it took you a while to realize you were stalemated, lol.
good game anyway, I'll comment it later, I really have to go now

BTW, the game was great. Everybody was fighting like crazy, it was exciting till the very end. I'll write a detailed EoG when I find the time.

You played very well. It was damn close

Hehehehehe!
That's what you get for attacking Austria off the start.

What do I get? Your SCs?

And a draw.
Hardyharhar

As long as it's without you, darling :*

gameID=97831
Like this?
Hehehe!

Don't be mean, achillies27, you know I love you no matter what.

Lol!

first gunboat i did in a while. Glad to have hung on that long

A more detailed EoG:

Italy is a country I've learned to love. Whoever said that you should play the Lepanto in gunboat is an idiot. A thousand things can go wrong and the rewards are meager. The Bohemian Crusher on the other hand...

Spring 1902
The mighty Crusher makes the attack... and fails! Not through a fault of its own, but because Germany (Decima Legio) decided to support Vienna into Tyrolia. Moreover, Germany let France into Belgium to show his willingness to cooperate. An enemy to watch out for... and to exact a revenge when I can. Turkey takes Rumania from Russia, which is good news for everyone else.

Autumn 1902
I have no inspiration so I try the same moves, hoping that Germany will be busy. No such luck, the guy hates me. He dislodges Bohemia. After deliberating whether to disband the unit, I let it retreat to Galicia and become the pain in the ass of Eastern Europe, and especially Austria (achillies27). He must be hating my guts. There's been an inordinate number of games where he and I played Austria and Italy, respectively. Go figure.

Spring 1903
While I continue my futile pincer attack waiting for an opening, France (stranger) has mounted a strong attack on England (Fortress Door). My fleet in the Ionian makes the first support for the Turkish (Oberleutnant Fritz) army in Bulgaria to move to Greece, which will be ignored for four turns.

Autumn 1903
Russia (CSteinhardt) dislodges my Galicia back to Bohemia. Germany flexes his muscles, taking Sweden and Burgundy. France should do something about England before he's crushed from two sides.

Spring 1904
No changes in the east. I'm getting desperate. France takes Liverpool so England looks doomed, but can France survive a booming Germany, who has taken Belgium? I must get involved.

Autumn 1904
I take Munich from a complacent Germany. Never turn your back when Zmaj is around! France must be singing my praises. I know I'll lose it next turn, but I hope to take something in the meantime.

Spring 1905
Both Austria and I know what's the extra unit for, but he can't prevent me from coming to the Adriatic. Germany dislodges my Munich to Silesia. France has somehow let England come back to life. Why?

Autumn 1905
It's too complicated! So I just attack all around. And one attack succeeds: Italians are masters of Warsaw now. Russia, on the other hand, has entered Serbia. Does this finally spell the end for Austria?

Spring 1906
It does. It took six years, but I take Vienna and Trieste. Russia might also be done for: he takes Budapest and Warsaw at the cost of Moscow and Sevastopol. Not very smart. With France moving to Norway, we're at the craziest point of the game. It's the Dark Ages, and Germany is the only power to keep a solid control over his possessions.

Autumn 1906
Austria drives me out of Vienna, his last center, but a second Bohemian Crusher is under way. Germany looks like he's interested in a piece of England and Turkey is savoring two builds.

1907
I make my way across the Balkans and build two more armies to consolidate my gains. France goes north again, but this time he'll have to count with four German fleets. England is doomed, of course. Turkey shuffles his armies and fleets, losing precious time.

1908
I don't know why, but I tend to make lots of mistakes in the late stages of the game. Here's my first: moving out of Moscow by myself, letting Turkey get another build. Russia is dead and France looks pretty ambitious.

1909
Nobody, and I mean nobody, can beat me in the battle for eastern Balkans. I'll be helping France by attacking Munich three years in a row. I build three fleets to retake Tunis and eventually move west.

1910-1911
I have 11 SCs and control over the Mediterranean. Everybody else has put up a draw vote, so I'm on my own. I'm confident I can win, though.

1912-1913
I have 14 SCs, and France and Germany are still fighting. I must win this.

1914-1918 (the end)
Well... I should have won. But as I said, I tend to make mistakes in the endgame. This is what destroyed my chances of victory: in spring 1917, I wanted to move from Rumania to Sevastopol with the support of the Black Sea fleet. I changed my mind and attacked Ankara instead, but forgot to order Romania to stay put and Serbia to support. Mental note: never change your mind in the last minute of your turn. So I had a 17-SC draw with Decima Legio and stranger. An exciting game nonetheless.

Hey man, Italy, ALWAYS WINS EASTERN BALKANS.... If hy get past Austria and get a foothold in Greece, idiots can beat the best. Anyway, you played fine and... I staked you for SIX YEARS... And no one rose up to the occasion of being a serious threat to you...

Also, we should 1v1 on vdip if your gunboat doesn't start.

Thanks, but 1v1 is not my cup of tea.

It's like gunboat.
Anyway, whateva.

First thing to say: I enjoyed the game.
I disappeared from this website because of the the incidence of Civil Disorder, and I am happy I've been playing a live game with committed and rather experienced players.

Second thing to say: forgive my grammar: not my mother tongue.

Third thing to say: the game ended in 1919. It was surprising that we all hanged up with no real life issues.

My point of view on the game:

1901:
I am Germany, and it's both gunboat and winner-takes-all... FUCK!
The western triple is utopia in a gunboat.
I made my first moves trying not to find myself on the wrong edge of the triangle.
Classic opening with the fleet in Den (one of the safest). England makes an eastern opening.
Anti-Russia or anti-Germany.
The French moved in Bur with strength 1+1...anti-Germany.
Nothing in the Channel, not good.
I decide to cover Munich from any French or Italian move and to deny Russia the control of Sweden in order to gain England's favour.
It goes quite well, a bounce in Belgium, and I have 2 builds.
5 scs after fall 1901: my chances of surviving the WTA grow.

One side notice:
france and Italy advertised the game on the forum. I looked their profiles and 2+2=4: Zmaj is likely playing Italy.
Not that this has altered my game, though, I've never played a game with Zmaj so in practice it's "anonymous" anyway.
On the other hand, I'm aware that the game should have not reached 7 players without advertisement.

1902:
France builds a fleet in Brest.
England won't attack me, I'm going to bet on him for a cooperation.
Actually I didn't mean to allow Belgium to France; I supported Yorkshire into Belgium, but the army did't move as the previous season, my bad
(it's not clear in the small map, in the large map the failed supports are visible).
Luckily Russia has other concerns and stays off my possessions.
I'm not comfortable with 2 armies of the same color around Munich, so I'm going south with the unit in Berlin.
Also, if Austria can manage to get out of that gangbang, he might be grateful to me in the mid-game.
I'm in Bohemia, but I expected to dislodge the italian unit. The pressure on Austria is not relieved.
Italy and France share the benefits of a solid NAP: one more reason to side with England and Austria.
Weird build down there in Turkey... after 2 years I have a rough idea about who lacks of experience and who I have to guard from.

1903:
France asks: "can we be friends?"
No, thanks, nothing to gain. I have a single fleet, you have no other place for your 3armies than the Rhine river. Definitely I choose England.
@ France (stranger) "Also, my rug was stolen" , great movie!
War is open among France and Englan. Time to break the Maginot line.
After some armwrestle I finally got Sweden before it came to be an issue between me and England.


1904:
Austria's resistance is amazing: basically no friends and he still holds 5 SCs in the end of 1904.
France takes Liv, I take Bel but France understood my tactic and got the army off the pocket.
Any other simpler tactic may let me have Belgium and Gascony by retreat, which means France KO.
I played 1904 very poorly. Moreover I dared too much: I didn't reply the support from Berlin and eventually losed Munich in favour of Italy.
My position is not that bad anyway.

1905:
The French re-estabilished an unbreakable terran border.
I need something in the water, I can't go ahead with a single fleet. Moreover I need to play a low profile year: 6 units and 7 SCs.
Strange year indeed: I didn't understand both France's attitude towards England in 1905 and why Russia decided to move towards Austria instead of Turkey, who was his real enemy at the time.

1906:
Austria collapses. I can do nothig.
Turkey engages Russia. Good ground for Italy.
France is in Norway. Another failed support from me: I was expecting and english army from Edi to Norway. That way England could mantain the control over North sea and at the moment had 2 armies in the mother-island...
The intentions didn't match. Happens in gunboats.

1907:
It's quite clear that England is crumbling.
My priority though is to deny France the access to Ska and North sea.
I'll play selfish from now on.
minor real life issue #1: I went pissing during spring, when I came back I forgot I had to hold belgium with holland due to the new French gain in the Channel.
All those efforts and I lose Belgium miserably. Shame on me.

1908:
Luckily England didn't decide to throw himself at me and fighted back the French aggressor 'til the end.
I'm not lucky with the 50% chance: this time I hit Belgium instead of Bur, and France resists.
Turkey realized that two fleets around the Black sea are goin to make the traffic jam.
I got StP. I hate to take StP with a fleet...but sometimes you really need a build.

1909:
Tyrolia warns me that he still remembers why the first Bohemian Crusher failed...
I succeed to keep the Frech off the North Sea, which is probably more worth than gaining a SC.
The Warsaw-Moscow swap goes well. +1SC for me.
I hoped that the struggle was balanced down there, but Italy makes an outstanding gain in the Balkan area.
I didn't check the orders, Turkey must have had some misorders. It comes to be clear who's gonna prevail, eventually.

1910:
I remember I put my draw vote more or less in 1910. I was fine with a 4 way.
Possibly a 3 way without Turkey...but how to convince France to a 3 way?
I must stop building fleets and prevent the Italian onslaught which is likely to come.
The recent 3 fleets build does not deceive me. I'm convinced that I am the next target, even before Turkey's demise.

1911-1912:
I reach NAO before France finishes England.
It's not easy to cooperate after 11 years of gunboat fight. Some players say they are proud and continue the fight.
The WTA setting makes his part in favouring the not-easy process of peace between Germany and France.
minor real life issue #2: spring 1912 my PC crashed. I'm desperate. Thanks Mr.Gates, I thought. The re-boot gives me 1 minute to enter 10 orders.
Fortunately I don't lose ground. I didn't expect to take Moscow in the fall.
fall 1912: Italy makes his "stab" against France. Unexpected yet. If I were him I should have moved in MAO...but it's too easy to say afterwards.

1913-1914:
The Italian eastern line is damn too high for my taste. I have to make it step southward somehow.
But I lack in armies and those I have are not well-positioned.
I need one more army to contain Italy AND I don't want France to feel attacked.
"deus ex machina": armenia supports Moscow to Sevastopol.

2fleets surround Smyrna and 1 army knockes at Constantinople's walls... Turkey is over, it's only a matter of time...
and then I'll need 2 units to support hold Sevastopol in the future.

1915:
France definitely understands that I'm committed vs Italy and not vs him.
The west is a stalemate. I got Edi in order to build one extra army.
I don't need to burden France anymore.
Bad news: Turkey is not lucky with guessing the support hold from Ankara. I'll have to hurry and taking some extra risks.
I breath some oxigen gaining Ukraine and Silesia.

1916-1919
The land war goes well over what was expected: Galicia and Bohemia are in my hands.
The last defensive army reaches Moscow one year in advance.
It has been hard to contain you, Italy, but... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4UfAL9f74I

Well played in any case.

good game. Surviving for 12 years never going above 4 centers (mostly being at 3). I will write up thoughts later.

Thanks Germany for the support at the start... And, Germany is my favorite gunboat country.

Decima Legio, that was a well written EoG.

When I saw you take Edinburgh, I thought that was it for the Franco-English alliance, but France kept his cool. Damn.

This is probably a stupid question: how did you know that the game was advertised by France and Italy?

pardon, I didn't explain well, I wasn't referring to the countries but to the players.
I meant that "the stranger" and "zmaj" advertised the game. So they were in the game.
Reading userID=41240 profile there's a Big Lebowski quote and a second statement which doesn't help me much.
Reading userID=43830 profile there's the description of a quite uncommon Italian opening, which happened in the game.
This way I thought: the green one must be Zmaj.
Minor issue anyway, that was a live game.

Lol you should bet at horse races, you'll get rich.