My apologies to all, I will try and get it fixed.
Germany
To my Russian friend, I’m disappointed in your lack of foresight in the north. I understand your struggles in the south are paramount but surely you realize that your army in Moscow does you no good whatsoever. If the English and French are able to steamroll me it is you and the Italian who will feel the tip of their strengthened swords. England will require SCs to keep pace with France after he gains Iberia and St Pete is on his menu for sure, especially if your fates in the south get any worse.
I had hoped that our agreement on Sweden and your professed gratitude would have dictated you bounce the English in Norway upon the announcement of the alliance. It would have been a zero risk solution for you as England will be dedicated to battling me foremost.
Il Duce your move to Tyrolia is a strange one. It is unclear if this move is against the Austrian or me. In either case you might wish to reconsider turning your back on the French. As the English and French have discussed his fleet builds will be restricted to Marseilles, right in your backyard. If he penetrates Munich once I fall he will easily be able to support his units through the Piedmont.
/Germany
Turkey
Austria
Worthy Archduke, let the Russian bluster all he likes - I considered taking Rumania with my fleet but disliked the weakness of the resulting position, especially since events in the West rendered it likely that Russia would get Sweden without a fight, and hence a build. I am in no position to threaten Budapest, in which your army is about to appear, nor is Russia by any means finished since, as it seems, both England and Germany are otherwise engaged for now.
I am unsure what the Italian thinks he’s doing, unless your pre-arranged bounce in Venice has annoyed him, but I would value you greatly as an ally and I doubt he can do much to you as long as I remain your friend. With me to help guard your rear, do you think you can spare something for, say, a march on Warsaw?
Italy
Il Duce, I apologise if I have just maligned you for it is plain that you have no hostile intent towards me. I am still more than willing to embark on the Southern Triple previously mooted. It is plain that we need to consider urgent action if there is an Anglo-French steamroller in the offing.
/Turkey
Austria
You extract far too small of a price for your cooperation!
Let me be blunt and lay a couple ground rules for an alliance. Feel free to do the same:
(1) You have to build an army or fleet in StP. Building an army in Warsaw=War.
(2) You have to help Germany in the north for at least the next two years. You need to attack NOR from StP with support from SWE for this duration unless the Kaiser prefers different. A move towards Germany ends our alliance.
(3) No fleet build in SEV for the duration.
As for Galacia, I must refuse and inform you that I would view a Russian Army in Gal as an act of war.
Now, down to business. The terms I offer are that I will support you into Rumania this turn in exchange for you supporting me when practicable into Bulgaria. Please move F Sev-Rum, A Ukr [s] F-Sev Rum, and A Mos-Sev. I don’t want to say what I will do since then Italy and Turkey will see it and be able to react accordingly. Just rest assured that you will get into Rumania this fall.
I would certainly be open to an alliance further than this next year, but I don’t know how much help I can be. I expect France to roll up Italy pretty quickly here, and then I will have to deal with him.
Italy- I’m not sure why you chose to stab me when I specifically told you that I was going to make a move that would make your stab ineffective. Oh well. Prepare to die!
Sorry, I view that a Russian alliance will be more favorable at the moment. However, if he is obstinant or gets stabby in the future perhaps we can cooperate.
/Austria
Germany
I wish to register my support for the Austrian plan. If Russia acquiesces he will have my unfettered support and loyalty in the north. Such a plan would allow you to beat back the Turk with a secure north and west. Considering the circumstances his terms seem reasonable.
/Germany
[E]
I thought there was a retreat from Sev, but I see that Russia just accepted inevitability and buggered out of there while the getting was good.
That fleet in Norway will likely be going south in the spring. While Germany does point out that in the future there could be friction between us (and I won’t deny the possibility), right now we gain nothing from doing so, and established trust can make future cooperation more not less likely. I suggest we mutually vacate both centers simultaneously.
[F]
Well done sir well done; you did exactly what I thought you’d do. Germany only gets one build, thanks in part to my bounce in Holland. I presume builds in Paris and Marseilles, while I almost certainly will put a fleet in Scotland. More to come after the builds…
I’m not sure if you are looking for a piece of the action (i.e. Munich), or what-that is something which seems more appropriate to discuss with France. If you want in, in principle at least I have no issue with that.
[A]
You are the wild card in all this; nobody knows which way you’ll be going after the winter builds. In a way I kind of envy your position. Decide wisely; I am open to any sort of deals down the road. I will say one thing: typically Austrian/Turkish alliances benefit the Sultan more than the Archduke.
[T]
A lot depends on which way the Austrian winds blow, but you’re looking pretty sweet. From one Wicked Witch to the other.[/cackle]
[E]
So you would have Russia with an empty Warsaw, and you with two certain army builds in VIE/BUD? That leaves wevet’s margin in the south very razor-thin… His choice of course.
Oh look. England is against a plan that invovles him being attacked. Please, tell us, what is your position on being kicked in the nads and dunked in boiling oil?
[ITALY]
Austria:
I don’t know where you perceived a stab, since I directed no unit toward your territory and interfered with no movement of your troops. I merely defended Venice as you suggested I ought. I must therefore assume that your intention this entire year has been war with Italy and respond accordingly.
Turkey:
Perhaps a bilateral alliance would be better between us. We can eliminate the unpredictable element of Austria and stand as a strong power to contend against the northern powers. We could have our forces in position to crush Austria between us in short order. How say you?
France:
I would take it as a sign of continued peace between our nations if you refrained from building fleets in Marseilles. Italy could be a strong ally to you in the near future.
Germany:
My forces are not moving against you in the Spring. Apparently I must quell noisy neighbors to the east.
[/ITALY]
CatInASuit, would you append the links to the board images at the end of each of your posts to save us some scrolling? Or perhaps periodically just make a post containing each link to date?
Austria
Ah, so your army in the Tyrol is merely admiring the mountain scenary?
Autumn 1901 - Updated correctly.
Austria: Builds 2 units
England: Builds 1 unit
France: Builds 2 units
Germany: Builds 1 unit
Italy: Builds 1 unit
Russia: Builds 1 unit
Turkey: Builds 2 units
[ITALY]
Austria:
Indeed. And while up there, they did not report seeing “Property of Austria” written on any of the mountainsides. So, still a little unsure how touring the Alps is a stab at Austria. Next you’ll be claiming you had a “radio station” up there or something.
[/ITALY]
Thanks for the links omnibus, Cat.
[Russia]
Austria
You ask quite a lot, but offer much as well. It’s late here, and I will have to get back to you with my counteroffer in the morning.
[/Russia]
Turkey
Austria
I’m a little disappointed - I have done you no harm, intended no harm, and made representations generally favourable to you to our fellow Southerner, and my reward is to hear you discussing with Russia how you will carve us up. Very well, so be it.
Italy
I am all in favour of it. Head on over this way and we will see what we can do.
Russia
As you will see, Austria’s plan for you entails your being utterly dependent on his goodwill and obeying his dictates as to where you will and won’t go in your own country. He spoke of a counteroffer, and I’m willing to make one - only, in the first instance, not to him. In exchange for a modicum of cooperation on your part I’m willing to restore Rumania to you as soon as practicable - obviously I need troops on the ground at this stage of the war, and so can’t give it back straight away - and will happily throw Budapest into the pot as well once we get that far. With a hostile Italy at his back as well, the Archduke will collapse like a pricked balloon, and leave you much better placed than with half your forces the wrong side of the Black Sea and the Anglo-French alliance breathing down your neck.
I’d still like to see if we can destroy your southern fleet some time - rebuilding it elsewhere could only help you.
/Turkey
[France]
@England- indeed, that all worked out as well as could be hoped. I may have to build an Army in Bre and then do the long march to Germany if I can’t talk Italy into being sensible about the whole thing. We shall have to see. But so far all is going swimmingly, and I look forward to helping you aquire some delicious Dutch chocolates!
@Germany- I do have some modicum of regrets, that things had to come to this so fast, but such is life.
@Italy-Is there any chance I could talk you into allowing me, this turn, an Army in Mar, if only to speed my drive on the Kaiser? I assure you, I have no ill intentions against you. In fact, I could use your support very shortly. But if you insist, I will instead build elsewhere, as I cannot afford now a war on 2 fronts (nor, I expect, can you).
[/France]
[E] to [A]
Well duhh. Of course you assume that building a unit in St. Pete is his best move. But he has no absolute guarantees that you’ll not move against an empty Warsaw. He knows a build up there will seriously p*** me off, and with the German High Seas fleet mostly neutralized that I could easily & quickly move against him, with a dislodged F Norway likely retreating to the Barents Sea. Meanwhile A Warsaw, if Turkey continues his campaign against wevets, won’t be a genuine threat against you, but said build is vital insurance for him. He can’t afford a two-front war.
[Russia]
Austria
Here is my counteroffer to your proposal:
In an alliance between Austria and Russia…
-
Russia will build an army in Warsaw only when Austria builds an army in Vienna.
-
No fleets built in Sevastopol for the duration.
A. We jointly attack Rumania for Russia and then immediately press on to Bulgaria for Austria, allowing us each to gain at least one center. I suggest we limit posting of specific moves to only those absolutely necessary for support orders to function.
B. To limit fears of a stab, we should arrange a bounce in Galacia.
C. We can talk about the dispostion of Constantinople when we are closer to it. I am favorably disposed towards allocating it to Austria assuming we can work out what to do about the problematic Russian fleet.
Turkey
You’re right - the Austrian offer was a little bit of a “Stab Me” sticker he wanted to put on Russia’s back.
If a country cannot understand their ally’s own security concerns, how can it really be an alliance?
I see that we could have Austria at a disadvantage if we simultaneously press him from multiple directions.
What to do about the Russian fleet? I think you’re right, if we are to ally we should destroy it. Perhaps a move by the fleet into Rumania in Spring 1902 or 1903 with a follow-up Russian army occupying Sevastopol? Then it could be destroyed and in Fall and Rumania could revert to Turkish control.
In exchange, I would need assurance that future Turkish fleets would be built in Smyrna - and not pass north into the Black Sea, and your assistance into either Budapest or Vienna, whichever we could more securely arrange.
Italy
needs to be involved in this plan. The Austrians have worked hard to stunt your growth by forcing you to bounce him out of Venice. Maybe Italy from the west, Russia from the north, and Turkey from the east? It would solve the pesky Venice-Trieste problem permanently.
England
While in principle I have no objection to us both vacating our adjacent centers at the same time, there is the extra concern of a bordering German fleet in Denmark, and I really cannot allow Germany to be quickly crushed by an Anglo-French alliance. Perhaps we arrange a bounce for Norway-Sweden this turn?
[/Russia]
[E]
to [F] & *
Germany isn’t down and out by any means, and can be a tough nut to crack even in the best of circumstances. If Italy does want a piece (Munich I assume as already interated), then he needs to declare such ASAP, or at least after the build phase.
[E] to [R]:
Obviously you’re no fool, and I respect that. Just as obviously, I am concerned for my own security and to that end I really would like to get a build next year, which I’ll note is far from a sure thing. You need to throw me a bone here.
Austria
You think my grand plan is to piss off Turkey and Italy by offering an alliance with you just so I can stab you? And worse off, to counter this imaginary threat you offer an alliance with a country that has (1) already taken a territory that is rightfully yours and (2) truly has you by the balls. Look at the board. How in the world am I going to do anything that threatens you without the cooperation of Italy and Turkey? There is no plausible scenario where I could do anything to threaten Warsaw in the next two years.
Every alliance comes to an end in this game. At least if you had allied with me we would be fighting on equal terms. When it comes time to fight Turkey it won’t be on equal terms and you will have your ass handed to you. That is the exact reason I didn’t choose to ally with Turkey. All he wants is time to finish you off and get his fleets into the Mediterranean. Once that is accomplished he would have turned on me, and I would have been rocked.
Why in the world are you agreeing to anything with England? Look at the board. England and France have a rock solid alliance. Who else is there for England to attack besides you and Germany if he isn’t going after France. You have one shot to make gains against him. You and Germany can have him outnumbered for exactly one turn while his fleet moves from Edi-Nwg. After that there is zero chance of you gaining in the North. If you would build a fleet in StP, cooperate with me and Germany, you would have gotten NOR this turn. The NOR-SWE would have given you a rock solid north breakable only by the cooperation of Germany and England, which obviously isn’t happening.
Seriously. I go to great risk to toss you a life preserver and you go ahead and decide to try your luck with the circling sharks. All I can say is good luck with that.