Turn 186: 710 AD

[Cort Haus]

Good work on the turn, Deepo.

Its good to so the rails going up and what a bonus at the aptly-named Winds of Change!

[DeepO]

I haven't heard anything that we should send Steam to GoW asap, and that tech is too important to just hand over. if we can take 6 turns head start on RRing, that's 6 turns won. It can't stand in our way when getting Med, though.

DeepO

[asleepathewheel]

so how much do we offer steam for to nd?

I would say, the offer is conditional upon receipt of medicine from GoW.

maybe 500 gold now, 300 to GoW, 200 to us?

we're taking a bath, but they've shown little interest in dealing, and there's a decent chance lego just gets it next turn anyway and undercuts us.

[asleepathewheel]

the deal with GoW was steam for medicine, upon completion.

we might seek to give gow steam now, however, if it would speed up medicine at all. plus its good for relations, otherwise we are holding out.

at the very least we tell them where their coal deposits are.

[asleepathewheel]

and we should consider sending goW the 300 gold we have on hand this turn, as each turn that slips away possibly puts medicine out of reach before ~9 turns

[DeepO]

500 gold? sorry... but that is very low. If that's what it takes, fine, but still... could you perhaps, as Cort suggests, ask them what they want to give for it? We might end with a better deal. They were willing to give 500 for physics(IIRC), which was only half the beakervalue of steam. Their lux is worth something, though, and future deals is also worth something. Also, they still need 2 medeival techs we can deliver to them, one of which Lego hasn't researched yet (Magnetism). That should be worth something as well.

Coal and GoW: as a sign of good will, you could tell them they don't have to worry, they have coal. I wouldn't give them the exact position. And maybe keep that as a bargaining chip, something to explicitely show good will. Don't just offer the information up front, let them ask it first. It seems much more friendlier.

DeepO

[DeepO]

There is one thing I don't understand: GoW told us a few turns back (before I started playing) they could do Med in less then 10 turns. Currently, we're asking to get it in 6. What did they do in the mean time then? research something else? hord cash for Lego?

9 turns is no good. In that case, I suggest they give us money, and we research it for them. With their support, we can do it in 9 turns ourselves, after electricity.

300 gold to GoW: can be done, but automatically means we're delaying Electricity with 1 turn. We need our cash, we're running deficit now. And it means replaying the turn (but that's not that bad)

DeepO

[DeepO]

Final observation: we're miles ahead in research capabilities to the rest, only Lego can follow in their GA. That wil change, of course, but for the moment we need a big plan on how to cash in on our major strength. We can run 5 or 6-turn research from now on until we get marines and tanks. we should somehow try to get ahead of everybody else, but OTOH we need them to somehow pay us. I'm not sure we can keep doing these deals so easily, and I'm not sure how much our tech advantage really is worth. We need to start thinking on this if we want to take advantage, we miss some kind of big strategic plan.

DeepO

[asleepathewheel]

nd wants an offer for gold up front, they don't want us to dick around with a price. how much do you think its worth? 800 gold?

I know they've been hording for some time now.

[DeepO]

800 sounds good for me, and maybe say that 20 turn silks is worth 150 gold to us.

Also ask for the other techs, they will need them if they want steam.

DeepO

[asleepathewheel]

of that 800, how much to go to Gow?

and are you saying the real price is: 650 +20 turns of silk?

[DeepO]

We could use another lux, so yes, I would ask that from them.

And GoW: maybe best to ask them how much they need to get it ready in 6 turns, and send it to us accepted so we don't experience any delays in getting SM. I don't mind if GoW gets 650 gold (or even 800 gold) plus steam for Medicine, it is vastly in their favour, but we need them, and they know it. 800 gold + 2 techs, both worth more then Med is too much for my taste, but if they insist we will have little choice.

DeepO

[asleepathewheel]

So what is it that I tell GoW and ND? I just want us all to be on the same page.


ND-

Steam for 650 +20 turns of silk, otherwise 800
(Steam now or upon medicine?)

GoW
Again, how much do they need to max sci.



one problem I have is that my wife is currently on spring break, and any time I have away from work, is well, you know spent with her, thus I don't have an hour solid to kill in chat. If anyone could catch mz in chat tomorrow afternoon, this would be much much more efficient.

[DeepO]

Sleepy, do you need more input, and do you need more help? I don't have time to chat tonight, but if at all possible I'd like to send the save to ND when I return home (in half an hour or so). That way, they can still play it today if they want to, instead of having to wait another day.

DeepO

[asleepathewheel]

I need both. I don't want to step on anyone's toes or accidentally give away the farm.

Unfortunately I've had a few more homefront complications that have occupied me all day (in addition to the wife being home )
fridge died yesterday, landlord dicking me around, finally replacing it, a few other fires to put out here and elsewhere. No time for me to sustain a decent chat, unfortunately