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| Issue 8 | March 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The contents for this issue are:
Well lets all say bye bye to Ami Pro 3.0 then. This will be the last issue that will be done using Ami Pro, since I am moving up to Word 6.0 (well actually MS Office). I could have done this issue in Word, but it was the outside GM's deadline before I started on the zine, and it far easier to use what I know, especially as the document is all laid out. I need to concentrate on filling the pages up rather than procrastunating, spending hours fiddling with the gizmo's in Word. So has this been a busy month - too right it has! If life is getting slow, with not much going on, then start a zine, and you'll soon find yourself so busy you'll need to book an appointment three weeks in advance just to fart! Work has continued to be completely all consuming, with getting in for 9 a.m. part of the normal course, before any of the sarcastic awes come out, I've even had quite a few 8 a.m.'s too. At the start of the month I had a few days when I was to be in Bradford - I could set off at 9:30am, or later and arrive before 10 a.m. This is quite nice, but trying to get there for 9 a.m. is completely different! The first time I set off at 8:15 a.m. only to get in for 9:30 a.m. When they talk of Rush Hour people are obviously talking about 'blood to the head due to stress'. Doing this a few times, and intensive study of the A-Z has provided some routes that have a lower volume of traffic. Well, they are still busy, but on the whole the stoppages are due to traffic lights. So has this improved my overall time taken? Well not much, since its a longer route - if I set off at 8:15 I now can get in for 9:15. The best part is there is less nose to tail, stop-start manoevering, or merging of traffic lines. One thing I find annoying is when instead of getting into lane when there is a lane reduction you find someone, usually in an expensive car zooming in the outside lane, as far as they physically can only to squeeze in, usually about two cars infront of you!!!! Mind you I am far from a saint, since I have often under-taken people! The inside lane is completely clear, but cars still stay in the middle lane - of course they are going relatively fast, and the inside lane is only for slow vehicles!!! Its like "hello,... anyone home?" If there is an empty inside lane you move over. Under-taking is illegal, but it is either that or wait behind someone who may not move over unless you get right up there backside (metephorically speaking) something I don't do. I never drive to close to other cars at fast speeds - apart from it being dangerous I feel far too uncomfortable so always hold back. This sometimes means I get someone manoevering into the space in between, if not two cars!! In these circumstances I tend to move into a slower lane, and take my time. Driving is much more fun when you have not got time restrictions. Now where was I. Seems I've slightly gone off of what I originally was saying. Sometimes I had to be in for 8 a.m. which took about the same amount of time to get there. These in themselves are not really drastic, but they were usually combined with late nights, so I would finish after 7 p.m. This usually meant that the remainder of the evenings would involve slouching infront of the TV - I was far too exhausted to do anything else. A couple of you phoned me at 8 p.m. or 9p.m. only to be told I was still at work, this would probably one of my long days. There was at least one plus, and that was I was not working weekend, no instead I was going off enjoying myself - I meant time off relaxing!!! Unheard of. On Friday 7th Feb I went off to Manchester. They have a games club on Saturdays and Malcolm Cornelius (the editor of BUM - a wonderful zine to play games in, do you want me to plug it a bit more Malcolm?) had offered to not only put me up for the Friday night, but show me some of the pubs he frequents. I had managed to arrange to only have work to do in the morning and early afternoon, thus meaning I could be away early. The idea was to catch a coach across (at 3.75 with my student coach card its cheaper than driving!! I can hear the "are you a student then?" and the "err, hang on, your 'working' for a university, but have a student coach card????". Well I was an MSc student 1994-5 [and when I discovered email Dip and in the latter half postal Dip] and I used to visit quite a few friends on the coach. I went for a coach card, just for a year, and they said "do you want a yearly or a three yearly?". I said I was only on a year long course, and they explained that as long as I was a full-time student when I applied you could have either - so I plumped for the three yearly one {or should that be tri-annual?}- I would be daft not to.) and have Malcolm pick me up at the other end. Well I decided to catch the coach from Leeds, though I was working in Bradford (I never said geography was my strong point or even at least mildy weakly point!). If I had thought about it, the Leeds-Manchester shuttle (that bypasses Bradford), although quicker than the regular service going via Bradford, would be the slow option when taking into consideration the time taken to get to Leeds! The coach was at 5:45pm, and so I set off at sometime just after 4pm. The traffic was extremely busy, though using all my cunning and shortcuts managed to arrive at the University at 5:20pm (so I could park the car), and then belted it down on foot (and at times like this reminded that I should really take far more exercise!) to the coach station, queued and got my ticket (this is one of them "turn up and ride" schemes). I saw the coach pull in and went for it, along with eight billion others!! The coach filled up, and I was not on it! Me and twenty plus others. This obviously meant that I would not be at the other end when Malcolm expected to pick me up. Now luckily I have a mobile phone, and so does Malcolm - but there was only one small problem.... no, my battery was charged (I'm sure I could have used a pay phone if it wasn't. Not charged, indeed. No in these situations try and be a little more original) but I did not have his number. Well I did in that he had emailed it to me, and also that he puts it on each issue of his zine, but I did not have it on me. So it was off back to the University to log on and access the number. Then back again. With the queue for the next coach quite substantial I decided not to phone until I was on the coach (otherwise I would have to phone to tell him I was not on one coach and should be on the next, and then again saying I was to be far later than I expected). I did get on the 6:45pm coach though three people didn't (were these three in the queue that got turned back from the one before I couldn't say!). So as it pulled out I phoned Malcolm, committing the worst sin ever - using a mobile on mass transport to say something along the lines of "hi, its me I'll be in at XXXX time" (well it was a longer conversation than that, but essentially the same), and figures very highly in the top ten of sayings not at all to impress that gorgeous babe sat next to you!! Now say "what the one who got off at some small town stop outside Manchester?", and I would have to say yes. I duely arrived in Manchester coach station and walked a circular marathon - I was told to wait outside the door to the cafe - except thats the one with two doors, one on each side of the building. Malcolm arrived on foot after parking the car (I was told it bordered on the red-light area and also the gay area, and that he did not think it prudent to wander slowly in the area waiting for me. Well off we sped to Malcolms place with The dogs d'amour oozing out from the CD player - talk about a blast from the past. They were a band I was into from the late eighties to the early nineties, whilst being a post-student - a completely different image than today: slimish a variety of hair styles including dreads, and part of a group of "very popular" lads. Often we got extremely inebriated and developed a method of floor dancing where by we danced whilst laid down - something that was highly catching as others would join - there were times when the WHOLE dance floor would lie on their backs with us. Once when we visited Leeds (and went to Ricky's) we got around thirty strangers to join us "floor dancing" only to find the bouncers wading in pulling people up! Obviously something they were not used to. But once more I digress. Oh images of the past, and things you do when young. Maybe I should add things you do when young and have your peer group in awe of you, and followers as well as groupies dream of. The success was difficult to handle, and inexpertly we blundered through - how do you cope when someone who you've gone back to 'their place' then discoloses that they are amazed that they have managed to get hold of one of the group, apart from ignore it and carry on regardless. Hmm, what I was going to say was I sometimes see people today trying to live that image, which I think is strange since these are people who have aged, without progressing. The scene I was trying to build here was Malcolm was listening to them because of their music, but they have much more of a memory for events gone by for me, and usually it's sad people still wandering around in a drunken stupor with the band on the back of their leather not realising 1991 has gone by, that usually bring back memories, with amazement that some people have not move on - though the hilarious fact is that they are no more popular, even with the main dudes moving on to pastures new. So, erm, we went off to Malc's and dropped off our stuff before catching a cab - a Merc! Now he lives in a newish semi and the cab is a Merc, and he says its a dodgy area?? Well off we go to the first pub called mutter mutter cough (hey you expect me to remember!!) and I had a pint of some 5% brew. In retrospect Malc says from that he should have interpreted that I would drink a lot! Why? we didn't go into double figures, did we? Definitely not doublle figures in Hexidecimal anyway. So after a couple at the first pub (I could probably find out the names of all these pubs we went to, but they were all the good real ale pubs that also happened to be contained within a small area. If you know Manchester, you may well have been, and if you don't then is there any real point of me telling you! What are you going to do pop up and with GAME in hand ask where each one is!!! Actually give me a bell if you are and we'll see what can be done (now is that leaving me open for a pitfall?). It's strange because if I used the names then I could describe the pubs in more detail, but hey. Okay the first pub was really some sort of show house - well one half was the pub, and the other half had a fire, with tables and chairs that clearly looked uncomfortable incase someone recognised that they had stayed on much later than they were supposed to and would be told off severly for not adhering to protocol and going away when their decade had ended. The pint there was a good dark brew, and it is an absolute lie that I looked at the % vol. before the name. Well then we went onto the second pub, which was, err, the something barrel, or the bikers pub - not the one where they appear after you've gone in? Oo no, okay yes. On the way we met Geoff Brown who had just left the place and was off to a comedy club. Now I'm not saying he is of weak character, but upon saying we were going there and then onto other pubs made him change his mind. Actually I'll congratulate him for seeing sense, since its the better option by far. After a couple of rounds we then went off to the tiled pub - a long thin pub squeezed onto the end of a building, with a slanted floor, that probably aids drinking ("I'm not drunk, the floor IS slanted" - though if you start professing the floor is level then people worry!). From there it was a haul to a pub on the other side of the valley. Leaving Geoff behind to make his own merry way, Malc and I walked fairly briskly trying to maintain the conversation without seeming too out of breath (silent huff, silent puff, " ah yes, of couse.", silent puff, held back wheeze). We arrived at the pub and then after introductions to the owners ordered a round just as Geoff came in to be included. After than rounds were ardered any many games of pinball were played. Its probably not too good an idea playing with someone who knows what to do. Afterwards, that is around 1am, possibly before, possibly later, Malc and I went back home. Then with burnt popcorn and nuts we sampled some of his home brew, before deciding to draw a line on the night around four-ish. Oh, well it looks like I have not left much room for the Saturday really, never mind other events of the month. Well I can include other events elsewhere, so lets just give a brief overview of the Saturday. After a lazy wake up and then a wash, I popped down stairs - the club was due to start at 2 pm so there was oodles of time. I was fine, somehow I was expected not to be - does a sponge grumble after sucking up all the spare liquid, not to my ears. Well off we popped to the pub, which had being pointed out to me the night before as we wandered past, though since I was disorientated I was not likely to bother trying to remember - though if I ever start a pub crawl at 11 a.m. then I'll probably be okay. We played Manhattan, Airlines, and Hat trick (a card game) - all of which were excellent games. Manhattan is about building skyscrapers, Airlines about building airlines and obtaining shares (like Aquire), and hat trick a 'tricks' game.
Cheers
Nic
Sean McGinness, Wishaw. Well on Friday I was expecting to get two 'zines in these being Back to the Dark Ages and Springboard. As I expected two A5 envelopes arrived but low and behold one was a form asking if I was to be registered for VAT and the other was indeed a 'zine, just not one I was subscribing to. I thought I'd take your 'zine along to Oxcon with me as I was a bit short of reading material for the train journey, a six hour train journey.
NC: Unfortunately Oxcon was on my deadline weekend. I could have had the zine ready to print on Friday night, but then travelling to Oxford on Saturday morning would have meant I missed the Dip game starts. So I decided against it.
I must commend you on your 'zine, its very well put together. It has a fast turnaround, one thing that annoys me about BttDA is the six to eight week turnaround, and a good letter column, also a flaw of BttDA. You say it isn't the best 'zine out but it s the best one I've received. I rate it over BttDA with the points above and also BttDA seems far too chaotic to enjoy reading, the numerous different games give a very scrappy feel to it. You manage to incorporate different games and they look right. OK I'll admit most are Dip variants but too many different types would look bad. This means you give the chance of something different if you get board. I didn't phrase that very well but I think you get what I mean.
NC: I was uncertain as whether to print a letter that praised my zine ans put down another, but when I queried this with another zine editor, the look he gave me back said it all - it is the Diplomacy hobby after all!
After I said all that I had decided not to subscribe to anymore 'zines just now and the other 'zines on offer at Oxcon didn't change my opinion but I think I will subscribe to yours, as I said it's the best 'zine I've seen so far and now you have the best Turkey at Oxcon as a subscriber. Doesn't that sound terrible, just imagine telling someone on the street that you were the best Turkey at Oxcon and they'll think you'd lost your mind.
NC: People may think you've been to some fancy dress oxo supporters convention - or to the launch party of a new turkey flavoured oxo cube!!! Welcome anyway.
Chetan Radia, Stanmore.
Thanks for the latest issue of GAME. I especially enjoyed the stuff on the new games - I enjoy a new challenge!
Talking of challenges, I've made my life in Flanders more difficult by not sending you the right set of orders! Sod! Why do I play this game..?! I must be mad!
NC: Well I checked through all the various sets of orders you gave, and it was the latest I used. On the whole Flanders isn't too bad, a lot of misorders, and maybe some wiser players, but on the whole unchanged.
I did like your idea of a WWW interface for PGP shop owners. At the moment ordering anything using a credit card on the Net is (in my opinion) a really bad idea - the lines are insecure. I wouldn't do it (not that I have a credit card!) Talking of which, how many of your readers actually have a credit card? I've thus far resisted the temptation of having one - I know I'd use it too much if I had one! I'm a shopaholic, of sorts!
NC: Well the benefits of PGP are in the use of two keys by both participants - i.e. you encode your message with your private key (that only you know) and then my public key (that everyone knows) before sending it too me. By using my public key anyone else intercepting it cannot understand it, only me. After I decode it using my private key, I can then decode it using your public key (that everyone knows), which proves it is from you. At the present time, you have to actively find some software and put it on your system to use PGP, thus most people don't bother. Still if a Web "plug-in" were developed to allow one way encoding, then a credit card number, your name, and your address would be safe as ordering over the phone - or even safer, well, except for the possiblity of someone accessing your computer and logging the keystrokes you enter!
Continuing on the paranoia of email - did you know that if you use email through work, then your boss can legitimately monitor all your email! In all probability (s)he isn't but the next time your mouse pointer is poised over the send button then just pause and think is this inconspicuous?
In the USA there is an ongoing battle on censorship of the internet, with senators under the banner of keeping pornography off of the internet, proposing measures to force Internet Service Providers and others to monitor every piece of email, news group postings, etc that you send!! As a side note there are many internet news servers and gateways (computers that act as intercections and access points (like motorway slip roads) to many users) that have programs to monitor the contents of newsgroup postings and emails for obscenities, filtering them out instead of passing them on. This has brought objections from an unexpected source - people in the UK from Scunthorpe, who get all their email and news group postings stopped! (think about it)
Onto the debate regarding England. Hmm.. I've played it several times and tried various openings. I've tried moving to ENG in Spring '01, which didn't result in a great deal of success as I got stabbed bt Germany. I've also tried the Yor and Edi variants of the Northern Opening. Only once have I encountered a French Fleet in ENG when I've moved to Edi, but even then France didn't go for Lon as he had / wanted to support himself into Belgium. The problem I had was that Russia had gone north and Germany wasn't being very nice! I was facing a FGR alliance, and eventually died. But I did help take Germany and Russia with me, so it wasn't too disapointing! On the whole I've found the Edi variant to be the best - it allows so many more options than Yor does. It's generally regarded as anti-Russian, though I personally don't often go for Russia. I'd better be careful here - I'm playing this opening in Enigma at the moment! Er, it's a really friendly opening to everyone. Honest! Gulp! I find it also helps keep the Germans honest - you have the option to bounce him out of Hol/Den and convoy to Nwy, or move to Ska to go after Scandinavia. As long as the French don't hassle you too much, you should be OK. And of course, if necessary, you could bounce the French out of Belgium, or ideally convoy an army into there, leaving you options as to ally with.
NC: Well I have just started playing England in an email game, and made an agreement with France, to DMZ the ENG and I openned with the Yor variant. In Spring '01 Germany openned F(Kie)-BAL, A(Mun)-Kie, and A(Ber) Hold -err quite unusual. Its now Spring '02, France is on six, Astria and Turkey are piling into Russia (who got Sweden, but lost Sevestopol and got kicked out of Rumania).
As a country, England is hard to kill off - it's not often that either of your neighbours have naval power enough to do you damage. So they have to co-operate, which leaves you with a chance to break the alliance and survive. A lot of players go for EF alliances, which many believe to be Englands best option, as then the two of them take out Germany, England gaining Scandinavia, and a good attack on Russia. The down side is that it becomes very hard to do much about France, and unless you can time a stab properly, your chances of an outright win are not good. I'm sure there are those who disagree!
NC: Ah, oh well!!
On a different note, how do you play settlers postally? Or even Civilization, for that matter? Must take years! Centuries! Any intention of running Railway Rivals in your zine? It's one of these games that seems to be everywhere! Or are you going to keep your zine more dip - orientated?
NC: I'm sure settlers can be played postally, so long as you try to preserve the core elements. The difficult part is the trading element. The way for this is (a) direct trades, if two players both tell me they've traded, and (b) notice boards, players have a 'wanted' and 'for sale' section in the game report, e.g. Wanted anything for a sheep, For Sale two Ore, Wood or Bricks for each. On Civilisation, someone has already produced postal rules and its based on the Computer game, as opposed to the board game. As far as I am concerned The Gentle Art of Making Enemies will be essentially a purist Diplomacy 'zine. I have always envisaged it as a relatively speedy zine, hence monthly turns with weekend turnarounds. I may even change this for '98 to four-weekly with a weekend turnaround., but we'll see. Some editors, such as Mark Stretch, don't think I'll be able to keep the fast turnaround. Now lets see the 'zine The Ides of March has a five day turnaround and has more games of standard Diplomacy going than any other. The key, in my opinion, is not to have too many time consuming (to adjudicate) games. Since I want to include a fair bit of reading material, which includes a letter column, then I need to ensure this is done well in advance of the deadline. This way with only games and the odd bit to do after the deadline, then deadline weekend is quite leisurely.
I see you're looking for a GM for Zealot - I'm happy to oblige. Just a problem - I don't have a PC or anything to type my stuff. I should be able to get the adjudications to you a couple of days after the outside GM's deadline, so you should be able to get it out on time with GAME (with a bit of luck!)
NC: Well Zealot would be bimonthly, with the deadline three weeks before the issue of GAME it is to go out with. I'm not too sure how appealing this will be, and it may not get off the launch pad with the idea of having serious non-diplomacy games.
As for games I'd like to run, I'm happy to GM Diplomacy, Gunboat, Vain Arts or any other map variant of Dip - whatever people want. There is one variant I do want to try GMing - I call it speed Diplomacy.
NC: Ah, obviously some crossed wires here. Obviously you are on about becoming an outside GM to GAME. Well, this is not something I have thought about too much before. I know that I already have one with Simon's subzine TIA, but Simon's an absolute saint as he sends me 60(ish) copies so I only need to bother with it at posting time. I now have a second one, with Sean McGinness offering to GM SpyDip, though that will be on flyer. If its GMing a variant, then I don't mind - though it would have to be one I'm not already running (maybe one of the ones I'm starting to print the rules of?). I use the WinGM software with the Dip & variants I currently run, which make adjudicating quick and error free.
It works the same as Standard Dip, just that players have to send in orders for Spring/Autumn, retreats for each season and builds for the year all at the same time! The way it works is this - for each season you're allowed n orders, where n is the number of supply centres you control. So, if you're England, you could order:
Spring '01: A(Lpl)-Yor
F(Edi)-NTH
F(Lon)-ENG
Autumn '01: F(NTH)-Nwy Since A(Yor) isn't ordered
F(Lon)-ENG you get an 'extra' order.
F(ENG)-Bel
This way, you can account for more than one outcome of your spring moves. BUT you CANNOT have F(NTH) C A(Yor)-Nwy as an implied order - A(Yor) has to be explicitly ordered to Nwy for it too succeed. Autumn moves may not be conditional on Spring moves, though retreats and builds can be conditional.
NC: This is different to the version I was thinking of, which would be full of conditional orders!
I ran an e-mail version of this at Uni and it was great fun. Some countries which are traditionally easier to play become much harder. Also the quality of Diploming required seems to higher. I would like to run this if possible, along with any or all the others mentioned before. Let me know if there's any interest.
NC: I will let you know if anyone asks to be put on the list, and open one! How much interest do you think there is in simple variants like this one? There is another variant I call Prediction Diplomacy
Standard Diplomacy House Rules apply, except where ammended below.
The orders Season is one turn ahead of the results Season e.g. Spring '02 moves & Summer retreats orders are submitted before Autumn '01 moves & Winter retreats and adjustments have been published
Retreats can be conditional as per the House Rules for the Standard game, but moves may only be conditional on the outcome of your own moves for the prior moves season.
David Harris, Lindfield.
I have recently returned to Postal Diplomacy after a break of nearly 20 years, and I am now nearing the end of a game in Stephen Agar's Spring Offensive, which you know is due to fold shortly.
NC: Many say that Spring Offensive has already folded and that there is just a ghost hanging around! I've heard that some zine editors are getting together to organise a priest for an exorcism.
Stephen's write ups on GAME are very complementary, so I would like to sample a few issues and start a new game shortly.
NC: Welcome aboard. The current standard Diplomacy list is almost full, with most likely a game start next issue. At present each list is taking three(ish) issues to fill (Abwehr started in 1, Bletchley in 2, and Enigma in 6).
Sean McGinness, Wishaw.
Thank you very much for the copy of GAME and I've got a few questions for you. What on earth is this sheet? I got it along with GAME and TIA but it doesn't appear to belong to either. I've sent it back to you in the hope you can tell me what it's from. If it's inclusion was an accident then so be it but if it was for a game then this is all I got and it isn't a full set of rules. On the off chance it is a full set of rules that starts page numbers at nine. What is LNL anyway and please tell me how I got this sheet
NC: Ooops a big gaping hole appears. Okay anyone who is reading this ans also has had the same reaction as Sean, then please send me an A5 Stamped SAE, and I will give you all the ones you have missing.
Okay, LNL is Laplace, Newton & Lagrange A game of ship to ship combat in outer space. It is one of a series of FREE games for you to play. I found them on the World Wide Web, and the authors know I am distributing it. I initially used to include a section called Treasure Chest describing them, but as this is a longer game it seemed daft to include Treasure Chest if all it said was "here is the next instalment of LNL", and I forgot to mention the games in my "welcome" letter to new subscribers. There were two shorter games that I have issued prior to LNL - BONES and The Way, both of which I can give copies to anyone on provision of an SSAE. Maybe I should have a small section (note) on the back page explaining this? Whilst I am about it I may include the rules of SOD with the game for those who join each issue?
Next. I'm very interested in Spy Dip but with me just beginning PBM and being involved in two games just now and will soon, hopefully, be involved in two more soon I wouldn't be able to write as much as I should in another game of Dip just now so I wanted to know if my offer to GM it would be accepted. If you do then I have several questions for you. Firstly if you only get to know where your own units are then how will the game report be presented in GAME without making several different copies for each player. The adjudication for each player could be sent out on a sheet along with GAME but that would prevent other readers of GAME from observing the game, which is half the reason I get 'zines. The game would be slow unless there was special provisions made for the Summer and Winter seasons. I thought I could run these between issues of GAME and run the "standard" seasons along with GAME but this gives the same problem of non-participants being unable to observe.
NC: Unfortunately SpyDip is one of those games that cannot be included with the main zine. I am not that keen on running alot of games on flyers (lest people mistake my 'zine for The Cunning Plan - since its a zine poll winner, that probably would not be too bad, except it, err, has, lets say, quite a weird unique style and my GMing is far too error free) since I agree with Sean, in that I like observing games - I also like zines with reading material, and do not like zines that are games only. I am glad to announce that Sean will be running SpyDip with Spring and Autumn seasons being issued with GAME, and Summer and Winter seasons going inbetween.
Nick Baker
What a strange spelling of my name! Thanks a lot for the complementary issue of GAME, a good idea sending that out to us newcomers many of whome must like me be considering more than just Springboard but don't know what.
NC: Is that "Nic" your on about?? Well it was something Danny Collman said once. I did not start through Springboard (to be honest the idea of sending off a resume when you joined put me off), and I wanted to observe a zine for a few months first before starting any games, since I was currently playing a few email games - Spring Offensive proved the solution. I also sent off for a Mission from God, which includes reviews of a lot of zines in the UK, and then to some zine editors for samples.
I now send an issue to every new subscriber to Springboard, usually one of my spares from a past issue, quite a few subscribe, some reply declining but with a nice letter, and then some don't reply. Some people subscribe but don't want to play straight away, which is fine, this is not Springboard, and I don't mind if people want to subscribe but are not ready to play.
The Austrian Turkish alliance piles into Russia. Pete, how many copies of Brenda Palm's article on A-T do you want?
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (Simon Langley-Evans) A(War) s TURKISH A(Rum) - Ukr; A(Gal) s A(War); A(Ser) - Gre; A(Bud) - Ser; F(Nap) - Apu; A(Rom) - Ven; A(Vie) - Tyr (FAILED); F(Tri) s A(Rom) - Ven
ENGLAND (Richard Scholefield) F(NTH) - SKA; F(NWG) - NTH; A(Lon) - Yor
FRANCE (Susie Horton) F(MAO) c GERMAN A(Gas) - NAf (MISORDER); F(Bre) - Pic; A(Par) - Gas (FAILED); A(Mar) - Spa (FAILED); A(Bur) - Gas (FAILED, DISLODGED TO Ruh)
GERMANY (Steve Watts) F(ENG) - Wal; A(Pic) - Bur; A(Bel) s A(Pic) - Bur; A(Mun) s A(Pic) - Bur; A(Den) Stands; A(Gas) - Spa (FAILED)
ITALY (Simon J Canham) A(Ven) - Tyr (FAILED, DISLODGED TO Pie); F(Apu) - ION
RUSSIA (Pete Duxon) A(Ukr) - War (FAILED, DISLODGED - DISBANDED NRP); A(Mos) s A(Ukr) - War; F(StP) nc s A(Nwy); A(Nwy) Stands; F(Swe) s A(Nwy)
TURKEY (Jim Rowe) A(Arm) - Sev; F(Bul) sc - AEG; A(Con) - Bul; A(Rum) - Ukr; F(BLA) s A(Arm) - Sev
Press
Austria-Turkey: Mission accomplished?
Simon-Simon: Persistant bugger aren't you...
London to assembled press conference - The recently calm waters of the
North Sea are now rough. I'm open to offers.
Ber - Par: Sorry, but after a lot of pondering, I decided not to trust
you.
CMOT-Ber: Ah, shouldn't tarnish all Horton's with the same brush!!
StP-Vie: No Hard feelings
StP-Lon: Any fudge cake you get will be laced with Arsenic.
German campaign of placing fake road signs in Ruhr fools English Navy.
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (Roy Burnett)
A(Vie) s A(Bud) - Gal; A(Bud) - Gal; A(Sev) - Rum ; A(Tri) s A(Ser)
(CUT, DISLODGED TO Alb); A(Ser) s A(Sev) - Rum
ENGLAND (Jimmy Cowie)
F(Hol) s A(Bel) - Kie (MISORDER); A(Bel)-Kie (No Such English Unit);
A(Ruh) jumps up and down frantically waving at F(Hol); F(Nwy) - BAR;
A(Edi) - Nwy; F(NTH) s A(Edi) - Nwy; F(NWG) c A(Edi) - Nwy;
FRANCE (Mark Sherratt)
A(Par) - Gas; A(Spa) - NAf; A(Bur) - Mun (FAILED); A(Bel) Stands;
F(WMS) c A(Spa) - NAf
GERMANY (Geoff Kemp)
A(Boh) s A(Mun); A(Mun) Stands; A(Kie) - Den (FAILED); F(Swe) - Den
(FAILED)
ITALY (Mark Ward)
F(Tun) - ION; A(Ven) - Rom; A(Tri) - Ven F(Nap) s A(Ven) - Rom (CUT,
DISLODGED - DISBANDED NRO);
RUSSIA (Ian Lewis -NMR!)
A(Ukr) Stands ; A(StP) Stands ; F(Sev) Stands
TURKEY (Wayne Read)
F(ION) - Nap; A(Apu) s F(ION) - Nap; F(AEG) s A(Gre) (MISORDER);
A(Bul) s RUSSIAN F(Sev) - Rum (MISORDER, DISLODGED TO Con); A(Gre) - Ser
Autumn 1903 Adjustments:
A: +War, Bud, +Gre, +Bul, +Rum, Tri, Vie, -Sev, -Ser = 7; Gains 2.
E: Hol, Nwy, Edi, Lon, Lpl -Bel = 5; Loses 1.
F: +Bel, Par, Por, Spa, Bre, Mar = 6; Gains 1.
G: Mun, Kie, +Swe, Ber, Den = 5; Gains 1.
I: Rom, Ven, Tun, -Nap = 3; Loses 1.
R: StP, +Sev, Mos, -Rum, -War = 3; Loses 1.
T: +Nap, +Ser, Con, Ank, Smy -Bul, -Gre = 5; No change.
Builds/Disbands:
A: Builds A(Vie), A(Tri).
E: Removes A(Ruh).
F: Builds F(Mar).
G: Builds A(Ber).
I: None.
R: None.
T: None.
Press
Simon Says: the sultan is getting too big for his boots!
Con-Rom: Better a solid enemy than a dodgy Ally!
The Mid Atlantic soars in price as its desirability rockets
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (Geroff Marland)
F(Tri) Stands ; A(Vie) Stands ; A(Ser) Stands ; A(Bud) Stands
ENGLAND (Weatherwax)
A(Yor) - Bel; F(NTH) c A(Yor) - Bel; F(SKA) Stands ; A(Lon) Stands
F(Lon) S RUSSIAN A(Mos) - Ber(NO ORDER); F(Nwy) - Den(NO ORDER)
FRANCE (Vick Sinex + The Nasal Sp)
F(GoL) - TYS; F(WMS) - MAO (FAILED); A(Spa) - Mar; A(Par) - Pic;
A(Gas) - Bur (FAILED)
GERMANY (Hans Neasandboompsasaisy)
A(Den) Stands; F(ENG) - MAO (FAILED); A(Mun) - Bur (FAILED); A(Ber) -
Sil; F(Kie) - Hol
ITALY (Vesper Panic)
A(Pie) - Tyr; A(Ven) s A(Pie) - Tyr; A(Rom) Stands; F(NAf) - MAO
(FAILED)
RUSSIA (Dmitri Shostakovich)
A(Gal) - Rum (FAILED); F(Swe) - Den (FAILED); F(Sev) Stands; A(Ukr) s
F(Sev); A(Mos) s F(Sev)
TURKEY (Rat M.)
A(Arm) s A(Rum) - Sev; A(Rum) - Sev (FAILED); A(Bul) s AUSTRIAN A(Ser)
- Gre (MISORDER); F(BLA) s A(Rum) - Sev
Autumn 1902 Adjustments:
A: Tri, Vie, Ser, Bud = 4; No change.
E: +Bel, Lon, Edi, Lpl, Nwy = 5; Gains 1.
F: Mar, Bre, Par, Por, Spa = 5; No change.
G: Den, Mun, +Hol, Ber, Kie -Bel = 5; No change.
I: Ven, Rom, Nap, Tun = 4; No change.
R: Swe, Sev, Mos, StP, War = 5; No change.
T: +Rum, Bul, Ank, Con, Smy = 5; Gains 1.
Builds/Disbands:
A: None.
E: Builds F(Edi).
F: None.
G: None.
I: None.
R: None.
T: Builds F(Con).
HELDOVER - call for a DRAW
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (Paul Barker)
A(Tri) Stands; F(Alb) - Gre; A(Ser) s F(Alb) - Gre
ENGLAND (Chetan Radia)
F(NWG) - Nwy; F(NTH) c A(Edi) - Den; A(Edi) - Den (FAILED)
FRANCE (Mark Wilson)
A(Bur) Stands ; F(MAO) Stands ; A(Spa) Stands F(Bre) - Pic(NSU);
A(Par) - Bur(NSU); A(Mar) - Spa(NSU)
GERMANY (Steve Ade)
F(Den) Stands; A(Kie) - Hol; A(Ruh) - Mun
ITALY (James Trotter)
F(ION) c A(Apu) - Tun; A(Apu) - Tun; A(Ven) Stands
RUSSIA (Paul Hughes)
F(GoB) - BAL; A(War) - Sil; F(Sev) - Rum; A(Ukr) s F(Sev) - Rum
TURKEY (Mick Dunnett)
A(Bul) - Gre (FAILED); A(Con) - Smy; F(Ank) - Con
NSU = No Such Unit!!!!!
Autumn 1901 Adjustments:
A: Tri, +Gre, +Ser, Bud, Vie = 5; Gains 2.
E: +Nwy, Edi, Lon, Lpl = 4; Gains 1.
F: +Spa, Bre, Mar, Par = 4; Gains 1.
G: +Den, +Hol, Mun, Ber, Kie = 5; Gains 2.
I: +Tun, Ven, Nap, Rom = 4; Gains 1.
R: +Rum, Mos, Sev, StP, War = 5; Gains 1.
T: +Bul, Smy, Con, Ank = 4; Gains 1.
Builds/Disbands:
A: Builds A(Bud), A(Vie).
E: Builds A(Lon).
F: Builds (No build ordered).
G: Builds A(Ber), F(Kie).
I: Builds F(Nap).
R: Builds F(Sev).
T: Builds F(Ank).
Press:
Lon-Mos: Can't you make it a bottle of Smirnoff Black? Cheapy!
Lon-Con: If I have Bel, thanks. If not it's all your fault:
CMOT-Lon: So long as it's not mine.
Lon-CMOT: If there's vodka involved, I'll play till I get 34 supply
centres!
CMOT-Lon: You can't come back once you're down to zero!
StP-All: A bottle of Smirnoff blue to the eventual ruler of 18 centres.
CMOT-StP: Do I get it if it's a draw? Or will you be sending out
minatures instead? (Oh you haven't said what size the solo winners
bottle is have you?)
StP-CMOT: No! It's the same bottle & I've the perfect glass.
CMOT-StP: How about giving it to me for, err, safe keeping.
CMOT - Par: You sent in the wrong set of units (I guess), still I am
sure everyone will give you a chance.
HELDOVER - Change of Player
Well with three games being held over (to a lot of frustration from me)
I seem to have an extra page! Luckily I can now fit in those letters
that could not be fitted in before. First we will have a little chat on
the topic of NMR's. I did have the opinion that NMR's in the first year
should be prevented - I know some GM's who will adjudicate Spring '01
with them, which I don't agree with mainly because players are probably
then more likely to drop out (in their eyes the game has not really
started). Enigma will probably be sent out on flyer next week, as the
offending player, Mark Wilson, is on email so I can remind him each day
:). Actually it is probably just an oversight, since I got an email
from him on Wednesday, saying the orders were coming (they could well
be waiting in my email box on Monday morning). Flanders has a drop out,
and Sean McGinness has kindly taken over. So far there has not been
much luck with the Hundred variant, which is a pity as it is a very
good variant, it accelerates game play straight into the endgame phase.
I don't use standby's (except when a drop out is in the first two
seasons), since I believe they can skew a game. In email diplomacy they
are used and most games are played to a No NMR rule, by which a game is
held over if someone NMR's, and if a sufficient time has gone by they
are removed from the game and a replacement player is found. This can
radically alter a game if your steadfast ally is replaced and opts to
bat for the other team.. .
Colin Hobbs, Tottenham.
I just love variants of Lewis Carrol poems. I refer, of course, to
Juggernauty on the cover of GAME 7. Could you please send me a Hundred
Dip map with the provinces marked. So well as helping me follow the
game I just like maps for their own sake (and not just so I can the
more readily criticise them for historical howlers). If this is with
the rules, all the better. Please deduct the cost from my subs
NC: Would sir like that laminated and gold edged?
The cost of a London 3 zone (train/bus/tube) travel card for a month
is 78.40. We are a long way removed from big GLC subsidies and
even further from the early 70's Labour manifesto commitment to free
Gtr London public transport.
NC: Well the West Yorkshire equivalent (okay so we don't have a tube
system, but the Leeds Labour council want to put a monorail system here
to whiz over your heads and past your bedroom windows!!) is a lot less
than that.
Paul Barker, Worle.
Your con and gig antics have been amusing. Turning up and finding that
there was a cancellation (as you reported in the previous issue) would
hack me off mightily. Thankfully that hasn't ever happened to me....
yet.
NC: Well a simple cancellation would be annoying, though waiting
inside the gig for hours, only later to be told 'its off' is damn
annoying.
Oh, I saw the Enigma moves on the web page. An interesting thing to
do. I have this idea that on-line technology is increasingly making
itself felt in the postal hobby. Not necessarily a bad thing.
NC: Well the new technologies are creeping into practically all areas
of peoples lives, and so it would be strange if it didn't occur in this
hobby.
James Pinnion, Spilsby.
Loved the poem, got it off the 'net did you? I like the map change, I
almost feel like signing up to another game to try it out! (but I
won't) I suppose it will help England, but I think its Burgundy that
needs the help. Then again, with both England's getting stabbed...
NC: Yes, the poem is from the Web. The idea of the change is to bring
Scotland closer to France actually. Probably true. There are changes
going into making a v2.1 that has radical changes, like reducing
Frances initial SC. count by one.
Is the date supposed to be Spring 1425 for the Hundred dip games?
NC: No, it is just that I though it would help people know when a
build season was!!
Steve Dee, Hampshire.
It is with regret that I am writing to let you know that I've decided
to resign from my game (Flanders - Hundred Diplomacy). I've simply not
found the time to correspond with the two other players and its not
fair that their enjoyment of the game is diminished by my lack of
activity. I would therefore request that you find a substitute for me.
NC: Thanks for letting me know, and for a set of orders. I decided to
hold the game over rather than process it. I've got a replacement
player (wow almost as quick as my turnaround - anyone got some spare
"go faster stripes" for the cover??).
Well with some space spare I've decided to include the provisional rules of a variant I'm working on. The main idea is that each unit can be ordered by more than one player, with the majority - or most popular (hence the name) being used. I am not sure whether this would be for seven players or an all reader game, so the rules allow for both. The variant has two options, one where you can order for every unit, and another where you can order for as many units as you have supply centres. The first option is clearly the simplest with allies all trying to make the enemy retreat, but the second pulls in the idea of limited resources. If you are ordering an enemies unit, then one of your own goes unordered. Views on these ideas would be appreciated. So here are the rules
Many thanks to Malcolm Cornelius for emailing me the results so I did
not have to type them in (and indirect thanks to Chris Dickson who
emailed them to him). No thanks at all to James Hardy who emailed me
just to say they were released at OxCon (after I announced the results
on email Colin sent them to me three weeks after OxCon) and he had not
put them in SNOT yet because of it has an unfeasibly long turn around.
52 Track Event 51 Snap 50 Replay 49 Shadowplay 48 Geneva 47 The Numbers Game 46 Rhubarb 45 Candle 44 Scorpio 43 Diplunacy 42 Coyote 41 Sumo's Karaoke Club 40 Y Ddraig Goch 39 Megalomania 38 Tween 37 Pick of the Bunch 36 Revolution 35 Games Games Games 34 Home of the Brave 33 Variable Pig 32 Flight of Fancy 31 Outbreak of Heresy 30 Pigbutton (marks not given for zines 29 For Whom The Die Rolls placed lower than No.28) 28 U-Bend 6.67 27 Back to the Dark Ages 6.69 26 Borealis 7.02 25 The Ides of March 7.52 24 Bloodstock 7.53 23 Life's Rich Pageant 7.55 22 Lies 7.81 21 DolchstoB 8.11 20 Hopscotch 8.12 19 Quartz 8.21 18 Ode 8.26 17 Box Frenzy 8.45 16 Mag With No Name 8.48 15 Cut + Thrust 8.54 14 Who Me? 8.55 13 Spring Offensive 8.67 12 Where is my mind? 8.73 11 Springboard 8.75 10 One Man's Rubbish 8.76 9 Greatest Hits 8.81 8 On The Game 8.83 7 Obsidian 8.9 6 The Gentle Art of Making Enemies 9.0 5 Take That You Fiend 9.06 4 SNOT 9.065 3 A Little Original Sin 9.07 2 Backstabbers United Monthly 9.12 1 The Cunning Plan 9.6