Team GONG Embassy

[donsig]

It's not a bad idea but perhaps it's too early to talk to GONG about this? I would echo Niklas's concerns about GONG beating us to Cope's. If they are working on 100K they may want every wonder they can get. Of course we could start talking about this and tell them astronomy is still quite a way off for us.

 

[peter grimes]

...tell them astronomy is still quite a way off for us.

Nobody's proposing giving them Astronomy as soon as we have it.

That would be the kicker clause to work out - when to give it? It's in Gong's interest to get it right away, it's in our interest to not have to give it.

I think the scenario I was envisioning is promising to give Gong tech ONLY if BABE is attacking. If they're not, why would we give them tech?

 

[cubsfan6506]

Do we have a prebuild for cops yet?

 

[donsig]

Do we have a prebuild for cops yet?

No, but it's looking like we'd start it in The Chamber soon (next turn?).

 

[cubsfan6506]

That would probaly be ideal. If gong already has a prebuild it is likely they will get it.

 

[Paul#42]

Right now I feel that anything we could offer them for the GL destruction will be less than what BABE can offer them for two turns of GL-renting...

A deal with BABE would also save the culture TGL and other buildings gave that town - and I think TGL will again provide culture after they reacquired the town, right?

 

[cubsfan6506]

Babe coudl sell off the improvements.

 

[General_W]

If gong already has a prebuild it is likely they will get it.

I wouldn't write off our chances on getting Copernicus quite so easily.
GONG still has to research astronomy on their own, they won't get education for 2 more turns, and their research rate can't be too great in a Feudal government that just got done whipping a bunch of citizens for temples.

However, this does underline the fact that it will be imperative for us to get started asap on pre-building Copernicus in The Chamber.
But I believe that's already been decided, so I'll stop

 

[General_W]

Hilarious new letter from GONG
(sent to both FREE and us)

Title of the e-mail: Thanks for Theology... Care to deal for the lower tier?

Hiya Team Free and GW, Council Ambassador,

Currently we're stuck in a bit of a bind w/ the Babes regarding cooperation w/ others on techs but there's nothing prohibiting us from reaching a deal w/ the FC Axis over how we would benefit from our Great Gong Library should you two decide to swap the lower tier techs before you grace us with Education.

Regards,

Gong Ambassador jb

I don't even know what to make of this! What are they saying?!?
"Please trade Invention/Gunpowder before Education. We have nothing to offer you but a pretty please."

EDIT: Of course, maybe this is our chance to offer to swap Invention before Education in exchange for promises on the GreatLibraryElevator? I dunno.

 

[cubsfan6506]

I like this that they also won't build cop's. Invention but not gunpowder.

 

[donsig]

Well, could just play it straight and ask them what they have in mind. I'm not quite sure what they mean by being in a bind with BABE regarding cooperation with others on techs. Does that mean they have a tech deal with BABE? Maybe it just means they've been imbibing too much of their favorite beverage?

 

[peter grimes]

Sounds like BABE has insisted on trading restrictions that GONG is not happy about.

I really don't see how we fit into their calculation.

The smoothest way to respond is to ask for clarification.

ps - aren't we supposed to be sharing all of this with FREE, according to our Treaty?

 

[General_W]

I don't believe our treaty directly covers sharing communication... but it is good form. They got this letter also, so it's not like it's a secret.

I propose we send a reply, and CC FREE on it.
I don't think GONG is really proposing anything... just on a fishing expidition. Still, here's my proposed response:

Dear jb and all GONGlings,

Why dear! If we had known you wanted Theology, you could have just asked! No need to steal these things, we’re always happy to lend our neighbors a cup of sugar, a cube of butter, or some of our advanced and secret knowledge.

We’re pleased to learn that we’re so close to FREE that we’re now an Axis! Were you aware of this FREE? Good news, I’d say!

As for these other lower level techs you speak of… did you have a proposal in mind? While we’re always fans of vague and thinly-veiled fishing expeditions… The Council would also be happy to entertain any proposals you’d like to offer.
Hard for us to say, since we’re not sure what kind of…er… “bind”… the BABE’s have you in!

All the Best,
General_W, speaking with the voice of The Council

P.S. Hello FREE!

EDIT: SENT! to GONG gmail and FREE gmail

and then send a quick note to just FREE

Please ignore our ramblings to GONG… thought it'd be best to feel them out a little and see if we can’t throw them off the trail a bit.

EDIT: SENT to FREE gmail

 

[AutomatedTeller]

It's, as always, an excellent letter.

 

[sirdanilot]

Excellent! Please go ahead and send it!

 

[Aigburth]

Surely Gong didn't expect to get anything other than theo and education from the library did they?

So they say they have some restrictive tech trading deal with Babe, might be worth mentioning that Babe approached both Free and ourselves about trading techs and co-research, this may have been done with the knowledge of Gong but then again it may not have been

 

[sirdanilot]

Yes, I agree with Aigburth's (or Aigburth' ? I always had problems with the genitive 's) suggestion. It might make Gong suspicious about Babe, which is always a good thing. But it might also make them suspicious about us trying to drive them apart from babe. I think we must know that risk, and decide if we are able to take it. We don't want an overly hostile Gong, do we?

 

[donsig]

I think the General's letter is good. Trying to drive a wedge between GONG and BABE is always a good idea but it just doesn't seem to fit into this letter as written. We'd have to change the letter's tone quite a bit.

 

[General_W]

yeah - that's a tough call. I think that's a good bomb to try to drop on GONG later, but I don't think this letter is exactly the place.

I'm now sending this letter, as is, to GONG and to FREE.

 

[peter grimes]

For the record, it's Aigburth's. An apostrophe is never alone, but it is sometimes the S is moved infront of the apostrophe, as when the word already ends in an S: The police confiscated the twins' guns.

Essentially, it is sort of an elision, or contraction, from twins's.