"Tutorial" style game starting

[Jimmer]

Well, that's over half of you, and no negatives. So, let's move on.
 
OK, the next step in the tutorial is to play a fake, 3-month game. The only wars we will allow will be between a major power and a minor country.
 
I'm going to turn off some of the more "advanced" rules, so we can just start playing. For example, there's an option to have movements cost double in winter. That will be off (although, PAYING for supply in winter will still cost double -- can't do anything about that.
 
Typically, in a real game, you wouldn't want to bankrupt yourself in the first 1-2 months; instead, you would make sure you save enough for all three months. However, this is a fake game, and I want to show how foraging works, too. So, spend all you want in the first month or two, just to see what it does to your ability to fight a war (even against a minor).
 
Let's use the bidding program again. This time, they'll be "real", or as real as can be in a contrived game. Bid like you think you would in a real game, anyhow. Post the bids up on the group again. If seven bids show up, we'll have seven. Otherwise, I'll bid 30 for France. The rest of you, please bid lower for France than 30 (even 29, if you really want it), so that if there are only six, I'm playing France. It's the hardest nation to play, simply because of the vast numbers of factors floating around, if nothing else.
 
There will be no starting war between France and GB.
 
I'll start a new thread to track the new game, so this information can stand by itself.

[Jimmer]

We've had three nations become not assigned in the tutorial "fake game" we're playing. Anybody who is interested in taking one over (Austria, France, and Great Britain are available), please post your email address here. Put blanks and stuff in it, as described above, so spammers don't find you). I'll send an invitation to that address, and then you can edit your post and remove the email address (if desired).

[ess1]

Have received GB's setup but when I try to open I receive: "Unable to open out of sequence.  Contact game host".
This has not happened before.  Tried re downloading etc with same result.

[Jimmer]

Yes. I have to send out backup files for all the players. I found that this is the process when "replacing" a player (which is what I had to do.
 
However, I still don't have any way to play the Austrian turn(s) other than the AI. I'm just about ready to pull the trigger on that, though, because this is taking far too long.

[Jimmer]

Well, I have yet another problem. I created reset files for when the British player was assigned. However, they're not working right. So, yet another delay. Hopefully, not too long this time. Should be a simple fix, but I'm ignorant as to what to do with it.

[SoulBlazer]

Hi, I'm new to the game, and this looks like it would be a good chance to start learning how to play this really well.   Is threre a opening still?  My e-mail is gpolander at yahoo dot com
 
Thanks, Greg

[Jimmer]

I'll send you an invitation to join the group, but I have to wait until I get home to do it.
 
Yes, Austria is open. Well, technically, so are Britain and France, but those aren't exactly the best powers to learn with. Too many fine points.
 
See the other thread for details (which I think you did -- I saw your name showing you posted to it, but I came here first). This first "game" is totally fixed: No wars with major powers, cooperation so we don't stumble upon a war, everybody is going to attack a small number of minors, and the "game" will end after the March econ phase.
 
We'll follow that up with a second game, still with some contrived rules, but not as many. That game will last longer.

[Jimmer]

FYI, gang, the Turks are out of town until Saturday, and so cannot take their turn yet.

[SoulBlazer]

Hi there, I got your e-mail with the inviation to join, and I subscribed to the group, but it would'nt let me join.  I sent you a 'request to join' from the GMail Group page.  Please let me know if you got it, thanks.

[ess1]

SoulBlazer,

Welcome to our group.

[Jimmer]

ORIGINAL: SoulBlazer

Hi there, I got your e-mail with the inviation to join, and I subscribed to the group, but it would'nt let me join.  I sent you a 'request to join' from the GMail Group page.  Please let me know if you got it, thanks.

I'll look tonight.

[Jimmer]

ORIGINAL: SoulBlazer

Hi there, I got your e-mail with the inviation to join, and I subscribed to the group, but it would'nt let me join.  I sent you a 'request to join' from the GMail Group page.  Please let me know if you got it, thanks.

Did you subscribe with the same email address that I sent the invitation to?

I can't figure out what to do. The group never tells me anything about whether you succeeded, failed, or didn't try.

I'm sending another invitation.

[Jimmer]

That didn't work. It said you were already a member.
 
Try going to the group directly, and then log in (with that email address): http://groups.google.com/group/theartofwar?hl=en
 
 

[Jimmer]

I'm having trouble, guys, getting Austria able to play. The group sent him a membership, and it claims he is indeed a member, but he can't access the stuff. That's what's causing the delay.
 
Sorry.

[ess1]

Your Majesty. You have our sympathy...

[Jimmer]

Well, we're finally moving again. I never could get figured out why the new Austria couldn't get into the Google group, but I decided enough time had been spent trying. Sorry, Soulblazer. Keep trying though, because I can add you back in any time.

[Jimmer]

[font="courier new"]Nearly everybody is done with diplo, so here are some pieces of information about it:[/font]
[font="courier new"][/font] 
[font="courier new"]One thing to take note of is the last button from the left (12th, hover text = "Nations Status") before the break, at the top left of the screen:[/font]
[font="courier new"] [/font]
[font="courier new"]This display shows all the major powers and all the minor powers, and the diplomatic status between them. It shows all the minors on the left, and the majors both across the top and on the left (at the top). You can see at a glance the statuses of all the majors with each other. In this contrived game, only GB and France are at war (this despite my having told the game to skip that part).[/font]
[font="courier new"] [/font]
[font="courier new"]Under each major's column are the relationships with all of the minors as well (below the majors). Look down your column and see what you have going for (or, against) you. For instance, France is a war with GB. France also has Corsica, Flanders, and Hanover as conquered minors. Next you see France has Holland as a free state. Then, some more conquered minors: Julich, Lombardy, Palatinate, Piedmont, and Switzerland. You may also notice that I had to scroll forward between Lombardy and Palatinate in order to see the rest of the list.[/font]
[font="courier new"] [/font]
[font="courier new"]Now, notice under Great Britain's column. It has Gibraltar and Malta as conquered minors, but between them, it shows war with Holland. This is because GB and France are at war, and this automatically makes all of France's controlled minors also be at war with GB. However, this display only shows the minors that are free states. Probably to reduce clutter.[/font]
[font="courier new"][/font] 
[font="courier new"]I notice also that none of the players declared war on any minors. We'll have to wait for February now, but I guess we'll see the results of that politically. Remember for next turn: Declare war on one or two minor countries. But, before diplo, make sure any of your neighbors who might also choose that one do not.[/font]

[Jimmer]

One other little tidbit you should notice, but my not (because none of the rookies are playing GB):
 
GB goes second-to-last in the diplo phase. She also goes second in the reinforce phase.
 
Spain both goes last in diplo and first in reinforcement.
 
So, GB only has to wait for one player to play before it is her turn again.
 
Diplo and reinforcement phases are in mirror order from each other (one is the reverse of the other). So, the closer you are to the end of the order in diplo, the faster your turn will come up again.
 
A variant of this occurs between reinforcement and naval movement, to a degree, and between land movement and economics. Keep your eyes open when you are playing one of the powers that gets a "quick turnaround" due to phase ordering.

[Jimmer]

I decided not to wait any more. Turkey's move has been skipped. Russia, you are  up.