"So, it would basically become public press?"

the difference is between black press and white press.

I'd also like to see grey press, which is a mix of the two... but for the moment...

Hitting Galicia would be a start!

Of course, I also expect Italy to play a part in this, but it serves his interests anyway.

Initially - I had wanted this to be an experiment in 'spectators' rather than players, I think if players infer who they are, right or wrong, then it becomes a black press game, which is ine but spectators won't get involved. I think we should try again maybe with gunboat and named players who can't contribute - ie they can read but not post on the forum. It will need to have regular spectators and maybe even quicker retreats and builds to keep momentum for the fans.

You would have to trust the players not to send eachother messages

@Maniac, in a black press game, will spectators not still be interested in arguing the position (as they like to show off their superiority no doubt)

As for the game, italy and turkey have the opportunity to end their little dispute and move against germany/russia/france.

now that marseilles has fallen it will be much easier for italy to take, and the amount of damage he could do to the german and french causes would be pretty good.

Turkey on the other hand needs desperately to gain a reprieve from the italian onslaught and should welcome the opportunity to turn north.

The only question is how to build this trust - before england is dead and before german fleets reach the atlantic and iberia...

also: how is a 14 hour/phase game for speed and interest?

i think it has some advantages, though 12 hours/phase does give you a regular daily routine of having to enter orders every morning and night (say) Slowing it down a little bit may infact hurt. (except that when you have a finalized retreat/build phase which throws the regular schedule you may miss a phase and find that it is now always hard to diplome AND enter orders in 12 hours (perhaps because for the first 8 of them you are asleep and for the next 4 everyone else is...)

I would like a 'day'-time game, and there are advantages to a 24 hour phase which is also matched by timezone to avoid sleeping while others are up chatting...

Let us see.

Well, Germany, Turkey has disbanded Armenia as I expected, which means I'll have no trouble defending Sevastopol and may get myself in position to take Rumania in the Fall. Please hit Galicia and we'll be able to finish Turkey with Italian help and maybe end it in a three-way draw.

I really think Germany and Italy will share this board in a short time. Russia seems commited to make Turkey suffer and France and England can´t stop the fight and will be both crushed by Germany soon.
I think the question now is, will one of them try for the solo (or both) or they will try to find a 3-one to set a 3-way. Jesus is clearly pushing to a 3-way G/I/R, that is not that unlikely as Russia can work as a buffer (France can too, but is busy sailing to the north pole).

interesting times... if france destroys its liverpool fleet, another could be built in brest.

russia and italy need to make friends, then *maybe* a german solo can be stopped.
England and france working defensively together could survive the game.

@fiedler: France can't build. You've probably missed that wandering northern fleet in Nwg.

France and Turkey are nearly dead, England and Russia have come back to life. It's up to Germany and Italy to try a solo or choose who else they want in the draw.

@Germany: thanks for nothing! Forget the offer of StP. At least Italy has helped me - although he actually tried to take Rumania instead of helping me in there.

turkey is soon to be dead, france has some slight chance of survival, with england and russia no capable of considering how to best retaliate against germany.

unfortunately for all Italy has made it big time. The swift annihilation of turkey has lead to a very unbalanced board. Italy can do as she pleases, not-withstanding the possible friendly relations with russia and the small amount of turkey still in need of cleaning up.

Germany is very screwed if italy invades. France is far too weak to do anything, and germany's other neighbours (russia/england) are to busy worrying about germany.


That gives italy a free hand.

Italian solo = 11 + ank, smy + rum, sev + spa,mars + mun/war = 18.

that's only two years away from being seriously feasible.

Germany on the other hand has paris and perhaps moscow.... at best the german will be on 11 next year...

Oh yeh, french fleet doing some artic fishing - wtf napoleon?

I still fear Germany more than Italy. Germany can get first to all of F and E's current possessions, and that adds up to 17 centers. He just needs to get one of my centers and that's it.

Fully agree, Italy has been lucky, Germany has been clever.

Italy is the main solo threat on this point and whoever says something diferent is either Italy or blind. Lack of Austria and bad play from Turkey led to this.

We should see two fleets sailing to the West next year and I don´t see any Western power able to deal with this. France have two fleets but one is on Nwg for some unknown reason and England have only one and can only build on Edi.

I think Germany and Russia needs to consider the Italy solo shot and work together really fast to deal with it, possibly including one from France or England to block the Atlantic. Gal possesion will be key at this points and Germany should have moves to Gal a lot earlies like Jesus has been asking on the forum.

Also, if I was Germany I would stop the move on France right now, move all units to the East to block the Mun/Ber/War/Mos line and help France to get some builds while still killing England. Of course France will need to play a better game and move his fleets to a usefull position (MAO and NAO). Otherwise we will see an Italian solo in few years.

Yeah, unfortunately for the board Turkey all of a sudden didn't know how to play. I agree that Germany needs to start backing off if he wants any chance of survival right now, but I think italy will still solo. There is no way France and England are just going to dust themselves off and move south together. Although, that would be the best move.

stating the obvious; italys fleet builds will go west; which can only make germany a little uncomfortable.

So France stayed in the North Pole, England did the obvious build, Russia kept a safe south, Turkey ducked and covered and Italy said to all: "stop me if you can!".

germany can actually reasonably expect to finish off france and england while russia holds out against italy in the south and they prevent the solo to gain a three-way draw...

of course the english build isn't entirely useful, and germany progress has been slow, and could continue to be slow... russia is likely to help turkey survive if possible as neither wants any further italian growth.

germany may well move south of warsaw to at least put some pressure on italy (or perhaps delay the impending invasion of warsaw...)

I think Germany should support Russia into Galicia (or Russia support Germany into Galicia) and try to offer some support from one of his neighbours to stop Italy, otherwise Italy will solo. Russia and Turkey seems unable to hold in the south and the West will also fall quick if there is no clear winner between E/F.

Russia definitely needs to move into Galicia, otherwise Italy is going to be in an extremely powerful position.

germany can move to gal, and then bring his second eastern army to warsaw.

ideally ukr will support such a move and then rum will move to black sea and sev to rum and moscow to sev or holding.

alternatively prussia to silesia means a bounce in galicia isn't as damaging as the unit still moves forward, but bouncing italy out is a must.

actually thinking about it, my suggestions above are wrong.

black sea should move to con (with support) and rum should cut bulgaria. Sev must therefore more to armenia to get into the fight (which will see italy in smyrna)

this whole plan (let's call it Operation Bagration) needs germany/russian/turkish trust.

and without that italy will continue to dominate... of course with that the western powers are likley to still be in trouble AND the worst case senario is the italy is merely stalled in the east, and ideally stalemated.

hah! germany must decide whether to piss off england or russia.
I kinda like italy, a vicious wee battler. Well, not so wee lately.

Come on, France!!! I mean, what is that fleet doing up north? It's not like you can build anything if you land in a SC! England has no choice but trusting Germany, but hiding a fleet in Clyde also doesn't help much. Germany tried to save Norway for England, apparently, and might end with an extra build as a prize. Besides, he guessed right what Russia would do to stop Italy. Russia did the safe thing and it paid. Turkey... well, support hold Ankara and Ankara moves to Smyrna???!!! No comment. Italy probably expected to lose Constantinople temporarily but now has guaranteed a build, but the northern progress has been stalled.

I think france's move to baltic is inspired, sure he can't build but if he gains st p or nor he could keep a fleet a little longer - also he could be planning on surviving by letting italy win by weakening russia and/or distracting germany (his invader) go france!

what odds on italy to win in 4 years?

Hey, Germany, go for StP if you must, but let me into Warsaw so I don't have to disband!

@Maniac FYI: it is barents not baltic...

also complete communication failure, i don't even think half the players are keeping up with this thread.