^^ "It was a race with [England]...."
Also, I couldn't figure out a safe way to smash through the northern border quickly enough, so I just support-held Moscow for pretty much the entire game. In retrospect, I knew I should've forced a standoff to prevent England from getting enough troops in place to pressure myself and the last Russian army holding out in Warsaw.

Should of worked with Italy when England started getting so big and powerful.

It was gunboat. Alliances are hard to come by and don't do much.

England could have taken the solo in Aut 1909 by taking Tunis. It was open and he had overwhelming force. In that case, Russia and Austria would have survived. Instead he waited until 1910 so that he could go out with 20 SCs and make sure R and A were defeated. In my view, that's a dick move (the fact that I was A may influence my judgement though).

I agree; it's a total dick move. I was surprised to log on to find Tunis still unoccupied (by Britain), and felt bad that he was smoking the lesser players for points. You're right, I should've allied with Italy, but he was being belligerrant (remember, it was his one failed attack that held up my entire chain-march, so I was a little sore, cuz I felt that cost me the win). I like how Austria helped me out after I saved his ass from the Russians, and basically served as a strong-point there between our respective realms. It was with deep regret and sincere vexation that I took Budapest from him, but the game was winding down and I needed as many SC as I could get in order to step to England. England definitely played for points, as can be seen in the final assessment, which cost Austria and Russia everything. It's funny that he then decided to support Italy; for a moment I thought they were in communication, but when Italy did not return the favor by supporting a British attack on Venice, I knew it was just like my situation with Austria, an alliance of convenience.

Oh, Plastic Hussar, that was you playing Austria? Thank you for your assistance (and I'm glad I was able to help you survive for so long, especially against Russia and Germany and Italy on all sides attacking you). I really wanted to keep you alive all the way to the end so you could survive the game; at least I left your nice vacation villa alone in Albania!

Gnome:
Thanks, I did enjoy the game with you. I felt that you acted reasonably as far as a "gunboat alliance" can go. As for the other questions you had above, my feeling was that England played a strong game and was able to take advantage of weakness in the West, while you had a tougher time to come out of the East. By the time you were established as the dominant Eastern force, England was almost up to the stalemate line.

Yeah, it was tough. France missing one turn gave England the upper hand in the Atlantic, and I had fierce competition from Italy for the Med (understandable, as it was his SC's I was trying to take). Our alliance, Hussar, went better than I dared dream in such an anonymous no-messages gunboat game.

Also, lol @ you chiming in about the previous thread concerning this game being fishy, Plastic Hussar! XD

LOL. I felt I was in enough trouble having drawn Austria in a gunboat game. Especially since I gambled on Italy wanting to work together, and having him invade me right off the bat.

Actually, I was misremembering. Italy didn't attack me until you and Russia had already started pulling me apart. I was able to evict Russia, and you seemed to be willing to cooperate once I handed over Greece. I might have had a chance then, but Italy came in to Tri. After that I was just clining by my fingernails.

"clinging"

Those nerve-wracking games are so much fun; you think "I'm done for next turn," then amazingly find yourself somehow surviving thanks to a lucky gamble on which way the frontlines move. Hmm, yeah, that's pretty much how it went, I think....looking back, I remember some interesting points.

For example, I remember pushing through Trieste and right into Venice (that fleet I moved into the Adriatic early on was clutch, providing naval gunfire support all around for the entire game). I left Trieste for Venice figuring you would take Trieste back, but then I saw you support-holding your own troops instead, so I chose to take it after all with the unit I finally got into position, but then you tried to take it, causing a standoff, lol. Gunboat's tough! Also, I REALLY wanted to crush Italy's rogue fleet in the Eastern Mediterannean in Aut05; he really pulled the bacon out of the fire on that one re-consolidating his fleets with total support in the Ionian, which was unexpected as I assumed he would use those fleets proactively to recapture the Adriatic and write off his eastern med privateer as a loss. A lot of fun naval maneuvering....