Permanent Pact Issue

[Snowflake]

The CyCons has presented their wish to permanently pacted with us. We are already commited to the Drones. Now we need to decide what we want to do with regard to the CyCons, and what we are going to tell them.

Options are:
1. Go for three team victory. I personally like this but I understand that it will have a hard time to be accepted by the Drones. And some of you may feel that is unecessary also.
2. Stick with the Drones, pact with the CyCons and tell them right away that we cann't commit to them. This may cause some bad feelings amoung the CyCons.
3. Stick with the Drones and pact with the CyCons. But do not tell them that it is not possible for us to win with them right away. When we tell them the truth later, will they feel betrayed?
4. Stick with the Drones and pact with the CyCons. Do not tell them we are not intending to win with them ever. Backstab them when time arrives. I understand this may be a good strategy militarily, but I am personally against it in principle.
5. Stick with the Drones and pact with the CyCons. Tell them that we need time to make the decision. And wait to see which option would be the best for us.

[Googlie]

CMN talk here:

Hmmm - how I wish I'd turned off co-operative victory. But I didn't.

A 3 way pact with 2 builders and a researcher versus 2 players (researcher and explorer) would be so unbalanced ........... (regardless of what the 2 AI factions do)

And isn't there another possible choice? (maybe even series of choices)

Pact with the CyCons and find a way to "fall out" with the Drones and abrogate the pact with them

(but that might send them into the arms of the Uni/Pirates - which of course would make for a much, much better game ......)

G.

[Kody]

Wrote this to drones, and too lazy to rewrite it addressing the hive.

From the looks of it we're going to ask the cycon to "wait and see" with respect to the joint-victory pact they've offered.

After the invasion of the university I hope the vote will be to drop the cycon pact and give them a 15 year cool off period (from the hive only). Finally revealing that we've already commited to the drones. Or tell them that we're commited to the drones, and let them decide what they want to do.

There's pressure to "use" the cycon, then betray them. However, I'm strongly against that, and I hope our only diplomatic manevouring will only be to forstall a possible university-cycon alliance.

[Kody]

Googlie wrote:
Pact with the CyCons and find a way to "fall out" with the Drones and abrogate the pact with them

Well I feel that we have made a much stronger commitment to the drones than we have to the cycon. Also you're forgetting Googlie that our commitment to the cycon was made when we were supposed to have no communication.

Which makes me think, what do people say if we just tell the cycon that we've decided we don't want to pact.

(NOTE: Googlie was trying to list all the possibilities)

[Rokossovky]

The Chairman, John, and myself have come to an agreement regarding the CyCon. We feel that it would be prudent to sign a non-permanent pact (I am suggesting 30 years) and inform them at the conclusion of this time frame we may considering finding a way to withdraw from the Drone pact, but for now, that is what we can offer.

As for what we'd really be doing, it is just that. We all want to have a pact with cycon, that is no in question. Right now, however, we all realise that the drones are our best allies and we cannot abandon them. For right now, we won't, BUT our opinions may change over time, we will see.

What do you think HongHu, Vev, Jamski (anybody)?

- Rokossovky

[Kody]

I thought the whole idea of a permi-pact was that we don't abandon them.

[Snowflake]

Just couldn't resist to interrupt my own work and come post in the forum a little bit.

My reading of Googlie's point is there IS another possibility, that we do not stick on our word and betray the Drones. He has not based this option on any pre-condition such as if we had made any commitment toward the CyCons.

Anyway I have not listed it as an option because I simply have not considered it as a real option. It is true that this could make the game more interesting. But I don't see anybody would want to do that. Drones and us are simply too integrated. Our blood and bones are already inseparable. Even if we really wants to be evil we need to have a very bold heart to do that. I suspect the Hive still doesn't have such a great evil heart yet.

[Snowflake]

Can more people vote on this poll? It is about to be closed soon.

[Jamski]

I voted use and betray with no warning. We ARE the Hive, not Lal and the bleeding heart Peacekeepers.

-Jam

[Snowflake]

Poor CyCons. And they thought we were their friends.
:weep:

[Micha]

I voted to have all options open till the end. There´s no way we could tell them now about our strong alliance with the drones, as it woudn´t take more than two days until all other teams knew about it.

Also it´s not a good idea to betray them later. Although it was great for gameplay, we have to keep a good reputation for later actions...

[Jamski]

OK, keep a good reputation, so they'll be REALLY surprised when we do betray them... MUCH later

-Jam