MSN - recent developments

[Kody]

Voltaire says:
Hello
Voltaire says:
I just got back.
Voltaire says:
Any developments I should be made aware of?
John says:
yeah
John says:
CGN
Voltaire says:
(I hope that the whole mindworm thing is simply an excuse for delaying the turn)
John says:
well not really
John says:
the mindworm thing is important
John says:
you didn't post our little chat
John says:
I think I've got it under control
Voltaire says:
Ah sorry I was under pressure to get going
John says:
although there is the possibility of losses if the mindworms go in seperate directions
John says:
did you save it?
Voltaire says:
unfortunately no, the automatic settings for saving all MSN chats for some reason do not work with non-hotmail e-mail accounts
Voltaire says:
and have problems keeping track of multiuser chats
John says:
nah
John says:
that automatic settings thing is more that it requires IE 6 or greater isn't it?
Voltaire says:
Hmm
John says:
we really need to get this trading thing sorted out really fast
Voltaire says:
i believe so
Voltaire says:
indeed
John says:
because next turn it'll be too late
Voltaire says:
Alright
Voltaire says:
how much time to do we have
John says:
and we won't be able to do it even if we wanted too
John says:
24 hours to close the deal
Voltaire says:
since i will set a time limit now for when everyone has to get their opinions in
John says:
to close both deals
Voltaire says:
that sounds perfectly fine
John says:
that includes the time for the pirates as well
John says:
we want to sort out the pact details first
Voltaire says:
24 hours from now the decision will be made with or without input
John says:
because that requires us to do something
John says:
also
John says:
I should write the full explanation
John says:
people seem to just go on their personal feelings when I don't give details
John says:
I really think we need to actively prevent the other team from ganging up on us
John says:
We're just too powerful to be ignored, and if we start making people nervous.... we could have a three way permi alliance against us.
Voltaire says:
Worst case scenario analysis, though useful, should not take precedence over realism.
John says:
hrmm no I really think that's the way it could turn
Voltaire says:
The CyCon from all indications seem friendly toward us, their relations with the Pirates have been sour.
Voltaire says:
Let us wait until we can talk with the others
John says:
the cycon changed stance towards again
John says:
I don't know how
Voltaire says:
?
John says:
but they have
Voltaire says:
How do you know?
John says:
well they've been acting differently
John says:
I can't explain it I just get the feeling that the VW build changed something
Voltaire says:
They're taking things more seriously now.
John says:
they've changed their diplomatic somehow
John says:
diplomatic strategy rather
Voltaire says:
Don't discount them as possible allies just yet, they know we're powerful and they know we're not stupid.
John says:
that might be it
Voltaire says:
They would benefit more from an alliance with us than against us.
John says:
they might be taking things more seriously
John says:
actually that would fit with what I've been feeling
Voltaire says:
If we want to pervent this tripple entante again us
Voltaire says:
We need to offer one of the three factions an irresistible pact offer
John says:
we also don't want to seem like we're going to war in the near future
Voltaire says:
Of course
Voltaire says:
it will be a long term thing
Voltaire says:
later on in the game
Voltaire says:
we should offer them the territory, or part of the territory, of another faction
John says:
we shouldn't do that
Voltaire says:
in exchange for their military and economic support in the war
John says:
that's just arrogant
Voltaire says:
?
Voltaire says:
oh of course
John says:
bring that up now before we have the troops is a bad idea
Voltaire says:
let me rephrase
Voltaire says:
we shouldn't put it that way
John says:
when we have the troops ready, then maybe
Voltaire says:
yes yes, i know, that is why i said long term
Voltaire says:
we should make it appear as though they're equal members in the alliance
Voltaire says:
they may well be
Voltaire says:
but if they're not they need to have that impression
Voltaire says:
the only problem we face
Voltaire says:
is the unstable governments some of these factions have due to democracy
Voltaire says:
so they may not be consistent in their policies if the leadership changes
Voltaire says:
the only faction this is a problem with is the uni
John says:
hah
John says:
the university never changed leadership
John says:
I did some research
John says:
archaic was busy studying for tests
Voltaire says:
i know, but they're not in perfect agreement either
Voltaire says:
and if let us say GT wanted the head post, he could get it
John says:
not being in perfect agreement is good
Voltaire says:
let us have a little bet
Voltaire says:
just for fun
Voltaire says:
no stakes
John says:
okay
Voltaire says:
to see what will occur
Voltaire says:
I wager that the other factions, particularly the CyCon, will be more than eager to form an alliance with us since they view us as a means to greater power for themselves. The research factions will think that having us on side will let them ride through the uneasy currents of mid-game onto the high seas of late game where they dominate.
Voltaire says:
I think diplomatically we're in a better position that it may seem.
Voltaire says:
It has its downsides
Voltaire says:
But the temptation of power is too great to resist for the other factions to launch an offensive against us
Voltaire says:
Their problem is that they will always view the others with suspicion
John says:
I think the pirates will purposefully assist the university a little
Voltaire says:
Since the three are now equal in power, and the Pirates are the most powerful militarily, hence the Uni and CyCon would think the pirates get the best out of the deal
John says:
to help balance our power out
Voltaire says:
That is why I want the CyCon
Voltaire says:I see them as a way out
Voltaire says:
and I think that they're a better option than either the Pirates of Uni
Voltaire says:
but we need to meet them first
Voltaire says:
until then we're just speculating
John says:
I agree we're unlikely to make anything lasting with the university.
Voltaire says:
one question
John says:
with the pirates we're interested in delaying alliances

[Kody]

Voltaire says:
do you think the other factions would be willing to use PB's?
John says:
yes
Voltaire says:
hmm
John says:
the whole reason for our pact with the pirates is to make the pirates pause in pulling an alliance together
John says:
you see they've been in the situation of playing each faction off against the other during the early game I think
John says:
trading techs from one faction then trading them to another
John says:
if we can keep them at it for another decade or more
John says:
the other factions won't be able to grow powerful fast enough
Voltaire says:
indeed
Voltaire says:
lol
Voltaire says:
i keep getting this feeling that we're overanalyzing the situation
John says:
well better to overanalyze then find three factions at our doorstep
Voltaire says:
true enough
Voltaire says:
when we infiltrate the other factions this will become easier
Voltaire says:
at least then we can monitor their activities closer
John says:
do you remember zero?
Voltaire says:
yes indeed i do
John says:
he's back
John says:
think he will be willing to take any responsibilities?
John says:
he didn't seem to stick around much
Voltaire says:
i can't say
Voltaire says:
he was around for only a short time
John says:
okay
John says:
Hrmm anyway moving on
John says:
http://www.civgaming.net/forums/show...&goto=lastpost
John says:
read that
Voltaire says:
So the ball's in their court now?
John says:
yeah
John says:
we need to setup 3 polls
John says:
we still need to contact them to confirm though
John says:
they'll probably wait for confirmation before they reply back
John says:
1st poll, ambassador exchange needs to be remade with a longer timeout
John says:
2nd poll, pirates pact, this time I'll actually give detailed explanations like I used to do
John says:
3rd poll, Trading for flex, I think most people will just vote yes for this.
Voltaire says:
if necessary we can poll for this, the first two definately, the third we might as well
Voltaire says:
but like you said people will say yes
John says:
can you setup those 3 polls and I'll add my information
Voltaire says:
alright
Voltaire says:
what are we giving for flex?
John says:
gene splicing
John says:
basically if we don't do that it'll be a while
John says:
like an extra 7 turns or something before we get gene splicing
John says:
9 turns I think if our research rate doesn't improve, but 7 turns factoring our improving research rate
John says:
Okay I'm going to update the simulator
John says:
I made a few changes to the turn moves
Voltaire says:
k, give me a sec posting polls
John says:
okay then
John says:
You should do something to make it official
John says:
sorry for undercutting you with the ambassador thing
John says:
the trading was really getting into the stage where we can't wait any longer, and I was starting to feel desperate
Voltaire says:
Pact Poll posted
Voltaire says:
as for the ambassador thing, i don't mind at all, you didn't have to do it i was planning on doing it now in fact, had you not done it
John says:
huh
John says:
that sentence was a little confusing
John says:
that pact poll state just about everything
John says:
well done, the only thing I can think of is to elaborate
John says:
*tries to think of something to elaborate*
Voltaire says:
lol
Voltaire says:
sorry it's late
Voltaire says:
I’m not functioning as my best
Voltaire says:
I'll leave the explination for the tech trade poll to you
Voltaire says:
as for the last poll
Voltaire says:
what is it about agian?
Voltaire says:
*again
John says:
hrmm I've got it written down somewhere
John says:
let me check again
John says:
pact, trading, and ambassador
John says:
I didn't put down enough time for the ambassador exchange poll
John says:
it needs to be redone because only 3 people voted before it timed out
Voltaire says:
Which poll was this again?
John says:
the one asking if we exchange ambassadors
John says:
letting an extra person into our forums etc
Voltaire says:
oh right
Voltaire says:
hmm
Voltaire says:
the problem with that poll was that we didn't have enough discussion beforehand
Voltaire says:
i think we need to gauge public opinion in the turnchat
Voltaire says:
when more people are present
John says:
hrmm
John says:
I think we should explain things in the public forum
John says:
that way those that can't make the turnchat can read it
Voltaire says:
true
Voltaire says:
that too
Voltaire says:
discussion before poll in that case
Voltaire says:
we don't want to force people to abstain before they know what is going on
John says:
okay

[Vev]

Arrrgh not another very hard to read MSN log format!

[Googlie]

Just hilite everything, then it's a very readable white on a blue background (for my 'Poly set-up anyway)

[Vev]

No, I was the person who fixed the colouring. The problem is the ability to instantly distinguish who said what when there isn't any text differentiation.