*gasp* - SoW 2 actually completed a new move!! Let the rejoicing commence!

*Rejoicing!*

is there another school of war coming up and how do i join?

[SoW 3 - Official Commentary - gameid=11113]

I find myself wondering more and more what England is planning. Certainly he can see that a 2-way with France is not actually going to happen. So, that leaves me thinking that maybe he is planning on a 3-way which would include Turkey?

If that is not the plan, then it could be that he is going to ride the France-train a little while longer before stabbing. Frankly, I don't think that's going to work.

England
I'm still pleased with how well you have done overall (just wanted to say that since I have been somewhat critical). Having said that, why move to Lvp?? That is an ugly move in my opinion. You are listening too much to Babak or else you are just making foolish moves for fun. Maybe it's on its way up to Barents Sea for the summer phase? :P

France
This map has France's fingerprints all over it. Chaos in the east, nobody out for the count yet, and England bending over backwards to give France room. Yep, this is a thoroughly French map =)

Here's a tip for those wishing to improve their game. Your goal is to grow larger while everyone else dwindles slowly with the exception of your one major ally. Your goal is also to keep your ally smaller than you and under your control. This only happens by involving yourself in everybody's business and giving tips here, and tip-offs there. Solos are much more likely when you can keep everyone in the game as long as possible.

Russia
Keep working it baby! I wanna see you get that build!

Austria
Oh man is Austria a pain in the rear for Turkey right now. Turkey has the retreat to Serbia, of course, but that army in Ukr is going to give T a big headache.

Italy
It really is too bad you didn't move to Pie this turn. That would have just been fun to see you tooling around Marseilles and the Iberian peninsula for the next few turns =) You did well to get this far, but I'm afraid you may have just become expendable...

Austria
Time to get creative...unexpected moves often yield great results.

Hmmm...upon re-reading this before posting I realized I did Austria twice.... You can tell I did this late at night...

Turkey
I think if I were you I would be lobbying England hard for a 3-way E/T/F draw. I might see if I could get him to support me into Mos as well. You've got a pretty ugly front with Austria. This is a good example of why one-center stabs don't work well...

[SoW 3 - Official Commentary - gameid=11113]

So yeah, I did Austria twice and forgot Germany...

Germany
When you just start support holding your units you have lost all hope. Move something around and make a pain of yourself. You never know what you might be able to shake up!

Jacob - all i've gotta say is that you give me WAAAAAAAAYYYY too much credit... lol ;) I cant wait to comment on your game =P

I plan on accusing djbent and wooooo of metagaming as soon as the game starts taking a turn for the worse for me. =P

They've just given me an ace in the hole.

@Babak
hehehe - I just call it like I see it =)

I know how skilled of a diplomat you are and I know how you like to play the game. You didn't necessarily cause everything, but you either did cause it or you saw that it was developing the way you wanted without any encouragement from you.

And I suppose turnabout is fair play - feel free to comment on SoW 2 - it's ready for commentating right now!

I'm half expecting you to blame me in your EoG if you don't get a solo... I don't mean to be influencing the game, but I suppose I have been giving a lot of advice...

We'll have to work on creating some guidelines for the commentators so that we can provide meaningful content in the best possible way.

[SOW2 - Commentary - Spring 1905 gameID=10963]

trying to catch up on the game... wow.

Germany - the austrian-russian juggernaut is coming for you. England betraying you doesn't help any really feeling the squeeze with limited tactical opportunities. Diplomacy is the only thing which will save you, russia might be ready to stab Austria. France might be willing to help you against england. Italy may be willing to help you retake munich... That said, i've seen germany in positions like your die really fast.

France - england really has you by the balls now. Italy on your side for now will give you a breather. You can hope to work with Germany but his fate is pretty dire as things stand.

Italy - getting into ionian sea is useful. I don't know what you were thinking but it is either crazy genius or a sloppy mistake. Either way you need to capitalise on your position before the russian moves his two fleets into the med.

Convincing russia to stab austria would be even better. Working with france gives you a better chance to hold off austria, but once russia joins the fray you are in for some difficulties.

England - spectacular recovery and invasion of france and now germany. With all the pressure from austria/russia you are sure to gain much in the short term. In the long term you may be in for some trouble. Also are you asking yourself why did the russian fleet stand still in NAO? obviously it doesn't want to be out of position...

Russia - the bear - Austria and England are doing very well for you. I expect your gains in turkey will be the last you make for a few years unless you stab one of them, but they are each 3 supply centres behind you. I'm very interested in seeing how you develope your position, you are limited to attacking germany if you stick with your current alliance. Though soon you will be able to fight in the med aswell, coming to some arrangment with austria as to who gets what will be interesting (considring he is taking munich) you have less units in the atlantic so i imagine your discussions with england will be a little easier...

Austria - Italy is giving you a good run for your money. Greece for tunis may be good swap for now. Germany looks like it is falling, but divided three ways it's not going to provide you with too much. (still the alternative is not taking your share) your choice between concentrating on germany and italy is an interesting one.

Obviously your alliance with russia is a big diplomatic concern, but you need at least one ally, and unless you can sway italy to your side i doubt you want to lose russia (germany/france being poor bets, at present, in my opinion)

(please note russia always looks deceptively big because moscow, stp and sevastopol are really long territories(lots of purple), don't let this optical illusion fool you, at present russia is only as powerful as the next two powers in this game)

[SoW 3 - Official Commentary - gameid=11113]

You would say that Babak...

I have to agree with Jacob here. England needs to get tight against the French EVEN if he plans on going for the three way draw. I say 3 way because all 2 ways are unnatural and I can 100% guarantee you that you won't get one with Babak unless you could have won.

Turkey either needs to make deals with the eastern countries or he needs to mop them up really quickly. I recommend deals with some, death for the remainder.

bump

bump again - strat - you out there for some commentary??

bump... may come in and comment on that game 2 soon... watch out what you ask for =P lol j/k. no your commentary has been superb so far... besides minor qualms, I have nothing but praise for what you are doing - and I'm sure the observers and players are all learning a lot from both you and Centurian...

Sorry, I will comment at some point today

Hi all, forgot to leave any comments about my School of War experience, here goes...

1) Which element of the game do you feel you have improved the most in because of your SoW experience (Strategy/Tactics/Diplomacy)?

For me probably seeing all the comments allowed me to see how moves can be interpretted differently, i sometimes miss alliances or attacks because i interpret them a different way.

2) What has been most useful to you personally? The in-game help from the vets, the forum commenting, or something else?

Same as above, i probably didn't make the best use of the vets and definately my diplomacy at the start with all players was proably rubbish but it definately improved later on.

3) What do you think might have improved this experience for you?

Well the game is starting to drag for me now, i think 24hr phases would have been better i've occassionally found it hard to get back into the game after very long retreat phases etc. Also i miss the commentary, it was the best bit! Although thanks everyone who has commented, it was really interesting to read.

4) Do you feel you have become a better player b/c of this SoW experience? (more so than playing another random game)

I'd like to say yes but i'm not too sure, unfortunately i think i'm going off diplomacy a bit (not because of SOW though just in general). I learnt the most from the first few years.

5) what other comment would you like to share?

Nowt, it's been fun - looking forward to the end and giving juicy EOG statements though.

[SOW2 - Commentary - Spring 1905 gameID=10963]

My apologies for the delay. I'm afraid this will likely be my last commentary as well; I will be getting a sitter for my games effective Tuesday. Too many other things are consuming too much time.

It's been nearly a month since I looked at this game, but some things are evident:

Russia is looking good. He is moving in a way to deploy his forces to support his allies England and Austria - but is also doing so in a way that leaves him open for an easy stab. Austria has *way* overextended himself, so he's certainly ripe for one. Expect to see Black Sea to CON, since a fleet in Bulgaria north doesn't do him any good even if he chooses to stab.

England - has continued to move on Germany and France, and should be able to make a net gain of at least 1 SC if he plays his cards right. Of course, in order to do that he leaves Norway and Liverpool pretty damn naked - I'd be pretty worried about a Russian stab around now.

Germany - good move on the convoy, but unless France helps, you're going to be down 2 SCs for the round. That's pretty much the end - you won't be strong enough to help set up a viable stalemate line. On the other hand, if you manage to get into Silesia, all sorts of possibilities open themselves for causing mischief.

France - your alliance with Italy is sound, but your ability to influence events is waning. Not certain why you moved to Belgium - which you may not be able to hold - instead of Paris, where you could threaten Brest. Of course, you probably didn't envision England choosing to make himself completely naked to a Russian stab, but Jacob's always been a smooth talker ;)

Italy - Greece is open, take it while you can. It's an open question whether Austria will move TUS to ROM or VEN, so your fleet in TYS will have to guess where to go.

Austria - lots of trust in Russia here. Can easily gain a net SC or two, and with those builds you'd be wise to keep something in the backfield.

All in all, if the Russian / Austrian / English alliance is maintained, they can sweep the board. I still maintain that Russia is going to stab sooner or later, unless he chooses not to just to spite me ;)

@stratagos: it's interesting thinking about the potential for stabs in this game. Russia would probably not be wise to stab both Austria and England, but one might make sense. Still unlike you I don't see it as a neccesary step. Though Russia does want to stab while italy or france/germany are still putting up some kind of fight... i'm not so sure he wants to do it at all.

Since strat isn't going to be able to continue commenting on SoW 2 that leaves us without any official commentators.

Any chance we can get the SoW 4 commentators to switch over to us? Or maybe Babak?

I'll consider commentating for SoW 2, but I'm going to be real busy soon, and busier so for the next month-ish. It'd sweeten the deal if you would consider commentating for SoW 1.

hehe - i might be able to do that...I may not have much time tomorrow, but I could probably write some comments on Saturday =)

[SOW2 - Commentary - Autumn1905 Retreats gameID=10963]

Just want to say "I told you so". Russia stabbed England, and while the move to GAL may have been designed to bounce a German army, it also sets him up nicely to deploy against Austria.

Austria may be wise to disband MUN instead of retreating it, so he can build units in VIE and BUD

[SoW 1 - Very Unofficial Commentary - gameid=10755]

It just so happens that my family is asleep for a nap and I have large steaming plate of hot nachos (with homemade salsa using garden tomatoes an jalepenos!!) sooo...now is the perfect time to do a little extra commenting.

Chrisp - you are now honor-bound to comment on SoW2 =)

Ok, well, I've reviewed the whole game and there were a couple big things that stuck out.
1)France did his best impression of a ping-pong ball. First he went to Italy, then he went to England, and then he turned around to come home - albeit a little too late...
2)The Turkish disband in Adriatic when it could have retreated into Venice - gotta say that I liked that move!

With those points in mind let me move on to commenting on each country.

England:
Bummer of a time to NMR...you need to work hard to support Germany and hold off Italy if you want to be part of a draw

France:
You are playing Diplomacy, not ping-pong. Unfortunately, I don't think there is much chance of you participating in a draw or surviving :(

Germany:
Outstanding job surviving the pressures you've had in this game!! You are in a great position to be the third player in a three-way as long as you can convince Italy that he needs you in order to keep Turkey from soloing.

Turkey:
What can I say, you've put on a clinic for everyone on how to play Turkey. You've been aggressive when needed and you've shown remarkable restraint when needed. That fleet disband successfully sent Italy crashing into France while simultaneously gaining a LOT of trust. Now you are poised to make a move against Italy and go for the solo should you so desire (and I hope you DO desire it...).

Italy:
I don't have any commentary for you, just a quiz to take. Now don't worry, it won't be hard, you don't have to study, and I think you're going to get all the answers right... Oh yes, and when in doubt, picking "c" is usually a good idea =)

Question 1
What is the name of this game?
a)Ping-Pong
b)School of War 1
c)Jacob is the Man
d)The Beatles Rock!

(see - this isn't so bad is it?)

Question 2
Why is this called "School of War"?
a)Because Babak couldn't think of anything cooler
b)Because "University of War" was already taken
c)Jacob is the Man
d)Because the idea is for people to learn how to play diplomacy better. They will hopefully learn from the vets, from the commentators, and from the game itself.

Question 3
What happened to France when he left his northern flank wide open?
a)He was invaded like a red-headed stepchild
b)The fuzzy woodland animals all lived in peace again
c)Jacob is devastatingly handsome
d)Tourism flourished

Question 4
What happened when France left his southern flank wide open?
a)Everyone took Mediterranean cruises for health reasons
b)He failed to learn from his previous mistakes (despite this game supposedly being a "school") and was invaded a second time!
c)Don't forget that Jacob is also suave and charming, just ask Akroma the High Priestess of Evil (sorry Akroma of you're reading this - I couldn't resist, and besides, I only promised not to call you "Mistress of Evil" :P )
d)Mountain Dew is a deliciously refreshing beverage

Question 5 (this one's a freebie)
Is your eastern flank wide open?
a)Yes
b)Yes
c)It's so wide open that Jacob could fit his 6'3" muscular body on the game board where your pieces should be
d)Yes

TMML

LMAO!

Your commentary was much more entertaining than mine would have been. Well done Jacob, haha.

[SOW2 - Commentary - Autunm 1905 gameID=10963]
*This will be my last commentary (unofficial though it may be) for two weeks as i'm going to austria...*

Italy/France: poor communication resulted in a wasted order marsielles support a hold which didn't occur in Piedmont. Other than that Your alliance is more important than ever. Russia is moving into the med and England advances in the north, As neither of you can afford to do anything but turn your back to the other and fight against the superior numbers that come your way It looks like a solid (if desperate) alliance.

England: The russian stab makes the game a very different ball game for you, on the bright side Germany is still strong, on the downside France is probably still pretty pissed.

Germany: success in all your endeavours has left you sitting pretty. Russia has two new units to raise and is most likely headed your way, ready to sweep into germany. Russian strenght in the med and atlantic makes him ready to try for a solo, and only your armies stand in his way. You may be crucial in building an alliance against the bear.

Austria: Galicia must have you worried, retreating to burgundy could allow you bypass itlay and take france's remaining territories. Building a new fleet in the med may be vital for your expansion, as russian power there will soon overwhelm italy. It may be time to reconsider your choice of allies. You better hope you are still on talking terms with italy as he may be your best hope for slowing russia in the med.

Russia: the english stab is clear, so you've likely made one powerful enemy. No doubt france still reeling from england's offensive will want some payback, but germany is still strong enough to resist. Austria has been a reliable ally has yet to overpower italy which is to your obvious benifit. You are almost in a position to solo this game but your diplomacy will be vital this coming year.

Hahaha Jacob. Very nice. I suppose I owe you now.

[SoW II - Unofficial Commentary - Winter 1905, ID=10963]

I'll get more into the game as I commentate more, but for now my comments are based on a skimmed read of the past comments and a review of the game history. Just in time to replace orathaic while he's gone. =)

My main criticism would probably be of England's attack of France. It was opportunistic and while there was an opportunity for SC gain, you have to be able to think in the longer term and look past the short term SC gains, like France did when he abandoned a well executed attack on England. The A-R alliance was doing too well for this attack to have been warranted.

I'd like to point out that Austria and Russia will soon have 18 units, the majority, and due to Russia's northern fleets + marauder, a stalemate is unlikely. This doesn't mean that they can sweep the board, but they're getting dangerously close to being able to.

Russia is no doubt already counting out the 18 SC's he needs for a solo, and Austria should really be considering whether or not continuing the alliance is a good idea. Yes, Russia is devilishly handsome, but in WTA your secondary priority (after winning yourself of course) is to prevent anybody else from winning, and that includes long time allies (and lovers).