Drone Diplomatic Exchanges

[Illuminatus]

And Hive-Drones are beating us?

He must have realised, but we must send a reply as soon as possible - (nothing to lose). And we have to try to probe them about their relationship with Hive, could be useful as CC-PUT unification is nearing.

[Maniac]

I can't believe this. Would buster really be falling for this???

Here are his mails:

---

cycon map 2154

Here comes a bunch of data

regards
buster

---

From that we can deduce the Drones have probed PUT at least three times this turn: Neural Grafting, SotHB, and last stealing the PUT map. It also gives us some nice details about Drone credit production and map.

Next follow-up mail of buster, information about us. Posting for the record, but just skip it, as we already know it all.

---

FYI - in case I forgot to mention - we got the cycon map from probing uni which is interesting in its own right.
It should be noted the data are from our turn - Cycon will have had a turn before it gets your turn - so you need to take that into account.

Cyborg data:

researching air power - estimated completion 14 turns (however as widespread cooperation with uni is obvious in reality they will probably get it in three).

Of techs you dont posses they have:

biogen
HEC
Synth Fossil Fuel
Secrets of human brain

Further uni has: (meaning Cycon could trade / request them)

Neural grafting
Env. econ
Eco engineering


Energy reserves:
50

Net income:
52 / year

Units:

Formers 12 - 2 in production
Scouts 9
Supply crawler 5 (7 in production)
Unity rover 1
battle ogre mk1 1
impact marines (4-1-1 marine special) 4
CCS Loveboat (4-3-6) 1
Probe defence (probe on infantry chassis) 3
Supply Mk9 (supply crawler with 3t armor) 3 (seems they are making a dash for PEG)
Impact cruiser (4-1-6) 3
Amfib impact speeder (4-1-2 marine) 1
CCS Mammoth (cruiser transport 3 armor) 1
plasma garisson (1-3-1) 3
Probe skimship (foil probe) 1
CCS impaler (cruiser transport 1 armor) 1
Boy scout (1-1-1 marine) 2
Trance scout (1-1-1 trance) 0 (3 in production)

As is visible they are PT producing crawlers - formers & trancescouts (garissons for conquered cities)


City production & turns to complete:

Apolyton prime - crawler 4
Triplex - rec common 1
Megabyteville - rec common 11
pi square - crawler 1
logic loop - crawler 1
liars lair - trance scout 2
thermal tassagrad - trance scout 2
boolean bay - crawler 5
aurora - crawler 3
athena anchorage - rec commomns 5
dbtsverse portal - former 3
zetaris - crawler 1
mythical matrix - rec common 28
binary bastion - crawler 9
casablanca - trance scout 2
and/or gate - former 3

Garissons:
Athena anchorage - CCS love boat - 50% damage + Marine scout
triplex - scout + 2 defensive probes
Megabyteville - marine scout
Binar bastion - scout
boolean bay - plasma garisson
Aurora - scout
Logic loop - ogre
Apolyton prime - scout
Mythical matrix - scout
And or gate - scout
Zetaris - scout
Pi square - scout
DBTS - reverse portal - scout

Unaccounted for (Probably coming your way)
1 scout
1 unity rover
4 impact marines
1 probe defender
3 impact cruisers
1 amphibious impact speeder
2 plasma garissons
1 probe skimship
2 cruiser transports - one of them armor class 3
1 marine scout

regards
buster

---

Odd though that he doesn't post the garrisons of the bases that are unexplored by him. It's as if he doesn't know he can check F4.

Anyway, I replied like this, following Impaler's suggestion. (The layout got a bit screwed up by hotmail - sorry.

---

Wow - thanks for all that information!! :-)
> Though it also makes me sad. :-( They have a decent number of ships and offensive marines in our vicinity so it seems, so even if we get Synthetic > Fossil Fuels from you soon, we probably still won't survive very long. Our > vengeance would have to be realized by another faction, hopefully with us as
> members of it. ;-) Therefore I'm wondering, will you in the future attack > the CyCon? And what would the Hive do? They are the allies of both of us, > but also of the Consciousness we know, so we don't know their position > clearly. :-(

---

He replied:

---

I understand if it seems a bit hopeless - the cycon apparently also
considers it pretty much a done thing as their production shows.

We have a pretty firm alliance with Hive and there can only be so many winners. Geographically though Cycon are not in our immediate reach so an invasion is not at this point a realistic option.

As I see it - it is only a matter of time. How long we will see. I would think it may be rather soon but it depends how things develop.

regards
buster

---

Not a really informative answer unfortunately. Btw, what else can I ask or reply before he realizes his mistake??

To the Gods: this is legal right? AFAIK it can be perfectly explained by eg infiltrating the PEACE networks and contacting the drones imposing as PEACE representatives, and imitating PEACE protocols etc.

[Googlie]

If your original message had purported to be from PEACE, I'd have considered it shady, to say the least - but you were open, and the mistake was Buster's, so capitalizing on it was, IMHO, permissable

Generally speaking I could condone any in-game duplicity. using the terranx in-game mechanics, but I do get irked when players try to exploit the 'Poly protocols (like Kody trying to infiltrate the other private forums, although I don't think he succeeded - all he managed to do was go into and out of the Hive, much as I was able to with CyCon as Rynn)

Tass - what's your take on this?

G.

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Googlie

Tass - what's your take on this?

G.

Whats my take?



On the legality side of it, I see nothing barring it from happening.
The Drones are the ones giving out the information. While it is a bit unethical for CyCon to be exploiting the Drones....moment of confusiong there are no rules against it.
Plus, Maniac did sign it to his name, correct?
(If YES: See? )
(If NO: Googlie, let's talk on MSN.)

[GeoModder]

So, as long as Maniac subscribes with at least 'Maniac' in his messages to Buster, it's ok to follow up this line of questioning?

Or is that not necessary anymore?

Btw, way to go Maniac

[Nubclear]

Personally, I would think that it isn't even required. Just as long as he isn't signing it as someone else, it'll be fine.

[Maniac]

Glad to hear it isn't forbidden.

Btw, what else can I ask?? Information about us we know ourselves, questions about drone internal affairs would look odd as this is not the subject, and unless someone can come up with a non-suspicious message, it would look odd as well if we further asked about Drone-Hive relationship or Drone->CC-PUT attack plans while he already answered the question vaguely.
The best I can come up with is telling them thay we'll offer AdapEcon in our turn, but if the truth then comes out after the drone turn, it would only delay things for one turn.

Edit: Btw, another thing this affair shows is that the Drones are indeed run by buster alone, without much or without any input from all the other drone members. How else could it be explained that buster is falling for this? After all I assume that, if they knew about these mails, that some other drones who I also sent PMs to (eg jtsisyoda) or who were active in the previous ACDG (eg Main_Brain) would know that I'm no pirate.

[Skanky Burns]

Superb work, capitalizing on that!

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by Maniac
Glad to hear it isn't forbidden.

Btw, what else can I ask??

I sended a PM to Maniac already, but for the forum:

Let's try to find out how far the Drones want to go.
Ask them if they are willing to offer sanctuary (a base) near Drone territory, and what price they would ask for that. Answer will probably be Adap Econ, but asking can't harm. Just not tell explicit what we (as PEACE) have to offer or willing to offer. That keeps a line open for future messages.

Originally posted by Maniac
Edit: Btw, another thing this affair shows is that the Drones are indeed run by buster alone, without much or without any input from all the other drone members.

A thought, keep in mind that it can be a trick from Buster as well. Can't think of a reason what profit he would gain be that, but needs to be said.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by GeoModder
Let's try to find out how far the Drones want to go.
Ask them if they are willing to offer sanctuary (a base) near Drone territory, and what price they would ask for that. Answer will probably be Adap Econ, but asking can't harm. Just not tell explicit what we (as PEACE) have to offer or willing to offer. That keeps a line open for future messages.

Won't that be odd, as in direct contradiction with my supposed previous request if we could join the Drones after our destruction?

A thought, keep in mind that it can be a trick from Buster as well. Can't think of a reason what profit he would gain be that, but needs to be said.

I've considered that as well. For example him saying what we want to hear, thereby deluding us: saying that an invasion of CyCon is not realistic. Though on the other side, he would be going really far if he gave his enemies a screenshot with his mini-map and credit production info on it.

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by Maniac


Won't that be odd, as in direct contradiction with my supposed previous request if we could join the Drones after our destruction?

Say something like that some other captains would prefer to stay PEACE if possible, with the benefit of having sea minerals and free naval yards. Just infaction argues.

[Maniac]

Sounds good. Send this mail then?:

---

Hi buster,

>Geographically though Cycon are not in our immediate reach so an invasion is
>not at this point a realistic option.

A pity, but we have patience. :-) Btw, due to our PUT pact infiltration information I noticed that you have a needlejet hanging over Gold Coast, a base of PUT, the ally of CyCon. Hasn't the "world war" for revenge already started then yet?? :-)

Anyway, regarding our possible destruction and moving to another faction, some captains would prefer to remain as PEACE if possible, due to the advantage of naval yards, aquatic minerals etc. So we were wondering, if we could get a unit near your territory, would you be willing to cede a base to us to act as a safe haven? We would of course be willing to richly replay you for this, and the CyCon info you provided. :-) And having an ally with aquatic ability etc could also prove useful for you.

Read you later,

Peter (so not to mention my nick Maniac and possibly start him thinking)

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by Maniac
Sounds good. Send this mail then?:

---

Hi buster,

>Geographically though Cycon are not in our immediate reach so an invasion is
>not at this point a realistic option.

A pity, but we have patience. :-) Btw, due to our PUT pact infiltration information I noticed that you have a needlejet hanging over Gold Coast, a base of PUT, the ally of CyCon. Hasn't the "world war" for revenge already started then yet?? :-)

Anyway, regarding our possible destruction and moving to another faction, some of my fellow faction members would prefer to remain as our current faction if possible. So we were wondering, if PEACE could get a unit near your territory, would you be willing to cede a base to us to act as a safe haven? We would of course be willing to richly replay you for this, and the CyCon info you provided. :-) And having an ally with aquatic ability, naval yards etc could also prove useful for you.

Read you later,

Peter (so not to mention my nick Maniac and possibly start him thinking)

Made some changes. As it is now, you're not outright lying about being a PEACE member. It is something a CyCon member can ask with a straight face.
I'll put it in words like that just in case of the Powers That Be. Not completely convinced that they won't put a line under it suddenly if it gets too outrageous

And do you mean 'replay' or 'repay'?

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Maniac

Peter (so not to mention my nick Maniac and possibly start him thinking)

Hmm....This is kind of bordering.....

[Illuminatus]

He meant repay.

If it is bordering the why not leave out signature?