I am torn between fleet edinburgh to norwegian sea and fleet london to north sea, or fleet edinburgh to north sea and fleet london to english channel.
Which do you think is best?
As many replies as possible please...

consider that england is perhaps the best defensive country at the start
with no easy access
to its supply centers early on

This all depends on where you want to head what your stance concerning France and germany is etc

so you mean if a treaty is done with france preventing ships moving into the english channel

I'm personally against the Channel opening, because it almost ensures war with France, something that I feel is a bad idea considering how great an ally France can be. Barring that, do what Perry said, and hope for Italy:]

italy are good if you play them right

i've got to go now

Any country is good if you play it right, Italy is just easier to play:]

England is a very weak offensive country. Therefore, the Channel opening (which is aggressive) is very bad imho (though of course, circumstances may make it worthwhile occassionaly). You just invite Russia to take NWY, France will hate your guts for the Channel move and Germany will see no reason to work with a weak ally...

you are correct.
I have made up my mind
the F-edinburgh->norwegian sea
F-london->north sea

and A-liverpool->yorkshire is the best opening move.
This allows for a convoy for yorkshire-north-sea-norway and prevents early russian and german supremacy

England has some great aggressive capabilities, but they don't really come into play until England gets control of at least 3-4 additional SCs and builds a naval monstrosity that outnumbers the combined fleets of the rest of the world:]

the truth is, one of france/germany will be your enemy by spring 03

Thats ok, you just have to make sure the other one is your ally.

YES! STRATEGY!

well. yeah. honestly there is no good strategy. but there is no bad one either.

besides the truly terrible ones but you should know what those are (like lvp to york and london to wales and edi to clyde... or something)

Predictability is not good Danny.
Far better to decide your strategy when you start than to go into a game with one.

Also, I know people who've ordered all-holds as 1901 England.
May sound strange, but is a good way of making sure you don't have to fight of a FG alliance.

I personally like the Liverpool to Syria opening....anyone else?

I did that one inadvertantly figle. I took over England as a CD country after Autumn of 1901. I ended up with 15 sc's by game's end. It was a really enjoyable one.

Panthers: Not me.
I wonder what the earliest phase it is for a nation to get 5 moves worth away.
CA: congrats, shame you didn't make 18 eih ;)

If you're going to go the All Holds route, might as well order a Yorkshire Pudding, and make everyone think you are an idiot, only to outsmart them later. Of course, if you order a Yorkshire Pudding, you may well actually be an idiot :-) (Yorkshire Pudding is all units move to Yorkshire on turn 1)

As for openings, I prefer the French Attack (F(Edi)-Nth, F(Lon)-Eng, A(Lvp)-Wal). The Northern Opening (F(Edi)-Nwg, F(Lon)-Nth, A(Lvp)-Yor) is the only opening that can guarantee a SC on turn one, but you are then stuck supporting that fleet to keep Russia from getting it, and at best, you'll stall out in StP unless you start convoying armies.

The short answer is that your opening should depend on your opening press with your neighbors. If Russia is committing to a northen attack, moving to Norway may not be worth it. If you suspect France may be after you, moving to the Channel will help to prevent that.

Here's some good reading about English Strategy: http://www.diplomacy-archive.com/resources/god/four.htm Hope it helps!

Why do you have to be an idiot or look like an idiot to order all-holds.
But yeh, it really does matter who you think you're allied with.

Imo, if Italy has no immediate interest in attacking France, Germany needs help by fleets from England, no matter how weak England is. The problem with just heading for StP is imo you overextend and don't protect your home turf at all. So moving east mostly means holding the north sea and attacking Germany/Scandinavia (imo). As for allies, I have mostly allied with France as England so far - but more due to the French player seemingly being more sane than the German. Germany is a better ally as France can more easily stab you. If Russia is engaged in the south and you can trust Germany - go, get after France. All holds - never tried that before.

I would think F Eng is viable in the way England agrees to convoy to either Hol or Den to slow Germany down with the thought France will support F Eng-Bel. A very good plan in my opinion.
Running the StP gambit is one must be taken with a plan from S01 to S04 wasting no time just enought to secure StP and Nwy and turn south and open the Straits to English fleets if this can't be done then England can't win period

@figles - that was misunderstood - All Holds is not idiotic in and of itself, if it is planned. But ordering it sure makes you LOOK like you don't know what you are doing. Then again, a player may really not know what they are doing, and order all holds (maybe by forgetting to save your moves after ordering them).

Fair enough. Yes, I agree that it can be done as a distraction as well but if you've played before then its unlikely to work!
Have to admit that I've not tried it, but I've spoken to very successful players who've used it sucessfully. </disclaimer>

I would like to point out that the all holds hurts England in the long run 90% of the time. England's real power lies within having a massive fleet and if you don't get that fleet out by 1903 you start to get fucked over.

First off, England needs to ally with France or Germany by Spring of 1901 (or both-Western triplets!!!). If England is with Germany, France is the target. If England allies with France, Germany (and Russia are) is the target. Regardless, England gets at least 1 build in 1901 (Norway) and might have 1 or 2 more by 1902 (3 if they are lucky-But thats a rare circumstance).

yorkshire pudding. best opening ever. i think thats what they call it

England has to attack France at some stage to win so if the diplomacy is right I see no reason to not open to the Channel and ally with Germany to take on France and get down to the Med ASAP...

I like Lon-Eng and Liv-Wal. This is the most exciting of the English openings. (of course it all depends on diplomacy, I don't always attack France when I am England).

I was playing france and had a great ally in england..he built fleets and kept control of the north seas and i built armies and moved in on germany...it was like a reverse juggernaut.

I'd like to see you ally with france after that start though! :)

or i'd follow texasdeluxe advise, but i'd need an italian promise of cooperation