DIPLO: comments on Rollplay log

[asleepathewheel]

Can you ask Roleplay if they know if Lux already has writing? This has been discussed briefly in another thread. It would be a good way to check if Vox is lying or Lux is lying to Vox, and a good barometer of relations on the continent.

[DeepO]

well... the message has already been sent, but if it doesn't answer itself before then, I'll ask RPG in a reply.

MM is not the highest on my agenda, but it certainly is something we can use early on. Not only do we need many contacts for a couple of reasons, but the possibilities of unclaimed continents and islands are great.

DeepO

[Shiber]

The chances are slim... but yeah, that would be awesome!
This reminds me of how we settled "Uber Isle" in the C3DG, which was separated from the mainland by three sea tiles, while risking only one unloaded galley for the duration of one turn.

[DeepO]

Shiber: by galley chaining? I've been experimenting with a few schemes lately, it's awesome how many instant reinforcements you can transport if you plan for it a little. Once a boat makes it across a sea our ocean tile, you almost always have a chance of sending settlers across by only risking the galleys, and not the settlers themselves.

Once you have a chain in place (possibly over treacherous water), you can transport 2 units in 1 turn from the beginning of the chain to the end, as long as you're willing to move the chain one boat. Or, you take double the amount of boats, and can transport the same amount of units, without having to invest more boats...

I was experimenting with it, as it could be a very powerthing to use against Vox, we could for instance drop off Knights the turn we discover them at the far end of their empire if we build enough boats.

DeepO

[Shiber]

Yes, we used galley chaining.
You stated the special tactical advantage that galley chaining has, but I don't think we'll be able to build enough galleys to use this to our advantage. Anyway, we'll know better after one of our galleys is sent to explore the coasts of our small continent.

[zeit]

Oh- setting the sails and waving the GS banner- the days of shipping will indeed be glorious!!! (and might bring us some cash and glory as well)

[DeepO]

Just received a message from GodKing, explaining why he didn't get back to me: he's having computerproblems and couldn't respond. Let's hope that whoever we get as replacement is also this forecoming. We got some great info out of GK, I'm sorry to see him go

DeepO

[DeepO]

And the answer to our latest proposal has arrived. I'll comment more in the morning, but my first impression is one of amazement. We are being given a full intelligence report (surely somewhat coloured) on the main continent...

Further, they are indeed researching literature, and even if they may not trust us in full (hence not wanting to deal just yet), they would want to trade with us later. I find that quite encouraging, I'm sure that if we want, we can convince them (also by pubishing the codex) that we mean it when we say we want to honor all deals.

DeepO

[notyoueither]

'Publishing the codex'

What means this? I have seen it a couple of times.

As for the message from Togas... Very good. It appears as if we have someone who we can deal with. Appears...

btw, I definitely appreciated where they are coming from regarding making deals now for actions later. I am fully in agreement with their approach on this issue.

[Theseus]

I say again:

"Whoa."

Interesting doing on the big continent.

It feels like this is sort of all ideal for us... we are good and honorable guys, who know how to play optimally, and are distant enough that we are not embroiled in the current difficulties.

Cool.

Diplomats, I salute you. This is your game for the time being...

Lastly, it amazes me as well how much info people are willing to share. It may be hubris, but I suspect it is because of who we are and our reputation.

[DeepO]

nye: 'publishing the codex': we're preparing a codex on diplomatic relations, which amongst others formalize how we deal with proposals / final deals, and which also clrealy defines what we mean when we're talking about playing honorably.

Publishing it was meant as 'making public', which would declare it as final, ratified, accepted by our team, or whatever you want to call it. The whole idea is that if other teams see we publish it, they can assume we mean it, and it is not trivial to us.

In respect to RPG, it would make more trust possible: If they are convinced that when we have a deal, we will follow it also if the situation changes, they will probably consider us better partners... certainly as they have been crossed by Lux before.

DeepO

[DeepO]

Just got a trade proposal from Togas, see the log for more info. If I understand it correctly, the only thing worth trading for would be contact with ND, as Vox doesn't have that one yet. The rest we should get for free.

Maybe we should negotiate a price with Togas, and give something back to Vox, to keep them happy. Or at least, we pay them in gold for connecting us to the world...

DeepO

[DeepO]

Just received another one from Togas, in which he again empathsizes(sp?) that the deal is negotiable. Further, he is convinced that others are after the same thing, as the prices he asks are laughable... if we would be able to get mysticism for 25 gold (which will be possible with a poker face and diplomatic word wizardy), there is really no point in getting it ourselves. But of course, if we get it from Vox, we don't need to buy anything...

DeepO

[nbarclay]

I wouldn't be shocked if Vox gets contact with ND as part of the package deal they're currently negotiating with GoW. In any case, GoW was earlier offering Vox contact with ND for 20 gold, so RP's price is way out of range.

[nbarclay]

My inclination is to tell them that we welcome contact but do not view this as a particularly good time to be paying for it. As they have seen, we have nothing to offer on the world market at present, and paying gold for contact just so we could then perhaps pay more gold for something else would cause too much damage to our research capacity.

Nathan