Turns of AXT011 game in Apolyton SMACX Tournament

[MichaeltheGreat]

The players of this game:


Misotu, Cyborgs, misotu@hotmail.com

TigToad, University, Daniel_Tig@msn.com

Tau Ceti, Morgan, larsheg@sensewave.com

Please, read and obey the rules posted on the thread Apolyton 2000 Alpha Centauri PBEM Tournament

You should post turn administration/notification messages below.

[Misotu]

The Consciousness has landed safely on Chiron, but this planet seems hostile. One of our pods is already under attack by worms. Not an auspicious beginning ...

- Mis

[TigToad]

The University scientists have already expanded our first base facility to include our top quality network nodes. While most of the base facility building materials were damaged during land fall and all our bases will be starting with are the network nodes, it appears we were better off than the others who left the shift. Only the Morganites and the Consciousness appeared to have landed successfully. Certainly not the worst of the lot from the Unity...

Tig

[Tau Ceti]

The landing was a sad one for the Morganites, as CEO Morgan himself did not survive. The board of directors has appointed Tau Ceti as the new CEO of Morgan Industries, and it is hoped that he will be able to bring great prosperity to all the people.

Already, a sizeable headquarters has been established, and our engineers have transport vehicles carrying resources from the surrounding terrain back to Morgan Industries. They have discovered some strange terrain features; great monoliths of mystic power. The nature of these monoliths is not yet understood, but the land around them is rich in resources and they can be directly tapped for energy.

One of our scout patrols has reported being attacked by indigenous life forms. The first reports indicate that these 'Mind Worms' have the power to project hallucinations into the human mind. Defensive measures will be taken.

We have started transmissions on all of the frequencies that were used for communication on the Unity, and hope to receive answers soon. At least two other pods seemed to make it to the surface.

[TigToad]

Year two, chief scientist's log:

The land seems ideally suited for research. The few monoliths scatter around the country side are loaded with technical data, I have already put in my request to disect one however the general has said they are too important as inspiration to the troops. Sigh, military men never seem to realize that scientists get them their weapons in the first place.

We have sent and received communication from both the other human factions and can confirm the Cybernetic and Morganite presence on this world. We are a little wary of the massive skill the Morganites have at obtaining money and hope it will not be at our expense. However, peace is on the forefront of all of our minds, at least it seems that way thus far.

Provost TigToad

[Misotu]

Our colony pod survived the mind worm attack due to the heroic intervention of one of our scout patrols. Nevertheless, it is clear that we should look to our defences in this world.

We have received what seem to be friendly overtures from the two other surviving factions and have responded positively. There are several reports, as yet unconfirmed, of large alien settlements in the polar regions of this world. If the reports prove true, we may well have need of human friends.

- Prime Function Misotu

[TigToad]

Grin Mis.. I beat you to it, I took my turn and got up my post before you posted. I do like a fast moving game...

Tig

[Tau Ceti]

We have now been able to contact the other survivors. Attempts to set up peaceful and mutually beneficial trade treaties did not go so well, however. It seems our economists taught the others well on the virtues of greed, and less so on the importance of free markets and commerce. Hopefully they will come to realize that mankind cannot thrive on this alien world if the few survivors isolate themselves from each other.

- CEO Tau Ceti, speaking on MorganLink 3DVision

[Misotu]

(Hop system, hop system)

>>Greetings from Misotu, Prime Function, to you who are part of us and now take human form ...

>>It appears that the new CEO is from the same mould as his predecessor. Our rational and fair request that income from his proposed treaty be divided equally between our two peoples has not been greeted with enthusiasm.

(hop system, Alpha Prime Jump)

>>It is true that we have learned some lessons from Morgan economists. Their short-term thinking and exploitative approach is unattractive to us. Had their eyes not been so firmly fixed on the bottom-line of the Morgan Industries balance sheet, *they* might have learnt much about the benefits to be gained from efficient economic analysis, as practiced by our Functions.

(patch system)

>> A rational analysis of the situation must indicate that there is no benefit to the Consciousness from a treaty that generates income only for the other party.

>>We will continue to negotiate in the hope that reason will prevail. As the fullhuman Morgan observed on many occasions "Ya gotta spend money to make money!"

(hop system, patch system)

>>Elsewhere, our scouts have encountered some minor setbacks. One prime base site earmarked for immediate colonisation was rendered useless by the contents of a unity pod. A second pod has now malfunctioned, covering several rolling acres of formerly arable land with the choking pink fungus so common on this planet.

>>It is clear that the original Unity pod designers were not Cybernetic trained. The design is highly flawed.

(Datalinks jump)

>>On a more positive note, the founding of new bases has provided shelter for our Functions and a timely boost to our research.

>>A datafile containing a saved game has now been transmitted to the University.

(Transmission Ends)

[Misotu]

And this time, I managed to play my turn *and* post before Tig

[TigToad]

What a wonderous and strange world this is turning out to be. In addition to the most bizarre monoliths standing on the horizons, we have also discovered a new kind of a life. A strange worm/tendril formation that seems capable of communicating on a sub-vocal level. Unfortunately, the communication appears to kill them for when we tried to initiate contact they disolved. A few in our own scouting party experienced severe headache.

Also, we found this bizarre artifact construct that when linked with the nodes at University base gave us reems of paper on how a free market economy should work. I bet Morgan's people would love to get a hold of this. Of course, having learned our lessons all too well from his capitalist self, we will be all too happy to provide the data... for a price.

So far, planetfall has been a blessing on my researching people. The only thing that worries me is reports of troops moving near the poles as I was positive no unity pods could have made it to the poles on atmospheric entry...

Provost Tig

[Tau Ceti]

Surely, the superior reasoning ability of the Consciousness must realize that in order to survive and thrive, a business must make a profit. Giving away half its income doth not a healthy business make. The extra office clerks required for precise calculations would be an unnecessary burden on our salary budgets and a source of inefficiency. Our analysis concludes that the terms proposed by the Prime Function would hardly break even.

Even worse is the proposed deal by the University of Planet. Their demands for a large initial investment seem unreasonable when they offer us no more than we offer them; the short term benefits are dubious, long term benefits highly unpredictable. Analysis indicates that it would take at least 30 or 40 years simply to recoup the initial investment; taking interest rates into account, the deal is simply not worth it. We propose that the University include basic economics as part of their otherwise
excellent educational system.

Other news: Morganic seismologists are amazed at the instability of this planet. Early this morning, a large earthquake struck near our new outpost of Morgan Mines. The quake was powerful enough to raise the ocean floor to dry land. Thankfully, nobody was injured.

[Tau Ceti]

Btw, great commentary , people... very in character.

[TigToad]

Provost TigToad sits at his large desk at University base and listens over and over again to the rantings of what must be, a derranged, new CEO of the formerly great Morgan empire. "He thinks it would take 30 years to recoup a mere 50 energy units! The man is mad I tell you. Those shifty bankers will make an extra energy per base for this treaty than we will. If he only has 5 bases of a decent size, which he will within 10 years or so he'll make 50 energy back in research and currency! Hah. We were being generous in the interest of peace to even allow a treaty with such a monetarily shift person. If he doesn't see that, then too bad for his little regime. Our research will continue unfettered."

Provost TigToad

Who will be out the rest of the evening.

[Misotu]

The commentary is half the fun

- Mis