Coming off a small break

The guys have had a small break and come back re-energised for the game. They discuss an upcoming face to face game, Media Wars 2 and test unbreakable alliances.

Intro and Diplomacy news

• The guys discuss the venue and throwing stones (0 mins 10 secs)
• They discuss they're out of lockdown and Kaner explains how he'd taken a break from the game for a little while. He talks about his decision making process for choosing a game to join (2 mins 50 secs)
• Amby's had a lot going on in real life too and has reduced the number of his games (4 mins 55 secs)
• Amby discusses the volume of Diplomacy content coming from the DBN and Legendary Tactics (7 mins)
• Kaner asks what is Amby's worst country to play (7 mins 55 secs)
• Amby discusses some of the recent Diplomacy Briefing releases (11 mins 20 secs)
• The guys discuss the u/trampolinebears Diplomacy map and what Kaner did to create his board, as asked by Dan Bahler (12 mins)
• They've also got an email from Daniel McNamara about playing a face to face game in Brisbane. The guys land on Saturday 29 May as a tentative date (15 mins 50 secs)
• Amby discusses getting the timing right to also get a game happening at one of the local university's board games club (19 mins)
• The guys give a shout out to the Minnesota Diplomacy Club for their recent COVID safe face to face game (20 mins 40 secs)
• Kaner and Amby move downstairs to the La Costa bar. ** Audio quality warning ** We have no idea what happened but this part of the show sounds like it was recorded inside a tin can. Sorry folks! (21 mins 40 secs)
• They discuss their drinks (22 mins 20 secs)

Around the grounds

• While Kaner isn't in any games, Amby gives an update on his online Diplomacy games (23 mins 15 secs)
• Amby's Europa Renovatio team game has ended in a draw, despite Amby feeling the game should've played out a lot longer. They talk about proposed future team games, before Amby outlines his team members: Naples, Livonian Order and Morocco (Amby was Austria) (23 mins 45 secs)
• He's also in an anonymous gunboat Divided States game and is doing reasonable at the moment (31 mins 45 secs)
• Kaner asks about how Amby is going in the Media Wars 2 game. Amby gives an update and his thinking on recent moves (33 mins 45 secs)

Podcast survey

• Amby flags they're going to be running a survey soon to help improve the podcast. Hopefully this will be ready by the next episode (41 mins 30 secs)

Unbreakable alliances: the German-Austrian Anschluss

• The guys set the scene about their original moves in 1901 and where they were up to (44 mins 15 secs)
• They discuss what Kaner should be building (47 mins)
• The guys get peckish and order some chips (fries) that creates all sorts of confusion in the kitchen... you'll understand why soon (51 mins 20 secs)
• They start their planning for spring 1902's moves (52 mins)
• Then there's more confusion with the orders not being processed (56 mins 15 secs)
• They try another game where their alliance is France-Germany and start planning a Sealion (1 hr 0 mins)
• Their spring 1901 game orders went through only for Amby to misorder. They decide to cancel the game (1 hr 2 mins 45 secs)
• So NEXT, they start an unbreakable alliance as Italy and Turkey (1 hr 4 mins)
• They plan Fall 1901's moves and discuss getting an AI update from the folks at webDip. BUT they can't adjudicate orders again. They check the forums and find out its broken at webDip (1 hr 7 mins 30 secs)
• The guys wrap up the show (1 hr 10 mins)

Venues: Cielo Rooftop bar and La Costa bar, Brisbane

Drinks of choice:

Kaner: Young Henry's Pale Ale

Amby: Alpha Box and Dice grenache from South Australia

Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help improve the audio equipment... or get the guys more drunk, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes!

Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone.

Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.