``The general smiled as he imagined the confusion behind the enemy line - first sending units over to its left, then frantically trying to shift them as the true danger was revealed. Vega loved the chaos and confusion of battle - as long as it was behind the enemy's lines.'' - Larry Bond, Vortex

Thanks to Mike Barno for this header quote and the new quote for the Games Section lead in. This is a really boring ``get the results out issue''. No apologies. I'm holding some letters that I didn't have time to type in. Watch the next deadline holding pretty close to Christmas.... I won't actually produce the szine until after Christmas, in all likelihood. Get me orders before you go away for the holidays or suffer the consequences!

Note that the next Octopus's Garden is in the centerfold. The choo-choo game has started! Note that Pete is the person to ask if you're interested in choo-choo games - convince him to start another one.

The postal sub price is a flat $1.00 per issue in the US and Canada. You can double that for other foreign subbers (or $2.00 per issue sent airmail). Players in current games and standbys will continue to get the issues for free, and new game starts (except for Nuclear Yuppie Evil Empire Diplomacy, which is free) cost $15.00 ($10.00 for a life of the game subscription and $5 for the NMR Insurance). Remember that music comments and reviews are scattered through the game press at times.

By electronic mail, through the Internet, subs are free and can be obtained automatically by sending the message: subscribe tap

to majordomo of diplom.org and messages can be sent to the entire electronic mailing list by mailing them to tap of diplom.org which will forward your message to all of the people currently on the list. The message:

unsubscribe tap

sent to majordomo of diplom.org gets you off the list. Please make careful note of that as well since you generally can get yourself off the list a lot easier than I can, and NOBODY likes to see unsubscribe messages sent to the entire list. A big, big thank you for David Kovar for setting this all up!! The Cal Tech ftp site is being mirrored on the diplom.org machine as well. Issues of The Abyssinian Prince #131 to #186 are available via anonymous FTP from ftp.ugcs.caltech.edu in the pub/diplomacy/Zines/TAP directory in compressed postscript format. I have been behind on getting this updated as I await a format change. We'll get all that straightened out soon. The gracious assistance of Kevin Roust is most appreciated in keeping up this site. The files begin ap131.ps.Z and go sequentially from there. The Caltech site is at:

ftp://ftp.ugcs.caltech.edu/pub/diplomacy/WWW/

or check out the connections in the Diplomatic Pouch at its brand new address with all of the information you would need to play Diplomacy on the Internet at: /DipPouch

In addition, through Jamie McQuinn's portion of the Pouch, or directly through:

/pub/diplomacy/Zines/TAP/

you can access the mirror site to Caltech and get to the szine that way.

I'm about to take the szine to HTML as an Internet format instead of PDF, which wasn't working very well. I'll have this set up later this month some time. More next issue.....

In a real surprise, Gary Coughlan has found Mike Mills!! That's two people found in two issues. I had kinda lost track with Gary too, so it was good to hear from him. Now, the question is, does Mike want to standby in the Zine Register Invitational??

I will announce another ``mark'' in Issue #200. I'm always taking suggestions. While we're waiting, find some of these guys below! Give yourself a Christmas present!! I really want someone to track down Kevin Tighe, for whom we started this contest in the first place.

This is now going to be a regular continuing feature of the szine and I will be introducing a new ``search for'' every five issues. Moreover, you can win a $25 prize for finding some previous target who went unfound in the original $50 period. That means that if Kevin Tighe or Garret Schenck or Jerry Lucas is ``found'' from now on it is worth $25. Plus, Steve Emmert will throw in another ten spot for Garret Schenck if you can get Garret to write to him.

Winners will receive credit for Dip hobby activities that I will pay out as requested by the winner. Bid on PDORA items, subscribe to szines here or abroad, run your own contests, publish a szine, or whatever. Spend it all right away or use me as a bank to cover hobby activities for years. What must you do to win? Get me a letter to the editor for TAP from the person we're searching for. This is very important, just finding them doesn't do it. They have to write me a letter. The final judge as to the winner of any contest will be the target himself and I reserve the right to investigate the winning entry. When you find someone I'm looking for, you should ask him to send me a letter for print that includes a verification of who ``found'' him.

Mike Mills (Wed Nov 19 1997 19:02:38 -0500 (EST))

Jim, Gary Coughlan (Europa Express) posted me to say that at one time in the near-past you were looking for me. If so, here I am: if not, there I go... ((No, no, welcome back!! Wow, I didn't even know that Gary was following what I was doing. Do you know how I can contact HIM? Gary has now won a $25 prize for finding you. You have earned a lifetime subscription to my Diplomacy szine (approaching its 200th issue) and a potential standby position in ``The Zine Register Invitational" which was a game I started among as many former publishers of the various Dipzine compendiums as I could find. Since I couldn't find YOU, I started this ``search for" contest. We already have found Scott Hanson and Doug Beyerlein, each of whom were lost from the Hobby for about a decade. Jerry Lucas is among the people still ``missing".))

Anyhow, I see that people still play Dip, and I see that it's played with a Judge via email....neat trick....... ((It's also being played in the ``old fashioned" way. I use both processes in my Dipszine called The Abyssinian Prince.)) Anyhow, thought I would drop in and chat......

PS: I pubbed Emhain Macha (ca 79-86) ((Oh, yes, I remember you well! We actually played in a game together in Europa Express. Jerry Lucas used a character called the ``virgin". I think the game was called something like Iliad. Thanks for responding. Do you want to say anything about what you've been up to for print in my szine? As I last recall (and I could have the details fuzzy) you left the hobby when someone in your family became sick. I hope you and your family are doing well today.))

Mike Mills (Thu, 20 Nov 1997 15:18:37 -0500 (EST))

EE fella is at: ``Gary Coughlan" < bamboopnuts of classic.msn.com >

((On Iliad...)) Now that sounds familiar, but to tell you the truth a 10 year layoff sort of clouds the mind (maybe it's altsheimers (sic) ; > ...

((On circumstances of leaving the hobby...)) Yea, that was around 85-86. How would you remember? (We must've been allies in Iliad and the replacement stabbed you!) Yea, I'll writ you something: what do you like? I mean, what sort of things do you put in your szine? Does szine still mean SubZine? ((Here are a couple of samples for you to look at. Although I did start as a subszine, that isn't the intent. It's supposed to be a ``pronunciation'' note to show how NOT to pronounce it like the East Coast Clique (Kathy Byrne Caruso and hubby John, Tom Swider, etc.). The ``s'' softens the sound.))

Gary Coughlan (Fri, 21 Nov 97 06:52:27 UT)

Hey Jim, I've just gotten this computer so I'm still learning my way around it like how to paragraphs-but it is making my life easier as far as keeping in contact with friends old and new. Hence I owe you an apology of sorts. Last year you kindly sent me a few issues of your zine after I responded to a former pubbers' gift of a current hobby zine from a guy named Kent who also had a good zine (Would you tell him that?). ((He can read it himself. You're welcome! Doug Kent funded that activity out of what he made from winning the ``find Doug Beyerlein'' part of the contest. So it is interesting how things ``came around''. You have to decide how to spend YOUR 25 buck prize now!))

In your zine you were searching for dippers of the past, specifically Michael Mills. I had lost contact with him but this past summer he wrote me and since I would be getting a computer soon, I waited and answered him this week via email. I told him about your contest. I got in from work tonight with an email from him saying he had contacted you. I knew then I should do what I should have done long ago and write you thanking you for the zine issues. And since Mike enclosed your email address I can now say Thanks. I hope all it well with you and yours,

The British representative is the editor of Mission From God, John Harrington. John may be contacted at 30 Poynter Road, Bush Hill Park, Enfield, Middlesex EN1 1DL, UK (johnh of fiendishgames.demon.co.uk). The representives in Australia (John Cain, PO Box 4317, Melbourne University 3052, AUSTRALIA) or Belgium and some other European countries (Jef Bryant, Rue Jean Pauly, 121, B-4430 ANS, BELGIUM) also will forward your subscription on to the editor in either Australian dollars or continental European currencies respectively. Please include the full name and address of the foreign publisher with your order, if possible, as well as the szine title. Make your check in US dollars out to me personally. I will conduct business for Canadians as well, if I can, but prefer to deal in US dollars with them if possible, or Canadian dollars cash. To subscribe to American szines, the system works in reverse.

Obviously, I'm not anywhere close to getting back around to doing international szine reviews, but who knows, I might pick it up again at any time. I actively am searching for more international traders. I am pleased to have added a couple of them in the last few issues.

Obscure and not-so-obscure ramblings on the state of the hobby and its publications, custodians, events, and individuals with no guarantee of relevance from the fertile keyboard of Jim-Bob, the E-Mail Dip world, and the rest of the postal hobby. My comments are in italics and ((double quotation marks)) like this. Bold face is used to set off each individual speaker. I should also make a note that I do edit for syntax and spelling on occasion.

A couple of quick announcements. Mark Stretch has moved and his new address is: 90 Colwell Rd., Berinsfield, Oxfordshire, OX10 7NU, UK. I have included Newsletter #3 on World DipCon in the postal version of the szine. I have E-Mailed the E-Mail version of the announcement to the tap mailing list.

Don Williams (Sun, 23 Nov 1997 16:16:12 -0800)

Hello, everyone! Effective immediately, our new e-mail address is: wllmsfmly of earthlink.net (We tried and tried with the previous provider, csiway, but I got tired of the excuses.) Please make a note of the change, as the old account is now defunct.

Also, if you have sent e-mails to which we've not responded, it probably means they were lost in the COA, especially if they were sent after 11/17. Please be kind enough to resend, and we will respond asap.

The call goes out for special Issue #200 letters on music! From this point on, I reserve the right to hold letters or portions of letters for that issue. It will appear toward the end of January after a six week or so hiatus. I intend to have this set of submissions have two parts (submit your thoughts on one or both, but NOT neither!):

a) Your thoughts on what music of 1997 meant to you - possibly in the form of top (whatever number) CDs, favorite/memorable concerts, zapper singles that made you jump out of your chair, or whatever form you like! - which can be a list, or it can have lots of discussion/comments. For me this has been the most fascinating music year in some time, what about for you? Can't you at least give me ONE song that stood out to you? Sure you can.

b) Your thoughts on how music has changed/progressed/declined over the approximately 13 year history of this szine's focus on music issues (choose a relevant time window of your own if you like - that's the primary range I'll be looking at). This could be a new or revaluation of a list of your top CD/records of the decade/century or it could take a discussion format. The main point is that it be YOUR story. Your story does count (much as I realize that many of you don't seem to think I believe that). Originally, I was going to do a list (and I still may) but I am now leaning to something more verbal.

You can also combine the two questions to say something very short and simple. I even want to hear from those of you who would say something like this (for example): ``I grew up in the 70's listening to Yes, Genesis, and Renaissance and you know what? That's all I still like to listen to. Well, except, Anthony Phillips has another great album out this year.'' Then I can ask: ``Great! Where can I find it??'' Give it a ride!

Daf Langley (Sat, 29 Nov 1997 18:55:00 -0500 (EST))

Hi Jim Bob: I finally got close enough to our computer to actually write you some press. How is life in Providence these days? After a beautiful October and a fairly dry November, up till now at least, it's been beautiful on this side of the country. How is your family? Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.

That's it from me. Take care and Merry Christmas,

((Unfortunately, things have been a bit busy in both Charlotte's and my life lately. The weather has been OK, though, if a little cold. You have a Merry Christmas too!! Say hi to Steve even though Don assures me that he doesn't read this stuff any more.))

Steve Emmert (Wed, 12 Nov 1997 12:56:25 -0500)

Bon jour, mon ami - (I was in Quebec recently.)

I've done a bit of travelling since I last wrote. Not for a very good reason - my doctor basically ordered me to take two weeks off from work and get out of town - but I needed and enjoyed the trip. Sondra blessed me, saying that I had earned some time to myself (I've had solo kid duty for probably about ten to twelve months total while she's been on the road, so I could do this with a clean conscience). ((This could happen to me.....))

I only had four rules: (1) Stay off the Interstates where practical; (2) Visit my grandmother in Indiana; (3) See a couple of hockey games; and (4) Do not think about work.

I stuck to these rules and had a great time. I saw places I'd never seen before, including the Kentucky horse country, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, central Ontario, and the Green Mountains of Vermont. I stopped in many wonderful small towns - my favorites were Maysville, Ky., Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and Rutland. Vt. - and drove through countless others. I saw stunning views of Lake Huron and the Ottawa River. I saw two hockey games, one in Detroit (Mike Vernon's return as a member of the Sharks) and one in Montreal (perhaps the greatest rivalry in hockey history, Maple Leafs and Canadiens). I found my grandmother to be in better health than my uncle had warned me. I drove as far as I wanted and stopped when I felt like it. I had sevruga caviar and roasted wild boar in a Russian restaurant in Montreal, and plain old spaghetti and meatballs in a pizza joint in Grayling, Michigan. I bought 45 bagels in New York City for my wife, an exiled New Yorker. I got an enormous stuffed kangaroo, complete with lil' joey in pouch, for Caroline; it's about as big as she is. I listened to recorded books: A biography of Churchill, Jack London's The Sea Wolf, The Aeneid; some Louis L'Amour cowboy stories, and a God-awful version of Moby Dick that is read by (I should say ``butchered by") Burt Reynolds. I found Detroit's art museum to be more to my taste than Montreal's. I put 3,300 miles on my car.

How many guys get to do this? (I mean the married ones. The single ones have the freedom to do it, but maybe not the inclination and the cash.) Probably the best sign was that I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the trip (well, maybe not my one and only traffic jam, in Louisville), but the best part was getting home to my wife and my rotten little girl. If you DREAD going home after a trip like that, then you've got problems.

By the way, you may know that Jacobs Field in Cleveland is referred to as "The Jake" and that Turner Field in Atlanta is ``The Ted." You may even know that the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit is ``The Joe." But did you know that Montrealers call the new Molson Centre ``The Keg"?

I'd better stop reminiscing now, or you're likely to take me off the sub list. ((Not bloody likely....))

Are you and Charlotte well? Best wishes.

((Seriously, though, we are both doing very well, just very busy. Christmas season tends to be extremely crazy for us, as for us all, but Charlotte's and my work schedules always actually get busier around this time of year, not a good combination.))

Mike Barno (11/13/97)

Jim asked me for ``perspective'' on Mike Stefanik winning two racing series championships (NASCAR Modified Tour and NASCAR Busch North Series) in the same year. I'm darn impressed, and so are most people. Both series are very competitive and Stefanik had to have private planes fly him between racetracks some weekends.

He raced at Shangri-La (now Tioga) Speedway a few times when I was handicapper there in the mid-Eighties. Those appearances were in Modifieds owned by Sonny Koszela who won national championships in the Sixties and Seventies with Bugs Stevens driving. (Stefanik married Koszela's daughter Julie, a good résumé-enhancement tool.)

NASCAR Modifieds are 750-horsepower, 2600-pound purpose-built monsters, much faster than the stock-front-end, claimer-engine cars called ``modifieds'' by the sanctioning body IMCA. My tenure in the sport spanned the conversion of the nearly unlimited asphalt modifieds from a featured weekly division into a touring series. And frankly, they had to make that change. Why? Because guys were buying $10,000 cars and $20,000 engines to race for $1000 to win. Half the field would buy a $700 set of tires every night, and the other teams would be slower than them, on used tires. People couldn't afford to race. The Tour helped bring a schedule of good-paying big shows together, and has slowly led to better sponsorships and TV appearances. Most weekly tracks have changed to cheaper (more limited) rules, or dropped modifieds entirely.

Background: In the northeastern US, modified coupes and sedans from the 1930s became the dominant form of auto racing in the early Fifties. It was a natural breeding ground for ``Yankee ingenuity''. Differences between dirt-track and paved-track cars were minimal until the early Seventies. Dirt modifieds became high, big-block-Chevy (467 c.i. from a 454 block) cars with the driver straddling the driveshaft - almost like sprint cas with partial Gremlin bodies. Asphalt modifieds became low, offset, small-block-Chevy (368 c.i. from a 350 block) cars. Because a chassis with less flex lets a suspension control tire motions better, they built cars so stiff that, when one hit a wall hard, it passed on the impact force to the driver. Several times in the Eighties, Modified drivers (including Richie Evans, Tony Jankowiak, Corky Cookman, and Tom Druar, all friends of mine) died because of these forces, in wrecks that didn't appear to severely damage the cars. Today more deformability is required.

As for the Busch North Series, it's basically NASCAR's Busch Series (Grand National) cars, run on short ovals (and two road courses) where they've always run some sort of Late Models, usually under NASCAR's aegis. A popular stepping stone to the big leagues.

A little more on the NASCAR Modifieds: Bob Park, a Long Island-based racer, traveled all over the East Coast contending for the national Modified championship when there was no tour, and his brother Bill also was (and is) a capable modified driver. When Bob first put his son Steve Park in a modified away from their home track, it was at Shangri-La (now Tioga), where I determined starting lineups and was part of the scoring team. They chose Shangri-La because of its wide half-mile size and open slide-off areas, compared to the tight quarter-miles (frequent car-to-car contact) with concrete walls (HARD car-to-wall contact potential) on Long Island (Islip and Riverhead).

The point? Oh, sorry. After excelling in modifieds, Steve Park was picked to drive Dale Earnhardt's Busch Series car this year. He kicked butt, won three races, and easily took the Rookie of the Year honors. Earnhardt is starting his own team in the Winston Cup series (while continuing to drive for Richard Childress), and he's moving Steve up to be his driver.

Also moving up to the big league is Todd Bodine; but unlike his brothers Geoff and Brett Bodine, Todd hasn't run modifieds. Their father's racetrack, Chemung Speedrome, closed right after middle brother Brett got started in a street stock. (It will reopen in late 1998.) Todd went south to work for his brothers, and started driving in Virginia or North Carolina. (But Todd's current teammate, Mike McLaughlin, made his name in dirt modifieds, then switched to pavement mods at Shangri-La during my tenure.)

``Unfortunately, nobody's civilized enough these days to fight in straight lines on nice, open battlefields. But we take the enemies we get.'' - Larry Bond, Vortex

If you want to submit orders, press, or letters by E-Mail, you can find me through the Internet system at ``burgess of world.std.com''. If anyone has an interest in having an E-Mail address listed so people can negotiate with you by computer, just let me know. FAX orders to (401) 277-9904.

Standby lists: Mike Barno, John Breakwell, Dick Martin, Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Glenn Petroski, Steve Emmert, Mark Kinney, Vince Lutterbie, Eric Brosius, Doug Kent, Paul Rauterberg, Doug Essinger-Hileman, Stan Johnson, Harry Andruschak, Dave Partridge, Andy York, Michael Pustilnik, and John Schultz stand by for regular Diplomacy. Mike Barno and Andy York stand by for the new Colonial Diplomacy game. Let me know if you want on or off the list. Standbies get the szine for free and receive my personal thanks. I'd really appreciate it if anyone wanted to be added to the list.

It's time to at least think about another game opening. What is really attractive to me is to run Vincent Mous' Modern Diplomacy ten player variant. There are about 50 supply centers and it is set across a map slightly more expansive than the original's European map. This game is very popular on the Judges and has been written about by Chris Warren in Diplomacy World #83. If I get one more person interested, I'll print the rules and officially announce a game opening. Currently, Eric Ozog, Brad Wilson, and Harry Andruschak have expressed interest. If not, I'll wait until another regular game or two ends before starting another regular Diplomacy game. There also are some potential surprises developing on this front. You'll all know more soon.

Conrad von Metzke recently finished GMing a black hole game where you can freely jump over black holes instead of having them render spaces impassible. I played in this game and like the tactics of jumping over the black holes a great deal. Now there the black holes were random, but what would happen if you could plan them? The next NYEED game will feature this rule change and will be a 7x7 tourney format unless I am convinced otherwise. I am itching to get this game started, so it will start as soon as it is filled! You get a life of game sub, and the game itself is FREE!! Sandy Kenny, John Schultz, and Harry Andruschak are signed up. Just four more and we'll get started! Come on, this one will be REALLY exciting!!

I'm also STRONGLY thinking of opening a game of Breaking Away. Is there any interest?? You don't need to own the game to play, I'm going to use Keith Thomasson's house rules that include the ``how to play the game.'' I printed Keith's rules last time, but some of the shaded parts didn't reproduce properly. I'll print the rules properly if I get interest in the game. I thank John Harrington, the game's inventor, for provisionally allowing approval for this.

Otherwise Conrad von Metzke is the editor and publisher of Pontevedria, the game openings listing, if you're interested in other game openings. Send Conrad a SASE for the latest issue to: Conrad von Metzke, 4374 Donald Avenue, San Diego, CA 92117.

THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1901 IS DECEMBER 20TH, 1997

Summer 1901

BRITAIN (Johnson): has a PUN, f RAJ, f GOA, a HYD, f HK, f SIN.

CHINA (Goranson): has a MON, a CAN, a ASS, a NAN, a PEK.

FRANCE (Sasseville): has a TON, a CAM, f ANN.

HOLLAND (Desper): has a SAR, f SUM, f TS.

JAPAN (Dwyer): has f UP, f KYU, f SOJ, a KYO.

RUSSIA (Williams): has a BOK, a SEO, f P.ART, a AKM, f BS.

TURKEY (Tallman): has a SYR, f ANG, f SHI.

Addresses of the Participants

BRITAIN: Jonas Johnson, 3649 SE 33rd Ave., Portland, OR 97202, (503) 238-4430 ($5)

EcidLor of aol.com

CHINA: Rich Goranson, 10 Hertel Avenue #208, Buffalo, NY 14207-2532, (716) 876-9374 ($5)

ForlornH of aol.com

FRANCE: Roland Sasseville, Jr., 38 Bucklin Street, Pawtucket, RI 02861, (401) 722-4029 ($5)

Djrolandb of aol.com

HOLLAND: Rick Desper, 34 Woodbridge Avenue, Highland Park, NJ 08904, (908) 985-0654. (E-Mail)

desper of math.rutgers.edu

JAPAN: Luke Dwyer, 49 Middlesex Drive, Slingerlands, NY 12159, (518) 439-5796 ($5)

RUSSIA: Don Williams, 27505 Artine Drive, Saugus, CA 91350, (805) 297-3947 ($5)

wllmsfmly of earthlink.net

TURKEY: Terry Tallman, 3805 SW Lake Flora Road, Port Orchard, WA 98367, (360) 874-0386 ($0)

ttallman of linknet.kitsap.lib.wa.us

GM: Jim-Bob Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, (401) 351-0287

Game Notes:

1) Don Williams has a new E-Mail address.

2) No map in this issue. Depending on space constraints, I may be a little more restrictive in how many maps I publish here since they take up a whole page. Note again that I am using the standard Diplomacy dates for this game (following the lead of Jamie McQuinn) rather than starting with 1870 and having ``yearly'' seasons. I don't care what you write on your orders.

3) I have been asked about various and sundry rule changes, some of which I gather have been published in The General, which I don't get. Here's the facts, we are using the revised rule on the Suez Canal that prevents the Paradox from occurring. If anyone has a copy of that rule to send to me, I'd appreciate it. At some point, I'll find the issue that I published it in (back around 175-180 or so), but it can't happen until there is a ``crowd" around Suez, so I'm not in a great rush. As far as Sakhalin goes, I believe strongly in leaving it ``surrounded'' by the single water province. In practical fact it allows a power to ``hole'' up there and demand to be included in a draw since they can't be dislodged. Then again, somebody can ignore them and go on and win the game. I believe very strongly in KEEPING the quirks that affect each power that you have to keep in mind. The designer clearly put in at least one such quirk to affect each player, except perhaps the Dutch. I've written about this some elsewhere and probably will again as the game goes on.

Press:

(TIM RICE QUOTE OF THE MONTH):

``We've stripped war down to essentials, We don't waste no time or flesh.

Beautiful is our destruction, Clean and fresh.

You don't have to follow leaders, You don't have to choose a side.

No opinions volunteered from the millions who've died.

Don't feel you're a pawn or private, You can be the rank you choose.

Not that it makes any difference, You lose."

``Overture" from 1984.

(CHINA-FRANCE): Sorry about the bounce. I promise not to do it again. Maybe if you wrote once in a while we could avoid such unpleasantness.

(JAPAN-ALL): I apologize for the lack of communication. I have been very busy in school and I have my damn college applications to write.

(CHINA-RUSSIA): If you tried to take Manchuria the results will be most unfortunate.

(JAPAN-CHINA): I have no problem with fleets as long as they don't show up near my waters. That means please don't build any fleets in anything but Canton.

(CHINA-TURKEY): I'd like to know what mantra you use to avoid stress and heart failure. Is it, ``He won't attack me, ommmmmmm. He won't attack me, ommmmmm."

(THE TURKISH CASTLE): The Toadfather wandered around his sumptuous palace, oblivious to the loss of money and furniture that the reception had cost him. ``Mercenaries," he muttered. ``Do I really need them?" Just as that point, a large scraggly and obviously drunken man bounded in his general direction. The stranger took a drink of the punch that had been put out and yelled out to no one in particular. ``THAT CAN'T BE THE GREAT TOADFATHER; I'M PRETTIER THAN THIS MAN!!" The Toadfather walked up to him and said, ``You're drunk, friend," at which the stranger pulled out a knife and held it to his own throat. ``Drunk enough to get a dagger past the Imperial guards. Tell me, old man. if I fight for you, will I get to kill Englishmen?" The Toadfather stepped back, stunned by his oddness and bravado. ``Yes, you'll get to kill the English."

The stranger pulled the knife down and screamed, ``EXCELLENT!!! Richard is my name, and I'm the most wanted man on my island, but I'm not ON my island." The Toadfather looked at him incredulously and asked, ``What island is that? Hainan?"

The stranger shook his head, ``No, not that old rock. Sumatra is my island. Suuuuuuuummmmmaaaaaattttrrrrrraa, Borneo too," he slurred. ``It's MINE!" The Toadfather looked around at the sycophants that had gathered for the reception. None had impressed him like this stranger. He looked him up and down and stated, ``You're a madman." The stranger climber up on an Ottoman and started laughing maniacally. Everyone left him to his madness, except the host. ``Come with me. We have plans to make..." and the two madmen walked off together.

(TURKISH CASTLE (one floor down, twelve rooms to the right)): Blue Daf woke from a delicious afternoon nap and found that she was alone. She stretched and lay on the cool sheets a minute longer, savoring the feeling left behind by the man who had just recently left her bed. Had it been only a few short weeks ago that she had woken up in this room with her head spinning? He had been very kind to her and provided her with everything she needed. She still didn't know for sure what had happened. As a matter of fact, if the Khan had not heard stories about her from far away, she would not even know her own name. But he told her he had heard of a tall, strong woman who had long blonde hair and a birthmark shaped like the head of a panther. It was told that she could fight like a demon. It seems this woman had disappeared from the face of the earth not long before she showed up on his doorstep. She still didn't feel like she knew who she was.

It wasn't that she doubted the Khan - why would he lie to her? But something didn't feel quite right. She had been dazed and delirious the first week she arrived. Visions of ducks and huge hairy barbarians flitted through her fevered dreams. Little by little however, she had started to feel better, stronger. But there were still times when she would look in the mirror and not quite recognize the woman staring back at her. Blue Daf got out of bed and picked up the clothes that had been tossed to the floor earlier. They were in shades of blue, supposedly the only color she wore, with winnebagos and beersteins embroidered on them. She wondered to herself why the color did not please her more. She walked out of the room and was heading down towards the kitchens when she heard a voice which echoed in her soul. She stopped dead, listening for that voice again. When she heard it, she started running up the stairs. It sounded like it was coming from the Khan's informal meeting chamber....

THE DUE DATE FOR SUMMER 1907 IS DECEMBER 20TH, 1997

THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1907 IS JANUARY 31ST, 1998 - LAST MOVE!

Spring 1907

AUSTRIA (R. Ellis): a VIE-tyo, f tri-ALB, a bud-SER; and

nukes TUN(2), VEN, EDI, LON, and at long last THE GM!!

ENGLAND (J. Ellis): f lon h (ann), a LVP h, f edi h (ann); and nukes withheld.

FRANCE (Schultz): f bre-MID, a par-GAS, a mar-bur (ann);

and nukes BUL, GRE, ANK, SMY, CON(2).

GERMANY (Barno): f kie-HOL, a BER-bal (imp), a MUN-tyo;

and nukes ROM, NAP, TUN(2), GM(at 664 Smith Street), GM(at 666 Smith Street). ITALY (Dwyer): f nap-ION, a rom-ven (ann), a ven-tyo (ann);

and nukes KIE(2), BEL, CON(2), SEV(2), SPA.

RUSSIA (Lancaster): f stp(sc)-GOB, f sev-RUM, a mos-stp (ann), a war-UKR;

and nukes KIE(2), DEN, PAR, MAR.

TURKEY (Andruschak): f ank-BLA, a smy-con (ann), a con-bul (ann);

and nukes SWE, WAR, STP, MOS, SEV(2).

Addresses of the Participants Harry Andruschak, PO Box 5309, Torrance, CA 90510-5309 Randy Ellis, #1 Flamingo Lodge Highway, Flamingo, FL 33034-6798

Jeff Ellis, 2828 Hayes Road, #531, Houston, TX 77082 (281) 556-2022 ($2)

John Schultz, #19390, F-E88, Indiana State Prison, PO Box 41, Michigan City, IN 46361-0041.

Mike Barno, PO Box 509, Gardiner, MT 59030, (406) 848-2149

Luke Dwyer, 49 Middlesex Drive, Slingerlands, NY 12159

Stuart Lancaster, 4127 SW Webster, Seattle, WA 98136 ($4)

stuart of scn.org

GM: FIVE TIMES VAPORIZED!! Was at 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

TOTAL

HARRY ANDRUSCHAK

4

4

5

0

0

5

18

RANDY ELLIS

2

2

1

0

1

5

11

JEFF ELLIS

1

4

3

1

4

3

16

JOHN SCHULTZ

3

1

5

4

2

2

17

MIKE BARNO

0

4

1

5

5

3

18

LUKE DWYER

5

0

5

3

4

2

19

STUART LANCASTER

4

3

4

5

0

0

16

Black Holed

15

15

8

14

18

12

22

104

Neutral

0

1

2

2

0

2

7

Total

34

34

34

34

34

34

22

226

Times GM Nuked

1

5

2

3

1

5

3

20

Lee Kendter, Jr.

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

Clinton/Dole

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

Garret Schenck

0

0

1

0

0

0

1

Switzerland

0

0

1

0

0

0

1

Ireland

0

0

1

0

0

0

1

Nukes Withheld

4

0

5

4

0

5

5

23

Game Notes (firmly orbiting in the tropopause):

1) Tentative congratulations are given to Mike Barno! There are a few weird things that could happen on the last move, but nothing that I can see that would stop Mike from winning. Mike showed that starting slow can be an advantage.

Press:

(JOHN-HARRY): Sorry! You had the unfortunate luck to be in second place. You're assured an 18 point finish. See ya' next time. Hope you enjoyed your vacation, even if it wasn't to the sunny ``beaches'' of Antarctica.

(SKYWALKER-ALL): This turn ought to be interesting, yet I doubt I'll win. ((Looks like you have managed a tie for second place with John though....))

(ANDRUSCHAK-RANDY ELLIS): Despite your announced intentions to nuke me in the last round, you are just too pathetic for me to nuke you in return. Go back to sucking your Old Milwaukee Light, and please leave us grownups alone.

(RANDY to MIKE): What did you think of Stuart's artistic skills??

(De vanitate, 1530): ``Understande you therefore now, that there needeth not muche labour in this place, but faithe and praier: not the studie of longe time, but humbleness of spirite and cleannesse of Hart: not the sumptuous furniture of many bookes, but a pure understanding, and made fitte for the truthe as the keye is for the locke: for the greater number of bookes chargeth the learner, instructeth him not. And he that followeth many authours erreth with many.''

(TRANSYLVANIA-WORLD): For lovers of horror stories, I have discovered an early work by Stephen King that was published under a pseudonym. A cat with supernatural powers terrorizes two lonely children, trashes their house, and tortures their pets. I recommend The Cat in the Hat if you don't mind graphic violence.

(JOHN BOY-BOOB): Harry's cool. He likes those hopeless standbys, too. I don't understand why people don't knock down the door for those spots. When there's nothing to lose you're free to try anything. Oh-wow! Sorry to Janis Joplin. I didn't realize I was treating her lyrics so badly.

(BARNO to RAUTERBERG, YOU OLD ROADWORM): My favorite Deep Purple tune is ``Elephant Talk''. Bet you could get some good Dip press out of those lyrics without changing a word....

(MIKE to JEFF): ``I wish I were a little rock, A-sitting on a hill,

A-doing nothing, all day long, But just a-sitting still.'' - Frederick Latimer

(WORLD to JEFF): To do is to be. To do nothing is to be nothing.''

(BING CROSBY to WORLD): ``Do be do be do.''

(from A FORMER ANGRY YOUNG MAN, no longer young, but not as old as Harry): Samuel Fuller, a reporter, war hero, and film producer/writer/director, died October 30. What I noticed was not just his films' challenge to war, communism, racism, and the atom bomb in the post-WWII era, but the title of his first pulp novel: Burn Baby Burn, published in 1935. I had thought that phrase originated with H. Rap Brown around 1965. (Or a bit earlier; when were the Watts riots?)

(MAKE THE PUNISHMENT FIT THE CRIME): ``...a simple compound called butyl mercaptan, a very volatile liquid that can be shot into'' (polluters') ``houses with the use of a syringe.... This sulfur compound smells about the same as the main component in a skunk's defense system.... Mix two parts of butyl bromide to one part of sodium hydrogen sulfide and warm the mixture.'' (from Ecotage!, edited by Sam Love and David Obst.)

(AN EYE FOR AN EYE): ``The Cong had cut off his head, slit open his belly, and stuffed his head into it. Their usual treatment for any GI found carrying dum-dum bullets. They're the bullets that make a one-inch hole going in and a twelve-inch hole coming out.'' (Bob Hope, Five Women I Love.)

(IT'S GOOD TO STAY ALERT): ``Killed by Crow Indians, the two men's heads had been cut off and stuck on the points of their picks with the other points stuck into the ground. Their tin cups had been placed in front of their heads, apparently to tell others that the two had been surprised while eating.'' (Lee Whittlesey, Death in Yellowstone.)

(ANDRUSCHAK-GM): I returned from vacation on Friday the 14th, and TAP-197 arrived on Monday the 17th. Obviously, my worries about missing deadlines were unfounded.

To answer your question, I arranged for you to have a one year sub to FOSFAX. Pay attention in future issues to the back page where you will be informed when your sub runs out. You may send trade copies back if you wish, although I am not sure how interested the FOSFAX people might be in a Dip zine. Can't hurt to try, as there is some overlap between SF fandom and games fandom. And I am sure they would be happy to give details of your e-mail access to their readership.

As for something special about music for issue #200, that would be a problem. With zilch interest in pop music, I have no idea what new music came out in 1997. And about the only important thing I can think about the last 13 years is the total triumph of the CD over the LP and the huge number of classical re-releases that have resulted. A deluge of historic performances. ``It's warm in here, isn't it?'' ``Not if you're a pianist.'' ((Well, I think you can be a lot more detailed about that. Where there is a deluge there is a place for carefully managed flows. Your choice. I'd like some classical musings for balance!))

Your enthusiasm about getting the Modern Diplomacy game underway reminds me that I wanted to ask the TAP readership a question. I haven't played in all that many variants, but I have wondered if anybody has strong opinions as to the best number of starting players? Modern Dip (and things like Stonehenge Dip) have 10 players, while 1499 has only 5 players to start. Three questions: What do you think is the smallest number of beginning players for a viable game? The largest number? The ideal number? (I am sure many will answer this last question with ``7'' but I wonder if that is just a knee-jerk reflex or a carefully considered response.) ((I'll give you my quick shot. For me it would be five, then somewhere between ten and fifteen, and finally, yes, seven. For smaller numbers (3, 5, 7, 9) it is important to have an odd number of players to induce some instability, but around nine you have enough so that it doesn't matter. By instability, I mean you don't want people to pair up in simple pairs and then stay allied for the whole game (at least I don't). To me, a viable game means that you have switching alliances and shifting strategies that keeps things dynamic. Once you get above ten the game starts to break down into regional battles that are independent. It can be possible to do well, or even win, without dealing with the players on the other side of the board at all. This seems to go beyond the concept of ``one'' game. Seven is a great balancing number between these two. I'm convinced it's the ``right'' number in that sense.))

As for entering a lot of games in TAP, I think not. NYEED is rather easy when you use the tit-for-tat strategy, one dot standby positions do not require being a rocket scientist to play (even though at one time I would have been considered a ``rocket scientist''), and you will note that I am not interested in Breaking Away. This leaves whatever is the one Diplomacy type game you may consider.

As for the choo-choo game, I know nothing about such, but could become interested if I did not have to shell out large sums of money on boards, maps, and rules. Any GMs running train games should feel free to write me about this.

THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1908 IS DECEMBER 20TH, 1997

Winter 1907

AUSTRIA (Ellis): R a ser-TRI; rem f alb; has a TYO, a GRE, a BOH, a BUD, a TRI, f ION.

ENGLAND (Pollard): has f TUN.

FRANCE (Dwyer): has f ENG, a BEL, f TYH, f NWG, f LON, a EDI, f BAR, a RUH, a BUR.

GERMANY (Emmert): has f HOL, a VIE.

RUSSIA (Sherwood): bld a mos; has a MOS, a STP, a SIL, a GAL, f BLA, a SER,

f DEN, a MUN, a RUM, f NTH, f AEG, a KIE, f HEL, a BUL, a BER, f EAS.

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Randy Ellis, #1 Flamingo Lodge Highway, Flamingo, FL 33034-6798 ($10)

ENGLAND: Kent Pollard, Box 491, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, ($5)

FRANCE: Luke Dwyer, 49 Middlesex Drive, Slingerlands, NY 12159, (518) 439-5796 ($4)

GERMANY: Steve Emmert, 1752 Grey Friars Chase, Virginia Beach, VA 23456, (757) 471-1842

SEMMERT of city.virginia-beach.va.us ITALY: Mark Kinney, 3613 Coronado Drive, Louisville, KY 40241, (502) 426-8165

alberich of iglou.com

RUSSIA: Keith Sherwood, 8873 Pipestone Way, San Diego, CA 92129, (619) 484-8367 ($4)

ksher of cts.com or Keith_Sherwood of Intuit.com TURKEY: Roland Sasseville, Jr., 38 Bucklin Street, Pawtucket, RI 02861, (401) 722-4029 ($3) GM: Jim-Bob Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, (401) 351-0287

Game Notes:

1) The concessions to Russia and France are defeated.

Press:

(VON STEUBEN to THE ALLIES): Of course we haven't given up!! However, things are starting to look ugly on the Russian front. The Hungarian third infantry division was pushed out of Serbia back to Trieste. With dwindling resources and capital, we were forced to disband 50% of the Austro-Hungarian fleet. We are relying a great deal, now, on our English, French, and German allies. No matter the odds, surrender is not an option. We must stop the Great Satan!!

(SKYWALKER-ALL): I make one comment and you all have to make fun of me.

(SERBIA): Amidst heavy artillery fire from the east, the Austro-Hungarian garrison in Serbia reluctantly retreated to a more defensible position to the west. Russian troops poured in from Bulgaria and Rumania and the Great Satan, Tsar Sherwood, immediately imposed martial law. Russian soldiers, in a drunken frenzy, are burning down whole villages, raping women, children, and an occasional effeminate man, and defecating in many cities' water supplies. It comes as a surprise to some that the Russians would treat their Slavic brethren so barbarically. Panic has taken hold in Budapest and in Athens. There are incessant rumors that the Austro-Hungarian government is relocating their capitol to Venice or Rome. Europe, it seems, is about to experience the greatest cataclysm since the Black Plague decimated one third of the population in the Middle Ages. Is there any hope for the free world?? It appears grim.

(AUSTRIA-HUNGARY to THE ALLIES): You will all hear from me shortly.

(RANDY to ALL): Well, I'm in Florida at long last. It's interesting here in Everglades National Park. Tomorrow I'll take a skiff (and lots of mosquito repellent) and check out some of the backcountry waterways. Maybe I'll do a little shark fishing the following day. I think I like it here....

(SKYWALKER to BOOB): Apparently your little vocab words did indeed help. I took the SAT's again in Oct. and got 1320 (660M, 660V). That is a 70 point increase in verbal. I am forever in debt to you and the others who helped me with vocab. ((No problem, we enjoyed it immensely ourselves. Good luck with the college applications.))

THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1908 IS DECEMBER 20TH, 1997

THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1909 IS JANUARY 31ST, 1998

Fall 1908

ENGLAND (Lowrey): f IRI-mid, f BAR S a stp, f NTH h, f gob-SWE,

a STP S GERMAN a war-mos (nso).

FRANCE (Rauterberg): a gas-BUR, f GOL C a spa-pie, f WES-mid, a spa-PIE, a pie-VEN.

GERMANY (Kent): a mun-BOH, a boh-GAL, a LVN S a war, a SIL S a boh-gal,

a WAR S ENGLISH a stp-mos (nso), f DEN h, a ruh-MUN.

ITALY (Billenness): f TUS-gol, f NAF-mid, a ven S TURKISH a tri-tyo (d r:tyo,apu,otb).

RUSSIA (Williams): a mos-SEV, a ARM S a mos-sev, a UKR-rum, a gal-bud (d ann). TURKEY (Sherwood): a smy-ANK, a RUM S f bla-sev, f BLA-sev, a BUD S a rum,

f aeg-ION, f tyh-ROM, a VIE h, f TUN h, a TRI S a pie-ven, f ion-NAP.

Supply Center Chart

ENGLAND (Lowrey):

edi,lvp,lon,swe,nwy,stp

(has 5, bld 1)

FRANCE (Rauterberg):

bre,par,mar,spa,por,ven

(has 5, bld 1)

GERMANY (Kent):

mun,kie,ber,den,hol,bel,war

(has 7, even)

ITALY (Billenness):

none

(out)

RUSSIA (Williams):

mos,sev

(has 3, rem 1)

TURKEY (Sherwood):

ank,con,smy,gre,bul,tri,ser,

(has 10, bld 3)

bud,tun,rum,rom,nap,vie

Neutral:

none

(Total=34)

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Terry Tallman, 3805 SW Lake Flora Road, Port Orchard, WA 98367, (360) 874-0386 ($8)

ttallman of linknet.kitsap.lib.wa.us

ENGLAND: Michael Lowrey, 6503-D Fourwinds Drive, Charlotte, NC 28212-3749, (704) 563-9226

mlowrey of charlotte.infi.net

ENGLAND EMERITUS: Tom Nash, 202 Settlers Road, St. Simons Island, GA 31522, (912) 634-1753 ($4)

75763.707 of CompuServe.COM

FRANCE: Paul Rauterberg, 3116 W. American Dr., Greenfield, WI 53221, (414) 281-2339 ($10)

prosit of execpc.com

GERMANY: Doug Kent, 10214 Black Hickory Rd., Dallas, TX 75243 (214) 234-8386 ($5)

73567.1414 of CompuServe.COM ITALY: Simon Billenness, 452 Park Drive, Apt. 7, Boston, MA 02215, (617) 423-6655 ($5)

sbillenness of frdc.com RUSSIA: Don Williams, 27505 Artine Drive, Saugus, CA 91350, (805) 297-3947

wllmsfmly of earthlink.net

RUSSIA EMERITUS: Ken Peel, 12041 Eaglewood Court, Silver Spring, MD 20902, (301) 949-4055 ($5)

KEN_PEEL of hagel.senate.gov

TURKEY: Keith Sherwood, 8873 Pipestone Way, San Diego, CA 92129, (619) 484-8367

ksher of cts.com or Keith_Sherwood of Intuit.com

TURKEY EMERITUS: Pete Gaughan, 1236 Detroit Av. #7, Concord, CA 94520-3651, (510) 825-2165 ($4)

gaughan of ix.netcom.com

GM: Jim-Bob Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, (401) 351-0287

Game Notes (back from the tropopause): 1) The game specific standby list for this game includes Garret Schenck, Cathy Cunning Ozog, Mike Mills, Dick Martin, and Vince Lutterbie in reverse alphabetical order (note that Garret is presently missing, so I am running low on standbys here...). Mike Mills has been found, so tentatively he has been added to the list!! Guest press from potential standbys would be a ``good thing'' if they wanted to be chosen.

2) Anyone failing to submit press for two consecutive turns will be dropped from the game! Although press in this szine is generally black, I will make the exception here that I will say who has NPRed and is ``at risk'' for being dropped. Russia gets a reprieve as he is working on a ``special'' project for me which will become apparent shortly. It'll be worth waiting for, count on that. Otherwise, Simon would be the only one back on the bubble for next time; however, instead we must bid him adieu! Thanks, Simon, for sticking with the game, I hope you enjoyed it. We'll keep you around at least until the end of the game anyway.

3) Note that Don has changed his E-Mail address. Apparently, Keith was not on the ``A-List''. We'll hear more about that, I'm sure!

Press:

(CHARLOTTE-BOSTON MUSIC MAVEN): The lyrics are from Juliana Hatfield's ``I Got no Idols'' off her second solo album, Become What You Are. The album was released in 1993. ((Ah, well, first of all, you're going to have to claim a new handle. Using my wife's name as your press handle is unlikely to score points with the GM. Hatfield has never been a favorite of mine; however, I'm generally not very good with lyrics anyway. Thanks for running this even though you didn't get much ``play'' from other press writers.))

(GERMANY - GM): Ha ha, you were hoping I wouldn't submit any press, weren't you? No more INXS albums, I hear their lead singer was found dead this morning. ((Yeah? Well, I always hated INXS, they ranked only slightly higher than Romeo Void at the top of my least favorite groups of the eighties. I'm not happy that anyone died, but I certainly won't miss the music any. I'm sure most of you have heard the rumours about how he died.... let's just say the hanging looks like it was an ``accident''.))

(PARIS to SICILY): Farewell thee, duce, we hear the bell. For one more coward, prig and swell.

(GERMANY - ALL): Anyone with books on Cape Breton in their personal libraries let me know.

(TURKEY-RUSSIA): I tried to send you e mail telling you Ank would be open but your address bounced back. Haven't you paid your bills? Or is this entire game an exercise in paying your bills?

AUSTRIA: Josh Smith; ENGLAND: Nick Fitzpatrick; FRANCE: Jim Burgess; GERMANY: John Sloan; ITALY: Danny Loeb; RUSSIA: Rich Shipley; TURKEY: David Kovar.

GM: Mark Nelson, 1st Flr Frt Flat, 3 Kelso Road, Leeds, W. Riding LS2, UK; amt5man of amsta.leeds.ac.uk

I've begun my write-up on Ghods too and will be publishing it in my landmark #200th issue. Mark Nelson, wake up!! The editor hereby declares that Mark will not receive the 200th issue or any subsequent issue unless his write-up on Ghods is included. I want to know the truth about my Italian gambit!! I've been ``trading'' with Mark for awhile but he's been too silent in 1997. We'll see if this gets a rise.

AUSTRIA: Edi Birsan (edi of mgames.com);

ENGLAND: Jamie Dreier (James_Dreier of brown.edu);

FRANCE: John Barkdull (uejon of ttacs1.ttu.edu);

GERMANY: Pitt Crandlemire (pittc of syncon.com);

ITALY: Cal White (diplomat of idirect.com);

RUSSIA: Mark Fassio (jm2365 of exmail.usma.army.mil, fazfam of juno.com);

TURKEY: Hohn Cho (hohncho of kaiwan.com).

GM: Jim Burgess (burgess of world.std.com)

USIN judge: judge of kleiman.indianapolis.in.us

((The main point of this game was to take some successful E-Mail players, some successful FTF tournament players, and some successful PBM players, put them in a game together using the Judge E-Mail technology and see what happens. The game has now ended in a France/England/Turkey DIAS draw. See some more of the endgame chatter below. Final End Game statements will appear in Issue #200.))

Selected Broadcast Press (Endgame continued):

(wenitch of earthlink.net as OBSERVER): Just a few comments from the peanut gallery:

First, I must say that watching this game been an experience and an education. I've seen things done and said both inside and outside the game that have fascinated, intrigued and shocked me, things that I wouldn't have thought of doing or even dreamed of doing. It wasn't so much the moves that made the stabs, but the subtleties that led up to them that I found so educational. Watching a game of all top caliber players is something I think every novice or intermediate level player should do, even if they do nothing more than read the broadcast press and keep only the vaguest contact with what was actually going on in the game itself.

Secondly, watching this game made me understand why I underestimated Hohn so much in the two games I've played face-to-face with him. I had no idea who he was at the time, and both times he surprised me with his knowledge of the game and ability to analyse and take advantage of situations as they arise. This may sound like unabashed flattery, but he is the only one of the Seven that I have met, and seeing him play both FTF and on the Judge was educational in itself.

Finally, the perspectives brought into the `outside' discussions made them lively and nearly every broadcast was something worth reading. (Most of the time, anyway.) For someone who is not in the `Inner Circle' of the Dip World, those discussions shed light on topics that I had had only a cursory interest in before this game, and have been firmly lodged in my thick skull until I have the time to fully pursue those subjects.

Congratulations to the Final Three, and thanks to everyone for playing in this game. It was truly a joy to watch.

James Glass, Observer

Here I'll just remark on the endgame, while I have fresh thoughts about it. First off, let me say that I was sorry to hear that Pitt had been ill. I didn't know until he mentioned it recently on r.g.d.

The ending was fairly interesting, I thought. Leaving aside the question of *when* Turkey would annihilate his Italian friend (there wasn't much question about *whether*), the main issue seemed to be how and whether the FEG coalition would hold together. The problem, as became very obvious, was that it might/would become too easy for me and France to eliminate Germany in the very final stages to reduce the draw. Pitt had to try to find some way to make himself indispensible. His general approach seemed right, only the details weren't sufficiently worked out.

As an aside, Edi asked whether it was really `worth the trouble'. But of course, it was no trouble! Edi also noted that his attitude is that a draw is exactly as good as being eliminated. Well, not to me!

Working backwards, in the last year there were few choices left. With my fleet in Sweden, I could order it to Finland, and if I got there I would have Stp locked. (I could prevent Turkey ever taking it, and eventually I would be able to take it myself.) Similarly, it was a trivial matter to get France into Berlin, consolidating his forces (which he desperately needed to do to make sure of being able to block a Turkish win). Of course, Germany could see this, and we could see that he could see it, and so on, but all this knowledge was to no avail. If Germany wanted to throw the game, this was his last chance. But in effect there was no more incentive for him to threaten to throw it, since it would be a threat he would have to carry out immediately. There was no promise, at *that* point, that he could extract, no demands he could make. If he ordered Stp-Fin, or Ber-Kie, he'd just be throwing it. If he didn't, he'd be eliminated. He was stuck.

Ideally, theoretically, I shouldn't have let this situation arise. For Germany now had no incentive *not* to throw the game, either. I shouldn't have let the position evolve into one in which Germany *could* throw the game and had no incentive not to. I should have done something earlier to prevent the situation from arising. I believe that the last moment to do this was when I was considering capturing Sweden. If Pitt had strenuously demanded that I leave it for him, and further than I *never* bring a unit next to Finland, then I think he could have managed to survive. Maybe. I'm not absolutely sure. Possibly Hohn could have backed away from the stalemate line, far enough to make it possible for me to eliminate Germany safely anyway.

In any case, in F1910 Pitt did ask me to leave Sweden for him, but he didn't explain or threaten sufficiently for me to take him seriously. I decided that he wasn't paying very close attention. (Actually I had decided this much earlier.) [And I now figure it was because of his illness.] So I took it, and I think at that point the ending was forced. With no more threats, Pitt had to decide whether he was just going to throw it, or whether he'd have to trust to my Gentle dispositions or something. I guess he felt that there was enough of a chance that I'd want him around, just for some unambitious, non-greedy reason. But I was still cutthroat enough to want to reduce the draw, and for that matter to extract the final revenge against the last suriviving power that had stabbed me earlier.

Maybe some of the late Italian moves should be counted as part of the endgame. I guess the *late* Italian moves were all more or less irrelevant. Once Turkey had surrounded the Boot, there appeared to be no hope at all of Italian surivival.

I'll figure out what I wanted to say about the Opening and Midgames and report back later.

(ENGLAND): There hasn't exactly been a flood of comments from the other players, huh? I'll liven things up and do my part to prevent the game from actually expiring.

As the observers never discovered, and as at least many of the players I think did know, there was a AIRE alliance at the outset. Edi suggested it. I liked the idea. For one thing, as Edi noted, it would be unusual, and that's a plus for a demo game. For another, it seemed to me that it would be quite advantageous to me, England, if it all held up. And, of course, what I feared most in the opening was a GF alliance against me, or a very northward-leaning Russia, and the AIRE plan seemed to be a good way to eliminate such potential problems. So I opened very strong toward France, something I am not generally inclined to do.

Now, much of the diplomacy in the early phases was shot through with what I can only call paranoia about Edi Birsan. I loved this. I tried to fan the flames at every opportunity. The more everyone was looking at Austria (even over their shoulders), the less trouble for me (so I thought!). And, if the AIRE held up for a while, it meant that Russia and Italy would be thinking of Austria as their next target, after the demise of the unalligned powers. And that would surely be very good for me. I could just pick my channel of expansion: the Mediterranean, over the top into Russia, or through the middle with armies into Germany and then Central Europe. The prospects appeared fine indeed.

But a huge problem emerged rapidly, to put it mildly. First, I'd failed to count on Pitt being much cagier than the average player. This was really stupid. I think my worst mistakes in the game were diplomatic, misjudging the characters of the players. But my worst *strategic* mistake was in overlooking how my opening would appear to Germany, and what he would be most sensible to do in response. He quite rightly saw that I would be growing alarmingly fast, and that I would be able to choose my enemies, if France fell as rapidly as it looked like he might. And he saw me snatch Belgium, appear very confident of being able to take Norway later (!!!), with all signs of close ties to Italy and Russia. So he stabbed me when it was most effective. This was strategically disastrous.

At the same time, the AIRE alliance fell to pieces, exactly because of the Birsan-paranoia I had encouraged. Italy and Russia went for Austria. Russia stole Norway. Italy let France off the hook. I was in big, big trouble. So the turning point in the game came very, very early for me. Not only was my tactical position wrecked, but my attitudes toward all the players changed.

First, I now had to view France as my potential savior, even though he was the only power I had attacked - an uncomfortable situation! But I had some hopes. I'd tried to stay on good terms with John even while I was invading him; not that I really thought I'd ever need his goodwill, but you never know. Second, I had been thinking of Russia as my major ally, my ``last enemy" (there are no lifelong friends in Diplomacy, your best friend is really just your last enemy. Deep, isn't it?). But he'd just stuck me by taking Norway. This was one of those (numerous) cases in which I am stabbed, and because I'm taken by surprise I feel that the stab must have been a dumb move (otherwise I would have expected it). (This was not the case when Pitt stabbed me. I could see that the dumbness was mine there.) Russia was fighting Turkey, he was stabbing Austria, and now he was opening a third front! Insanity. I wanted to punish him, or at least I wanted it to emerge that taking Norway was a really dumb move. I almost decided to chuck it all and destroy the Russian position with my last gasps. But I decided to inflict punishment by haranguing Mark endlessly instead. I think Mark will agree that this was a pretty harsh punishment. :-)

Third, I now regarded Turkey as my only definite friend. I tried to make use of him, but to no real avail. (I didn't blame him, either.)

Fourth, I felt that Italy's abandonment of the invasion of France was an indirect stab of me.

And fifth, I felt that somehow Austria was responsible for the whole thing. (So I guess some of that paranoia was rubbing off!)

Putting the goal of a really good finish on the back burner, I adopted as my goal to see as many of my betrayers eliminated as possible before I felt the final axe myself. (I hoped to get a little revenge against Germany, too, but this was the lowest priority.) For this reason I decided to try to hold out as long as I could, maybe exerting some diplomatic influence in the midgame, rather than to play all my on-the-board cards at once to avenge myself against Russia.

I have to say that I thought the Russian and Italian openings made no sense at all. If they were going to stab Austria in 1902, it would have made a lot more sense to begin in 1901 instead. As it worked out, Italy was way out of position, and had to tip the attack by shifting his fleets eastward. Russia got little out of 1901 except a Turkish enemy. Nor could I see anything in particular that happened in 1901 that Russia and Italy couldn't have expected beforehand. It's not as though it was a great surprise that Italy couldn't just scoop up the French and Iberian centers quickly without resistance! Everyone knows that is a difficult attack, one that bears fruit only after a couple of years. (I'm really just saying this to get Cal and Mark to say something. Oooh, maybe I'd better inform Mark that the game is over!) ((He knows, he knows...))

The Opening portion of the game was awfully short, as far as I'm concerned. Once the AIRE fell apart, after exactly one year!, the Opening was over for me, I had to adjust my goals and strategies. I guess I'll send in my thoughts about the midgame another time.

Jamie, formerly Gentle King

(EDI WROTE): If I had achieved 18 centers in a spring move and then turned around to you and said either vote for a two way to Hohn and I or face being a loser in a win you would have gone along with the 2 way...and Hohn knows that I would have voted for it also just to make a point.

(HOHN REPLIES): < boggle >

First of all, how do you figure you could have gotten to 18, Edi? Or anywhere close? Let's talk specific center distribution, please. Under what possible circumstances could this scenario exist? How would we have gotten there?

Second, if you think I'd have gone along with any of the above that you suggest, demo game or no, history of working well together or no, you are badly mistaken.

I'm all for negotiated two-ways in FTF games, where DIAS is not a factor. But my level of paranoia ramps way, way up in DIAS games, and if any ally of mine is on the verge of victory, I'll generally try to either take the victory myself or make sure my ally doesn't steal it. Usually this requires either carefully planned expansion, or a third-party buffer state. Alternatively, on extremely rare occasions (and I did this in a game called ``shadow," where France and my England split a two-way just because of the incredible synchronicity and goodwill we had built up over the course of the game, and because it would have been a stylish ending, despite the fact that either of us could have taken a solo at any time), the trust and ``what the heck" attitude can exist to do a two-way DIAS without the carefully planned expansion.

I don't think that would have happened here, Edi. As Austria to my Turkey, if we'd truly managed to succeed together to the extent that we were both in the mid-high teens (which I doubt), I likely would have found the temptation to stab you (as it is especially easy for T to stab A in such alliances) to be too great.

(FRANCE INQUIRES): This was a demo game. What did we demonstrate?

(EDI RESPONDS): That it was a fun game. That writing press can be fun. That the level of strategic and interpersonal relations/skills between players is still the major challenge to players.

That the use of the phone as a means of communication still remains superior to the typing of email and that much can be added to the game by picking up the phone and talking to someone rather than lurking on an email line.

That there are still many levels of play in the game and that we each must find that which gives us the most fun. That those levels and areas of concern are not the same in all players and cause considerable conflicts when players try to translate them out into game rated performance.

Oh...and one last thing...don't let Hohn take Rumania.

(FRANCE [JOHN] COMMENTS): I don't see what makes the phone a superior means of communication over email. It seems to me to be a matter of taste and style. I am happy that I experienced phone communication in this game, but I still prefer email. Perhaps I need to push myself some, but in this game I preferred to get off the phone with as little transpiring as possible and move the discussion to the written word. Did we demonstrate that phone is better than email? I don't think so. I think we demonstrated that they are very different and the medium does matter in Diplomacy.

Guess it's about time I put SOMETHING down on electronic paper about this game. Not that my role was anything to brag about - I never DID get anything momentum going and wasn't able to play as much of a part in the final outcome as I would have liked to have done.

The one big mistake I made this game was in being a bit taken by the fact that it was a demonstration game. I thought, and a few others agreed with me, that it would be nice to do something unusual for a change. Edi's idea of a ``quadripartite" alliance appealed to my sense of the bizarre. Basically, I would attack France, Edi's Austria and Mark's Russia would attack both Germany & Turkey. The attack on Germany would be made in conjunction with Jamie's England. Neat plan which might have worked in theory except for two things:

1) Edi's negotiating style. He flat out refused every single suggestion that he should make ANY move that would commit him to ANY course of action. That gave the impression that he was going to play every side of the fence no matter what happened. That can only work for so long.

2) Mark's playing style. Mark was very nervous about being in a demo game and was especially concerned about being next to Edi (I had a touch of that myself. I have a great deal of respect for Edi's skills - we've butted heads over a few games of FTF 2-player Escalation Dip). This meant that he was hypersensitive to Edi's lack of commitment to anything. Mark liked the idea of the ``quadripartite" at first, but the more Edi vascillated, the more nervous Mark got. This lead to our ``stab" of Edi in 1902.

That ill fated stab (as well as the initial westward move in S'01) was what led to me spinning my wheels for the whole game. I ended up being in a position of having to almost beg Mark or Jamie, depending on what year it was, to let me get an extra centre or two to use against Edi, Hohn or Edi/Hohn. I was never able to gather up enough centres to be a real factor militarily. I spent the mid-game making no progress on any front.

Once end-game rolled around, I ended up in the position that I feared was coming for almost the whole game. I had to find a way to make myself become the vital third wheel in a stalemate line between France and Turkey. I did a pretty good job of that but, unfortunately, a couple of things got in the way:

1) France's decision to let England back in the game. (I never understand things like that; if you take a small opponent right out of the game, you never have to worry about him again). That let a second country vie for the position I was trying to achieve;

2) I faced a choice of letting Hohn go past the Italian peninsula and taking a chance that he might win with 18 centres, or moving west myself and pretty much ensuring that Hohn would take my open centres. I chose option #1 for two reasons. First, if I remained on or near my homeland, there was a chance that Hohn would leave some vital strategic space open that I could slip into. If he had held off on his final stab ONE more season, I would have been in the Aegean and had some REAL leverage. (Didn't know that, did you, Hohn? Heh heh). Secondly, since option two, in my opinion, GUARANTEED that I would eventually be taken out, I figured it was better to cling to some faint hope that Hohn would choose me over Jamie as being deserving of being in the draw. I'm still not sure why he chose to put me out of the draw, especially when he did. I can understand stabbing to at least TRY for the win, but France seemed amenable to taking England out as the loser in the three way draw sweepstakes and Hohn could have always stabbed LATER to try for the win (there were obviously some background dealings of which I wasn't a party to...)

I know that some (read ``most" if not all) of you thought I was being naive by supporting Hohn against the F/E/G alliance, especially in light of the fact that it seemed inevitable I would get stabbed. While I think the above explains my logic, I also want to add that John's end game statement shows that he was unaware of how close he was to taking a real good shot at an 18 centre victory. Hohn will, I believe, support me on this. France could have taken E/G out fairly quickly and, as long as he did it one victim at a time, he could have been across the stalemate line in Munich and St Pete's. He would have only needed Jamie's goodwill for a short time to achieve this. Meanwhile, if *I* had gone against Hohn, France could have even gotten himself in a position to take Tunis and an Italian centre or two. Only John's relatively non-aggressive (for a Dip game) playing style, I think, prevented him from seeing this.

To sum up, I may not have survived, but I believe I prevented a solo winner. I'll take solice in that during this cold Canadian winter (sounds of violins, children shouting and the crack of a puck against the boards in the background...)...

All in all, a very enjoyable game. Certainly it was very challenging. Most of the games I have played in the last dozen or so years have been tainted by one or more players who's skill level didn't match the rest of the board. That was certainly not the case in this game.

I expect to be at DipCon in Chapel Hill next summer. If anybody here is planning on attending, let's get together for a round of drinks and recriminations, shall we? :)

(EDI REPLIES): This technically and factually is incorrect. If you all would review the Quad alliance proposals, I as Austria did exactly what I said I would do. My Spring, Fall and Winter 1901 builds were exactly what was called for. In Spring of 1902 I was stabbed by Russia as suspected and surprised by the Italian stab. From that point on I had every right to insist on a on board demonstration of the intent of the Italians to pull back from me. It should be noted that in Spring 02 I moved into a perfect position to take on the Turks if there had been a sign from the Italians of anything other than a double cross. Throughout the game's early period and carrying on throughout the game Cal continued to give me false statements and to perceive a strategic concept of things that did not facilitate trust, therefore my response to him was that he had to `show me the truth' with his moves, which he never did.

As for Mark, from my winter 1901 phone conversation with him I did not trust him and felt that we was habitually committed to attacking me, again combined with a perception of his game strategic view that did not encourage trust.

Time and time again, as the communications probably show, I offered Cal various deals which would have allowed for a check on Hohn and the potential for something viable to develop between Cal and I, and time and time again Italy moved against me.

I try different styles with different people based on what is going on in the game. Certainly my style with Hohn was far from lacking to make commitments. What is missing in Cal's interesting summary is that there is a relationship between the way people respond to you based on what is going on in the game as that players properly employ a whole range of negotiating styles at the higher intensity levels of play.

What would be interesting to carry on the 'demonstrating' side of things is to go over the situation where you feel that the other player's negotiating style is not what you want, then how to do you go about changing it and seeing your own part in it.

For example from my perspective with Italy, he was unable to be trusted at any time and that a single turns miscalculation on my part would have left me decimated. Going over the moves retrospectively I still can see any turn after Spring 02 that I could have tactically trusted Italy and not avoid a catastrophe. In quite the opposite view there were numerous postiions where Italy could have trusted in my actions without negative consequences on his part in order to re-establish relations. This tactical interplay of trust is often overlooked and something that I strove again and again with Italy to create but failed. When the tactical consequences are so overwhelmingly one sided there is no real basis for trust to be re-established so it behooves the less threatened position to create a tactical 'breathing time' for the negotiations to be redone. Italy never did this and my negotiating style with him reflected the fact that I could never risk guessing wrong with him.

I would be interested in hearing from Cal on what move and what was he expecting me to say that would have resulted in his halting the unending attack on Austria that was his visible actions from Spring 1902?

(JAMIE COMMENTS): Hm, that was interesting. I finally understand what Cal was thinking in the opening!

I couldn't figure it out. Tactically, it was completely incoherent. Italy opens westward, the moves on the board go exactly as could be expected, and then Italy immediately turns around and heads east. Since nothing unexpected happened, why didn't he go east to begin with??

But of course, the explanation was entirely off the board. Cal was hoping/expecting to hear a certain attitude from Edi, but heard quite the opposite song.

I do not agree with Cal's remarks about the late midgame, though. It would certainly not have been easy, as Cal says, for France to eliminate both Germany and England by himself, even assuming Italy could have held off an AustroTurkish alliance. And even if France *HAD* eliminated both me and Pitt, he *still* would not have been able to win, I think. So personally I think that was Cal's best chance, to control his own centers and Tunis while keeping Hohn to the east and John to the west.

A TWO WAY DRAW IS DECLARED BETWEEN FRANCE AND ITALY

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Jonas Johnson, 3649 SE 33rd Ave., Portland, OR 97202, (503) 238-4430 ($3) EcidLor of aol.com ENGLAND: John Schultz, #19390, F-E88, Indiana State Prison, PO Box 41, Michigan City, IN 46361-0041.

FRANCE: Michael Pustilnik, 140 Cadman Plaza West, #13J, Brooklyn, NY 11201, (718) 625-0651 ($8)

GERMANY: Hank Alme, 5157 Norma Way #217, Livermore, CA 94550, (510) 606-7265 ($3)

almehj of kristen.llnl.gov

ITALY: Don Williams, 27505 Artine Drive, Saugus, CA 91350, (805) 297-3947 ($3)

dwilliams of csiway.com

RUSSIA: Ed Rothenheber, 11757 Lone Tree Court, Columbia, MD 21044, (410) 740-7269 ($1)

Rothenheber_Ed of bah.com

TURKEY: David Partridge, 15 Elmer Drive, Nashua, NH 03062-1722, (603) 882-3523 ($4)

rebhuhn of juno.com

GM: Jim-Bob Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, (401) 351-0287

Game Notes:

1) Congratulations to Michael and Don! I'll have the endgame stats coming right up and we'll be looking for endgame statements now? Jonas, John, Hank, and David are most definitely included in the invitation. I'll almost be sad to be ending the ``quotes''. Unless I get more press, this will be the last one. Speaking of reputations as the game ends seems quite appropriate, don't you think?

Press:

(OFFICIAL FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE QUOTE OF THE SEASON): ``What others know about us. - What we know about ourselves and remember is not so decisive for the happiness of our life as people suppose. One day that which others know about us (or think they know) assaults us-and then we realize that this is more powerful. It is easier to cope with a bad conscience than to cope with a bad reputation.'' Aphorism 52 from Book One of The Gay Science.

(JOHN BOY-BOOB): Once again it ws just you and I and Freddy with a tidbit from Ralph. Silence can be golden but it can also be very boring.

(RUSSIA - FRANCE/ITALY): Guys, I hope that we are ending the game this turn and I don't mean with the Russian victory. I purposely tried to make sure we eliminated the little guys so that the draw would pass. I can't figure why you aren't voting for it, but I will continue to propose the IF until it passes or Mike decides he wants a solo win. ((It passed, it passed...))

(DAF to SILVER TOADY): My address is 14609 203rd Avenue S.E., Renton, WA 98059. I would love to hear from you. I can tell you more stories about my Harley driving senior law firm partner.

(JOHN BOY-THE BOARD): Do you guys actually still write letters to each other? ((Actually, they call each other and E-Mail each other (Williams and Rothenheber) more often. My sense in this game always was that the communication was far stronger within the game than through the press. We'll hear more about this very soon, I suspect....))

(ARMY GALICIA to WORLD): Help!!! ((May we call that plea moot??)) (DAF to GOLDEN TOADY): I think we are going to have to work on our devotion lessons again in 1998. Give me a call. I miss you! ((Lord knows he's been on the phone to everyone else lately, why not you! He's been a VERY bad toady. I'd give him a severe spanking..... no, check that, he'd enjoy it too much.))

THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1915 IS DECEMBER 20TH, 1997

Winter 1914

FRANCE (Rauterberg): bld f mar, f bre; has f MAR, f BRE, f ENG, a PIC, a BUR,

a RUH, f SWE, a HOL, a PIE, a EDI, f ADR, a VEN, f ION, f APU, f NWY, f TYH. GERMANY (Zarr): R a swe-FIN; rem f NTH; has a MUN, a SIL, a TYO, a BER,

a KIE, a VIE, a FIN, f DEN.

TURKEY (Johnson): bld f con; has f CON, a TRI, a SEV, f EAS, a BUD, a RUM,

a SER, a BUL, f ALB, f GRE.

Addresses of the Participants

FRANCE: Paul Rauterberg, 3116 W. American Drive, Greenfield, WI 53221, (414) 281-2339

prosit of execpc.com

GERMANY: Harold Zarr, 215 Glen Drive, Iowa Falls, IA 50126-1957, (515) 648-2821

RUSSIA: Eric Brosius, 53 Bird Street, Needham MA 02192 ($5)

72060.1540 of CompuServe.COM

TURKEY: Stan Johnson, 1254 East Broadway Road #56, Mesa, AZ 85204, (602) 668-1105

GM: Jim-Bob Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, (401) 351-0287

Game Notes:

1) Some builds, some removals, some retreats. What happens next?

Press:

(PARIS to ANKARA): You may have done me a favor by annihilating the army in Alb...it wasn't going to be of much use anymore, and I wanted still more fleetpower in the West. Merci.

(ANKARA-PARIS): So there's hope for us yet!

THE DUE DATE FOR SUMMER 1917 IS DECEMBER 20TH, 1997

THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1917 IS JANUARY 31ST, 1998

Spring 1917

AUSTRIA (Davis): a vie S a bud (d ann), a BUD S a vie.

FRANCE (Zarr): a BUR S a mar, a GAS S a mar, f BRE S f mid, a MAR S GERMAN a tyo-pie (nso),

a POR S f spa(nc), f SPA(NC) S f mid, f MID S f spa(nc), f ENG S f mid.

GERMANY (Jones): a GAL S a boh-vie, a MOS-sev, a boh-VIE, a WAR S a gal, a lvn-PRU,

a TYO S a boh-vie, a BEL h, a MUN S a tyo, a UKR S a mos-sev, f DEN-nth, f NWY-nth.

TURKEY (Weiss): a con-BUL, f gre-ALB, f BLA S a sev, a bul-RUM, a VEN S a tri, a TRI h,

a SER S a bul-rum, f GOL S f pie, a SEV S a bul-rum, f WES S f naf-mid, f NAF-mid,

f PIE h, f ADR S a ven.

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Rick Davis, 2009 Bodega Avenue, Petaluma, CA 94952, (707) 773-1044

redavis914 of aol.com FRANCE: Harold Zarr, 215 Glen Drive, Iowa Falls, IA 50126-1957, (515) 648-2821

GERMANY: Charles Jones, 1722 Quail Circle, Corona, CA 91720-4155, (909) 735-8981

RUSSIA: Eric Schlegel, 314 Fords Lane, Aberdeen, MD 21001, (410) 272-3314

TURKEY: Richard Weiss, 195A Estralita Street, Tumon Heights, Guam 96911, (671) 647-3478

rcw of netpci.com

GM: Jim-Bob Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, (401) 351-0287

Game Notes:

1) A France/Germany draw has been proposed. Please vote on it (everyone!) with your Summer orders. If you fail to vote, it cannot pass.

Press:

(FRA-TUR): I am an enigma to you. Do I care? No. I have not played well in this game, and if it were not for Germany, I would have been eliminated long ago. Because of that, I will support him in this game forever and will never betray him. If he decides to take my supply centers, I will not stop him, but will continue to hold out against you for as long as possible. My goal is to see this game end as quickly as possible with a three or four-way tie. I am sick to death of playing this no-where game, and cannot understand why you continue to waste all of our time by pursuing it further. You may be an idiot. I don't know. Basically, I just don't care.

(GERMANY >> > TURKEY): I'm glad that you are enjoying this game. I'm enjoying it too. That's why I play for fun. I don't care what you write in your press, but Mr. Barno will.

(BARNO to WEISS): ``It is vain to look for a defense against lightning.'' - Publius Syrus, 42 B.C.

(GERMANY >> > BARNO): I use my press to move players in the direction that I want them to go. Or to have fun. All my press from last turn actually happened, but of course I changed the person's name that it happened to Richard's or Yours. For fun. All were in the newspaper (or at least that is where the Internet E-Mail said that is where the stories came from). Prior to that I entered press, with the idea that it might make Richard mad and then he'd do something stupid. It's all part of the game. ((That's for sure.)) I thought that you were a figment of Richard's mind, not a real person. For all I know you are, and Richard is laughing at me right now? So far my press has worked, Austria will be no more in a few turns. I didn't care if Austria stabbed Turkey or the other way around, I just wanted one to die. As a side note Austria deserved to die, he gave away his gains. Do you think that if I keep writing insulting press to Richard that he'll just give up? OK, here goes!!!!! Jim-Bob, contact Richard and ask him to vote for a F/G draw.

(GERMANY >> > BOOB): If I ever get to play with Barno I'll win with my press alone. By the way, I was just wondering if a) the builder had skipped 666, or b) it bothered you? I guess that the last laugh is on me. I didn't notice it until I wrote the press. They don't call me speedy for nothing.

(YNAMREG >> > TURKEY): I live at 1720 Quail Circle. A year ago we got a wonderful new neighbor. Mr. Jones should be sainted.

(YNAMREG II >> > TURKEY): I live at 1724 Quail Circle. I've put a monument up to my new neighbor and anyone who doesn't like him is a !*!(/!)*. (Edited by Jim-Bob for fear that Mr. Barno would be offended.)

THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1911 IS DECEMBER 20TH, 1997

Winter 1910

AUSTRIA (Pustilnik): has a SER.

ENGLAND (Hoffman): has a STP, a LVN, f IRI, f NTH, f BAL, f NWG.

FRANCE (James): bld f bre, a par; has f BRE, a PAR, f MID, f ENG, a WAL, a VEN, f BUL(SC),

f SMY, f ION, a TRI, a ARM, a VIE, f AEG.

GERMANY (Emmert): bld f kie, a mun; has f KIE, a MUN, f DEN, f BER, a BEL, a WAR, a UKR, a BUD,

a MOS, a RUM.

RUSSIA (Schultz): R a smy-syr; rem f con; has a ANK, a SYR.

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Michael Pustilnik, 140 Cadman Plaza West, #13J, Brooklyn, NY 11201, (718) 625-0651

ENGLAND: Karl Hoffman, 395 Imperial Way #220, Daly City, CA 94015, (415) 991-2394

KarlHoffmn of aol.com

FRANCE: Drew James, 8356 Radian Path, Baldwinsville, NY 13027-9357, (315) 652-1956

dkbn of msn.com

GERMANY: Steve Emmert, 1752 Grey Friars Chase, Virginia Beach, VA 23456, (757) 471-1842

SEMMERT of city.virginia-beach.va.us ITALY: Dan Gorham, PO Box 279, Belmopan, Belize, CENTRAL AMERICA

Danielg of btl.net RUSSIA: John Schultz, #19390, F-E88, Indiana State Prison, PO Box 41, Michigan City, IN 46361-0041 TURKEY: Harry Andruschak, PO Box 5309, Torrance, CA 90510-5309, (310) 835-9202

GM: Jim-Bob Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, (401) 351-0287

GM EMERITUS: Garret Schenck, now lost, HELP!

GSchenck39 of aol.com - CANCELLED!

Game Notes:

1) The FG draw has been rejected and reproposed. Please vote with your Spring orders. As usual, failure to vote vetoes the proposal.

Press:

(BERLIN to BOARD): Do the math. Approve the draw.

(RUSSIA-BERLIN): Yes-I did. Just call me Tsardini.

(GERMANY to WHAT'S LEFT OF RUSSIA): That's pretty big talk for a two-dot power. But if cussin' is all you've got left, then I guess you just cuss.

(TURKEY - ENGLAND): How pathetic that you ordered Army Livonia to Prussia instead of ordering it to support Moscow. So now you've lost Moscow. No wonder you are being stabbed if this is your standard level of play.

(BERLIN to LONDON): I thought there was no way in a million years that you would guess that I'd go to Prussia last turn. Congratulations on some fancy dancing. Unfortunately, the reason I wanted to go to Prussia was to force Moscow, and, well, . . .

(TURKEY - RUSSIA): No doubt about it, France can win this game with 18 SCs if that is his will. (Hello there, Nietzsche, and I just used the word ``will''!) He should have no trouble taking your last two dots in game year 1911, should also be able to pick up Austria's last dot, start sacking England, and thus have the jump on Germany. But he also may decide to wimp out and allow a 17-17. His choice, his decision.

(BERLIN to PARIS): The only trouble with visiting Wales is that you have to spend a lot of money buying vowels. Do me a favor; drop by Denbigh and see if there's anything to mark Henry Stanley's birthplace. I know where he's buried - Pirbright, just outside London - but I wonder if the Welsh still claim him as a favorite son.

(RUSSIA-FRANCE/GERMANY): OK! So, I'm leaving Con blank and I'm backing into the desert. Leave me Ankara and I'll vote for the draw next time. One more chance for you guys to stab each other.

Personal Note to You: