Informational Poll - Connecting Saltpeter...

[FortyJ]

We have debated and discussed the notion of connecting the saltpeter located within our borders for the purposes of building musketmen. Now we must quantify this discussion.

Immediately - We need to start construction of musketmen right away. Do not delay. No other worker task takes priority.

As soon as feasible - We should connect it quickly, but we shouldn't interrupt our workers' progress in connection of the luxuries we're currently working to connect (ivory & gems).

Within the next 10 to 20 turns - We should connect it when we get around to it and not before. We can use this time to produce more Pikes and then perform a mass upgrade to muskets later on.

Never - Don't waste time on saltpeter. We should concentrate on making knights and pikes and wait for rifleman and eventually rubber (for infantry).

Abstain - I have no opinion. I'm too busy focusing on something else, so everyone else decide for me.

This poll will remain open for 72 hours.

 

[Cyc]

I voted Immediately if not sooner . Our first source of Saltpeter has already disappeared. This probably means our unconnected source will last forever. Let's hook it up and get the show on the road.

 

[Kennelly]

I agree with immediately,so interrupt a worker for this purpose.

 

[Octavian X]

We cannot defend ourselves with pikes when our enemies are shooting at us! Let us connect the saltpeter immeadiately so that we may defend our cities!

 

[Chieftess]

We also have to remember that they'll have Cavalry! Our pikes would only serve to weaken them. They need to be stronger!

 

[Eklektikos]

I must say that I am thoroughly disappointed by this poll. I do not believe that we should be connecting saltpeter immediately, ASAP or in the next 10 - 20 turns; but nor do I advocate that we never connect it. I would like, as I thought I had made fairly clear, to leave the saltpeter unconnected until we acquire Military Tradition. This would allow us to build up a strong, efficient pikeman based defensive force while we continue churning out knights for our next offensive, and then upgrade the latter when we are finally able to do so.

Since for some reason I am apparently not to be offered the opportunity to vote for or advocate an option that would make such a strategy possible I will therefore boycott this poll in disgust.

 

[FortyJ]

Eklektikos
Perhaps I'm being a little too optimistic, but I feel we'll probably be getting close to Military Tradition within 20 turns or so, or at the very least, we'll be researching it by then. Nonetheless, it seems that an overwhelming majority of citizens would rather not wait nearly that long.

While I regret not providing you with the only option you would have considered worthy of your vote, and while I will try harder on my next poll to include all feasable options, I am not certain that the addition of this option would have made much of a difference in this poll.

 

[Eklektikos]

Originally posted by FortyJ
Perhaps I'm being a little too optimistic, but I feel we'll probably be getting close to Military Tradition within 20 turns or so, or at the very least, we'll be researching it by then. Nonetheless, it seems that an overwhelming majority of citizens would rather not wait nearly that long.

While I regret not providing you with the only option you would have considered worthy of your vote, and while I will try harder on my next poll to include all feasable options, I am not certain that the addition of this option would have made much of a difference in this poll.

You are almost certainly correct that including a "When we acquire Mil Trad" option would not actually have affected the outcome, since very few people seem inclined to agree with me that this is the way to go. This is not what bothers me - I am perfectly content to be a lone voice of reason (or an eccentric, luddite loony intent on keeping Fanatika in the dark ages, depending on your point of view) provided I am a democratically enfranchised one.

My issue with this poll is that a perfectly valid and viable option was left out for no apparent reason. None of the given options necessarily covers the no-saltpeter til' Mil Trad strategy that I stopped the last turn-chat in order to put forward.
The argument that "an overwhelming majority of citizens would rather not wait nearly that long" doesn't really justify the exclusion since this poll was posted anyway; so including one extra option would not have cost Fanatika's citizenry any more time and energy, nor meant more effort on your part than typing one single extra line. I assume of course that the overwhelming majority you speak of was perceived in the discussion thread, and that you are not using the results of the poll to justify the exclusion of the option after the fact.

 

[FortyJ]

Where exactly is that post in which you proposed this strategy? Because, I would most certainly have included it if I had seen it.

Personally speaking, I think that we shouldn't rush to connect it at all. We currently have one source well within our borders, and we will likely have a second source in a couple of turns once our borders expand again. I also think that our workers have so many more important things to do as it is (like connect our luxuries, or build mines to increase production, etc.).

Anyway, I apologize for excluding your desired option. I only wish I had seen it before posting this poll.