Discussion on Disclosure Rule

[Togas]

Wanted to make this central thread as there's been some various discussions in other threads on these issues.

Certainly we need to disclose our contracts to the public at large. There doesn't seem to be any disagreement on that issue. The policy being that it's in our best interest to let the public know that battles we are fighting are not of our choosing. They are due to the will of our clients. It also helps to advertise potential contract ideas to new clients by telling about our past contracts.

However, there are some issues that we should clear up about this policy.

When we accept payment for Confidentiality, what, exactly, are we keeping confidential? Do we acknowledge the terms of the contract, but not the client? Do we only acknowledge that a contract was signed at a certain date (but not who, where, what, why, etc). Or do we entirely deny that the contract exists at all?

With our standard non-confidential contracts, how much should we share with 3rd parties? When should we share it? In what detail?

My thoughts:

With confidential contracts, I believe that we should maintain a very stern "no comment" mode regarding any questions about them. We should not even acknowledge that we have a contract at all. We should keep all details of the contract confidential, as even the slightest bit of information can give enough clues to an intelligent team, allowing them to determine who the client is. With confidential contracts, our duty is to our client and to maintain his secrecy.

With standard contracts, we should publicly acknowledge the contract after completion. Until completion, "no comment" should be our policy. We should only detail the terms of the contract, not the results (for example, we should NOT say that our 8 swordsmen captured the town of Berlin, we should only say that 8 swordsmen were hired by Team Alpha for a period of 20 turns).

All in all, I encourage us to adopt a professional and businesslike mode for these contracts. Our clients come first. Attracting new business comes second.

--Tom

p.s. And, yes, I AM the lawyer on the team. A lawyer on a Mercenary Team. A perfect fit, aye?

[polarnomad]

Re: Discussion on Disclosure Rule

Originally posted by Togas
With confidential contracts, I believe that we should maintain a very stern "no comment" mode regarding any questions about them. We should not even acknowledge that we have a contract at all. We should keep all details of the contract confidential, as even the slightest bit of information can give enough clues to an intelligent team, allowing them to determine who the client is. With confidential contracts, our duty is to our client and to maintain his secrecy.

I agree that contracts requiring confidentiality should be protected from any disclosure whatsoever, but units involved should at least be designated as "hired" to differentiate from our own neutral units in the field, as suggested by UnO in the standard pricing thread.

Originally posted by Togas
With standard contracts, we should publicly acknowledge the contract after completion. Until completion, "no comment" should be our policy. We should only detail the terms of the contract, not the results (for example, we should NOT say that our 8 swordsmen captured the town of Berlin, we should only say that 8 swordsmen were hired by Team Alpha for a period of 20 turns).

Personally, I would rather see standard contracts announced publicly once the contract is agreed upon, rather than after completion. This gives more value to confidential contracts and will encourage teams to pay extra for them. It also adds an element of tension to the game when we suddenly post "Team X has hired 20 Panzers for 10 turns," which teams may want to take advantage of. For example, when under threat from a neighbor, make a standard contract with Team Merc and cause your opponent to hesitate long enough to tip the balance of power.

ie:

The Horde: Ha ha ha! Sarantium is ours once we waltz these troops through their lands!

Sarantium: Oh crap! Our warmongering neighbors are at their old tricks again... Call the mercs and hire out 20 Panzers.

Merc's post in public forums: Sarantium contracts the services of 20 Merc Panzers for the duration of 10 turns. Troops currently in transit.

The Horde: Oh fiddlesticks... Perhaps we should wait and look to other lands to conquer for the time being. (sigh)



But on a more serious note, I would also like to suggest that we make any act of retribution against parties guilty of breach of contract or aggression against us public as well. We don't have to disclose specifics of the action we are taking beforehand, just that we are taking action. When I say "beforehand," I don't mean so much time that the guilty party will have time to prepare. I mean just before we perform the action. We make a declaration of intent and move in. After the fact we should then post what action was taken.

Originally posted by Togas
p.s. And, yes, I AM the lawyer on the team. A lawyer on a Mercenary Team. A perfect fit, aye?

Indeed.

[Kloreep]

I pretty much agree with Togas here. I think contracts have to be kept secret until completion; if a team is gearing up for war and signs a contract with us while still in peacetime, they don't want us sending a beacon out that they are preparing to invade someone. And that's just one reason why it might really hurt our clients to post contracts before completion. After completion, though, they should definitely be completed commented on.

I don't quite agree on disclosure. I think we should post all terms agreed to - basically the exact same thing we sign with the contracting team - once disclosure time has come. If we agreed with Team A to hire out a few units and let them do as they will, then that's all we post; if we agreed to more specific terms on what those units will do, we post that too.

I agree with "no comment" on all confidential or still active contracts.

I agree with polarnomad, though, that even units on a confidentiality contract should still be labeled (hired) even though we protect the specific team's name.

BTW, one thing that hasn't been mentioned... how to handle this in our pre-public-posting times. We can't just post a contract list on the public forum, that's information about events that we can only disclose to those we have contact with. So, in the meantime, we might want to create a website to list these contracts for those we do have contact with and/or simply send notices to everyone we have contact with every time we complete a non-confidential contract.

[polarnomad]

Originally posted by Kloreep
I pretty much agree with Togas here. I think contracts have to be kept secret until completion; if a team is gearing up for war and signs a contract with us while still in peacetime, they don't want us sending a beacon out that they are preparing to invade someone. And that's just one reason why it might really hurt our clients to post contracts before completion. After completion, though, they should definitely be completed commented on.

I'm sorry if I am a little confused here. Isn't this exactly why a team would pay for confidentiality? If we're going to keep contracts secret by default then what's the point of a confidentialty clause unless you're talking about for the entire duration of the game.

I think having it broadcast that a team is hiring units can be a tool. By keeping contracts secret by default then this tool is unavailable.

I guess we need to define what we are aiming to achieve with a confidentiality clause.

[UnOrthOdOx]

I say disclosure is to be made public ON DELIVERY.

Not on contract end, but also not prior to contract start. This way there is still a need of secrecy, and still maintain confidentiality till it's too late.

[polarnomad]

Sounds good to me.

[Togas]

Agreed on "ON DELIVERY" for publication.

Agreed on Axeman(Hired) notation for confidential contracts.

--Togas

[Kloreep]

I can go with publicity on delivery, I suppose. Makes confidentiality that much more important.

We may then want to distinguish between two kinds of confidentiality then, though. To keep it secret until contract completion, and to keep it secret forever (the latter has the benefit of the target not knowing who hired us to attack if it is a Merc-only assault).