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| Issue 6 | December 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The contents for this issue are:
With another two game starts this time the games section is starting to fill up nicely. As the games section expands I will have to decide how big the zine is going to go. The current postage rates mean that I can have upto twenty sides, so I think we should be okay for a while. Once the games section causes the zine to be over this I will probably increase the price to cover this (it is either that or reduce the reading material or letter column sections, which I would prefer not to do since a warehouse style all games zine is not what I want).
Hopefully you have all received your free gift issued with this yule time edition of GAME. Unlike most other zines its not a frivolous afterthought (that comes next time) and should be something you find quite useful. It lists the deadlines for 1997, so none of you have valid excuses for NMR's.
This edition should seem slightly thicker than usual (I may be going out on a limb here, but that could well be because it is), which will hopefully keep you going over this extended session. Hopefully I will have some spare time over this break to write a few articles, or at least get some basics down for use in future issues, though it seems to be filling up (my time not future issues!) so we'll have to see what comes.
Those of you who are more observant may have noticed my address on the front has changed! No it's not an excuse for your NMR's since the address I am referring to is my Web address. The University has decided to stop personal home pages on the Bradford server, instead setting up a "student" server for personal web pages. I found out about a month ago that although it was the "student" server it applied to staff's personal home pages too! The space allocation was only 0.5MB each (I think it's an old Unix box they found in the back cupboard somewhere), which meant I would not be able to fit 5MB of web data into it. Luckily I have access to my own computer that can be seen on the Web, so I've put my pages on there (that's the address on the cover). I have also set up a "skeleton" set of pages at
www.student.brad.ac.uk/nchilton/
which will point to my full set. the reasons are because I have convinced people to put a pointer from the old Bradford server to the new one (otherwise they will get many people who will get frustrated when they try the web pages [of anyone at the University] only to be told they no longer exist). Hopefully this will catch anyone going to my old site.
As part of my development on the web, I am setting up a Web database that will list on a page the names of people interested in playing face to face board games such as Diplomacy and Die Siedler von Catan. This page will be at a seperate site (www.geocities.com) though I will provide adequate links from my other pages, so the actual address is not too important at this point in time. The reason why I have decided on the geocities site, apart from the fact that they give you free web space, is they provide cgi script support (sure I could set it up myself on my own server, but the problem is that if my server stuff ever gets moved it could well be onto one that does not support cgi, and besides why write your own when you can use someone elses!). For those who don't know cgi is method of writing programs to manipulate data, and the program scripts are run each time you access them, and so allows the very latest material to be displayed.
The page will include a form people can fill out, and their details will be added to the web page. I will probably produce a paper form too for those without web access. The idea is that anyone wanting to set up an adhoc games day/night can find people who live in their area, or if they want to find additional players for their group then the list will provide a source. Another feature could be to allow people to advertice their adhoc events also. I will include more on this next time, by which time I hope to have it up and running..
November was the month of gigs. Skunk Anansie were playing Leeds Town and Country, so I popped along during October to ensure I got three tickets (myself and two friends). "Oh we only have the balcony left", came the reply from the person behind the ticket booth. This completely flumoxed me - not the fact that we did not get into the stalls and had to do with the balcony, but the fact that there is a balcony at all! I have been to the T&C many times and have never seen this alledged 'balcony' - did it exist? Was I actually in the T&C and not the Odeon Cinema? "Do you still want the tickets?" came the question from the face behind the grill. I had obviously just been motionless and unresponsive for some time. I did, so with tickets in hand and trying to visualise where they could have stashed a balcony, I departed. Four days before the event things are finalised (the other two live in Sheffield, thus needed picking up), when it arises the gig is on a Wednesday, not a Sunday (something I knew from the tickets, but must have evaporated when explaining this over the phone). The importance of this mix up was that it meant they could not get a babby sitter, so could I sell the tickets! I knew four others who were going, but they already had tickets. Even nearer to the event I managed to convince one of my friends to go (since his partner said she would stay in, even though he was trying to convince her to go instead - I always thought they wanted to go to the gig!!). Leaving work early to drive down I decide to avoid the motorway rush and take the A roads (the map clearly shows its a more direct route!). Hi ho off I go hopefully in the right direction. A strange thing about A roads, (or was it B roads??) is that signposts tend to only relate to nearby destinations. The route from Bradford goes via Dewsbury and joins the M1 below Wakefield. You could say 'stop and look at the map', but there seems to be just one way to go though every so often you see signs pointing to the M62 (to the left when I was going staight on), and with the amount of traffic it could be perrilous to stop! Dewsbury comes, then Dewsbury goes, leaving me with one (probably quite crutial) question - "Where next?" Something I had not considered. From memory there would be few routes to choose, thus it should be straight on and forward! It turned out that this was the case, and after many miles I see a sign for the M1. Once on there is no let up. It is now 4pm and the traffic is crawling. I take a break for a set of services when it appears (I had left my mobile at home, thus had to use a bigger version - one of those in stainless steel firmly rooted to one spot). I decided to phone and check that everything was still on - there is no point getting there to find "we've decided to both stay at home". Back onto the road I make it down to Sheffield by 5pm giving me some time to relax before setting off. The third ticket is filled when a friend, Mat, calls round (Wednesdays are usually band practice days), and convinced to go ( a free gig is a good persuader). He just needs to tell his girlfriend when he is to be in (something to do with living in a rather suspect part of the city). "11:30pm, yer easy". So off we set, three in a Micra, with alcohol everywhere but my lips (I don't drink and drive except Reading but that was different since I was only moving the car from one parking space on the field to another one about 10 feet away. In the Reading Festival cars are parked on a field, but instead of in two columns (to allow anyone to move their car), my car became the middle of three columns! So for two days of the festival I could not move it {to go into Reading for supplies}, thus when staggering to the, what you could loosely call a toilet, I noticed a couple of neighbouring cars had moved - so I drove up to the next column of cars. Guided in very kindly by someone who had been sat in his car). We arrived at the gig a little after 7pm, and after climbing a sets of stairs got to the balcony - sets of high steeped wooden bench rows, seemingly placed about four buildings away. With my other friends waving hands we met and formed one large group. The bands came on, well dots came on the stage with music blasting out - so I'll assume they were actually playing. There was an official tour T-shirt stall on one of the landings of the many staircases to the balcony, on the way up, so once the gig had finished we decided to go buy one each. The stall had up and gone, running out of shirts a while ago leaving a note that shirts were still available from the main stall down stairs. This did not just involve going down the stairs, because the stall was not there, but where it usually is, next to the main bar - at the back of the stalls! So there were two of us pushing to go into the stalls, and so to ye t-shirte shoppe, when hundreds of people were trying to go the other way! The only way through was brute force "excuse me" and "can I get thru" do not work in the world of the finished concert when people want to get out of the place. We made it in, and got the shirts, and then went with the flow going out - carried along by the waves of bodies. The time now was 11:10pm - it had been a long gig, though I doubt that would have been an adequate excuse when arriving home late. Still off we went, belting down the motorway at 80mph. I passed 100mph sweeping round the bends with the greatest of ease, when I was informed there need not be such a rush. Although I had not been drinking, they had, and used as they were to to us all being drunk together believed I was too. After a 'new' detour provided by Mat, we got back to Sheffield, and I decided to have a rest. By now it was midnight, and I really needed to set off, if I was going to make it in for the next morning. Watching TV - the mindless dross of QVC and the like whilst chatting saw 2am come and go. Since I had some holiday to come it was easier by now to phone and say I would not be in (wonderful things answerphones - online 24hrs). The next day we decided that since babysitting meant the original trio could not go then we could go to the Sheffield gig, which was well over a week away. This time we could invite more Sheffield folk.
Being a Saturday event the Sheffield gig meant everything could be taken leisurely, since I had all day to get down there: arrive early afternoon, and time to go wandering round shops - so by 3:30pm I decide I'm ready to set off down there! Arriving at 5pm meant there was not time to go a wandering, but I wasn't in a shopping mood anyhow. There was a different crowd going to this game, and since we were all meeting at the house, then where was the rush? We were all squeezing into my car, going via Safeway's to fill up the boot for an after-gig drinkies (though in hind sight storing some on the back seat mean by the time we arrived at the gig the amount had gone down. The streets around the Octagon (the venue) were filled with parked cars, though my days at University obviously had not been wasted since I found one of the back alleys with spaces galore! It is amazing how places change over a few years and the chasm that was in front of the Students Union with its rickety bridge were no longer there! An extension had been built making the place unrecognisible. The Octagon had itself remained unchanged and no one had decided to up-root it and place it half way across town. Once inside, once through the long queues on the doors it was straight to the bar; with three or four hours ahead of us before the end of the gig, a pint at the start shouldn't harm. As it approached 8pm, when the first band was due to come on we piled into main hall suitibly position infront of one of the main speakers. At twenty past there still was no sign, and with one or two missing the familiar shape of the bendy glass in their hand it was off to the bar. Finding a seat vacated by some 14 year olds who had found sitting in the bar area was not any fun we pondered whether the girl at the opposite end of the room was the one out of 'Friends'. There was a striking similarity, especially at this distance, though it was dubious that Cortney Cox would be stood in a bar area in sunny Sheffield! At 9:15 an announcement was given - the first support band will not be playing due to technical difficulties, and the second one has been cancelled. Skunk Anansie will be on in the next half hour. A pity if you had come to see one of the support bands! So we meandered back into the hall taking up some suitible position among the masses. Time went by, and no music - another announcement came informing us the gig was cancelled and would be rescheduled for the next night. Sunday's are not terribly good for me, as I give a tutorial at 9am on Mondays (two things combined that students don't like "9am" and "Mondays" !!). Everyone swamped out into the entrance hall forming an amorphous queue for replacement tickets, filling every nook and cranny of the place. In the ensuing compression we found out one amongst our number was claustrophobic. There was a ear piercing screaming (to be fair she is only five foot surrounded by a sea of six footers), but since we were crushed in there was few options. Some of the party went to get out the stairs, with people parting at great physical cost to make a path way through (since it took you most of your effort to stop being crushed, then pushing against others to ensure enough space on one side takes some effort, and a whole lot of shouting by various helpful people in the crowd), only to find that the bouncers on the stairs were not letting people through (one end of the stairs formed the queue down to the replacement ticket desk, thus all the others were blocked). After some convincing and heckling from within the crowd, they were let through. The rest of us decided to follow after several minutes, convincing the bouncers that we were leaving, because our friend had and did not want replacement tickets. once down near the front I convinced Mike, the person we had originally all given our tickets to to get replacements, that we could push in! He asked one youngish lad (16?, 18??) if he did not mind taking our tickets and getting replacements. He looked round shiftly (obviously pondering it over) and then after a while said no [ he obviously heard soft drugs and not tickets - though 'extremely large acid tabs' sounds nothing like 'tickets' to me! ]. I joined the queue and got the tickets instead. So off we drove back to the house, dropping off people and then three of us decided to go to the all-night shopper, since we were short of supplies.
Sunday was a relatively quite day since it was a "waiting for the gig" time. I had planned to go home in the afternoon, giving me chance to rest before the onslaught of 9 a.m. Monday mornings, though with a gig in the evening I could not do that. What do you mean 'oh yes you could'? Oh no, sacrilege! So I planned to leave after the gig, though not too late since I had an early start tomorrow! The day passed quickly with a trip out tosome secluded pub for lunch. Well it was a 'drive that way' trip and after passing a few villages, we saw a pub at the same time most people thought of lunchtime. The trip to the Octagon in the evening gave an eerie deja vu sense - probably because we had only done it the night before. After parking the car the walk into the gig comprised of 'would the gig go ahead?' and 'were these dodgy looking replacement tickets valid?'. There were less people in the venue this time, obviously some people probably could not make the rescheduled date. It was still quite busy though, and the band came out into the bar area (as a thank you to all those who had come back) and then were immediately swamped by autograph hunters. The slight reduction in numbers was a nice, since it meant it was easier to get towards the front and so get a good view. After the fifteen minute encore we decided to leave before the crush ensued. A few others had the same idea. Once outside we then heard music coming from inside, when it occurred to us that the band had, unusually, come on for a second encore - so back in we rushed. It was an excellent gig, after which I did not mind driving home, in the pitch black, whizzing along the motorway. This propelled us into the Nottingham gig, which I will leave until another time.
Cheers
Nic
Colin Hobbs, London.
Please find enclosed a flyer for the Rebel Zine Poll, and promote it in GAME. Oh yes and here is a long overdue sub by way of inducement.
NC: This arived the day after I posted the last issue out, thus I am probably the last to put it out, still a sub is a sub!
Kath Collman
Please accept my apologies for the NMR last time. It was not deliberate! Unfortunately, GAME 4 arrived at a time when I was hectically busy at work & very tired each evening. I remember seeing the zine & glancing quickly through it, but it then got buried and I totally forgot about the BAPD! Will try to do better in future. We hope.
NC: Your NMR hasn't hurt you too badly, though it did delay me for half an hour or so whilst I searched several times through all my letters muttering "Kath's not one to NMR" incase I had put it in the wrong pile. Don't tell me about being busy at work, the number of times now that I have found myself with the deadline fast approaching and the zine completely untouched is frightening. Add to this the paranoia that I'm sure I have put down some ones orders instead of filing them with each NMR, and you have breakdown material! I think NMR's have a sobering effect in GAME, since the fast turnaround means people usually realised they've NMR'd when the next issue pops onto the doormat.
Colin Hobbs, London.
Thanks for Issue 5 of GAME. Lots for a non-player to read; which is always a good sign, especially if you are a non-player, but that will now change as I give you my all-reader game orders.
NC: Since everyone is in SoD, then there are no non-players, as such! I try to include quite a bit of reading material, but have not been raiding the stack of Diplomacy stuff much, and instead have been using other stuff, which most of you hopefully haven't seen. Since people still tend to like Dip articles (though some of the old hacks may groan), I will probably include chunks every now and again.
I was most interested by your article on Bletchley Park. My grandfather worked in Bletchley as a corporal in the Royal Signals in World War 2. He would never say what he did because he had signed the Official Secrets Act and it was a life long oath. He commuted in from Wood Green and my aunt recalls a time when he was ill and she had to go to the phone box to give a coded message. He had a life long interest in Amateur Radio. It seemed pretty obvious that he had been working in deciphering. When the play 'Breaking the Code', starring Derek Jacobi, was on in the West End, I asked him outright if he had worked on Enigma but he refused to be drawn.
NC: Ah, this younger generation has no loyalty to tradition.
James Pinnion, Lincs.
Thanks for the copy of GAME 3. After finally receiving something to compare with your zine (along with GAME 2), I have decided to subscribe. Please put me down for 'standard diplomacy' and 'breaking away'.
NC: Ah, so you are the person I sent copies to on both occasions. I tend to send samples to all the new subbers in Springboard (gives 'em something to compare it against!), but the first couple of times I just took some names off the list - now I use a trusty pencil, and give each name a tick upon completion of the introductory letter (a scholarly thing I am sure Danny will approve of). Thus some people were included twice.
Any chance of me being able to get the entire GAME collection (i.e. please send issue 1), I will pay (I can be shallower than you!). Can you also send either the cards, or a list of cards necessary for playing 'the way'.
NC: 1, 4, and 5 winging their way to you. I only have a few copies of the early issues left, but a fair few of three onwards. Did you know that there were two editions of the first issue? The green cover standard edition and the pink cover StabCon special edition.
You asked for comments on the zine, so here they are: I loved the article on convoys, and the idea of the treasure chest. The game reviews were good, but lacks one thing - an address or phone number to get hold of the games.
NC: I have not done many reprints of dip articles, well maybe I
should. So feast your eyes on this issue. As to places to get hold of
games. I tend to use Red Dragon Games (whose address I will dig out),
since they import a lot of European games. Here it is:
Merfyn Lewis, 30 Tyn Berllan,
Bryngwran, Anglesey, N.Wales.
LL65 3PT.
Tel 01407-720895.
Mark Stretch, Kidlington.
Given the arguments are seem to be having in your letter column would you really like me to put my views on GAME in OMR? When it comes to house rules, I agree, if I don't like them I don't play. I guess most players are the same. Perhaps that is why people aren't signing up for games in GAME?
NC: So that's why I got another 4 names on the standard list. I do not think that house rules matter a toss really, since most zines use similar ones. Most people may glance over them once when they start and that's it. I mean you never give out house rules, either to people who join lists or when the game starts - its a wonder why people stay in them, or is there a massive drop out rate your ego prevents you from revealing?
Dave Horton clearly has more sense than to become a subzine of GAME. Cry Wazzock is one of the better places to play intimate that I know of. Though I hate to say it, Dave's got his head screwed on right.
NC: It was the tight deadlines that was the crunch point. I have no intention of decreasing my rate, so the zine will be monthly ie 4 or 5 weekly including turnaround time, so subzines will have to either be 3-4 weekly, or the 6+2 of Zealot. When I say my zine is monthly, I mean monthly, as opposed to certain peoples idea of monthly which is 4 week deadlines then 3 or 4 for turnaround.
Funny you should mention Bletchley Park. Cryptography was one of the subjects that I specialised in at University. The Enigma system as used in WWII was inherrantly crackable from a mathematical point of view. The problem was cracking it quickly so that the information would be useful
NC: Well you obviously did not pay attention in class! From a mathematical point of view all crypting codes are crackable, the only question is how long it would take. Modern codes, such as PGP (which was classified by the US govt. as 'armunitions' to prevent its export), are crackable, it just that it would take thousands of years using big powerful computers. A frightening thing is that in the UK so called coded phones can be cracked in a relativelly short amount of time - this is because the government limited the length of the coding string that could be used. Then again the US government is trying to force government issued coding chips, for which they will keep the 'keys' for (should you start doing something treasonous and they need to quickly decrypt).
Steve Dee, Farnborough.
Well the Sea of Despair game worked. I felt compelled to enter, so I figured I may as well enter BAPD and now here I am writing a letter!
As a fairly new entrant to The Hobby. I'm still finding my way through the myriad of postal games available. I'm beginning to understand why so many who enter the hobby via Diplomacy quickly ditch the standard game in favour of the many variants that exist. One question I have is are these variations available to purchase as a board game. I've recently seen Colonial Diplomacy for sale, are there any others?
NC: Soon after the original game came out people started inventing variants, none of these are "official" as such and infact Colonial Diplomacy is the only variant produced as a board game (though that's probably misleading as it did not exist as a variant before it was a board game). The copyright laws mean that other people can not produce variants for sale. As an acknowledgement to the postal/email hobby AH allowed maps of the board to be exempt, but not the rules. So variants can be produced, but always include in their rules something along the lines of the 19XX rules of Diplomacy will be used except where ammended below. These can be given but not sold. You could always make up your own boards, photocopying the map onto card, or laminating a copy. If there is an interest I will start including rules for variants in issues?
When I originally wrote to subscribe I said that I would wait before joining a game waiting list until either I'd found some extra time or my existing game wasn't going too well. Well I'm ready to join a waiting list and you can read into that what you will!
NC: Oh, I'm sure it must be oodles of extra time! When my games quietened down I found I had oodles of extra time and it was either start another two or three games or start a zine! I was stuck for choice - games, or zine; playing games or, editing a zine; zine or games; games..., or,.. zine; slay or play; fun or stun! In the end I left it up to the toss of a coin: heads I play games, tails I start a zine! It seemed a simple enough solution, but oh no it's never as simple as that! It took fifteen flicks before I got the result I wanted! Ah good old 'best of fifteen', used by many heads of state for crucial decisions - none of this single toss, or best of three wimps stuff, but a real mans solution. Reasoned arguments for wimps I tell you.
I would like to play Colonial Diplomacy (having just acquired the board game) although I know I'm jumping the gun, its not even a game on your current waiting list. If you have no intention of running a game of Colonial then please put me down for a game of 'Hundred Diplomacy'.
NC: I've put you down for a game of Hundred, since I do not intend to open up a CD list at this time (though if someone wants to GM a game, I may be swayed).
Chetan Radia, Stanmore.
Thanks for the recent copy of GAME - I much enjoyed it. I would like a copy of your House Rules for Diplomacy (and variants), particularly the games I'm participating in. As for Hundred Diplomacy, I'm certainly interested in trying out this (new) variant, so please put me on the waiting list for that. Unfortunately, I know not the rules! They'd be much appreciated.
NC: You should find a copy either in the zine (if I include them) or in addddddddition to it. I will send the ones to Hundred also. If anyone wants the rules to any games run in the zine, let me know and I will photocopy the relevent section from a past zine.
Are you familiar with the Woolworth?
NC: I am aware of its existence.
It's a 5 player variant where each player has control of two countries - one public and one secret. Your readers might be interested in that.
NC: I will most likely be including more variants as time goes on, but not too many as I am hoping each list fills within three or four months. I am also trying to convert variants to use the WinGM adjudicating software, before starting a list. Though that does not mean I will not use hand jobby ones.
By the way what's Breaking Away? I think that 'By Almost Popular Demand' is a great idea and would like to join in. I would also like to start in the fun on 'Sea of Despair' next turn.
NC: Breaking Away is a six player cycling game where each player controls a team of four cyclists. If you like I will send you a copy of these rules. You will already be in the SoD game, though your first turn can be a penalty free NMR.
James Pinnion, Lincs.
Sorry that I withdrew from playing diplomacy so quickly - the fast approach of GCSE's was highlighted for me when I received my timetable for the mocks (not more exams - what only two and a half months? Aaargh!!)
NC: Ah, I remember my O'levels, and then my A/O levels, A levels,.., BSC,... PgD...., MSc. Coo what a lot of exams!
So I will go for less taxing games like Sea of Despair, By Almost Popular Demand and Hundred Diplomacy (is there a limit to how many games one person can join in this zine?)
NC: Yes there is a limit - you can only join in games I've got running, none of this joining games I'm not running! Seriously join in as many as you like, so long as you can cope with them.
Unfortunately your last envelope broke in the post. I think I have received everything: the three copies of GAME that you mentioned, three "The Way" plates, your letter (one sheet) and two other loose sheets. So you have OCR software (does not stand a chance with this letter!). Laptop, Email connections - seems like the best way of "finding how the other half lives" would be to look under the bridge, in all those dirty cardboard boxes! (only joking mate).
NC: My OCR software doesn't stand a chance at all since the upgrade to Windows 95. It was Windows 3.0 stuff that worked okay under 3.1, but 95 just laughs at it! I don't have a laptop! Just access to P166 pentium PC's with 32 or 64 MB ram, and 200MHz SGI workstations with Alias Wavefront work packages on and 14Mb connections, via BT, to mainland Europe (beats 64 Kb ISDN anytime). Ah the luxuary of being able to download 15MB applications in a matter of seconds.
When will we see Zealot? Did you realise that the issue 1 deadline was one day after that of issue 2? (Whoops!) Will we ever see DMH appear on the (Hallowed?) pages of G.A.M.E?
NC: Zealot will be appearing most likely next year. At present there is nothing to go in it, though I am looking at postal Siedlers or postal Civilisation. The first issue of G.A.M.E. was done as a bimonthly effort, with deadlines at "the end of the month", by issue 2 I had gone monthly and decided on my now familiar (and hopefully ingrained in your heads) formula of "the Friday closest to the 1st of the month". What's DMH?
Wayne Read, Ongar.
As I've made such a pigs-ear of sending in my answers for BAPD over the last two months, (almost forgetting both times) I thought it would make a nice change to send them in early this time.I've gone for some obscure ones again, hopefully there's at least four points in there somewhere.
NC: Going the obscure route will only keep you an "also ran" as the number of participants increase. Hopefully you all will want a second game once this one has run its course (if I can keep thinking up the categories), or maybe a try at By Popular Demand?
What happened to the song lyrics in Issue 5, were the few lines by Kula Shaker in Issue 4 just a token effort because your original flyer said you would discuss music in your new Zine? Cheers for that by-the-way, picking the last few lines of the the last track meant I had to read through the entire CD cover to find them.
NC: Don't you listen to the CDs you buy? Or were you looking at the cover in some dingy record shop? It's very clear from the lyrics in the song (since they're practically spoken!).
If you want some deep and meaningful lyrics to print try these for size:
Halfway up the stair is the stair where I sit.
There isn't any other stair quite like it.
Its not at the bottom,
its not at the top.
This is the stair where I always stop.
Robin the Frog. (Muppets)
Noel Gallagher might be good, but he hasn't reached these dizzy heights quite yet.
NC: Moving quickly to the next....
Dave Horton, Swansea.
Here's some fuel for your Intimate Diplomacy furore. Simon says "Put your hands on your head" oops no, he says that his Treachery rule is akin to someone in a game refusing to work with you after you've stabbed them. Not so! The situation is that when you either stab them, misorder, retreat to one of their centres or get foiled in your attempt to move out of their centres, they go totally loco and proxy their units to your bitterest enemy for the entire remaining period of the game. Say what??
NC: Perfectly logical, that is what's happened in our game, I mean err.... so what is this Intimate Dip thing then?
The only reason I've never agreed twice with Mark Stretch before is that in the past he's never been right two times in a row.
NC: No, its probably because you've found out he wears specs and has a droopy moustache! All I need to do now is ask Michelle Duncan if this is the reason speccie Neil is desperately trying to grow one?
Until the announced Seafaring expansion for Die Siedler appears on the market, it looks like we'll be spending a few more months on land. In the meantime, here is an interesting variation that was suggested to me at Essen by one of the good folks from Mayfair Games.
Instead of the usual island surrounded by water shuffle all of the tiles, land and water, then lay them out in the fashion normally reserved for the land tiles. Turn the harbour tiles clockwise until all of the harbours connect properly with land. Now lay out the small, number tiles in the usual fashion. If two good numbers (from 6 and 8) come up side by side, swap them with a small number in such a way as to move them apart.
Now play as usual - with one new addition. To complement the "normal" streets, we now have bridges to cross over single water tiles. Use the normal street markers for bridges. The building cost is 1 clay (brick), 1 wood, and 1 wool (sheep). Furthermore, the two tile side seperation rule for settlements is waived if the two settlements are seperated by water: it is legal to have two cities/settlements seperated by one bridge. [Bridges also count as part of the longest road.]
This variation is very interesting because of the broken nature of the landscape there will be hardly any places to build that border three land tiles. Two tile places will prove essential. The spacing out of the land tiles also provides more places to build. My Tip: Try it out!
Jerry (Gerald Siek)
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (Simon Langley-Evans)
A(Ven) - Rom; F(ADS) - ION; A(Ser) - Gre; A(Bud) - Gal; A(Vie) s
A(Bud) - Gal
ENGLAND (Richard Scholefield)
F(NWG) - Nwy (FAILED); F(NTH) s F(NWG) - Nwy; A(Wal) Stands
FRANCE (Susie Horton)
F(Spa) sc - MAO; A(Pic) - Bur; A(Mar) s A(Pic) - Bur; A(Par) s A(Pic)
- Bur; F(Bre) - ENG (FAILED)
GERMANY (Steve Watts)
F(ENG) s A(Bel) - Pic (CUT); A(Bel) - Pic; A(Hol) - Bel; A(Mun) s
A(Bur); A(Den) Stands; A(Bur) s A(Bel) - Pic (DISLODGED TO Gas)
ITALY (Simon J Canham - NMR!)
A(Gal) Stands (DISLODGED - DISBANDED BY GM); A(Pie) Stands ; F(Apu)
Stands
RUSSIA (Pete Duxon)
A(Nwy) Stands; F(Swe) s A(Nwy); F(StP) nc s A(Nwy); A(Ukr) s F(Rum) -
Sev; A(Mos) s F(Rum) - Sev; F(Rum) - Sev
TURKEY (Jim Rowe)
F(BLA) s A(Sev); A(Sev) Stands (DISLODGED TO Arm); A(Con) - Bul;
F(AEG) s A(Con) - Bul
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (Roy Burnett)
A(Tri) s A(Rum) - Ser; A(Rum) - Ser (FAILED, DISLODGED TO Sev); A(Vie)
- Bud (FAILED); A(Ser) - Bud (FAILED)
ENGLAND (Jimmy Cowie)
A(Lon) - Bel; F(ENG) c A(Lon) - Bel; F(NTH) - Hol; F(Nwy) - StP nc
(FAILED)
FRANCE (Mark Sherratt)
A(Pic) s ENGLISH A(Lon) - Bel; A(Bur) - Mun (FAILED); A(Par) - Bur
(FAILED); A(Gas) - Bre (FAILED); F(MAO) - Bre (FAILED)
GERMANY (Geoff Kemp)
A(Boh) s A(Mun); A(Mun) s A(Kie) - Ber (CUT); A(Bel) Stands (DISLODGED
- DISBANDED NRO); A(Kie) - Ber; F(Den) Stands
ITALY (Mark Ward)
A(Apu) - Ven; A(Tyr) s FRENCH A(Bur) - Mun; F(ION) - Tun
RUSSIA (Ian Lewis)
F(BAL) s ENGLISH F(Nwy) - Swe (MISORDER); A(Sil) - Gal; A(StP) - Nwy
(FAILED); A(Gal) - Rum; F(BLA) s A(Gal) - Rum
TURKEY (Wayne Read)
A(Bul) - Ser (FAILED); A(Gre) s A(Bul) - Ser; F(EMS) - ION; F(AEG) s
F(EMS) - ION
Autumn 1902 Adjustments:
A: Tri, +Sev, Vie, Ser, Bud = 5; Gains 1.
E: +Bel, +Hol, Nwy, Edi, Lon, Lpl = 6; Gains 2.
F: Par, Por, Spa, Bre, Mar = 5; No change.
G: Mun, Ber, Den, Kie, -Hol = 4; Loses 1.
I: Ven, +Tun, Nap, Rom, -Gre = 4; No change.
R: StP, Rum, War, Mos, -Sev = 4; Loses 1.
T: Bul, +Gre, Con, Ank, Smy = 5; Gains 1.
Builds/Disbands:
A: Builds A(Bud).
E: Builds F(Edi), A(Lpl).
F: None.
G: None.
I: Builds F(Nap).
R: Removes F(BAL).
T: Builds A(Con).
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (Noname1)
F(Tri) Stands; A(Vie) s F(Tri);
A(Ser) s TURKISH A(Bul) (MISORDER)
ENGLAND (Weatherwax)
F(ENG) - NTH; F(NTH) - Nwy; A(Lpl) - Yor
FRANCE (Noname3)
A(Par) - Bre; A(Spa) - Por; F(MAO) - Spa sc
GERMANY (Noname4)
A(Kie) - Den; F(Hol) - Bel; A(Mun) Stands
ITALY (Vesper Panic)
A(Ven) s A(Tyr); A(Tyr) s AUSTRIAN A(Vie);
F(ION) - Tun
RUSSIA (Dmitri Shostakovich)
F(Sev) - Rum (FAILED); A(War) - Gal; F(GoB) - Swe;
A(Ukr) s A(War) - Gal
TURKEY (Noname7)
A(Arm) - Sev (FAILED); A(Bul) - Rum (FAILED);
F(Ank) - BLA
Autumn 1901 Adjustments:
A: Tri, Vie, +Ser, Bud = 4; Gains 1.
E: +Nwy, Edi, Lon, Lpl = 4; Gains 1.
F: Bre, +Por, +Spa, Mar, Par = 5; Gains 2.
G: +Den, +Bel, Mun, Ber, Kie = 5; Gains 2.
I: Ven, +Tun, Nap, Rom = 4; Gains 1.
R: Sev, +Swe, Mos, StP, War = 5; Gains 1.
T: +Bul, Ank, Con, Smy = 4; Gains 1.
Builds/Disbands:
A: Builds A(Bud).
E: Builds A(Lon).
F: Builds A(Par), F(Mar).
G: Builds A(Ber), F(Kie).
I: Builds A(Rom).
R: Builds A(Mos).
T: Builds A(Con).
BURGUNDY (Mark Wilson)
A(Dij) - Can; A(Lux) - Dij (FAILED); A(Fla) s A(Lux) - Dij; F(Hol) -
DOV
ENGLAND (John Langley)
F(Lon) s A(Cal); F(Dev) - ECH; A(Nmd) - Brt; A(Guy) Stands; A(Cal) s
FRENCH A(Dij) - Fla (MISORDER)
FRANCE (Doug Essinger-Hileman)
A(Dau) - Dij (FAILED); A(Par) s A(Dau) - Dij; A(Orl) s A(Par); A(Tou)
- Poi; A(Pro) - Tou