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Cythereal posted:Congratulations on your victory by nitpick. The factions in SMAC aren't really countries or nations, either. Oh, please. Both in-game and in the narrative of the LP the factions are essentially separate countries with different governments, regulated borders, etc. Choose better examples next time. 
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Feb 18, 2015 00:03
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Just out of curiosity, what 4xs are there where diplomacy is decent, or at least where the AI is behaving like actual nations rather than opponents in a 4x game?
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Feb 18, 2015 00:04
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PfP's stance is that we already took the objective in their capital city which in our platform we committed to keeping and annexing. Out of character though I know that prosecuting an offensive war is more optimal. Still, the strategy I'd prefer to see is making a second war after the truce expires even more unpalatable through alliance with Lal, and possibly Zakharov. For the reasons Cy mentioned, Yang and Santiago are likely to be set against us like the Gaians. We might be able to bring the Believers around, though. E: RE: looking for a good 4X game with diplomacy, I feel Endless Legend has a rather nice approach in giving each faction unique options and approaches, including to diplomacy, and giving it a "resource" for Diplomacy in Influence. I think though its in the genre's DNA to be pointed in a certain direction. One of those X's being eXterminate, after all. Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 00:07 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 00:04
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Nweiss, I think you missed this in politicschat...FredMSloniker posted:From: Fred Sloniker <ceo@dreamlandgames.com>
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Feb 18, 2015 00:06
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Juvenalian.Satyr posted:PfP's stance is that we already took the objective in their capital city which in our platform we committed to keeping and annexing. The believers are always going to hate us for Democracy.
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Feb 18, 2015 00:07
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Night10194 posted:The believers are always going to hate us for Democracy. Really? I thought the Believer's aversion was to Knowledge, not Democracy.
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Feb 18, 2015 00:07
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Edit: ^^^^ Her agenda is Fundamentalism, and so she's opposed to anything not that but in the same row. Honestly, only Lal is likely to really get along with us, since there is no one who wants us to have the Wealth value or Free Market economics. FredMSloniker posted:Just out of curiosity, what 4xs are there where diplomacy is decent, or at least where the AI is behaving like actual nations rather than opponents in a 4x game? I actually can't think of any at all. The problem is that just making it a game with a win condition rather than an ongoing world that will outlive everyone "playing" dramatically changes incentives in relating to other countries. Most of the non-aggression incentives we have in our world arise from the fact that there is no such objective win condition or deadline. The United States would probably behave very differently if we were guaranteed beyond all doubt that the world was ending in 2050 and whichever country controlled the most territory won at Earth or something. Akratic Method fucked around with this message at 00:10 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 00:07
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Juvenalian.Satyr posted:Really? I thought the Believer's aversion was to Knowledge, not Democracy. They hate Knowledge, Police State, and Democracy, but they can actually run the latter two if they want. Same reason Santiago can run Knowledge despite hating it but not actually barring it, for example.
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Feb 18, 2015 00:09
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Juvenalian.Satyr posted:Really? I thought the Believer's aversion was to Knowledge, not Democracy. Yes, but their preference is for Fundamentalist, so they'll hate anyone who doesn't pick it.
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Feb 18, 2015 00:09
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Akratic Method posted:I actually can't think of any at all. The problem is that just making it a game with a win condition rather than an ongoing world that will outlive everyone "playing" dramatically changes incentives in relating to other countries. Most of the non-aggression incentives we have in our world arise from the fact that there is no such objective win condition or deadline. The United States would probably behave very differently if we were guaranteed beyond all doubt that the world was ending in 2050 and whichever country controlled the most territory won at Earth or something. It's kinda annoying in SMAC though because diplomatic victories are essentially impossible on higher levels.
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Feb 18, 2015 00:09
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From: Nwabudike Morgan <morgan@morgan.com> Subject: Re: Intercolonial communication To: Fred Sloniker <ceo@dreamlandgames.com> Fred, At the moment, lacking proper data trunk lines between Pholus and Hercules, we have had to rely on long-range radio and physical mail on merchant vessels. I can arrange to rent you time on one of the big transmitters if you'd like; alternately you can send physical mail if you'd rather conserve money. I know, it's an awkward situation, but I am hoping that we will eventually have all networks on Chiron interconnected by high-capacity data lines to permit easier communications and realtime information on business conditions across the globe. Someday! Nwabudike Morgan, CEO Morgan Industries
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Feb 18, 2015 00:12
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Juvenalian.Satyr posted:PfP's stance is that we already took the objective in their capital city which in our platform we committed to keeping and annexing. IF the Gaians will accept the peace settlement in the first place.
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Feb 18, 2015 00:12
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Akratic Method posted:Edit: ^^^^ Who says we're taking Wealth, necessarily? That isn't the factional Agenda, after all.
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Feb 18, 2015 00:13
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nweismuller posted:Who says we're taking Wealth, necessarily? That isn't the factional Agenda, after all. I expect it will be what we use soon because I think it's the earliest one we're likely to get unless we get AMA on a fluke and I can't see you letting it remain Survival.
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Feb 18, 2015 00:15
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Cythereal posted:I expect it will be what we use soon because I think it's the earliest one we're likely to get unless we get AMA on a fluke and I can't see you letting it remain Survival. Spoiler: we gain access to Wealth this update, and I'm putting choices of either Survival, Wealth, or Knowledge Values up to 'Free Market' votes unrelated to Colony Executive elections. (Power Values can only be instituted by specific instruction by the Colony Executive.)
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Feb 18, 2015 00:17
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From: Fred Sloniker <ceo@dreamlandgames.com> Subject: Re: Intercolonial communication To: Nwabudike Morgan <morgan@morgan.com> All right. I've prepared a pre-recorded message to deliver to any colonial leader who'll take my calls. Let me know who to talk cash with. Thanks! --- [Transcription of file 'A Friendly Proposal.ogg'] Hello! I'm Fred Sloniker, CEO of Dreamland Games. I'd like to thank you for taking the time to listen to this message. I'm under the impression that you're the right person to talk to about this, but if I'm wrong, I'd appreciate it if you could forward this message to the person or people who are. Thanks. Still here? Okay. Dreamland Games is the leading developer of virtual reality games in the North Pholus Colony. We've been making games since--well, for a very long time. Long enough to get set into a niche: state-of-the-art simulations using the best hardware and software available, free to play but supported by in-game purchases. And that niche is working pretty well for us. The thing is, though, it isn't working well for everyone. Even here in North Pholus Colony, not everyone has the necessary gear to access our games. Obviously you don't, or I wouldn't have to be renting time on a transmission tower just to get this message to you. Not to mention sometimes you don't want to sit down for a couple of hours in a VR rig. You want something to do while you're waiting for lunch or when you're camped out on patrol or something. So here's the deal. We're working on getting a piece of the mobile game pie too. But, as is our wont, we're thinking bigger than the competition. In this case, we're thinking international. In short, I would like to negotiate the rights to distribute game software in your colony. I would also like to purchase the necessary technical data to develop for whatever personal portable computing device is most common in your colony, especially if it's some sort of phone. Failing that, I am prepared to work with a company in your colony on an emulation layer so that our code can run on your devices. Please contact me with any questions you may have. If you're not interested, that's fine too; just let me know, and I won't bother you about it again. Thanks in advance! I'm making the assumption that 'cell phones' exist in some capacity, or at the very least 'radio phones', so former crews can play Bedazzled or whatever while they're on break. IC Fred is making this offer to every colony, save for the Gaians and Believers, and if by some miracle we get peace with them this decade he'll make the offer to them too. LET MARKET PENETRATION COMMENCE
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Feb 18, 2015 02:18
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farmvile: chiron edition
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Feb 18, 2015 02:21
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AriadneThread posted:farmvile: chiron edition Formerville
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Feb 18, 2015 02:24
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AJ_Impy posted:Formerville yes, perfect
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Feb 18, 2015 02:25
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The Tlaloc Initiative has a question for you: what do you see in this picture? If you said "An opportunity to exploit resources no one else on Chiron can touch," congratulations on your vision! In just twenty years, the Tlaloc Initiative's own seafloor settlement of Xochimilco has gone from high-technology testbed to thriving city.  On the right: our new corporate headquarters building. The doubters on your board may say no, it's too expensive. No, we don't have the resources to build a settlement of our own. Good news! The Tlaloc Initiative's shipyards are busier than ever, keeping a strong hold as the leader of nautical engineering and shipping in North Pholus.  The Initiative's main port terminal in Morgan Industries. Visible are the remotely-operated cargo haulers, an experimental new program in cooperation with Kusisitiza Datametrics. On sale now are our new Tenochtitlan series sea colony pods! Each ark carries enough personnel, equipment, and raw materials to construct a self-sufficient settlement on the sea floor below.  Concerned about power requirements? Worry not! Our second generation geothermal plants can be prefabricated and included in your sea colony pod for a small additional fee!  The Tlaloc Initiative: Riding the wave of the future! Cythereal fucked around with this message at 02:52 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 02:47
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Cythereal posted:Visible are the remotely-operated cargo haulers, an experimental new program in cooperation with Lovelace Computing. Hey, Kusisitiza Datametrics have been collaborating with the Tlaloc Initiative for decades on automation! 
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Feb 18, 2015 02:50
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AJ_Impy posted:Hey, Kusisitiza Datametrics have been collaborating with the Tlaloc Initiative for decades on automation! To: Kusisitiza Datametrics From: Dr. Maria Valdez Subject: Our deepest apologies The marketing specialist who produced the advertisement falsely advertising Lovelace Computing, clearly forgetting about our long-standing business relationship, has been sacked and the advertisement corrected. Our deepest apologies for the mix-up. Dr. Maria Valdez, Tlaloc Initiative
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Feb 18, 2015 02:53
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brb on fire posted:From: mailer@atlasneuroscience.com So, you all know that official policy against spreading "rumours" about the ghost of Gartner? Well, here's my official policy: Human Resources can suck it. Either some sick bastard's been playing pranks with the PA system or the dearly departed doctor's been trying to sing me to sleep for the last three nights running. Emphasis on "trying," because being haunted isn't exactly my idea of a soporific. If the leadership of the PfP ends the war without getting the secrets of the human brain from the Gaians first, I'm going to see if I can talk Dr. Gartner into haunting their asses for a while. - Posted anonymously to the Atlas Neuroscience forums DGM_2 fucked around with this message at 06:29 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 06:25
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I love that we've completely given up on discovering them ourselves and outright rely on stealing the Secrets. 140 years in. 
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Feb 18, 2015 07:32
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I just realized that Bliss Authority's last forums post was the 5th, in this thread. I hope she comes back to the forums, seeing as she's the Lovelace to my Dreamland! If not, I may have to advance a particular secret project (some ways off, I believe) in her place...
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Feb 18, 2015 07:42
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Night10194 posted:I love that we've completely given up on discovering them ourselves and outright rely on stealing the Secrets. 140 years in. We just don't get brains, man. 
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Feb 18, 2015 08:09
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The Droids We're Looking For In 2221, Bushnell Center completed its own security command post, overseeing security operations on the eastern front of the conflict with New Gaia. Although the fighting was more sporadic there, periodic raiding parties still came over the border, and added coordination for defensive units would be of use.    Meanwhile, the newly elected Colony Executive, Tabatha Ragland of the Party for Planet, attempted to contact the Gaian government to negotiate peace, even after Gaian covert operatives penetrated North Pholan data networks, providing them more reliable intelligence on North Pholan activities. Unfortunately, the Gaian government refused to accept any communications. Following the failure of negotiations, Rat Patrol engaged and easily defeated a company of Gaian infantry who had filtered over the border.   Meanwhile, in New Lacedaemonia, the Spartan Federation reported that an invasion force from the Lord's Alliance had overwhelmed the settlement of Hawk of Chiron. The Federation vowed to launch a counteroffensive to drive Alliance troops from their shores, while the exploratory mission launched from Tellus discovered an intact group of scouting rovers in a Unity cargo pod floating in the Sea of Mnesimache. Without the resources to maintain these vehicles and unwilling to let them fall into enemy hands, the security forces on board the exploration ship scuttled the cargo pod and sent it to the bottom of the sea. The rover would have been supported from Tellus and cause Pacifism drones, which wouldn't be worth the new unit, which was well out of position. So, instead, I simply disbanded it.     Fighting continued into the next year, with a Gaian covert ops team wiping out the counterintelligence forces newly posted in Gaia's Landing before themselves being wiped out as the forces in the settlement assaulted the company of Gaian infantry escorting the covert ops team. As this was going on, Apollo Meditech opened the first major research hospital in North Pholus, helping to develop new treatment methods for disease and refinements for anti-agathic treatments.   A year later, forward defensive positions failed to block off routes of access for spies inserted from New Gaia, but a company of hostile infantry was destroyed before forces fell back to Gaia's Landing.   Meanwhile, the Spartan Federation began efforts to develop a massive command complex in Fort Liberty, at the edge of Mount Planet's caldera, while the exploration team crossing the Sea of Mnesimache recovered a pod with sonar survey equipment that allowed charts of the sea to be updated.     2224 proved to be a major year for military news, with repeated covert operations breaches in Gaia's Landing betraying North Pholan weapons technology and military doctrine to the New Gaians, while another Gaian covert ops team was wiped out outside of Torrson. The Spartan Federation, true to its word, succeeded in recapturing Hawk of Chiron from the Lord's Alliance, once again securing their core territories.   The exploration vessel from Tellus, meanwhile, suffered severe navigational failures, sailing far off their original course. 'Tidal waves' teleport the unit, in this case a rather improbable distance straight to the Geothermal Shallows, and refresh their movement allowance. A second pod contained a SECOND tidal wave, this one sending the vessel a shorter distance away. Honestly, this was a reasonably silly turn of events.    By 2225, two Gaian covert operations teams were stopped cold by heroic action by the counterintelligence operations in Torrson, while the project to convert computer hardware into espionage equipment in Lily of the Valley finally came to an end. With growing poverty and unrest unable to be held in check by military checkpoints, the settlement had erupted into riots, and the last remaining remnants of their project to develop a rival to Project Bushnell was hastily converted into a much less ambitious entertainment complex to provide a new source of pleasure for a hard-working population, even as the worst troublemakers were being arrested and pressed into military service. A raid by a New Gaian rover platoon against Torrson was easily beaten back, and a rover platoon dispatched to Bushnell Center succeeded in reclaiming the mines from New Gaian rovers that had occupied the position. With these losses, offensives from the Dominion petered off, much of their force spent for the moment.  Two years later, in 2227, the exploration mission from Tellus finally came to the eastern coast of Chiron Minor, discovering both a settlement of the Lord's Alliance and a strange jungle of rich and varied vegetation with actual trees unlike any other observed region on Chiron. With their position now fixed, they continued down the coast. The Monsoon Jungle has +1 nutrients in every tile in its area.   Three years later, in 2228, Morgan Industries Robotics Division and Kusisitiza Datametrics made major announcements in advances in robotics technology within a month of one another. While Morgan Industries had been perfecting industrial robotics systems to automate significant portions of factory work, increasing production and freeing up labor for other sectors, Kusisitiza Datametrics had been developing remote-operation drones that would allow major mining, farming, or power generation facilities to be operated with a minimum of human staff. We can now build hab complexes, representing the improvement in industrial logistics allowing higher populations, as well as develop supply crawlers, which can be used to harvest one of the three resources from a remote site and deliver the production to its home settlement, or can be disbanded in a settlement to provide their full production cost in minerals there, representing major shipments of materials. Supply crawlers, when overused for remote resourcing, are MASSIVELY overpowered, but by popular demand I am allowing each base to operate one supply crawler, which may only exploit a special resource tile.      In 2229, news began filtering from the Lord's Alliance suggesting that the military command officers of the Alliance were starting a major project, while a Gaian rover raid was utterly annihilated by an ambush from Torrson's defenders. A year later, an Intelligence Service team snuck into Lily of the Valley, penetrating a biology lab, downloading vast quantities of data, then seizing control of a major radio transmitter for long enough to broadcast their stolen data back to North Pholus. Unfortunately, Gaian security forces had already surrounded the transmission station, and none of the Intelligence agents escaped.   With this new data, it became clear that New Gaian researchers had compiled a huge quantity of data on the human brain, and had traced the mechanisms whereby physical processes were translated into a self-aware system. It became clear that Gaian theology was designed to hijack certain of the processes of concept-formation in the human brain, taking advantage of research to develop propaganda of compelling power when reinforced by repetition. A more benign application that occurred to researchers in Atlas Neuroscience was the development of headphones with a simple algorithmic noise generator that, when the wearer switched them on, closed their eyes briefly, and waited, could very rapidly induce a state of trance, dissociated from emotion. Although this state was worse than useless against human enemies, as it slowed reactions and dulled responses, it could be a literal lifesaver against mindworms, insulating the entranced people against horror and hallucination long enough for them to mount an effective defense. Hypnotic trance doesn't add any manufacturing cost to add to a unit, and adds +50% to its psi defense. Upgrading existing units will still take money. I will take advisement from Colony Executives on how to implement Trance in units, although it is most commonly useful for garrison units and armored terraformer teams. The Republic of North Pholus as of 2230    With the Party for Planet in power, security restrictions on entrance to the xenofungal forests have been instituted, stopping new clearances of the xenofungus for now. The waters between Morgan and Xochimilco have begun to be developed with kelp farms, thorium collectors, and subsurface geothermal plants, while thorium sifters and mines have begun to supply Talon.   Charts of the Sea of Unity and Sea of Mnesimache have been greatly updated by the explorers from Tellus. As the explorers have moved further south along the coast, they have discovered the original settlement of the Alliance, New Jerusalem, as well as evidence of Alliance settlers working in terraforming teams to tame the landscape.  The Spartan Federation, now out of its state of emergency, has begun to solidify its position, with two new settlements and with the people of Greenhouse Gate having more or less fully assimilated into Federation culture.   Innovation has increased over the past decade, while mounting infrastructural expenses have slowly reduced the generation of liquid capital for investment. Still, the economy remains strong, and the expansion of industrial operations to support growing populations is expected to provide a major surge in the economy soon.  Investors in Morgan have been backing development in the coastal waters of Rockefeller Bay, preparing for the expected population boom as new habs are built and the output of newly-automated factories is provided to supply the growing population. Confidence in the future is high.  The planned improvement of reactor outputs in Torrson will finally be completed within the year, which is anticipated to bring major growth in industry and investment. With that work completed, new priorities must be considered for the future. Although no Intelligence Service team is currently in position to protect the settlement against covert action, one is expected to be stationed there within a year.  Clinics for maternity care and high-quality educational institutions for young children have proliferated in Tellus, easing matters for parents in the settlement. A group of investors forming a new company, Titan Geothermal, have floated a colonisation effort further north along the Great Pholus Ridge, and have assembled other firms and colonists to support the new endeavor, while new patches of forest have been planted nearby.  Growth of trade volume with the Spartan Federation has been good to Bushnell Center, helping improve overall incomes and quality of life here. Bushnell Center, like Torrson, is just now completing expanded reactor facilities and storage vaults for thorium, helping secure its industrial future. That one point of commerce allowed us enough extra Psych to move from two Talents to three here.  Military investment has slowed since Ragland was elected Colony Executive, and Talon Security's work with Ares Armaments to develop effective new missile-armed rovers has only continued slowly. Although new mining on the ridge helps somewhat, it would take more advanced mining engineering to fully exploit the scattered metals and mineral deposits of the region. We will need Ecological Engineering to remove the Minerals cap for tiles.  Xochimilco has been connected to the mainland by high-capacity cable, and local facilities are being set up for full connectivity to take advantage of this as quickly as local resources will allow. With the growing farms and business here, the settlement is truly beginning to thrive.  Gaia's Landing has grown back to its population before its capture by North Pholan forces, and unrest here has only multiplied. With the forest to its northwest destroyed by New Gaian artillery bombardment, the local lumber and paper industries have collapsed. New businesses have slowly begun to filter in, offering new entertainment and shopping options to Gaia's Landing, but the process has been slow. It is hoped that the growth of new businesses will lead to growth in the economy of Gaia's Landing in the near future.  The Gaian ideocracy remains a bitter enemy of North Pholus, although it has offered recognition of the UNCC. Commissioner Pravin Lal has issued statements urging New Gaia to reconsider their theocracy, while New Gaia bitterly disapproves of the UNCC economic model as out of touch with Planet, but thus far their differences have not led to a complete collapse in relations. With their new stolen military technology, the threat from the Gaians at the borders may soon be increased, but thus far a force with coilguns has yet to be deployed against the Republic.  With the Alliance forces driven from New Lacedaemonia, Colonel Santiago has surrendered her emergency powers and returned authority to the elected government. The relaxation of strict police controls and emergency travel restrictions has proved a major blessing to the Federation's innovation and income, although it once again finds it more difficult to maintain a large standing force. Over the past decade, the Spartan Federation has established permanent recognition of the Planetary University Free State, although trade volumes between the two nations remain minimal. Intercolonial trade, by volume, is almost entirely between North Pholus and its trading partners.  The continued growth of the UNCC's population has brought with it modest economic growth, although the colony still struggles in many ways. The diplomatic and social situation in the UNCC remains almost identical to that of a decade ago.  The Planetary University Free State remains a tiny presence on the western edge of Hercules. Perhaps, in time, the peace brokered between it and the UNCC will pay off for Zakharov's little kingdom.  The Lord's Alliance continues to grow in population, and its victory in Hawk of Chiron, however short-lived, raises worrying questions about their military might. Still, without reliable intelligence sources, little concrete can be determined about the Alliance. North Pholan victories have bought a period of respite in the war with New Gaia, even if the New Gaians are unwilling to negotiate at this time. Slowly growing trade volumes and development have bolstered the Republic's economic strength, while expanded industrial production promises to bolster it even further. It is hoped the next decade will be good for North Pholus.
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Feb 18, 2015 09:27
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From: James Cavalier <JCav@AresHolo.com> To: Fred Sloniker <ceo@dreamlandgames.com> Subject: Virtual World Project Your little project is quite amazing to us, taking the network nodes of the republic to be used in Hologram Theatres. While we have known that in the past we rely on the already expansive tourist resorts of Morgan Industries to entertain the population. I have seen your designs and have begun integration of your pet project into the Ares "Prometheus" containment chamber. Usually called a punishment sphere by other factions, these spheres are restricted to hostile factions such as the Dominion forces. The reason why we don't see these in the Republic is because of the Free Market stance, these spheres uses the dreaded nerve staple where we overwhelm the prisoner with extreme sensations from fear to ecstatic bliss. Nonetheless the effects of the Sphere is detrimental and I have realized that if the Dominion prisoners is to be integrated to our society, we will need to rely on the network nodes to directly feed them Morganite Propaganda. I will wire a sum of Energy Credits to encourage you to support our endeavor in rehabilitating the Gaian population at Gaia's Landing as we cannot directly Nerve Staple the citizenry and instead focus on the resistance. (OOC: This is a reference to the wonder video, the drone is inside a Punishment sphere but yet in ultimate calm inside the virtual world, hinting that the virtual world can be used as prison entertainment) gyrobot fucked around with this message at 09:50 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 09:31
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 With Industrial Automation, Wealth Values are unlocked, while Secrets of the Human Brain unlocks Fundamentalism. We are not going to be taking Fundamentalism. The choice between Wealth and Survival Values, however, will be open to voting every 20 years, alternating with Colony Executive elections, representing investment and market strategies undertaken in the economy as a whole and the general influence of saving and consumption decisions. Wealth will give us a relatively modest income boost, and a 10% discount on mineral production costs, but will significantly erode military readiness through lower MORALE. Morgan Industries maintains a relatively conservative strategy in this time, focusing on their core industrial competencies and licensing robotic technology to other firms automating their factories. Build 4, Economy 3, Labs 4, Psych 3, Survival. Colony Executive: Please provide further instructions for security and diplomatic policy- construction of perimeter defenses, attempts to get intelligence sources inside of the Free State or Lord's Alliance (or even the Federation- our intelligence source depends entirely on the alliance continuing at the moment), upgrade priorities for troops, and so on. Fred Sloniker and Maria Valdez: Please suggest further civilian development priorities in Bushnell Center and Xochimilco. If you need to know your options, ask me. Everybody in general: Please suggest civilian development priorities in Torrson and Tellus. If you need to know your options, ask me. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 09:39 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 09:36
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Morgan, Now that we've finally acquired a map of human consciousness, we can actually do something about those psychic powers I promised you almost a century ago. I won't be directly involved in most of its development, but I figured I could help explain what will and will not be possible at this point. First, just because we're calling them "psychic powers" does not mean we'll be getting the full suite of abilities dreamed up by centuries of speculative fiction authors. There will be no telekinesis, no premonitions, no clairvoyance or ESP, and no other ways to alter space and time with your mind beyond the standard hand/eye interface we're born with and potentially whatever robotics are hooked up to the brain-reading headgear. Second, while telepathy and telempathy (the transmission of emotions) will be possible through the use of a transmitter/receiver worn on the head, I rather suspect the latter will be easier to implement than the former. While we can now extrapolate the internal monologue from EEG signals (assuming the software is properly calibrated) and even pull a few symbols out of an unknown subject, to simply duplicate such thoughts in the receiver would override his or her own monologue, something both disruptive and dangerous. As such, they need to be reinterpreted into sensory information, something the receiver can "see" or "hear," and that's not easy to do on the fly. Emotions are much simpler, and humans are already empathic beings, so working out telempathy should be our priority. Finally, psychic powers without any technological assistance will be impossible. Brain waves are too weak to be read at any significant distance, they don't affect the spores in any way, and even if they could there are too many differences in individual brains for any two people to possibly communicate telepathically without help. There is no universal "language of the mind;" we all each think in symbols, and every brain defines its symbols differently. Imagine if someone were to try talking to you in Japanese, but you only know the most basic words and the person talking is screaming so loudly that you can't even think. That's what mind-to-mind communication would be like without a computer to translate. Now here are the actionable items: First item: The new spores we've been developing should help with receiving high-fidelity signals, but as stated we will still need neural transceivers to make full use of our new psychic potential. These would work best as implants to get around the skull's dampening effect, but with the troubles of invasive surgery and glial scar tissue buildup I think we should focus on external devices for now. The examples we captured off the Gaians will be a good place to start, but I know we can do better than those crude headdresses. Now I'm not going to lie to you: the radiation bouncing around in our brains will lead to genetic damage and higher cancer rates over the long run. Fortunately, though, our sound grasp of gene therapies and advanced medical research should allow us to combat this issue, and in any event the high price of new technology should keep neural transceivers out of the hands of the general public for many years. Assisted telepathy and telempathy alone will be big money earners, but I've also come up with a few more specific prospects. Second item: this technology has great potential for skullduggery. With the right hardware we could potentially allow probe teams to hack other transceivers, and while an agent (or an agent's sensor) would need to get close to intercept actual brain waves, they might also be able to read the minds of unknowing, unaugmented subjects. Additional software could also allow neural transceivers to piggyback the brain's pattern recognition abilities in order to decrypt radio signals and thus gain another avenue for intelligence gathering. Even active mind control may one day be possible. Of course, the xenobiology department doesn't develop computer technology so you'll need to farm this project out to someone else. Third item: the mind worms. You don't need to worry that my department's actions will make us any more vulnerable to their psychic attacks; one more spore inside each neuron will do little more damage than the billions already clumped to their outsides. On the other hand, neural X-ray transmitters should be much more effective in scattering and cowing mind worm boils, both because everyone in a squad will have the emitters and because they'll also be reading each other's emotions and thus shoring up their collective resolve. The training and equipment will doubtlessly add extra expense, however, so you may want to limit its deployment to units more likely to encounter mind worms. Also, while I can't offer a guarantee, I believe we'll be able to make the empathic reinforcement compatable with existing hypnotic trance technology. Final item: the mind worms again, but now this is where I come in. Up to now we've managed to capture a few live specimens over the past few decades, but all we've done is keep them frozen in lead-lined plasma steel cages. Now I know this sounds risky, but with a proper biology facility and some transplanted fungal masts it's conceivable that we may be able to breed them in captivity, and with enough data we may even manage to "translate" their X-ray-based language. My initial idea was to use a computer to interfere with and override their mental collective--I suspect Skye stumbled upon this early on and that's how she's been "capturing" wild boils--but a human telepath able to integrate him or herself into this collective might be more successful in controlling them. That said, there's a lot of research still in front of us before I can say for certain one way or another. As for the implications, well, I hardly need to spell them out. Taken together, I've decided to call this the Centauri Empathy project. Human telepathy was an impossibility back on Earth, but here in this star system it may prove to be inevitable. So if you wish to explore these new possibilities, be sure to let me know. Chief Hal Kimberley, Ph.D., Morgan Xenobiology Department Explore 4
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Feb 18, 2015 09:49
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Official Statement From James Cavalier With the end of our sponsor's political term to the green party PfP, we still continue our war against the Dominion and Lord's Army as they continue to attack us. As we speak, the Ares Artemis Missile Rover will soon become completed and we will use the new weapon to bring this senseless conflict to an end. We also announce plans to invest in the Habitation Complexes at Tellus and Torson. Meanwhile GL will have a network node installed in time for the Prometheus Containment Units I plan on welcoming former Spartan Personnel who seek to ply their trade as mercenaries and they require the finest quarters to stash their weapons and wealth in the upcoming conflict with Miriam and Diedre. We will ensure they buy the best guns Ares can produce, train Talon's men to become as immortal in battle as Ares and enjoy life as a Morganite should as they drink like they are in the longhalls of Vahalla! For this term we will be actively oursuing profit in the name of Wealth, meanwhile our corporation also invests heavily into Military research (3 conquer) as well as General research grants (1 Discover). Our organization must remain on top of the military food chain as Diedre have begun to exploit our free databases for her sinister ends. This will not be tolerated by good minded Morganites! As for the energy budget, we will continue the same methods as the RSP head's suggestions gyrobot fucked around with this message at 05:36 on Feb 19, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 09:49
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Dr. Kimberley, You've done good work before, and I appreciate you passing this proposal to me, but I am going to have to say 'no' on greenlighting this project. As interesting as human telepathy may be, I do not intend to make a long-term commitment to fungus-reliant strategies, and I absolutely refuse to countenance the use of mind worms against human targets. I will NOT be a party to that. Nwabudike Morgan, CEO Morgan Industries E: Unrelated OOC note- in my experience, stacking Wealth on top of Free Market is distinctly risky as far as ability to withstand worm attacks goes. This is a major reason why I personally favor Survival. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 11:01 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 09:57
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Spinning Morgan Quotes, Round 2 Mr. Morgan, the Gaians have released information they've obtained from their network intrusion, including the following concerning your new hospital: quote:Some civilian workers got in among the research patients today and We've verified the authenticity of the file. Please tell the people why you are experimenting on the sick, and what legal force you have to nerve staple private citizens. Challenge Mode: The "research patients" aren't just receiving palliative care, some unpleasant science is going on with their bodies. Further more, a nerve stapler has no recognized therapeutic uses. Its use on anyone is (or should be) a criminal act.
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Feb 18, 2015 15:44
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Morgan, I'd like to file a request for a new colonial venture: A fully automated city, or at least one that can eventually become one. You've seen, both with our energy storage and distribution projects and with the successful rollout of our remote resource gatherer tech, that my people tend to be very forward- thinking, innovative and above all patient, given the decades of extensive development and testing which has become our hallmark. Working with our partners in the Xochimilco base was an eye-opening experience: The city had been expertly tailored to suit both the needs of its environment and the requirements of its founding company. I think for the next phase of our developments, we'll need that operational freedom. We're looking at both human and artificial intelligence, interlinking them with our automation processes. The benefits, long-term, will be of incredible potential for us all. Please, look over these plans and let me know what you think. Kusisitiza Futures: The City for all our Tomorrows * A city with double the allotment of Remote Resource Gatherers, with the Kusisitiza prototype stock repurposed for the good of all. * Research and networking installations a priority, a place of learning with extensive R&D potential. * A place free of native life research, enabling a concentration of focus on technological solutions whilst freeing up our old lab space for such utilisation back in Morgan. My warmest regards, Adhama J. Kusisitiza Build 4, Economy 3, Labs 4, Psych 3, Wealth.
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Feb 18, 2015 15:52
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Night10194 posted:I love that we've completely given up on discovering them ourselves and outright rely on stealing the Secrets. 140 years in. I'm almost disappointed that we finally got SotHB. That was a gag that deserved to keep running, and I was seriously hoping to have Dr. Gartner start haunting political leaders.
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Feb 18, 2015 15:56
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Added Space posted:Spinning Morgan Quotes, Round 2 Nervstapling individuals is mostly ignored. Nerve stapling 10000 people in a riot action is an atrocity. This may result in a couple of corporate lawsuits where media outlets calls Morgan a despot but nothing comes out of it.
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Feb 18, 2015 17:06
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Hal Kimberley's Personal Field Log, Entry 1 Morgan is a fool. Does he not understand the importance of learning how this planet's ecosystem functions? Does he not understand the sheer promise it holds? How many medicinal herbs were lost from clear-cutting the rain forests of Earth? How many açai berries will we never encounter because men like him were too afraid of parasitic flies and poisonous frogs to explore the jungle? Well, lucky for me, Morgan's opinion isn't the only one that matters anymore. I am currently standing in a highly secure facility several miles outside of Talon Security's main base, courtesy of a number of "friends" who agree with me about the importance of "know thine enemy." While I usually avoid field work, this experiment is far too important for me to leave to others. It won't be fun giving up my Virtual World vacation time just to come here and stare at worms, but I'll manage somehow. In fact, our first breakthrough came before I'd even arrived. On a hunch, I told the contractors to enclose the transplanted fungal patch in a plasma steel Faraday cage proof against the same radio frequency used by the Gaian headdresses. That being done, they dropped in the mind worm boxes we smuggled out of the xenobiology department, shut the door, and readied the flamers. But lo and behold, when the worms unfroze and began moving around, they were utterly peaceful, without even a hint of a reaction towards the humans visible beyond the cage! The worms' X-ray communication is still...troubling the guards, but they have assured me they are experiencing nothing like what they'd feel during a real worm attack and their hypnosis devices are more than enough to protect them. What this all means...I haven't a clue! But that's what I'm here to find out! Meanwhile, I've anonymously forwarded some of the stolen Gaian information and my own notes on the implications to a number of companies headquartered in Bushnell Center. Hopefully one of them will get the ball rolling on telempathy even if Morgan won't touch the technology with a ten-foot pole. End log.
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Feb 18, 2015 17:07
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Nerve Staplers were actually originally designed for psychotherapy and when used for that purpose they are extremely useful. It's just they can also be used to make people compliant, hence their use to prevent drone riots.
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Feb 18, 2015 17:15
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Making this post OOC due to time constraints: regarding Xochimilco, begin construction of a Perimeter Defense. A children's creche would be nice, but there are Believers in the water, and Xochimilco's garrison hasn't been hardened by native attacks. Research: Explore 4. Values: Survival.
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Feb 18, 2015 17:23
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Honestly? Put trance on garrison units stationed in our border colonies, where the threat of mindworm attacks are greatest. It's purely a defensive upgrade, so putting it on our mobile troops would be pointless, since the point is to attack first. I'll make an IC post sometime later.
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Feb 18, 2015 17:32
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