the Juggernaut in this game I guess.
Austria and Italy generally have more to gain than lose if they cooperate. It goes to show how hard it is for Italy generally-Austria is their best target operationally but not so good strategically: typically an Italian stab of Austria is followed by Russia and/or Turkey quickly disposing of the Archduke, followed soon by them quickly disposing of Italy. There are…sneaky things a solid Ita/Aus alliance can do.
A Russian move to Scandinavia is typically more worrisome for England than it is for Germany; as Omniscient said England probably needs to call off his move towards the French. France might be able to play its enemies off of each other-can’t hurt to try. Germany probably will need to stab someone somewhere to become a big threat.
If I am overstepping my bounds here with my comments feel free to fire a warning shot across my bow…
The game is #4016 “The Straight Dope” on the site linked above. Since you have to log in to see the game, I don’t believe it’s possible to set up a working hyperlink to the game.
Once you’re logged into the site, and found the game using the search of the active games, you can sign up to watch the game.
The classy Diplomacy players manage it with all stabs to the front, not the back. (The effective Diplomacy players however, are usually skilled at the art of the back stab. Also the “Let’s you and him fight” strategy, too.)
Not necessarily. The Diplomatic Pouch, IIRC, had an article on how to win without backstabbing anyone overtly. There was one AAR I recall where the victor just basically acted like a Dip version of Gandalf, always coordinating a coalition against whoever was perceived as the Big Bad at any given moment, and slowly his power grew in bits and pieces here and there without anyone really paying any heed, such that at the key moment he was able to roll to victory within one year.
I’d like to see a more robust message interface for the site. I want messages from and sent to another power both shown on that country’s tab. Also, a tag on messages I haven’t responded to.
I think France moved unwisely, sending all three units in the direction of those two undefended centers. Now either the A Gas or the F MAtl will need to return to cover Brest.
Looks like Germany is in good shape, headed for three builds, with no obvious enemies and with England and France apparently hostile to each other. I would anticipate Germany will try to encourage that hostility and pick a side to jump in on.
The big question for Fall is whether Russia will allow England to take Norway. Given his obvious Turkish problem, I would say that Russia would have to be very sure of his alliance with both Germany and Austria before doing anything to annoy England.
And the longer-term question is what Italy and Austria will do with/to each other.
England must be everybody’s buddy-not only did France trust him not to land in Brest, Russia let him into Norway! Tho Russia did ominously move that army into Finland-I guess he is counting on a stalemate in the south and a build in St. Pete, but England now gets a fleet.
France, by trusting England, got his two builds-we shall see who he hooks up with. Germany is going to be a monster with the 3 builds he is getting.
Russia and Turkey are still at each other’s throats, as are Italy and Austria; something will have to give there or the winner will come from one of the Western powers.
Hard to tell really who is on who’s side right now-usually by Fall '01 there is at least one clear-cut alliance.
I don’t think it’s because people think I’m their buddy. Russia knows he has me outmatched in Scandinavia, especially if he decides to build in St. Pete. I have to worry about Germany being so strong, and an apparent alliance between Russia and Germany. Without a build order in Moscow or an agreement with the Turks, I can’t see how he can handle the invasion from his south, though.
I think the only current alliance is Russia and Germany. There are strong agreements, but not necessarily as strong as an alliance, between France/Italy, England/France, England/Russia, Austria/Turkey, and possibly Russia/Austria. We’ll see after the build orders whether Russia’s going north or south, but they’re almost certainly (as in I would bet real money on it) not going west anytime soon.
