Well, I can already see that my smack talking skills are sorely overmatched in this crowd. I’ll do my best.
Not to be the pain in the ass, but it’d be a nice help to get that webpage and map up as soon as possible. Being unemployed, I suppose I have a uncommon amount of free time, so if you’re busy don’t stress.
Also, I’d be happy to chip in with and Web help that is needed.
I agree about getting the web page up. And the game needs a name.
How about “George”?
George it is.
I hereby declare SDMB Diplomacy: George officially underway.
Hey, if RT registers the game at Cat23 he’ll get to assign the name.
I wonder if our discussions will end up on metaus.com?
They probably will - after all, they’d definitely want to capture our sparkling repartee!
Our CAT23 number is 1040.
For a name, anybody got anything more clever than “IRS 1040”? 
It could also be the weight of an oil, but I like the IRS thingy.
As for who to fear most in this game, I think I’ve got it sorted:
a) guy who uses swords AND eats fire, but only when he’s close enough to reach me.
b) guy who used to use swords but still could drop me with one well placed swipe
c) guy who eats guys who use swords for lunch and then uses the swords to pick his teeth, Esquire.
Okay, reading through that, maybe the last shall be first.
As for the metasus site, I am worried that they won’t find anything that I write interesting enough to plagariaze.
“I’d rather be talked about than not talked about” - Oscar Wilde
Or, “I’d rather be oinked about than not oinked about.” - Hog Wilde
I apologize for not having our page up yet on Nate’s website. The last two evenings have been unexpectedly busy. Tonight’s going to be no better, since I’m packing to go away for the long weekend; I’ll be gone from tomorrow morning through Monday afternoon. I’m hoping to get the page up Monday night.
However, the initial map looks the same, regardless of game number. Try the one at the bottom of this page for now.
And the official rules (in .pdf format) are here.
I’m nothing to worry about. I am a tax and estate planning lawyer. My job is just to help rich people keep their money. I’d be more worried about the sword people.
For a name, how about Quaker 1040? I like the whole war/anti-war thing.
I went here and made 15 photocopies of one of the maps. It should do you until the site is up.
Here, at least, we could call it Quaker State 10**W-**40. 
That’s enough out of both of you!
Don’t make me come to Annapolis and fly out to Chicago.
Tempus Fugit…
Apropos of nothing…
Check out the unorthodox opening that Italy and Austria just took in the new game I’m running:
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Austria be the one to engineer a juggernaut before.
As Germany, though, do you abandon Munich to take Belgium and Holland, or do you go back with support from Kiel? I would think the former.
You’re right. I think you’ve got to lower your expectations and protect your home supply centers.
Ya’ got it backwards. I think he should take Bel, Hol and Denmark, even though they can’t all build. England won’t like France’s three builds, and Germany will still have 4 armies with which to take it back.
If Germany keeps Austria out of Munich, Austria’s dead in the water. I’m not too clear on what’s going on with A R T, but it does seem pretty clear to me that if Austria doesn’t get 2 builds in 1901, his demise to the Juggernaut will be exceedingly rapid.
If I were France (and if I had a strong relationship with England, which isn’t at all unlikely), I would consider A Spa-Por and F Mao-Spa (sc), then building a fleet in Mar, to get a head start at getting a piece of Italy following the Balkan explosion. And I guess I’d probably support Austria into Munich. I’d also tell England exactly what I was doing, as he’s already committed in the north. Having Germany fall while England focuses on Scandinavia can only be a good thing.
Were I Austria, I’d try to persuade France of that fact, and then hope Germany followed Abe Babe’s plan and order A Trl-Mun, with support from French A Bur, and explain to Italy that the whole thing was some sort of feint. I wouldn’t expect him to buy it, but I’m screwed anyway. I would then inform Turkey of my intentions to move A Tri-Ser (and do so), advising him to take Greece instead, and order F Adr-Tri, hoping that Italy tried A Ven-Tri out of desperation, or something. I’m pretty screwed anyway, with a strong RT behind me and a pissed Italy in front.
As Russia I’d try to persuade Turkey somehow not to order F Ank-Bla in the fall, so that I could A Ukr-Gal and F Sev-Rum, putting the screws to Austria. I have few prospects to gain any centers in 1902, so I’d want a better look at Budapest than just my lone A Ukr-Rum is gonna give me, unless I have some bizarre plans to stab Turkey with Austria’s help somehow. That might explain Austria’s opening, actually, if it was a feint intended to draw Turkey in. It still doesn’t offer Russia too much in the way of spoils, though.
Well. That went on for too long. I need the practice, though, especially to warm up for 1040.
The way I see it, we’ve got a pretty normal opening move, except for (a) Austria jumping on Italy (or at least apparently prepping to jump on Venice with everything he’s got), and (b) Russia doing everything except attack Austria.
Italy can take Tunis by fleet, and protect Venice with Apulia. That possibility forces Austria to go in to Venice with all 3 guns blazing - either that, or totally switching strategy and following WL’s advice. I’m betting he throws the kitchen sink at Venice. (It’s a shame he didn’t go with a more normal opening that could have gotten him Serbia and Greece easily, with Italy and Russia nonhostile and really only Turkey to worry about. But too late now.)
So if I’m Germany, I’m betting Munich doesn’t need protection from Austria (though perhaps from France). Thing is, if you’re France, and slip into Munich in F01, holding it is really difficult; you usually just make a permanent enemy out of Germany while sapping both your and Germany’s energy for several moves.
So if I’m Germany, I take the chance: go for Belgium and Holland, and figure Belgium’s gonna be a bounce with France. If someone stabs me in Munich, it’s probably France, in which case I still come out of 01 with 5 bases, and can push France out of Munich. (And there’s a longshot that France and Austria both grab for Munich, and I come up with 6 bases after 01.)
Meanwhile, I could contribute to a weak Russia by Den-Swe, holding overextended Russia (fighting with England in Scandinavia, fighting with Turkey, little chance of quickly victimizing Austria) to 5 units after 01.
Italy and Russia are the countries most hurt by the unorthodoxies in the opening. Germany, Turkey (who gets an easy Greece pickup in 01, with good chances at Serbia in 02), and France (who can join in feasting on Italy) are the likely beneficiaries. I’d love to be playing any one of the three in 1025.
What he said.
Turkey seems to be the big winner here, with 5 centers, including Greece, and all that without making anybody mad.
Even if it is one hell of a feint, with the IOnian fleet moving to the Aegean for an 02 convoy, Turkey has two centers and a good chance to play nice with Russia.
Only 39 hours until the hills are alive with the sound of Austrian artillery.
[sub]and bump[/sub]
Did anyone hear a fizzle just now?