Thomas Crane <Grrrr!!!!@squamata.in2home.co.uk> wrote
I thought I might put in my
two penneth Iis that how you spell penneth ?).
Penn'orth, contraction of pennyworth.
^^
dropped
Has the penny dropped? 
As I have said before on this list, I play for fun, not primarilly to win.
Although, I do of course try to win. I find it strange that people join
games as neutrals just to be on the winning side.It seems to me that the main purpose of being a neutral is to maintain
balance and make the game more enjoyable.
That's a very English attitude though. Favouring the underdog.
Remember that dreadful TV series with Edward Woodwoodwoodwood, "The
Equaliser"? The game is written by Americans, and the weakest parts of
it are the parts that work against team play - the annoying and unfair
Victory Points, and the stupid and out of context Victory Conditions,
and yes, the very idea of neutrals. If you role-play the nation, as a
powerful nation which doesn't commit itself to wars readily (remind you
of anyone) then your objectives have to be: Join the winning side and
make as much profit out of the situation as you can.
On the few occasions that I have
been a neutral, I have joined to losing side so as to try to stop one team
being overrun.
That's why we now have great enthusiasm for the pre-aligned games. I'm
playing 6 positions in 5 games at the moment. The best of these are
pre-aligned. As well as a conventional no Easterlings game, you should
check out Game 33, where Mike Sankey gave Clint a revised setup - there
are no neutrals, and all of their pops and some of their armies are
shared out. It is turning out to be a VERY interesting variation.
Maybe I'm just nuts
You and me both then.
Regards,
Laurence G. Tilley
http://www.lgtilley.freeserve.co.uk/