StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Couple of points: I have a preexisting and quite public trade agreement with the Psilons, made at the pregame diplomatic conference. It involves big ticket items, mostly space stations from me and supercomputers and a solar plant from him. This isn't going to make much of a difference between those two nations. Second, we're still in conference. No dice.

Fine. If that is what you want, I will delete the post. I thought the talks were over. But the second they are done, the post will go right back up again. I will concede that I cant make a strong case for your involvement, but the increased trade that will ineivtable result from a free trade agreement will tie the other four together. And over time, the fact that you are trading freer with the other nations will pin you, too. If I bribe a customs agent and find you are not paying tariffs, I will have you. The only way to hide this is for you guys not to trade with each other at all. By making this more than just political you have opened the door for everyone to find out.

I will remove the post for now, but don't seriously expect that this will keep your alliance under wraps. It will take a while to fully uncover, but huge things like this have a way of becoming known.

What makes you think that the alliance is to remain secret once the talks are over? It holds more benifit if it is widly known.

Bugsby wrote:Fine. If that is what you want, I will delete the post. I thought the talks were over. But the second they are done, the post will go right back up again. I will concede that I cant make a strong case for your involvement, but the increased trade that will ineivtable result from a free trade agreement will tie the other four together. And over time, the fact that you are trading freer with the other nations will pin you, too. If I bribe a customs agent and find you are not paying tariffs, I will have you. The only way to hide this is for you guys not to trade with each other at all. By making this more than just political you have opened the door for everyone to find out.

I will remove the post for now, but don't seriously expect that this will keep your alliance under wraps. It will take a while to fully uncover, but huge things like this have a way of becoming known.

Do you honestly think we want to keep it under wraps? That kind of defeats about half the purpose of a defensive alliance. We have to keep the talks themselves secret while they're in progress so people don't try to interfere. That's been standard diplomatic practice for ages.

If that is the case, I dont see why you care so much. The post is gone, dont worry. My only thought in posting that was that you had stressed "top secret" so many times while stipulating some very public conditions to your treaty. That post was to make sure that everyone knew. If you plan on announcing the alliance yourself, then go right ahead. But if you want to try and maintain secret alliance, it wont work. Fair?

That's the case because when the press/populace/other nations find out about negotiations in progress, they'll almost invariably try to interfere. Just look at the mess made when the Constitutional Convention's purpose slipped. They had a hell of a time keeping people from trying to climb in the windows!

But as long as we're on the topic, Mr. Mercenary, who the hell paid you to release the information? Thought you didn't have an agenda.

Rogue 9 wrote:That's the case because when the press/populace/other nations find out about negotiations in progress, they'll almost invariably try to interfere. Just look at the mess made when the Constitutional Convention's purpose slipped. They had a hell of a time keeping people from trying to climb in the windows!

But as long as we're on the topic, Mr. Mercenary, who the hell paid you to release the information? Thought you didn't have an agenda.

Thats right. No agenda. That wasnt me releasing the info, that was an internal memo. But if there is any attempt to hide this (which I trust there will not be), you can bet there will be a post up RE "Who wants to buy important political data regarding five of everyones favorite empires!?"

And even if someone did pay me, you would have to pay me again to find out who the buyer was. I worship the almight dollar, my friend.

Anfalas? Lossarnach? Someone's being a bit too blatant with the Lord of the Rings references.

And Bugsby, hypothetically speaking, if we were that determined to keep it a secret and you offered the information for sale, what on Earth makes you think you wouldn't be staring down the barrels of a whole shitload of railguns, laser cannons, and wands of fireball within days?

Hey, Captain Lennox invented the nation. The leader is even a descendent of one of the Blue Wizards!

And Bugsby, hypothetically speaking, if we were that determined to keep it a secret and you offered the information for sale, what on Earth makes you think you wouldn't be staring down the barrels of a whole shitload of railguns, laser cannons, and wands of fireball within days?

Because such an action would pretty much ensure the destruction of the Alliance as all the neutral powers banded together for mutual defense against your ridiculously aggressive power-bloc and smashed you with sheer weight in numbers?

Thirdfain wrote:Because such an action would pretty much ensure the destruction of the Alliance as all the neutral powers banded together for mutual defense against your ridiculously aggressive power-bloc and smashed you with sheer weight in numbers?

Thank you, Thirdfain, for sparing me the trouble of saying it.

Captain Tycho, I will treat that vessel as being as powerful as a 6-mile long combination troop-transport/carrier/battleship built in a month would be, which is to say, not very.

100,000 robotic assault drones

6 miles long? *tries to imagine babylon 5 with thrusters and an extra mile* um, okay. 100K drones?

Thirdfain wrote:Captain Tycho, I will treat that vessel as being as powerful as a 6-mile long combination troop-transport/carrier/battleship built in a month would be, which is to say, not very.

Hell, most people's heavier escorts could take it on and win.

Tycho, I really hate to say this, but if that's your navy you better start fearing me, because I am looking to smack down someone...

This game is reaching painful levels, quickly.

There's this evil little part of me that wants to build a Quadruple Entente and just mop the floor with every ubership and stealth-kidnappers.

Thirdfain wrote:There's this evil little part of me that wants to build a Quadruple Entente and just mop the floor with every ubership and stealth-kidnappers.

Ubership? With a meter of armor? My heavy vessels have four times that; big or not I'd mop the floor with it. I'm more concerned about that thing packing more fighters than my fleet carriers by about three orders of magnitude.

Thirdfain wrote:There's this evil little part of me that wants to build a Quadruple Entente and just mop the floor with every ubership and stealth-kidnappers.

Sign me up for that alliance.

Stormbringer wrote:

Thirdfain wrote:There's this evil little part of me that wants to build a Quadruple Entente and just mop the floor with every ubership and stealth-kidnappers.

Sign me up for that alliance.

What do you think the entire purpose behind our little NATO in Space operation is?

Tycho, why are your carriers far better armed than your battlecruisers?

Rogue 9 wrote:Tycho, why are your carriers far better armed than your battlecruisers?

It's an ASSAULT carrier.
Think ISD. But there are only gonna be a few Longclaws built, while the Goddess cruisers will make up the bulk of my fleet, plus upgraded versions of the drone frigates.

Tycho, I've told you before. Einhander notwithstanding, railguns are not personal weapons. Period. They're just too damn big and draw too much power.

electromagnetic railguns and coilrifles are common weapons, buddy. They just use magnets instead of chemical propellent to fire the rounds.

And they'd be woefully inefficient compared to gunpowder projectiles if they used a magnet small enough to not permanently attach your fly zipper to the weapon.