Thanks to everyone who played in this game, I had a lot of fun. This thread is to be used for all discussion about the game itself - from what you think worked and didn't, to what you might have done differently or better, and how you think everyone handled themselves. The final results were as follows:
England (@TheRedArmy)
- Solo victory, Fall 1910, 18 Supply Centers
France (@Fluf)
- Defeated Fall 1910
Germany (@Boukert)
- Defeated Fall 1905
Italy (@Jidlaph)
- Survived to the end, 3 Supply Centers
Austria (@Redviiper)
- Defeated Fall 1906
Russia (@Skyrock)
- Survived to the end, 6 Supply Centers
Turkey (@PMYA)
- Survived to the end, 7 Supply Centers
Gamemaster (@TheRedArmy)
- Cheated 0 times :p
Thanks to all of you for your time and effort this game, and I hope you all consider playing again in the future.
Sometimes I know what I'm doing. I made some foolish plays more than once this game. But even without all that, the strategy is not a bad one if you could count on Russian support. The biggest issue was likely the second build in 1901. If I don't convoy onto Belgium, that army probably ends up just sitting in England as I support myself into Norway. Then I get a third fleet, but have no good expansion options next. At the same time, it becomes hard to believe that you would work with me at all in this case, so now you're likely taking a more stand-offish position to me in talks. This leaves me in something of limbo, where I don't really want to go after Russia, don't have support if I go after Germany, and your fleet in Iberia, well-positioned, like staying at home in Brest or Mao, makes attacking you also untenable. So I think I would almost be an Italy of the north, where there's just no good options for expansion.
And yeah, it's just hard to avoid getting stabbed by England as France unless you leave a couple units in the back as a defense force. So with everything thrown into Germany, it just kind of opens up once fleets start moving south for England.