6 replies on “The Stratosphere Lounge Episode 251”
Risk was fun back in high school, but Australia or the North American Fortress are basically the end all of be of strats. You could possibly pull a cheeky South Am push through Africa, but people see it as too brazen and you lose all your momentum without the army engine that is North America. Seriously, North America gets you 5 armies. Take Iceland, Kamchatka and Venezuela and you deny 14 armies while you just build up on your 3 fortresses.
The true game of betrayal, is Diplomacy. That game breaks friendships, because it is impossible to win without betrayal. I mean, it is possible, but no one ever upholds and settles for 2nd best. I got banned playing that game in high school when I managed a solo victory as Austro-Hungary, I managed to orchestrate a War between Russia, Britain and Germany all while ‘backing’ each of them. Only to not participate. They decimated each other, letting me roll in and score a Points victory. The teacher had to step in because one of the kids I betrayed got very very upset about it, that was 20years ago.
Also, Scott, if you’re reading this: Where are you in the search for a non-CCP Zoom for the “Member-palooza” videos?
Bill, all the “Cold War” podcasts were excellent, including episode 13. I prefer videos with realtime graphics to audio-only podcasts, but was *very* impressed with this series. And I was surprised at how impactful, compelling and riveting it was even without video.
On another subject, you mentioned in an earlier BW Now episode, “pack immunity.” MASTERFUL! Politicians and bureaucrats should be reminded that we are *much* more like a pack of wolves than a herd of cattle.
Bill is right. Years ago I had a deep depression. I was in a deep, nasty, filthy pit. But it was a familair pit. I didn’t want out of it. It was too scary out there. I knew the pit well. But now I would never go back.
Some of my friends came up with rules for nuclear and biochemical Risk. We only played nuclear 3 times. Each time the player who was losing fired the first Nuclear shot on the Middle East, and then game ended with most of the border territories glowing. Never did it again.
Me and my buddies played Risk 2 on the computer. Extra connections to the territories made it more difficult to cut off Asia, Australia, or N. America. Card system kept things interesting and would force you to wipe out the weak for their stack when you knew they were one card away from a guaranteed turn in and you’d be reinforced immediately for having too many cards in your hand, forcing a turn in during the same turn. That damn game. If you value your friends you’ll stay far away from Risk.
Btw, Australia strategy never works when we play. Even sworn enemies will stack troops on anyone trying to pile initial numbers on to kangaroo land. That’s no man’s land where we come from.
6 replies on “The Stratosphere Lounge Episode 251”
Risk was fun back in high school, but Australia or the North American Fortress are basically the end all of be of strats. You could possibly pull a cheeky South Am push through Africa, but people see it as too brazen and you lose all your momentum without the army engine that is North America. Seriously, North America gets you 5 armies. Take Iceland, Kamchatka and Venezuela and you deny 14 armies while you just build up on your 3 fortresses.
The true game of betrayal, is Diplomacy. That game breaks friendships, because it is impossible to win without betrayal. I mean, it is possible, but no one ever upholds and settles for 2nd best. I got banned playing that game in high school when I managed a solo victory as Austro-Hungary, I managed to orchestrate a War between Russia, Britain and Germany all while ‘backing’ each of them. Only to not participate. They decimated each other, letting me roll in and score a Points victory. The teacher had to step in because one of the kids I betrayed got very very upset about it, that was 20years ago.
Also, Scott, if you’re reading this: Where are you in the search for a non-CCP Zoom for the “Member-palooza” videos?
Bill, all the “Cold War” podcasts were excellent, including episode 13. I prefer videos with realtime graphics to audio-only podcasts, but was *very* impressed with this series. And I was surprised at how impactful, compelling and riveting it was even without video.
On another subject, you mentioned in an earlier BW Now episode, “pack immunity.” MASTERFUL! Politicians and bureaucrats should be reminded that we are *much* more like a pack of wolves than a herd of cattle.
Bill is right. Years ago I had a deep depression. I was in a deep, nasty, filthy pit. But it was a familair pit. I didn’t want out of it. It was too scary out there. I knew the pit well. But now I would never go back.
Some of my friends came up with rules for nuclear and biochemical Risk. We only played nuclear 3 times. Each time the player who was losing fired the first Nuclear shot on the Middle East, and then game ended with most of the border territories glowing. Never did it again.
Me and my buddies played Risk 2 on the computer. Extra connections to the territories made it more difficult to cut off Asia, Australia, or N. America. Card system kept things interesting and would force you to wipe out the weak for their stack when you knew they were one card away from a guaranteed turn in and you’d be reinforced immediately for having too many cards in your hand, forcing a turn in during the same turn. That damn game. If you value your friends you’ll stay far away from Risk.
Btw, Australia strategy never works when we play. Even sworn enemies will stack troops on anyone trying to pile initial numbers on to kangaroo land. That’s no man’s land where we come from.