01-02-2003 07:07									#1
	Diplomacy Scholia- temporary replacement for Meshellic Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

As you all realize, we have soon pressing issues on the agenda, which need to be dealt with seriously and efficently, according to the best interest of the team and its members.
Meshelic (the chief diplo) is currently occupied with his new post- Supreme Military Commander in the SPDG, and a replacement is surely needed (as DeepO said in the "Is it just Me?" thread). I have chosen to answer that challenge and volunteer, i hope that nobody minds me taking up the post, at least until the urgent issues with Vox and the other teams are addressed.

These 'burning' issues (from the most urgent to the least, IMO) are:

1) The border treaty with Vox- we need to form a team wide agreement on what we are willing and not willing to offer and accept, and make this border treaty a fact, before Vox's cooperative mood is changed.

2) The future relations with Vox- with them so eager to form a binding alliance, the Diplo scholia will have to devise a plan on how to avoid such long term commitment (which seems to be a path the team wishes to not take) while not alienating Vox, and still achieve our goals- probabluy a tech partnership of some sort.

3) Obtaining contacts with the other teams- what are we willing to give Vox and/or Lux for these, do we want to wait for our/another team's galley to find us, or we prefer trading contacts ASAP?

4) Other issues- a) Lux's offer for a meeting near the strait- we wouldn't want to tell them the whole story on Vox, so we should decide what to tell and how tell them, that this very kind offer won't be possible (most likely). b)Roleplay's offer on the synchornized release of writing- we will take longer than they wish to, but still we might pull it off, the more basic question, do we want it?

I would have post more, if i wasn't so tired, so i'll go to sleep and tend this thread tommorow. I just want to encourage the diplomats who are still around to come and influence the discussion, as well as the other members of the team.
These issues are IMHO more urgent than internal build oriented issues, since we can delay the decision on those, but any further delay hampers our chances of getting a good deal from Vox, while they are still intoxicated by the prospect of an alliance and our suprising (to them) peaceful and cooperative stance (not the big bad wolves they thought us to be), so come and join the discussion, which is the life blood of decision making (or at least we wish it to be... ).

Oh, and before i forget- go and revive the discussion on the "borders" thread, and cast your vote as well- this is the most pressing issue right now- think of how the relieved we'll be after that is done with.

	01-02-2003 09:10									#2
	Inflate your Upload Space

My earlier poll on the border issue is closed now. There seem to be two main camps, one inclined to accept the borders Jon and I drew up and one that wants to REX it out (the only two options getting multiple votes), so a new thread with a poll including just those two options might make good sense. (Not that someone couldn't offer another idea we haven't thought of yet and throw our thinking into chaos again if they so desire.)

Nathan

	01-02-2003 12:45									#3
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

* notyoueither caresses the chaos ball with gentle claws...

Naw. REX it out without any wonders, or settle with them (without caving in, but with wonders) seem to be the two viable choices. I will leave them alone.

	01-02-2003 15:52									#4
	Put an end to popups!

I didn't vote in the border poll, as I still think a few minor adjustments are needed. But of course, I'll support a border treaty, whatever we do with the GL, we'll need the relative peacefulness it provides.

As to tasks still ahead of us: Zeit, one of the things you might want to get organised is to have some kind of timeline, or a agenda of sorts. Already, I find it hard to keep track of the different needed diplo contacts, to see if everything gets done in time. The barb warning messages was a good example: I think we got all teams, but it was purely an ambassadors responsibility, the diplo head should keep track of all the different messages, and note somewhere who was already contacted, and who still need to have an envoy sent.

As to RPG's offer: I think it is best to tell in all honestly that we won't get to their deadline, but that any delay they want to be willing to make is welcome to us.

DeepO

DeepO

	01-02-2003 18:10									#5
	Increase the size of your Attachments

Re RPG- I agree with DeepO, and since we decided that writing is their to be used to gain contacts, not to trade them (since we have no to do that with), we won't gain as much from it anyway. I hardly see any other viable option on this issue, and if no one objects, than you can send your reply.

The border issue- I would like the Diplomacy school to present his suggestion- hopefuly that a border treaty is the way to go, for so many good reasons.

So, what is the ambassadors feelings about this idea? i must say (as you probably already realized) that i see this border treaty an important achievement, which will help us safely develop ourselves, as well as making Vox more dependant on us in the long run, as well as establishing our position as the senior partner in any future partnership.