Game Report for Harem Scarem: F1752 Produced 10/17/2002 A busy season. It looks like CSP is going to run away with it unless the other two alliances can figure out a way to work together (like negotiating through the press)! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Moves Summary =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Moves in [] fail, others succeed Austria (Konrad Baumeister): A Bavaria -> Hanover, [A Belem H] (Dislodged! Retreat to SUR, MNS, OTB), A Bosnia S F Greece, A Hague S A Bavaria -> Hanover, [A Rumania -> Crimea], F Adriatic Sea -> Ionian Sea, F Bismarck Sea -> Tahiti, F Greece S F Adriatic Sea -> Ionian Sea, [F Samoa -> Coral Sea], F Sargasso Sea -> Florida, [F Venezuela -> Colombia(nc)] China (Paul Rauterberg): A Burma -> Siam, [A Gobi Desert -> Manchuria], A Kasmir -> Afghanistan, A Mongolia S A Gobi Desert -> Manchuria, A Nanking H, A Sinkiang S A Kasmir -> Afghanistan, F East China Sea -> Korea, F Japan -> Sea of Japan, [F Philippine Sea -> Solomon Sea], F Yellow Sea S F East China Sea -> Korea England (Dave Partridge): [A Bolivia -> Argentina], A Fezan -> Sudan, A Kamerun S A Togo -> Nigeria, A Peru H, A Togo -> Nigeria, F Borneo H, F Colombia(wc) H, F English Channel S F Ireland -> East Atlantic Ocean, F Finland(sc) S Dutch F Sweden -> Baltic Sea, F Gulf of Siam -> Cambodia, F Ireland -> East Atlantic Ocean, F Malay Sea -> Java, F Norway -> Barents Sea, F Norwegian Sea S F Norway -> Barents Sea France (Konrad Baumeister): A Bordeaux -> Leon, A Flanders -> Antwerp, A Ghana -> Azores, [A Ohio -> Ontario], A Paris -> Brittany, A Rhine S A Flanders -> Antwerp, [A Savoy -> Papal States], A Switzerland -> Bavaria, A Timbuktu -> Volta, F Grand Banks -> Quebec, F Ionian Sea -> Naples, F Mid-Atlantic Ocean C A Ghana -> Azores, F Virginia S Austrian F Sargasso Sea -> Florida Netherlands (Dave Partridge): [A Congo -> Angola], A Denmark H, [A Florida S F Louisiana] (Annihilated!), A Mozambique H, [A Zambia -> Angola], F Fiji -> South Pacific Ocean, [F Louisiana S A Florida] (Annihilated!), [F Melbourne -> Coral Sea], F South Indian Ocean -> Malagasy, [F Sweden -> Baltic Sea] Ottoman (Dave Partridge): [A Afghanistan H] (Dislodged! Retreat to PER, UZB, OTB), A Bulgaria H, A Egypt S English A Fezan -> Sudan, A Istanbul S A Bulgaria, [A Kazakhstan S A Afghanistan], F Black Sea S A Bulgaria, F East Mediterranean Sea -> Libya, [F Guam -> Solomon Sea], [F Polynesia -> Iwo Jima], F South Pacific Ocean -> Bismarck Sea, F Yemen -> Gulf of Aden Portugal (Paul Rauterberg): [A Brazil -> Argentina], A Khandesh -> Punjab, A Leon -> Aragon, A Manitoba -> Ontario, A Matto Grosso -> Belem, A Missouri S Spanish A Texas -> Louisiana, A Ricefe S Spanish A Matto Grosso -> Belem, A Taureg S Spanish A Numidia -> Timbuktu, F Canaries -> Ifni, F Gulf of Guinea -> Ghana, F Hudson Bay S A Manitoba -> Ontario, F Lisbon -> Canaries, F West Indian Ocean -> Ceylon Russia (Konrad Baumeister): [A Kiev -> Crimea], A Moscow -> Ural, A Prussia S Austrian A Bavaria -> Hanover, A Siberia S F Manchuria, A Tanganyika -> Kenya, A Ural -> Omsk, [F Baltic Sea S F Barents Sea -> St Petersburg(nc)], F Barents Sea -> St Petersburg(nc), [F Manchuria S F Vladivostok -> Korea], F Poland S F Baltic Sea, [F Vladivostok -> Korea] Spain (Paul Rauterberg): A Benin S A Libya -> Fezan, A Honduras -> Panama, A Libya -> Fezan, A Numidia -> Timbuktu, [A Sudan S A Libya -> Fezan] (Dislodged! Retreat to NUB, OTB), A Texas -> Louisiana, A Tunis -> Numidia, F Arafura Sea -> New Guinea, F Mexico(ec) -> Gulf of Mexico, F Somalia -> Ethiopia, F Subic Bay -> Gulf of Siam, [F West Mediterranean Sea -> Papal States(wc)], [F West Pacific Ocean -> Iwo Jima] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Positions Summary =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Austria: A Bosnia, F Florida, F Greece, A Hague, A Hanover, F Ionian Sea, A Rumania, F Samoa, F Tahiti, F Venezuela. A Belem(DISL) China: A Afghanistan, A Gobi Desert, F Korea, A Mongolia, A Nanking, F Philippine Sea, F Sea of Japan, A Siam, A Sinkiang, F Yellow Sea. England: F Barents Sea, A Bolivia, F Borneo, F Cambodia, F Colombia(wc), F East Atlantic Ocean, F English Channel, F Finland(sc), F Java, A Kamerun, A Nigeria, F Norwegian Sea, A Peru, A Sudan. France: A Antwerp, A Azores, A Bavaria, A Brittany, A Leon, F Mid-Atlantic Ocean, F Naples, A Ohio, F Quebec, A Rhine, A Savoy, F Virginia, A Volta. Netherlands: A Congo, A Denmark, F Malagasy, F Melbourne, A Mozambique, F South Pacific Ocean, F South Pacific Ocean, F Sweden, A Zambia. Ottoman: F Bismarck Sea, F Black Sea, A Bulgaria, A Egypt, F Guam, F Gulf of Aden, A Istanbul, A Kazakhstan, F Libya, F Polynesia. A Afghanistan(DISL) Portugal: A Aragon, A Belem, A Brazil, F Canaries, F Ceylon, F Ghana, F Hudson Bay, F Ifni, A Missouri, A Ontario, A Punjab, A Ricefe, A Taureg. Russia: F Baltic Sea, A Kenya, A Kiev, F Manchuria, A Omsk, F Poland, A Prussia, A Siberia, A Siberia, F St Petersburg(nc), A Ural, F Vladivostok. Spain: A Benin, F Ethiopia, A Fezan, F Gulf of Mexico, F Gulf of Siam, A Louisiana, F New Guinea, A Numidia, A Panama, A Timbuktu, F West Mediterranean Sea, F West Pacific Ocean. A Sudan(DISL) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Supply Centre Ownership Summary =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Owner may build in SCs that are in CAPS Austria (Konrad Baumeister): Units: 11 SCs: 13 Builds 2 BUD,TRI,VIE,HAG,FLO,SUR,TAH,cub,gre,han,rum,sam,vza China (Paul Rauterberg): Units: 10 SCs: 15 Builds 5 AMO,NAN,PEK,WUH,XIA,afg,ben,jap,kor,mah,mon,nep,sia,sin,tib England (Dave Partridge): Units: 14 SCs: 17 Builds 3 EDI,LON,ECU,MLA,NIG,bol,bor,cam,col,ire,jav,kam,nwy,pru,sud,sum,tog France (Konrad Baumeister): Units: 13 SCs: 16 Builds 3 BDX,PAR,TOU,ANT,nap,DAK,QUE,azo,bav,mas,ohi,pps,sav,ven,vir,vol Netherlands (Dave Partridge): Units: 10 SCs: 11 Builds 1 ANG,CAP,MEL,con,den,fij,mal,moz,nat,swe,zam Ottoman (Dave Partridge): Units: 11 SCs: 12 Builds 1 BAG,IST,IZM,JEM,HAW,bul,egy,gua,per,tar,wak,yem Portugal (Paul Rauterberg): Units: 13 SCs: 19 Builds 6 LAG,LIS,ALA,BRA,GOA,bah,bel,cey,gha,ifn,kha,mba,mor,niz,ont,ore,ric,tau,van Russia (Konrad Baumeister): Units: 11 SCs: 9 Removes 2 KIE,MOS,OMS,STP,VLA,cri,ken,man,pol Spain (Paul Rauterberg): Units: 13 SCs: 16 Builds 3 MAD,VAL,MNL,MEX,SOM,cal,eth,fez,hon,lou,nwg,num,rab,tex,tbk,tun Neutral SCs: 8 arg,bma,die,gab,iwo,nwz,tai,uga =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Press and discussion =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Harold Reynolds: OK, I have everyone's orders. How quickly I can get them processed depends on the Diplomacy Resistance Factor at home tonight and tomorrow... Konrad Baumeister: The DRF should be modified by the Jack Daniels Factor, i.e. the greater the JDF, the lower the DRF. I think it's close to a 1:1 relationship. No rush, but I will be checking email about every 5 minutes tonight. Have fun! Paul Rauterberg: For me its the ITF (internet traffic factor); I'll be up at 2am to start work on the 'net while it is least busy and thus working fastest. The mail is the first button that I push when the 'puter comes on; I'll be anxious to see how much damage I've done.... Dave Partridge: I find that the JDF factor leads to a greater GTS (go to sleep) factor. I am also likely to be up at 2AM, but that's due to the IGSC (I've got small children) factor. My ITF factor at home is a slow dialup, at work it's a T1. Guess where I prefer to go on the internet? Or course I'm not really sure I want to see the results anyway! While there's a long way to go, I think that we've identified an inherent problem in the current lineup, which is the existence of solid powerbases (China/Goa/Manila, France/Austria/Russia) for two of the powers, but not for the third (guess who that is (<: ). This may mitigate as we coalesce, if of course I'm still around after that! The ONE and only. Paul Rauterberg: Funny thing, how the fastest power off the blocks (Ottoman) has now so much trouble finding builds. Well, I guess that's better than Russian removals.... The Netherlands is losing its building centers as fast as it can steal them from others. England is...well, we'll see. Konrad Baumeister: I don't mean to complain or anything, especially when others have it worse than myself (Dave!), at least up til this year (hah!), but this three on three combination really seems too pat. My combination can automatically dominate Europe proper, but can't go anywhere once that's done, not easily. Paul's powers have the easiest job of combining colonies, which is what it seems this game is all about. Dave's powers seem bent to defense in Europe, and seem a little stranded abroad - even in Africa he did better so far than would be expected for the position. On the other hand, I don't know a better three-power distribution. I do think that the results so far are predictable based on power bases as Dave says, ie. Paul 1st, my stuff 2nd, Dave's 3rd. What's more, in a gunboat game without detailed negotiations, these bases importance are magnified...if Dave & I were to combine vs Paul things could be turned around in certain areas of the globe (not all), but how do you do that w/out negotiations? Well, this shouldbe about the exercise for Harold & the gm system/software... I know for sure I don't care what power I get in the "real" game so long as it isn't Russia... Paul Rauterberg: I think that the big secret to doing well as Russia is somehow taking China out early; before it has a chance to grow out. That necessitates an R/O alliance, probably with some help from Portugal. Once a Chinese "blob" meets a Russian "stringbean", the Tsar's garden yields a stunted crop. Konrad Baumeister: Russia really doesn't have the army bases to get into the heart of China right away...the natural perimeter China can erect is tougher to break into than for China to break out of. If the Portuguese can be persuaded to get into China's face then it's a bit different, but obviously in this situation, while China is not guaranteed to win the game by any means, it cannot be dislodged from its position, either. Dave Partridge: Unfortunately, elminating China is very hard to do. China's a strong blob, but loses out in the ability to expand elsewhere because of the lack of colonies. And it's a LONG land trip to any colonies, as the push into Europe doesn't yield building rights, since only colonies, not home centers, can be used by anyone to build in. So, China needs to get some fleets into play early and keep building them. Russia needs allies. England is a very good one. Peace in Scandinavia, work with Malay to put pressure on China, work together in Africa. Spain goes well in the mix as well, Manila being key in containing China. Of course it's a little hard to do that here (<:. Like any good Diplomacy game though, any power is playable, it's the diplomacy that matters. The games I've played in have had pretty wide variance in the winning combinations (note they were all draws).