04-01-2003, 08:14 PM
Aha, the classic Anglo-French alliance.
Well, so far as England is offering, smile and accept. (Of course, react that way to just about any offer which doesn't require immediate action.) If, when Germany goes down and they do go for Russia and Italy, respectively, demand whichever you haven't got out of Greece, Serbia, Trieste, and Budapest as your price and then support Italy in the Med (and support Russia in the north). Most people still don't seem to understand that there is no "second place" in Diplomacy - England and France might be planning to ride their alliance all the way.
That's not entirely likely, though. I suspect the arrangement is a precursor to the classic vicious English stab on France, or the other way around, depending on who's running the show over there. There are a whole host of nasty things that they can do to each other. In which case England or France would let the other commit before swinging around the other way. Your reaction in such a case would be the same as if they were actually attacking - demand centres for your support - but when they drew knives on each other, you'd just keep going. By the time Italy and Russia realized that they weren't being attacked, you'd be bigger than both of them combined.
Russia and pointing you at Greece - when someone urges you to do something so strongly when a clearly superior alternative is available, you know you don't want to do it. He probably wants Rum for a build since he sees pretty clearly he's not getting another build this season. Just take it. As much of an edge as Greece would give you, Rum gives you a much bigger one.
Well, so far as England is offering, smile and accept. (Of course, react that way to just about any offer which doesn't require immediate action.) If, when Germany goes down and they do go for Russia and Italy, respectively, demand whichever you haven't got out of Greece, Serbia, Trieste, and Budapest as your price and then support Italy in the Med (and support Russia in the north). Most people still don't seem to understand that there is no "second place" in Diplomacy - England and France might be planning to ride their alliance all the way.
That's not entirely likely, though. I suspect the arrangement is a precursor to the classic vicious English stab on France, or the other way around, depending on who's running the show over there. There are a whole host of nasty things that they can do to each other. In which case England or France would let the other commit before swinging around the other way. Your reaction in such a case would be the same as if they were actually attacking - demand centres for your support - but when they drew knives on each other, you'd just keep going. By the time Italy and Russia realized that they weren't being attacked, you'd be bigger than both of them combined.
Russia and pointing you at Greece - when someone urges you to do something so strongly when a clearly superior alternative is available, you know you don't want to do it. He probably wants Rum for a build since he sees pretty clearly he's not getting another build this season. Just take it. As much of an edge as Greece would give you, Rum gives you a much bigger one.