cad@cbosgd.UUCP (Chuck A DeGaul) (06/15/84)
Peak Game - Fall 1901 & 1901 builds - Comments by country: Austria: No surprise here. The Austrians seize "their" two supply centers and build armies. Relations with Italy are jumbled. The temporary collapse of Czarist Russia creates an enormous void, into which Austria (and Turkey, Germany and England) will want to rush. If Russia is completely into civil disorder, Austria is in trouble. The current positions of Russia's forces greatly favor Turkey and England. It seems unlikely that either Austria or Germany will get their share, even working together. Where Austria goes next (Italy, Russia, Balkans) will have a great deal of impact on the southern portion of the board. I suspect the Emperor is a popular person at present. Britain: A masterful move. Did England realize Russia wouldn't take Sweden? Denmark is a German possession in 80+% of the games I've seen. That Germany gave it to Britain speaks very well for the English diplomatic efforts. If Russia is out, England will clean up, although given the situation, another Army was more appropriate for the second build. The English need fleets in any game, but why now, with all of Russia beckoning? Both Germany and France have failed to challenge the English at sea and this puts England in a very favorable position. Britain will want to press its claims in Scandanavia and there is very little anyone can do about it. France: Poor France. Outfoxed in the South, France is losing precious time. With the vacuum of the East providing England with a rapid growth area, France cannot afford to fall too far behind. France usually needs to build at least one fleet in 1901 (though England never likes this) because of the difficulty of defending the Western Mediterranean. Fortunately for France, however, Turkey has chosen to build fleets and this will cause Italy and Austria concern. If Germany and England are working together (as Germany's lack of fleets suggests) then the carve up may have gone "England gets Scandanavia and Northern Russia, while Germany gets France and Iberia." Diplomacy in the coming year will be very important as France must play for Allies and Position, while others are playing for supply centers. Germany: Given the strange first move, Germany's Fall move is as expected. The army in Munich holding shows, either indecision, or mistrust of France and/or Austria. Obviously, Germany did not anticipate the Russian disorder. Now the question becomes where to go. Germany will claim Warsaw, but this is only possible if Austria co-operates, and if Russia remains in disorder. If the Russians liven up, Germany shouldn't count on anything. Germany should see now the folly of giving England Denmark. England's position is very superior in the North, and would have been even if the Russians were in Sweden with a build in St. Pete. As it is, if Germany isn't solidly allied with England, the Kaiser should be doing some hard thinking. Italy: Italy has now managed to piss off both its neighbors and has no more to show for it it than if it had played a completely passive first Year. The Italian should shake in his boots to see the Turks building fleets, even if they are disguised as inland waterway vessels. The Black Sea won't hold them for long. An Italian-Austrian alliance frequently works well against Turkey, but at this stage the Austrians have little reason to bargain with the Italians, although they have to view the Turkish fleets with even more shock and dismay. Relations with France seem to have very good potentials, as France has extended the hand of forgiveness with its Paris build. Russia: What happened? Turkey: Luck seems to be with the Turks. First they pull the wool over Russia's eyes in the Spring and then, after making less than good moves in the Fall, find the Russians in disorder. The situation in the game would be completely different if the Russians had moved F Rum -> Sev supported from Ukr. This would have stood the Turks out of Sevastopol and preserved the Rumanian possession. Russia then builds in Sev and the Turks are stuck. As it was, Turkey gets a break and builds two. Fleets? I nearly fell over. With Russia possibly opening up, the Turks chose fleets (much to the dismay of Austria and Italy. Just what deals has Turkey worked with England and/or Germany? General Comments: Russia's lack of Fall moves changes the complexion of the game. This is very early in the game to get a disorder moves and it throws all my standard analysis for 1901 out the window. England must be considered in the driver's seat, while Turkey may have made some unnecessary enemies with its overly active shipyards and certainly displayed a tactical error. Austria is in a position to either get left behind in the stampede Eastward, or play the role of Kingmaker by deciding who gets Warsaw and who gets Rumania. The France/Germany/Engand pairs must soon become evident. England appears to have allied with both Germany and France, but this obviously will not last. Italy needs to make some decisions and some friends as its first year efforts were dissipative. Your Foreign Correspondent, ---> Chuck A DeGaul <--- Late Note: It appears that the Russian player bowed out. Dave Peak seemed to be looking for another player, and I was able to brow-beat him into letting me take over the hapless Russian situation. This will therefore be my last, non-partisan, commentary on this particular game. I wrote these comments before realizing I would be taking over Russia. Naturally, this changes the situation, as my comments assumed a void in the East where Russia used to be. I invite anyone else to pick up where I am leaving off and continue these notes. The gamemaster requested that I delay posting each of them until just prior to the announced move deadline for the next move, and that seemed a reasonable request. I got a lot of positive mail about them, so I judged that they were popular, if not always on target. So long for now, ---> Chuck <---