I just want to say:

(1) Thanks for the entertainment. Who says Diplomacy isn't a spectator sport?
(2) Time for a blacklist.
(3) Care Bears will feature prominently in my press in future games.

It was indeed. This should be titled fucking Carebears EoG though Valis

That game gave me cancer.

Me as well Lemons..

Austria EoG:
I saw both the jugg and WT forming in 1901, I could have allied myself with the R/T and pressed west but decided that since every WT I have ever seen falls apart by 1903 that I could gain more by taking advantage of Russia and Turkey. This is because had england stabbed like usual germany would have been forced to leave my border and protect himself. In this way i played I used press to try to break apart the WT and offered to help england stab germany. Of course there was never a stab the WT survived and so the eastern powers united to hold our ground, successfully doing so for nearly 6 years, before italy was eliminated and the game drawn out of fatigue for a almost 2 hour game.

My end reaction is simple: England needs to learn when to stab and that stabbing is wrong. France I have no qualms with you except that you defended England's actions, I am aware you could never have stabbed the WT. germany again no qualms although you could have stabbed france or england i see where it was not beneficial. Russia, why in the world did you feed england centers? Italy, while you played well, your rhetoric was childish and exacerbated what was to become a public spectacle for no ones benefit at all. Turkey good game mate, sorry about the early stab, as i already detailed i felt that an English stab was coming and was confident I could keep you back.

I fed England centers because I thought that if England grew fast enough, the WT would collapse out of fear from Germany and France...

By that point, I was desperate just to hold on. In the long run it surprisingly worked but that was still a major mistake on my part. I didn't expect England to act like such a novice too afraid to make a bold move.

correction on my Eog: I said "England needs to learn when to stab and that stabbing is wrong." typo I meant to say "isn't wrong"

Russia EoG:

I formed both a Top of the World Alliance with England and a Juggernaut with Turkey on turn 1 only to see both completely fall apart by 1902. Turkey and I were the closest allies of any two nations (other than the WT) for the entire game but England stabbed me right off the bat with Germany's assistance. That was the first time I really came to see the WT as a serious threat.

After trying to work something out with Austria, only to see him stab Turkey and I immediately afterwards, I decided to simply surrender the north to England and move south against Austria. I needed to move as far south as possible to survive the game until England either got the solo or someone in the WT stabbed. None of those things happened sadly (for reasons that still blow my mind) and before long, England PMed me and told me straight up that there was no room for anyone other than himself, France, and Germany and that all three nations were playing for a 3-way draw.

That allowed me to approach Austria, Italy, and my ally Turkey once more and set up an awkward (and sometimes hilarious) 4-way alliance. While we couldn't set up a permanent stalemate line we could draw out the game to such a ridiculous length that the other three powers would tire and vote for a draw, which they ultimately did in the end.

Oddly enough, I ended up gaining points in this game...considering that by 1903 I had expected nothing less than total elimination.

Italy EoG

http://www.cartoonito.co.uk/sites/www.cartoonito.co.uk/files/imagecache/Image-Character-280-280/care-bears-grumpy-bear.jpg

This about sums it up.

England EoG:

I originally formed an alliance with Russia to split the Baltics, but after talking to Germany we decided to take him on. While I was moving around, France was paranoid at first, and my presence in the North Sea was not kindly looked at. Quickly it got the point where all my units were north, with only an army in Belgium and a fleet in North Sea posing any threat to France and Germany. Still, with no way to move on there SCs without them being one move away from blocking me, I continued to take on Russia when something peculiar happened: Russia gave up!

Russia started feeding me his centers, because he thought I was going to solo, and decided to make himself out to be a martyr of sorts. Naturally, I moved in on all of his territories that I could, diverting more and more units North (and then South through St.P and Moscow). By this time a makeshift Western Triple had formed, with little intention of it even occurring! France was moving on Italy, slow at first but he gained ground and when we drew he was SC leader! Germany and I pushed towards the Balkans, with little success, but enough to quell extra help against France.

Meanwhile I had grown to like Germany and France in chat, while everyone else simply wanted me to stab people, more for their benefit than mine! Germany and France were still wary though, so to reassure them of my allegiance I moved North Sea to Yorkshire, and let them take Belgium. Now at this point people REALLY started to complain that I hadn't gone for a solo which I find Ironic, because if I were to solo they wouldn't get any points... so clearly they were getting emotionally attached. (Que Italy's multiple homophobic and degrading remarks)

In truth, looking back at my orders, I see no point in time when going for the Solo would have worked. When I had a tiny chance at MAYBE securing Brest, I had no other armies to push inland with! And since any moves to prepare for invasion would have been spotted right away, me betraying the WT would simply be suicide. I understand stabbing isn't bad, but with easy gains in Russia, I couldn't let that go to waste! and by the time I realized the SCs had all dried up, i was in too deep and wasn't able to go for the solo.

In truth I messed up. I should not have put so many armies into Russia, but I did not simply let a golden chance for a solo go to waste.