A change of focus

[DeepO]

Originally posted by notyoueither
About the spaceship, I'm not sure this game is gonna last that long. GoW, ND, and us are now all eyeing each other nervously.

I agree. Which makes the UN maybe the only small chance we get at (co-)winning.

DeepO

[DeepO]

How it works exactly. I don't know. I would suppose that if you build the UN in a city, you get the vote screen immediately after building phase is over. Doesn't it work like that in SP?

As to 25%: I don't know. I vagelue remember us being 2nd in pop. Anyway, when we know a vote is coming up, we can boost our population. If it's only for 1-3 turns, adding our settlers to our biggest cities with food reserves should get us to at least 25% of the world population. I think that currently, we get there already once Lego is eliminated... think ND 30%, GoW 30%, and us something like 25% should be possible.

This can be counted nearly perfectly by just going ver all the cities. We know see the whole map.

DeepO

[Cort Haus]

A space ship is looking a little unlikely at the moment - it just seems so far away with the speed of Lego demise demonstrating the fragility of even the mightiest of empires. The world is in shock, and diplomatic uncertainties exist for all teams.

With everything up in the air, the reward for seizing the initiative faster than our rivals could be critical. Player fatigue on all sides and a wish to see the game out sooner rather than later could well be a factor. I think this psychological factor makes a UN outcome more likely than if all teams were busy, active, and raring to play for another epoch. If Lego can get nearly finished-off they might want to call it a day. Getting trashed early gives time to maybe get back in the game. Too late to rebuild now.

If Lego are Out, we need to swoop in to be Vox's protector - maybe overtly, maybe covertly. Yes, GS drove Vox from Estonia, but we let them live - Gift No 1 whch Vox have recognised a number of times in public. Offering them Estonia back to end the game in peace on, as allies of the victors is Gift No 2. How can GoW or ND compete with that in the Diplo Ledger? I don't know about giving them the chance to win it themselves. We can't be sure about getting our pop high enough, as ND are so huge, to register and although we're not the strongest I don't think a minor power should win with it in MP.

The question is, how do we approach them without making it too obvious what we're after at first? We can't have them blabbing to their closer friends (perhaps including GoW at this point) about the UN. We need to draw them closer before getting to the nitty gritty, so we should say how we'd like to develop our friendship, work together on peaceful collaborative projects, and possibly offer them military protection. We needn't say that our first concern is that they shouldn't protect Lego, they might take that as read.

Simultaneously we stake out RP about what role for themselves they see on Lego, and whether they'd be intersted in partnering GS toward a UN win, allowing them to **** a snook at ND and GoW when the curtain comes down. With Lego already punished, they could complete their revenge. Would Togas, who likes a bit of intrigue, be interested in helping getting Vox onboard?

{EDIT - Censored Sea Oh Sea Kay}

[DeepO]

How we approach Vox? Well... I see two options.

1. tech deal.

Vox, if you promise to not give any of the acquried techs to Legoland (which is a bit out of the loop right now), we propose the following deal:
- we give you radio, to get you into the modern age
- if you get something different, we exchange computers for whatever you got as a free tech
- but one big condition: you do not give any of the techs involved to Lego. If you get computers as a free tech, you don't give that to Lego. If you get something else, you still don't give that tech, or computers to Lego.

The reasons might be clear for our decision: We do not want that Lego gets MIs, and stretches this war longer than it has to be. You are our guarantee there. But, and this is at least as important: we do not want to see you destroyed. Getting MI would be one of the only steps you could take in defending against GoW / ND. We very much like your existence on Lego minor (we liked you on estonia too, but faith decided otherwise), and want to actively help you in keeping that

That gives us opening enough.

Approach 2, would simply be mentioning to them, that we want a closer bond, and would be willing to at least covertly help them. The threat from GoW is great, and they might be able to help us, where we help them... only the threat of a Vox invasion could divert troops, that otherwise would invade Stormia.

I'm not sure that their return to Estonia would lure them into anything. After all... if it wasn't for defense, we don't want Estonia either. I'm not sure they're so emotionally attached to their birth ground. RP is, of course, as that was a much better place to be in. Vox is not so bad where they are now.

DeepO

BTW, CH, I've got no clue what you tried to censor, or what the censor did for you. And you're cryptic description isn't really helping

[vmxa1]

We I like getting a tech from them and them not giving MI's to Lego.

[Cort Haus]

It was an auto-censor. I tried to spell C___O___C____K (as in ****-a-snook) phonetically.

[Cort Haus]

Yes, the tech-deal approach looks good.

[DeepO]

I'm not sure it is possible. Lego should receive radio this turn, or next, I'm not sure anymore. If they still get it, or are only a couple of turns away with their minimal empire, I'm quite certain they will still try for it.

One of the points in the deal of Vox with Lego, would have certainly be that Lego gets Vox's free techs. In not giving it to them, they are breaking the deal. So this might not be possible at all. But for me, we could feel them out, and start thinking on better ways of wording such a proposal to them (very tricky).

Oh, and CH... I read it like sosk, being the first letters of each word. I don't know the expression, so couldn't look at the context... and I could figure out what seas had to do with Kay... very cryptic indeed

DeepO

[Aeson]

Lets be careful about GoW though. We lose if GoW/ND join up against us.

So let's do the deal with GoW involved? We put up Computers, perhaps a couple more cities on Lego, and Vox's continued survival, and GS and GoW both get Vox's free tech.

If we start manipulating Vox behind GoW's back I am sure MZ will find out about it from Beta. At this point we need GoW as our ally against ND, be it a tech or military alliance.

[Cort Haus]

Good point, Aeson. We risk alienating GoW by going for Vox's tech on our own, and GoW are almost certainly closer to Vox than us. Perhaps a blandish overture to Vox for starters - something like ...

"In these turbulent times we'd like reassure you that our war is with Lego and not with their ally, and would like to both continue and extend our friendship with you. However paradoxical it may seem, Vox could make gains from the current conflict, should circumstances permit."

[Cort Haus]

A GL in the coming turns could really extend our options regarding a UN. If Vox got Fission and we traded for it there's no need for prebuilds. Do we have to include GL manifestations in the battle report? Seems to me it'd be something worth hiding if possible - and the creating unit.

[DeepO]

I didn't say to keep GoW out of this, but you're right, they might need to be more involved.

We could make it a double deal: ask Vox that, in case they get another tech than computers, either we can sell it on to GoW, or GoW gets it for free for territory. After all, this is one thing neither GoW nor us are most interested in, while Vox will certainly like it.

We could also ask to make it a 3-way deal, in which GoW puts up Fission, we computers and radio, and Vox their free tech, and nobody trades the free tech around in case it is different from computers or fission. But that quickly turns very complicated... I would prefer us to be the mediator, if we can pull that off.

Tricky situation. However, if we don't act quickly on this, we might not get a chance. So think fast, guys

DeepO

[DeepO]

battle report: yes, promotions are in, so I guess GL generations as well.

CH, don't forget one thing: we're in mob. We can't build the UN right now, we have to end this war first.

DeepO

[Aeson]

Well, we have to end a war. I'd assume starting a war with someone and making peace to just get out of mobilization isn't allowable though.

[DeepO]

not really nice, is it. If that was acceptable, RP could have gotten their GA a long while ago.

DeepO