Here's my take on things:

As Rome was the only one of my immediate neighbours not to reply to my opening greetings, I assumed he was hostile and started planning with Carthage and Germania to take him on. However, after I'd secured control of Narbonensis, he acknowledged that and turned out to be quite amenable to dialogue, and Carthage's undefended position in Spain now looked by far the most tempting attacking option - better to fight outwards to a sustainable position on the edge of the map than in towards the centre with exposure on all sides. (no surprise that Rome and Macedon weren't among the powers left standing at the end)

The stab was successful, and the next pressing question was how to deal with Germania, who, having reached an impasse with Scythia in the east, and with a fleet in the water to my north, looked a likely enemy. The idea I settled on with him was that we would take on Rome together and he would send his fleet down and round into the Mediterranean to help out there, but I wasn't at all certain of his true intentions and was very keen to neutralize the threat of his fleet. Fortunately I got a second fleet out to sea before he managed another fleet build and that allowed me to take control of the situation. And once his fleet was eliminated there was no longer any need to defend my Atlantic coastline, so I was free to really go on the offensive.

The rest of the German coast was essentially mine for the taking, as he now had no way of challenging my seapower, but I didn't want to weaken Germany such that Scythia could take advantage and advance further west. So I turned my focus to the Med, where I was keen to prevent Egypt from expanding too far in my direction or from grabbing too large a chunk of the disintegrating Roman empire. I was very pleased when he agreed to pull back and allow me to take Cartenna, while I had finally persuaded Germany to shove Scythia backwards, allowing me to grab the remaining German coastal territories without the knock-on effect of bringing Scythians onto my doorstep.

I'd be very interested to know at what precise stage the 3 eastern powers decided to commit to a dedicated anti-Gaul alliance (and what they had each been planning prior to that moment), but I suspect it was here, with Rome and Germany crumbling and a sudden surge taking me to within striking distance of a solo victory. I had been waiting for a fight to break out between them since they'd polished off Macedon (whose dithering had quickly proved fatal - he really needed to commit to a fight one way or another and make a positive ally out of one of his neighbours, but instead he tried to keep everyone happy and they all took a piece of him) but it never materialized. If it had, then I think the distraction would have made it relatively easy for me to sweep through the Med and take the remaining SCs I needed for a solo.

Even so, I still had a chance, but crucially Rome's NMR put paid to that. He was on the way out anyway, but could nevertheless have booted the lone Egyptian army off the Italian mainland and staved off defeat for a while longer. That would have significantly advanced my own position relative to Egypt's, but as it was, Egypt managed to consolidate his position and, despite losing Carthage, put up a barrier to any further eastwards expansion from me. My last remaining hope was that the erratic German would somehow help me to make a breakthrough on land, but he wasn't about to do me any more favours and his final kamikaze about-turn put the seal on a stalemate draw between the remaining 4 powers.

I think that was a fair result in the end, even if it was a little bit boring watching my 3 adversaries cosying up to each other to such an extent. Poor old Trout, as Persia, didn't have the chance to play a very expansive game. He could have inflicted serious damage on either Egypt or Scythia, but was forced to show restraint so as not to lose the game overall, and I suppose there is some satisfaction to be derived from that.

Thanks to everyone, especially Mike the GM, for the game. I look forward to hearing what other people have to say about it.

Rupert
Gaul




On 25/01/2008, Michael Sims <mike(at)southwall.com ([email]mike(at)southwall.com[/email])> wrote:

8 players and only one EGS - and that's from--- ROME!

ROME:

EGS? It's over? So soon? I'll stay on the list - I wanna see how it
turns out.

Well, from my obviously slanted point-of-view...

Rome, on 5 dracmas a day.

Coming in I sent the usual "Hi I'm Rome, please don't eat me" emails to
my neighbors. I made an early deal with Macedonia to not add to each
other's burden. I hoped to get with Germania against Gaul who I saw as
my biggest threat in that he really had to reach around me or go through
me - going through seemed the easier plan. Early on it looked like Gaul
and Carthage were bent on rendering Caesar and the eastern powers were
Archimedes wheeling through Macedonia and eventually in my direction, so
I pretty much resigned myself to guerrilla warfare and a quick death.

Gaul then offered a reprieve. From the start I could see the blade
hanging over my head - but in the meantime, Rome lived. A few quick
moves that happened to correspond with Egypt's move west put down the
Carthaginians, but just then a retreat dropped a German into Genua.
Then the German woke up, got some help from Scythia, and took the long
time Roman colony of Pannonia. Egypt landed on the heel of the boot,
and things pretty much went down hill from there.

I have to say I didn't expect to make it this long. Had Gaul not
changed target, I wouldn't have.

"So long, and thanks for all the fish."
Jerry