I enjoyed this game too, though I think the short timeframe really changes the game. While I think a 5-year option, or "short game," would be good, I think a 10-year option, or "finite game," would be more helpful in that it wouldn't change the nature of the game as much as the short version, which I'll address below, and improve the end of games, which can sometimes drag out unnecessarily or occasionally end prematurely. Having an option to draw, as well as an option to have a winner determined from the power that has the most centers at the end of both 5 and 10 years would be great for both the Classic and Modern games, since I believe Modern is the one variant I've played that is as good or better than the original.
I do feel the 5-year option changes the game though, as you treat both smaller and larger powers differently. The goal of the shorter game quickly becomes how to eliminate the most players possible in the short timeframe, which can often cause you to make decisions you wouldn't otherwise make in a longer game. For example, in a longer game you may opt to work with a smaller power to gain ground on a larger power for the solo, but in the shorter version it is more important to make sure the smaller power gets eliminated before the end of the game. Likewise, in keeping alliances you normally might shy away from to eliminate the smaller powers, you may keep larger or more deadly friends you normally wouldn't, for fear they would solo or come back and thrust a dagger into you when you could least afford it later in a longer game.
Hence, as Russia, Germany and I were able to execute our plan to eliminate England from the get-go with little fear of getting stabbed, since there wouldn't be much if any gain for the perpetrator, trading ports in Scandinavia easily to facilitate this as we advanced. And I didn't mention this in the game, but it was a brilliant move by Italy to take what looked like a pointless territory in Bulgaria from me when it seemed that Turkey's elimination was the priority, as I was very close to a solo and had put myself in position to make a move for it that very season. I think you were a much better player than you "pretended" to be Italy.
I also very much enjoyed the players in this game. The ones on the short end of the stick played very admirably and behaved much better than some on the short end of the stick in my other games here (I'm new here), playing responsibly all the way to the end . And Germany was one of the two easiest players I've worked with recently and it would have been hard to stab him if the opportunity to solo would have come through.
Are we going to do a 10-Year Turn Limit Test? If so, I propose we go Modern and play with the same buy-in and phase settings as the 5-Year Turn Limit Test.
Good show everyone!
G-Man
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WW IV
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