Speak loudly and carry a small stick

[Picko]

Or a first time Diplomacy players AAR

Ok some backround first. This is the first AAR I have ever written also this is the first game of diplomacy I have ever played so it should either be a complete catastrophe or a masterpiece of diplomatic skill. (I know which is more likely)


So with that out of the way and the tutorials (semi-) understood lets start

 

[Picko]

Ok then lets see what to do, I am new to the game and know practically nothing about the game but what i have read in the tutorials and sort of picked up from the forums.

So all that considered i have chosen completely random personallities and since the easiest country to learn the game with looks to be the Ottoman Empire/Turkey/the big yellow blob whatever its actually called in the game

I base this both on half understood rambling that I found in the diplomacy forums
and on the fact that with its back against two corners of the map Turkey appears to be in a secure strategic postion with the only threats coming from Russia Austria and to a much lesser extent Italy.

So my strategic choices seem simple i need to gain control of as many of the balkan supply centre as possible while at the same time avoidng an Austria-Russia alliance which would probably overrun me in short order.


so any comments suggestions ideas from the more experinced players of this game? My instinct tells me to ally with the weaker power versus the stronger
so should I focus on gaining an alliance with Austria versus Russia or is there some other option to consider?

 

[Duke of Wellington]

Wow another Diplomacy AAR. Looks good Picko, I'll follow

 

[stnylan]

Will be watching.

 

[unmerged(9046)]

A new AAR and one by a newbie to the game. Sounds nice. (Pulls up a chair, pops some popcorn and gets a cool glass)

 

[Picko]

The problem

The Ottoman Empire in 1901 is caught with its back to the wall. To the north across the black sea is the brooding Russian Empire with designs to unite all the Slavs by taking over the Balkan heartlands on which ottoman security depends. To the North West is Austria-Hungary who is making one last dash for greatness and attempting to restore the tattered prestige of the Hapsburg dynasty will most likely seek to regain its preeminence in Italy while attempting to fend off a hostile Russia. Meanwhile Italy our less immediate enemy seeks to confirm its newfound title as a great power by acquiring an empire to match it. Where this empire is to be we have not yet been able to discover.

Extract from an intelligence report to the new grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire dated Jan 1901

 

[Picko]

The solution

“Order the army of Constantinople to secure Bulgaria” snapped the irate new Grand Vizier Abdul Mohammed Picko and then have the reserves mustering in Smyrna move to cover the capital and protect the sultan’s person. Being the effective ruler of the Ottoman Empire was not a relaxing job at the best of times but with Europe being on the edge of war the new grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire felt that having to step into the shoes of the old grand vizier who had suffered an unfortunate accident involving three flights of stairs, landing on pile of swords being sharpened, a fall into a fast flowing stream and then the kind of assistance provided by three large gentlemen with revolvers was a mixed blessing indeed. Anyway having done everything he could think of to secure the survival of the ottoman state he turned to leave the ministry intending to return home and spend some time with his wife. However on leaving he was stopped by his naval aide a young captain asking what orders should be passed to the navy? Thinking quickly the Vizier ordered the navy to take up defensive positions in the black sea.

OOC: army in Constantinople to Bulgaria
army in Smyrna to Constantinople
Fleet in Ankara to Black Sea


(ps how do i post screenshots?)

 

[Snake IV]

What, someone wants a piece of my forum


Seriosly though, take many risks is my advise because the AI is so dumb anyone could beat them with thier hands tied and eyes poped out and threw in the river. Otherwise this AAR will be boring I belive. Don't very much count with any alliance with the AI because they stab so much that you even can't be sure that they are making a move they have proposed that only will give them anything. :wacko:

 

[unmerged(24320)]

Picko: ...Thinking quickly the Vizier ordered the navy to take up defensive positions in the black sea.

a most excellent move**! !

Picko: ...(ps how do i post screenshots?)

Picko, i can't help you with the screenshot question (partly because i don't have the computer version of the game, partly because i think the answer is in Snake IV's thread - but i don't remember the answer. o )

that said, i have given some basic board game rules to Diplomacy. so far, no one has listed any errors (read that as changes from the board game to the computer version of the game - ) in my statements. however, there has not been that much time since the posts and some corrections may still arrive.

best of luck. oh, i will be watching as well.

** also, this is an almost mandatory move for a competent Turkey player. read that, never allow an unallied Russia into the Black Sea! !

 

[unmerged(17581)]

F11 should save a .bmp of your screen to your Diplomacy game folder, labeled ScreenSave0, ScreenSave1, and so on. Make sure to crop or shrink and re-save as .jpg or .png before uploading, though, as .bmp takes up too much space.

Or you can press the Prt Scr key, which will save the screen to your clipboard, then open up an image program (like MS Paint) and ctrl-v, then crop or shrink and save.

I say crop or shrink because at full size, a 1024-pixel-wide screenshot will stretch most people's screens, forcing them to scroll horizontally to read text. If you break your lines up a lot or use only short lines, it shouldn't be a problem, but it might be better to crop or shrink.

To upload, use a free service like www.imageshack.us Then copy the image address and paste it between the image tags in your post.

 

[Snake IV]

F11 should save a .bmp of your screen to your Diplomacy game folder, labeled ScreenSave0, ScreenSave1, and so on. Make sure to crop or shrink and re-save as .jpg or .png before uploading, though, as .bmp takes up too much space.

I'm sorry to say it but that won't work in Dippy. I had to use a B screenshot program to get the ones to mine AAR

 

[unmerged(17581)]

Didn't know that. But does Prnt Scrn still work?

 

[Snake IV]

Didn't know that. But does Prnt Scrn still work?

I belive it does. Never tested as I had to take the screenies during MP game but I think Print screen will work no matter which program is running.

 

[Duke of Wellington]

Off to a good start. Looks aggressive to me.

 

[stnylan]

All sounds reasonable.

 

[SirCliveWolfe]

Have to say it is great to see another Dipplo AAR, far too few of them as far as I'm concerned...

Good luck and give them Russian's a bloody nose!! (I always like playing Austria btw..)

 

[joebthegreat]

the more AAR the better... well, if we all played multiplayer constantly there would be no need but... whatever, you know what I mean (what do you mean you don't! Oh shut up I'm ranting and that isn't a good thing)

I hope this is good, but seeing as how this is the first move there isn't much to talk about yet.

if you're playing against all AI then the only chance you have of loosing is giving up. that's seriously the only way I can think of that you would lose.