Here's a reference, with little text:
http://www.diplom.org/Online/Openings/textversion/France.html#fra-gaspic

Love the name. :)

Thanks, how 'French' to think of balerinas for an opening name, it does describe this fancy yet surprisingly functional initial set up ;)

Pros: puts France on track for three builds (or two plus the ability to support an ally into Belgium) without antagonizing anyone.

Cons: France had better hope its neighbors aren't planning a blitz. An opening to the Channel or Burgundy will significantly reduce France's chances of even getting two builds.

If defensive is to be made, it still gurantees at least a build and a clear direction as what to do and, on top of it, a nice indicator of the antagonist, France can a fford a more modest first year or two while things move elsewhere on the board...

...

Why not just Mar - Spa then?

Mar-Spa is a crap opening.

Any France player who moves to occupy Spain in the spring 1901 turn doesn't know what he's doing.

I played France twice, once obtaining a solo and once obtaining a two way draw.

<allows a short silence in discourse to let the awesomeness of that sink in a bit>

I'm still not sure about the best opening for France. I guess for France more than any other country it depends on your diploming.

What I do strongly believe in is the French-German alliance. I can't really pin down why that is. There are some considerations though:

1) England. It has Russia as its most natural enemy, which means if France and Germany ally, I believe England finds itself in a very akward position diplomatically. It also is one of the countries that can be nicely "carved up". You can always draw in England for a triple as well.
2) Switzerland. It shields off the two countries from each other a bit, while not being a barrier that inhibits defensive cooperation.
3) Freedom of movement. With Austria helping France against Italy and Germany against Russia, and Turkey being a rather flexible nation, I believe the alliance leaves lots of room for creativity. Switzerland helps in separating the Northern front for Germany and the Southern for France a bit.

@Jamie : I'll disagree withhis premise entirely !!!
@redhouse: Fr&Germ can do great things together if they trust.

@Jamie: "Any France player who moves to occupy Spain in the spring 1901 turn doesn't know what he's doing."

I hope that is a troll, because otherwise you are an idiot.

France is my fav country, and my fav opening is Gascony-varient:
F Bre-Mao, A Par-Gas, A Mar-Spa.
You have to have a VERY friendly german (and hopefully non-aggresive brit), otherwise you are better off with A Mar-Bur (Vineyard opening).

Having F MAO, A Gas, and A Spa opens you up to defend any assault (except a doubled up assault, which is difficult to defend, regardless), and if England is completely oblivious and opens east like everyone on this site, it opens up the lisbon leap/slingshot, which is easily my fav opening of all (get armies in Por/Spa, keeping F in Mao... build F in bre, then F bre-mao, F mao-iri... and in the fall convoy an army into mainland england... devastating if pulled off).

That's a lot of trust you're putting in germany.

If Germany does attack, he might not get far ;)

Leaving Burgundy open can limit the French to one build. Why take the risk in GB?

Stats of play indicate Munich-Ruhr ;)

why the hell would you draw that? You had control of a stalemate line that works 18-16 in your favor:

Builds
Fleet-Marsielles
Fleet-Brest

orders in the med:
Spain-West Med
West Med- North Africa
Tuscany to GoL
Thats all guarnteed moves (remember that Italian fleet must be disbanded) and sets up a stalemate line with auto moves along these lines:
Marsiless and West Med sh GoL
NA sh Tunis

Orders in Germany:
The issue with Germany is you have over extended your self, you had an auto win based on the location of your units and you now have over extended yourself making it possible for Turkey to breakthrough if he predicts your orders perfectly. Go back one turn and:
Tyrolia-Munich sb Burgandy
Munich-Kiel sb Ruhr
Silesia-Berlin
Prussia-Livonia

If Turkey did what he did you would have a stalemate line in Germany and would be in the position for a guarenteed either St petes or Norway in the sping, and the other one in the fall giving you 18.
However if Turkey predicts your moves, you will bounce them both in that year.

However with a stalemate in Germany, that fleet in Brest goes around britian to Norwegian sea, which takes 2 years, but then allows you to support yourself into Norway. Norwegian Sea-Barents the following turn and Norway-St Petes sb Finland and Barents. VICTORY!

However now lets assume you did the moves you do:
You need to get armies in Burgandy, Ruhr, Kiel, Berlin and Munich. It doesn't matter how you do it, just get it done.

There are multiple ways to get there, but turkey predicting your moves can allow him to block you. If Turkey is in both Bohemia and Tyrolia before you get those 5 armies in place. Game over, Turkey will be able to take Munich before you will be able to take St Petes, pushing him to the top.

Lastly the north:
If Turkey gets an army into Livonia, taking st Petes with only 1 army and 2 navies will not be enough. Use the build you get from taking Norway to build another Fleet in Brest, Brest to Baltic Sea (2 years) will allow you to cut support from Livonia allowing for a breakthrough.

Its almost auto win. Why draw?

Anyone who goes to Irish Sea instead of NAO is an idiot. NAO offers the same access to Liverpool and allows a quicker swing to NWG if the French player wants.

WRONG! Irish sea allows for supporting a convoy into Wales

Right. I overlooked that for a second. Thank you.

was friendly & probably locked-down tie anyways...

Right, but you didn't wait to use the word idiot...

I used the word "idiot" because it was in keeping with some parts of the thread above me.

A move to the Irish Sea would afford a supported convoy to Wales. A move to NAO would give the player some greater flexibility in the longer term, and it would require a chain convoy across both MAO and NAO.

norwegian access without control of england is too risky of a move for me. It stretches your fleets thin, and if I'm italy, I'm working with germany to take you down while your fleets are so horribly out of position...

So even without the wales convoy (which would have been my first response as well), I think the move to NAO is silly.

Some of these "just in case for the long term" moves don't do you a thing if you die quickly. You need to keep your fleets close for possible defense until you get the game into the midgame stage... that is when you start looking longterm.

@Fortknox, interesting strategy which works in theory, not in practice. If you want proof the last 5 times you have used it you were eliminated.

It almost worked in ?gameID=80225

Note please the crazy Austrian opening with a Russia up his ass

I quite enjoyed that Austrian opening myself,-)

Lol. Imagine my surprise .....

*rolls eyes* ;)P

It actually WOULDN"T have worked if Germany was smart.

if

yep

That wasn't it.

And, yes, it has failed on me the last three times, but it also included an NMR and veteran enough english players to know it was coming and prepared against it.

I have had a game where it was highly successful, but don't have the time nor inclination to go through my history to find it.

;)