Morgan Industries DECLARES WAR!

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Googlie
It's a random event - it can be turned off at game set up (just click the "Bell Curve" option)

Are you sure? I seem to remember sunspots aren't affected by Bell Curve. Eg, as you say, ACDG2 didn't have random events, yet we still got sunspots.

Btw, if Buster didn't select Bell Curve, how come we haven''t gotten any random event yet?

[Modo44]

Originally posted by Googlie
"We took out your armored rover crawler as recompense for your mind-controlling the Hunter........................ and we destroyed your HQ, and the Planetary Transit System, because ..................... well, because we are Spartans"

Why tell them the obvious facts? They'll know, so it has little effect. (Except if we're obligued to do a damage report. Are we?)

I'd send something like this:
"We took out your crawler as recompense for your mind-controlling the Hunter........................ and as our units were in the area, we considered your former HQ good training grouds for shock tactics. Enjoy."

[Googlie]

Originally posted by Maniac

Btw, if Buster didn't select Bell Curve, how come we haven''t gotten any random event yet?

They don't appear before turn 2150 - and each turn thereafetr it's a random "throw of the dice" - they just haven't landed on sunspots yet

Are you sure? I seem to remember sunspots aren't affected by Bell Curve. Eg, as you say, ACDG2 didn't have random events, yet we still got sunspots.

Prima Guide says they are a random event (unlike perhilion, which is cyclical, not random)

And I erred in my memory - I had them activated in ACDG2:

[Maniac]

I'm wondering, would it be possible to edit the game mid-game, so that sunspots would disappear?

[Snoddasmannen]

Don't be too hasty Maniac, it might be to our advantage, what with our 10 or 20 year trade embargo

[Googlie]

It's not a trtade embargo - just a commerce income cessasion for those ten or twenty years - trades can still be conducted during sanctions

And, no, I don't think that even Kody's CMN intervention tool would let the settings be changed - they are hard coded into each gamesave the same as the #Units section of the rules is hard coded (and in any event, I don't think Buster ever visited the CMN site that I'd set up where Kody explained his tool (the "Kody Codicil") to Darsnan and me - obviously neither of us could even try as we are both active in this game)

Plus, it'd need a concensus among the five teams for such a change, even if it were possible

[Modo44]

Could we agree with the Angels, that they would let us probe them for IntInt in case normal communications aren't possible? That's the only thing we'd need in case of a sunspot activity. We won't do much talking to Morgan anyway.

[Googlie]

If we do, then we should divert the Pegasus (after picking up R-112) to Angel territory instead of to Gaian

We'd have to commit to not infiltrating them during this concession (and maybe ask for the co-ordinates of a base to go to where they would move their probe defenders out for a specified period)

A message something like:

"It can't be too long now before we are hit with a 20 year sunspot event, and we are concerned that the onward transmittal to us of Intellectual Integrity would thus be held up for 20 turns.

The normal course of action among Pactmates engaged in tech trading is pre-approved probe action. If you are willing, we have a transport with a probe just exiting Hive waters (en route to pick up a stranded Rover that was how we met the Gaians a number of turns ago).

We could divert that to one of your bases and undertake to only techsteal (We believe that, when researched, Int Int will be the only tech that the Angels have that Sparta lacks)

We'd make landfall with out Probe team to the east of Enigma Nova (which from the Unity wreckage we know is at co-ordinates 20:66) and if you could provide an appropriate base's co-ordinates we'd steer for there (By which you will - correctly - infer that we have not infiltrated the Data Angels)

Would this be acceptable to the Angels?"

[Kassiopeia]

Sounds alright to me, good thinking. I'll wrap that together with the "stay neutral" post.

[Kassiopeia]

Mead sent me this:

I got Googlie's e-mail and I have emptied out my PM in-box so I should be able to recive PMs.

A lot happened since I was away.

I think you received my PM to Googlie informing him that the probe of the Hunter was made in self-defense. If you have not, please let me know and I will forward it onto you.

I understand that you are upset over the loss of the Hunter and seek its return. I understand tht it was serving as a valuable patrol boat in the Northern Sea.

I have a proposal that will better suit your needs of early warning.

I propose that a Spartan observer be placed on the Hunter.

This way you get the benefits of:

Still having a patrol in the Northern Sea;
That costs you nothing to support; and
That is in place now, not two or three turns from now.

If we were to move the Hunter towards a Spartan port that would mean that for those turns before the Hunter's return to its patrol station you would have no coverage. Additionally, waiting until a new boat was constructed and placed on station would take time.

Although the costs in support (both drone control and basic mineral support) to the Corporation are substantial, I think the Corporation would be willing to go ahead with the above plan. It would be nice if the Junta could assist in supporting the costs of the Hunter by crediting 2EC per turn (against Morgan profit sharing payments to the Junta) for the passage of the Spartan observer.


Please let me know what you think.


Mead

PS

I'm still trying to figure out the MODO doctrine. It appears to be an unilateral territorial claim of the Junta. I think we will have to explore territorial claims to the open seas in future discussions. I can see it being in effect against large invasion fleets, but not for small ships engaged in exploration or trade. For now, let's not have any unfriendly actions against Spartan or Morgan forces and just get back to cooperative, profitable, peace.

I assume I will have free reign over what I'm going to respond to him, as long as I drag my feet?

[Modo44]

Originally posted by Mead
If we were to move the Hunter towards a Spartan port that would mean that for those turns before the Hunter's return to its patrol station you would have no coverage. Additionally, waiting until a new boat was constructed and placed on station would take time.

They are so clueless, I can't believe it.

Originally posted by Mead
Although the costs in support (both drone control and basic mineral support) to the Corporation are substantial, I think the Corporation would be willing to go ahead with the above plan. It would be nice if the Junta could assist in supporting the costs of the Hunter by crediting 2EC per turn (against Morgan profit sharing payments to the Junta) for the passage of the Spartan observer.

And trying to make more money with it? Now that calls for action. Hey, wait, we already have things in store.

Originally posted by Mead
I'm still trying to figure out the MODO doctrine. It appears to be an unilateral territorial claim of the Junta.

Look, they did figure one thing out.

Originally posted by Mead
I think we will have to explore territorial claims to the open seas in future discussions. I can see it being in effect against large invasion fleets, but not for small ships engaged in exploration or trade. For now, let's not have any unfriendly actions against Spartan or Morgan forces and just get back to cooperative, profitable, peace.

Is he close to begging? Good.


Keep 'em coming like this, Kassiopeia.

[Snoddasmannen]

I agree with Modo, this is hilarious

I suspect Mead didn't like this decision at all, and is now racing to repair the damages.

by Kassiopeia:
I assume I will have free reign over what I'm going to respond to him, as long as I drag my feet?

Agreed
You have the worlds funniest job right now

But make sure to seem as if we are really upset by this, that will explain why we are dragging our feet. Also, if you happen to fill your PM box so he can't reply, that wouldn't be too bad

[Googlie]

Unmitigated gall, that's what I call it

Our boat is out there about to podpop.

They subvert it (My simulation says it cost them 76 ec's - probe costs doubled with our +2 probe Fundy rating)

They now propose that we get screenies of where it's going (much as we did for them with Mr. Moneypenny)

And that we pay them 2 ec's per turn for getting information from what was our boat in the first place!!

I say we tagteam the trannie from GN and the cruiser coastguard from MT with a crypteia and go looking for the Hunter and subvert it back

EDIT: Hmm - just scenario tested it - we lose the Coastguard cutter With the cutter's morale at Hardened, and the Hunter at very Green, Morgan loses the Hunter every time to a long-range engagement so what'd be the point in a Crypteia in a Trannie anyway? (unless it was going somewhere)

[Snoddasmannen]

Originally posted by Googlie
Unmitigated gall, that's what I call it

Oh I agree, the deal is silly. That's good, it gives Kassi more room for maneuvering

EDIT: Hmm - just scenario tested it - we lose the Coastguard cutter With the cutter's morale at Hardened, and the Hunter at very Green, Morgan loses the Hunter every time to a long-range engagement so what'd be the point in a Crypteia in a Trannie anyway? (unless it was going somewhere)

Just curious, won't new ships be commando? MCC gives them +2, being Fundy Spartans gives us +2, so from Green -> Disciplined -> Hardened -> Veteran -> Commando. What am I missing?

As for the Crypteia, isn't it possible that we can spot the Hunter before we are forced to attack and so capture it with the crypteia in the trannie?

[Zeiter]

Holy Cow! What are the Morganites thinking? They might be trying to lure us into something. After all, they can pump out practically a laser rover at each base each turn, right? Isn't that a bit of a problem? Can we still accomplish our primary objectives (obliterating the PTS and HGP)? What if they have more defenders built by 2158? Do we let them waste cost on support and wait to build up a proper invasion force? Or do we still do our quick hit and run?

Just imagine how wicked we'll look if we overrun Morgan too, right after overrunning Zak! Although that could be bad. We could find ourselves in a 2 or 3 vs. 1 game very quickly. Although the fact that the Morgans transgressed first helps immensely in the diplomatic sphere. But I think we need to plan this out extremely carefully and meticulously beforehand, leaving no room for any error or doubt that we will be successful.