Broadcast message from grauler@physics.orst.edu as Turkey in barney:
Well, gee. I don't know where to start. Perhaps at the beginning.
I was surprised to get Turkey in the first place since I didn't have any power preference; but thought that I would see if the infamous juggernaut might work. It didn't. I think Russia attacked me quite soon, and I though I was in big trouble when he had three (yes three) fleets on or in the Black Sea. I guess this was fortunate seeing as how England took the opportunity to attack from the North, so I eventually was able to take control of the area. Attacking Turkey seems to be a drawn out process, and Austria and Russia ran out of time.
After Germany helped me into Russia against the English, I told him that I would not eliminate him, and try and help him back to his home centers. I thought the roundabout route through the Norway might be good, but after he had St. Pete, I guess it looked to dangerous as a burn would mean death. Besides, I think England could have kicked me out of the North even if I did make a go for it instead of Germany.
I was happy that things worked out against Austria as well as they did. I'd rather be lucky than good any day. The first stab by France set up Austria to be eliminated, but I guess there wasn't that much he could do if he wanted to.
After that, for some reason, eliminating England seemed to be the plan. Although Italy was left wide open, I saw little use in taking it, as I could not get 18 centers, but probably could have guaranteed that I would be alive at the end. I was beginning to regret my inaction when I realized that if France and England remained firm allies, I would eventually die. But this confused me some, since I was going out of my way to ease French fears of an Italian invasion, and suggested that he put a few armies down there, so that I could not effectively attack him. And just as I thought we were going to make progress in Germany against England, and eventually have either a 2 or 4 way draw, France decided to try and attack me. The confusion really came in when I could stop France from taking any of my centers, and only England would benefit. Well, I suppose eventually I would lose ground in the South, but I imagine the English would have taken quite a few centers before France would have seen one. I didn't include trading centers in Germany however. In any case, I am interested in what opportunity France passed up that would not come again.
When I saw that if they continued their alliance, I would be gone (in 1940 or so, but gone in any case), so I decided, what the heck, give England centers he would get in three or four years (more or less depending on guessing) in a turn, and he could not advance much after that. Not easily at least. So fortunately after yielding two centers that I got back in a few years anyhow, he stabbed France, and unfortunately France didn't follow through on my guaranteed win. France's propaganda was quite effective against me, as I almost decided to just try for the four way draw, but England lulled me into a sense of trust by not going for the Med right away. Fortunately France decided not to help England take Tunis, so things ended up ok for me.
I let Russia live, assuming he was making a pilgrimage back to Russia in his quest to shatter the one power record, but I do not understand why he preferred to die in Greece, rather than Russia. Two more supply centers? Being eliminated in a fall turn rather than the Spring? I do not know. I guess those soldiers wanted to take a break on those Grecian beaches, rather than a snowy Ukraine.
I also thank you all for the game, and feel bad about being late more than my fair share. Not meaning to imply that their is a fair share of late times (or if there is I suppose it's zero). I think I was usually in within 24 hours of a missed deadline, and the two times it was longer than this (or was it three (or more?)?) I greatly apologize, and am most thankful to the master for resetting the deadline in the final years when trouble (nowhere near as good as the MCI excuse though) caused me to be quite late. Thanks for your patience. Or at least, thanks for not sending me lots of nasty notes to get my rear in gear. And due to quite the lackluster rating, you will probably not see me around, but thanks again for the good game. It got my adrenaline going numerous times. Are we supposed to send in donations somewhere or something? Sorta like share-ware I suppose. Ok, I better stop now before I ramble on and get on to talking about Ronco inside the egg, eggscramblers or something.
Turkey (The one and only in Barney, thanks to the Master)
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