1. What's going on in Belgium? Who is trying for the space? Which type of unit will they send? (often useful information no matter which country you're playing: informs you if Germany can bounce in Sweden... if France is taking Belgium, whether he's sending an army or a fleet can tell volumes about Western relations)

2. Which units will be ordered to Galicia? (Bounce? Arranged? If Austria goes to Galicia, he probably trusts Italy at least a little bit...)

3. Does it look like Russia will be thwarted at Rumania? Sweden?

4. Is Turkey headed for Armenia? Constantinople? The Black Sea?

5. Will Italy take Tunis with an army or a fleet?

6. Is France taking both Spain and Portugal in 1901?

7. What's Munich up to?

Nobody knows what country they are at the start... so who would you ask?

If France is taking Belgium with a fleet he's either the best, or the worst player on the board. As for the rest of these, I personally try and influence what happens to a lot of those myself so I don't really bother asking about them. Either control the board, or understand how someone else is controlling it. I'm far more concerned with figuring out who is going to be the dominate personality in the game and how to deal with that person then with answering any of those questions. That's just me though.

I was asking more about press exchanged during the Spring 1901 Diplomacy phase... the sorts of things you might ask your opponents before they submit their first set of orders.

i kind of agree with jmo. If you can (not always possible, i know) you DECIDE what is going to happen. You are Turkey, planning to attack Austria with Russia's help, make sure Germany gives him Sweden. England wanting a foothold for an attack an Germany, convince Germany and England to let you convoy into Belgium

okay, you werent very specific... but i talk a LOT in the 1901 S phase...

I was once highly effective as Italy when I spread the idea that each France and England would attack each other in the Channel. They both believed me, Germany went to Burgundy, and I got Marseilles in 1901. That game resulted in my only solo victory as Italy, and my empire included Norway.

I've found that it's usually a good idea to try and bargain with players that aren't your immediate neighbors. They can usually influence which of your neighbors is weak and which of your neighbors might be worth forging an alliance with.

what you usually want to do is the pick the most easily influenced of the other half's sphere and use him kind of as a messanger.
For example, you are Turkey, and decide that Germany is a good target. You then want to suggest that he and France form an alliance.
You also suggest that Germany goes towards Russia (to keep your northern monster neighbor away from you) and France goes for England.
Gemrany likes this, and passes it off the France as his own

This will give you a one and one fight with Austria, while England and France get deadlocked and Russia and Germany duek it out

Actually I change what I said, if you want to know what questions are typical in a high class game wait till Tru ninja's full disclosure games are over. I'm in one of them and after the game is finished he's putting all the messages into a readable format for everyone on the site.

I'm a humble newb, but.... why does a French player taking Belgium with a Fleet say so much about his character? I'm not sure what message it's supposed to be sending.

the only thing i can think of if the Flemish Sea Lion

@jmbostwick:

Geography. A fleet in Belgium can go to North Sea, English Channel, Picardy, and Holland. An army in Belgium can go to Picardy, Holland, Ruhr, and Belgium. Thus, a player who chooses the fleet is probably more interested in ENG and NTH than they are in Ruh and Bur, which means he's thinking a lot more about British centres than German centers.

@jmbostwick: If France takes Belgium with a fleet, which is exceedingly rare but possible, then it offers him leverage over the North Sea and the English Channel. Presumably he either has both armies in Iberia; otherwise, there's probably one in Burgundy, Munich, or Ruhr and another in either Portugal or Spain.

If a French ARMY goes to Belgium, however, you can almost guarantee a Carolingian skirmish around the Ruhr, and there's a good chance of an Entente Cordiale alliance.

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If England takes Belgium with a fleet, you're probably looking at a Western Triple Alliance. If England goes in with an army, then it's really a matter of context to determine if he's after France or Germany.

When I play Germany, I like to see if I can't get England and France in a war. Telling them that Belgium is not among my 1901 prospects can accomplish that. Then they get to fight it out... hopefully.