It is random but the randomisation mechanism is based on *completed* games, as I recall. So, in your first game, your chances of drawing, say, France, are 1/7. If you start a second game before the first ends, your chances of drawing France are still 1/7.

It's purely random right now.

Randomness is almost never intuitive. Remember we have a LOT of users sampling a very SMALL space of possible power assignments.

In the past there were some attempts of pseudorandomization but that functionality is no longer active. And when it is pseudo it's based on assignment, not finishing (even when cancelled in S01 it's still on your record as an assignment)

OK, fine. Thanks for the confirmation. I am getting quite bored playing the same countries again and again and again (and I really hate playing Austria in gunboat). Hopefully the next game can give me one of the countries I still haven't played yet.

Sorry Valis I had no idea the weighting mechanism had been turned off.

I'm glad it's back to pure random. That seems more fair, with cancellations and all.

In fairness, Jamie, I didn't either. I like true randomness better, even if sometimes you get a bunch of the same in a row.

There used to be a secret algorithm that tracked every online comment a user made about every country and then allocated every player the country they hated most.

Now it's left to chance, but obviously chance has a sense of humour.

Has there ever been an analysis on whether the previous weighted system had the planned result or actually resulted in more country streaks?

Maniac, I knew it! I now know I am destined to play Austria in every game from now on. Did I mention enough how I hate playing Turkey? :P

Some of you guys have all the good luck, getting to play Italy and Austria all the time

Italy is OK. I have won twice with it in gunboat (once here, once somewhere else) by stabbing the s*** out of Austria. But it is boring to follow the same strategy each time. I don't like Austria in gunboat...because it is just too easy for everyone to pile on. My last Austria game had Russia, Turkey and Italy attack me from the start.

I see my "Reply posted sucessfully". Isn't there something missing there (like a "c")?

Don't get bored. So something crazy and see how it pans out. I was getting Russia a lot so I opened with a northern opening and convoyed an army into Sweden in 01. Completely unexpected by other players and made my game less full.

Dull*

That's a good point CommanderByron, I had a run of getting Russia and did a similar thing, experiments in different opening moves and different strategies... I like to think I learnt some useful information and gained experience

Dear Maniac, bo-sox and others
I've set up a game of Modern, called Modern Madness one, 36 HR 30 point buy in anonymous, SoS scoring, CommanderByron and a few other scallywags have joined.. If anyone is interested, PM me for password

Your counties will be randomly assigned

I though I could supply the discussion with some numerical data and support the idea of random distribution.
I played 40 matches of the standard mode. All the countries, except for Austria, I have played exactly six times, Austria four.
I lost totally four times. At some point, I was defeated twice in row playing Austria. I don't want to get into metaphysics, but could that be a factor accounting for the lower frequency of being assigned to Austria? Is the system cutting me some slacks?

Screw it. You've got Italy a bunch in a row. Make peace with France and Austria and open north into Germany. You'll probably lose but the whole board will freak out. And you never know just maybe it'll work in your favor.

France too often? Stop going north and start 1901 with a full Mediterranean opening.

Turkey again? Try to play turkey with only army builds. See how far you get.

Engkand? Simple. Just vote Brexit and don't attack anyone.

Germany? Russian opening.

Austria? Roll left and prepare to die instead of rolling right.

You forgot Russia, wise sage.