Combined diplomatic thread --Direction needed

[Flubber]

Having met 4 factions, diplomacy will be busy -- There has been a lot of commentary in various threads but I wanted to combined the discussion here with all the pending deals

Drones -- just met them-- EDIT-- welcoming message sent offering treaty and possibility of trade.

Hive -- offered any 2 of app physics, doc loyalty or biogenetics fro doc flex -- we refused at this time
-- they then offered app physics for doc mob-- trade is pending a decision

PUT-- offered eth calc for doc flex-- I refused it thinking we could get eth calc from the cyco and asked for genesplicing-- They have now offered SOTHB-- response pending

Cycon-- they owe us a level 2 tech from previous dealings. . . they want doc flex for a future tech to be named later or 80 ec. Their position is that both AI have this tech so the price should be cheap

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I think the doc flex cat is out of the bag and with us finding the drones in a unity foil . . . its even more important to trade.

I propose I immediately do the following

1. Welcome the drones and offer trades and treaty
2. Call the put back and say that the situation has changed and we wish to get eth calc from them-- straight trade.

3. Accept the cycons tech for tech deal but with the condition that they must switch into techs we do not have until we are paid back the techs we are owed. The mortgage on flex applies until we are paid back

4. accept the Hives offer of doc loyalty and app physics-- do this one in a turn or two so as to coincide with any trades with the drones. NO policy for 5 years


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The idea here is that we have just made a discovery so none of this will affect our tech rate for quite some time. WE will garner at LEAST 4 techs for doc flex plus whatever I can garner from the drones. WE will also have a couple of techs -- for trade bait to get a few more trades in before the meetings start happening. happen

[foolish_icarus]

go for it.

[Atlantian]

looks good

[Hercules]

As I mentioned in the turn report, The Drones do not have Doc: Flex. They must have got a unity pod from a pod pop or as a starting unit (unlikely). It has 2 MP and has a scout on board. At the time we met it was 12/13 Mp from Roze or the PUT. Even if they meet Roze soon she might hesitate to trade Doc:Flex.

[Hercules]

We also need to be a bit quick with Doc:Mob unless the 5 year restriction also applies to that tech otherwise they'll be tempted to trade it to the Drones.

Our next turn will be MY2137 so when do we release the techs. Doc Mob we can trade in 2137 to the Hive and the Drones(though I am not sure what the Drones can offer back. I suppose we'll find out: maybe ecs or a promise on future tech.

[Hercules]

This from Ambassador Crimson Sunrise

Trade between PEACE and University

Honored Cap'n Hercules,

I must contact you with the details of negotiations between our two factions, as the honored
Ambassador Flubber's private messaging is unavailable, and I am unable to avail myself of his
electronic mail via the Apolyton server.

Ambassador Flubber has correctly surmised that we are currently unable to trade Gene Splicing, due
to technical problems. However, Ethical Calculus is still very much available, should you be
interested.

We have also noted the Hive's recent completion of two secret projects. Although we do not
currently have a concrete long-term policy towards the Hive, that faction has been much
mentioned of late in Faculty discussions.

Regards,

Ambassador Crimson Sunrise
Department of Foreign Affairs
Planet University of Technology

[Hercules]

This my reply: essentially a warm, friendly but holding message.

Trade between PEACE and University

Respected Ambassador Crimson Sunrise. Thank you for your Communication. I will post it in our forum for
Ambassador Flubbers attention. In deed his PM seems to filled/ overflowing. I will get him to contact you. From
the discussions just recently on the techs you have to offer, I believe there was feeling that the tech trade for
Ethical Calculus was being looked upon favourably.

I would expect Ambassador Flubber to be in contact very soon regarding the exact details of a trade.

Btw is Gene Splicing the tech you are currently researching. If so there might be the prospect of future trades.
If not we would be interested in what you are researching with a view to co-ordinating research programmes or
exchange.

We too have noted the Hive's achievements and like you, have not formulated a long term policy.

[Flubber]

PUT--- GOOD -- I propose we make the trade with the PUT-- timing to be determined

DRones-- mongoose indicated he is no longer acting as ambassador and has forwarded my message to buster

Maniac-- I sent a message inquiring if doc flex for nonlin would be possible-- I presented it as tech for tech and having no effect on the owed tech from the ind auto deal. I also indicated that doc flex should go to them the turn before they would discover it so we could get our tech back immediately, avoiding any questions of valuing getting a tech earlier.

Hive -- no further contacts-- there offer seemed to be a standing one and it would take the cycon and put time to find them anyway

[johndmuller]

Trading Doc:Flex for Ethical Calc with the PUT is fine with me; I presume that there will be some attempt to embargo its retrading, whether by just asking for it, offering a similar embargo on the EthCalc, paying something extra (like 20 PoE), agreeing to a Pact, or whatever. So far, they seem to be much more reasonable about things than our supposed buddies, the Borg; so I wouldn't really be disappointed if improved relations with the PUT soured our relations with the Borg (we are not, after all, under any obligation with the Borg to dislike the PUT), as they do not seem to me to be doing all that well anyway, making them not so great an ally. If we don't pact with the PUT, we should probably infiltrate them next, if for no other reason than to know for sure how well they are doing.

It will be interesting to see if the Borg are willing to do the NonLinear.

WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT (DEFENSIVE) PROBES.

[Hercules]

Cap'n Hercules sits down with Psi Nuke parrot on shoulder (to show no worries about radiation) and awaits feedback to Cap'n Flubbers bottles and emissary pigeons.

He hopes that the good ship PMS Tiger Shark is successful in probing Miriam soon, survives and returns to a port near a research faction.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by johndmuller
WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT (DEFENSIVE) PROBES.

I agree-- an infantry probe in every base or our tech lead won't be worth crap-- its hard to defend seabases against proberape but we should be scouting aggressively and have a minimum one defender in each base-- The upside is that they will need to hide numerous probeships to proberape us and those will be expensive-- I am thinking about a thread on some sort of SEafarers code in the general forum. In general, I don't want a probeship within 4 tiles of any of our bases and we will send any such probes home.

As for retrading . . . I had hoped to trade the crap out of doc flex ASAP anyway-- it would take the UNiversity a turn to build a boat and then at least 4 or 5 to find anyone that doesn't already have the tech.

With BOTH AI's having the tech I don't see much point in delaying the trading much further. The we should soon be selling commlinks-- I'm thinking of offering to sell the cycon and the PUT each others commlinks-- hoping to get paid twice for it-- I would hold off on the Hive/drone links for a while but I do want to get in ahead of them meeting each other

[foolish_icarus]

concerning the commlinks- Do we want to hold out on trading them in the hopes that we can gain a planetary governor nomination, or do we write that off and get what we can for the comms before the other facs meet?

[Flubber]

Originally posted by foolish_icarus
concerning the commlinks- Do we want to hold out on trading them in the hopes that we can gain a planetary governor nomination, or do we write that off and get what we can for the comms before the other facs meet?

With our current 4th place standing, an inability to pull an easy pop boom, and the Hive rapidly growing, I highly doubt we will be a candidate in the first round of governor voting . .. . The drones have a unity foil and two factions already have doc flex so the election will be called within 15 years IMHO-- I can't realistically see how we will be in governorship range unless we manage a major conquest in that time ( not possible)

[Flubber]

Latest news

The cycon will give us HEC as their next discovery if we give them DOC FLEX immediately. They did not want to get nonlinear for us. They are still offering to sell it for 80 or 90 ec but again it must be immediate.

They seem to be impatient and have indicated that doc flex pre-accepted on their next turn is a necessary condition of any deal. Other wise they say they will buy doc flex from the AI.

I expressed dismay at this position and stated I would seek instructions.


personally I see two choices

1. tell them to buzz off-- we are tired of their unbalanced dealings-- result: we get nothing from doc flex from them but they still do owe us a tech-- I believe they will go for eth calc if they are not bound otherwise

2. Make the cash deal and tie that into them going for HEC to complete the old deal

Although my total frustration with them makes me like the idea of option 1, they probably will get Doc flex from the AI this turn anyway so we might as well trade to them and get something back.

[Hercules]

Regretably I am inclined to agree with going for a variation of option 2, I prefer a tech back later, rather than 80 ecs now. Which I suppose is their original offer.

But have they accepted the 5 year no trade Doc:Flex deal. If no, then we might want to reconsider.

I asked before, will the AI trade with them. They(Cycon) indicated they didn't before because they didn't have the ecs. Now they do have the ecs. So? What's the odds on the AI trading.

If it comes to it I prefer delivering the tech by trading for HEC, this will also make them speed up to get rid of their obligation.

How important is getting HEC to us, in a specific timeframe.