Before I begin, the reason I requested my sitter aim for the two draw was that I was going away and didn't feel it right to ask him to do my dirty work. I had positioned myself (I thought) in a good defensible position that could launch into a solo attempt should France prove himself unfaithful. Honestly, I expected to return to a finished game. I did hedge with my sitter that he could go for the solo if France tried anything, but I really didn't think he would. My naivety. I saw again and again that I had resource and position advantage over France, could have stabbed at any time and wrapped up in a year, likely. I don't think I appreciated how foreign a 2-draw is to the spirit of diplomacy without stalemate lines until I did this one. Sort of like Thor (in the comics) had to win a fight to realize the brutality of battle. *shrug* Apologies to fort especially, but also DILK, Gobbledy, Bad, Nike, and even Haert. For whatever it's worth, I did only draw at the end by accident while scrolling on my phone.

Onto the EOG.

1901
I was aiming for a CPA in the long run with a WT short term footing, and a Sealion to accelerate the process of getting to a CPA. The plan was to get England off the map while Italy and Austria tore Turkey apart, then italy and I would focus on France while Austria and I worked on Russia. I received positive press from everyone around me, meaning England was about to be in for a rude awakening. Fortunately, my and Russia's diplomacy made the Balkans much less of the mad grab I advertized to everyone and opened him up to the Sealion.

In fact, I fed everyone just the right information in the spring to be able to say "See? Told ya so!" in the fall. Really helped my relationships I think, even with England whom I had to tell "Damn that Frenchman and his betraying the WT!" Everyone was still my friend in the autumn, so the Sealion and CPA were going swimmingly.

1902
Tragedy. Italy breaks the CPA. Probably a good move, but disappointing to me as it embroiled those two into a years long fight.

Turkish movements thoroughly confuse. He's right, he's left, he's up, he's down. He's not talking. Fortunately he's on the other side of the world, so his not talking does not directly affect me, but it's harder to feed information to my allies. I take my best guesses and offer those, but Turkey remains bewildering throughout 1902.

Sealion goes exactly as planned. Russia has moved off my border and is fighting his own home front war, leaving France and myself to do as we please. I had not backup long-term plan at this point, but I was trying to get the CPA back on track and use a FG alliance as the backup plan since France was communicating well and intelligently.

This was an especially talkative year. I tried to plug the juggernaut idea in to conversations to get the CPA on track, even telling Russia that it was bouncing around the table and that Turkey told me. It didn't go exactly as planned, but alliances were definitely getting screwed up in the east. This was the same year that England decided to determine my identity with login times. To what purpose, I do not know, but perhaps he can enlighten us. Either way, I threw the Sealion off slightly by a "misorder" with France. I did this to regain the trust of England and it seemingly worked out. This upset France, but he understood that things happen (at the same time as an Italian NMR). The juggernaut bug also finally came to light by the end of the year. Finally I can get A/I working together again.

1903
I wrote an open letter to A/I/F about the jug, with the intent of getting A/I scared and letting France into the med. We dismantled England in the spring, and A/I did exactly as I hoped. By fall, France was in the med. Turkey continued to confuse, but I really needed him to pressure A/I a little harder to convince them to let France have a large med presence. Really nothing terribly interesting to report this year except that everyone seemed to trust me and natural alliances (R/T, A/I) didn't seem to be working very well.

1904

This year I made a curious mistake. I declared war on Russia. I sent him a nice message saying I think it was time to dissolve our DMZs. He got rather pissy, and in subsequent years didn't really try or talk much. Said that the war declaration sucked the fun out. I guess just attacking him would have been more fun? I don't really know. I was trying to be friendly by sending the memo, and should things align such that the DMZs need to be reinstituted, I hoped my candidness would show that I was a worthwhile individual. (This comes into play later.)

The island is vacated and DMZ'd. Turkey makes a wonderful gain into Ionian that lets F/G convince Italy that he needs France! Austria is hanging on by the skin of his teeth, biting his nails (in his press, anyway), and I'm the one they're all turning to. "Look, Austria! I'm distracting Russia in the north! I'm helping you! I'm not growing, promise!" This, and the following years, were pretty fun. At this point I had solidly locked into an F/G alliance and was working on a long con that would let us mop up the board rather easily.

Looking back through my press, I think the 2-draw idea may have been placed in my head by Russia. He suggested it during our war declaration talk. *shrug*

I also really enjoyed being able to play up the CPA failings due to A/I struggles. This was a particularly effective tool in manipulating Italy and Austria to say "Yes, I am still your friend, but France is a necessary evil while we try to pick up the pieces from /your/ mess." I did get concerned that the jug would convince A/I to turn on F/G, and they did! This was a particularly interesting time. The island came under attack, the homeland was shored up. I think this more than anything solidified the trust France and I had.

1905

The war continues, but we flip Italian sympathies. Somehow, I convince him that Turkey can slip right in to the Aegean, and look at the trouble he could cause! France did a lot of the smooth talking here, using Turkey as the eternal villain. Turkey holes up to defend his position while Austria and Russia are slowly being worn down.

This was also the year I wanted to end hostilities with Russia, but he would not hear of it. I don't fully recall what I hoped to accomplish (steamroll Austria maybe?), but it is moot. He was disinterested.

1906

This year saw the second (?) Italian NMR. France attempted to grab Tunis after sending a "hope you understand message" with one from me as well, but Turkey and Austria were on their toes and offered lots of support holds. The north was a methodical, slow, working battle for me, the south was a curious alliance where Turkey actually gave up centers to Austria for the common defense. An amazing sight to watch, and a disparaging one too.

1907

Fortunately, Italy returned and helped France tear into Ionian. Things couldn't have gone better. Meanwhile France and I are making land gains against Austria. Our big plan was to surround Italy so France could take him out in one fell swoop, all the time Italy being convinced that he had no choice but to play along for survival.

1908-1911

These were the years of just advancing ourselves. I kept talking to everyone in the hopes of gleaning information (worked well enough) and kept Italy playing along. By 1911, we had gutted Russia, Austria, and Italy, with only Turkey standing between us. 1911 was the first time I considered a solo attempt, but this is also when my sitter would be coming in. I asked him to 2-draw, since that is what France and I had been discussing and I didn't feel right asking him to do the dirty work. All the same, in 1912, I positioned my fleets and armies such that I could (theoretically) hold my position or advance it.

1912-1915

My sitter.

1916-1917

I return to a mess of a board. I honestly thought this game would be over after a 3 week departure due to RL. All the same, I outguessed France in a lot of plays and held the 17-17 balance. I honestly think I could have continued out thinking him, but my finger hit draw. Oh well.



NikeFlash: Sorry we pegged you for elimination at the get go. I have enjoyed other games with you and know you to be a good player. I did find your outbursts to be sort of humorous, but also i thought less of allying with you during the "misorder." I truly did consider changing plans entirely, but when I considered how demanding and emotional you were being in press to me, I decided to stick with France who came across as more levelheaded. Again, I know you to be a good player, this game just didn't work out. I'm sorry.

Bad85, breaking the CPA and the NMRs really hurt our relationship in the game. I think you were far to forgiving of France and probably should have stuck with Turkey. To be honest, that year you, Austria, and Turkey turned on us, I was worried. Italy has a cool position in that everyone wants to be his friend. It's okay to play that up and make more demanding demands.

Gobbledydook, you got the short straw this game. With the dissolution of the CPA, our relationship never could get back on track. No fault of yours, I actually did want a CPA, but with Turkey looming large and Italy helpless to work against France, I couldn't very well align myself with you also. For what it's worth, I think you played a good game, you communicated, you tactically made good decisions (usually), it just didn't work out based on your neighbors, which is very often the case, I think.

fortknox, sorry this game ended the way it did. If I had been here for 1912-1915, the outcome would probably be different, but it is what it is. I am curious why you did not try harder as Turkey to really force yourself out of the corner. Even at the beginning, you went with an anti-R opening, which I had never seen before. All I can say is that I have learned to go for solos more often. I think I only have two to my name, and it should be three right now. In the future, I'm going to go for it. (But really, the reason I didn't this game was because of my sitter coming in and my not feeling it right to ask him to do the dirty work. I think he agreed with me, but maybe he can speak to that.)

DILK, I'm glad we could work together so well and sad we couldn't bury the hatchet when I wanted to. I know you had no reason to believe me, but I was serious. Good work getting A/I to turn against F/G.

Haert, good game. Sorry I was a sourpuss and wanted the 2-draw due to the sitter, but I hope this EOG clears up a little more of my thoughts on the matter.