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And so we approach the end of another year of Diplomacy. Outside my window autumn is in full force, and winter is fast on its heals. In North America this means that the tournaments are all but over until after the new year. Around the world, the year's final events are wrapping up, and eyes are turning both to the next year's schedule, and to thoughts of growing the hobby at home. A mix of very well attended events, and some dissappointingly poor attended ones have players in several countries asking themselves the old questions about how to attract new players. It's one of those questions where everyone has an opinion, but it sometimes seems like nobody has an answer.
Here's Quentin Ball's review of the New Zealand Championships this October. Proof that you can have a fun event, even if you don't get a great turnout. Truely dissapointing turnout - 7 people turn up on Saturday, gulp, a 1 board tournament - is this a tournament??!!
Of course it is - so, countries are drawn, deals are struck and we're off. Will Black goes nuts, he drawn Germany and is on 10 by 1904 . . . then the sharks hit the water and start clawing things back - by the time it's finished Grant Torrie(Austria - and defending champ) is 11, Rob Schone(Italy) is 12 and Grant Steel(England) is on 8. (OH, by the way, Detour was used as the scoring system).
Sunday - John Lukstedt can't make it, so I actually get to play . . . first tourney as a player in a while, the nerves were jangling. I'd drawn Turkey, Rob and Grant T were in Germany England respectively, Will and Brian Bull in Italy, Austria and Grant S in Russia.
We see an EFG form very quickly in the West and settle arguments in the East to defend (that took longer than it should . . ) - the line forms and EG whip into France to maximise their gains - by the time the dust settles, E has locked MAo and StP and is basically lurking - Germany grinds itself back to the stalemate line and a draw is agreed to - Germany 9, England 8, Turkey 7 and two 5's - Rob and Grant T are definitely leaders . . .
Monday - Final round - I get to play again (and pay for yet another round), I draw France - and see Rob in England, Grant T in Germany. Will's in Turkey, Grant S is in Austria, Brian in Russia and Andrew in Italy.
I'm nervous but happy - the two tourney leaders are next to me (as I was playing, the scores were available to the players) and surely they must attack one another. I open relatively neutral (Grant T doesn't think Par - Bur is neutral, but hey, what Frenchman feels comfy with nothing in Bur . . .) and see similar moves around the board - the most aggresive opening is Italy moving to Tyr.
Fall '01 see's Tyr moving to Vie (with Gal support) and general movements against Austria. Italy builds two fleets and I get really nervous. In '02 Grant T and Rob agree to give me Bul and we see Rob pounce - he enlists Russian aid and punches into Den while I give Grant Ven. In the mean time, Turkey, Russia and Italy have torn Austria apart, leaving him on two.
We fuss about for a year - life getting grimmer for Austria and Germany, so I decide to finish the job on Grant - so do Rob and Brian and Grant is gone in 1904 - the other Grant is gone in 1905 so Will now works on taking out Italy - and I try to get Brian to stab Will - I was spectacularly unsuccessful here and Will goes on to top the board.
With all this, time finally runs out and while my second gets me best France, I only make fourth . . . behind Grant T, Will B and the eventual winner, Rob.
Thanks to everyone who turned up - we really need to start recruiting new blood, we might get more players to a tournament!!
Quentin
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