Turn Planning/Reports

[GeneralTacticus]

Well, planning is mainly what you'd be doing anyway. In a DG where we had more people, you'd have to be elected and your position would be a bit more clearly defined... however, in this case, there's no need for that, and basically you'd just be the one making suggestions for what to build, and coming up with plans (like the one you did for the VW).

[Minute Mirage]

Originally posted by GeneralTacticus
Well, planning is mainly what you'd be doing anyway. In a DG where we had more people, you'd have to be elected and your position would be a bit more clearly defined... however, in this case, there's no need for that, and basically you'd just be the one making suggestions for what to build, and coming up with plans (like the one you did for the VW).

I guess that's fine then. If nobody else wants it, I can take the job.

[AdamTG02]

Sounds like a plan. Congratulations on your new position. Just FYI, there's no set style on how to run things -- you can lead by gathering input from everyone
(which is what I generally try to do with Science), or you can lead by coming up with stellar plans that persuade others based on their promised effectiveness. There's no set procedure, which seems appropriate for a Frontier society. (Did we go Democracy when we got to EthCal, by the way? Even if we have, we have few enough people and a broad enough consensus that polling doesn't really seem all that necessary.)

[Minute Mirage]

Originally posted by AdamTG02
Sounds like a plan. Congratulations on your new position. Just FYI, there's no set style on how to run things -- you can lead by gathering input from everyone
(which is what I generally try to do with Science), or you can lead by coming up with stellar plans that persuade others based on their promised effectiveness. There's no set procedure, which seems appropriate for a Frontier society. (Did we go Democracy when we got to EthCal, by the way? Even if we have, we have few enough people and a broad enough consensus that polling doesn't really seem all that necessary.)

We haven't changed to Democracy yet, and if we happen to get the VW, we're not in an absolute hurry to do that at least as far as b-drones are concerned. Anyway, polling does seem quite unnecessary with only half a dozen people.

Oh and btw, is there an official name for this extremely important position?

[GeneralTacticus]

No, we haven't changed to Demo yet, and until we can finish the first phase of our expansion, we probably shouldn't (those ten mins are very handy).

[AdamTG02]

Makes sense.

[Mr. President]

Hey everybody.

New username for me, new message from the Pirates for us.

Honored Crimson Sunrise

This message is merely to touch base with our friends. During my absence I see that we had some successful dealings and I wish for our friendship to prosper.

It is my hope to begin amiable discussions so that we might deepen our friendship. I have no instructions to pursue any specific trades at the moment but we are traders, willing to consider all sorts of dealings. If there is ANYTHING you desire of us, please do not hesitate to contact me.

It is our greatest wish to work together in friendship to our mutual benefit.

Ambassador Flubber

Whatcha think, everyone?

[AdamTG02]

Sounds good. We should probably weigh our options before making an offer, but we do know that they have DocFlex, which we might find very useful... so that's one possible item that we could seek out a price for.

But just what are we willing to trade for this technology, given that the Pirates are our competitors? Ideally, we'd trade them a tech for an SP that we don't want, but they might find useful enough to give us their specialty. However, I'm not precisely sure if there are any techs which fit this description.

The technologies we have available are:

Centauri Ecology
Doctrine: Mobility (which we know the Pirates have)
Information Networks
Biogenetics
Social Psych
Industrial Base
Ethical Calculus
Planetary Networks
Secrets of the Human Brain
Industrial Automation

The Pirates may have many or most of these; I'm unsure of exactly what they have. But of these, I think the one that is the best trade for us is Ethical Calculus. It allows them to take Democracy, which would encourage them to adopt a less militaristic strategy, discouraging an attack. Because it leads to Gene Splicing and beyond, it's valuable enough for them to give us Flexibility for it. And it gives no Secret Projects, which works to our benefit. True, it might allow the Pirates to begin growing sooner... but their growth would be of limited effect without the infrastructure necessary to support it, which would come only with time and terraforming. EthCal will not help them terraform quicker.

If they do pass us on Loyalty and Integrity and get the Citizen's Defense Force, at least they're mostly sea, and thus can't realize its full effects; it'd help them against marines, but not against ships.

Another option is to offer Secrets of the Human Brain at first, and then EthCal if that's turned down. With the free tech already reaped, and the Empath Guild from its successor tech Centauri Empathy disabled, Secrets doesn't give them very much. However, the danger is that they realize this, and ask for unfair bargains on their end in turn.

Would we in any case be willing to give two techs, or a tech plus ECs, for DocFlex? I myself might be willing to give EthCal and Secrets, but that'd be the limit. (Note I said "might.") ECs are likely off the table if we want to complete the VW on schedule -- but, for bargaining purposes, we had best not let the pirates know that.

Any thoughts? Criticisms? Counter-assessments?

[Minute Mirage]

The pirates would seem to lack only three techs that we have (according to the in-game trade screen): Biogenetics, Ethical Calculus and Secrets Of The Human Brain.

I'd personally be looking for Applied Physics at least in some trade, because we are going to need the military techs sooner or later and it would be better to spend our time researching something other than level 1 techs. I think it's quite likely that the pirates have AP, because they have met the cyborgs and traded with them, and IIRC the cyborgs start with AP.

Not that we shouldn't look for Doctrine: Flexibility, if they are willing to part with it. Perhaps we should offer them two level 2 techs (SotHB and Ethical Calculus) for one level 2 tech (D:F) and one level 1 tech (AP)? Although we shouldn't probably offer this deal at the beginning, instead starting with an offer of Ethical Calculus and 20 ECs (we can afford about that) for D:F. This would of course mean that they have almost all the techs we have, but it would speed our research towards Doctrine: Airpower and Mind/Machine Interface.

Now, at what stage would be willing to trade? We haven't decided yet what techs to research after Gene Splicing, but should we continue to head for the restriction lifting techs, then gaining a few techs via trading would slow our research. However, if we wait too long, the pirates may already have obtained the techs we'd like to trade elsewhere. I do think that if we can get Doctrine: Flexibility, we should take it as soon as possible, so that we can build probe foils or whatever to really start exploring and meeting other trading partners.

[Mr. President]

I bow to your superior judgment.

Once we decide what - if anything - we want to trade, I'll write Flubber back.

[AdamTG02]

I agree with most of what has been said. If those three techs are the three we choose from, it seems to me that Biogenetics is the one we'll want to hold back -- as the Human Genome Project would be a very useful SP for us. As for what to trade for, can we "trade" for the Cyborg commlink frequency? I'm aware that we have all the PC commlinks already, mechanics-wise, but have agreed not to use them. Can we trade with the Pirates for the rights to contact the Cybernetic Consciousness? If so, that would be a higher priority than Applied Physics in my mind.

[Minute Mirage]

Originally posted by AdamTG02
I agree with most of what has been said. If those three techs are the three we choose from, it seems to me that Biogenetics is the one we'll want to hold back -- as the Human Genome Project would be a very useful SP for us. As for what to trade for, can we "trade" for the Cyborg commlink frequency? I'm aware that we have all the PC commlinks already, mechanics-wise, but have agreed not to use them. Can we trade with the Pirates for the rights to contact the Cybernetic Consciousness? If so, that would be a higher priority than Applied Physics in my mind.

I'm not sure how great a chance we have at getting the HGP, but it would certainly be nice for us. As for the Cyborgs, I do agree that getting into contact with them would be very important. Perhaps a trade of Secrets of the Human Brain + Ethical Calculus for Doctrine: Flexibility and the Cyborgs' comm link?

[Mr. President]

So, what should I tell Flubber when I write back?

[GeneralTacticus]

I'd say tell him we're interested in acquiring Doc:Flex and the CyCon commlink, and suggest Ethical Calculus and some ECs as a prelimianry offer - if they reject it, we can throw in Secrets as well.

[Minute Mirage]

Well, the Hive have finally finished their turn and it looks like they were busy: they have started two secret projects, namely The Human Genome Project and The Planetary Transit System. How likely is it for them to have Industrial Automation at this point? Any thoughts on how long it would take them to finish the projects?

Another issue I've thought about is the defence of our bases. I'd feel a lot safer if at least the coastal bases and the ones next to the fungus had a trance scout to defend them against sealurks and mind worms.