How Not to Open as Germany

[burner]

Just played an interesting bot game as England in which Germany made the most absurd opening I've ever seen in my life:

https://webdiplomacy.net/beta/?gameID=1098100#gamePanel

I honestly don't know how I managed to perform so terribly this game. I would guess that it came down to building a few fleets too many. I also wish I had opened north, as I would have been able to capture Scandinavia effortlessly.

I also believe that the early conflict between Austria and Italy put Russia into overdrive, giving him far too much leverage in the north. If Turkey had been willing to stab him (which is admittedly a bit rare for AI, as they don't seem to know how to find the right moment to stab) he likely would have swept the balkans and saved my bacon.

Anyway, just thought Germany's opening was silly.

[DiplomacyandWarfare]

This looks like a potentially playable opening if you want to maintain strong relations with Austria, trust France and England, and do not trust Russia.
So, usually never for Germany.

[JECE]

I took a look at the The Library of Diplomacy Openings:
http://uk.diplom.org/pouch/Online/Openings/

Apparently it's a Silesian Opening, a term for "any otherwise unnamed German opening using the move A Ber-Sil." And the move to Tyrolia suggests a "Koniggratz Freakout", which is pro-Italian, not anti-Italian:
"Edi Birsan's offbeat German-Italian continuation to Italy's Alpine Chicken Opening. With A Ven S Pie-Tyr in the Fall, the German army in Tyrolia is dislodged, allowing it to retreat to whichever of Vienna or Trieste Austria leaves open. In addition to this benefit, Italy's opening move to Piedmont provides some assurance to Germany that the French army in Burgundy will not be tempted to go for Munich, especially if Germany notified France that he will open A Mun-Tyr."

Here's your game again with the old interface:
https://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=1098100

[DougJoe]

I've seen bot G play this opening a number of times as well. I haven't updated my opening move stats since around game 325 and I'm up over 550 - I should really work on that, I just have to figure out what to send in the http request header so the site knows it's me and doesn't redirect from eh old orders page to the beta map page.

[Bladerunners]

No kidding bizarre. Bots are fun but the game developers never really learned the game / most unrealistic ‘common’ openings of any country are Italy. Just bizarre

[Jamiet99uk]

It's actually a plausible opening if you can be sure of an alliance with England.