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MrWhereItsAt
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New Year's Resolution: 2005 is the year of Where It's At - come get some.
Nov 2001
time: 17:20
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Save is here, along with the following message from PAL:
quote:
Gentlemen of Apolyton:
After our previous discussion, there is considerable… discontent… on our team regarding the comments of one of your leaders. While we recognize that this alliance is absolutely essential to our mutual success, we are growing concerned at the tone and attitude being displayed. There is a growing feeling amongst PAL that APO is asking for quite a few things, and returning very little, and while this is something we could tolerate – we do, after all, have very much to give – we find the attitude responding to our generosity to be most disheartening.
PAL recognizes that a fair land solution is important for both our nations, but clearly a difference in what we both consider fair is occurring. Rather than allow the rash and ill-considered attacking statements of one brash individual to endanger our alliance in the manner that nearly occurred in the night prior, we have decided to enter into this discourse, at least initially, via correspondence.
PAL’s feeling of discontent that we are doing all the “giving” and precious little of the “receiving” so far – which leads to our more firm stance on land apportionment – stems from the following concerns:
1) The road to Meeting Mountain; originally, we agreed that this was to be the place where our trade roads met. When Apolyton was unable to fulfill their half of the road, we simply stepped in and continued it. Our assistance was then called a suspected precursor to war on your empire, which was both stunning and insulting at the same time, especially since this was something we originally had agreed to – and so we agreed and suggested the establishment of sentinels. The result? Our workers are blockaded for a turn by an Apolyton archer, and are left to bumble about like fools in CDG’s land.
2) We have, even from the earliest stages, made it clear that luxuries are a high priority item for us. Imagine our significant bewilderment to discover that not only are your wines within range of your cities – but they are in range of your CAPITAL – and that a single worker’s devotion - even one worker - over a span of 25 turns or so post-capital expansion in preparation for the arrival of our road would have accomplished all needed tasks. To be sure, our industrious and agricultural nature is an advantage, but it is very bewildering indeed to find that in the time we can drive a road through some 10 tiles of forest and jungle from the southern edge of our empire to acquire a second silk for your own post-anarchy use, you are unable to add one more length of road to the road extending from the very center of your empire.
3) You requested the purchase (which was actually a gifting) of Bonehed for purposes of using him for an iron colony, so that you could more rapidly acquire iron. While the wines are within 1 turn of their capital and could be easily linked, instead you send Bonehed to help road out to iron that gets connected some 8-10 turns before it is even needed for upgrades. Bonehed is not used for a colony, but rather continues working for Apolyton until PAL finally points out that they have been watching the F3 screen and know the iron is connected and that Bonehed is still alive. This is a curious dichotomy of signals, to be sure.
4) You know – and encourage – the adventure of sea exploration, that we may more rapidly locate our foes across the ocean. We have taken to this endeavor in our usual robust fashion, and when we immediately report any findings to you – and consider drastic action with our boats to investigate our findings – we discover that you in fact have already known about the existence of these islands, and have known about MORE THAN ONE such for some time! If we had not asked, when would this information have been delivered? If we had instead suicided a galley out to check out the location, how awkward would the situation have been if we had discovered your curraghs blocking our way to coast, and then sunk? Immediate and direct transmission of useful information is PAL’s credo and stance – and yet again, a curious dichotomy of signals is transmitted by APO.
5) Immediately after revealing that you in fact are aware of these islands – and in a truly aggressive fashion – we are “told,” rather than asked or negotiated, that we should expect that Apolyton will fill in all the land in the disputed zone. Apolyton’s position on this subject has never changed in a single iota; while PAL does not claim to be masters of diplomacy and negotiation, we have always been under the impression that negotiation involves both sides compromising until a mutually agreeable solution has been reached. We have also been under the impression that diplomacy is the art of exchange, not of dictation – and yet in chat, we were dictated to, and in a very condescending fashion, by one of your leaders. So if we are to understand all of APO’s current wishes, we are requested to send you settlers – which we are in fact willing to do – for multiple city sites, perhaps even to fill all of the disputed lands, and then give them to you? Would you like the loan of our Pyramids, while you are at it? We construct a road you may ably use for your own expansion (not to invade, which we have never shown the slightest interest in or disposition to do, despite unceasing paranoia on the subject from our allies, having only now begun mapping the very edges of your lands, while two of your units have long travelled ours), we offer to supply you with settlers to further your own growth, and we work tirelessly on your behalf – to clear CDG from their own lands to assist you and your own might with no other benefit to us than your good will and considerable expenditure of our own resources, and to ensure your own research efforts will be eased by not needing a luxury rate… and yet APO’s position on the disputed lands does not change. Truly, this is a curious dichotomy of signals.
These are our concerns; while we are certain you have a position of your own, when you examine our own view, looking out at the land of green, you can understand why we might feel a tad misused and mistreated when you are presented with an unwavering demand of land from your ally, particularly in the condescending terms that were used. We are indeed a proud nation, both of our accomplishments, and of our skill, and do not enjoy being treated like anyone’s “kid brother.” You must understand that the strength of PAL lies in its ability to expand and develop, and our entire game strategy is based on these principles – once everyone is “matured” in their city sizes and land, our advantage will only be that we have been there longer, and so have more of the benefits of our maturity. If we do not utilize our speed of maturation, we will find ourselves quickly the lesser contributor, and we would prefer to be equals.
PAL is, however, as always a nation of action and not merely requests or empty promises unkept. As we have in the past, we will continue in the future to back up our rhetoric with deeds of cooperation and trust. To this end, we have immediately:
Allotted a boat (LSS Kraaken) and unit (the warrior Cobra) to no other purpose but than to get an immediate and accurate tile count of the entire continent; currently, the only lands which remain unknown to us are your northwestern region and CDG’s region. We expect that with our renewed, aggressive effort to determine the particulars of our continent, tension over borders need not continue.
Acquired a precise tile count of all available land on our half of the disputed zone. Unfortunately UN rules prevent a precise revelation of this number, but we will be able to, precisely accurately, draw such a line once CDG’s and your northwestern lands are known. We estimate that these regions will become completely known to us in 10-12 turns at most.
Detailed a boat to immediately determine the worth of the unknown northern island; if it is found to be valuable in any way, we will immediately inform you – as is our custom with all information.
Gentlemen of Apolyton: As always, the fate of our alliance requires equally the participation and trust, the words AND deeds, of both partners. Here again, as in the past, PAL is offering both words and deeds, and offering our full, equal participation, and even our trust in revealing in full detail to you our concerns. We trust that you will understand that our intent here is not to threaten, but to make clear why we are displeased both with the tone of specific leaders, and with the apparently immovability of Apolyton on certain issues. We are certain that with equal participation and trust, you will be able to resolve our concerns, as we made a point of doing when such a letter was sent by you to us, when we responded as you requested - with both words and deeds.
We now await your words, and we await your deeds.
With continued respect and optimism for the future of our most noble alliance,
The People of the Army of the Ladder
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* MrWhereItsAt sighs
I have to visit parents, but I'll be back in 6 or 7 hours to start trying to sort this out. 
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22-10-2004 09:44
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