New "Ancient Empires" PBEM created

[Peaster]

I've been giving her a dollar for Ctrl-N. We haven't negotiated about subbing yet. I'm afraid she'll demand 50 cents per keystroke.

[Straybow]

It takes 10-15 keystrokes to log in if hitting "enter" for the default name and IP fields, so that reduces the per-keystroke cost.

[SlowThinker]

Bab 2420

By Persian request Babylonian citizens at Caspic are packaging their properties and will return to Babylon soon.

It looks we will never get explanations of recent Persian threats, and Persia will continue to post unclear indications that she is ready to start war / sneak attack anytime:

Originally posted by Sinbad
No new Babylonians spotted in Persia this year; war has been postponed.

It is true there are no new Babylonians in disputed areas, but there is lot of new and strong Persian units.
So it seems we are very close to a war. Again Babylon asks that Per&Bab agree on a way how the war can be started fairly and in a civilized manner.

[Kull]

Re: Bab 2420

Originally posted by SlowThinker
It looks we will never get explanations of recent Persian threats, and Persia will continue to post unclear indications that she is ready to start war / sneak attack anytime:

Pharoah can see how confused Babylon must be. The Persian statement that they won't attack is extremely unclear.

It is true there are no new Babylonians in disputed areas, but there is lot of new and strong Persian units.

How benevolent of Babylon not to pour even more units into Persia. And how aggressive of Persia to have units inside it's own borders.

So it seems we are very close to a war. Again Babylon asks that Per&Bab agree on a way how the war can be started fairly and in a civilized manner.

Pharoah proposes a very civilized method. Since Babylon is going to be the attacker, and since Persian troops are fortified on mountaintops, how about if Babylon just disbands 5 units every turn to mimic her war losses?

Elsewhere, Egyptian Traders go about their business, ever and always thankful that the paranoid realm of Babylonia is not their destination.

[Peaster]

Re: Bab 2420

Originally posted by SlowThinker
It looks we will never get explanations of recent Persian threats, and Persia will continue to post unclear indications that she is ready to start war / sneak attack anytime.

Hmmm.... IIRC Babylon insisted on the right to sneak attack if Persia stacks units on the Persian side of the border. Persia speculated that we might be justified in attacking first ONLY if Babylon invades Persia (with new units) and/or if Babylon demands a right to sneak attack.

It is true there are no new Babylonians in disputed areas....

Not exactly, not anymore. The Bab horseman has returned to a neutral forest square. Sinbad ignored it this time, but advises it to withdraw in 2410.

So it seems we are very close to a war. Again Babylon asks that Per&Bab agree on a way how the war can be started fairly and in a civilized manner.

If you do not invade, you have little to worry about. However, Persia must insist that you withdraw your spies to Babylon within a turn or two. These units, together with your threats to attack in the Zagros mts, have naturally put Persia into a very defensive mode. Aside from the high costs to Persia, our reaction is probably fueling even more Bab paranoia.

Here is the Pers save. I will ask Peasteress to play the Greek turn now.

[Peaster]

Here's the Greek save. Lots of drinking in the sun, sailing on the seas... (actually I have no idea).

[Peaster]

Poly doubleposted (sorry)

[SlowThinker]

We detected a new Persian fort in radius of Zariqum, several Persian stacks in disputed areas and an envoy in the Red Zone. Of course the envoy will be expelled next year.

Originally posted by Sinbad
Babylon insisted on the right to sneak attack if Persia stacks units on the Persian side of the border

So far I avoided to say directly that Persia released lies, but this is an exemplary demonstration of a Persian propagandistic lie that banks up on a fact that western kings don't have time to study the situation carefully.
"Persia" is not Persia but disputed areas.
"Right to sneak attack" is a simple Babylonian warning about the Red Zone. We explained this warning detailedly, while Persia constantly refuses to explain her own warnings / "rights to sneak attack".

The Bab horseman has returned to a neutral forest square.

I don't know about any definitive agreement that this square shall be neutral. Please quote it.
Anyway weak units checking ZOCs are very appropriate in neutral areas.

Originally posted by Sinbad

Originally posted by The Immo
So it seems we are very close to a war. Again Babylon asks that Per&Bab agree on a way how the war can be started fairly and in a civilized manner.

If you do not invade, you have little to worry about. However, Persia must insist that you withdraw your spies to Babylon within a turn or two.

So far Persia invaded the disputed areas with stacks, roads and forts. Now Babylon has only skirmishers in the disputed areas (read "spies" in Persian language), but you can expect Babylon will strengthen her position there too.
So again Babylon asks that Per&Bab agree on a way how a war can be started fairly and in a civilized manner.

[Straybow]

My ISP changed something and I found 5 messages on the spam filter from SoG players. There is nothing unusual about these messages so I can only attribute this to a change in the way they filter. I created filters to prevent future problems.

Since it only keeps messages for a few days there may have been more dropped messages. If anybody sent a message that I haven't responded to, let me know.

[Zedd]

Minoa Society is advancing rapidly. Traders boast about thier lates shipments and Sailors are rarely in port. There has been some dissent in distant cities where they claim there is not enough freedom......curious.

[Peaster]

Originally posted by SlowThinker
Of course the envoy will be expelled next year.

Since Babylonian units in Persia are causing ZOC problems (discussed in a previous post), Persia cannot inspect this part of the border without stacking or using envoys, like the one you want to expel. Babylon objected strongly to stacking in this area, and Persia was actually trying to cooperate. But we don't HAVE to, and if you expel the envoy, we see little reason to try again. This is another example of what catering to Bab paranoia will get you.

So far I avoided to say directly that Persia released lies...

Yeah, maybe you should continue to avoid that.

[Straybow]

Well, far from the chilly peaks of the Zagros we're trying to make money. We thought this was important to our Babylonian partners. We hope their actions do not further strain the limits of a fragile peace.

Meanwhile a group of philosophers have begun protesting against the very progress we enjoy. They claim that the vapors of animal dung rise up to the sun and make it burn brighter. The earth itself is in danger of warming.

The Royal Society of Divination counters that the idea is madness. They detect no warnings in daily morning auguries performed before the assembled Senate.

The Greater Hatte Pantheon Council concurs by their own auguries, and declares it blasphemous. Apollo has unconditional control over the heat of the sun, and the paltry fumes of animal dung can hardly circumvent divine powers.

[SlowThinker]

Originally posted by Sinbad
Since Babylonian units in Persia are causing ZOC problems (discussed in a previous post), Persia cannot inspect this part of the border without stacking or using envoys, like the one you want to expel.

You brought stacks, roads, forts in disputed areas, while Babylon keeps only scouts (skirmishers) there. Now you ask Babylon removes these skirmishers (and you add some unclear threats), but simultaneously you ask more your own scouts in the areas .

Pillage the road+fort and remove stacks and strong units from upper Al-Kabir and Zagros. Then you can have tons of scouts everywhere in the border areas.

Originally posted by Straybow
We hope their (=Babylonian) actions do not further strain the limits of a fragile peace.

King Straybow is asked to explain which Babylonian actions he means, especially in context of the previous paragraph.

[SlowThinker]

I downloaded but I can play only Sat.

[Straybow]

Does Persia now consider hills on the south side of the Zagros (133,45) to be Persian territory, or is Sinbad intruding to make a point?

I would note that Slo has only one unit, a lowly Skirmisher, on the spine of the Zagros. Persia now has stacked Iron Infantries surrounding it. Does Persia still feel threatened by this Skirm???