This Week in Pacifica

[MCRABT]

Vox calling NPO bad guys - check

Vox spies fail again - check

Vox fails to entertain - check

Vox wastes 20 minutes of my drinking time - check

A routine day at the office. Sponges thread was much better.

[Schattenmann]

Oh hey it's a FAN member telling me that I'm irrelevant. That's quirky and fun.

Actually no, I was in the Vox channel at the time and personally witnessed Kassad plotting with Vox leaders. As a matter of fact I was the one who alerted Pacifican leadership of his activities, so I don't think there's too many people here with more credibility on the topic than me.

Do try harder next time.

But, Corinan! NPO doesn't spy!

Can we just make one topic where only Vox and Corinan can post, and then every time both have posted at least once in a thread, we just link to that and they can leave the topic? Because it's always the same arguments and they're getting a tad boring.

I'll tell you what, I'm also certainly tired of Corinan's retarded "this is stupid" comments, too.

OK, I took a second try to read this. I gleaned a little out of it, as far as what's going on.

For one ... sorry, Schattenman, I'm not seeing the appeal that others cite you for. Then again, my sense of humour is considered abnormal by 4 out of 5 6s.

Secondly ... as far as the whole bank retool, a few pages ago someone cited that it's important to not only get a return on the investment, but also generate a culture of serving, and knowing that if and when one gets out of the lower tiers they can expect the same culture to support them. Might sound nebulous, but it's better than wondering if your alliance-mate is going to take off with your aid. It also helps, or at least tries to help, prevent the situation where someone receives massive aid, then takes a three week vacation from ruling. Bad things happen at that point, as we all know.

As far as the espionage against the Mostly Harmless Alliance ... my best read on that is whomever is being quoted is getting second thoughts due to whomever they're with getting somewhat belligerent. Not many people like allying to someone who can go off and provoke treaty partners. After all, aren't people supposet to honour those these days? As quoted earlier, Mostly Harmless did sign a minor treaty with Pacifica saying they'd be nice to each other. And remember, the New Pacific Order does have the right to say 'Um, something doesn't look right there'. Freedom of speech doesn't end just because you're the biggest player on the field.

Maybe the MHA announcement is really ignored due to it really being a pause in whatever's developing, whereas everybody loves tech deals. Except the ones who don't finish them. Or those who like laughing at Pacifica for, you know, existing. And then there's the guy who keeps yelling at me for walking on his lawn when I keep telling him that he's living on a houseboat moored off the southern tip of Greenland while I'm in the Capital and I don't think he's even a citizen. But he doesn't count. At least not in my census figures.

Anyway ... um, for those who think this was too long and didn't read it, um, I'd say MHA is thinking about something, and NPO is apparently moving from handouts to making jobs. Boo, making jobs! Wait..

There are two kinds of people commenting on this announcement, the ones that can read between the lines, and the ones that are lost.

Vox calling NPO bad guys - check

Vox spies fail again - check

Vox fails to entertain - check

Vox wastes 20 minutes of my drinking time - check

A routine day at the office. Sponges thread was much better.

Thank you, MCRABT, for applying one of your legendary absolutely-laughable, exceptionally-untalented, room-silencing "insults." You keep trying, though, you'll get the hang of it one day.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Schattenmann

[Northrend]

No, NPO refuses to spy. They just like to hear about whats happening in other alliances from people who "happen" to have the information, and then deny it.

[Doitzel]

Vox made the transition from 'revolutionaries' to 'Attention whores' already a while ago.

Best shown in the thread of ES about guide stealing a while ago.

The topics they made, which didn't include fighting a personal vengeange, but about the state of the game, could with some good will be called useful. Now it's just Attention whoring.

I don't see what's wrong with "attention whoring", frankly. It's certainly better than the other kinds of whoring going on these days, especially when injected with a modern Vox Populi style.

[Mr Duffy]

this was fun and full of lulz.......the trolling is getting a bit "kindergarten-ish" but still funny

have fun kids and stop throwing so much mud back and forth ....no wait..... never mind.......its the mud throwing that makes this sooooooooo much fun ....CARRY ON

[Doitzel]

have fun kids and stop throwing so much mud back and forth ....no wait..... never mind.......its the mud throwing that makes this sooooooooo much fun ....CARRY ON

I think I've found the only person in this world who understands me.

[Electron Sponge]

Vox calling NPO bad guys - check

Vox spies fail again - check

Vox fails to entertain - check

Vox wastes 20 minutes of my drinking time - check

A routine day at the office. Sponges thread was much better.

MCRABT says something inane - check

I don't see how you could say with a straight face that our spies failed, again or otherwise. They're all pretty productive and are in no danger of being discovered. In the future you might want to consider holding off on the drinking if you plan to troll here.

[MCRABT]

Thank you, MCRABT, for applying one of your legendary absolutely-laughable, exceptionally-untalented, room-silencing "insults." You keep trying, though, you'll get the hang of it one day.

It's a pleasure, I'm happy in the knowledge that you have to waste your time reading them.

MCRABT says something inane - check

I don't see how you could say with a straight face that our spies failed, again or otherwise. They're all pretty productive and are in no danger of being discovered. In the future you might want to consider holding off on the drinking if you plan to troll here.

I did for a whole 20 minutes!

I'm not impressed by your spy attempts. All info posted here could be obtained with a member mask. It doesn't take an evil genius to insert a re-roll into alliances with 800-900 members. Also when I said it my facial expression was kinda like this:

It then progressed to something along the lines of this:

Edited February 10, 2009 by MCRABT

[Alterego]

I have to agree with TBB, you guys do more to protect NPO and damage any potential opposition than anyone else in on Bob. Vox are the true praetorian guard. Random posts out of their context are meaningless too.

[jerdge]

[...OP...]

Hey Schattenmann, I should be angry with you for having spied on the MHA forums, and in fact I am. But I also yet have to notice that discussion and I guess I may thank you for having brought the topic to my attention, and also for the interesting conclusions I may draw, by confronting what you blackened with the original post (when I will find it, of course: I can't yet confirm that this is true).

So, we're now enemies but I have to somehow thank you anyway...

Diplomatic Calamity

This week in Francograd's dimplomatic quarter Pacifican agents were left scrambling to maintain Pacifica's hold on one of her oldest ally's neck after it was found that MHA has been leading talks to form what it describes as a "new mega MDP bloc"--Bastion.

"Ask to not do something" =/= "hold an ally's neck"

As you'll all recall, it was just last that year MHA signed a treaty with no cancellation clause with Pacifica, but since then MHA seems to have developed a sense of its own self.

It has a one year cancellation clause, actually (not that there's any practical difference, anyway). You're mixing it with The Härmlin Accords, maybe?

At the very least, MHA's triumvirate has apparently kicked the question back to its member nations.

This is the standard procedure, in the MHA: every possible treaty is openly discussed. I will imagine you're spy is a bit new of the Alliance?...

[Schattenmann]

I have to agree with TBB, you guys do more to protect NPO and damage any potential opposition than anyone else in on Bob. Vox are the true praetorian guard. Random posts out of their context are meaningless too.

I think alliances that "see the light" after getting their eyes punched in do more to protect the power superstructure than anyone could ever hope Vox Populi to do with "untimely" revelations.

[Schattenmann]

Hey Schattenmann, I should be angry with you for having spied on the MHA forums, and in fact I am. But I also yet have to notice that discussion and I guess I may thank you for having brought the topic to my attention, and also for the interesting conclusions I may draw, by confronting what you blackened with the original post (when I will find it, of course: I can't yet confirm that this is true).

So, we're now enemies but I have to somehow thank you anyway...

Much obliged. It is true.

"Ask to not do something" =/= "hold an ally's neck"

You will note that I did not equate NPO asking MHA not to join the bloc as holding MHA's neck, but as maintenance of the existing grip. Subtle difference.

It has a one year cancellation clause, actually (not that there's any practical difference, anyway). You're mixing it with The Härmlin Accords, maybe?

When I write about techinical things I'm always posed with this problem: detail or gist? The gist of the treaty is that it's basically interminable, the details of the treaty are that is can be cancelled after a year. For everyone that understands, there are 10 that are hopeless, so its usually just as well to go with the gist.

This is the standard procedure, in the MHA: every possible treaty is openly discussed. I will imagine you're spy is a bit new of the Alliance?...

I didn't take issue with the triumvirate's open discussion, I merely reported it.

[Alterego]

I think alliances that "see the light" after getting their eyes punched in do more to protect the power superstructure than anyone could ever hope Vox Populi to do with "untimely" revelations.

That might have been the way it was before you put spies into any alliance that had the potential challenge or change the status quo. What exactly did you hope to gain out of this? I'm curious because it appears you were hoping to get MHA destroyed or politically isolated. Unless spying on people and releasing what you think are secrets will make an alliance stronger.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Alterego

[Schattenmann]

That might have been the way it was before you put spies into any alliance that had the potential challenge or change the status quo. What exactly did you hope to gain out of this? I'm curious because it appears you were hoping to get MHA destroyed or politically isolated. Unless spying on people and releasing what you think are secrets will make an alliance stronger.

Actually, we're very selective about who we "spy" on and who we "talk to."

As I've noted already, anyone involved in these talks that was too afraid to sign it if people knew beforehand is two things: Too afraid to honor the treaty if it came to a rivarly, and retarded if they thought that no one would know about this bloc. As others have noted, I didn't blow the cover on anything, this bloc is old knews to those in the know.

Who is a danger to this new bloc? NPO? That's the only thing I can think of, and as I've shown you, NPO already knew about it. If MHA couldn't discuss a protectorate for a 20-nation alliance without telling TPF, then they sure as Hell aren't discussing a MDP bloc this large without telling NPO and others.

And, in a roundabout way, you're damn skippy that any alliance that signs onto this has brass gonads. A defensive bloc is absolutely no threat to another defensive bloc, but these alliances when this bloc is formed will be the most courageous alliances on the map, and the moreso for doing it knowing that they're under the microscope and in the public eye.

For Admin's sake, read deeper than the words. This broadcast is not about banking changes and MHA; it's about gearing up for war while bloc talks that NPO opposes are going on.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Schattenmann

[Alterego]

For Admin's sake, read deeper than the words. This broadcast is not about banking changes and MHA; it's about gearing up for war while bloc talks that NPO opposes are going on.

Theres a war coming? Man I am out of the loop.

[Prodigal Moon]

I have to agree with TBB, you guys do more to protect NPO and damage any potential opposition than anyone else in on Bob. Vox are the true praetorian guard. Random posts out of their context are meaningless too.

To build off of what Shattenman just mentioned... I strongly doubt this thread is intended to blow the cover (or whatever) on the bloc for the purpose of stifling it. From the intel itself you can see that the most threatened party is already aware of it. I think the main effect of making this public is to put some pressure on the alliances invovled not to back out because NPO doesn't like it. It's one thing to back down in private, quite another to do so in public. Egos on the line and whatnot.

[Corinan]

But, Corinan! NPO doesn't spy!

You're right, I wasn't spying. No one from Pacifica sent me into the Vox channel, I was invited into it in an attempt to recruit me. You all were hot for Doppelganger and remain so to this day. I cannot blame you for this.

Anyhow, once inside I saw some things that disturbed me (such as an NPO military leader plotting againt Pacifica) and reported my concerns to the appropriate authorities. That's not my definition of spying but if it's yours, well, so what? You're Schattenman and I'm Doppelganger so I win. That settles that.

I'll tell you what, I'm also certainly tired of Corinan's retarded "this is stupid" comments, too.

This comment is subpar and I disapprove of it.

[Northrend]

Anyhow, once inside I saw some things that disturbed me (such as an NPO military leader plotting againt Pacifica) and reported my concerns to the appropriate authorities.

That still constitutes the spread of intelligence that initially didn't belong to you. To me, that's spying.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Northrend

[Corinan]

That still constitutes the spread of intelligence that initially didn't belong to you. To me, that's spying.

Then you're wrong.

[King Srqt]

Then you're wrong.

Oh come on you can do better than "no u"

[Corinan]

Oh come on you can do better than "no u"

OOC: Thanks for believing in me, KingSrgt. Just for that I'll actually entertain your request to "do better." This is why he's wrong, straight from the dictionary:

spy   /spaɪ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [spahy] Show IPA Pronunciation ,

noun, plural spies, verb, spied, spy⋅ing.

–noun 1. a person employed by a government to obtain secret information or intelligence about another, usually hostile, country, esp. with reference to military or naval affairs.

2. a person who keeps close and secret watch on the actions and words of another or others.

3. a person who seeks to obtain confidential information about the activities, plans, methods, etc., of an organization or person, esp. one who is employed for this purpose by a competitor: an industrial spy.

4. the act of spying.

–verb (used without object) 5. to observe secretively or furtively with hostile intent (often fol. by on or upon).

6. to act as a spy; engage in espionage.

7. to be on the lookout; keep watch.

8. to search for or examine something closely or carefully.

–verb (used with object) 9. to catch sight of suddenly; espy; descry: to spy a rare bird overhead.

10. to discover or find out by observation or scrutiny (often fol. by out).

11. to observe (a person, place, enemy, etc.) secretively or furtively with hostile intent.

12. to inspect or examine or to search or look for closely or carefully.spying - 3 dictionary results

Quite simply I was not employed by anyone to gather information and there was no hostile intent on my part. Not spying. He was wrong.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Corinan

[droopyland]

Gotta snatch up the victories when they come every once in a while eh, comrade.

[Corinan]

Gotta snatch up the victories when they come every once in a while eh, comrade.

Are you talking to me? You couldn't be talking to me since Pacifica is undefeated. We're well acquainted with victory.

[droopyland]

Let's try not to derail - as much as I enjoy listening to you gurgle about GW1, you know as well as I that this time I was simply taking a potshot at your below average debating skills after you looked so smug for winning some ridiculous little tangent argument.

[Northrend]

Then you're wrong.

Quite right. We all know that the Pacifican definition spying leaves much to be desired and suits it's own needs, at whichever time it chooses. It is only wrong when others deem spying acceptable to prevent NPO aggression or continue an action taken against the New Pacific Order.

tl;dr: NPO can spai but you can't!

Edited February 10, 2009 by Northrend