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From: roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith)
Newsgroups: net.games.pbm
Subject: Re: How to start a Diplomacy game off right.
Message-ID: <245@phri.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-May-85 15:11:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: phri.245
Posted: Wed May 29 15:11:25 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 30-May-85 20:31:09 EDT
References: <2086@sdcc6.UUCP>
Organization: Public Health Research Inst. (NY, NY)
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[Before I launch into this, let me interject a suggestion.  Since we have
(arbitrarily) picked France as a starting point, how about if we work on
that for a while before moving on to the other countries -- R.S.]

>   A      Marseille   ->      Burgundy
>   A      Paris       ->      Gascony
>   F      Brest       ->      Mid-Atlantic Ocean

	I like the move to Gas; the ability to cover all 3 home centers
with a single unit, and still be able to get Spa is important.  However,
lately I've started to adopt the go-for-broke attitude in openings.
Decide who you can trust (flip a coin if need be) and trust him 100%.
This is classic game theory, but I'll leave that to the mathematicians.
You usualy have 3 possible targets; you may not know which of them you
are going after, but at least narrow it down to 2 of the 3.

	I like the following: FBre-Mao, APar-Gas, AMar-Spa.  This puts a
lot of trust in Germany, but even if Germany moves to Bur, I still have
a 50% chance of picking whether to cover Mar or Par the fall, and I
still get 2 builds.

	If I decide to go after Italy (and this is basicly an
anti-Italian opening) I do FMao-Wes, ASpa-Por, AGas-Spa and build FMar &
FBre.  It is tough going throught the Med, but if you are going to go
for Italy, this is the way to do it (yes Chris, I did have this in
mind).  Of course, help from Austria (or Turkey) is essential, at least
for the first year or so.

	Of course, the alternative is AMar-Pie, FBre-Mao, APar-Gas in
the Spring.  If I get bounced in Pie, I want to make sure that Mar is
open in the Winter so I can build FMar.  Thus I follow with AMar-Spa,
ASpa-Por, FMao-Wes.  If I got into Pie in the Spring, I do FMao-Spa(sc),
ASpa-Por, APie-Ven/Tus.  If getting bounced in Wes is likely, FMao-Naf
is always a possibility.  In a way, this opening is inferior to the
former because AMar-Pie is a dead give-away of your intentions.

	If I decide to go after England, I could try FMao-Iri or
FMao-Eng along with ASpa-Por, AGas-Spa, building 2 fleets again.  This
is a bit awkward (as recently proven) so if you know you are moving
against England from the start, you have lots better openings.

	If I decide to stab Germany (assuming he hasn't attacked me
first, in which case it is honest defense) I can do AGas-Bur, FMao-Por,
ASpa-Hold.
-- 
allegra!phri!roy (Roy Smith)
System Administrator, Public Health Research Institute