The guys are still stuck at home. Amby discusses playing in the Minnesota Diplomacy Club's online game and an around the grounds with Kaner getting a really good draw while Amby is eliminated from the Order of the Dragon.
Intro- Its been so long since the guys were in the pub they can't remember how to start the show. Kaner is missing pubs and massages. They discuss their drinks and Kaner prepares his tunes (0 mins 10 secs)
- Amby logged on at 7 am that day to play in one of the Minnesota Diplomacy Club's Discord/Backstabbr games. He played in game two as Russia and channeled his inner Melissa Call. (7 mins)
- Amby said it went well until the mid-game. He was part of a 5 way draw which was based on a sum of scores system (9 mins 30 secs)
- A number of players like Amby weren't local members of the club (12 mins 45 secs)
- Kaner asks about the technology and how the logistics all worked (13 mins 30 secs)
- Amby discusses the strategy he used as Russia and what the other players were doing in the early game (21 mins)
- Kaner asks about Fall 1902 when Amby's fleet in Norway was dislodged and retreated to the Norwegian Sea. He asks why Amby didn't move to Clyde to then take Liverpool (24 mins 30 secs)
- Kaner then asks about Spring 1904 when Turkey (Craig) massively stabbed Amby. He discusses Siobhan's Periscope advice about reading the player vs reading the board (27 mins)
- They discuss how the nature of the game is changing with a mix between online and face to face (30 mins)
- Kaner jumps back on his little robots plan (34 mins)
- Because of additional Patreon supporters and not drinking in a pub (alcohol costs are lower) the show has for the first time covered its costs! Thanks to Zach Moore, Garry Sturley, umbletheheep and Walshie (37 mins 20 secs)
- They tease the upcoming Patreon episode that will be recorded after this normal episode (41 mins 30 secs)
- Kaner's Silent Europe game has ended in a 7 way draw with him being part of it as the Teutonic Knights (42 mins 15 secs)
- He discusses the rise and fall of powers on the board (44 mins 20 secs)
- Amby points out to Kaner that he got a points boost from doing so well in the game. He's just one half decent draw to maybe make it into vDip's Top 100 players 51 40
- The Europa Renovatio variant has just been soloed again (by slypups) but... as Denmark again in the game Holy Empire (52 mins 45 secs)
- Kaner talks about the long grind demonstrated in the graph (54 mins 30 secs)
- Amby is surprised that Kaner's playlist brought up an artist they both like: The Dead South (57 mins 20 secs)
- Kaner asks about Amby's Order of the Dragon game. Amby announces he's now been eliminated after being stabbed by Walshie (Lithuania) and Colonel Apricot (Ottomans). Amby's effort to marry off his heir to the Kalmar Union (Nanook) didn't work as he misread the rules. Heirs can marry but it occurs after the SC count. But as Amby's initial heir and new heir were both killed off when their SCs fell (including his capital) it eliminated him from the game even though he still had some SCs (58 mins 30 secs)
- They discuss trust and distrust in the game and different game cultures (1 hr 4 mins)
- Kaner talks about wanting to play the boardgame Pandemic once people can socially hang out again. He discusses creating a Diplomacy game that encouraged cooperative play (1 hr 5 mins 50 secs)
- They discuss the Winning forum thread at vDip (1 hr 8 mins 30 secs)
- The guys wrap up the show (1 hr 12 mins 45 secs)
Venue: Still at home
Drinks of choice:
Kaner - XXXX Bitter from Brisbane
Amby - San Valentin grenache from Spain
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!
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Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.