For these type of games, people often write very long EOG reports. By the end of a game I never feel that I can adequately remember what I was thinking in, say, Autumn 1902, for me to express it properly so I decided to write an ongoing EOG as the game progressed. About halfway during the game, the EOG was increasingly forgotten about as the moves became more banal. Anyway, here's what I wrote:
Have a Happy New Gunboat EOG
1901 Spring - So I've landed Turkey. Not one of the countries I was hoping for but at least it's not Italy. My movement choices for Spring 1901 as Turkey in a gunboat generally boils down to 2 options: moving armies towards Bulgaria and my fleet to the Black Sea or moving againt Russia by sending an army straight to Armenia. I usually find the latter too confrontational, especially for an opening move and even more so in high quality gunboat games where Italy and Austria are more likely to realise the potential of working together. So, I plum for the safer option and send my armies west to Bulgaria and order my fleet to BLS for the inevitable bounce with Russia.
1901 Autumn - Lucky me, for a number of reasons! I'm very glad that I didn't go for Armenia - Germany attempts a sealion at the same time as a bold (and slightly crazy, imho) England pushes units towards Russia and France simultaneously. Not only will Russia get Sweden but he will most likely dominate Scandinavia while England and Germany prepare to do battle in 1902. Russia also has the chance to take Berlin or Munich (my bet would be to move to Berlin - either Germany loses it to take Denmark or risks blocking Kiel, a vital center to build the extra fleet needed to defend against England). So, with Russia set to take 2, perhaps 3, centers I am glad to be visibly on his side.
Moreover, Italy has not played for a Lepanto - amazing news. He has set himself up for what is either an obvious (yet flawed) attack on Italy or what I would rather hope will be an attack on Austria with the following movements: Pie-Tyrolia, Venice-Trieste. Now all I have left to 'worry about' is whether to move Bulgaria-Serbia or Bulgaria-Greece.
1901 Build - Very interesting. Russia gets 1 build instead of the 2-3 I feared and, as predicted, Italy attacked Austria. Germany gets an impressive 3 builds whilst England ignores the blatant Sealion and Germany's friendship with Russia. England ALSO is the only country for the second turn in a row to save orders without finalising - despite Troodonte asking every player to do so in his thread about this game, this is very disappointing. Despite England's ignorance on both counts, France has squandered his potential this year by taking only one center and taking the odd decision to hold his fleet in MAO, neither taking Spain or defending Brest.
I'm happy to see such a dynamic board. I build fleet Smyrna with the hope of cementing a friendship with Russia, to take advantage of a bealeagured Austria, and to ward against the power of Italy.
1902 Spring - Builds are on the table and England continues to take big risks. A fleet in Liverpool despite a German fleet in Holland and what was obviously going to be a fleet build in Kiel - and no way to maintain Norway. Oh dear, oh dear. Meanwhile, Italy's second fleet build causes me the most consternation. I opt for Smyrna-Aegean Sea, predictably, and send Ankara-BLS. As for Bulgaria, it seems to me I have two choices of either to support hold from Con, or gamble that Austria will move Greece-Albania, and attempt to move Bul/Con westwards at the same time. This time, I'll go for the gamble.
1902 Autumn - Walk straight in to Greece. Lovely. Russia's fleet move to Rumania raises an immediate concern (that he is leaving Sev open to build a second fleet) but I hope that is only to keep his army in Ukraine to protect Warsaw from a potential German attack. Speaking of the German, his boldness is certainly impressive - taking on England, France, and Russia simultaneosuly. Regardless, England mindlessly ploughs on against the French. France seems doomed to be a sitting duck. I will support hold Greece and offer a support hold from BLS-Rumania. Russia may be tempted by an Italian alliance but my hope is that he will see me as a more stable and faithful ally. Italy's fleet in Ionian Sea appears as a question mark to me, I see him either supporting Apu-Adr, moving to Aegean, or to EMS. I think Aegean is unlikely so I have Aegean-Ionian. I hope that Italy does move to EMS so I can trap his fleet there - it probably won't happen but then again this game has thrown the book out of the window already.
1902 Builds - Ukraine did move to Warsaw BUT with Sevastopol open and Russia able to build I feel slightly nervous to build a fleet on my south coast. However, an army unit in Ankara or Smyrna might look rather hostile to Russia if he does not build in Sev. Dilemma. This time, I go for maximum self-preservation over trusting Russia.
1903 Spring - The Catch-22 continues. Russia did not build in Sev, proving himself friendly, but my army build in Smyrna now makes it seem as thought I am preparing to attack him. Now, I am left with the decision to either move towards Austria and leave myself open to a defensive Russia - OR, I lie in the bed I've made and follow through with a northern attack. Meanwhile, England looks set to lose Liverpool and London to Germany, if he plays it right, and Italy will most certainly lose either Naples or Tunis to me. I decide to stick with Russia and offer him a support hold to Rumania while moving Smyrna-Con. I expect to see Moscow-Sev but my hope is that my move towards Austria will have Russia move away again in the Autumn. I have Greece support Bulgaria-Serbia and hold my fleet in Ionian Sea. If I move now to take Naples or Tunis, Albania might take the Ionian without support. I will have a free reign to take Tunis whatever Italy does so I might as well hold Ionian and not give it needlessly away in the Spring.
1903 Autumn - Lucky me, Russia didn't move against me. This turn seems pretty simple. Firstly, I shall take Tunis with Ionian Sea. On the continent, I have, yet again, two choices: I can try again for Serbia and hope that Galicia hits Budapest; or I can try to move the units round Gre-Alb, Bul-Gre, Con-Bul, and hope that Italy moves his fleet to Ionian. The only hiccup to this would be if Austria moved Trieste to Albania. However, I bank that his distrust of the Italian may force him to be more cautious so I take the riskier gamble and go for the latter option.
1905 Autumn - So after a rocky two years that saw an Italian-Austrian resurgence (and a blip in my EOG report), I now look at the map in Autumn 1905 and feel slightly back on track. Things have changed quite a bit and I am no longer friends with Russia, having realised my only opportunity to grow was taking Sevastopol from a player who was not helping me at all in terms of Austria and who had chosen instead to wage a difficult and costly war against Germany. Such a strategy from Russia seemed inept and doomed - compounded by him leaving Warsaw open for Austria to take in 1904. So, I chose to jump ship and attack Russia, in the hope that I might become a comrade of sorts with Austria. This plan, I hope, seems to have worked as 1905 Spring saw both Austria and Turkey neutralise their border. My hope is that this will continue in the Autumn and Austria won't be threatened by my fleet taking Rumania from Russia.
Other than that, things are still looking tricky on my naval border with Italy. I have lost Tunis but I am trying to play a game of brinkmanship between Italy and France by sending my fleet to WMS hoping to draw French and Italian fleets in each other's firing line - so that it may seem to France that Italian fleets are heading towards French centers.
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Ranking should take into account etiquette, if possible
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