Broadcast message from shoham@ll.mit.edu as Russia in barney:
End of Game Summary
| Game: | BARNEY, USEF Judge. |
| Variant: | Standard. |
| Outcome: | ET draw in 1923 |
| Power: | Russia 1905-1923. |
Until Barney, I thought that 'mercy' positions die quickly.
When I joined game Barney nine months ago, at Martin's request, I thought this would be another one of those mercy position plays. Russia was down to one unit - in Berlin - and no prospects whatsoever. Submit orders for a few seasons until someone realizes that the center I was controlling would be more useful feeding a unit of his own forces. Still, I decided to give it my best effort toward the _only_ objective I ever had in the game - a position in the final draw.
My first act was to find a secure ally. One who wouldn't stab me for my only center. To secure such an ally, I had to convince him that my objective was non-threatening. I thus made a broadcast offering my undying loyalty to whomever would suggest a challenging objective for myself and a creative and ambitious one for himself. Austria and Turkey never bothered answering that call. England and (the previous) France made half-hearted efforts focusing mostly on what moves they want me to submit than on what they are doing in general or what I may place is. This gave me the distinct feeling of being set up for instant death as soon as I outlive my usefulness. However, when president Carragher took over France the next year, he had the spirit to present me with a truly audacious plan of how to win despite his rather weak position. I didn't quite believe he fully intended to follow that plan, but it certainly fitted my needs. I had found my ally.
My next action was to decide what my presented role would be. My objective was still to get into a draw. What really appealed to me in the French plan was his intent to stab back and forth multiple times. Such a plan, with an energetic player - as Carragher certainly was - had the potential to go a long way. At the opportune time, I would turn on him and secure my position in a final draw. By that time, the rest of the board would be so shell-shocked by Carragher's ascent, they would gladly accept my defection and not risk their position with an effort to cleanse me out of the final draw. I, of course, would maintain a low profile. Maintaining a low profile is something I can not credibly do in my regular games, but which I can in a mercy position. When the time comes, after Carragher burned all his bridges, I'll still have a virgin credibility available to me.
Thus went a period of many years. I was making myself useful to France by providing tactical options and strategic plannings, and in return was provided with life and safety. When it came to stalemate lines - and their counter-part, trench warfare, I would really work the details through.
Only once, in 1908, did I break with France. He was just stabbed by Austria and (in panic) said "Well, you may want to prepare your baggage for a quick departure." I didn't think he was going to abandon me, but he just stepped out of the mold I needed him to be in. He was no longer playing the energetic - even if weak - power out to conquer the world, but instead that of a desperate defensive. If his ship was going to sink, I wasn't about to be on it at the time. I abandoned him. Fortunately, he regained his composure the next season and we went on as if nothing happened.
During the long years of shifting alliances I was contacted by England or Turkey once in a blue moon. I ignored those contacts as part of my low profile presentation. Far from the appearance I tried to create, I was very involved in the game - but only through France.
During the EF assault on Turkey, I saw Turkey's mighty defensive line is not quite a stalemate line and proceeded to (via France) dismantle his defenses. I saw the danger of an English stab and began to see a new potential in it. If England were to have a partially successful stab, HE would present a victory threat. I just might get to be part of a draw designed to stop him. While I did not "engineer" the English stab, I did try to simultaneously encourage it and prevent it from being too successful. I encouraged France to send as much of his fleet as possible to break the Turkish lines, while warning him against vacating France too much. Unfortunately, he went a little too far (for my taste) on vacating France.
The English stab was hardly a surprise. Not even its timing. France was overexposed, but in another turn would have new units to cover his back. While Carragher was frantic, I was ecstatic. For the first time in this game I had something that approached a realistic chance. I had calmed him down and then proceeded to plan potential stop-England stalemates and strategy. My hope was that France and Turkey - both of whom had recently stared death in the eyes - would accept a stalemate that included them and not risk everything to reduce it's size. I am certain France would have accepted it, I now find that even Turkey was seriously considering it.
It didn't work. England managed to create conditions for Turkey to safely extinguish France, and despite Carragher's efforts (mostly through my inspirations) to promise each of them in turn a victory, they both proceeded to crush him between them and without threatening each other.
Finally, time for me to break on my own came. My 1 center survival was approaching that of the record . The record, 14 years, was achieved in game "VEAL." That game was also moderated by Martin, and I won it as Russia despite a stalemate line held by three powers with 12, 4, and 1 centers by manipulating the differences between the defenders and creating a potential for a two-way draw with the largest of them. I sent Turkey (via carragher) a copy of that game's EOG to scare him away from accepting a two-way draw with England. I also begun to suggest that my game objective has now become to beat that record. It never was. I was advertising such an objective so as to continue making myself non-threatening.
England asked for my help against France. He really didn't need that help - especially since he wasn't even trying to win. I couldn't quite figure out why is he asking for it. I couldn't believe he was so scared of carragher's rhetoric even now when France was down to a couple of centers. In return, he was willing to help me break the record. An offer I had to assume was genuine since it costs him nothing to keep.
To maintain all my options, I deliberately botched my defections from France. It didn't matter. Neither England nor Turkey would try to win, and neither was afraid the other will. France was doomed.
I still had a little play left. Cashing in on my (deliberately botched) defection, I found a new objective - now that the record was already broken. I wanted to see my homeland and die there. This innocent request, if granted, would give me passage through the Turkish interior - and as long as I'm alive, I can still try things. The request was granted, and I begun my pilgrimage.
Once I reached Budapest, it was time to betray my benefactor. I took advantage of ex-president Carragher to try and talk England into pressing Turkey, as I turned on my deal. The idea was that England couldn't possibly have a reason not to pressure Turkey - given that his own 17-SC stalemate line was totally secured - and Turkey might not be able to handle my defection and maintain a stalemate line simultaneously. I just might get into the final draw after all. Even if England offered Turkey - following a failed stab - the breathing room to extinguish me, the latter might not trust England enough for anything and might prefer the "safe" three-way draw over risking it all for a two-way. I made a quick U-turn and headed for Serbia. With five (!) adjacent supply centers - six if you count Serbia itself - I figured it would take a great tactical exercise to knock me out without endangering the stalemate line. Turkey might be too exhausted to even try.
England did indeed put some pressure, but not enough. He limited his pressure to the Med while leaving the Russian front unchallenged. Turkey had enough of a breathing room to crush me. He did. After all, I only had one unit (smile). Oh well. I might have come close, but my quest to make a position with a mercy position has yet to be fruitful.
Still, I did survive for almost 20 years. I did see three powers (AGF) die before me. And I did get to visit eight supply centers - Berlin, Munich, Marseilles, Venice, Trieste, Budapest, Serbia, and Greece - before I died. That's more than most real powers get to visit in a normal game.
I certainly had a lot of fun playing this behind-the-scenes game.
I would like to congratulate all players for a most well played game. I did not see any tactical or strategic boo-boo that would be the mark of a novice player (excluding Germany's suicide attack on Turkey, but I discounted that as boredom).
Finally, I would like to thank our Master, Martin, for keeping this long game going and for making sure it doesn't fall into the usual trap of late-late-abandon-replace-late-late-etc. I would also like to thank the Electronic Frontier Foundation and David Kovar for making the Judge which made this game possible available.
Dan Shoham
The Czar of too many places to count.
shoham@ll.mit.edu
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