Gathering Storm - correspondence & foreign affairs

[Kloreep]

Looks good to me.

Hmm, I thought I had a post here the other day... odd... anyway, I agree with trading them Gunpowder once they're off Bob. Agreed with also striking a deal for saltpeter if they agree to certain conditions like not invading Bob.

[vondrack]

Ahhh... I have almost felt as if everybody left. Apparently not...

But seriously... it's nothing major, but I will still leave it hanging here for at least 12 more hours before PMing Cort Haus.

[Tiberius]

Looks good!

...and yes, I was off (or busy) for most of the day

[vondrack]

OK, found a PM from Cort Haus in my PMbox this morning:

hi vondrack,

I hope you're well, and if you or any of your friends are supporters of Sparta Prague, then I offer my congratulations for reaching the last sixteen of the Champions League. My team (Arsenal) got through tonight, so I'm very happy.

To game business ;

First, GS would like to congratulate Lego on building JS Bach's Cathedral. We hope you enjoy the music

Second, you might like to know that we're on our way home. In the end we figured that we weren't that fussed about Gunpowder and Saltpeter anyway, and the weather on Bob wasn't really what we were used to. The troops long for home cooking too - you know how it is. I can't imagine what your boys are having to eat in that dungeon of a country they call GoW.

Oh, and under the circumstances you can disregard that suggestion that we made about Gunpowder - it's no big deal really

Regards,

Cort Haus
Gathering Storm

I took the liberty to respond without further delays, sending the abovediscussed message which seems to raise no objections:

Hello, Cort Haus!

Honestly - I haven't known about Sparta getting through until yesterday evening when my gf mentioned one of her colleagues got fairly drunken celebrating it... I am hopelessly drowning in business stuff these days (the Xmas season is hectic) - that's also why we/Lego are so slow to respond to your inquiry regarding gunpowder and saltpeter. It takes me a tad longer to post the message draft... it takes others a tad longer to comment... as some of the information you asked for was classified until recently, I was unable to respond on my own, especially considering I hold no formal position in Lego ATM (though Nimitz, our current FAM, has sorta disappeared).

Anyway, here is the message as discussed in our forum (we are merely restating what we hinted at in a more general way in our previous communication):

Cort Haus,

After discussing your inquiry in the Senate of Legolad, we believe there is no harm in telling you that there is no saltpeter on Stormia and that there is no saltpeter inside or close to cultural borders of the territory you and RP currently hold on Bob.

As for trading gunpowder to you... we are sorry but that cannot be done until there is a peace treaty signed between you and GoW/ND. We hope you understand we cannot provide a key military tech to you, as long as you remain enemies of our current allies (even if you intend to withdraw from the war).

However, you have got our word that once the war between you and GoW/ND formally ends, we will trade gunpowder to you at a fair price - and not only that. If you agree to not influence the war on Bob (if there still is one at that time, of course), we will trade you one of our excess saltpeters.

We hope this guarantee will be enough for you to start negotiating a peace treaty with GoW/ND.

Respectfully,
vondrack

[Tiberius]

GS is holding the save for almost 24 hours now.

I think they've opened the F7 screen

[vondrack]

My thoughts exactly.

[vondrack]

I knew they'd eventually propose the deal themselves...

Vondrack,

its been ages since our last communication, but finally there is something we can discuss with you. Would you be interested in a Electricity for Industrialisation trade? We didn't ask you before as we wanted to be sure nobody could beat us in the race to the Theory of Everything, but there seems no harm now, so we would gladly trade with you.

We were thinking of the following:
We give you Electricity, you give us Industrialisation and 150 gold (the cost difference between the two techs is 480 beakers). Both parties uphold a 20 turn NDA.

Would something like that suit you?

best regards,
DeepO

I say we are easy and go for the deal, no haggling - it's a good one and allows us to do Replaceable Parts any time.

[lmtoops]

I like it. The closer to Replacement Parts, the better.

[ZargonX]

Sounds like a deal to me

[vondrack]

I responded with the following PM:

Hello, DeepO,

Glad to hear from GS again!

I posted your message in our forum - until now, the response was agreeable. However, even if I do not expect anyone objecting, I'd prefer giving our active members a wee bit more time to say whether they like it or not. More a matter of principle than a matter of possible controversy of this deal...

I sent Industrialization and 150g as unaccepted. Be so kind and counter with Electricity, either accepting or not, up to you. Unless someone comes up with an objection in our forum, we will accept the deal as proposed on the next turn (810AD, so you'd get the tech in 820AD).

Best regards,
vondrack
on behalf of Legoland

[Spiffor]

That's a good deal

Are we supposed to disclose the tech to the Voxians, or is even Vox concerned by the NDA?

[vondrack]

Voxes were able to arrange a deal of their own (this was attached to the 800AD save):

You're up. We've worked out a deal to get electricity from GS for nationalism by agreeing to a 30 turn NDA instead of the normal 20. Party at the irrigation district next turn.

Spiffor, do you want to be added to the "distribution list" - the list of Lego members getting the save from Vox?

[vondrack]

Unless someone objects the deal within the ~12 hours I expect the next (810AD) save to arrive in, I am going to accept the deal as proposed by DeepO - here goes his response to my response:

Hello Vondrack,

Great! I've accepted and sent Electricity, so in case ratification goes well on your side, it will be there for you.

Please understand that with the Easter period, we more or less face the same problem in GS: this deal was not ratified by all our members. I dont expect any objections, but in case we change our mind before you play your turn, I hope we can ask you to deny the offer. It shouldn't happen, normally...

Regarding the NDA: it currently is turn 196, 810 AD. Please do not trade or give Electricity to other teams before turn 217. We will not do the same with Industrilisation (so protected to turn 216 inclusive).

Pleasure doing business with you

DeepO

[vondrack]

Found this in my PMbox this morning:

Vondrack-

Its been awhile since our teams have spoken, we hope all is well with you and others on your team. We noticed that you have a caravel, the Horatio Nelson, within unloading range of our coast. While we of course acknowledge your right to scout, would you mind moving the ship out of landing range? It would prevent a cold-war like naval buildup in our sea.

Thanks,
Asleepathewheel
GS

Meh.

I say we tell them that H.N. is going to be replaced with an ironclad, just like all other pickets of ours - within a couple of turns (10-15). I would not be overly friendly, as they are not either - they must very well know that the caravel has been sitting there for centuries, thus posing no threat... besides, with marines still at least 10t into the future, their request is not really justified.

Since we are in the midst of a cold economic war anyway... we're not afraid of a naval buildup anyway.

Or, perhaps... what about indicating that we would be willing to move the vessel (immediately) if they trade Scientific Method to us?

[ZargonX]

Or, perhaps... what about indicating that we would be willing to move the vessel (immediately) if they trade Scientific Method to us?

I don't know if that would go over too well But seriously, I think they are just making trouble. As if one caravel would be enough to cause them any problems. Just tell them it will switched out for a non-transport vessel in the near future, and to chill out.