GM : Andy Scott
Starting date : 17th March 2008
End date : 20th January 2009
Result : England solo win

AUSTRIA	John Wright	Survived
ENGLAND	robert (bob) mac millan	Won
FRANCE	Adam Bratton	Eliminated
GERMANY	paul woods	Eliminated
ITALY	Joe Payne	Survived
RUSSIA	Reinout Boven	Eliminated
TURKEY	Leslie Gowar	Survived

GM : Andy Scott
Indian was a classic gunboat game with different players looking at a board and seeing different points of view from the same position1 It's true the two Italian NMR's played right into Englands hands although it must be said that the French NMR in A03 was caused by a misunderstanding of the time difference and his orders arrived just too late to be taken into consideration. As Adam himself said in an e-mail to me it reinforces the need for provisional orders! That aside I think Bob played a very astute game and in the end deserved the win, whilst the other three came together in the end their perspectives and distrust was such I doubted they would ever be in time to stop the solo. So well done to all and thank you all for playing and being so patient with me for getting the EGS up. Regards, Andy

AUSTRIA : John Wright
Indian was something of a rollercoaster ride for me. It started reasonably well, hit the buffers and then started to pick up again before heading downwards to the end. Good fun though all the same. My initial plan was to trust Italy and assume an Austria/Italy alliance until proved otherwise, fortunately Italy agreed so we got off to a reasonable start. Italy's move towards France caused a small hiccough when He took both Trieste and Greece in 1902 ! I assumed that was just an insurance move because he needed a build and that was confirmed in the Spring with the moves to MAO and out of Trieste at which point, apart from Russia ordering to assist Turkey's growth at his own expense, to some extent, things were looking ok. That changed rather quickly with Italy's NMR in Autumn 03 !! Oh how that one hurt :( I'd moved to recover Trieste, Italy in not ordering has to take a disband and so the most important fleet on the map, F(MAO), disappears and France is in position, with 2 fleets in the Med, to take advantage. The loss of the Italian F(MAO) now changes the dynamic of the scene dramatically, because with Russia proving totally ineffectual and France busy in the Med, England was able to take a stranglehold in the north. So much so that in S06 France orders back out of the Ionian, away from his assault on Italy and back towards home. Unfortunately, this proved too late as England had total naval dominance in the northern oceans and was able to push home his advantage. Around the Black Sea, both Turkey and I were getting nowhere. All overtures to Russia both for giving and receiving aid were completely ignored, so much so that I came to the conclusion that Russia could only be considered as a loose cannon to be removed at the earliest opportunity to prevent a shot in my direction. In 07 I was extremely surprised that Turkey allowed me to take Sevastopol. The A/I alliance had been trying to put Turkey back in his box virtually from the start after Russia kindly left the lid open, so it was with some glee that I managed to occupy Rumania & Sevastopol freeing up units for moves northwards. In 1908 Germany vacated Munich and his move to Tyrolia left me with little choice but to order to Munich to try to prevent England from sweeping through the centre. France was in the process of dying between E/I. After the F/I war of the early years, it may well have been better for Italy to support France against England, but that didn't happen and so England's naval position by 1908 meant that he was going to be part of any draw at the very least. In 1909 I was finally able to remove Russia. I would have preferred the Russian armies to assault the English holdings in Germany, but the risk just seemed too great and I did gain 2 builds which seemed rather important at the time. Unfortunately, this meant losing Munich for the first time to England who had also moved into the Med. It also involved losing Bulgaria to Turkey, which was a whole lot more important in the short term as it meant Italy's fleets were caught between the English and the Turkish navies. It was all downhill from here as 1910 saw an English fleet in the Ionian sea, with the seal on this particular war set in Spring 1911 with the second Italian NMR allowing an Enlgish army into Albania when the convoy didn't get disrupted. Without the army in the Balkans I though that there were reasonable chances of stopping England's solo attempt due to his lack of armies; unfortunately, tracking down that army gave him the time necessary to suppress France and move into position to get to 18. What followed were my forlorn attempt to hold Munich and prevent England from gaining too many dots from me, while France was taken by the English and Turkey moved to help prevent the Solo attempt. In A15 I should have built a fleet in Trieste which may have allowed us to hold England to 17, but Tunis was still there for the taking in Spring 1916, so the little tease with not taking Tunis until the Autumn was gratuitous :) So, my thanks to my ally in Italy who apart from the two damned NMR's, about which I could go on at some length :), rarely gave me cause to reconsider my initial position, which with all of the possibilities for misunderstanding in a gunboat game, was well done. To Turkey, my apologies for not giving you much to do for long parts of the game, but I really wanted to secure my back door and you were in the way :) I was extremely grateful that you played to stop the solo when you did start to grow, as I was concerned that you might just cut me to ribbons when the opportunity arrived. To Russia, hmmm ! At some point you might want to consider the possibility of playing with somebody, at least temporarily, rather than against everybody all of the time. After Turkey took Sevastopol there were a number of occasions when I would have helped you back into Sevastopol as a counter to Turkey, but that didn't seem to be on your mind, so I had to do it myself. In the end, you just appeared to be looking for dots opportunisticly and in the end I felt that I had to remove the danger you posed at a time when we were basically in a fight against England. To England, my congratulations. The F/I war gave you the time needed to get going in the north which you used to good effect. I think you were fortunate that both Italian NMRs were directly to your advantage, but thems the breaks, and you used them well. To France and Germany, better luck next time I suppose :) And to our esteemed GM, my thanks for a well run game. I hope my comments with each set of orders were at least partially entertaining and my thanks for the delayed deadline when I was in danger of having to NMR due to my flight times.

ENGLAND : robert (bob) mac millan
Thanks to Andy for running the game. He did a great job with all of the deadlines and your communication was outstanding. I also learned that a convoy was not a legal retreat which almost cost me dearly. I had actually conditionally ordered convoyed retreats many times during the game but the orders were not needed. I was fortunate that the lesson was not more costly. I very much enjoyed playing Diplomacy again. It has been many years and the Gunboat version was much less time consuming. It was also the main reason for my victory as the remaining forces could not work as easily together to stop my progress. I did not play a very aggressive game and tried to get some close allies with Russia and France. I did not actually claim any alliance but at least some neutrality with both for an extended period. That allowed me to concentrate on Germany who was very aggressive against me early. With no one building fleets except Italy, I was able to use my my fleets in Hel and Ska to fortify my hold on the German territories. My lack of armies kept me from penetrating the mainland however and allowed Austria to take Mun. The Italian fleet in Spain was a menace and I needed to hold them at bay. Getting an army into Tri was a real help in diverting Austria and Italy form the front lines. It also helped Turkey to grow in power. During the game I was involved with a senior softball team that traveled and I therefore had to find a remote PC to follow the game and submit my orders. I had tournaments in Champaign Il, St. Louis, MO, Mesquite, NV and two weeks in St. George, UT. The last moves from Mesquite were made from their small public library. I was most concerned that the last week in St George I would not be able to get my moves in on time. Fortunately, someone else was also travelling and the deadline was extended. Thanks again

TURKEY : Leslie Gowar
First of all a big thanks to Andy for acting as GM in what was my very first internet game. As far I am am concerned, everything was dealt with perfectly which certainly makes me keen to have another go - despite the final result. I have written my statement in the main trying to record my feelings about the moves and outcomes at the time, with occasional comments made with the benefit of hindsight. Where I feel I made a mistake I say so, and I also occasionally comment about other players moves at key stages - I hope that all the other players will take any critical comments about their moves in the spirit meant, it is just a game after all. The Opening Spring 1901 - Autumn 1902 I decided to make an all out attack on Russia, Turkey has a reputation for often being a dull country to play so I thought a less than standard opening would liven things up. Russia headed South which was disappointing and the other countries openings were not particularly unusual or noteworthy. Pushing on into Rumania in Autumn 1901 kept Russia without a build in the year and my build of a Fleet in Constantinople guaranteed me control of the Black Sea. In Spring 1902 I swapped Rumania for Sevastopol and in the Autumn I recaptured Rumania for a build which I took as an Army in Constantinople. ( I feel looking back that this was a mistake - an external Fleet would have been more use to me as the game developed). At this point I had made a very satisfactory start with 5 pieces and complete control of the Black Sea a key area for Turkey. The only country in real trouble was Russia who had not done anything wrong but was simply the victim of neighbours moving their way. Austria looks somewhat weak which is good news for me as Austria will be my next target if things go well. Jostling for Position Spring 1903 - Autumn 1904 During this phase of the game I was trying to get a sixth piece which I believed would give me a completely secure position. Each season I was locked in a struggle with Austria where the best form of defence for each of us seemed to be to attack. This phase of the game ended badly for me when Austria supported Italy into Bulgaria reducing me to four pieces. Without an external Fleet my position was hemmed in, although reasonably secure against attack. It was good play by Austria as without a threat from Turkey they could now look further afield for fresh builds. Elsewhere Germany was now clearly the weakest of the Northern powers while Russia was still hanging on. At this stage I felt I would just have to wait for a change in allegiance, an NMR, or a significant change in the balance of power before I would get a chance to fight back. Stuck Spring 1905 Autumn 1906 A very dull period for me, all I could do was push back ineffectively while covering my weak spots and trying to disrupt the Italy/Austria alliance without success. Further afield England is now the clear leader and Germany is doomed. As nothing is happening for me I decide to take a chance and reposition my forces into a more aggressive position. Repositioning Spring 1907 - Autumn 1908 This period started badly for me with the loss of Sevastopol, I took a chance on capturing Rumania with a definite plan of action if it backfired which of course it did. The loss of a piece putting me down to 3 did not really affect the soundness of my defensive position and freed my Fleet to leave the Black Sea. By the end of 1908 I was delighted to occupy the Ionian Sea. England's expansion continued with Germany's exit and France's decline - significantly England in two consecutive seasons managed to move into the Mid Atlantic and on through into the Mediterranean, France and Italy misjudged things here, and the moves of 1908 were a major factor in the eventual outcome of the game. Fight with Italy Spring 1909 - Spring 1911 My advance to the Ionian Sea attracted Italy's attention and although I briefly took Bulgaria I could not keep it once Austria came to the rescue of their long standing ally. The position at this point was grim for me I was down to 3 pieces and under attack from Austria/Italy but the situation elsewhere had grown a lot more complicated. Russia had gone and France was down to one and England on 14 with total command of the Sea outside the Mediterranean could see a possible victory - furthermore an Italian NMR had allowed an English army into Albania behind enemy lines which much have exasperated Austria no end. At this stage my hope and plan was to do everything for a quick England victory so I would at least get a survive. The voyage of the Constantinople Army Autumn 1911 - Autumn 1912 This period if the game was quite astonishing to me. Looking at the Spring 1911 board I would never have guessed that the Constantinople Army, in consecutive moves, would travel to Bulgaria, Serbia, Budapest, Rumania and Ukraine. During this period with some help from England (acting for their own benefit of course) I finally secured a decent position getting up to 6 pieces. England is still on 14 but has a certain gain of Portugal and hopes for two French centres. Making Peace with Austria and Italy Spring 1913 - Autumn 1913 Once I felt secure my aims changed completely and I wanted a share in a drawn position. I needed to bring the fighting in the Balkans to an end so that England could be stopped. In Spring 1913 I supported Austria and chose to Retreat my Budapest Army to my own centre of Rumania rather than take Venice from Austria. In Autumn 1913 although I could have stayed in Bulgaria I deliberately moved out to ensure Italy would continue to have sufficient units to deal with England. These deliberate sacrifices put me back down to 5 pieces but I felt that this would be sufficient for self defence, send a big signal of a wish to end hostilities, and would also allow Austria and Italy to keep pieces to maintain their front against what I hoped they would see as our common enemy. I had also turned my two Armies towards England in Moscow which I could take for sure, while putting a defensive Fleet in Rumania to show Austria I was no longer a threat. I was very disappointed to see that Italy disbanded the Fleet in Tunis while keeping an army in Bulgaria. England is on 16 and with Armies to arrive in France shortly will likely gain Paris and Marseilles but lose Moscow. The key areas are Tunis, Venice, Munich and Berlin - I think on balance a draw should be achieved but England's Fleet in the Adriatic must be destroyed. Wasted Time Spring 1914 Unfortunately Austria has moved Armies away from Venice and towards Livonia, this seems to achieve nothing as England can easily shore up the North East with an Army in St Petersburg and a Fleet in Gulf of Bothnia, this loss of a tempo means that England has now secured Berlin and can have a go for Munich before an attack can be mounted against Vienna. Even worse Italy has attacked me in Constantinople instead of moving to Albania to support Austria in Trieste, This move is particularly pointless when I have two units against one in the Balkans and could kick them out of Bulgaria if I wanted, although that would just be playing into England's hands. With England about to move to 17 units I now really fear we will lose this. The Outcome Autumn 1914 - Autumn 1916 In Autumn 1914 Austria reverses direction and moves towards Venice, and Italy finally realises that England, not Turkey, is the enemy With my extra Fleet Build from the capture of Moscow I hope to get to the Adriatic Sea in time. The Spring 1915 moves were crucial, I made a bad mistake in not moving my Army from Galicia to Bohemia to help with the defence of Munich - I was too afraid that I might cut support if Austria decided to move another piece to Tyrolia as I considered that England might advance the army from Venice to Tyrolia to get a bounce and keep Venice throughout 1914 and perhaps secure the win this year. I didn't think it very likely that Italy would want a convoy to Tunis from Greece but I felt that if they did, and I didn't provide it, then we were surely lost so I offered the convoy while hoping that the Army would in fact move to Albania. In fact Italy attempted a convoy to Apulia.and Retreated their Fleet to Tunis. Italy lost the Army in Burgundy when holding and mutually supporting Munich would have retained it - so now Munich is exposed. I feel that the game is certainly lost now. In Autumn 1915 as I planned I cut the support from the Fleet in the Adriatic Sea so Austria was able to take Vienna but England captured Munich as compensation. Unfortunately Austria built an Army in Trieste when a Fleet was required. In 1916 I tried to get two Fleets lined up against England in the Adriatic Sea to remove England's Fleet, hoping that they had not yet realised that it could cut any Ionian Sea support in the defence of Tunis (but I bounced with Italy in Albania anyway). England did however spot the necessary moves and secured the deserved win. Congratulations England, and thanks to all the players especially Austria and Italy who were tough adversaries throughout the first stage of the game and valiant allies towards the end when we almost managed to get our act together in time. Leslie