Napoleon Game 4: Eight players looking for their marshal's baton!

[Degrasse]

List of names, will roll 100 sided dice for each player to determine order of picking country.

Bar91
Rolling 1d100:
(95)  
Dawgoneit
Rolling 1d100:
(97)  
Degrasse
Rolling 1d100:
(98)  
Entek
Rolling 1d100:
(43)  
HelmutPower
Rolling 1d100:
(1)  
Unknownsoldier
Rolling 1d100:
(96)  
Vold
Rolling 1d100:
(86)  
Wittmann
Rolling 1d100:
(24)

Are we doing the fixed alliance scenario or the free for all politics scenario?  For free for all politics, someone experienced needs to run France so that person can correctly change the alliances.  My other suggestion is normal dice instead of low luck, I just find low luck annoying.

[Degrasse]

So the order of country picking is:

Degrasse
Dawgoneit
Unknownsoldier
Bar91
Vold
Entek
Wittmann
Helmutpower

I liked playing Spain earlier, so I’ll choose that one.

Whoever chooses France decides fixed sides or free for all?

[Witt]

I am happy with a FFA ,but if it is easier on the new players, can play fixed sides.
Second game(or 5th!) can be FFA.

France is a pain if FFA, because that player is responsible for changing the statuses of all 8 nations.
Of course, being weird, I am happy to play the mighty France(hated by all) and take on the mantle of Politics fixing.

Thank you for setting up the start Degrasse.

[Witt]

I am happy with a FFA ,but if it is easier on the new players, can play fixed sides.
Second game(or 5th!) can be FFA.

France is a pain if FFA, because that player is responsible for changing the statuses of all 8 nations.
Of course, being weird, I am happy to play the mighty France(hated by all) and take on the mantle of Politics fixing.

Thank you for setting up the start Degrasse.

[Witt]

I also like to repeat myself!
Excuse the double post everyone.

Perhaps I should not try and grab France as I am at the bottom of the order.
Ignore me!

[dawgoneit]

I will take uk

[UnknownSoldier]

I think I will take Russia

[Bar91]

I will take Prussia.

[Vold]

Having not played this before, is there one country that is the easiest and most straight forward to play?  The ‘Russia’ of G40, if you will?

[Witt]

If if is a FFA, the only safe nation is UK and probably Spain.
The rest can all be ganged up upon and picked apart.
Answer is probably none now.
Sweden starts with a strong position, but has Russia and Prussia as 'neighbours and the UK very close. The Turks can expand quickly, but again if Russia and Austria go for them….
Austria has many neighbours and France is close!
France is strongest on land, but if people do not like you…

Is a mess of a game, which makes it so much fun.

[Witt]

France or the Ottomans, I would say.

[Vold]

Interesting.  I’ll throw a dart and pick Spain

[Witt]

The four left are: France, Ottomans, Austria and Sweden.

[Vold]

aah, I didn’t see Degrasse’s pick.

I’ll take…um…oh…Ottoman’s

[Witt]

Entek you are next.
France, Sweden or Austria.

[Entek]

I’ll pick sweeden

[Witt]

You guys! Determined for little old me to have peaceful and non Empire building France.
How thoughtful.

Free For All it is.
Allow me to explain a few things vis a vis the Politics Round.
Like Diplomacy, we can all do this in the privacy of PMs.
We all start at Peace with every other nation.
France goes first.
UK.
Spain.
Prussia.
Sweden.
Austria.
Ottomans.
Russia.
The advantage is with the nations that go last, as they can throw a spanner in the works….

[Witt]

I would make an open declaration (possibly after a PM to ensure I know the answer…or do I?)to another nation.
Best thing for safety’s sake is to form alliances. But do not take them too lightly, as they can be broken in one turn(in Politics Round), but you cannot go from Peace to War in one turn.
It takes two turns.

Please read the rules about changing politics with a nation, but I will paraphrase.
From Peace(actually Neutral): War. Alliance. Open Borders. Or stay at Neutral.

You can only enter a nation if Allied or have Open Borders(or at War).
The fun part is that Open Borders works like a two way door.
From Open Borders you can DOW or Ally.

[Witt]

We all start at Peace with every other nation.

I said that earlier. But it  was wrong. We start historically, so some nations are already at war.
You can see which by looking at the game Napoleon 8 player FFA. Ask if you have a problem.

Also, I said you can go from Ceasefire to Alliance. I was wrong.
Have to go through open Borders first. Then Alliance.
Sorry!

This means no one can have an Alliance on T1. (Of course you could have agreed to have one by PM,but will take two turns to implement going via Open Borders.)
As in all A&A games, Allies defend together.

I will now load the game, but I will not put in all emails if that is ok.

[Witt]

I wonder if the UK should be weakened somewhat(sorry Dawgoneit). Veqryn said it was unbalanced as a game and the Med is a bastion of British power.
I would suggest removing 8 units from the Med and Gib(which is ridiculously strong). There are far too many forts and Marines(possibly the strongest and most flexible unit).
Anyone else agree?