Foreign Policy: CivFr

[talonschild]

This thread is to archive dealings with CivFr. Any information we have on them and also our current attitudes and relations.

Civfr (Willem - Maya)
Leader Traits: Financial and Creative
Unique Unit: Holkan
Unique Building: Ball Court

Starting Techs: Mysticism and Mining
Starting Unit: Warrior


Current Status: Unmet, neutral

Should be communicated with in French - French speakers: Bowsling, talonschild

 

[Bowsling]

Next turn we meet CivFR.

So we're about to finally meet the Mayans!

I assume we still want to at least give communications in French a try. How do we want to approach them? Do we want a NAP, or should we go further? What about EP spending, relations with CivPlayers and RealmsBeyond, and with SpAp? What do we want to achieve with them in the long term?

 

[YossarianLives]

Yeah, let's definitely start getting something ready to translate into French. How do we know we're meeting them next turn, btw?

Personally, I think just a NAP for now is fine. I'd like to know a little more about their position and general diplomatic attitude before we decide to ally to closely with them. Just don't see much to gain, unless it turns out they can eventually help us against Spaniards or RB or UCiv.

I want to put our EP's against them, at least until we get their graphs (or we need to go back to the Spaniards if we lose those graphs). It would be a good idea to ask them about their relations with the other teams, though

 

[2metraninja]

We have met CivFR. I did sent them short in-game greeting.





They have less cities than us, but they have Calendar and it seems they already settled their jungle (sugar).

 

[2metraninja]

We need message to them.

What we want included in it? OB? 50 turns NAP? Something else?

 

[talonschild]

Both of those would be a good idea, I think.

 

[YossarianLives]

Here's a stab at a draft:

Bonjour CivFr,

We are very happy to have finally met you! We have travelled far through Egyptian and Aztec lands to find your border. We understand that the Zulu nation lies to your west. As you may know, their leader has declared war against our peaceful nation. They admit themselves that this was a foolish mistake, but they seem to be intent on ending their game in a blaze of glory. If you have any interest in helping them along, let us know, as we have a very accurate knowledge of the composition and location of their armies. Either way, our borders will most likely meet up at some point in the future once their team has been eliminated, so we want to begin a relationship of productive cooperation.

On that note, how would your team feel about a NAP and Open Borders agreement? Would a 50-turn NAP work for you?

We look forward to hearing from your team.

_______, ambassador for CFC

If we can get OB with them, we might be able to pay a nice surprise visit to the Spaniards' eastern borders with our chariot.

 

[Bowsling]

How's this?

Bonjour CivFr,

Nous sommes ravis de vous rencontrer ! Nous avons entendu des épopées des Mayas, en particulier du grand Mausoleum d'Harnicasse.

Malgré la regrettable guerre contre les Zoulous, on aime la paix (autant qu'on a choisi Mansa Musa et l'Inde). On aimera une pacte de non-agression, efficace immédiatement, pour 50 tours.

Également heureux qu'on contacte les Mayas légendaires sont les marchands indiens. Ils nous promettent qu'il y aura des profits lucratifs si nous aurons des routes de commerce avec des villes mayas. Les villes indiens seraient aussi profitables pour le commerce maya. Pour effectuer le commerce entre nos civilisations, on aura besoin des frontières ouvertes. Est-ce que vous êtes intéressés ?

Cordialement,
Ambassadeur Bowsling
Équipe CivFanatics

In English:

Hello CivFr,

We are delighted to have met you! We have heard many tales about the Mayans, and especially of the great Mausoleum of Mausollos.

Despite our unfortunate war with the Zulu, we are a peace-loving people (so much so, that we chose Mansa Musa of India). We would like a non-aggression pact, immediately effective, for fifty turns.
Equally excited about our contact with the Mayans are the Indian merchants. They promise us that there are lucrative profits to be made if we could establish trade routes with Mayan cities. Indian cities would also be profitable destinations for Mayan trade. To make this happen, we would need open borders. Are you interested?

Sincerely,
Ambassador Bowsling
Team CivFanatics

talonschild, could you look over the French version for grammar and such?

EDIT: Crosspost with Yossarian.

 

[YossarianLives]

Haha, funny cross-post. We can use your message, Bowsling, especially if you'll be the acting ambassador. The request for the NAP comes off as sounding a little demanding in the English version, but other than that I think it looks great.

 

[2metraninja]

Very good job to have two drafts to choose from. Well done, team

 

[talonschild]

Oh, I feel so embarrassed about my French. Nicely done. I see no glaring errors, and in fact the only thing to note would be that it's the Mausolée d'Halicarnasse, or (for the absolute literal translation) the Mausolée de Mausole.

 

[Bowsling]

Well, I did use a grammar-checking site to smooth a few things over. Mausolée d'Harnicasse it the way the wonder appears in CivIV when set to French.

I was worried that the NAP-request sounded a bit demanding, but I was at my wit's end trying to figure out what to say in French. Does anyone have any suggestions for that?

I'd say that the two messages aren't really mutually exclusive. The question really is whether we want to ask them for help against SpAp or not. If we do want to, we can easily work Yossarian's message in with mine.

 

[Sommerswerd]

I was worried that the NAP-request sounded a bit demanding, but I was at my wit's end trying to figure out what to say in French. Does anyone have any suggestions for that?

How about we replace

efficace immédiatement

with

efficace maintenant, sil vous plait

English version:

effective immediately

becomes

effective now, if you agree

Spelling might be off, my French is amateur at best.

 

[Bowsling]

Yes! For sure.

 

[YossarianLives]

Cool. I will send Bowsling's message with Sommers' revision in the next couple hours unless someone gets to it before me

Edit: Sent

 

[2metraninja]

So French have dismissed our OB request. Why I wonder.

 

[YossarianLives]

Probably just their turn-player (or someone just taking a look around) not wanting to commit before having time to talk it over with the team. I think I might have acted a little premature sending the in-game offer at the same time as sending the email message.

I am a little worried that there has been complete silence from them in the 4 days since we have met them. Doesn't bode well for close cooperation in the future.

 

[2metraninja]

One good point Bistrita raised to me is we might be better off without NAP with CivFR in the next 20 turns. If we are going to capture all of the Spanish cities and territory, we might step on each-other toes with French over some land or even cities in the east, closer to their borders. French can use while all Spanish army is moved west to be thrown at our advancing armies to snatch an empty city or two from Spaniards, taking away from us our rightful war-bounty. Even if they settle 1-2 bold cities to cut away some Spanish land from us, we might be forced to jump at them on speed to reclaim those. It is true they are strong nation, but our army then will be unmatched and most of all - concentrated on the right place, where the French will have to just then start to produce army or move existing units to try defend their new holdings. So we might be forced to fight a war, otherwise we would be deprived from reward and benefits for which we put considerable efforts in.

 

[2metraninja]

Is there anything we can do right now other than hope French dont answer our NAP proposal? How one retracts a proposal without making clean he changed his mind and intentions and dont want to sign it anymore?

 

[Sommerswerd]

Like this:

Dear Frenchies (Dont really put "Frenchies")

We notice that you refused our request for a NAP and Open Borders that we sent to you in our last letter. We are ready to discuss peaceful, beneficial relations with your Team, but we would only be comfortable with a NAP that includes Open Borders. Please contact us if you have some other proposals for us to discuss

Your buddies,

Team CFC

Remember that we asked for NAP AND OB in our letter. If we really want to retract the NAP offer, then we can just treat the two as one proposal that they must accept on the whole. They refuse one, so it is a refusal of the other as well.

This way they can not interperet us as withdrawing the NAP offer, but instead it is they who refused it.