|
MANCINI END-GAME STATEMENTS
GM:
Andrea Pellegrino [EGS]
Started: 9 April, 2004
Finished: 10 January, 2005 (Autumn 1907)
Result: Two Way Draw Turkey/Austria
| Country | Player | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | Result | | Austria | Pieter Muller | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | Draw | | England | Linsen Loots | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | Survived | | France | Karlien Calitz | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 7 | Survived | | Germany | Chris Groenewald | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | Survived | | Italy | Andrew Keith | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | Survived | | Russia | Jeffrey Nepo | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Anarchy (S03) | | Turkey | Joe Deville | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 | Draw |
ENGLAND (Linsen Loots) I played England in this game, although I must confess that I didn’t do the best job of it. I started off wishing to expand somewhat in all directions, and promptly moved out into the English Channel. I then realised that this might not make me too popular, to make such a threatening move so early, and I retreated once more. It was my (vain) hope that this would make Karlien somewhat more friendly to my cause.
Having made a truce of sorts with her, and growing concerned about Russia’s rapidly growing armies, I focused my attention to the East: Scandinavia and Russia. Of course I needed support to beat back the encroaching Russian forces, and so I formed an alliance with Germany. This all went well, and before long I was on the verge of invading the Russian homeland.
All went according to plan, and within a few turns Chris and I had captured all of Russia. Of course this was made somewhat easier as a result of his dropping out of the game.
However, while all was going well in the East, disaster was looming back home. Karlien, whom I thought I could trust to at least remain neutral, had moved into the Channel! Still I disregarded her though, and it was only when she betrayed me full on and advanced into England itself that I realised the desperateness of my situation. Abandoning some of my plans of Russian conquest, I immediately tried to move some troops home for support. It was too late, however, and I was too spread out. These facts, in combination with a crucial misorder, gave France an ever-increasing hold over my home centres.
Still, I was hopeful that with the help of my ally, Chris, I might beat back France. Oh, how naïve I was, for before long I saw Chris moving into more and more threatening positions, until he too betrayed me completely and brazenly entered England. At the same time, we ended up swopping centres in Russia, so that not only was I completely locked out of England, my forces were also split! Dark days indeed.
Although it now seemed unlikely that I would survive, I was ever hopeful, and my first action was to unite my three stranded troops in Scandinavia and St Petersburg. It was at this time that Turkey approached me with an alliance, to which I readily agreed. Not only did I desperately need the support, but it also offered the possibility of getting revenge on those who had forced me out of my homeland.
Trusting his friendship, I was able to gradually move my troops back in the direction of England. In the meantime, Karlien turned on Chris (to my great pleasure), and Germany was soon in even direr straits than I, surrounded as he was by advancing enemies.
Partly as a result of this, and partly because of the surety of having Joe’s forces at my back, I was able to get a fleet into the Norwegian sea, which led to my eventual return to the sweet fields of England! Things were going well on other fronts too, as I had acquired Denmark as well.
And so, with my long exile finally at an end, and the promise of reclaiming the British home centres drifting before me, our game came to an end.
Return to Top
GERMANY (Chris Groenewald) What a great game!!
Firstly I would like to congratulate and thank Andrea for a great game of Dipplomacy , perfectly Gamemastered. And then there's the rest of the backstabbing lot... I had a great time playing with all of you. There were some great moves , and then not such great moves.
Some of the great results of this game for me is : How England acctually got a survive after being "homeless" in Fall 1904. The French stab on me in Spring 1905 (which I don't think was a great move seing that I was her ally , and that we could have been some kind of a rebel force against the ever growing Austria-Turkey alliance ; but that's just my thoughts :-) Pieter's NMR in Fall 1907 causing most damage to my ego in letting France have the plessure of crushing me further into the ground.
I would like to thank all of you for a great game , and would like to say well played to every player!! A special word of congrats to Pieter and Joe for a thoroughly deserved draw. I hope to play against a few of you in the future again.
Return to Top
ITALY (Andrew Keith) Italy is not my favourite country (sorry Andrea) and every other time I have played it I have done poorly. Mancini was no exception.
In my previous games as Italy I felt I had lacked direction so I started out this game with the firm goal of allying with Austria to destroy Turkey, seeing Turkey's fleets as my biggest long term threat. Having made that decision I set about convincing Austria - a tough tough task. Pieter seemed to have his mind set on something else (I was never quite sure what) and was being as focussed on it as I was on mine. Fair to say 2 strong willed people met head on and butted heads, not once but several times (in negotiations if not on the board) over a few seasons - you only have to look at the result to see who had the harder head (well done Pieter).
At the same time I was pretending to sign up to a Russia/Turkey/Italy alliance organised by the long departed Russia. Jeff was billing this as SUN versus the rest and that if we didn't stick together that the SUN guys were going to get us.
When I say pretending, I was also sending the comuniuqes to Austria (something I ussually don't do and probably won't do again seeing how unhelpful it turned out to be) and telling him what was coming, while trying to play Russia and Turkey along for a season or 2 to gain their trust. I was hoping to be able to position Austria and myself for a big stab by knowing the Russian and Turkish plans allowing Austria and I to clean up Turkey and then move on to Russia.
But Pieter just never believed me, even after I went out of my way to pull his fat out of the fire from what I still think was a fairly strange, dare I say "silly" opening. Obviously I need to improve my PR skills because even trying to help him out Pieter was never keen on an alliance. I am keen to read your EGS Pieter to see what it was you were thinking at that time that culminated in us butting heads so hard (and I think unnecessarily).
Then Jeff spat the dummy and anarchied. Any chance of an alliance with Austria went pretty much down the toilet given the history of our negotiations and the fact that he could now, together with Turkey clean up an absent Russia.
Not long thereafter the inevitable happened, and Austria attacked me.
I pretty much knew it was coming and was opening discussions with France, but Karlien had her own priorities and concerns, and Italy wasn't amongst them.
In very quick time it looked like I would be the first "active" player to be eliminated. So I ran the white flag up the pole and offered my units up to the best offer. Pieter emailed me thinking I was going to proxy them, and begging me not to. That was never my intention (it is not really my style of play) and before you could say "knife" I had signed on to be the front line for the Austro/Turkish attacking France, in return for a garantee of survival with 3 units.
Funnily enough this became the most enjoyable part of the game for me. There was no "pressure" since I had already counted myself eliminated, and I was able to give Pieter and Joe my strategic and tactical views on how to undertake the campaign, which to my surprise they mostly accepted.
I admit I courted the idea of encouraging Turkey to go for the win (on the motive of revenge - I admit it), and explored the option with him on one, or maybe 2 occasions, in the end I decided that a survival in a draw was better than a "loss".
In the last season Karlien did contact me to see if we could get together and hold back the Austro/Turkish hordes. I would normally have been interested but looking at the position, and my lack of time to do alot of negotiating (work got particularly stupidly busy about half way through this game and is still that way) I decided just to run with what I had.
Thanks to all for an enjoyable game.
I get the impression that the SUN team have not played all that often, and then perhaps in a fairly small "school". Some of the openings were a bit of an eye opener that is for sure.
Pieter and Joe - Congratulations on a well deserved draw. You certainly deserved given the way you convinced the 3 minor players to go into bat for you at one time.
Andrea - Thanks for the work in GMing the game, and the way you handled the concerns raised over so many players coming from the same Uni. The fact that as far as I could see this had no effect on the way the game played or the result (with the possible exception of Russia's anarchy) is a credit to you (and to the SUN guys).
Hope to catch you all again soon.
Regards,Return to Top
GM (Andrea Pellegrino) Mancini was my first game as GM. From the beginning it was clear it was going to be a tough game to handle! 4 player were from the same University, they all were at their first experience in the Dip2000 site and it was not difficult to foresee what the other player was going to think about them as soon as the first classical “diplomatic paranoid” mood would hit them! My job was clearly to closely look at them and see how they behaved....sorry guys (and girl!) but I am sure this is just normal GM administration. I really think you all who played to the last deserver some background information at this stage. I will not tell names but I am going to give you evidence on what happened in the first part of the game.
As soon as the game started I already had a player sharing its thought with me (not yet complaining!) about the fact the game was strangely short in communication. Soon after Autumn 1901 I had another player formally complaining about the fact four player were from the same Uni, there was not communication and they obviously had decided to ally between themselves. This complain was sent in cc to other (non “Uni”) players which then shared their own concern/thoughts with me (some of them confirming just the lack of communication and really doubting all other kind of speculation). All the same I evaluated the situation as potentially risky for the prosecution of the game. I decided for GM intervention: I wrote an email aimed to enhance diplomatic communication and also advise (although as indirectly as possible) that unfair behavior was going to be pursued as soon as proved. In doing that I knew I was going to influence the game in some way, but I had no choice than wait the other three player decided to leave the game (and so the Dip2000 site) for ever. Off course at least of the Uni player complained about the intervention, and I can understand why. It is a fact that afterward the game developed in a much quite way. I know that without GM intervention the game would probably have been stopped and for this reason I still think that intervention was worth it. After all this is also what a “real” GM is here for: to steer the game when absolutely necessary, otherwise you should as well play with judge.
You all that played it to the end did a Great Job! The one between you which never NMR’d are immediately eligible to regular status (please free feel to ask me if interested). For those who did NMR’d a few time I suggest to play another standard game, but I will consider a status upgrade if asked. For all of you please be aware that: a status upgrade will permit you to join regular games, to join more than one game at the same time, to join game which are quicker in deadline. All of this three very nice thing immediately reflect in increment the time you must dedicate to Diplomacy 2000. Before joining games always evaluate if you really can support the effort it require. Also remember that not all GM send a warning message in order to remember you of deadline....and not all GM are strict as me in order writing (and to be sincere after this experience I am evaluating to change my view point on this matter). Finally you should know that a regular player which does goes to Anarchy is considered far worse than a normal one!
I’ll be happy to GM any of you again and I really hope you enjoyed the Dip2000 site and how it is handled and that you’ll continue playing with us! Finally please fell free to contact me for any information or suggestion or just to say good by!
Return to Top
|