Drone Diplomatic Exchanges

[Maniac]

Nope, all the probes of CPU all have 1 movement point, and thus none 2 MPs.

Anyway, the turn is with buster now, so I felt I should send at least something back to buster in reply to his latest message. This is it:

Hi buster,

Glad to hear no invasion has started.
I hope to hear more from you soon after you've discussed with your team mates.

Greetings,

Mani Alpha-3

Btw, should I in a next message also say something like "I hope that, besides not engaging in direct acts of war, you will also refrain from indirect acts of war such as sending infiltration information or military technology to our enemies."

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by Maniac

Btw, should I in a next message also say something like "I hope that, besides not engaging in direct acts of war, you will also refrain from indirect acts of war such as sending infiltration information or military technology to our enemies."

Yes, certainly.

[Maniac]

Okay, though I already sent him a PM under the name Maniac, under my "true" identity of cyborg, he still sent me the following mail, apparently thinking I'm a pirate. Either buster is:
a) an absent-minded and unobservant fellow whose intelligence I start to doubt, or
b) someone who's playing really strange games with us. But I don't see at all what advantage he could get out of this.

The mail:

---

Sorry just realised I never answered you.

At this point we are busy getting built up.
The plane was just to clear out some probe defense so we could steal some
techs we needed.

At this point our resources are tied up mainly in keeping the pop boom
running - getting tree farms etc. built.and keeoping drone riots in check.
Diplomatic maneuvering is happening and we are course watching for any
millitary build up starting within uni and watching out for probeships and
such so I guess you could call it war but it is low intensity and we
realistically it will probably stay so for a while yet. Once we get fusion
units get significantly cheaper and if we can get a wiundow of say 10 turns
where we have fusion and they don't we should be able to mass ebnough units
and hit them before they have an effective response. I reckon we can be
there in about 25 turns or so.

Until then it is only if troop movements or production goes to a threatening
level that we will consider changing plans. Time is on our side so with
patience we will get there.

I know this is not much comfort to you in the current situation but if you
manage to get in reach we will do whatever we can to keep you alive
including sending planes or choppers for your defense.

Any news on the tech trade. I have sent you all the techs CC/Put has this
turn including DAP which uni is now getting. They are pre-accepted as I
thought you would want them fast. I expect you will respond by sending the
ones we requested (progen psych, nonlin math, dov initiative & adaptive
econ). I believe Hive informed you on this already.. CC is building PEG -
pity but that was to be expected they will still be usefull.

Good luck .

regards
buster

---

Notice btw "I believe Hive informed you on this already..". Either he's trying to set us up against each other, or the Hive is obviously lying about their cooperation with PEACE. I guess we could notice when we get the PUT turn, whether they have signed a pact with PUT, and whether they have received techs from PEACE.
Btw, do you guys think telling PEACE that the Hive sent us infiltration info on them could still prevent tech trades between those two? In other words, is it worth sending the message with our current knowledge?

[Illuminatus]

Errm I think he is trying to play with us - he can`t be so stupid.

I don`t think that will change anything- PEACE are desperate and they will use anyones help to survive.

[Maniac]

So what would be his goal? Convincing us that it would be a bad idea for us to start a military build-up?

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by Maniac
So what would be his goal? Convincing us that it would be a bad idea for us to start a military build-up?

You said it yourself.

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by Maniac by PM of Buster
Any news on the tech trade. I have sent you all the techs CC/Put has this
turn including DAP which uni is now getting. They are pre-accepted as I
thought you would want them fast. I expect you will respond by sending the
ones we requested (progen psych, nonlin math, dov initiative & adaptive
econ). I believe Hive informed you on this already.. CC is building PEG -
pity but that was to be expected they will still be usefull.

I don't recall Buster asking on you as PEACE-Maniac about the techs mentioned above. Does this mean he has contact with the real pirates as well, and has found out his mistake, or is he sending PM's to all pirates as a matter of case? I'm just assuming that he thought you're his best contact now among PEACE.
This can be an indication that he has seen his mistake and actively tries to exploit it in luring us.

Originally posted by Maniac by PM of BusterBtw, do you guys think telling PEACE that the Hive sent us infiltration info on them could still prevent tech trades between those two? In other words, is it worth sending the message with our current knowledge?

Ah, I thought we informed PEACE about that already? Well, in case you're not the only 'pirate' were Buster has contact with and this tech deal is about to happen, send it through! Btw, if ithis deal is pre-accepted, doesn't that mean that PEACE can accept those techs and not giving anything back in return?

[GeoModder]

[QUOTE] Originally posted by Maniac
I know this is not much comfort to you in the current situation but if you
manage to get in reach we will do whatever we can to keep you alive
including sending planes or choppers for your defense./QUOTE]

I suppose this means we need to assimilate any base which changes production to a sea colony pod ASAP.
We'll even have to be on the lookout if Drones or Hive transfers energy to PEACE so they can force build a sea colony pod next turn. They cannot be allowed to escape!!

[Maniac]

I don't recall Buster asking on you as PEACE-Maniac about the techs mentioned above.

Here in his first mail thinking I was a pirate, he spoke about wanting ProgPsych & AdapEcon. Don't know about anything else though.

Btw, if ithis deal is pre-accepted, doesn't that mean that PEACE can accept those techs and not giving anything back in return?

Yes.

I suppose this means we need to assimilate any base which changes production to a sea colony pod ASAP.
We'll even have to be on the lookout if Drones or Hive transfers energy to PEACE so they can force build a sea colony pod next turn. They cannot be allowed to escape!!

Indeed. Though personally I'm more concerned now about PEACE hurrying a missile or impact needlejet. All our units would be more or less sitting ducks.

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by Maniac
Indeed. Though personally I'm more concerned now about PEACE hurrying a missile or impact needlejet. All our units would be more or less sitting ducks.

Might be worth it then to steal energy from PEACE. That probe near Little Accident perhaps? Or the probe foil on its way north when passing Calico?

Btw, that missing boat from Atlantis last turn, if that one is on its way north, it might come in time by the Drones to 'conquer' a Drone seabase. Do we now if they have one? That way PEACE would be under the defense umbrella of the Drones.

[Drogue]

Let's take out PEACE ASAP. That way they can't continue trading.

We need to either outtech Drones/Hive to Fusion and pop boom, or we need to hit them before they get it. We can put all the units under the control of one faction (CyCon?) and keep the other at FM, teching fast, while out units can still attack. That way we can cope with a war better than them. If we can attack the Drones, slow them down, and possibly take some bases, or at least soften them up for a major assult, then we stand a chance of beating them overall. Without the Hive joining the war, which I doubt, we stand a god chance of doing some damage.

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by Drogue
Without the Hive joining the war, which I doubt, we stand a god chance of doing some damage.

They'll never sit idle if hostilities continue between PUT and Drones, that's for sure.

[Drogue]

You reckon? Maybe after the join they won't, but I think they might do for a while. We could even try to get them to join us

[Maniac]

GeoModder:

Might be worth it then to steal energy from PEACE

Hurrying by energy credits isn't really the problem: PEACE has very little cash. IMHO the risk is them using their crawlers to hurry a prototype.

Btw, that missing boat from Atlantis last turn, if that one is on its way north

Previous turn it went southwest. We could see this as PUT is pacted with PEACE, and we could see in the "forces supported" box to which coordinates the ship was moving.

Drogue:

Without the Hive joining the war, which I doubt
***
You reckon? Maybe after the join they won't, but I think they might do for a while. We could even try to get them to join us

*sigh* Drogue, you're still being blinded by HongHu's sweet words in the past. Show us any reliable sign that the Hive intends to cooperate with us.
I just opened the PUT turn btw a Hivean posted in the turn tracking thread. The Hive has cancelled the pact with CyCon...

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by Maniac
I just opened the PUT turn btw a Hivean posted in the turn tracking thread. The Hive has cancelled the pact with CyCon...

The end time is near ....