Gathering Storm Embassy

[binTravkin]

Message proposal:

Greetings our friends at Gathering Storm!

It has been some time since we last talked and we wish to ask how is the research of Feudalism going.
By our measures and the information available about your scientists it should be ready soon.
Yet, we also get reports that serious currency stockpiling is going on in your lands, to the extent that little, if any, money is left for the science funding.
We were expecting a lot more commitment from your economists, since we have always complied to the terms of deals in the shortest possible time and we think that future agreements between our nations would be highly unlikely, if GS doesn't follow the same honorable practice.

The Centaurians

[-SafaN-]

[Impaler[WrG]]

Blake says he hasn't been active and thinks that some lazy turn player has forgotten to adjust the Slider back to Research. He says he has personally notified his team to do so and I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt on this for one additional turn. If we continue to see stockpiling next turn I'd support a more forceful notice, for the mean time I say hold off on a message.

[PJayTycy]

I really hope that's not true. Because if it is true they only pay that much attention to the game, they are worthless allies. I'd respect them more if they did it on purpose.

However, as always, we don't know if they are telling the truth...

[binTravkin]

I don't really believe that 'some lazy turnplayer' mistaked it, especially as 4 last turns have been posted by NYE.

[Kataphraktoi]

If on purpose, it could be to slow us down getting the tech or make them look careless or inept while not losing anything. I did this on purpose a few times in SMAC pbems, not sure if it worked but i gave it a shot players that cant get their research right cant launch sneak attacks right? at the very least it pisses off or confuses your ally

or it could just be a mistake

[binTravkin]

I'd raise our troop readiness according to black bikini..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BIKINI_Alert_States

[-SafaN-]

i'm in favor for black bikinis!

[binTravkin]

Yeah, this one will do, the troops should be pretty ready when we show this to them and tell they have plenty in GS!

[Kataphraktoi]

Thats not bad....
I prefer ''special'' black myself...

[-SafaN-]

thats not a bikini

[Kataphraktoi]

thats why its special

[binTravkin]

sent

[N35t0r]

the bikini?

[Maniac]

Oh btw, never make a deal where you give something immediately while only receiving the payment much later. That's an invitation for backstabbing. Think of what the Consciousness did to the Pirates in ACDG2. It's the oldest trick in the book. They're just trying to stall. I think we should just send a message "start researching right now, or it's WAR." Or even more, ask for all the money they currently have hoarded as a guarantee they will live up to the deal. We'd pay them back that money after their end of the deal is fulfilled.

In any case, you should not let your actions towards the Gathering Storm be influenced by the fact that they still owe us techs. That's exactly what they're counting on to stall things as long as possible.

The assumption while making the proposal "give us all your money as guarantee, or else it's war" is that war is most likely in fact already inevitable. The goal of that message is getting clarity as soon as possible, to force them to lay open their cards. There's still a small chance they might change course if we make an ultimatum now while we still have the power advantage, but that chance will decrease the longer we wait.