Team Sarantium Diplomacy

[polarnomad]

I guess it is too late to comment. "Our short term capabilities are limited" sounds like an invitation to attack us.

[UnOrthOdOx]

That's obvious via the power chart anyway.

FYI my home monitor went down in flames, hope to have a new one soon (tomorrow)

[Kloreep]

Sorry I didn't leave much time. :/ I wanted to get the message off before I left - though in hindsight, the game wasn't likely to move anyway.

I have to agree with UnO though. Sarantium can see both our hired-out stacks, and graphs will show that our military isn't that big. The only real news is that we may not be willing to send our new units straight out of the forges into mercenary service.

[polarnomad]

I tend to forget to use the graphs. No worries.

[Kloreep]

Sent to Sarantium.

Team Mercenary's group e-mail is now teammerc@oneandfour.org

Please send the save to this address from now on. The address can also be used for diplomatic correspondance.

-Kloreep, Team Merc

[Kloreep]

Klo - I presume that you did get our last correspondence, dated the 25th of July, inquiring about a further rental of units. ..Beta

I replied:

Yes. Did my response not get through to your team address? Anyway, here it is again.

-Kloreep

and added a copy of the July 27th e-mail.

[Kloreep]

With the save:

525bc save attached

Kloreep and Team Merc

We have declared the war you announced in your recent correspondence. This moved two of your stacks.

Can you please move our rented units back to the copper tile. For your info and planning, our slow movers are going to be pressuring Khan's Throne. We are still a bit undedided regarding our chariot corps. It really depends on what else comes across our border with the rented Horde stack. If they also bring Keshiks. our chariots will likely head for home. If not, they stay in the viinity of our rented stack of mercenaries to do further pillaging.

As to the timing of the 6 additional units, we would like them sooner than later. If this is not possible, we may reconsider. Can you give us any idea of what timing would be possible.

Regards ...Beta of Sarantium

[Kloreep]

So UnO, I think you said the deal technically concludes on our turn, not theirs.

Shall we push this issue? Hmm...

As for movement this turn, we have our orders at least.

[Kloreep]

Sent to the Team Sarantium e-mail (teamsarantium gmail com) and Beta (brucehynes57 sympatico ca).

SUBJ: C4DG Contract Update - End of 525 BC

Stack moved back onto the copper.

This screenshot can also be viewed at http://apolyton.net/upload/view.php?...25.endturn.jpg

-Kloreep, Team Mercenary

[Kloreep]

So, we still need to reply on their request for units.

First, what would an honest answer be? Time-wise, we have a travel time of 4 tiles between the furthest extent of the Merc border (Foxtrot) the furthest extent of the Horde border (Khan's Throne). There's space within the borders that would also probably delay delivery to a target tile, though, so let's say more like 6 or 7 turns travel time once the units are gathered in Foxtrot.

We also have to figure in construction time, though. Sarantium wants 6 units that are a mix of spears and axes. Those cost the same, so we can just say 6 35-hammer units. FS can currently do them in 3 turns, while Foxtrot can do them in 5. (This will go up a little in the coming turns, but we can assume extra production will be spent on ourselves for the sake of simplicity.)

So, in 11-12 turns (Foxtrot produces 2 and FS produces 4), we'd have those 6 units. Then travel time = 6 or 7. So about a round 20 turns (the last unit out of FS will need travel time down to Foxtrot) sounds about right.

Thing is, this requires us to devote pretty much all of FS and Foxtrot's production to fulfilling the contract, while our own military is stretched thin. It seems to me we should give ourselves time to bulk our military back up, and lengthen the estimate to 25 turns, or perhaps even more.

What do you all think, though? And what kind of answer should we give Sarantium?

[polarnomad]

I guess if we are to go ahead with providing them the units they want, then 25 turns sounds like a decent estimate, but do mention that this is an estimate.

[Kloreep]

That's the thing. What if we don't want to provide them with units in ~25 turns? This essentially would mean devoting our whole economy to hiring out once again. We would not be left with much time to build defenses - not if AB and PL are to be able to build things besides military units. Not to mention that Foxtrot does not yet have a forge, and that would be a good idea sometime. (Heck, Walls might be good too there, once we get stone hooked up.)

So, if we don't want to do that, we shouldn't even be telling them it's possible.

But then, how much time would we want? Should we tell them 35 turns? Etc.

[polarnomad]

Well, my gut says we are rather extending our abilities at the moment. With research at 0% we are only receiving +10Gpt. We have another city to build, and more units coming next turn. It would be good to get some Forges up too.

Of course, some of the units currently in the field working for the Horde could be put towards a Sarantium contract if the Horde decides not to rehire, but then we can't gamble on the units being around anymore, and we don't know the Horde's plans.

Sigh... not sure what to say. Feel like we should delay somehow for a few turns to see how things turn out with our current contracts. If we need to give an immediate answer then perhaps "No additional contracts available at this time."

UnO?

[UnOrthOdOx]

Originally posted by polarnomad

Sigh... not sure what to say. Feel like we should delay somehow for a few turns to see how things turn out with our current contracts. If we need to give an immediate answer then perhaps "No additional contracts available at this time."

UnO?

[Kloreep]

From Sarantium with the 500 BC save

Could you move the hired units to 1 (entire stack)

thanks