Octarine Playtest

        I really hate writing things and planning things and I've 
never written a diary in my life but since I'm feeling a little guilty 
now for handing my orders in a couple of hours late, I thought I'd 
give it a go. Just remember, just as the little mermaid's legs hurt 
every time her toes hit the ground, so does my brain hurt every time a 
serious word is typed by my fingers (well, maybe not quite that bad.) 
By the way, in one of the afdip messages, you mentioned that some sort 
of help files like Pier's intro to Dip. were availiable on request. 
Well I'd like to be sent that please. Anyway, forgive me for not 
making these very exiting but here you are:

        The reasons for choosing Muntab were to me obvious from the 
start. So much so in fact that I was surprised to get it having asked 
for it when I joined. Not only is it the only power to start the game 
with 4 units, but it can also move into 2 territories (Tez and Ush) in 
the first move without the possibility of being bounced. Also, and I 
guess this is just a personal thing, having my 'back' to the rim is a 
most comforting feeling, as I wouldn't like to have neighbors on all 
sides. Unlike Russia in the standard game, the actual area covered on 
the map by Muntab isn't obviously bigger than the others and so it 
isn't such an obvious threat at the start.

        An obvious opening for Muntab is to take Ush and Tez with the 
armies in the first move, since this the only time when they are 
guaranteed not to bounce,while moving the fleet in Bri to GOB or Api 
and the fleet in Reh to either Oro, BOM or SUS depending on which 
direction you plan on spreading.
        
        The only conflict likely to arise in turn 2 is if the Circle 
City armies decide, (as they did in Hogfather,) to move into Bet and 
either Bor or Van. Armies in Bor and Bet could then gang up on a 
Muntabian (is there such a word?) army in Ush and kick it out. 
However, this would leave the Circle Cities open to the Nef-Lands and 
Ogg so perhaps this situation would not arise so often as the emporer 
of Muntab might fear. Possible follow up moves would be to move 
hubwards with the armies while harassing the Genuans with the fleets, 
which could be done after the first 1 or 2 turns. Since they would 
probably have headed towards Mom, Bor, Ube or NoT in their first move, 
they're home territory might well be left open for a swift strike 
right were it hurts.

        There, that wasn't so bad after all. Let's see what I can do 
about a little diary:

Turn 1:         Roughly following the opening outlined above          
( A Mun-Ush, A Gha-Tez, F Bri-GOB, F Reh holding) I was pleased to 
recieve a couple of reasonably friendly messages from the Hubland 
barbarians. I am always a bit more willing to trust someone who is a 
fair distance away, yet sharing neighbors with me, since there is an 
obvious possibility of a combined pincer movement and wiping out a 
mutual neighbor and enemy in a few well organised turns. It appears 
that he has been talking to the Patrician (although I am a bit nervous 
as to the subject, probably Ogg.) so Genua seems to be the poor 
'sandwich filling' for the time being. After a couple of offers to the 
 Nef-Lands and even the far-away XXXX about possible future help (both 
direct and indirect), I sent and recieved quite a few messages (often 
quite funny ones) from the Hubland Barbs. I asked him to tell the 
Patrician he could trust me not to start a fight, while assuring him 
that I would not leave myself open. Of course, I don't know how 
friendly he really is towards me, but I managed to strike up a so-so 
non-agression pact with the Patrician soon after, this could be a good 
sign or a bad one.

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