@Constantinople:

Yeah, just like Obama saying he’s been to all 57 states!

It is hypocritical that Palin mistakenly calls Africa a country (which is something I’ve heard men I know FROM Africa accidentally do) and gets bashed to hell but when Obama claims that he’s been to “fifty… seven states?” nobody says a word.

Oh well, on topic, I think that there are many areas in the game that are abstracted, so this isn’t a special case or anything.  Personally I get annoyed when designers put fan service (such as making Ottawa a victory city to please the canadians, despite the fact that from a gameplay perspective just about anywhere on the board BUT north america needed victory cities present) over the game itself… I don’t know, maybe it’s just because I see it as a game- just a game.  Not some sort of philosophical/political statement, not a history lesson (although it is nice that it is historical), just a damn game.  Not all people on the forum are able to do that, unfortunately, making a box of cardboard and plastic into something it truly isn’t.  If the soviets capture all of Europe, I’m not going to get all whiny about how oppressed the french will be under this new Soviet regime and how I can’t do anything about it as the UK player, I’m going to say “Sweet, we won!”  Unless playing individual victory conditions of course.   :wink:

But hey, that’s just me.