Game 10

Stuart Bailey wrote:

Think the odd positions were Mainz-Trier and Persia.  Like many others I like the idea of India and when I spotted that the two main Indian positions plus one other were already taken I decided to join in.

Did play Persia in G8, enjoyed it and only dropped it for 21st C financial reasons (financially the move to the SW was a mistake), just when on the verge of transforming the position. If things ever improve financially I'd love to pick it up again. I was quite lucky in having family links to Persia/Iran (only ended with the fall of the Shah) s.o I had a fairly good understanding of its history and culture. What helped was it had the full range of technologies available to it so no need to get help to build modern weapons or warships.

Was sorry to see you drop out on Persia in Game 8. Thought it had some real potential.

Yes, sorry to see you drop. Interesting to see Persia Unplayed.

I think the more global positions, the better. James B in G8 brings added flavour with the reunification of India. I doubt Clive would have stood much chance against a unified Moghul Empire... I joined G8 after Jason left, but I would have enjoyed seeing the Shiites having a Renaissance.

Just tracking back on position choices chain (back from holiday). I completely agree that the Spanish chaos has made  a great opening for the smaller players. I doubt I could have pulled off my Naples gambit, in the face of a determined (or even active) Spanish player. I only had 150 cavalry, a Great Frigate, a (first class) orchestra & my rhetorical flourish, at least until the Neapolitan forces joined the 'true path' to political salvation.

Why did I take Genoa? Had not played in 20 years, so I asked Richard for a small, non systemically important position to be my 'training day' on relearning the game. Evolved into a complete blast, with an incredibly active Italy.

Why Spain? Decided I was graduating to systemic countries, & asked Richard what was available, and he proposed G9 Spain or G8 Prussia. & Spain appealed far more to me, as I am more a Cardinal-General than an Elector...

Why France? Revenant kindly made it available, and I took up his offer to carry the baton. Thought it would be interesting to be on the 'other side of the fence' to my G9 & G10 positions.

I have a plan to deal with the debt Stage 1 is next turn by December I should with luck be heading into the black.

I any case am working on an heir to the throne with the new queen its a tough job but has to be done.

And doing a formal statement on the Abyssinian position on the Christian Faith but no fighting words to the Papacy, well unless the Pope has a thin skin.

I hope your plan works

A question-mark from the Heart of Darkness... Though I'm not sure how far to go at first, in case it infringes Richard's no-diplomacy-here rule. But in general terms, I'm wondering if it's taking extra/unpredictable amounts of time for diplomatic letters to come and go between Europe and Africa? It may of course just be that my correspondents aren't responding (always a possible downside to the game, and maybe they're right and there's "nothing interesting to see here" for them!) To pin doing an answer, of course, it would need a recipient (or two or three) to put their hands up on the forum (or by PM) and say "I've received" or "I've sent" a letter in such and such a month - but would that infringe the rules?? (By PM would be the obvious route, to avoid giving-away info on diplomatic activities.)

I'm going through ample medical crap and have a bad heart ,most likely, so have to focus on that gaming is secondary. I also lost some letters when I switched computers so might have just plum forgot about everyone who sent me a letter.

I intend to catch up in the coming months.

I tend to date my letters so people will know if they are taking longer than expected. Well except one instance where we were both waiting for the other to write back lol

Marshal Bombast wrote:I tend to date my letters so people will know if they are taking longer than expected.  Well except one instance where we were both waiting for the other to write back lol

I'm the same, I also try and mention the date of the letter I am replying to, if the other player has dated their letter.

I would hope that simply because a player was playing an African position their letters to players in Europe weren't delayed. The strength of this game is player interaction and while I know it took a long time for letters to travel in "real life" in 18th C, the game is going to become untenable if it takes (say) 3 game months for a letter to travel from Europe to Africa (esp given 1 game month = 1 real life month). There used to be a rule that a letter could be delayed if you didn't have an ambassador at the court of the recipient but I have rarely found that has made a difference. Hell, if there is now a "historical" delay with letters we might as well all give up trying to communicate with any player who isn't on our doorstep.

Sorry to hear about your health problems tkolter, I hope you recover soon.

Did wonder about in game letters to Africa, I have sent a couple & received no replies. Maybe they were eaten by Rhinos.

Rhinos aside, this might be a time when a bit of reassurance from Richard would be welcomed. We do need to know how in-game letters are being treated

Mind you, if Richard were to declare that letters (along with missions and ambassadors) were moving at "historical" rates of speed, I would honestly and frankly come to the conclusion he was trying to make the games unplayable and would email him to drop every game on the spot! I am getting increasingly frustrated at the slow game time as it is.

I find it hard to see how letters are getting delayed to Africa. Not known Richard to delay letters, he usually resends them straight away.

My guess is. The letters are getting intercepted by an active spy in the area. Then read and resent on to original destination. Or perhaps who you are sending them too are a non playing position. This tends to lead to no reply or a late reply.

@ Revenant.I am still waiting for my ambassador to arrive, to send letters. No communication yet with the Asante.
I am with 007 that maybe something else going on. If Europe can manage quick in game turnaround with India & China (pre-Suez), Africa should be OK.

@ Jason2, yes, I remember a delay if no ambassador, but not otherwise.

@ Tkolter Best of luck on the health maladies & get well soon.

@ J Flower An opportunity for Rhino Control Expeditions?

@kerensky I've never waited for an Ambassador to arrive before sending a letter in any of the games I've been in. Doesn't seem to hurt travel times, but then I don't think anyone is interested in the contents except the recipient.

@jason2 I usually try to reference date of letter received too.

Not worried about Rhinos just Tigers...

@ Marshal Bombast, re: Tigers. Are you having problems with your mail to Asia?

Kerensky wrote:@ Marshal Bombast, re: Tigers. Are you having problems with your mail to Asia?

Not really. His Celestial Majesty doesn't seem to want to reply, that or my letters haven't arrived yet

Perhaps I should write to a non-NPC instead.

@ Marshal Bombast. It could be his Celestial Majesty’s decision not to respond, or alternatively Tigers...
Of either the four or two legged variety. Two legged can be far more dangerous (although fun & entertaining, if handled carefully and correctly).

Kerensky wrote:@ Marshal Bombast. It could be his Celestial Majesty’s decision not to respond, or alternatively Tigers...
Of either the four or two legged variety. Two legged can be far more dangerous (although fun & entertaining, if handled carefully and correctly).

Never got to see the 2 legged variety in action when I played as Lord Fong, had to leave irl due to redundancy finances. Would love to hear some stories in the papers.

Thanks for the spectrum of responses. I too would hope that Richard is not putting too much (if any) randomness/delay into the diplomatic postal system. What made me wonder was not just the fact of non-responses (from positions confirmed active by actions in the newspaper) - I appreciate that folk can always be short of time/interest etc. - but rather an instance where I got a "reply" from one nation which read as if my previous letter had not been received. That, too, of course could have been down to individual distraction, but it did make me wonder...

I date my letters of course (albeit by the Asante calendar) and think every letter I've ever received has been dated. Hopefully without infringing Richard's no-out-of-game-diplomacy rules I can confirm that the Asante have replied to every letter they have received, by "return of post". So, if you have written and not got an answer back in the following month something has gone astray in the system. And (ditto) to put tkolter's mind at rest, I haven't written to Abyssinia ( couldn't see much realistic common ground between my tribal-faith slave-traders and your anti-slaving Christians!)

@ Marshal Bombast. Sorry to hear about your redundancy, I hope a golden opportunity arises!
Will try to place an agent in the Celestial Empire for suitable espionage & influence entertainment. I have a few old case studies on the variety, which I can use to bring it to life in game prose.

Kerensky wrote:@ Marshal Bombast. Sorry to hear about your redundancy, I hope a golden opportunity arises!
Will try to place an agent in the Celestial Empire for suitable espionage & influence entertainment. I have a few old case studies on the variety, which I can use to bring it to life in game prose.

Thanks Kerensky, that redundancy was a few years ago but with the circle of life I will be out of work again in a few weeks time - have saved up in my Agema account to carry on this time through to next role. I look forward to reading your prose

How to cause spy hunts and panic in other players:

- Write letter, date it but forget to post it or send orders late, next month write another letter dated a month later but post both to Agema.

- Other player gets letters dated an month apart at the same time and has a panic attack about hostile agents!

Sorry to all players who have been confused by my sloppy admin.

Actually ever since I started playing a character in G10 who is a stickler for correct letters of marque and admin I am starting to think fellow players are ganging up to baffle Forbin and confuse him over his legal position:

- Declaration of war by Genoa on France by insult ??????!! Does this action letter of marque against enemies of France?

- Got the memo about France being at war with Genoa from French Govt and the letter of marque but did everyone else? Will it stand up in a Scots law court for instance?

- Austrian troops pour into Genoa......are they merc's in service of Genoa? Or has Austria declared war on France in which case I have valid letter of marque?

If it carries on at this rate may have to seek legal opinion from Scots Solicitors.

@ Marshal Bombast

I will begin preparations this month.

@ Stuart Bailey

An enjoyable attempt at Russian Maskirovka...

It is the trials & tribulations of being a Corsair you face, rather than those faced by a fine upstanding Doge, with an impeccable honour and standing in high society..

& fear not, our medical services stand ready to thwart your dastardly schemes!

I think I need to open a Paris branch of MacBeth, Taggart and Rebus, a renowned company of Scottish lawyers