We had our first NYC Diplomacy online game. While there were a few bumps, I’d
thought the
game was a lot of fun and quite a success – I might be a tad biased since
soloed.

I played Italy. Before first moves, Austria and Germany proposed a Central
Powers pushed first by Austria. I was not thrilled with this idea because (1)
Italy vs. France can be a slog, (2) it would be hard to
control my destiny and (3) Austria would be in a far better position to stab me
than vice-versa. So I moved to Tyrolia, Ionian, Apulia and managed to diplom
that the Tyrolia moves were “ok”
with the proposed alliance. But I was
planning on going for a quick crush of Austria with Russia and/or Turkey.

However, Germany offered me Munich. This was an intriguing idea, so I was
game. But in Fall 1901 Austria let Turkey into Serbia when he could
have bounced him and Turkey got two builds. At first, Germany and I thought
Austria had just screwed up, but then it came out that they were working
together and
that Austria wanted everyone
to “just get along” so he could crush Russia. Germany and I were fighting
mad at this and gave him an ultimatum: “us or Turkey.”

1901 builds also created drama. First, Germany,
worried that it would “give us away,” and against my advice, built two
armies,
rather than a fleet in Kiel. That, more than anything, I think, screwed Germany
in this
game (a point I’ll come back to). Second, France and England had already
figured it out, with France building in Mar and England building an army in Edi
(?!?), making Germany’s
build doubly painful.

Austria acceded to our ultimatum and agreed to attack Turkey, but said he wanted
to tell
him first. I don’t know whether this “warning”
was ever conveyed. Germany and I were secretly agreed that while we
both needed Austria, we
longer felt we could rely on him and would crush Austria when the time was
right.

In other news, Russia, due to misorders and
Austrian aggression, got no builds and was in dire straits.

My plan at this point in the game was to maintain a solid
two-way alliance with Germany,
to first crush France, then Austria, then Turkey,
with Germany taking out England and Russia. I would have taken a solo if
presented on a
platter, but so long as Germany was loyal and did not “hand” me the solo by
playing badly or moving out of position I would stay loyal and take the two
way. I believe in rewarding solid
alliances – especially when the other person takes the first big “gamble”
as Germany did by inviting me into Munich.

I went full bore for France. Austria attacked Turkey and England slid into the
channel giving new life to Russia. I’m curious as to what went on between
England and France. I’m guessing there was a brutal backstab by England, but
really not sure. Regardless, England went into Brest in the fall, which turned
what might have been a protracted battle with France into a route.

In ’03, a Russian/English and Russian/Turkish alliance threw
me back solidly on board with Austria (for now). Germany on the ropes, without
his
fleet, was on the ropes as he could not counter attack. In the fall of ’03
drunken misorders combined
with a NMR in the spring of ’04 were a tad embarrassing. However, these
actually worked out, because Germany had amazingly convinced France to turn on
England. My misorders breathed life into the new partnership
with France.

In the fall of ’04, however, I was getting impatient. Germany was begging for
help and for me to lay off France,
but I (1) wanted to reposition my troops, (2) wanted France to get a fleet, but
(3)
wanted a build. So I took Spain and attacked Gascony and sent a cryptic message
before hand saying I wanted to help France get a
fleet. It worked perfectly. France did not grow, but got to swap an army for a
fleet, I was able to build and get
an army in Venice and France was still on board with the “alliance.”

My long term plan by this point had changed. I was playing for a solo as the
relationship with Germany had soured. We were still “allies” but I
felt (1) he was not pulling his weight by playing too conservative; (2) the
position we/he was in was his own damn fault for not building a fleet in ’01;
(3)
he kept suggesting moves that would put me out of position, including
suggesting them in messages to France which really pissed me off because then I
had to keep explaining to France how I was still part of an alliance with him
and Germany, but not ceding back his territory, even though our joint ally kept
recommending it; and (4) I was in a position to break out and he wasn’t.

’05 was the year. First, I tried to lull France into a false sense of
security by peeling off a fleet eastward and promising to
stay out of Portugal. In fact, the real plan to get him to send an
army to England while gobbling two of his dots without even having to launch a
supported
attack. This was the perfect time because
I could (1) cripple France, yet
(2) England would still be
hurt by France’s attack,
helping Germany survive,
which I needed, and keeping England as zero threat to me. The second front
was that I needed to break up the Turkish/Russian alliance. Russia had, for
some reason, made
moves that allowed an Austrian troop to squeeze through. I put on the full
court press to Turkey, suggesting that now was the perfect
opportunity to attack Russia and that if he did, I would attack Austria. Turkey
resisted, but after a
lengthy plea and explanation he was on board. Third, I wasn’t exactly sure
what to do with Austria. I did not want to out and out attack him,
because I could be over extended and could quickly make myself a target. But I
also wanted to show Turkey that I
was serious about my offer. I proposed
to Austria that I move to Vienna, on the theory that Russia would try for Vienna
rather than another series
of moves that could likely bounce, and that I would thus bounce with Russia.
Amazingly, Austria AGREED.

Turkey stayed true to his word and attacked Russia. Then came the big
misadjudication. To be honest, I was worried about how big Turkey might get if
Austria turned on me and Russia collapsed quickly, so I think a triple bounce
would have been better for
me. But it ‘twas not to be.

I had a lot of explaining to do in ’06 and knew I still
needed Germany, so I agreed
to give him France. I could have gone either way with Austria and Turkey and
thought strongly about sticking with Austria,
figuring he’d be far easier to stab down the road than Turkey. But, despite
asking me into Vienna, he apparently decided I was going to
attack him. I got a nasty email from him
and then nothing. I actually would have
stuck with Austria if I had
believed he was going to continue fighting Turkey, but I sensed he was going
to turn on me. I was right, he did, and
I supported Turkey into Greece.

At this point in the game I still wanted Germany to grow
quick and be my primary ally…indeed, if he had played well and “caught up”
I
would have still gladly done the two way, even though the solo was my
goal. But Germany froze up, never driving forward
for dots as he promised.

Turkey and
I quickly dismantled Austria. Germany got a build from Paris,
but then did nothing with it. Russia was making noises about supporting me to
a solo, but wouldn’t do what I actually wanted him to do and I thought it was
just a ploy to get me to attack Germany,
which would have been dangerous considering where my pieces were (and could
have easily brought Russia/England back to life).

As we were finishing off Austria, Turkey attacked me. Thankfully, he did not
attack me very well and I got three builds on that turn, which made it pretty
easy to deflect his advances. I was
still willing to play ball with Germany,
but Germany was still refusing to actually do anything. I assume this was out
of a fear that I would
stab him, but it was his fear and conservative play that ultimately made me
decide to do so – he was in the way.

With England out to lunch and Turkey moving north, any hope of a Russian/England
revival disappeared and I was now
game to accept their support. I talked
Turkey into a new alliance. I didn’t
think he’d do it and moved as if he’d attack me. I don’t think it would
have mattered either
way. At the end, the solo became easy
due to England/Russia’s support. I
believe they threw me the solo because they had made ultimatums to Germany that
they would do so if he didn’t attack me and he didn’t.

I think the key to the game was Turkey’s
attack on Russia. That occurrence, on the same turn I jumped
from 6 to 9, was vital and I would have played that turn quite differently if I
didn’t think Turkey was going to do it. Germany was my ally (and still needed
me), Austria I was unconcerned with, my moves
crippled France and France’s moves seriously debilitated England. Russia and
Turkey were the two biggest threats to me on the board, to get them into a
conflict
the turn I surged forward was essential to my success I think.

Tom