THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE #366

November 22, 2015


Jim Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327 USA, (401)351-0287, jfburgess of gmail.com


E-MAIL/WEB ONLY ISSUE! PDF will be available on the website. We also are being reproduced in Eternal Sunshine.


Web Page Address: /Postal/Zines/TAP/index.html


My interesting new news this month is that after a group meetings of all my doctors they all decided that I really had/have Stage IV Colon Cancer and this is where the cancer statted. That's part of the reason that the colon cancer focused chemotherapy I got worked so well. And in the colonoscopy I had a while back they found what they decided was the original site. But the continuing good news is that all of that is clear of cancer right now and not finding that site until now probably helped to save me from surgery, which definitely is a good thing. Wish me luck on getting rid of the remaining array of sideeffects. I'm having acupuncture to work on the hands/feet neuropathy, which is working... slowly. The new Kendo Nagasaki game keeps going, I like running them and I also like playing in them... mostly. Plenty of time to join still.
That all should keep the szine cranking and I'd like to start another regular Diplomacy game in addition to the Breaking Away that's getting close to six! Wishing all the rest of you who are struggling with health issues similar good news!
This issue continues the szine/subszine inversion. As most of you know, this thing began as a "subszine" to Terry Tallman's North Sealth, West George, then became its own szine with a host of subszines. The subszines remaining will appear as sub-subszines to our flipflopped home in Doug Kent's Eternal Sunshine. I'm set on continuing my GMing, and I'm starting to write a bit, hope there might be more. Feel free to communicate with me about how you want to help or what you want to play, or if anyone else wants TAP subszine status.
For production, in addition to the HTML's of each separate product on the web page, I will also have a PDF that you can print of the entire subszine (including my famous handdrawn maps!). You can just print the maps if you like, but remember maps are for pikers anyway, you don't need no steenkin' maps, keep them up in your head where they belong.
The Diplom.org site has moved. Chris Babcock and Mario Huys are now in charge. It all went pretty well, all things considered, and most of you probably didn't even notice it was happening. But if you find you cannot access the website with the PDFs and HTMLs of all the past issues... well, please let me know and we'll fix it. The address is still: /.
There are currently 75 members of the official TAP subscriber list, but that's down because in the move, there were some addresses dropped. http://lists.asciiking.com/mailman/listinfo/tap is the new list website. YOU need to make sure you're on this list. There you can check your subscribing options and whether you're registered. Register if you want to get TAP E-Mailed regularly. Some people have had trouble with the attachments, so I have switched to sending the link in the announcements, we'll see if that helps. Please let me know.


THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE FEATURES SECTION (CONS/LETTERS/MUSIC)
((For upcoming cons around the world: /Face/cons/index.php, success, we have badgered all the Con directors to post their Cons, so it is reasonably up to date now. And there remains lots of interest in the FTF community, and linking E-Mail/Web players to FTF. Now is the time I'm ramping up the slight deviation adjustment in running my February Diplomacy tournament, leadoff to the Nor'Easter. Since TempleCon moved itself to August, great for them horrible for me, I've cut the tie of... what ten years running Diplomacy there? Robert Rousse and others had been hoping for some time that I'd move over to TotalCOn, which actually has WAY more boardgamers and is a bit later in February, this year February 19-21, just up the road in Mansfield, MA, halfway between Providence and Boston. This also is a plus for our Boston gamers and for the Vermonters coming down it's closer too. You might still prefer to fly into Providence's airport, but as noted it's equidistant between there and Logan Airport in Boston. We can work out pickups and such. I also have two hotel rooms reserved down the street at the Red Roof Inn, that are pay what you want/can, as usual, http://www.totalcon.com has more particulars. I know I'm celebrating getting to do this again, come join me!!! Also, the Facebook page for European Tournament Diplomacy, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1500292310187264/, Diplomacy in Europe, has been really active and the place to be in the hobby these days. If you're on Facebook, hook up there!))


NEW FEATURE: ROCK AND ROLL BANDS AND MOMENTS THAT MATTER
((If anyone from TAP or ES has ideas for more things to talk about here let me know. I do have four or five ideas lined up here already that I just have to write. I didn't get around to writing more this time except to comment on Richard's letter on Richard Thompson, but I will.))


THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE LETTERS SECTION
Richard Weiss (Tue, Nov 10, 2015 at 1:41 AM)
Jim; Some time last century, you mentioned Richard Thompson. I bought a CD, then another. I've seen him 2-3 times over the decades. Last night I saw him with at the Crest Theater in Sacramento, probably 1400 seat venue. I was in the front row, aisle stage left. There was an opening act for the Richard Thompson electric trio. Was him acoustic and solo. That was great. Maybe 30+ minutes.
The theater is supposedly deco, but not. Dreary colors, scary and sad carvings, serpents and a very bad place to trip. Sound old fashioned with speakers on the stage and not much else, so loud and slightly lopsided for me. He stood to stage right, whether solo or trio. For trio drummer behind him and bass closer to me. It took me a while but electric was great rock/folk/jazz. Drummer was great. All were great.
For the acoustic I guess I shouted some encouragement and girl friend hushed me. For electric I chair danced with the drummer, she got into it, and chair danced and maybe 100 minutes with two encores consisting of 5 or 6 songs. I knew he had looked over at me about 4 times during the acoustic. My eyes were frequently closed while chair dance drumming, but I opened my eyes to see him looking at me a couple of times. At the end of his finale encore, he looked at me, tilted his head and body a little and pointed/held out his hand to me. Cool.
Thanks.
Thank you,
Richard Weiss, richardweiss of higherquality.com
((Way cool. As I've described before my closest real moment (having seen Richard Thompson about a dozen times over the years) was the famous Richard and Linda Thompson breakup tour. At Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, it was a standup bar setting, but I was right in front of Richard in the crowd about two or three people back from the stage. The icy personal situation filled the room even as the music took us through the stunning depths of the "Shoot Out the Lights" album. As I've also described before, my closest situation to what happened to you was the night the Mekons grabbed me up on stage for the whole encore after I screamed (probably sounded to them louder than I realized) "Fear and Whiskey" at them.))
((In most ways, I prefer watching Richard Thompson by himself acoustic, he's just worked out such great ways of playing so many of his best songs that way. I've talked about this before, but I hope you do have his "Acoustic Classics" record from last year. It features 14 of his songs, the last time I saw him live he did most of them. To me, the two songs that bookend what he accomplished here are the version of "Shoot Out the Lights", of which I have at least two other versions, but now this one is my favorite. This really is a rocking song, done in an acoustic way that grabs you even more on its famous hesitations. Then "From Galway to Graceland" is one of those weird Thompson story songs about a middle-aged woman and her love for Elvis Presley! It's much more of a rollicking Irish tune though.))
((I thought your comments on how you tried to get into the music but had your girlfriend hush you is somewhat close to what happens when I've taken Charlotte to Richard Thompson concerts with me. I remember at least two of these, one at Brown University at least 20 years ago, and the other more recently on this "Acoustic Classics" tour where I saw him up in Maine. I do find it interesting that I've never really found a band as a great date night, and I listen to music most in my car rides, since I usually spend at least 15 hours a week in the car - part of my thinking time and listening time.))


THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE GAMES SECTION
Standby lists: Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Paul Rauterberg, Doug Kent, Paul Kenny, and Hugh Polley stand by for regular Diplomacy. Just let me know if you want on or off these lists.


GAME OPENING INFORMATION
I'd love to do another game of Spy Diplomacy, but it requires commitment that seems in short supply these days, but let me know if you want me to reprint the rules. I really, really want to get the Diplomacy and Breaking Away games started as soon as possible, come on, help me out!!! Hugh Polley also asked me to print these rules for playing short that I might want to play around with in here, any interest in that?
REGULAR DIPLOMACY: need seven for another game start, we have five. We have Edward Innes, Fred Wiedemeyer, Marc Ellinger, Melinda Holley, and Gavin Begbie.
BREAKING AWAY: New game, want six! Andy York, Rick Desper, David Burgess, and Hank Alme are in, only two to go here too.


Y0.00 One Chair Short Diplomacy Credits
Created by Hugh Polley in 2012, anyone keeping this credit line may use or reproduce the rules! Play tested in 2015/11/07 at Stratagem, first winner James Istvanffy.


Y1.00 One Chair Short Diplomacy
This Diplomacy Variant is a way to play a game when a full slate of players is not possible. This Variant is also a way to help new players learn the game because it a simple variant which gives each new player a crack at playing more than one Country. Every two years players trade countries by moving two countries along the control bar from left to right. (See Y6) Countries which do not have a player at the end of this process are controlled by the games neutral player. Optional: The Engineer Diplomacy CD rules can be used by the players to bid for neutral country unit moves. Players can trade countries one year before the two year deadline arrives. The game uses an accumulated point system to determine the game winner(s). Betting a bottle of beer for each player point spread is not encouraged! "If your country is eliminated while you are its player," "you are sitting on the short chair and are out of game."


Y2.00 Even Year Switch Point System Determines Winner
Players still in the Game add up their every two Year Switch Points, if one player has at least two more points than any other when the game ends, then he has a solo win! Otherwise Draws are given to Highest Point Players within three 3 points of highest score. Points at each even year are determined by Country and player, one 1 point for no SC count change over two year period, minus one -1 point for each SC less than the number the County had when you took over, plus one +1 point for each SC gained greater than the number the County had when you took over!


Y3.00 You Can Trade Counties
Objective is to use diplomacy and strewed moves to avoid moving into that one or two SC country in the second year. Players can do one on one trade for country they must move to, one year prior to required move, but not in year move will be required. If you are one Chair short in the next even year then the Trade is canceled. The trade agreed to, happens before the bar is used to change ones country for another Country. If a player on the bar would have gotten one of the traded countries that player moves along the bar to next country. A traded for country once acquired is your new position on the control bar for the next two year country jump.


Y4.00 Operation of the Country Control Bar
You go along the bar from the first occurrence of your Country's initial to find your new Country. If another player has already used the Bar you hunt for your initial after his acquired country initial. You then move along bar two places away from your starting Initial. If that initial is not an out of Game Country or traded Country or an already claimed Country then this is your new Country; otherwise move one country along bar till unused initial is found! After all Players have a new country, left over Countries become Neutral Countries! (See Y6.00 Country movement control bar)


Y5.00 Creating Civil Disorder Moves (See Engineer Diplomacy)
"Optional Rule!" Neutral Countries in this game are considered to be `NMR' Countries. You can mortgage one of your Country's unit moves to bid for a possible Neutral Country Unit move. The 1971 Rule Book for Diplomacy clause XIV3 CIVIL DISORDER states:
"If a player leaves the game, or fails to submit orders in a given Spring or Fall season... His units hold in position, but do not support one another."
The above situation is often referred to by Game Masters as `No Moves Received' or in the abbreviated form `NMR'.
Y5.10 Solution for biding wars
1/ For each Area with a Unit in Civil Disorder, the number of exactly the same orders for the unit, gives a bid value for that order.
2/ The largest bid value is used to eliminate all order bids the same or smaller than the largest bid.
3/ After 2 has been done for each CD Area, any bids which are left are the winning bids and their sponsoring units are in CD for that season.
The proper Form for a Civil Disorder Bid is:
[CD existing unit location (Move required for Unit in Civil Disorder)]
Ordered Units in Fall or Spring:
RU: F StP - Nor, A Mos - Sil
AH: A Vie - Tri
IT: F Ion S A Nap, A Nap H
Turkey's lone unit in Civil Disorder:
TU: F Bla
Civil Disorder Bids:
Russia:
CD StP (F Bla-Ank)
CD MOS (F Bla-Ank)
Austria:
CD vie (F Bla-Ank)
Italy:
CD Ion (F Bla-Sev)
CD Nap (F Bla-Sev)
The result is 3 Bids for (F Bla-Ank) and 2 for (F Bla-Sev); so (F Bla-Ank) would happen and mortgaged units StP, Mos, Vie would be ordered to Hold while units Ion and Nap would execute their original orders. If Austria did not submit a CD order then it would be 2 and 2, so all units would execute there original orders and F Bla would be unordered.

Y5.20 The need for Civil Disorder moves!
Why move Units in Civil Disorder? After a game goes beyond year one finding Player replacements can be a pain. Why should a player dropping out cause undo delay or stop a game from continuing with its original players?
Often in later stages of a game, a Player will stop sending in orders because he can not see a way to win or has lost interest in the game. This can cause an allied player to lose a winnable game, CD orders give him a fighting chance.
With Civil Disorder moves NMR positions become a mediated hazard of the game. Jockeying for Control of these units then becomes part of the game's power structure.

Y6.00 Country movement control bars
WT02 AEFGIRTAEFGIRT
WT04 AEFGIRTAEFGIRT
WT06 AEFGIRTAEFGIRT
WT08 AEFGIRTAEFGIRT
WT10 AEFGIRTAEFGIRT
WT12 AEFGIRTAEFGIRT
WT14 AEFGIRTAEFGIRT


THE DON WILLIAMS 57 MEMORIAL: 2014A, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1904 IS DECEMBER 19TH, 2015
Summer 1904
AUSTRIA (Ozog): has f ALB, a MUN, a SER, a CON, a VIE, f GRE.
ENGLAND (Wiedemeyer): has a YOR.
FRANCE (Ellinger): has f GOL, f MID, f ENG, a BEL, f NAO, a MAR, a WAL.
GERMANY (Abbott): has f DEN, f HEL, f NTH, a LVP, a KIE.
ITALY (Wilson): has f TYH, f NAP, f AEG, a RUM, a PIE.
RUSSIA (Rauterberg): has f STP(NC), f NWY, a SIL, f NWG, f SWE,
f ANK, a BER, a ARM.
TURKEY (Burgess): has f SMY, f EAS.


E-Mail Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Eric Ozog, elferic of juno.com
ENGLAND: Fred Wiedemeyer, wiedem of telus.net
FRANCE: Marc Ellinger, mellinger of blitzbardgett.com
GERMANY: Will Abbott, wjja9 of yahoo.com
ITALY: New Italy is Brad Wilson, fullfathomfive675@gmail.com
RUSSIA: Paul Rauterberg, paul.rauterberg of att.net
TURKEY: David Burgess, burgesscd of roadrunner.com or dburgess of glensfallshosp.org


Game Notes:
1) I don't have orders from everyone, so we go to Fall next time. If you sent orders I do have them on file.


Press:
None.


THE PHIL REYNOLDS MEMORIAL: 2006B, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1914 IS DECEMBER 19TH, 2015
Summer 1914
AUSTRIA (Burgess): has a RUM, a TYO, a VEN, a SEV, f ARM, a GAL, a PIE, a SER.
ENGLAND (James): has a BER, a GAS, f NTH, f ENG, f WES, a BUR, f BEL, a LVN, f TUN,
a SIL, a WAR, a MOS, f MID, f CON, f BAL, a MUN, f HEL.
FRANCE (Holley, resigned, Paul Rauterberg called as replacement): R a ven-ROM; has f SMY, f NAP,
a POR, a MAR, f ADR, f SPA(SC), a ROM.
ITALY (Crow): has a TRI.
RUSSIA (Kent): has no units.


E-Mail Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: David Burgess, burgesscd of roadrunner.com or dburgess of glensfallshosp.org
ENGLAND: Drew James, kjames01 of twcny.rr.com or karelanddrew of gmail.com
FRANCE: Standby is Paul Rauterberg, paul.rauterberg of att.net
GERMANY: Marc Ellinger, mellinger of blitzbardgett.com
ITALY: John Crow, johnny.crow of hotmail.com
RUSSIA: Doug Kent, dougray30 of yahoo.com
TURKEY: Fred Wiedemeyer, wiedem of telus.net


Game Notes:
1) The AEF draw is rejected, we go to Fall. A Concession to England is proposed for Fall, vote with your orders and if anyone fails to vote (including Doug), it vetoes the concession.
2) With the game going on, we need a standby, so I'm appointing Paul Rauterberg. Thanks, Paul, you might only need to come in for one season.




WHERE IN THE WORLD IS KENDO NAGASAKI
DEADLINE FOR TURN 2 OF THE NEW GAME IS NOVEMBER 15, 2015, GET ORDERS IN OR JOIN UP!!!
Kendo Nagasaki for me comes from the series in Eternal Sunshine... The full rules for Where in the World is Kendo Nagasaki are in: http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/es58.pdf. Send a guess!!!


TURN 1
Brendan Whyte: Tom Howell:
Henry Mancini on Vostok Island, Pacific Ocean Kim Philby in London

Hank Alme: Marc Ellinger:
Bela Fleck in Oaxaca, Mexico Richard Nixon in Santiago, Chile

Peter Sullivan: Doug Kent:
Lewis Hamilton in Buenos Aires Julia Child in Santiago, Chile

HINT to the Person with the Closest Geographic Guess: You have identified my gender correctly, but I was born many centuries before you.


TURN 2
Brendan Whyte: Tom Howell:
Johann Sebastian Bach on Clipperton Island, Mexico Henry VIII of England in Turkistan, Kazakhstan

Hank Alme: Marc Ellinger:
Anthony Blunt in Cancun, Mexico Louis VII in Paris, France

Peter Sullivan: Doug Kent:
Julian of Norwich in Norwich, Ohio Galileo in Berlin, Germany

Rick Desper: Andy York:
Stan Lee in Seoul, South Korea Richard the Lionhearted in Vienna, Austria


HINT to the Person with the Closest Geographic Guess: One of my most famous quotes refers in both a direct and oblique way to your profession.


LAST WORD: So there were attacks in Paris and Mali in the last month, and then one that is threatened in Brussels as we write! Many of us Diplomacy players followed the tournament that was on-going in Paris while the attack progressed, including many players visiting from around the world. Though they did not play on Friday the 13th, that evening, they did complete the rest of the tournament. Many of us communicated with the attendees via social media and in the new "we are the World" environment, this put a visible face on the horrible crisis for me and others in the Diplomacy hobby family. The French National Diplomacy Champion went to a well-deserved Emmanuel du Pontavice! Tom Haver was one of the Americans there and won Best Italy and finished fourth. This was part of a sequence of European tournaments where Phil Weissert (who has been to my tournament in Providence!!!) won the Dutch National Diplomacy Championship. But what are thoughts of Diplomacy players on the Diplomacy going on here? I think our Secretary of State, John Kerry, is doing a brilliant job lately in trying to manage this and I'll tell you what my Diplomacy instincts tell me is the secretive (what Diplomacy is supposed to me most of the time) part of what is going on, slowly. Note that all of the Security Council countries of the UN have literally or figuratively declared war on DASH (the new preferred word to call them, since it is the Arabic acronym and they seem to hate it...), including China! This is significant and the first time that has happened since the formation of the UN, if I'm counting right. BUT notice how the other Middle Eastern countries are still being relatively silent. How will they go on this? That is the diplomatic key, and what happens about the treatment of women? Today's Sunday New York Times has a long chilling article about the treatment of women within and around the DASH organization. That to me is the real war here, and we must win it, for the benefit of half the world's population.


File translated from TEX by TTH, version 3.85.
On 23 Nov 2015, 22:27.