Team BABE

[CommandoBob]

From BABE:

We've tried to avoid impeding your progress by moving along the sea lanes.

We've had a Babe galley blocking our progress for the last 4 or 5 turns. They didn't try very hard.

Maybe we can get a map trade before we get The Council's map.

Would we trust them with knowing where our cities are located? They don't trust us even knowing the outline of their landmass.

Their letter stinks of deception. If they're moving units, they don't need galleys in place to block us - having them in a stack would work just as well.

As for the co-research, it sounds like a smokescreen. We could play along, though, to try and worm some information out of them.

Yes, these units could stack. And having their units block ours for two turns... either they are stupid or are playing stupid.

True, I thought to myself, hm... "Why here" then I forgot about it.

I think we should get a map, then try and worm info. If we have enough info, we could try and get a tech, or sneak attack with an 'exploring galley'

BABE shouldn't need to co-research. They should be able to tell that FREE and Council are allied. Plus their ally GONG has the Glib. Maybe we have misread BABE, and they don't know GONG. Maybe we should inquire about contacts.

If Babe wants to trade, they should explain why they have ignored us. They found us on Turn 98, we exchanged contacts. Later we found them and sent them a note about our intentions, which they ignored (never responded). Only after this second note did they respond.

I don't want to tease the Babes with possible trades that will never happen.

Suggested Reply to Babe

I think we need to reply along these lines:

1. We're flattered that you (Babe) would like to trade with us,
   
2. But, frankly, we don't know you well enough to trust you,
   
3. Because you did not respond to our earlier communication regarding the Teal Torpedo exploring your coastline.
   
4. If such a simple request on a rather minor matter was not worthy of even a one word note of reply ("Yes" or "No") why should we now be interested in a trade of any nature?
   
5. We are not trying to be nasty or pushy. We are trying to be clear and concise.
   
6. There is a risk that being this direct can be misunderstood. We hope it is not.
   
7. We are not trying to end communications between our great lands. We are trying to begin to communicate with the Wondrous Babes.

This is a bit stark and blunt as I've sketched it in the list above. But it does highlight my own frustration with Babe. We would need to smooth it out a little bit before we sent it off.

For us, this message delays any talk of trade as they are now forced to explain themselves, if they reply at all. And once we get a response, we can then tell them that we are working with The Council in our research efforts (which I am sure they know already).

 

[Empiremaker]

By this time, BABE has a good picture of our coast. We have not discovered anything else of importance, so now would be a good time. We should inquire in noncommittal terms we we can back out if The Council objects.

 

[aluka]

Sorry about the long time taken for me to finally write our response up. Without further delay here it is. Suggestions for any changes or additions are, as always, welcome.

Your Excellency,
Under instruction from the department of exploration and cartography I am to convey to you a suggestion for a trade in maps. This is in response to your question on whether we’re interested in any trades. Would it also not be possible for your galleys to stack on the single square to allow our galley to pass?

As to the question of co-research we are not entirely decided on this matter. Team GONG has recently built the great library and we are hesitant to inadvertently gift any technology to them through the mechanism of the great wonder.

I remain your humble and obedient servant,

Aluka
Ambassador of FREE to BABE

Let FREEdom ring,
Let the white dove sing...

 

[Empiremaker]

Sounds good. We want to confuse BABE by hinting at an alliance, which you letter does nicley.

 

[CommandoBob]

Sounds good.

I'm not sure about the map trade but let's see how that plays out.

Good reason for declining the tech trade. Bringing up the GLib and how it affects what we trade; very good idea. I am curious to see how they respond to that.

I'm ok with sending a copy of this message to The Council, if needed.

 

[aluka]

Sent it without alteration.

Your Excellency,
Under instruction from the department of
exploration and cartography I am to convey to you a suggestion for a
trade in maps. This is in response to your question on whether we're
interested in any trades. Would it also not be possible for your
galleys to stack on the single square to allow our galley to pass?

As to the question of co-research we are not entirely decided on this
matter. Team GONG has recently built the great library and we are
hesitant to inadvertently gift any technology to them through the
mechanism of the great wonder.

I remain your humble and obedient servant,

Aluka
Ambassador of FREE to BABE

Let FREEdom ring,
Let the white dove sing...

BABE is making overtures to trade towards both us and the council. It is most likely that they are scouting out the situation. Let's see if we can get some information out of them about their relations to GONG.

I remain suspicious but a triple entente would dominate the game if BABE is being honest in looking for partners on the world stage.

 

[Empiremaker]

BABE is attempting to invade SABER. They must have blocked our galley so that we could not see their staging grounds.

 

[CommandoBob]

Whomp of Team BABE has posted a thread in the common forum about Team BABE resigning from the game.

Could be a great big mind game or could be the real thing. I can't see the Admins being part of an in-game scheme.

However, if Babe discussed things outside of their private forum (IM/email), then this could be an elaborate scam designed to lull Saber into a false sense of peace.

This is still a breaking new story and the facts are not all in.

 

[Kuningas]

What does game rules say about resigning? I have had though that no team is allowed to resign from the game. ie. in the most absurd situation they have to find a player to play all remaining BABE turns wihout any team discussions.

 

[Empiremaker]

You may want to be careful of the same thing. Beachheads galore is our motto.

Think we're next?

 

[Elephantium]

Send something like this to BABE ASAP:

Do not land any units in our territory; such a landing will be considered an act of war.

 

[aluka]

Proposed text:

A Communiqué to the Great People of BABE.
Certain news regarding strategic issues from abroad has recently reached our shores. In light of this news we would like to offer a clarification. A landing of units, without our permission, on any landmass upon which one of our cities lies will be interpreted as a decleration of war. We hope that making this aspect of our policy clear will reduce the possibilty of a misunderstanding coming between our two nations.

I remain your humble and obedient servant.

Aluka
Ambassador of FREE to BABE

Let FREEdom ring,
Let the white dove sing...

 

[Empiremaker]

Maybe we want to add the our galley will not end a turn in BABE waters if possible. Right now we must end a turn in their waters because we are blocked by their galleys.

 

[CommandoBob]

Certain news regarding strategic issues from abroad has recently reached our shores. In light of this news we would like to offer a clarification. A landing of units, without our permission, on any landmass upon which one of our cities lies will be interpreted as a decleration of war. We hope that making this aspect of our policy clear will reduce the possibilty of a misunderstanding coming between our two nations.

A good start, but it may be too broad for the future. What if we invade someone and then Babe lands on the far side of the island. Do we declare war?

How about:
A landing of units, without our permission, on any landmass where at least half of the cities are our will be interpreted as a decleration of war.

Also, we would ourselves to this standard. That is, if we landed units without permission on a small island that only had a Babe city, we would be guilty of starting a war.

Not sure how cultural boundaries should figure into this, however. Sorry.

 

[Pinman]

I know that I don't really know much about this game, but has anyone considered that BABE might still be gunning for FREE?

Several of their moves have been stupid:

1) Targeting the Council before us as we are weaker

2) Landing a minor force in council lands and not all their troops. (They may have wished to prevent a SABER scenario)

3) Didn't GONG suggest that FREE may be in danger and NOT the council?

Is it just me or could this not be an elabourate ruse...

Maybe i'm just new and don't really know whats going on...

 

[Elephantium]

I think BABE is mostly trying to land beachhead parties to prevent everyone from putting up SABER-style blockades. Though in our case they might go for an immediate war of conquest...

Also, could we put up an official team FREE position on the BABE-Council war in the main forum? I propose that our position be something to this effect:

BABE invaded the Council by landing military units inside their culture borders; the Council responded appropriately by destroying the invaders.

 

[Empiremaker]

Tusker - I would support BABE more, and send a letter to The Council saying that we are trying to defuse the situation, don't take things at face value.

On my last turn, I dropped science to 0%, so that we could rush a couple of EW on in MLK Jr. and Sid City to set up a SABER blockade.

 

[Elephantium]

Eh, my posts in the main thread are uncoloured by our alliance with the Council. If someone else wants to "support" BABE more in the public forum for the sake of diplomacy, go ahead, but I stand by my remarks.

 

[aluka]

Well approaching their agreement from a purely technical viewpoint is the only way doubt as to who broke the treaty comes about. It is clear that BABE knew they were undertaking an extremely aggressive course of action that would most likely end in war againts a party they had a peace treaty with.

In light of that I don't think the international reputation of the council has been damaged at all.

Below is a revised text of my proposal for the message to BABE. I have tried to ease any concerns that the situation commandobob outlined above (that a single city on a continent will trigger a war) can come about. I'll remove the bold before sending it.

A Communiqué to the Great People of BABE.
Certain news regarding strategic issues from abroad has recently reached our shores. In light of this news we would like to offer a clarification. A landing of units, without our permission, on any landmass upon which one of our cities lies will be interpreted as a declaration of war. This statement of policy is limited in temporal scope and will be revised if future situations call for it. As such it applies only to the current geographic and territorial position of FREE. We hope that making this aspect of our policy clear will reduce the possibility of a misunderstanding coming between our two nations.

I remain your humble and obedient servant.

Aluka
Ambassador of FREE to BABE

Let FREEdom ring,
Let the white dove sing...

 

[Empiremaker]

Looks good.