Team GONG

[Empiremaker]

In a couple of turns we will meet GONG. What should we say to them? I think it is our responsibility to contact them because we know contact is coming, while they are unsuspecting. We also need to decide who our ambassador will be.

 

[Empiremaker]

Since no one else has volunteered, here is a proposed letter to GONG, to be sent when we meet them.

To the Great Nation of GONG,

We are pleased that the great Rik Meleet has seen fit to place our great nations in contact with each other. We hope that we can work for mutual benefits and lasting peace. We are very impressed with your wonders, and we hope that the FREE people can learn from your great works.

Long live FREE and GONG,

Empiremaker
Ambassador to team GONG

 

[CommandoBob]

Sounds good; sorta light and fluffy, which is what a first contact email should be.

 

[aluka]

Sent unaltered to GONG.

To the Great Nation of GONG,

We are pleased that the great Rik Meleet has seen fit to place our great nations in contact with each other. We hope that we can work for mutual benefits and lasting peace. We are very impressed with your wonders, and we hope that the FREE people can learn from your great works.

Long live FREE and GONG,

Empiremaker
Ambassador to team GONG

 

[Empiremaker]

Since BABE hasn't responded to a map trade with us, we could try GONG.

 

[CommandoBob]

Received from Team GONG after their Turn 118 and after our Turn 118.

Salutations to Team FREE and glad to know you Empiremaker,

Sorry for the slow reply. I've been reeling from having Civ Forums blocked at work and the announcement by team Babe.

Congrats on keeping your galley afloat. We Gongers hope that it makes the return journey in one piece. We look forward to getting to know our new friends to the Northwest/Southwest.

jb1964
Ambassador at large and just all around large Ambassador

 

[Empiremaker]

Proposed letter for a map trade

Dear GONG and jb1964,

We are dismayed at the news that these "forums" that we hear about have been blocked at work. This sounds terrible. Do you think FREE's army could help ?

To less serious matter, many of FREE's cartographers are interested in advancing their knowledge of the world. What do you think about a World Map trade?

Hope all is well in GONG,

Empiremaker

 

[CommandoBob]

We are dismayed at the news that these "forums" that we hear about have been blocked at work. This sounds terrible.

Instead of

'This sounds terrible.'

How about

'This sounds like a vast productivity-focused conspiracy led by Pointy-Haired Bosses! Shall we call in the BOFH?'

Otherwise, it sounds good.

 

[Empiremaker]

Edited. Are people okay with a map trade with GONG?

Dear GONG and jb1964,

We are dismayed at the news that these "forums" that we hear about have been blocked at work. This sounds like a vast productivity-focused conspiracy led by Pointy-Haired Bosses! Shall we call in the BOFH? Do you think FREE's army could help ?

To less serious matter, many of FREE's cartographers are interested in advancing their knowledge of the world. What do you think about a World Map trade?

Hope all is well in GONG,

Empiremaker

 

[Empiremaker]

Will send letter in previous post after I find out who established the embassy.

 

[Empiremaker]

Received from GONG

Hey Team FREE,



I don't know what the actual protocol is for getting permission to sail through another teams territorial waters but you don't have it. Please send your galley outside of Gong territory. If you want to discuss a treaty regarding RoP, other anything else, that would be great but either way you really do need to bring your galley back home.



Team Gong

 

[Empiremaker]

In response to the previous letter we can do a few things
1. Nothing; ignore their letter and continue exploring. Tis would probably lead to war with both GONG and BABE
2. Move outside their water and wait for astronomy to continue
3. Work out some sort RoP deal, as they suggested
4. Map trade, so exploration would be unnecessary

I would go from the bottom up in that list- start out with a map trade, and if that fails, and RoP, etc.

A proposed letter under those assumptions. Feel free to suggest other options and what we should do.

Dear GONG,

We are sorry that you feel that we are doing something wrong, but hopefully we can resolve this issue before our next turn. Unfortunately, at this time it is impossible for us to send our galley beck home, as that would require us to pay additional hazard pay to the sailors family, which we can not do with the state of our treasury as it is. Therefore, we would like to propose that we do a map trade, we will give you our map and engineering in exchange for your map. Then our galleys would stay away from your territory until astronomy, at which time we would bring them back hope.

Until we work out a deal, our galleys will continue to increase their cartographic knowledge, as a number to teams have let your ally BABE do the same.

Sincerely,

Empiremaker

I threw in engineering because they will get it from the Glib regardless of what we do. On the other hand, we could toss in communication with the council. Preferences?

 

[CommandoBob]

Well, we didn't ask permission, so they have us nailed there.

And to trade Engineering we would need to get persmission from The Council.

How about this (for starters):

Dear Gong,

Oops!

Sorry about that.

We were so excited to meet you that we forgot our manners.

May we explore your coastline?

Our ship, the Triumph of Teal, has only sailors, since it is on peaceful mission of goodwill and exploration. It has been lucky so far in navigating the open seas, but even the luckiest ship will some day face the RNG of Meleet.

We are not opposed to a more formal agreement on this matter, but that does take time to set up and we would like to keep our sailors productive instead of just moving back and forth.

Sincerely yours....

 

[Empiremaker]

I think the Council would grant permission to trade engineering because GONG will get it anyway from the GLib, although they do not know that at this time.

I will send your letter CB, and if they want to negotiate we can toss in engineering or contact.

 

[Empiremaker]

For reference; sent.

Dear GONG,

Oops!

Sorry about that.

We were so excited to meet you that we forgot our manners.

May we explore your coastline?

Our ship, the Triumph of Teal, has only sailors, since it is on peaceful mission of goodwill and exploration. It has been lucky so far in navigating the open seas, but even the luckiest ship will some day face the RNG of Meleet.

We are not opposed to a more formal agreement on this matter, but that does take time to set up and we would like to keep our sailors productive instead of just moving back and forth.

Sincerely yours,

Empiremaker

 

[Empiremaker]

Received from GONG

Team FREE, thanks for the note.

The Gongers are pretty secretive about our rituals and are not too keen on being scouted.

The boat needs to be removed.

Thanks,

The Gongers

 

[Empiremaker]

What should we do? For this turn, 120, I propose that we keep moving the boat along, and say we didn't get their email until after we played.

 

[CommandoBob]

Lets do something a bit different, if a bit risky for Triumph of Teal.

First, compare the sea around our land to that of Gong's. Triumph of Teal is 1N of Gong's '... Beach' city, which is in the same location as our city of Freehand. The Gong city of 'E...' is in the same location as TaTuba. Northeast of TaTuba is section of coastal tiles that lead to Gong's south west shores. Lydia Sutherland is exploring those tiles right now.

What if we send Triumph of Teal to the NE, moving either NE, E and E (ending in a sea tile) and try to find the same coastal tiles to continue exploring Babe-land?

We risk being at sea for one turn, but the safest way to get to those tiles means unmasking more of Gong-land, and they won't like that.

On the other hand, if we send Triumph of Teal directly homeward, we should inform Gong of the route she would take in their coastal waters.

EDIT:
I posted this with the assumption that Team Gong, via Gmail, could tell when we opened their email. They may not be able to do that.

 

[CommandoBob]

What should we do? For this turn, 120, I propose that we keep moving the boat along, and say we didn't get their email until after we played.

Some email services will inform you when the mail you send has been opened. I sniffed around in Gmail and still don't know if it does that or not.

If Gmail does not notify the user of when their email has been opened (the most likely case) then we can do this and blame it upon the latest turn player, who was too focused on getting the turn played and didn't check the previous message.

If Gmail does notify the user of when their email has been opened (not likely, but possible) then we could be unmasked as liars, unless we use the same line of defense as above; that is, whoever opened the email did not play the turn.

I think this is doable, but only for the next turn (120). And we would need to creatively apologize to Gong for our movement after we play the turn.

 

[Empiremaker]

In that case I'll play the turn ASAP. I think as the usual turn player, CB should apologize for the "error"