Apart from my honest, forthright and generally predictable approach to empire building in Manchuria
I have the following assessments to make of my 'rivals'
Red Andrei Nicholson : Idealistic, headstrong, not to be trusted
Wang Lang Pi Calder: Inscrutable, generally trustworthy but well capable of snakiness
JungAdolf Howe: pathalogical liar, untrustworthy, backstabbing opportunist who would(and probably did) sell his own grandmother for personal gain. NOT TO BE TRUSTED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER.
Ming the Merciless Anderson: Two faced(more like 5 faced), devious and mendacious opportunist. Not to be trusted.
Max Factor Nicholson: Psychotic, crazed murdering loon with no respect for religion, honour, agreements, human rights, decency.. in other words perfectly suited for the movie industry
Yuri Deadovitch Lauder pompous, up himself, Russian minor nobility whose been hanging around the tradesman's entrance to the British legation for too long. Wants to be British but he can't get his red mess jacket over his kaftan. Doesn't know a good deal when he sees one!
KrasnyDavidovitch Imreiski conspiracy theory obsessed, pre cold war, small minded communist, who thinks everyone is out to get his little corner of Siberia... I've got news for you... WE ARE
YesaiKhan Paterson: Opium smoking, - crazed despot who made too many alliances and paid more attention to Phatti(and her two big pals) than the enemy at the gate. Ming, Me and half of the rest of central asia
Dale Religious Aethistic leader of the Army of God: a mixed up kid from the slums of Calcutta who turned his back on the treacherous Yanks once too often. Hell bent on revenge he lost sight of the main goal. Will not survive the jungle of intrigue because he stills believes in Santa Claus
Steve Shogun Shaw: driven by the Japanese obsession to copy everything. In this case he copied the two faced lying strategies of his near neighbours. Never trust anyone who'd eat RAW SQUID
Andrei Whiter than White Thomson Obviously from a loving home. A naive child who turned his back on a ravenous pack of slavering dogs whose only suggestion was 'trust me'! Lucky you left when you did Andrew! I cut down a few of Ming's men for you the next day Haha.... shot them in the back - about 25 of them!!!
And as for the Umpires..............................