Bernardo

Interesting topic, as the "Next Great War" has not even started, no one knows whom is on which sides, no one knows which Alliances will manage to stay neutral, or even what the CB will be. Gavrilo Princip did have to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria to get World War I rolling.

There remains high expectations that war will happen on Planet Bob. Possibly tonight.

That is a minor case of overdosing on CN. A major case is buying 50 $20 CN Donations for all of your mates who were nuked in the last war instead of going to Vegas and playing craps and seeing escorts.

When a cute female student asks me what can she do to raise her grade in my class, and I think about suggesting that she start to play CN, join the MHA, and sell me tech.

So, what's happening?

In CN there is one area where there seems to be a general agreement about what is right and wrong: honoring treaties. In my view - and this post reflects my own opinion and not those of my Alliance - "moral high ground" in a political-military-economic simulation such as CN involves the extent to which a person or an Alliance exhibits a degree of consistency and a general lack of hypocrisy relative to honoring their treaties. In the case of MDoAP treaties, some Alliances are perceived to be less aggressive and will tend not to "band-wagon" onto wars, while others proclaim their aggressiveness and do enter into wars that others have started. Who has the moral high ground? Both do - if they are being consistent with their past public statements. Another issue is treaty cancellation. Does it show a lack of "moral high ground" to cancel a MDP treaty when it appears that there will be a war? No. Political dynamics change in a simulation like this one. I do not view that it shows a lack of "moral strength" to cancel a treaty.Almost all treaties have procedures for their cancellation - they would not have such procedures in them if it was not necessary at times. However, what if an Alliance gave notification of the cancellation of a MDP pact, but it had a one-week or one-month period between the notification of the cancellation and the actual cancellation, and during that one week or one month a war occurred involving the other party and a third Alliance? To me - and again I speak for myself - the honorable position is to fully support the other party. Regardless of current conflicts or disagreements, the past leaders of both Alliances entered into a pact with a time period between notification of cancellation and actual notification. That is a binding commitment that has to be honored. So it is how we treat our treaty partners that is important. Anticipating or guessing what someone might or might not do is very difficult.It is how the leaders of an Alliance react when their current treaties are invoked. Of course, it is my view that conflicts that might lead to war can often be resolved by negotiation, the payment of compensation, apologies, the consumption of a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster and maybe a visit to the relaxation studios on Planet Eroticon Six (for those who are over the age of 21 and do not have pacemakers.)

You Betcha!

Corran Dralling, it is only a one week war that MK has said will not go nuclear. Remember last year when the MHA did a preemptive attack on Genesis and NV and then UBD honored its treaty commitments and attacked the MHA? That did not go nuclear. It lasted for a week or so and then there was peace between the MHA and UBD. Things could be worse. You could be a 16-year old Somali kid sitting alone in a lifeboat who has just seen his three friends have their heads shot off by US Navy SEAL sharpshooters.

Floyd, congratulations on the recognition that you so well deserve!

I think you are confusing Astro Empires with Cyber Nations. (Now, if someone would combine the two games into one - THAT would be great!) Forget Destructor ships - we need to build a few Death Stars!! MHA Forever!!!! Zaglabor astragard! Hootrimansion Bambriar!

An excellent recruitment message. No you didn't. Is it like the boobie thread on the Farkistan forum? Or is it different? Now, if you were giving away oliebollen or stroopwaffels to new members, you really would have recruitment solved.

Rats. I go away to New York City to see my mother, I come back, and all sorts of weird stuff is going on. Maybe I should just go to Vegas, play craps, visit some ladies of negotiable affection, and return when things have returned to normal. Whatever normality is around here.

Why join the Mostly Harmless Alliance? It's not because you can drink a Pan-Galactic Gargle-Blaster with the rest of us at our permanently reserved table at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe (although you can). It's not because you can stomp around saying "Resistance is Futile" while throwing people out of the airlock (actually, we frown on that behavior) It is because we the MHA is without a doubt part of the Aqua Sphere of Win!