I haven't received all the votes yet - please send them to me as soon as possible. Meanwhile, here are the Winter results.
Build F Lon
Build A Par
Remove F Hol
F Liverpool retreats to Clyde.
Remove A Pie
to Russia: Bah.... idiot, what can I say ;-) One of the stupidest stabs
I've seen in a long time. You think this is going to help you? Look - if
you don't want to end up eliminated, play Budapest to Rumania in spring.
to Turkey: Russia has proven too unreliable - if you want to enter an
army-fleet alliance with me, I'd be happy to - playing Aeg to Con and
Con to Ank in spring, and taking Bla in fall will have me very happy to
help you into Russian dots. Consider it - I believe we can go far together.
to Germany: My apologies for the forces on our mutual border - I was
indeed a bonehead not to realize that Russia with his sparse press and
rarely enlightened orders would end up stabbing me for one center. My
forces will leave and trouble you no more - fancy help against Russia?
to France: So.... any interest stopping the English from winning?
to England: Congratulations on excellent maneuvring and press so far in
the game - I didn't know we had a true master among us when I saw the
roster. Very well done, if anyone deserves to win this game, it is you.
However, I really want to be part of the draw, so I'm going to encourage
them all to run towards you. Wouldn't you in the same position?
to the world: Jump on England before he wins!
Germany to A and E:
alright guys, KIE to BER supported
by SIL and SWE taps Baltic
meanwhile LVN supports STP to MOS
For the fall perhaps we could support SIL to WAR
Austria, if you want to go through Munich to get to
France and Italy, be my guest. Just don't sty there.
Times change.
A thorn in the English side. Instead of helping me take France and then stop Austria, I will keep your units busy while the others take the board.
Press to A
Sorry but with the loss of Stp and things going very slow in the south the
nessecity for supporting Mun this past turn and the need to keep my units at
a status quo was too great. I hope that I have not upset you too much as
you are assured of Munich this turn and also Rome....
Press to T
If you move as suggested in the last press phase there is a good chance that
you may get in. However all bets are off if there is a unit in Arm after
the Spring moves...
Press to E
Ok you have made a point. Lets stop at Stp.
Press to G
I hope that you looked at the last set of moves and decided to disband Lvn.
to russia: for one turn, and one turn only, you will have a support for black sea to bulgaria, even if you offer it to me; this offer overrides anything you've said in your press regarding it, assuming you're amenable. if you don't take it, but continue this current course, i request support for aegean or constantinople to bulgaria in the fall. let me know in the spring press which it will be. if, however, you decide to make peace with austria, and call a mulligan, then forget it. ;)
to england: mind letting russia fight southwesterly for a bit before killing him off? ;)
to italy: fight, man!
Colour Commentary: 1904 (Already? Wow.)
Austria:
Rolling quite handily along with no resistance out west. But wait, a Russian stab? Maybe that was my fault, maybe it was yours (could have handled the Russian and Galicia a bit differently, in my opinion; offering him Munich might have been a start, or waiting until the Fall to be in Galicia... no matter, now).
Maybe forgiving the Russian could be in order; maybe making peace with the Turk, in exchange for some reasonable offers (instead of the rather empty ones you've been giving Russia all this time). Maybe just pulling back out of your Italian colonies and playing defence. But at least for a year, your gains have stalled out (unless, of course, Russia changes his mind Yet Again).
No builds, no disbands. Stasis, in more ways than one.
England:
Boots the Italian easily, and gets a build to boot. An army in St Petersburg looks helpful; can either continue the anti-Russian campaign, or let him catch his breath down in Budapest for a year. Especially if Germany keeps the army in Livonia (doubtful, but you never know).
Only a question about those French Fleets -- yes, he might be headed for German soil, but he might not at that.
However, all told, looks in the best shape currently. Though France is catching up, and Austria's still topping the board.
Build: Unless Italy retreats to Clyde, build should be a Fleet in London. (Though an Army would be understandable as well, especially if the Russian campaign is to continue.) If Italy does retreat to Clyde, should build Army in Edinburgh. After all, the Italian might not disband that fleet...
France:
Rising star. Gets a build (army in Paris, unless he's a fool), gets direction (next stop: Marseilles, followed by Ruhr). If England isn't threatened by the Fleets, and is willing to cannibalize that Junior Partner of his, then things are looking very good. As the board moves into the mid-game, now, looks to be a strong contender for the Top. Also getting a strong enough fleet together in the Atlantic to contend for the Med, especially with the Austro-Italian alliance looking pretty badly off, fleet-wise. (Maybe Austria should consider asking Turkey for some help from those Fleets of his? Yeah, right.)
Germany:
Down, but not out. But its getting there. Unless he's feeling suicidal, Livonia is the best disband by far. If he trusts England not to help France to his domain, and is feeling particularly vindictive against Russia, might disband Holland. But I wouldn't. Future is pretty much in the hands of England.
Italy:
Could have had Spain, but ah well. Could have done a lot differently, this game. No matter. Austrian benevolence is probably running thin (especially given his sudden need to defend his homeland and build units), so 1905 should be his last year. Ciao.
The retreat: Liverpool - Clyde, to screw with England's head. Anything else is a waste.
The disband: If he's feeling defensive, logical, or rational (which I haven't seen any sign of, yet, to any of those), the rogue Fleet. However, A Piedmont is just as likely, at this point.
Russia:
I wonder what it was. Was it me? Was it England? Was it Turkey? Or was it realizing that Austria's story's been rather lame this whole time? No matter. The stab went off well -- though an army in Rumania instead of that bounce would have looked a whole lot better. (In fact, could have moved the Army to Rumania /and/ supported Turkey to Bulgaria, and actually /hurt/ Austria with a Disband, but no matter. What's done is done.) (Another thought, while I think about it, was possibly moving to Serbia instead of Budapest, and Sevastapol to Rumania. Very strong position, that, in either direction...)
Where to from here? Trust England to hold off, while you fight in the Balkans? Trust Austria if he offers an olive branch, not to seek vindication? Trust Turkey to not seek revenge for earlier acts? We shall see. But it won't be easy, especially without a build coming, and a fairly even situation in the Balkan centers, not giving much chance there...
Like the German, fate is in England's hands. (Not to mention the Austrian's.)
Turkey:
With the Russian stab, prospects look way up. Though vacating Armenia might not have been a great idea (though it might make the Russian easier to deal with, as well...). Has to fear a Russian change of heart. Otherwise, looks like this Turkey will survive to the endgame (for the first time all game, at that).
If, however, Russia does decide to say "Oops, sorry!" can't easily defend himself. Might lose a center, but as England pointed out, might not given the Laurel and Hardy impersonations going on to his north and west.